RTHK: Lithuania to block rail cargo to Kaliningrad

Lithuania has told the Russian region of Kaliningrad that it will block the import and export of a large number of goods by rail because of Western sanctions, the regional governor said on Friday.

The region - home to the Russian Baltic Fleet and a deployment location for nuclear-capable Iskander missiles - is sandwiched on the Baltic coast between Lithuania and Poland, both Nato members, and has no land border with Russia.

Governor Anton Alikhanov said the clampdown would affect between 40 percent to 50 percent of the products that are imported to and exported from Russia through Lithuania.

"We consider this to be a most serious violation ... of the right to free transit into and out of Kaliningrad region," he said in an online video posting, adding that authorities would press to have the measures lifted.

Among the goods that would be affected are building materials, cement and metal products, he said.

Neither Lithuanian state railways nor the Lithuanian foreign ministry were immediately available for comment.

The move could increase already high levels of tension between Russia and Nato over Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February.

Alikhanov posted what he said was a document from the Lithuanian state railway to its Kaliningrad counterpart saying the clampdown would start at midnight Vilnius time on Saturday (2100 GMT Friday).

He said if the region were not able to have the measures lifted quickly, it would start discussing the need for more ships to carry goods to Russia.

In February, Lithuania closed its airspace to flights from Russia to Kaliningrad, forcing commercial carriers to take a longer route out over the Baltic Sea. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-06-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Chinese vice premier stresses green, low-carbon economy

Xinhua) 10:41, June 18, 2022

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the 2022 annual general meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, in Beijing, capital of China, June 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Fostering an inclusive, green and low-carbon economy is an intrinsic requirement for China's high-quality development, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng said Thursday.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at the 2022 annual general meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.

China's ecology and environment have seen continued improvement in recent years, thanks to its efforts in readjusting economic structure, advancing a green energy shift and improving the efficiency of energy use, Han said.

Han stressed that the country will coordinate cutting carbon emissions with ensuring energy security, place more emphasis on developing clean energy and promote the clean and efficient use of coal.

The country needs to improve the operation of its carbon trading market, and ratchet up the support of fiscal, price, investment and financial policies, the vice premier said.

China should also strengthen the protection of biodiversity, Han said, calling for efforts to undertake afforestation nationwide and toughen the crackdown on illegal activities concerning wildlife and related products.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to review a report on the rectification of problems discovered during the eighth round of inspections of financial institutions.

It was noted at the meeting that the CPC Central Committee, with Xi at its core, has attached great importance to discipline inspection and has made it a strategic institutional arrangement for advancing the Party's self-reform and full and rigorous self-governance. Focusing on the central task of economic development and serving the overall interests of the country, discipline inspection work has undertaken the primary task of upholding General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and upholding the Party Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership, concentrated on its functions and responsibilities, and strengthened political oversight. Discipline inspections have cut like a blade through corruption and misconduct by identifying problems and acting as a deterrent and have ensured further reform and development.

Regarding rectifying problems discovered during inspections as an important measure to promote the reform and development of the financial sector, the CPC Central Committee with Xi at its core has given a series of important instructions, which has provided clear direction and fundamental principles for addressing problems and has thus ensured phased progress in our rectification work, according to the meeting. Party committees and leading Party members' groups of financial institutions, assuming the responsibility for rectification, have acted on the feedback from inspections. Some prominent problems have been resolved and certain hidden hazards and risks have been defused, which has facilitated the development of leading bodies and officials as well as primary-level Party organizations within financial institutions.

Discipline inspection and supervision agencies and organization departments must strengthen oversight over rectification, launch special campaigns to address prominent problems, and ensure that cases involving violation of laws and regulations are strictly investigated and prosecuted. Relevant functional departments must make good use of inspection results, refine systems and mechanisms, and step up industry regulation.

It was stressed at the meeting that we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, continuously boost the consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership; stay confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Party Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership.

We must improve our political judgment, understanding, and implementation, fully grasp the laws of finance, and enhance our political awareness in carrying out financial work and ensure our work serves the people. In doing so, we will blaze a path of financial development with Chinese characteristics.

We must uphold and strengthen Party leadership over financial work, prevent and defuse financial risks, advance reforms and innovation and, with the determination to crack tough nuts and the perseverance to follow through a problem, work continuously to ensure the responsibilities for rectification and supervision are fulfilled. We should tighten up political, ideological, organizational, and disciplinary work and push Party committees and leading Party members' groups of financial institutions to fully rectify the problems identified during inspections. We should introduce regular and long-term mechanisms, incorporate inspection and rectification into daily financial work and into our work regarding deepening reforms, strengthening strict Party self-governance in all respects, and developing our leading bodies and officials, so as to provide a strong political guarantee for the sound development of the financial sector.

Other matters were also discussed at the meeting. 
WATERLOO  Allen College has received a $1.2 million grant to support rural students endeavors to join the health care profession.

The grant is from the U.S. Department of Educations Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Program and will let Allen start a Rural Student Success Program.

Jared Seliger, president of Allen College, said a significant portion of the money will be awarded to rural students. A news release states the program will benefit students within 50 miles of Waterloo.

Seliger said the college is already trying to provide access to rural students and recruiting from rural communities through relationships with high schools and community colleges. He said the grant will also allow it to hire a dedicated person to recruit rural students, whereas right now they focus on students from Waterloo and Cedar Falls.

If we can recruit from (rural communities), the goal is theyll want to return to their community and work there, and thats gonna be an ultimate win for everyone, Seliger said. Were going to try to remove some barriers for students. Were going to give them exceptional health care careers and hope they return home.

The grant period runs from Oct. 1 this year to late September 2025. Seliger said the college doesnt have specific details yet but several planning meetings are in the works.

He noted that the minimum for student tuition grants will be significant, like several thousand dollars. The amount will change based on how many people apply, he explained.

Seliger said about 90% of the colleges students come from Iowa and about 65% come from Northeast Iowa. He estimates about half of that 65% represent people from rural areas.

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Russia frees captive medic who filmed Mariupol's horror

TALLINN, Estonia (AP)  A celebrated Ukrainian medic whose footage was smuggled out of the besieged city of Mariupol by an Associated Press team was freed by Russian forces. Yuliia Paievska is better known as Taira, and her release comes three months after she was taken captive on the streets of the city. Using a body camera, she recorded 256 gigabytes of her teams efforts over two weeks to save the wounded, including both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers. She transferred the clips to an Associated Press team, the last international journalists in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, one of whom fled with it embedded in a tampon on March 15. Taira and a colleague were taken prisoner by Russian forces the next day.

Jan. 6 hearings: What weve learned, and whats next

WASHINGTON (AP)  In its first three hearings, the House panel investigating the Capitol insurrection has laid out the beginnings of its case against former President Donald Trump. The panel has featured live witnesses and video to make its case that Trump lied about the 2020 election and pressured his vice president to overturn it, and that directly led to the violence on Jan. 6, 2021. The committees June hearings come after a yearlong probe and more than 1,000 interviews. In laying out their initial findings, members of the panel say they are trying to remind a weary public of what was at stake that day and what could have happened if Vice President Mike Pence and others had not rebuffed Trumps efforts to overturn his defeat.

FDA authorizes 1st COVID-19 shots for infants, preschoolers

U.S. regulators have authorized the first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers. That paves the way for vaccinations for children under 5 to begin next week. The Food and Drug Administration's emergency use authorization Friday follows a unanimous recommendation by its advisory panel. The kid-sized shots are made by Moderna and Pfizer. The FDA's action allows the companies to begin shipping millions of preordered doses across the country. A final signoff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected this weekend. The nation's vaccination campaign began with adults in late 2020, about a year into the coronavirus pandemic.

Gunman kills 3 seniors over potluck dinner at Alabama church

VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. (AP)  Police say a 70-year-old man who fatally shot three elderly people at a church potluck dinner in Alabama had attended services there previously. Prosecutors charged Robert Findlay Smith with capital murder Friday in the Thursday night attack at St. Stephens Episcopal Church outside Birmingham. Two were victims were 84 and the third one was 75. The church's retired pastor, the Rev. Doug Carpenter, said witnesses told him the gunman sat alone at the dinner and declined to join other members before opening fire. Carpenter said a church member in his 70s rushed the gunmna and struck him with a folding chair and took his gun away.

Russian TV shows videos of 2 US vets captured in Ukraine

Russian state television has shown video of two U.S. military veterans who went missing last week while fighting in Ukraine. The videos confirm that the men were taken captive and raise fears about their fate. Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh, both from Alabama, are believed to be the first Americans captured by Russian forces since the war began on Feb. 24. Drueke is shown on camera telling his mother he is alive. Russian RT, which broadcasts in English, says the Americans are being held by Russian-backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine gets possible path to EU, aid pledges from Britain

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The European Unions executive arm recommended putting Ukraine on a path to membership, a symbolic boost for a country fending off a Russian onslaught that is killing civilians, flattening cities and threatening its very survival. In another show of Western support, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson toured several sites in Kyiv and promised continued aid and military training. He said the British-led training program could change the equation of this war. In St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow has nothing against Ukraine joining the EU, because it isnt a military organization, a political organization like NATO. Johnsons trip followed one a day earlier by the leaders of Germany, France, Italy and Romania, who vowed to support Ukraines fight.

Screams, threats as New Mexico counties certify vote

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Commissioners in all New Mexico counties have certified the results from their primary election, after one county had sparked a standoff over election integrity that was fueled by conspiracy theories about the security of voting equipment. Otero County commissioners opted 2-1 on Friday to certify the results during an emergency meeting as New Mexico counties faced a deadline for certification of the vote. The commissioners earlier had refused to certify the results, prompting the states top election official to seek court intervention. The developments in New Mexico can be traced to far-right conspiracy theories over voting machines that have spread across the country over the past two years.

Brazil police: Remains found those of British journalist

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Federal police say that some of the human remains found deep in Brazils Amazon have been identified as belonging to British journalist Dom Phillips. The remains of two people were found Wednesday near the city of Atalaia do Norte after fisherman Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, 41, nicknamed Pelado, confessed he killed Phillips, 57, and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, 41. He told officers he used a firearm to commit the crime and led police to a spot in the remote forest to locate the remains. Police announced the forensic identification of Phillips' remains in a statement. They still have not identified Pereiras remains.

Bill Cosby civil trial jury must start deliberations over

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP)  After two days of deliberations, jurors in a civil trial deciding on sexual abuse allegations against Bill Cosby will have to start from scratch on Monday. By the end of Friday, jurors had decided on nearly all questions put before them, including whether Cosby had sexually assaulted plaintiff Judy Huth at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 when she was 16. Los Angeles County Judge Craig Karlan, who had promised one juror she could depart after Friday, wanted to accept the partial verdict, but courthouse closure rules left him no choice but to close down. Jurors will begin again with an alternate.

SpaceX reported to fire employees critical of CEO Elon Musk

HAWTHORNE, Calif. (AP)  A report in The New York Times says the rocket ship company run by Tesla CEO Elon Musk has fired several employees involved in an open letter that blasted the colorful billionaire for his behavior. The Times and several other media outlets cited an email from SpaceXs president saying the company had terminated employees who put together and circulated the letter that denounced Musk for actions that they characterized as a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment. It's unclear how many workers lost their jobs. B.ut the email from SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell left no doubt that the company believed they had crossed an unacceptable line.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Jasper Rivera has spent most of his life in some form of incarceration. While behind bars, he has witnessed violence, perpetrated it and been its target.

Earlier this week, Rivera, 46, claimed he has "never seen the level of violence and abuse" he's witnessed at the United States Penitentiary in Thomson.

"The violence and the abuse was tool for the COs (corrections officers) here at Thomson," Rivera said. He made the allegations while on a Federal Bureau of Prisons phone inside Thomson. "Cruelty is just something you expect. The cruelty is everywhere in this place."

Rivera's words joined a chorus of voices airing grievances against the prison and its management.

Thomson's recent history is plagued with turmoil. There have been complaints about prisoner treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic and union concerns about cuts to staff and low morale. A year ago, local legislators led the drive for pay raises at the prison. Last week, the same elected officials led the call for a Department of Justice investigation of allegations that include the abuse and torture of prisoners.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General's Office opened an investigation into Thomson Federal Prison amid ongoing allegations of abuse, the overuse of solitary confinement and the deaths of seven inmates over a two-year period.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., announced the investigation June 9 and called for the immediate replacement of Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal. Despite Cavajal's announcement in January that he would resign, he remains in his post.

Durbin, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, requested a federal investigation by the Department of Justice following publication of a report May 31 by The Marshall Project and NPR that describes serious abuse of inmates by correctional officers.

The lawmakers sent a joint letter June 1 to U.S. Inspector General Michael Horowitz demanding immediate action.

Last week, American Federation Government Employees Local 4070 President Jonathan Zumkehr welcomed an investigation.

Rivera said he was not surprised the prison was under DOJ scrutiny.

"This has been going on for quite a while," Rivera claimed. "It was just a matter of time before all this boiled over and people started talking about it."

Representatives from Thomson declined to comment on the state of the prison after the investigation was announced. The Federal Bureau of Prisons did not comment on the investigation, and its public affairs office said: "Humane treatment of the men and women in our custody is a top priority. Allegations of misconduct are thoroughly investigated and appropriate action is taken if such allegations are proven true, including the possibility of referral for criminal prosecution when appropriate."

The report published May 31 by The Marshall Project and NPR described correctional officers intentionally pairing inmates together who are known to attack each other and staff encouraging assaults against sex offenders and informants.

Other claims focused on abusive shackling that leaves scars known as the "Thomson tattoo," often in a room known as the "torture room," where men were shackled to a bed for hours in their own urine and feces without food or water.

Rivera claimed he might have been one of the first prisoners at Thomson who endured the Thomson tattoo.

"I think I might have been the first," Rivera said. "Mine was a four-point shackling. I was on my stomach. The COs hit me in the face  and the thing that really hurt was when they ran a bar across my shins.

"It was torture. There is no other way to describe it."

The Marshall Project Report included an incident in which staff allegedly laughed and joked at the expense of a Jewish man they were guarding as he lay dying in a hospital following an assault that occurred after staff placed him in a recreation cage with known white supremacists.

Thomson currently houses 929 inmates: 797 in the maximum-security facility and 132 at the adjacent minimum-security camp.

"If these reports prove accurate, they describe conduct that would almost certainly contravene numerous BOP policies, as well as infringing the civil rights of individuals in BOP custody and possibly violating federal criminal statutes," the lawmakers wrote in last week's news release. "The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is responsible for protecting the integrity of Department of Justice components, including BOP, as well as the health and safety of the people in BOP custody. The NPR and Marshall Project report raises serious and troubling allegations about the conduct of staff at USP Thomson."

In recent months, corrections officers at Thomson also have aired grievances about the state of the prison.

Union representatives for correctional officers and staff at Thomson demanded the reinstatement of the prisons search team after Tim Kaufman, spokesman for the AFGE Local 4070, claimed a staff member was assaulted after finding the inmate in possession of a contraband cellphone.

In March, AFGE Local 4070 representatives claimed two officers at Thomson required medical attention "after being exposed to illegal drugs" sent to prisoners in the mail. The union alleged one corrections officer became sick and vomited after being exposed to a letter "soaked in methamphetamine."

In a March press release, Local 4070 asked the Bureau of Prisons to restore positions in both the search- and shake-down teams at the prison to help detect drugs. The positions were lost in staffing cuts.

Concerns about staffing levels and the safety of corrections officers and other Thomson staff were raised in 2021.

Bustos, Duckworth and Durbin sent a joint letter April 16, 2021, to Carvajal and Kathleen McGettigan, acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, asking for an increase in compensation for Thomson employees.

Rivera said he didn't think correction officers and staff at Thomson "have the easiest life, either."

"I notice all these COs have a lot of tattoos. These folks are tatted up," Rivera said. "I asked one CO why that is and he told me 'There's nothing to do in Thomson but drink and get tattoos.'

"Maybe things are bad for everyone here."

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

High-precision air and ground weapons in the areas of Kremenchug and Lisichansk have destroyed technological facilities for oil refining and fuel storage intended to supply Ukrainian military equipment in Donbass.

High-precision air-based missiles have hit 12 firing positions of AFU artillery and mortar units, including 4 platoons of Grad multiple-launch rocket systems near Avdeevka, Keramik and Zhelannoe and 4 platoons of M777 155-mm howitzers near Lastochkino, Ochertino, Vodyanoe and Zhelannoye in Donetsk Peoples Republic.

Operational-tactical and army aviation have hit 62 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration.

The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 160 nationalists, 1 Buk-M1 surface-to-air missile system near Kamyshevakha in Lugansk Peoples Republic, 5 Grad multiple rocket launcher vehicles, 6 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 8 field artillery guns, 6 special-purpose vehicles and 3 ammunition depots near Tsapovka in Kharkov Region and Lisichansk in Lugansk Peoples Republic.

Russian air defence means have shot down 1 Ukrainian Su-25 aircraft near Kamyshevakha and 1 Mi-24 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force near Arkhangelsk in Donetsk Peoples Republic.

Also 8 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down near Borovenka in Lugansk Peoples Republic, Chernobaivka in Kherson Region, Sukhaya Kamenka, Malaya Kamyshevakha, Zabavnoe in Kharkov Region, and Gulyaipole in Zaporozhye Region, including 1 Bayraktar-TB2 near Kherson.

In addition, 4 Ukrainian Tochka-U ballistic missiles have been intercepted naer Stakhanov, Kalinovo, Almaznoe in Donetsk Peoples Republic, as well as 24 Uragan multiple-launch rockets over Donetsk, Yasynuvataya, Verhnetoretskoe, Luganskoe, Novoaleksandrovka in Donetsk Peoples Republic, Zolotoe, Popasnaya in Lugansk Peoples Republic, Izium, Russkie Tishki and Malye Prokhody in Kharkov Region.

Missile troops and artillery have hit 180 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration, 16 command posts and 32 firing positions of AFU artillery units.

The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 310 nationalists, 10 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, 3 Grad multiple rocket launchers, 9 field artillery mounts and 14 special vehicles.

In total, 206 Ukrainian airplanes and 132 helicopters, 1,241 unmanned aerial vehicles, 343 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,613 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 547 multiple launch rocket systems, 2,032 field artillery and mortars, as well as 3,687 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation.

#MoD #Russia #Ukraine

@mod_russia_Enjoy

WtR
I liked this image Kadyrov posted. It is so Chechen

This is the man who has an Chechen army fighting for Russia and Putin. He is a true Warlord in this modern era. He has the peoples hearts and respect

The West has been telling you for so many years that the Chechens are either oppressed by the Russians and flee to Europe  these whom flee are good Chechens? No, those who stayed are real Chechens

Or the second, the remaining ones, are stupid and uneducated, those who stayed and made a Chechen power, under the help of Russia. These are whom the Warlord Kadyrov has embraced and they through him embraced Russia

I understand how they the west tried to brainwash everyone. I understand that terrorist were imported there and used to cause insurrections. Those fugitive Chechens in Europe remained wanderers

They are family and brothers of Russians

God Bless Chechen and may they get the glory they deserve

WtR

I have many posts of Kadyrov and his army and they respect Russia and Putin as the Supreme Commander
 Top News Today

 Against the backdrop of the Kiev regimes mounting military failures and massive daily losses in manpower and equipment, the flow of foreign mercenaries to Ukraine has not only decreased, but is actually turning in the opposite direction. In total, our lists as at June 17, 2022, include mercenaries and weapons operating specialists from 64 countries. Since the beginning of the special military operation, 6,956 people have arrived in Ukraine, 1,956 have already been eliminated and 1,779 have left.

 Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and First Deputy Defence Minister, Army General Valery Gerasimov presents diplomas to graduates of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

 Missile troops and artillery have hit 203 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration and 38 firing positions of AFU artillery units. The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 350 nationalists, 1 AFU unmanned aerial vehicle control post near Ukrainka in Nikolaev region, 8 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 3 BM-21 Grad MLRS combat vehicles, 3 field artillery guns and 11 special vehicles have been destroyed overnight.

 Russian air defence means have shot down 1 Su-25 aircraft of Ukrainian Air Force near Mazanovka, Kharkov region.

 Footage of Western MD medical specialists providing medical assistance to civilians in need in Kharkov Region during the special military operation has been published.

#MoD #Russia #Ukraine

@mod_russia_enjoy

WtR
TIANJIN, June 18 (Xinhua) -- What can a pencil become? Ali Jalali, 43, an Iranian designer, has his answer in China.

Jalali is now working as a freelance pencil designer and owns a studio, also a cultural and creative products store in China's northern city of Tianjin.

Decorated with 200,000 colored pencils, the store is named "kolofo," which Jalali says resembles "colorful."

Jalali likes pencils and always takes one to write down inspirations sparked anytime in his daily life. "There is a saying in China that goes 'The palest ink is better than the best memory,'" he said.

Except for writing, the pencils of Jalali's store work as the decoration on shelves, pegs to hang things on, and even door stoppers.

"I think pencils can be turned into all kinds of things. What I'm hoping for is to create something new with a simple design," Jalali said.

The pencil studio is also a place for him to meet people, sometimes other designers, and to know more about Chinese culture and modern design concepts.

Jalali has been obsessed with Chinese culture for a long time. After graduating from the College of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran in Iran in 2008, Jalali came to China with an interest in another oriental culture, yearning for more inspiration.

He thinks Chinese culture echoes Iranian culture in many aspects. "Iran also has its spring festival named 'Nowruz,' and even the 'lucky money,' a blessing money given by the older to the young during the festival."

He is a supporter of frugality, which is a traditional virtue followed by the Chinese. The idea also offers him design inspiration.

"If a country has a long history, its people must have incorporated the spirit of frugality into their daily lives, in the buildings, rooms, and many others," he said.

One of the designs around this idea is a cup made from coffee grounds. "I think it is an amazing idea to use coffee grounds to make a coffee cup," he said.

Despite the impact of COVID-19, Jalali's store is seeing a steady flow of customers and growing sales revenue.

While busy preparing to open his second store in Tianjin, Jalali also plans to open one in his hometown in Iran.

"I really like the idea of the Belt and Road Initiative. I'll bring good Chinese products to Iran, introduce them to Iranians, and open a shop like this, a designer shop," he said. "I want to tell them, apart from things from the West, they can come and see great things from the East." 
Just thinking and walking this morning

Yesterday, the fire started again up top. They did not get it out deep enough and they had to dig up a bunch of ground and soak it with water. The fire stayed burning deep. Something to remember about grass fires!

I am glad I did not have to have another long 30 minutes

They are cleaning the complete grounds at the monastery. I see one guy the other day who will fence, a different guy who has been contracted to rebuild the buildings and the Fish Village guy who owns the lakes is sending the clean up crew to get it all ready. I also am keeping track of the half a dozen times surveyors have been out and know the boundaries for the monastery fence that will go in. They have gathered up almost all the top of the village, from what I can see and the fence will probably only be done at the front line of property. The rest will wait until owners now finally leave and or die. You have to remember that at one time all there was at the top of this mountain was only the monastery. The homes we have are in the lower part of the village and they were never part of the original. That is good for us

Now in Russia, it still may be years away from getting done. We will see

Images are from several days actually, but all recent and all what is going on and not actually in order of any type

Dont be grouchy

I will not stop posting what the MoD of Russia is posting and some other stuff about the war. This is important and necessary. The west has stifled the eastern news so bad that you in the west get literally nothing of the truth, unless you will look around. This should bother you. I can get what you see and what you cannot see, with exceptions of some social media like Facebook and such. They do not count and they are not news in any form or manner. Basically social media is the last place you want to get news from. Very censored, as in total lies, just as western media is

Therefore, everyday I spend an hour or so and post important items

My heart breaks for regular Ukrainians

They have been caught in a web of western lies and they still have no idea, due to the complete censorship of their media, what is really happening. The Empire of Lies has really played a hand of death and what is sad is that the Empire could careless. In fact it desires all these deaths

Russia is slaughtering Ukraine and the imposed mighty NATO/USA/UK/EU trained army

I will keep posting the truth and the truth hurts

WtR
U.S. regulators on Friday authorized the first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers, paving the way for vaccinations to begin next week.

The Food and Drug Administrations action follows its advisory panels unanimous recommendation for the shots from Moderna and Pfizer. That means U.S. kids under 5  roughly 18 million youngsters  are eligible for the shots. The nations vaccination campaign began about 1 1/2 years ago with older adults, the hardest hit during the coronavirus pandemic.

Theres one step left: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends how to use vaccines. Its independent advisers began debating the two-dose Moderna and the three-dose Pfizer vaccines on Friday and will make its recommendation Saturday. A final signoff is expected soon after from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

At a Senate hearing Thursday, Walensky said her staff was working over the Juneteenth federal holiday weekend because we understand the urgency of this for American parents.

She said pediatric deaths from COVID-19 have been higher than what is generally seen from the flu each year.

So I actually think we need to protect young children, as well as protect everyone with the vaccine and especially protect elders, she said.

The FDA also authorized Modernas vaccines for school-aged children and teens; CDCs review is next week. Pfizers shots had been the only option for those age groups.

For weeks, the Biden administration has been preparing to roll out the vaccines for little kids, with states, tribes, community health centers and pharmacies preordering millions of doses. With FDAs emergency use authorization, manufacturers can begin shipping vaccine across the country. The shots are expected to start early next week but its not clear how popular they will be.

Without protection for their tots, some families had put off birthday parties, vacations and visits with grandparents.

Today is a day of huge relief for parents and families across America, President Joe Biden said in a statement.

While young children generally dont get as sick from COVID-19 as older kids and adults, their hospitalizations surged during the omicron wave and FDAs advisers determined that benefits from vaccination outweighed the minimal risks. Studies from Moderna and Pfizer showed side effects, including fever and fatigue, were mostly minor.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha predicted the pace of vaccinations for kids under 5 to be far slower than it was for older populations and said the administration doesnt have any internal targets for the pace of vaccinations.

At the end of the day, our goal is very clear: We want to get as many kids vaccinated as possible, Jha told The Associated Press.

In testing, the littlest children developed high levels of virus-fighting antibodies, comparable to what is seen in young adults, the FDA said. Modernas vaccine was about 40% to 50% effective at preventing infections but there were too few cases during Pfizers study to give a reliable, exact estimate of effectiveness, the agency said.

Both of these vaccines have been authorized with science and safety at the forefront of our minds, Dr. Peter Marks, FDAs vaccine chief, said at a news briefing.

Marks said parents should feel comfortable with either vaccine, and should get their kids vaccinated as soon as possible, rather than waiting until fall, when a different virus variant might be circulating. He said adjustments in the vaccines would be made to account for that.

Whatever vaccine your health care provider, pediatrician has, thats what I would give my child, Marks said.

The two brands use the same technology but there are differences.

Pfizers vaccine for kids younger than 5 is one-tenth of the adult dose. Three shots are needed: the first two given three weeks apart and the last at least two months later.

Modernas is two shots, each a quarter of its adult dose, given about four weeks apart for kids under 6. The FDA also authorized a third dose, at least a month after the second shot, for children who have immune conditions that make them more vulnerable to serious illness.

Both vaccines are for children as young as 6 months. Moderna next plans to study its shots for babies as young as 3 months. Pfizer has not finalized plans for shots in younger infants. A dozen countries, including China, already vaccinate kids under 5, with other brands.

Immediately upon hearing of the FDAs decision, Dr. Toma Omofoye, a Houston radiologist, made appointments for her 4-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son. Without the shots, her family has missed out on family gatherings, indoor concerts, even trips to the grocery store, she said. During a recent pharmacy stop, Omofoye said her daughter stared and walked around like it was Disneyland, and thanked her.

My heart broke in that moment, which is why my heart is so elated now, Omofoye said.

But will other parents be as eager to get their youngest vaccinated? By some estimates, three-quarters of all U.S. children have already been infected. And only about 30% of children aged 5 to 11 have gotten vaccinated since Pfizers shots opened to them last November.

The FDA officials acknowledged those low rates and said the government is committed to getting more older kids vaccinated and having better success with younger kids.

Its a real tragedy, when you have something free with so few side effects that prevents deaths and hospitalization, said FDA Commissioner Robert Califf.

Roughly 440 children under age 5 have died from COVID-19, federal data show.

Dr. Beth Ebel of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, said the tot-sized vaccines would be especially welcomed by parents with children in day care where outbreaks can sideline parents from jobs, adding to financial strain.

A lot of people are going to be happy and a lot of grandparents are going to be happy, too, because weve missed those babies who grew up when you werent able to see them, Ebel said.

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AP journalists Laura Ungar, Carla K. Johnson and Zeke Miller contributed.

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Follow AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner: @LindseyTanner

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerque police say an officer was hospitalized with several broken bones and other injuries after being hit by a drunken driver early Friday morning on the West Side.

Vaughn Stands, 28, is charged with DWI resulting in great bodily harm in the crash.

Rebecca Atkins, an Albuquerque Police Department spokeswoman, said the officer with the DWI Unit had just come from arresting an alleged drunken driver. She said he was about to be off duty and was heading home when the crash occurred.

The officer was hospitalized with a broken leg, broken wrist and an unknown neck injury, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Police said they drew Stands blood to be tested for alcohol as he was slurring his words and had bloodshot eyes. Court records show Stands has been cited three times for speeding since 2015.

According to the complaint, at around 2:30 a.m., the officer called out over the radio that he had been in a crash at Irving and Eagle Ranch NW. Police said responding officers could hear significant distress in the officers voice as he said Im hurt over the radio.

The investigation showed the officer was driving west on Irving and Stands truck was going south on Eagle Ranch when the crash occurred.

Police found Stands in a truck south of the intersection and he had a large gash on his head, according to the complaint. Stands told police he was driving home from the Dirty Bourbon when an argument broke out with his female passenger.

Police said Stands told them he wasnt paying attention and trying to get his seat belt on when the woman grabbed the steering wheel and they crashed. He said he didnt know what he hit and believed it was more likely a curb than another vehicle.

Stands told police he drank three beers and the officer couldnt smell alcohol due to the heavy odor of automotive chemicals from the crash, according to the complaint. Police believe Stands was traveling well above the 35 mph speed limit due the large debris pattern and severe damage to the vehicles.

I was unable to conduct any (sobriety tests) on Stands due to his injury and the potential of head trauma, the complaint states. However, I did obtain a search warrant for the purposes of having Stands blood drawn and tested for alcohol.
NEW YORK  Retailers and marketers have been quick to commemorate Juneteenth with an avalanche of merchandise from ice cream to T-shirts to party cups.

But many are getting backlash on social media for what critics say undermines the day, designated as a federal holiday last year to honor the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. A search for Juneteenth items among online sellers like Amazon and J.C. Penney produced everything from toothpicks with pan-African flags to party plates and balloons.

Walmart, the nations largest retailer, apologized last month after getting slammed for a Juneteenth ice cream flavor  swirled red velvet and cheesecake  under its store label Great Value. Walmart said its reviewing its product assortment and will remove items as appropriate. As of Friday, Walmarts site was still offering lots of T-shirts and party plates.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Childrens Museum removed a Juneteenth watermelon salad from its menu and issued a mea culpa earlier this week. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the museum blamed a lapse in vendor oversight, noting the label and salad were not reviewed by museum staff.

We are an imperfect institution, but we are committed to improvement and will work tirelessly to regain your trust, the museum wrote on its Facebook page.

The backlash comes as companies promised after the police killing of George Floyd in May of 2020 to no longer stay silent and vowed to take an active role in confronting and educating customers and employees on systemic racism. According to the preliminary results of a survey by Mercer of 200 employers, 33% are offering Juneteenth as a paid holiday to their staff. Thats up from 9% last year in a survey of more than 400 companies conducted shortly before Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday.

At the same time, many have cashed in on a holiday that Black Americans have observed since June 19, 1865, when Union Major General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, in alignment with President Abraham Lincolns 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.

Many experts believe that if retailers and other marketers plan to recognize the day, they should either sell merchandise from Black-owned businesses or invest in campaigns that would help Black communities. Amazon. for instance, does have a Black-owned business storefront thats live all year-round for customers who want to support and shop Black-owned businesses selling on the site.

This is a serious and reflective moment  I am excited and grateful for the recognition, said Ramon Manning, chairman of the board at Emancipation Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization aimed to restore the park, which was purchased in 1872 by a group of former enslaved people to commemorate the anniversary of their emancipation.

However, I feel like it is also brought back everybody else out of the woodwork who are opportunists more so than folks who are looking at the history of this country and looking at where a group of people have come from, he added.

Manning, who is also founder and chairman of Ridgegate Capital, a private investment fund, further wondered: Who is this going to benefit?

Sheryl Daija, founder and CEO of Bridge, a group of marketing and diversity, equity and inclusion executives, noted theres a disconnect between the seriousness of the holiday and the merchandise on display.

A lot of companies have good intentions, but unfortunately good intentions can go awry, and this is what we have seen, said Daija, who found Walmarts Juneteenth ice cream particularly egregious because it used the holiday moniker to brand a new ice cream flavor.

Companies have a long history of commercializing holidays and other moments in order to cash in. Take Cinco de Mayo, which has become in the U.S a celebration of all things Mexican, with companies selling everything from beans to beer to sombrero hats. The holiday has spread from the American Southwest, even though most have no idea about its original ties to the U.S. Civil War, abolition and promotion of civil rights for Blacks. In fact, its often mistaken for Mexican Independence day.

Meanwhile, every October, retailers are awash in pink merchandise to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month, but critics say many make misleading claims about supporting cancer groups. And Memorial Day, a federal holiday day designated to mourn the U.S. military who have died while serving in the U.S. armed forces, has morphed into all-day mattress sales at stores.

But what makes the move by companies to cash in on Juneteenth worse is that it comes as the U.S. remains fraught with racial tensions, said Darnise Martin, clinical associate professor of African American studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

It is weird to merchandise around it, but thats what America does, Martin said.

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Follow Anne DInnocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio
Tina Garcia-Shams, executive director of Street Food Institute. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Tina Garcia-Shams, executive director of Street Food Institute. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Tina Garcia-Shams, executive director of Street Food Institute. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Prev 1 of 3 Next

It was everyones worst nightmare.

Tina Garcia-Shams and her catering crew were headed to Santa Fe in two large food trucks to feed 200 wedding guests when one of the vehicles blew a tire north of Bernalillo.

They figured the fastest thing to do was to transfer everything to the other truck and into Garcia-Shams personal vehicle and continue on their way as quickly as possible.

But 10 miles later, they came to a screeching halt again. This time, it was due to an accident that caused a big line of traffic.

Thats when a little bit of panic set in, says Garcia-Shams, executive director of the Street Food Institute.

Her tale had a happy ending, though: while Garcia-Shams and the chefs did arrive later than planned, they were coordinating with the wedding planner the whole way and managed to pull it off.

And that captures what Garcia-Shams is all about: staying flexible enough to juggle the myriad roles her nonprofit plays in training students and entrepreneurs who want to operate a food truck or other food service business.

 Street food rocks and rolls  whether its served from a two-wheel cart, a pop-up booth or a full-blown kitchen on wheels, says Garcia-Shams website.

The 8-year-old Street Food Institute, housed in a commissary kitchen at Central New Mexico Community College, trains not only CNM students but anyone who is interested in opening a mobile food business.

Participants run the CNM cafeteria and truck food to established customers like Intel, where they deliver lunch five days a week. Also using the kitchen are six established businesses, including a private chef.

Big changes are due in a couple of years, when Street Food expands into a new building at Fourth and Bell, to be built by the home ownership organization, Homewise. Also, under a grant it will receive, Street Food will begin an online curriculum and develop partnerships in San Juan and Grants counties.

Whats been so great about this organization has been the flexibility to follow an organic path, Garcia-Shams says. There was no, Were doing this, and thats all were going to do. We were really open to opportunities that were coming our way and trying them.

Has there been a student or entrepreneur youre particularly proud of?

There have been so many. We had a student (with) a food truck called Fiesta Mexican food truck. Her name is Lilia Avila. She and her partner, Silvia Ochoa, were losing money, so they took our class, and we were really able to help them. What was happening was they really didnt understand costing. Its so important to think about what is this costing you  not just the ingredients, but your time. And how do you put that into your cost that youre charging people? They decided to take a class at Three Sisters Kitchen, which is also a great partner of ours. They (Avila and Ochoa) sell salsa, and they have developed a very unique product  a salsa, mole, guacamole, red chile, green chile  all powdered, and you just add water. What we tell our students is one revenue stream is not going to make you financially successful, necessarily, so what can you do that is more than what youre doing? Theres a very slim profit margin in this business. I think for me, they stand out (because) they were both immigrant women. They had resilience like you cant imagine and perseverance, and they were also, really, really open to other ideas. They have really been able to see their ideas and products grow.

What are your favorite foods?

My husband is from Iran. Hes a great cook. He makes some really wonderful Persian food. A couple of the dishes that are my favorites are the kabobs and the rice. Also a dish called fesenjan. Its a stew with chicken, pomegranate and walnuts that you put over rice.

What are you pet peeves?

People being late.

What makes you sad?

Theres been a lot of loss in my family. I dont have parents or a sibling any longer. Thats very sad for me. But I think just in normal life what makes me sad are people  and even myself, Im certainly not always my best  but people who dont show kindness to other people.

Do most of your aspiring entrepreneurs go on to operate their own food truck?

I feel like this program is equally important for people to know whether this is the right path before they put in all of their resources  financial and time. Someone who just likes to cook isnt necessarily going to want to start a business. Its hard, hard work, so you have to really love it. Our mission is to help individuals start small businesses, but what really happens is that because of our internships, a lot of people, especially CNM students, didnt have any real experience working in a kitchen setting. Many wanted that experience. Maybe they went off to work in a restaurant. To be honest with you, it is very much an entrepreneurship training program, but its also become a workforce training program.

You had no experience in the food industry when you left Amy Biehl High School for Street Food Institute. Why did you make the leap?

A friend of mine and a previous board member of Amy Biehl had contacted me and said, Hey, Im consulting on this project. Theyre looking for a coordinator. Are you interested? I guess in the beginning, its because it was new. That idea of a startup was really appealing to me. I really liked wearing a lot of hats, doing a little bit of everything. As it grew, I think what really kept me in it was just being a part of somebodys dream and journey  I mean our entrepreneurs who were coming to our classes and wanting to start their own businesses. And watching that progress and being a part of that progress, and then seeing them fly. Thats the piece that I love.

THE BASICS: Tina Michele Garcia-Shams, 57, born in Albuquerque; married to Saeed Shams since 1992; one child, Ariana Isabel Shams, 26; one dog, Boots, a mix of a lot of things; alternative licensure program for secondary education, College of Santa Fe, 2005; bachelors, university studies, University of New Mexico, 1994.

POSITIONS: Executive director, Street Food Institute, since 2017; community relations director, Street Food Institute/Simon Charitable Foundation, 2013-2017; community engagement director, teacher, adviser, human resources director, Amy Biehl High School, 2001-2013.

OTHER: Board member, Amy Biehl Foundation and Robert F. Kennedy Charter School; Street Food Institute worked with World Central Kitchen during COVID to deliver weekly meals to the Madrid and Edgewood areas; organizer, Salud y Sabor, free monthly event; participated in pilot program bringing fresh produce to designated food deserts in the South Valley and International District.
He was apparently out of fuel  and funds.

The FBI says a man toting a gas can robbed a bank just east of Downtown midday Friday.

Dubbed the Out of Gas Robber in an FBI news release, the agency says the man walked into the Bank of the West branch at 500 Martin Luther King Jr. NE around 12:20 p.m. and verbally demanded money from a teller.

The robber received an undisclosed sum of money and left the bank, the FBI said.

The suspect is described as Hispanic and around 6 feet, 2 inches tall and 160 pounds. He had a black bandana on his head and wore a white tank top, khaki pants and silver cross on a necklace while carrying a red gas can and lime-green bag.

Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to contact the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at (505) 843-STOP.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

First in a series

RUIDOSO  Standing at the top of McBride Drive in Ruidoso, the path of the recent wildfire seems almost random. Gleaming houses with manicured lawns sit directly next to piles of charred rubble with only chimneys left standing.

Just like the houses overlooking Gavilan Canyon Road on the villages east side, where the wildfire ripped through in April, businesses in Ruidoso were met with a similarly scattered fate.

Some businesses lost all in the McBride Fire, which spread across nearly 6,200 acres, destroyed more than 200 homes and left two people dead. Others are moving ahead as usual with the start of the summer season in the small mountain village near Roswell in southern New Mexico.

On Sudderth Drive, one of the main commercial districts in Ruidoso, families wandered in and out of shops, bags in hand, on the Tuesday after Memorial Day.

Though commercial and tourism activity is returning to the village after Aprils fire, Kendra King, executive director of Ruidoso Midtown Association and owner of Cool Stuff at 102 Center Street, said this May was much slower than expected for many businesses, despite pandemic restrictions being lifted and the fires being put out.

When the lodging dwindles, when people are canceling reservations, when restaurants are slow, then the economy is slightly altered and affected that way, she said.

King said business at Cool Stuff, located on a side street of Sudderth Drive, has been slower than expected  and shes not alone.

There was an absolute revenue loss and that first week when power wasnt available for days on end, it was hard to operate during that time frame, King said. So, absolutely revenue was affected.

Waves of trouble

King said she thinks part of the slowdown in business is due to several successive waves of disasters to hit Ruidoso.

First, there was the wildfire, which started April 12. No cause has been released for the fire, which was fueled by strong winds, a lack of rain and high temperatures. However, a lawsuit alleging the fire started after a falling tree downed a PNM power line has been filed. The Journal filed a records request Thursday afternoon with the New Mexico State Forestry Division related to the cause of the fire, but had not received a response before publication.

During the fire, King said, many businesses lost power for several days and closed temporarily while the community had to focus on housing residents who had lost their homes. King herself had a friend who stayed with her for a while after the friends house burned in the fire.

But life, and tourism, did not pick up immediately after the fires ended, she said.

Businesses, especially those in the lodging and hospitality sector, were met with a deluge of calls from prospective visitors either canceling reservations or calling to see if the town was still on fire, King said.

There are multiple fires burning around New Mexico, so, on top of just our town having that negative imagery put on it because of that happening, its looking like the whole state is on fire, she said. So, we have tourists from Arizona and Texas that are canceling their trips. Theyre thinking New Mexico is not a good place to visit right now, so we noticed that hit right off the bat.

The McBride Fire is just one of several wildfires to rip across New Mexico this year during a particularly devastating wildfire season.

Fires across the state have grown to more than 660,000 acres. The Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire in the Santa Fe National Forest, now the largest fire in state history, had grown to 340,000 acres and was 72% contained as of Friday morning.

Forest closure

Widespread wildfires and lack of rainfall across multiple regions prompted statewide closures of national forests on May 25.

While tourism has largely returned, King said the closures of the national forests was still deterring some tourists who were planning to visit Ruidoso for recreation in the nearby Lincoln National Forest.

Ruidoso T-Shirt Co. and T-Shirt Outlet on Sudderth Drive is one of the stores seeing a decline in sales following the fire, according to manager Vicky Sedillo. She said April is generally a slow month, but business didnt pick up in May as she expected.

Sedillo said she had expected a sales increase compared to last May because pandemic restrictions had been lifted. Instead, the store did about a quarter of sales compared to May 2021.

Right now, with the forest being closed, as well, I think were not getting a lot of the visitors because of that, she said. We usually get the people that want to come in and camp, and that kind of thing.

Robert Duncan, owner of Upper Canyon Lodging Co., said high gas prices and economic issues may be dissuading some of his customers from booking a room. Duncans business offers more than 100 options for lodging, most of which are cabins.

Duncan said that, while business has picked up after the McBride Fire, he knows tourists looking to make their way to Little Texas are most likely affected by higher gas, lodging and food prices.

The bulk of my customers are in that mid-range to economy, Duncan said. When you look at the news, they say, Oh, gas is up this amount; new cars are up 22%; eggs are up 24%; lodging is up 30%, or whatever it is. I cant go up 30% because I (would) take the bulk of my guests out of the mix.

Duncan said he believes media coverage left many outside of Ruidoso believing the town was still on fire. At one point, Duncan had his son post on the companys Facebook page  which boasts nearly 50,000 followers  that Upper Canyon Lodging Co. was still running.

And, one by one, guests have been making their way back  calling Duncans business to make sure that they were, in fact, open.

Ruidoso has gone through a horrible time. Weve lost two lives and 200 properties. The fires are now out and its time to heal, Duncan said. The village needs you to come back.

While the wildfires resulted in less traffic for some businesses, others, especially those located on Gavilan Canyon Road, suffered a complete loss.

Canyon Hideaway was among the businesses that burned down in the wildfire.

The businesss bath house and seven RVs were lost to the fire, owner Robbie Hall said, leaving the company closed until Hall and his family, who help him run the park, are able to rebuild.

Just a mile down the road, Ruidoso Septic Services lost everything. Weeks after the fire passed through, the companys yard was dotted with melted trucks and equipment, and the building that housed the office caved in as if a bomb had hit it.

You can either whine about it, and sit back and do nothing, or you can get up off your (expletive), and go back to work and make the best of what you have got left, Hall said.

Some businesses booming

Some businesses escaped the negative effects of the fire altogether.

At Parts Unknown, an outdoor retailer on Sudderth Drive, the fire brought a small wave of business  namely firefighters in need of such last-minute gear as boots and wool socks.

When many of the stores along Ruidosos strip were empty due to the power outage, store manager Travis Romero spent time in and out of his shop outfitting firefighters and others assisting in battling the blaze.

I posted my number on the front door and said, hey, if youre a firefighter and  you need anything urgently, just call me,  Romero said.

He received a couple dozen calls after posting his number. They were just happy to have someone local  rather than  purchasing online, he said.

Parts Unknown, previously Brunells, has long carried firefighter boots in the event of a wildfire, even though the boots can require a costly upfront investment, Romero said. Boots retail between $300 and $600 per pair.

Romero said he sold about 100 pairs of wool socks to firefighters. Some out-of-state firefighters purchased new clothes at his store, too.

Romero said business was fairly slow in early May, but he thinks he probably finished the month with traffic similar to previous years.

Like Parts Unknown, The Village Buttery escaped the fire relatively unscathed. Manager Jenna Preciado said the biggest loss was having to throw away lots of food items after the restaurant lost power for several days.

But, since reopening, Preciado said traffic is the same as usual.

Whether businesses kept a similar level of traffic or saw a decrease, all agree on one thing: They want tourists to come back to Ruidoso.

Were here and welcoming any visitors, King said. The Ruidoso community wants to see its visitors continue to come and enjoy the beautiful mountain town.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Journal Staff and wire report

SANTA FE  Deep-seated conspiracy theories about the security of voting machines erupted into heated, angry and at times threatening outbursts Friday as New Mexico counties decided whether to certify results from their recent primary, underscoring the depths of an election crisis that officials fear is foreshadowing darker times ahead for the nations democracy.

All 33 counties voted to certify the results of the June 7 primary election in advance of a Friday deadline to do so  including Otero County, which was under orders from the state Supreme Court to certify its vote.

However, commissioners in several counties faced jeers and heckling.

In politically conservative Torrance County, angry residents greeted their three commissioners with screams and vitriol as they met to consider certification.

As the visibly frustrated Torrance County commissioners indicated they were going to vote to certify their election, the audience shouted Shame on you, cowards and traitors, and Who elected you?

The commissioners pleaded with the audience for patience and said concerns about alleged election vulnerabilities eventually would be addressed.

The time and place to fight this battle is not by canvassing this election, Chairman Ryan Schwebach told the crowd in Torrance County.

In another county, a commission chairman pounded a gavel frantically and ordered law enforcement to clear livid protesters from the room. The 4-1 vote to certify the election by a Republican-dominated commission in Sandoval County was nearly drowned out by jeers of opposition in a divided audience.

Commissioner Jay Block  a failed Republican primary candidate for governor in the June 7 vote  noted his opposition to hoots of approval and applause.

It is imperative that we are presented with a complete set of facts about the election, Block said.

There is no evidence of widespread fraud or manipulation of voting equipment that could have affected the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, and no such fraud has surfaced in this years midterms.

To underscore the accuracy of election results, another Sandoval County commissioner read to the audience the findings of an audit that compared the votes recorded by the countys tabulating machines in 2020 with a sampling of the actual paper ballots. The difference was just a fraction of 1% in the races for president, U.S. Senate and other offices  almost insignificant, Republican commissioner David Heil said.

Certifying elections by typically under-the-radar local commissions has been a routine ministerial task for decades that has become politicized since former President Donald Trump sought to undermine the process following his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

A rural, heavily Republican county in New Mexico  Otero County  thrust the issue into the spotlight this week when its commission said it would not certify the local results from the June 7 primary because of concerns over Dominion voting systems, even though there was no evidence of problems.

That came despite the county elections clerk saying the primary voting had been safe and secure.

Otero County Clerk Robyn Holmes, a Republican in her fourth term as the countys lead elections administrator, told The Associated Press that the June 7 election was conducted without problems. Machine tallies at 16 voting centers each matched the number of ballots that were handed out.

The primary went off without a hitch, she said. It was a great election.

During an emergency meeting Friday, Otero County commissioners opted 2-1 to certify the primary election results. The two commssioners who voted to certify said they had no choice under state law, adding they could have faced fines, criminal charges and possible removal from office if they refused to do so.

If we get removed, nobodys going to be fighting for the ranches, said Otero County Commissioner Vickie Marquardt.

The New Mexico Supreme Court earlier this week ordered Otero County to sign off on the election results after Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, a Democrat, asked it to intervene.

Attorney General Hector Balderas, also a Democrat, then threatened more legal action if the Republican-dominated commission did not comply with the law.

Couy Griffin, the lone Otero County Commission member to vote against certifying the election results, participated remotely in the meeting by telephone after being sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to 14 days behind bars, which he has already served.

He had been convicted of entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds  though not the building  during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Griffin said his no vote was based on gut feelings and intuition the election results were flawed. He also criticized top state officials for their aggressive handling of the matter.

We really need to wake up to the overreach of state government, Griffin said.

The passionate showdown provided a stark example of the chaos that election experts have warned about as those who promote the lie that Trump was cheated out of reelection seek to populate election offices across the country and the usually low-profile boards that certify the results.

New Mexicos primary ballot included races at all levels  including Congress, governor, attorney general and a long list of local offices. Those races arent official until all counties are certified, which leaves candidates and their campaigns in limbo.

The developments can be traced to far-right conspiracy theories over voting machines that have spread across the country over the past two years. Various Trump allies have claimed that Dominion voting systems had somehow been manipulated as part of an elaborate scheme to steal the election, which Biden won.

Dominion has filed several defamation lawsuits, including against Fox News, and in a statement earlier this week said the action by the Otero County commissioners was yet another example of how lies about Dominion have damaged our company and diminished the publics faith in elections.

Election officials outside New Mexico are taking notice.

The Secretary of States Office said Friday it has been flooded with calls from officials concerned that certification controversies will become a new front in the attacks on democratic norms and could affect future elections, especially in 2024.
BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Saturday expressed deep concern for Lien Chan, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, who has been hospitalized lately.

The mainland is very concerned about Mr. Lien's health, said Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office. "We have sent our regards and wished him a speedy recovery." 
KYIV, Ukraine  Poppies, the blood-red flowers that cover the battlefields of Europes two world wars, were lain in mourning Saturday on the coffin of yet another dead soldier, this one killed in yet another European war, in Ukraine.

The hundreds of mourners for Roman Ratushnyi, 24, included friends who had protested with him during months of demonstrations that toppled Ukraines pro-Russia leader in 2014 and who, like him, took up arms when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor this February.

The arc of his shortened life symbolized that of Ukraines post-independence generations that are sacrificing their best years in the cause of freedom. First, with defiance and dozens of lives against brutal riot police during Ukraines Maidan protests of 2013-2014 and now with weapons and even more lives against Russian President Vladimir Putins troops.

Heroes never die! friends, family and admirers shouted in Ukrainian as Ratushnyis coffin was loaded aboard a hearse on a square in the Ukrainian capital now decorated with destroyed Russian tanks and vehicles. Their charred hulks contrasted with the shiny gold domes of an adjacent cathedral where priests had earlier sung prayers for Ratushnyi, who was well-known in Kyiv for his civic and environmental activism.

From the square, the mourners then walked in a long silent column behind his coffin to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square. The vast plaza in central Kyiv gave its name to the three months of protests that overthrew then President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014 and which helped fuel the political and patriotic awakening of Ukrainians born after independence in 1991.

Ratushnyi had a heart full of love for Ukraine, said Misha Reva, who traveled overnight in his soldiers uniform from front lines in the east to say goodbye to the friend he met for the first time on Maidan, in the midst of the protests. Ratushnyi was then just 16; Reva was in his early 20s. It was Ratushnyi who introduced Reva to the woman who is now his wife, also on the square.

While the funeral was underway in central Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a trip south to visit troops and hospital workers in the Mykolaiv and Odesa regions along the Black Sea. He handed out awards to dozens of people at every stop, shaking their hands and thanking them again and again for their service.

Among the troops he met were many women, dressed in camouflage and bulletproof vests. At a hospital in Odesa, he awarded the rank of major general to the woman who commands the Ukrainian armys medical forces.

War is on the front line where our soldiers are, our army. But you also are on the front line, protecting our lives, helping wounded soldiers, helping the civilians who turn to you every day, Zelenskyy told the assembled civilian and military medical staff in Odesa. We are proud that we have such doctors in our country.

He also met with regional leaders in Mykolaiv and Odesa and went with them to see buildings that had been destroyed in Russian attacks that took the lives of many civilians.

In other developments Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed concerns that a bit of Ukraine fatigue is starting to set in around the world and said Ukraine must be supported in trying to roll back the Russian invasion to make sure the Ukrainians are not encouraged to go for a bad peace, something that simply wouldnt endure.

It would be a catastrophe if Putin won. Hed love nothing more than to say, Lets freeze this conflict, lets have a cease-fire,' Johnson said. For him that would be a tremendous victory. Youd have a situation in which Putin was able to consolidate his gains and then to launch another attack.

Johnson spoke on his return from a surprise trip Friday to Kyiv where he met with Zelenskyy to offer continued aid and military training.

Western-supplied heavy weapons are reaching front lines, although not in quantities that Ukrainian officials say would be needed to push back Russian forces to positions they occupied before the invasion or beyond. The Associated Press was granted rare access Saturday to the firing of U.S.-supplied M777 howitzers on Russian positions in Ukraines eastern Donbas region. The powerful artillery pieces are helping Ukrainian forces reply in kind to Russian batteries that have been pounding towns and villages to rubble.

In Kyiv. the bells of St. Michaels cathedral tolled as four soldiers carried Ratushnyis coffin to the memorial service Saturday morning, held outdoors in the churchs sunlit courtyard. Poppies and a traditional loaf of bread were placed on the coffin covered with Ukraines blue and yellow flag.

During the Maidan protests, where riot police used batons and eventually bullets with deadly abandon, Ratushnyi and Reva had taken shelter together for one night inside the cathedral grounds, the friend recalled.

He was such a solid and big personality, Reva said. Its a great loss for Ukraine.

The friends then signed up to fight on the very first day of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24. After taking part in the defense of Kyiv in the assaults opening weeks, Ratushnyi then joined an army brigade, doing military intelligence work, Reva said. Reva said hes been fighting of late in positions away from where Ratushnyi was killed. Reva, 33, said two soldiers were killed and 15 wounded Thursday where hes been stationed.

People get killed every day on the front line, he said.

Ratushnyi was killed on June 9 around the town of Izyum on the wars eastern front, according to the environmental campaign group that he led in Kyiv. He fought for the preservation from development of a wooded park where people ski in winter.

He was a symbol, a symbol of a new Ukraine, of freedom and a new generation that wants to fight for its rights, said Serhli Sasyn, 21.

The best people are dying now.

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Efrem Lukatsky in the Donbas region of Ukraine, and Inna Varenytsia in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this report.

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Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
One by one, several of Donald Trumps former top advisers have told a special House committee investigating his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection that they didnt believe his lies about the 2020 election, and that the former president knew he lost to Joe Biden.

But instead of convincing Trumps most stalwart supporters, testimony from former attorney general Bill Barr and Trumps daughter Ivanka about the election and the attack on the U.S. Capitol is prompting many of them to simply reassert their views that the former president was correct in his false claim of victory.

Barrs testimony that Trump was repeatedly told there was no election fraud? He was paid off by a voting machine company, according to one false claim that went viral this week. Ivanka Trump saying she didnt believe Trump either? Its all part of Trumps grand plan to confuse his enemies and save America.

The claims again demonstrate how deeply rooted Trumps false narrative about the election has become.

Its cognitive dissonance, said Jennifer Stromer-Galley, a Syracuse University professor who has studied how Trump used social media and advertising to mobilize his base. If you believe what Trump says, and now Bill Barr and Trumps own daughter are saying these other things, it creates a crack, and people have to fill it.

The lawmakers leading the hearings into the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol said one of their goals is to show how Trump repeatedly lied to his supporters in an effort to hold onto power and subvert American democracy.

President Trump invested millions of dollars of campaign funds purposely spreading false information, running ads he knew were false, and convincing millions of Americans that the election was corrupt and he was the true president, said Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the panels vice chair. As you will see, this misinformation campaign provoked the violence on January 6th.

For those who accept Trumps baseless claims, Barrs testimony was especially jarring. In his interview with investigators, he detailed Trumps many absurd allegations about the election 2020, calling them bogus and idiotic.

Barr told the committee when he talked with Trump, there was never an indication of interest in what the actual facts were.

Hes become detached from reality if he really believes this stuff, Barr said.

Following his testimony, many Trump supporters using sites like Reddit, GETTR and Telegram blasted Barr as a turncoat and noted that hes disputed Trumps election claims before.

But many others began grasping for alternative explanations for this testimony.

Im still hoping Barr is playing a role, one poster said on a Telegram channel popular with Trump supporters.

One post that spread widely this week suggested Barr was paid by Dominion Voting Systems, a company targeted by Trump and his supporters with baseless claims of vote rigging. From 2009 to 2018, DOMINION PAID BARR $1.2 million in cash and granted him another $1.1 million in stock awards, according to SEC filings. (No wonder Barr cant find any voter fraud!), the post read.

Wrong Dominion. Barr was paid by Dominion Energy, a publicly traded company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, that provides power and heat to customers in several mid-Atlantic states.

Unlike Barr, Ivanka Trump has remained intensely popular with many Trump supporters and is seen by many as her fathers potential successor. That may be why so many had to find an an alternative explanation for why she told Congress she didnt accept her fathers claims.

Jordan Sather, a leading proponent of the QAnon theory, claims both Barr and Ivanka Trump lied during their testimony on Trumps orders, part of an elaborate scheme to defeat Trumps enemies by confusing Congress and the American public.

I can just imagine Donald Trump telling Ivanka: Hey, go to this hearing, say these things. Screw with their heads,' Sather said last week on his online show.

Some Trump supporters dismissed Ivanka Trumps testimony entirely by questioning whether any of it was real. Thats another common refrain seen on far-right message boards. Many posters say they dont even believe the hearings are happening, but are a Hollywood production starring stand-ins for the former presidents daughter and others.

She looks different in a big way, one poster asked on Telegram. CGI?
Mark Norby Benton Dwight Michael Apodaca Prev 1 of 3 Next

SYNCRONYS has announced three new hires

Mark Norby been hired as privacy and security officer. Norby brings nearly 20 years of experience in information technology and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance to his new role. Prior to joining SYNCRONYS, he served as the corporate privacy officer and interim vice president of information technology for Comagine Health, a health care consulting firm in Seattle. This followed several years of providing HIPAA compliance and IT security consulting services to hundreds of hospitals and clinics throughout the western U.S.

Benton Dwight has joined the company as a customer relationship manager. In this role, Dwight is responsible for developing relationships and supporting a portfolio of SYNCRONYS clients. His focus will be private medical clinics, including behavioral health, in Bernalillo, Sandoval, Valencia and Santa Fe counties, as well as health insurance companies in New Mexico. Dwight comes to SYNCRONYS after serving many years in health care as a pharmacy technician, healthcare coordinator, and in sales and business development. Most recently, Dwight was the business development manager for Rich Ford dealership.

Michael Apodaca has joined the firm as an information technology systems administrator. With over 20 years experience, Apodaca has worked in the health care sector, as well as the tech industry, in a variety of IT-related positions. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the position, having started as a technician with AOL and, most recently, as a junior service administrator at Intel, and as the owner/operator of his own audio recording business.

SYNCRONYS is the state of New Mexicos designated health information exchange.
SAO PAULO  Before disappearing in Brazils Amazon rainforest, Bruno Pereira was laying the groundwork for a mammoth undertaking: a 350-kilometer (217-mile) trail marking the southwestern border of the Javari Valley Indigenous territory, an area the size of Portugal.

The purpose of the trail is to prevent cattle farmers from encroaching on Javari territory  and it was just the latest effort by Pereira to help Indigenous people protect their natural resources and traditional lifestyles.

While Pereira had long pursued these goals as an expert at the Brazilian Indigenous affairs agency, known as FUNAI, he worked in recent years as a consultant to the Javari Valleys Indigenous organization. Thats because after Jair Bolsonaro became Brazils president in 2019, FUNAI began taking a more hands-off approach toward protecting Indigenous land and people  and the government unapologetically promoted development over environmental protection.

Deeply frustrated, Pereira left the agency and embarked on a more independent  and dangerous  path.

He was last seen alive on June 5 on a boat in the Itaquai river, along with British freelance journalist Dom Phillips, near an area bordering Peru and Colombia. On Wednesday, a fisherman confessed to killing Pereira, 41, and Phillips, 57, and took police to a site where human remains were recovered; they have since been identified as the two men.

Pereira spoke several times with The Associated Press over the past 18 months, and he talked about his decision to leave FUNAI, which he felt had become a hindrance to his work. After Bolsonaro came to power, the agency was stacked with loyalists and people who lacked experience in Indigenous affairs, he said.

Theres no use in me being there as long as these policemen and army generals are calling the shots, he said by phone in November. I cant do my work under them.

As a technical consultant for the Javari Valleys association of Indigenous people, or Univaja, Pereira helped the group develop a surveillance program to reduce illegal fishing and hunting in a remote region belonging to 6,300 people from seven different ethnic groups, many of whom have had little to no contact with the outside world. He and three other non-Indigenous people trained Indigenous patrollers to use drones and other technology to spot illegal activity, photograph it and submit evidence to authorities.

When it came to helping the Indigenous peoples, he did everything he could, said Jader Marubo, former president of Univaja. He gave his life for us.

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Like Pereira, Ricardo Rao was an Indigenous expert at FUNAI who, in 2019, prepared a dossier detailing illegal logging in Indigenous lands of Maranhao state. But fearful of being so outspoken under the new regime, he fled to Norway.

I asked Norway for asylum, because I knew the men I was accusing would have access to my name and would kill me, just like what happened with Bruno, Rao said.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly advocated tapping the vast riches of Indigenous lands, particularly their mineral resources, and integrating Indigenous people into society. He has pledged not to grant any further Indigenous land protections, and in April said he would defy a Supreme Court decision, if necessary. Those positions directly opposed Pereiras hopes for the Javari Valley.

Before taking leave, Pereira was removed as head of FUNAIs division for isolated and recently contacted tribes. That move came shortly after he commanded an operation that expelled hundreds of illegal gold prospectors from an Indigenous territory in Roraima state. His position was soon filled by a former Evangelical missionary with an anthropology background. The choice generated outcry because some missionary groups have openly tried to contact and convert tribes, whose voluntary isolation is protected by Brazilian law.

Key colleagues of Pereiras at FUNAI either followed his lead and took leave, or were shuffled to bureaucratic positions far from the demarcation of protected lands, according to a recent report from the Institute of Socioeconomic Studies think tank and the nonprofit Associated Indigenists, which includes current and former FUNAI staff.

Of FUNAIs 39 regional coordination offices, only two are headed by FUNAI staffers, the report says. Seventeen military men, three policemen, two federal policemen and six professionals with no prior connection with public administration have been named under Bolsonaro.

The 173-page report published Monday says many of the agencys experts have been fired, unfairly investigated or discredited by its leaders while trying to protect Indigenous people.

In response to AP questions about the reports allegations, FUNAI said in an emailed statement that it operates with strict obedience to current legislation and doesnt persecute its officers.

___

On the day they went missing, Pereira and Phillips slept at an outpost at the entrance of the main clandestine route into the territory, without passing by the Indigenous agencys permanent base at its entrance, locals told the AP.

Two Indigenous patrollers told the AP the pair had been transporting mobile phones from the surveillance project with photos of places where illegal fishermen had been. Authorities have said that an illicit fishing network is a focus of the police investigation into the killings. Police said in a statement Saturday that Pereiras death was caused by three gunshot wounds, two to the abdomen and one to the head, with ammunition typical of hunting.

Pereira wasnt the first person connected with FUNAI to be killed in the region. In 2019, an active FUNAI agent, Maxciel Pereira dos Santos, was shot to death as he drove his motorcycle through the city of Tabatinga. He had been threatened for his work against illegal fishermen before he was gunned down. That crime remains unsolved.

Pereiras killing will not stop the Javari territorys border demarcation project from moving ahead, said Manoel Chorimpa, an Univaja member involved in the project. And in another sign that Pereiras work will endure, Indigenous patrollers surveillance efforts have begun leading to the investigation, arrest and prosecution of law-breakers.

Before his career at FUNAI, Pereira worked as a journalist. But his passion for Indigenous affairs and languages  he spoke four  led him to switch careers. His anthropologist wife, Beatriz Matos, encouraged him in his work, even though it meant long stretches away from their home in Atalaia do Norte, and their children. More recently, they were living in Brazils capital, Brasilia.

The Indigenous people of the region have mourned Pereira as a partner, and an old photo widely shared on social media in recent days shows a group of them gathered behind Pereira, shirtless, as he shows them something on his laptop. A child leans gently onto his shoulder.

In a statement on Thursday, FUNAI mourned Pereiras death and praised his work: The public servant leaves an enormous legacy for the isolated Indigenous peoples protection. He became one of the countrys top specialists in this issue and worked with highest commitment.

Before the bodies were found, however, FUNAI had issued a statement implying Pereira violated procedure by overstaying his authorization inside the Javari territory. It prompted FUNAIs rank-and-file to strike, claiming that the agency had libeled Pereira and demanding its president be fired. A court on Thursday ordered FUNAI to retract its statement that is incompatible with the reality of the facts and cease discrediting Pereira.

Rubens Valente, a journalist who has covered the Amazon for decades, said Pereiras work became inherently riskier once he felt it necessary to work independently.

Fish thieves saw Bruno as a fragile person, without the status and power that FUNAI gave him in the region where he was FUNAI coordinator for five years, Valente said. When the criminals noticed Bruno was weak, he became an even bigger target.

___

Maisonnave reported from Atalaia do Norte. AP writer Debora Alvares contributed from Brasilia.

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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
NEW YORK  The U.S. on Saturday opened COVID-19 vaccines to infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

The shots will become available this week, expanding the nations vaccination campaign to children as young as 6 months.

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the vaccines for the littlest children, and the final signoff came hours later from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agencys director.

We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with todays decision, they can, Walensky said in a statement.

While the Food and Drug Administration approves vaccines, its the CDC that decides who should get them.

The shots offer young children protection from hospitalization, death and possible long-term complications that are still not clearly understood, the CDCs advisory panel said.

The government has already been gearing up for the vaccine expansion, with millions of doses ordered for distribution to doctors, hospitals and community health clinics around the country.

Roughly 18 million kids will be eligible, but it remains to be seen how many will ultimately get the vaccines. Less than a third of children ages 5 to 11 have done so since vaccination opened up to them last November.

Here are some things to know:

WHAT KINDS ARE AVAILABLE?

Two brands  Pfizer and Moderna  got the green light Friday from the FDA and Saturday from the CDC. The vaccines use the same technology but are being offered at different dose sizes and number of shots for the youngest kids.

Pfizers vaccine is for children 6 months to 4 years old. The dose is one-tenth of the adult dose, and three shots are needed. The first two are given three weeks apart, and the last at least two months later.

Modernas is two shots, each a quarter of its adult dose, given about four weeks apart for kids 6 months through 5 years old. The FDA also approved a third dose, at least a month after the second shot, for children with immune conditions that make them more vulnerable to serious illness.

HOW WELL DO THEY WORK?

In studies, vaccinated youngsters developed levels of virus-fighting antibodies as strong as young adults, suggesting that the kid-size doses protect against coronavirus infections.

However, exactly how well they work is hard to pin down, especially when it comes to the Pfizer vaccine.

Two doses of Moderna appeared to be only about 40% effective at preventing milder infections at a time when the omicron variant was causing most COVID-19 illnesses. Pfizer presented study information suggesting the company saw 80% with its three shots. But the Pfizer data was so limited  and based on such a small number of cases  that experts and federal officials say they dont feel there is a reliable estimate yet.

SHOULD MY LITTLE ONE BE VACCINATED?

Yes, according to the CDC. While COVID-19 has been the most dangerous for older adults, younger people, including children, can also get very sick.

Hospitalizations surged during the omicron wave. Since the start of the pandemic, about 480 children under age 5 are counted among the nations more than 1 million COVID-19 deaths, according to federal data.

It is worth vaccinating even though the number of deaths are relatively rare, because these deaths are preventable through vaccination, said Dr. Matthew Daley, a Kaiser Permanente Colorado researcher who sits on the CDCs advisory committee.

In a statement Saturday, President Joe Biden urged parents to get them for their young children as soon as possible.

WHICH VACCINE SHOULD MY CHILD GET?

Either one, said Dr. Peter Marks, the FDAs vaccine chief.

Whatever vaccine your health care provider, pediatrician has, thats what I would give my child, Marks said Friday.

The doses havent been tested against each other, so experts say theres no way to tell if one is better.

One consideration: It takes roughly three months to complete the Pfizer three-shot series, but just one month for Modernas two shots. So families eager to get children protected quickly might want Moderna.

WHOS GIVING THE SHOTS?

Pediatricians, other primary care physicians and childrens hospitals are planning to provide the vaccines. Limited drugstores will offer them for at least some of the under-5 group.

U.S. officials expect most shots to take place at pediatricians offices. Many parents may be more comfortable getting the vaccine for their kids at their regular doctor, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said. He predicted the pace of vaccination will be far slower than it was for older populations.

Were going see vaccinations ramp up over weeks and even potentially over a couple of months, Jha said.

CAN CHILDREN GET OTHER VACCINES AT THE SAME TIME?

Its common for little kids to get more than one vaccine during a doctors visit.

In studies of the Moderna and Pfizer shots in infants and toddlers, other vaccinations were not given at the same time so there is no data on potential side effects when that happens.

But problems have not been identified in older children or adults when COVID-19 shots and other vaccinations were given together, and the CDC is advising that its safe for younger children as well.

WHAT IF MY CHILD RECENTLY HAD COVID-19?

About three-quarters of children of all ages are estimated to have been infected at some point. For older ages, the CDC has recommended vaccination anyway to lower the chances of reinfection.

Experts have noted re-infections among previously infected people and say the highest levels of protection occur in those who were both vaccinated and previously infected.

The CDC has said people may consider waiting about three months after an infection to be vaccinated.

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Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
SANTA FE  Behind the raw public frustration and anger over election security that played out this past week in New Mexico was a hint of something deeper  a growing divide between the states Democratic power structure and conservative rural residents who feel their way of life is under attack.

In Otero County, where the crisis over certifying the states June 7 primary election began, County Commissioner Vickie Marquardt struck a defiant tone as she relented under pressure from the states Democratic attorney general, Democratic secretary of state and a state Supreme Court dominated by Democratic appointees.

One of the main explanations she gave for reversing course had nothing to do with questions over the security of voting machines  the reason the all-Republican, three-member commission had originally refused to certify its election.

If we get removed from office, nobody is going to be here fighting for the ranchers, and thats where our fight should be right now, said Marquardt, the commission chairwoman in a county where former President Donald Trump won nearly 62% of the vote in 2020.

Otero County is similar to the handful of other New Mexico counties where residents have questioned the accuracy of election results and given voice to unfounded conspiracy theories about voting systems that have rippled across the country since former President Donald Trump lost reelection in 2020.

In the states vast, rural stretches, frustration over voting and political representation has been building for years. Residents have felt marginalized and overrun by government decisions that have placed limits on livelihoods  curtailing access to water for livestock, shrinking the amount of forest land available for grazing, or halting timber operations and energy developments due to endangered species concerns.

Tensions have mounted as Democrats in New Mexico consolidate control over every statewide office and the Supreme Court. Democrats have dominated the Legislature for generations.

Even as they voted to certify their elections, sometimes reluctantly, commissioners from several New Mexico counties said they were bound by the law to take that step  thanks to legislation passed by Democrats. They urged their residents to take the fight to the statehouse.

Some bemoaned what they felt was an encroachment by the state on the powers of local government. Marquardt complained of her commissions meager rubber stamping authority under laws enacted by Democrats and an election certification railroaded through by larger forces.

Otero County is among more than a dozen self-proclaimed 2nd Amendment sanctuary counties in rural New Mexico to approve defiant resolutions against recent state gun control laws. The county also has embraced resistance to President Joe Bidens goals for conservation of more private land and waterways for natural habitat, arguing it will cordon off already limited private land.

Amid alienation, skepticism about the security of elections has taken flight.

On Friday, Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin was the lone dissenting vote in the election certification, though he acknowledged that he had no evidence of problems or factual basis for questioning the results of the election. His vote came after the county elections clerk said the primary went off without a hitch and that the results were confirmed afterward.

The former rodeo rider and co-founder of Cowboys for Trump dialed into the meeting because he was in Washington, D.C., where hours before he had been sentenced for entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

Applause rang out when Griffin declared, I think we need to hold our ground.

The developments in New Mexico can be traced to far-right conspiracy theories over voting machines that have spread across the country over the past two years. Various Trump allies have claimed that Dominion voting systems had somehow been manipulated as part of an elaborate scheme to steal the election, which Biden won.

There has been no evidence of widespread fraud that would have changed the results of the 2020 presidential election, and testimony before the congressional committee investigating the insurrection has made clear that many in Trumps inner circle told him the same as he schemed to retain power.

The election clash that erupted this past week worries Dian Burwell, a registered independent and coffee shop manager in the Otero County seat of Alamogordo.

We want people to vote and when they see all this, theyll just say, Why bother?' Burwell said.

Despite New Mexico counties eventual votes to certify their primary results, election officials and experts fear the mini-rebellion is just the start of efforts nationwide to sow chaos around voting and vote-counting, building toward the 2024 presidential election. The New Mexico Secretary of States Office said it had been inundated with calls from officials around the country concerned that certification controversies will become a new front in the attacks on democratic norms.

In another New Mexico county where residents angrily denounced the certification, commissioners were denounced as cowards and traitors by a hostile crowd before voting. Torrance County Commissioner LeRoy Candelaria, a Republican and Vietnam veteran, voted to certify the results without apologies, despite the personal insults.

The semi-retired rancher and highway maintenance foreman said he has taken time outside commission meetings to explain his position that New Mexicos vote-counting machines are well-tested and monitored.

Our county clerk did an excellent job. I dont think theres a vote that went wrong in any way, Candelaria said later in a telephone interview. My personal opinion is there are people who are still mad about the last presidential election.  Lets worry about the next election and not take things personally.

Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, and Anita Snow and Terry Tang in Phoenix contributed to this report.
In 1940s America, for a woman to go camping in the wilderness was virtually unheard of.

Enter Georgia OKeeffe.

Determined to move as close to the New Mexico landscape as humanly possible, OKeeffe went camping in Glen Canyon, Plaza Blanca and what she termed The Black Place located 150 miles northwest of her Abiquiu home.

The Georgia OKeeffe Welcome Center in Abiquiu is hosting its first exhibit, OKeeffe in the Landscape, on display through April 2, 2023.

The exhibition showcases Marie Chabots photographs of the artist mid-camping, her clothing, hiking boots and equipment.

OKeeffe had learned to drive in Taos and bought a 1928 Ford Model T so that she could go car camping in remote locations. At the time, she didnt need a drivers license.

She would set up her tent outside, curator of historic properties Giustina Renzoni said. She had the passengers seat removed so she could put a table with all her paints and her brushes. She essentially carried a moving studio.

The artist traveled to evoke the essence of these spectacular views in her work.

Conscious of her safety, OKeeffe never traveled alone, often taking her friend Maria Chabot, who photographed her on various trips. Chabot had worked for salon maven Mabel Dodge Luhan in Taos. She was the general contractor for OKeeffes Abiquiu home. OKeeffe also camped with such celebrated photographers as Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter and Todd Webb.

It was a very creative atmosphere, Renzoni said.

Georgia OKeeffe at the Black Place, Maria Chabot. 1944, negative, 2 x 1. Georgia OKeeffe Museum. Gift of Maria Chabot.  Georgia OKeeffe Museum. [RC.2001.2.107]. (Courtesy of the Georgia OKeeffe Museum) Hollywood Girl brand camping skirt and shirt. OKeeffe in the Landscape Exhibit. Abiquiu Welcome Center, 2022.  Georgia OKeeffe Museum. (Courtesy of the Georgia OKeeffe Museum) Georgia OKeeffe, Morning, The Black Place, Maria Chabot, 1944. gelatin silver print. Maria Chabot Archive. Georgia OKeeffe Museum. Gift of Maria Chabot.  Georgia OKeeffe Museum. (Courtesy of the Georgia OKeeffe Museum) Recreated campsite featuring items from Georgia OKeeffes personal collection. OKeeffe in the Landscape Exhibit. Abiquiu Welcome Center, 2022.  Georgia OKeeffe Museum. (Courtesy of the Georgia OKeeffe Museum) Prev 1 of 4 Next

The artist learned about these unusual sites by talking to local people. She had learned about Ghost Ranch, where she first bought a house in 1940, from acquaintances when she stayed at Luhans home.

She knew she had to see it herself, Renzoni said.

She also hired local guides.

What she was doing was very unusual at the time, especially for a woman, she added.

By the early 1900s, camping had grown into a leisure activity in a reaction against urbanization, Renzoni said.

OKeeffe first went camping to Yosemite National Park with Adams in 1938. Telling herself this was a vacation, she took no canvases, paint or brushes. She regretted that decision.

Of course, as soon as she got there she ended up borrowing supplies from people and using the charcoal from the fire, Renzoni said.

In New Mexico, she collected rocks and bones as she moved through the ragged country.

Its an object of nature, Renzoni said of the rocks. She liked to hold them and feel the whole rock.

The bones became part of her image repertoire.

For her, it was representative of desert life and natural images and colors, Renzoni added.

OKeeffe went river rafting for the first time at age 74, invited by Webb.

They headed up to Utahs Glen Canyon. OKeeffe wrote to her sister about the trip. After an entire day of rafting, the group camped near the river and settled down, only to be awakened by a torrential downpour.

She loved it; even the rain, Renzoni said. She thought it was a wonderful experience.

The exhibition also includes a camping dress, complete with large pockets to collect rocks.

Established in 2018, the Georgia OKeeffe Welcome Center is located one mile from the artists Abiquiu home. Visitors can take a shuttle to see her home and studio.
TEHRAN, June 18 (Xinhua) -- An F-14 fighter jet crashed on Saturday in Iran's central Isfahan province with the pilots safely ejected, the official news agency IRNA reported.

The fighter was on mission when a technical failure occurred in its engine that led to the crash, the IRNA quoted a spokesman for Iran's Army in Isfahan province as saying.

The pilot and copilot managed to eject, and were transferred to hospital due to injuries, it said.

No one was killed in the crash, said the spokesman. 
Michael Titshall was recently appointed to SVP, Managing Director of Australia, and he will continue to supervise Australia's business, including R/Brand GA's Design and Consulting (BDC) department. Sean Lyons, the Global Chief Executive Officer, will report directly to Peng and Titshall.

Ben Miles will be promoted to Vice President, Executive Creative Director, beginning in July. He will continue to lead the BDC practise and report to Michael Titshall. Tuomas Peltoniemi, EVP Managing Director APAC, and Seamus Higgins, Chief Creative Officer APAC, are leaving R/GA in July, and Peng, Titshall, and Miles are stepping into their leadership responsibilities. It is unknown where they will go.

"It's been a heck of a ride over the last three years, and I'm incredibly pleased of what Tuomas and I have accomplished, so it's a challenging duty to leave  especially with some wonderful stuff in the pipeline," Higgins told CB. With Tuomas departing for a new position, I believe it was a wise decision to separate the area into Australia and Asia and promote internal leaders who had been on the transformational path with us. This year, we had our greatest year at Spikes and Award Awards since 2017, so I'm confident that the team will continue to improve the work and culture. I also wouldn't be shocked if, at some point in the future,

Dorothy Peng was elevated to SVP, Managing Director, Asia on July 1st, and will be responsible for R/offices GA's in Singapore, Indonesia, China, and Tokyo. She will work closely with the Singapore office's leadership team to designate her replacement and assist the company's mobile practise expansion as Managing Director.

"Tuomas and Seamus have led Asia and Australia through a transition over the last three years, and it's critical that we keep this momentum going.Through their work, people, and thought leadership, they have left R/GA in a better place than they found it. And they've done it with grace and passion. I appreciate everything they've done and wish them the best of luck in the future said Global Chief Executive Officer Sean Lyons.

"Masaya Nakade will head Tokyo, Irisy Wang will lead China, and Ed Cheong and Joschka Wolf will lead Singapore. Together, this new leadership team will be responsible for expanding and ensuring the Asia and Australia regions remain a connected force for R/GA and its clients, Executive Creative Director Claire Waring, who will oversee Australia's creative work and Ben Miles added Lyons
The two-day mega thought fest TV9 What India Thinks Today Global Summit, hosted Indias top policy makers, chief ministers, business leaders, and spiritual leaders on Day#1 of its inaugural global summit. Covering myriad topics on Indias journey to become a Vishwa Guru  the leader of the new world order  the Summit got off to a stupendous launch on Friday.



Five Union Ministers and two Chief Ministers deliberated on various areas of policymaking that are important not only for the people of the country but also for preparing the nation for a bigger role in the new post-Covid, post-war emerging international order.

Speaking at the TV9 thought fest, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, said electric vehicles will cost as much as petrol ones within a year. I am trying within one year, the cost of electric vehicles will be equivalent to the cot of petrol vehicles in the country and we will save money spent on fossil fuels, he said.

The minister added that the government is promoting green fuels in a big way. Waterways - a cheaper alternative to road travel too will come up in a big way.

Bhupendra Yadav, Union Minister of Labour and Employment and Environment, Forest and Climate Change said that in the past eight months, crores of people from the unorganised sector have been employed after registering with the e-Shram portal. He also said that these people have been absorbed in different occupations such as horticulture and coffee plantation, which would partly take care of unemployment in the sector.

Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister for Coal and Mines said that after agriculture, the mineral sector is the highest employment generator. It is also the highest contributor to the economy. The minister said that India had only mined about 10 per cent of the resources it possesses.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister, Jal Shakti, said that India is swiftly moving from a three trillion-dollar to a five trillion-dollar economy.

Shekhawat also remarked that the country would soon climb to a 10 trillion-dollar mark. On similar lines, Sanjiv Mehta, CEO & MD, HUL said at the Summit, that in the next 25 years, India growing into a 25 trillion-dollar economy is likely. I urge everyone to keep faith in the Indian story, he said.



G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of Northeastern Region said that a national tourism policy is expected which will help in boosting tourism, which is a labour-intensive operation. He also said that cruise and circuit tourism will be promoted under the PPP (public private partnership) mode.

Basavaraj Bommai, Chief Minister, Karnataka, said that his state has the highest number of public and private R&D units  nearly 400  involved in creating new products, new applications, and new services. It is also the home to 400 of the Fortune 500 companies of the world. The state also has the highest number of unicorns and has already signed a memorandum of understanding to start the semiconductor industry in India.

Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel also addressed the gathering virtually. He said that the government should either change the rules of GST or prolong the payment of compensations cess by another five years.

Governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammed Khan spoke on the knowledge edge of India in the comity of nations.

Elaborating on Indias potential of becoming a Vishwa Guru, Barun Das, CEO, TV9 Network, said, India becoming a superpower on the foundation of peace is not a question of if, but when.

I believe this is the Indian century. Opportunity doesnt knock on the door twice As a nation, we must seize the opportunity with both hands. Our goals are near, not far, he affirmed.

TV9 What India Thinks Today Global Summit will host the second day of its thought fest on Saturday, 18th June. The summit promises a galaxy of thought leaders including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, I&B Minister Anurag Thakur, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani, Former Prime Minister of UK David Cameron among others.
Participants of the 21st Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition 2022 pose for a group photo at the Confucius Institute of the University of Dar es Salaam in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on June 17, 2022. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Twelve university students in Tanzania, whose faces glittered with broad smiles, on Friday gathered to compete in the 21st Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition 2022 at the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM).

The contesting students, who competed via prepared video clips, came from the Confucius Institute at UDSM, Confucius Institute at the University of Dodoma and Confucius Classroom at the State University of Zanzibar.

After a two-hour grueling competition, Adam Nyenje, a second-year Chinese language student from Confucius Institute at the University of Dodoma was declared the overall winner. Nyenje will later this year travel to China to compete in an international Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition.

The main purpose of the competition is to assess the proficiency of students in various skills of the Chinese language such as Chinese speech, and knowledge about China as well as a talent show.

Vice-Chancellor of the UDSM William Anangisye thanked the Confucius Institute at the UDSM for hosting the competition, saying the event promotes and encourages more students who will be interested in learning Chinese and performing different talents, including Chinese culture.

Anangisye believed that Chinese language learning is an effective approach to further developing Sino-African ties.

He said the UDSM is offering a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education (Chinese and English) to students who will later teach the Chinese language in primary and secondary schools across Tanzania.

Wang Siping, the cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, thanked the government of Tanzania, particularly the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Confucius Institute at UDSM for supporting the promotion of the Chinese language and Chinese culture.

Wang, who presented certificates to some of the winners, said the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania will support the teaching of the Chinese language in schools at all levels.

The competition was also witnessed by Aldin Mutembei and Zhang Xiaozhen, both directors of the Confucius Institute at the UDSM, who presented the winners with certificates. 

A Tanzanian student performs Chinese martial arts during the 21st Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition 2022 at the Confucius Institute of the University of Dar es Salaam in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on June 17, 2022. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua)
Fifteen states have passed similar legislation known as the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC). The compact will require each member state to award its electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the greatest number of popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Within each of those states, the compact will have no binding legal effect until any number of states whose sum equals 270 electoral votes enacts the legislation.

The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment invalidates the NPVIC because the compact treats similarly situated voters of separate jurisdictions differently when both cast votes for presidential electors in winner-take-all jurisdictions. Specifically, the NPVIC conditions the weight accorded a vote in one jurisdiction exclusively on the cumulative votes of all other jurisdictions to effect more political relevance to certain states.

No Legal Basis for Political Objectives

The case Williams v. Rhodes states intentionally dissimilar treatment occurs only if the classification rests on grounds wholly irrelevant to the achievement of the State's objective. Though the U.S. Constitution has granted explicitly to the states the power to appoint electors for President under Article II, Section I, Williams established that these granted powers are always subject to the limitation that they may not be exercised in a way that violates other specific provisions of the Constitution.

Advocates of the NPVIC contend the winner-take-all system of electing the President in 48 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia provides a voter with a direct voice in electing only the small number of presidential electors to which their state is entitled. These systems manufacture artificial electoral crises even when the nationwide popular vote is not particularly close. The adverse impact leads candidates for President to campaign only in states where the outcome is a foregone conclusion.

Though persuasive, these arguments bear no legal relationship to a vote cast for the election of President. The political relevance of a presidential candidacy in the context of political realignments, public policy prognostications, or voting patterns should remain the province of campaign managers and political scientists. The NPVIC denies to each vote cast for President, regardless of jurisdiction, the equal legal value and protection guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution regardless of the jurisdictions present political designation as a battleground state.

Invidious Discrimination: Legal Standard

The standard established by the Supreme Court for Equal Protection under the Fourteenth Amendment regarding the right to vote permits the States to make classifications and does not require them to treat different groups uniformly. Classifications, however, must not arise from invidious discrimination.

NPVIC advocates contend that the decision by the Supreme Court in Williams v. Virginia State Board of Elections precludes interstate inequality as the basis for any suit regarding voting rights. In that case, the Court ruled that a winner-take-all allocation of presidential electors did not constitute interstate inequality. For purposes of election of the President, the decision merely acknowledges an unevenness in apportionment that is inherent to the Electoral College.

Bush v. Gore

Two relevant points regarding right to vote enunciated by the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore, puncture a hole in the rationale for the NPVIC:

The right to vote is protected in more than the initial allocation of the franchise. Equal protection applies as well to the manner of its exercise. Having once granted the right to vote on equal terms, the State may not, by later arbitrary and disparate treatment, value one person's vote over that of another.

Furthermore, the Court added:

The right of suffrage can be denied by a debasement or dilution of the weight of a citizen's vote just as effectively as by wholly prohibiting the free exercise of the franchise.

In McPherson v. Blacker, the Supreme Court recognized that an individual citizen has no federal constitutional right to vote for electors for the President of the United States unless and until the state legislature chooses a statewide election as the means to implement its power to appoint members of the electoral college. Thus, a statewide popular vote for President of the United States triggers a state requirement to provide equal protection.

The Supreme Court articulated that specific legal principle further in Bush:

When the state legislature vests the right to vote for President in its people, the right to vote as the legislature has prescribed is fundamental; and one source of its fundamental nature lies in the equal weight accorded to each vote and the equal dignity owed to each voter.

Practical Applications

Previous elections demonstrate the inherent discrimination that would result if the NPVIC had operated in the election for President. Al Gore earned more popular votes than George Bush, Jr. in 2000. Colorado, now a member state in the NPVIC, pledged its electors for George Bush. Connecticut, also a member state, pledged its electors for Al Gore.

The terms of the NPVIC would have treated the electors pledged by direct election of the people under a winner-take-all election in Colorado different from a vote for a Presidential elector for Al Gore in Connecticut under the same circumstances. The NPVIC would have nullified the votes of the winner, Bush in Colorado, because the compact conditions the determination of which slate of electors to certify based solely upon the vote tally within another state.

Similarly, a compacting state in which any third-party candidate earns the plurality of votes through a direct election by the people, as occurred in 1968, would engage in invidious discrimination. The compacting state would be bound to send its slate of electors in support of the candidate who received the most votes nationwide rather than the one for whom, under a winner-take-all system, should represent its interests in the Electoral College.

Solution: Constitutional Amendment

NPVIC proponents proffer the intent of the compact is to reach true democracy in our presidential elections not by eliminating the Electoral College, but reforming our use of it. In actuality, the NPVIC would intentionally disregard all votes legally cast for all but one candidate by nationalizing the body in the U.S. Constitution -- the Electoral College -- specifically designed to represent the states in the election of the President.

The proper remedy, a constitutional amendment to eliminate the Electoral College, would acknowledge the U.S. Constitution as the supreme law of the land. A compact among states raises legal questions to circumvent the amendment process raises questions of law and political motivation.

Furthermore, a successful amendment process would remain federal in character by representing states, account for regional differences, and reflect a national consensus. Supporters have either knowingly masked their political objectives in legal arguments or truly cannot distinguish between them. They should heed the instructions provided in Williams v. Virginia State Board of Elections:

we are of the opinion that a compulsory compliance with their demand or any other proposed limitation on the selection by the State of its presidential electors would require a Constitutional amendment.

Image: Minas
ISLAMABAD, June 18 (Xinhua) -- At least two laborers were killed and several others injured when unknown gunmen opened fire at a labor camp in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, local media reported late Friday night.

About 100 people were in the camp located on the outskirts of Harnai district of the province when the attack happened. The attackers also set fire to the workers' camp and machinery before fleeing the site, the report said.

Law enforcement personnel rushed to the site and shifted victims to a local hospital, said security officials. 
When discussing politics in America, few subjects are as devastating and horrific as shootings that kill and injure students at America's schools. It's simply intolerable that a growing number of parents send their children to school or off to college only to learn that that they were killed or injured or bore witness to a shooting.

The key to prevention is education. As mass school shootings and other types of school gun violence became more prevalent in the 1990s, the need for an empirical database became more evident. That's why, in August of 2009, the project at schoolshootingdatabase.com was undertaken: to document the surge of school gun violence shootings happening across America.

The database, which is available to download for free at schoolshootingdatabase.com, is an Excel spreadsheet with 125 columns that documents over 1,830 shootings (and counting) at American institutions of learning, from 1840 to the end of the 202122 school year. The database covers 182 years in American history and includes 24 mass school shootings (four or more killed) with the first mass school shooting occurring in 1940. Since 1940, 217 people have been shot to death in mass school shootings with another 234 people receiving gunshot injuries. One hundred sixty-six of the 217 people deceased (76%) were students, and of the 231 injured by gunfire, 196 (or 85%) were students.

In addition, 105 shootings in the database are active shooter incidents (three or fewer killed, injured), which caused the death of 107 people and wounded at least 337 more via gunshot. Fifty-four of the 107 killed (50%) were students, and wounded students account for 247 (73%) of the 337 injuries. In all, 324 have been killed and 568 injured by gunshots in 130 active and mass school shootings in American history.

The database also sheds light on the much more common and more deadly single-victim school shootings, which generate not even 5% of the incessant media coverage that mass school shootings do. However, since 1990, more than 232 people have been killed and an additional 369 survived gunshot injuries in 601 single-victim on-campus shootings compared to 19 mass school shooting tragedies killing a total of 180 people and injuring another 163 citizens in the same time frame. It's important to note that approximately 2025% of the single-victim shootings are not school-related shootings, but rather community gun violence spilling onto campuses.

The database covers all classifications of shootings at U.S. schools and includes all levels and types of educational institutions. It documents shootings at K12 schools, colleges, community colleges, vocational schools, military or theological schools, and preschools. The database also explores the motives, causes, and contributing factors involved with each shooting to get a comprehensive understanding into the violence. The detailed and specific nature of the database classifies the different types of shootings happening at American schools and documents the characteristics and facts about each shooting, which makes it easy to select or omit shootings based on the specific criteria one would like to study further, simply by saving the document under another name and deleting the shootings that don't match the chosen criteria.

The dataset includes fights, whether spontaneous altercations or feuds, that result in a shooting; accidental shootings; suicides; law enforcement intervention shootings; gang gun violence; and shootings arising from behavioral problems or revenge for disciplinary actions, like being suspended. There are also drug-related shootings, terrorist acts, domestic disputes stemming from romantic rejection (or divorce), and many other motives behind the scourge of gun violence infiltrating American campuses.

One of the many things that differentiates the database at schoolshootingdatabase.com from other databases on the subject is a deeper examination of the multi-faceted issues related to school gun violence, like whether or not the school had metal detectors before a shooting occurred, and an in-depth exploration into the dark, murky world of the shooters. The database has over 30 duplicate columns that offer a chance to tally statistics from the perspective columns. Not only that, but the duplicate columns offer context and detailed information about each column's subject. Columns offering context and specific details include the shooter's criminal history, how the shooter obtained the gun, if he was influenced by previous shooters, and whether he had a fascination with firearms and violence.

The dataset also offers deeper insight into whether the attacker posted threats online before his violent act, if he was impacted by major stressors in his life, the outcome for the shooter, and much more. To facilitate verification of the information in the database, a huge bibliography of thousands of open-source articles, court records, police documents, and after-action and official reports, as well as books on the subject, has also been created.

An empirical database documenting school gun violence also serves to dispel false political narratives like the Defund the Police argument. One of the biggest takeaways from the database at schoolshootingdatabase.com is the literally hundreds of examples of compassionate bravery and selfless heroism from law enforcement, demonstrating how the disrespect and misplaced anger leveled at America's police and the Defund the Police narrative are unfounded, culturally destructive, and among the most ridiculously dangerous political and policy forces in American history.

I encourage and grant permission to anyone or any group that is serious about reducing school gun violence to utilize the database to learn about America's school gun violence epidemic and to conduct further research to come up with multi-faceted solutions to protect America's most precious asset: American kids. Solutions will never occur on the path we are currently on while entertaining only one variable, like gun control or mental illness, and America's students will pay with their lives until we come together and craft a plan to prevent the violence.

Image via Pexels.
Before its war in Ukraine, Russia, at least on paper, was the second greatest military power in the world.

Russia far outnumbered Ukraine in tanks, artillery, rockets, cruise missiles, helicopters, airplanes, and bulk military hardware in general.

But now, Russia still does not have air superiority over Ukraine and has been forced into a stalemate after annexing about a fifth of Ukraine in the east and southeast. A highly overrated military is what Russia actually is. What is clear is that tactically and logistically, Russia didn't do as well as expected in its initial attempt to take over all of Ukraine.

A major lesson of the Ukraine war is that relatively cheap precision shoulder rockets, larger precision rockets, and drones can take out seemingly superior heavy military equipment such as tanks, artillery, helicopters, airplanes, radar stations, communication centers, and even sophisticated cruisers like the Moskva. It is even conceivable that precision hypersonic rockets in the future will easily take out billion-dollar aircraft carriers by knocking out control towers and making the aircraft carrier inoperable, if not sinking them with SubRoc-like torpedoes.

Overwhelming the enemy with a quantity of military hardware, where quality was not that important, won World War II for the allies, yet a large quantity of Russian military hardware could take control of only about a fifth of Ukraine territory. Troop strength is of vital importance in taking over villages, towns, and cities. Russia simply didn't have enough well trained, well led troops to take over all of Ukraine, which was the initial objective. Indeed, poor planning, poor logistics, and lousy top-down general leadership also played a major role in Russia's stalled aggression in Ukraine, which is a third-rate military mostly on the defensive all the time.

Since Russia didn't have enough competent troops to occupy all the territory it wanted to annex in Ukraine, the offensive came to a grinding halt. Had Ukraine's population been armed to the teeth, Russia may have overrun even less territory. In a major city, Mariupol, well trained troops of the Azov battalion held back Russian assaults for months before they succumbed to numerical superiority.

The military lessons for the United States and Western nations is clear:

Mothball or greatly reduce bulk military hardware. Switch to all-terrain military vehicles armed with precision guided missiles or rockets that can take out drones, enemy missiles or rockets, helicopters, and airplanes. Arm airplanes with long-distance precision missiles or rockets that can take out land and air targets. Reduce the number of costly battleships, cruisers, and aircraft carriers, which are highly vulnerable in a major war. Amphibious assault ships can perhaps be retained, but even they are very vulnerable to precision rocket attacks and drones. Yes, aircraft carriers are still useful for air superiority in third-rate military conflicts around the globe, but not in a major war. Submarines with precision rockets or torpedoes can easily take out aircraft carriers in any localized war.

One not so obvious conclusion is that the military budget of the United States can probably at least be cut in half, with an emphasis on the quality and not quantity of American weapons. Troop strength can also be cut in half, with an emphasis to be placed on a well trained force rather than just sheer numbers. Sell or arm friendly foreign nations with precision military hardware with rockets or missiles, drones, and airplanes. Cut back on military bases around the world. Yes, this is not good news for the military industrial complex, but it will improve our budget to some extent.

The Ukraine war is slow-motion bloody trench warfare, where troop-on-troop fighting is largely taking place without sudden massive aggressive military actions. Russia is largely using bulk artillery barrages, and Ukraine's troop attrition is heavy. What Ukraine needs is precision rockets or artillery that takes out Russian bulk artillery, and Ukraine is not getting enough of this precision hardware from the West.

Russia tried to use precision long-range rockets to take out Ukraine military infrastructure at the beginning of the war, and later, too, but now seems to have run out of them. Also, those precision rockets had only about a 60% success rate, so they didn't destroy Ukrainian military infrastructure or other vital infrastructure such as railroads and bridges.

The major reason why there are no massive aggressive military actions is that frankly, neither side has enough troops to spare to occupy the captured territory in Russia's case and reoccupied territory in Ukraine's case. Major aggressive actions mean huge troop losses, which neither side can afford at the present time. So there will either be some kind of negotiated peace settlement where Ukraine cedes some territory or a never-ending skirmish war as long as Putin is in power and Ukraine continues to fight defensively.

In conclusion, precision military hardware is much more important in modern military conflicts than bulk military hardware. Obviously, if a nation is trying to take over another entire nation, then bulk military hardware and an abundance of well trained troops are essential for the initial takeover. After that, ruling over an unwilling civilian population presents major problems to all save ruthless tyrants  and sometimes even ruthless tyrants.

Image: Screen shot from BBC video via shareable YouTube.
If Trump is guilty of insurrection, why was it necessary to pack the January 6 Committee with Trump-haters? The answer: Because Trump is an existential threat to the D.C. swamp! Pelosi could not take a chance that the committee would hold fair hearings  forget 240 years of precedent for due process and fair participation by House members.

Ann Coulter, among others, says liberalism (the left) is a mental disease. Actually, even if that is true, mentally deficient leftists see through their fog and understand that their most dangerous opposition is Trump; the Catholic Church in its traditional form (is the pope a Catholic?); Christians who practice real Christianity; the traditional family; market economics; and America as a constitutional republic; not a "democracy."

Making Trump the focus of leftist hatred really means they hate traditional Americans who see Trump as their last best hope. The left loves the D.C. swamp and its powerful tentacles throughout the country seeking to destroy America.

When you add up all the government entities around the country that are tied to D.C. funding and regulation, you have almost 20,000 state and local min-D.C.s and millions more government employees on top of federal employees. "St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle against demons who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Cast them into Hell."

January 6 committee chairman Benny Thompson believes that Trump-followers who testify in favor of Trump are guilty of insurrection. Also, those who take the Fifth Amendment are guilty. Why else would they plead the Fifth? Never mind that guilt is not an inference you're allowed to draw from taking the Fifth!

And of course, those who refuse to appear are guilty as well. So when Trump adviser Peter Navarro sued the Committee as illegal and refused to appear, it was necessary for the chairman to call in the FBI dogs of war to arrest him, place him in chains, and hold him incommunicado without food, water, or access to a lawyer. They did not torture him but the steps taken lead you to wonder about what Gestapo tactics may be planned for the future.



Image: The untouchable Ray Epps, fomenter of an "insurrection." Revolver News.

While we like to think of the Capitol building as a symbol of the good America, it actually represents a bad America when you consider all the terrible legislation that passes through those chambers  endless legislation that hurts the country, legislation that burdens citizens heavily and unnecessarily with taxes, legislation that regulates down to the size of your commode, legislation that employs tens of thousands of federal police to monitor and enforce beyond reasonable requirements.

So I ask whether the Capitol is a people's monument or a swamp monument. All the evidence suggests that it is a swamp monument parading as a people's monument. As such, we can do without it. It has lost its once held vaunted respect.

The January 6 committee weaves a narrative that asks you to believe that all the visitors/rioters to the Capitol on January 6 represented a desecration of our monument to democracy (but we aren't a democracy). They would have you believe that the FBI or other federal police were not involved in creating the mess.

How will we resolve the issue encapsulated in Ray Epps and other possible provocateurs? They would have you believe that those charged with trespassing misdemeanors and held in the D.C. torture chambers/jails for months are evil beyond belief. They would have you believe that Trump plotted an attack on the Capitol. They want you to believe that your representatives are courageous men and women in the face of insurrection.

I still wonder why not one member of Congress came out from under his desk to greet his constituents. Any who did this would have been treated as a hero  just as Mike Pence would have been a hero and possible future president if he had moved the election to the House for resolution.

Christopher Garbacz is a former economics professor.
Empires usually collapse from internal forces which are sometimes exacerbated by international events. When the great British historian Arnold Toynbee cataloged the rise and fall of civilizations in his monumental multi-volume A Study of History, he studied how different civilizations responded to internal and external challenges. The key to understanding why some civilizations grew and prospered and others declined and died was "challenge and response." The rise and fall of empires  including the American empire  are subject to similar analyses.

America rose to imperial power by effectively responding to internal and external challenges. At its birth, the American republic first defeated Great Britain in a war, then overcame internal division by erecting a constitutional structure that imperfectly combined unity and division. It then responded well to another challenge from Britain in the War of 1812 and launched its effort to occupy and politically appropriate a continent, known as "Manifest Destiny."

The American empire overcame perhaps its greatest challenge during the Civil War, a sectional conflict that threatened to undo America's imperial project. After Lincoln and Grant saved the Union, Manifest Destiny continued unabated with the spectacular advances of the Industrial Revolution until the American empire stretched "from sea to shining sea."

But at the end of the 19th century, America, in Alfred Thayer Mahan's words, looked outward, gaining overseas colonies as a result of the Spanish-American War and the annexation of Hawaii. By the end of Theodore Roosevelt's presidency, America was both an Atlantic and a Pacific power, and Roosevelt gloried in showing America's global reach by sending the fleet around the world and beginning construction of the Panama Canal.

Europe's near suicidal war between 1914 and 1918, and the even greater catastrophic war between 1939 and 1945, set the stage for America's global pre-eminence, but that pre-eminence came with a price  a national security state of gargantuan proportions tied to what President Eisenhower called an avaricious, insatiable "military-industrial complex." As Randolph Bourne once said: "War is the health of the state."

The growth of state power in America, as elsewhere, was accompanied by a diminution in the individual freedom and liberty of its citizens. And it led to the growing power of a seemingly self-perpetuating, elite ruling class whose first priority has been to maintain and expand its power and privileges. It was that elite ruling class that Donald Trump called "the swamp," and that the late, great Angelo Codevilla wrote about in his books The Ruling Class and America's Rise and Fall among Nations.

It is that elite ruling class that captured control of our nation's cultural, media, and educational institutions and let loose internal forces  as if from Pandora's box  that are corrupting and weakening America, and that if left unchecked will leave us vulnerable to, if not defenseless against, external challenges. And today, the greatest external challenge is from the Chinese Communist Party, which seeks to replace America as the world's leading economic and military power.

Today, many American elites think of themselves as "citizens of the world" and pursue a globalist agenda that supersedes the parochial concerns of Americans. Those elites look to Davos and the World Economic Forum for economic guidance; to the World Health Organization (WHO) for medical policies; to the United Nations for international norms related to environmental, immigration. energy, climate, and maritime policies; to the International Court of Justice at the Hague for legal norms; and to a variety of multinational forums to determine "world opinion."

America's elites have made "nationalism" a dirty word, equating it with racism, fascism, and right-wing fanaticism. And they have attempted to ban Christianity from the public square in the United States as part of a broader effort to undermine civic virtue among the citizenry by normalizing practices previously considered deviant (what Daniel Patrick Moynihan labeled "defining deviancy down") and promoting a "woke" agenda (e.g., Critical Race Theory, the sexualization of young children) that undermines traditional beliefs and customs.

In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon ruminated on the "latent causes of decay and corruption" in Rome. He noted the introduction by the ruling elites of "a slow and secret poison into the vitals of the empire." "The minds of men were gradually reduced," he wrote, and "the fire of genius was extinguished, and even the military spirit evaporated." The corrosive effects on the citizenry manifested themselves in the collapse of "public courage" and the diminished "love of independence" and "sense of national honor." "A cloud of critics, of compilers, of commentators," Gibbon lamented, "darkened the face of learning, and the decline of genius was soon followed by the corruption of taste." A "degeneracy" set in among the Roman elites and spread to the citizens, which "debased their sentiments, enervated their courage, and depressed their talents." The result, Gibbon wrote, was that Rome was "peopled by a race of pygmies" when the barbarians from the north swept in to conquer.

America's elite class is leading us down the path of Rome. Hopefully, it's not too late to change course.

Image via Max Pixel.
A male teacher in Hawaii was arrested for engaging in perverse sexual behavior with a 13-year-old male student, which he recorded, and for trading child pornography with a teacher on the mainland. That's disgusting enough. What takes the story to a whole other level is the frantic tweets the teacher published haranguing conservatives for having dirty minds and projecting their sins onto innocent educators who merely want to make sure young people truly understand sex. It is a microcosm of the left's predatory obsession with child sexuality.

A Hawaii news station has the facts:

Federal prosecutors said Alden Bunag sent illicit pictures and video to another teacher on the mainland and admitted to sex [sic] with a 13-year-old student. Bunag made his first court appearance on Thursday at the federal courthouse and remains in custody until his next hearing. Court records said he admitted to investigators that he recorded his sexual encounters with a 13-year-old boy who was a former student and sent the videos to others through a messenger app. According to federal court documents, Bunag had been sending child pornography to a teacher in Philadelphia. That teacher was arrested in October. Documents said Bunag and the mainland teacher exchanged over 33 hundred messages, including hundreds of images and video files. The documents added that "Bunag claimed to have sex [sic] with (the boy) at the school during lunch breaks. ... Described (the boy) as a former student and knew that he was a minor at the time." Records said, "he also admitted to distributing the video recording of his sexual contact ... admitted to distributing child pornography involving other minor victims."

It's an awful story but, in its own way, sadly generic. For all that leftists love to point to the Catholic Church as a breeding ground for pedophilia, that's nothing compared to what teachers across America (both male and female) are doing to their students.



Image: Teacher with students by freepik. (And is it me or is this stock photo kind of creepy, given what's going on in classrooms today?)

What raises Bunag's arrest to a whole new level is what Libs of TikTok reveals: tweet after tweet from Bunag (although it's not clear whether he tweeted these out before or after his arrest in October) insisting that discussing sex with students isn't grooming, that kids must learn about sex, and that conservatives are the perverts projecting their evil thoughts onto innocent educators. (Language warning.)

Those of us over the age of 40 (or maybe 50) remember the days when homosexuals were often banned from teaching because people were afraid that they would be predators who would groom students. In the old days (the 1970s and 1980s), people advocating for gays and lesbians in the classrooms assured the general public that it was a calumny and a canard to accuse homosexuals of being predatory groomers. However, what we're seeing with the push to get the LGBTQ+++ agenda in the classroom is exactly what people worried about all those years ago.

Most of America's teachers, whether straight or LGBTQ+++, are just ordinary people doing a job. However, there are predators out there, and what's happening with the Pride push in school is that these predators are getting normalized. After all, the Overton window (that is, the area of normalcy within a community) keeps getting pushed farther and farther left, especially in the case of child sexuality.

Here's my rule of thumb: people who define themselves primarily by their sexual identity ("I'm gay and I'm a teacher," as opposed to "I'm a teacher and my private life is none of your business") shouldn't be allowed around children  nor should people like Alden Bunag, who was clearly obsessed with teaching sex to children. These people are like rattlesnakes, making clear their malevolent intentions, but leftists insist that parents ignore the sound or, maybe, teach their kids to cha-cha to the rhythmic beats.
In a recent interview with David Marchese of the New York Times, Tom Hanks talked about a range of topics including his most famous films, Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994), which won him consecutive Oscars.

Tom Hanks played a gay man suffering from AIDS in the film Philadelphia.

The following is a revealing portion of the interview:



Hanks in Philadelphia (video screen grab).

Q: We've been talking a bunch about cultural shifts. I want to ask about cultural shifts related to Hanks: Timely movies, at the time, that you might not be able to make now. Q: That's exactly it. There's no way a straight actor would be cast in "Philadelphia" today and "Forrest Gump" would be dead in the water. Hanks: Gary Sinise would not have been able to play Lieutenant Dan because he has legs?

It was a preposterous question, and Hanks rightly ridiculed it.

Hanks probably realized he may incur the wrath of the mob. He is "Mr. Nice Guy," and the reputation has to be preserved. Hence, he pivoted straight to what he thought his interviewer and others wanted to hear.

Hanks said as follows:

There's nothing you can do about that, but let's address "could a straight man do what I did in 'Philadelphia' now?" No, and rightly so. The whole point of "Philadelphia" was don't be afraid. One of the reasons people weren't afraid of that movie is that I was playing a gay man. We're beyond that now, and I don't think people would accept the inauthenticity of a straight guy playing a gay guy.

Actor Eddie Redmayne was nominated for an Oscar for playing a transgender character in The Danish Girl (2015).

Back in 2021, when he was asked about his role, Redmayne told The Sunday Times that he

wouldn't take it [the role] on now. I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake. The bigger discussion about the frustrations around casting is because many [transgender] people don't have a chair at the table. There must be a leveling, otherwise, we are going to carry on having these debates[.]

Like Hanks, Redmayne probably hopes his remarks will make him appear to be among the "good ones."

The question remains: if we go down this road, how far can actors travel?

Why just restrict it to sexual orientation? What about nationalities? Should British actors stop playing American characters? What about religions? Do Christian actors stop playing Jewish characters and vice versa? What about hair? Do bald actors stop playing characters with a head of hair?

This is an insane balloon of faux political correctness that can be burst only by stating the obvious and revisiting the basics.

The screenwriter and director have a vision of the world they are creating and the characters that inhabit their world. They choose actors whom they see as potential to breathe life into their characters.

Some filmmakers cast actors who have a striking physical and behavioral resemblance to their characters. There have been occasions where actors have shone playing characters with whom they have nothing in common, physically or mentally or verbally. In fact, many actors see this as a challenge. They use makeup and prosthetics, and they alter their body language and manner of speaking to create characters that have no resemblance to them in any manner.

In the end, acting is pretending.

Hanks currently plays Colonel Thomas Andrew Parker, a Dutch-American music mogul who became Elvis Presley's manager. Should Hanks have rejected the part and insisted that a Dutch-American of the appropriate age and physical resemblance play the character?

There also seems another problem.

The current liberal diktat states that we must accept the identity that an individual chooses, irrespective of biological realities. If this principle is acceptable for the real world, why not take it farther to the pretend world and accept any actor for any kind of role? A great deal of delivering performance is identifying both with and as the character.

This re-evaluation of older movies is not just restricted to casting choices of actors.

Last month, while promoting the latest installment in the Jurassic series, Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), the film's lead players, Laura Dern and Sam Neill, were asked about the first film of the series, Jurassic Park.

Neill referred to the fact that he is 20 years older than Dern, and hence the on-screen relationship between his paleontologist and her paleobotanist was inappropriate. Dern responded that it was only now, when they "returned in a moment of cultural awareness about the patriarchy," that she realized the age difference.

Dern failed to realize that the character is an educated adult woman who is perfectly entitled to be in a relationship with whomever she finds compelling. Setting rules on what is appropriate for a young woman could be seen as anti-feminist.

Last year, while promoting the Bond movie No Time to Die, the director, Cary Fukunaga, claimed that Sean Connery's Bond "basically rapes a woman" in one of the franchise's earlier films. Fukunaga referenced scenes from Connery's earlier Bond films Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965). Gone with the Wind (1939) isn't being spared.

There is a common theme across all these utterances.

Redmayne, Hank, Neill, Dern, and Fukunaga have all reaped benefits from their past works. Now that they have crossed the bridge and earned their plaudits, fame, and wealth, they intend to blow up the bridge with dynamite made of faux political correctness. The result of these rules is that newcomers in the business have lesser casting opportunities.

The other goal seems to be to appease the woke mob. Hanks and the rest think if they attack their own works, perhaps the mob will spare them from being canceled because they are among the "good ones."

They probably think their shallow virtue-signaling and making all the right noises will help their careers.
Google has now announced a few new search features to help in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Among the more important new features are those to help users get tests or get tested. But the company is also rolling out helpful information about travel, related to the virus. And a new way to get and stay up to date on travel restrictions via reminders.

The company indicates that the new features are in response to increased searches related to the virus. In particular, for at-home COVID-19 tests on Google Search. Those searches saw an upward trend at a rate of around 170 percent in May.

The latter feature, now including travel restriction reminders via email directly from search isnt necessarily new. Google rolled out the main feature last year. Now, in the US, users can set reminders for travel restrictions on a state-by-state basis, however. As opposed to only at a federal, country-wide scale.

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Whats new in Google Search for COVID-19 searches?

Now, as noted by Google, Search already yields a plethora of helpful information about the virus results. Whether thats previously rolled features to help users find vaccinations, including those for children, or the companys focus on surfacing and promoting authoritative information. Thats information from the CDC and WHO, as opposed to the vast wealth of misinformation and disinformation thats spread via social media.

The newest of the features takes that a step further. As noted above, the biggest change is going to impact those who look for COVID testing. Google will now not only supply users with information about their nearest testing sites. It will also provide details about how to get free home tests from the government. And thats in addition to highlighting locations nearby where users can buy in-home tests.

Google says that the feature will roll out in the US this month, with future rollouts likely planned to follow shortly after.
ISLAMABAD, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has acknowledged the completion of Pakistan's Action Plans of 2018 and 2021 and authorized an onsite visit to Pakistan as a final step to removing the country from FATF's grey list, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.

"The FATF members congratulated Pakistan for completing both Action Plans covering 34 items, especially on the early completion of the 2021 Action Plan," the ministry said in a statement on Friday night.

FATF put Pakistan on its grey list in June 2018 and in June last year gave Pakistan another Action Plan to fulfill. The global money laundering watchdog reviewed the country's progress on FATF Action Plans in its plenary meetings held in Berlin from June 13 to June 17 in 2022.

Pakistan continued its relentless efforts towards the successful completion of these Action Plans despite many challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the statement. 
Some people arriving in the UK via small boats or the back of lorries will be electronically tagged as part of a Home Office trial programme.

The department said the 12-month pilot, which began on Wednesday, will test whether electronic monitoring is an effective way to give immigration bail to those who arrive in the country using unnecessary and dangerous routes.

It comes after a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Tuesday prevented the first flight from leaving under the Governments new policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Boris Johnson defended the tagging plan, saying it was essential people who arrived illegally were not simply able to disappear into the rest of the country.

Speaking to reporters at RAF Brize Norton after returning from Ukraine, the Prime Minister said: This is a very, very generous welcoming country. But when people come here illegally, when they break the law, it is important that we make that distinction.

That is what we are doing with our Rwanda policy. That is what we are doing with making sure that asylum seekers cant just vanish into the rest of the country.

However, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, campaigning in the Wakefield by-election, accused the Government of chasing headlines, saying it would do nothing to halt the activities of the people trafficking gangs.

What I want is a serious response because nobody wants these journeys across the Channel to be made, these perilous journeys, he said.

Everybody want to clamp down on the gangs. That requires grown-up work with the French authorities and upstream work to actually tackle these gangs.

The BBC reported the first to be tagged under the bail programme were likely to be those who had avoided being removed to Rwanda.

The Home Office said the trial will test whether tagging aids regular contact with those given bail and progresses their claims more effectively.

Those tagged will have to regularly report in person to authorities, may be subject to a curfew or excluded from certain locations, and failure to comply could see them returned to detention or prosecuted.

It comes after new figures revealed the number of people crossing the Channel to reach Britain this year has passed 11,000.

Analysis of Ministry of Defence data by the PA news agency shows 11,322 people have been brought to shore by Border Force or the RNLI after being rescued from small boats in the Channel, the worlds busiest shipping lane.

On Friday, 230 people on five small boats were brought to Britain.

The daily number has been decreasing steadily throughout the week after a high of 444 on Tuesday. That was the highest number since 654 on April 13.

(PA Graphics)

Warm weather and calm seas this week may have encouraged an increase in attempted crossings.

With 13 days of June left to go the number of people crossing the Channel is almost double this time last year.

By the end of June 2021, 5,911 people had made the crossing so far that year.

PA analysis shows 346 boats have been used in Channel crossings so far this year, with an average of 33 people on board each one.
Blair Drummond Safari Park has welcomed a new arrival.

Fia the baby macaque was born to mother Liberty and father Phil on May 25.

The four-week-old is proving a popular addition to the troop, the park says.

She is still very small and is still being carried around by family members  and unlike other species, males have a very active role in raising the young.

Keeper Steven Campbell said: Fia is still very small and spends most of her time being carried around by her family members.

Fia keeps close to mother Liberty (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Unlike other species of macaque, the males are also active parents and are very involved in the rearing of young. You can often spot mum or dad snuggling baby Fia in the macaque drive thru.

The enclosure is one of the most popular attractions in the park and visitors are able to drive through in their cars.

The troop arrived in Scotland from Gibraltar in 2014 and are some of Blair Drummonds best loved residents.

Baby Fia is the latest generation to be born at the park.
A banner in support of Ukraine has been tied between the two spires on Kings College Chapel at the University of Cambridge.

The sign reads Slava Ukraini, which roughly translates to Glory to Ukraine and also features a Ukrainian flag.

Students and Cambridge locals took to social media on Friday morning to document the emergence of the banner which is hung across the top of the 80-foot building in the city centre.

The banner emerged on Friday morning (Kosi Nwuba/PA)

Access to the top of the landmark building is often exploited by students at the college, such as when Santa hats were placed on the chapel roof at Christmas in 2009.

A spokesperson for Kings College said: The Kings community is appalled by the suffering and loss of life inflicted by the Russian military across Ukraine in recent months, and the disastrous effect the hostilities are having on the lives of thousands of people, including displaced students and scholars.

While we regret the risks associated with the installation of a banner hung between the spires of the chapel, both in regard to the physical fabric of the historic building, and to the dangers now posed to those required to remove it, we are fully supportive of its sentiment.

Since the invasion we have been providing assistance to researchers stranded by the outbreak of war, as well as recently appointing the first of three displaced scholars to postdoctoral positions within the College, and establishing a fund for refugee students from all areas of conflict.
They were all so incredibly young. Caetano Veloso opened Salvadors Vila Velha Theater, a milestone event for the city, at the age of 21. Pianist Francisco Tenorio Jr., the subject of Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscals They Shot the Piano Player, recorded one record as band leader, in March 1964, when he was 23 years old.

But he played piano on some of the greatest samba jazz records of all time, some with Raul de Sousa on trombone and J.T. Meirelles on tenor sax.

These guys were the geniuses of Brazil music and they were only 23 years old, Oscar winning writer-director Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque) told Variety at Annecy.

If Tenorio isnt better known, it is partly because he was murdered, desaparecido, in 1976 in Argentina while on tour, a full life suddenly annulled at the age of 35, as a military coup detat took hold of the country.

Nobody asked the Argentine police to investigate his death, given they were part of the forces of order who had killed him, Spanish writer-director Fernando Trueba remarked on stage at Annecy this week, where They Shot the Piano Player was unveiled as a Work in Progress.

Decades later, Truebas interview with Tenorio Jr.s widow, Carmen  for what was then conceived as a documentary on Tenorio  was the first interview she had ever been asked to give.

The history of Latin America is so often one of defeat. They Shot the Piano Player tries to get to the truth on multiple levels. Who was Tenorio Jr? Why did he die? What was his music?

Doing so, its pitch promises, the animated feature captures a fleeting period of creative freedom at a turning point in Latin American history in the 1960s and 1970s as the region flowered, in novels (the Boom), in movies (Brazils Cinema Novo) and music (Bossa Nova).

All were rolled back, dispersed, sent into exile by the totalitarian regimes which engulfed Latin America.

Sold by Film Constellation, They Shot the Piano will be distributed in France by Dulac Distribution and in Benelux by Periscoop.

Years in conception and its making, They Shot the Piano Player also typifies the kind of passion project which can lead to an utterly one-off film.

When not playing music, Tenorio didnt even know how to fry an egg, Trueba was told. But he sure could play piano. One Annecy first-look highlight was simply Tenorio Jr.s music, fleet-fingered, each note clear, cascading, joyous, helter-skelter. Audiences need not know anything about jazz to appreciate its virtuosity.

Trueba, who has made multiple music films, such as 2000s Latin jazz-themed Calle 54, first heard Tenorio many years ago.

I was researching to publish an album and discovered piano music which I really loved. I thought the player must be really well known, but discovered a figure I didnt know at all, Trueba told an Annecy audience.

At one and the same time, I also discovered Tenorio Jr. had disappeared during the Argentine coup detat. I began to research, and became obsessed, completely obsessed for years.

At first, Trueba set out to interview friends, family and people who had played with Tenorio for a documentary.

He thought about a fiction film, but rejected the idea. There are great biopics, but I just couldnt believe an actor playing Tenorio.

As he researched, Trueba and designer and artist Javier Mariscal made Chico and Rita, a love story set on Havanas music scene of the late 1940s and 1950s, loosely inspired by the life of Cuban pianist and band leader Bebo Valdes. It was nominated for an 2012 animated feature Academy and Annie Award and won best animated feature at the 2011 European Film Awards.

Chico and Rita opened Truebas eyes. When a cartoon draws Charlie Parker, people believe the drawing, he said. Animation would allow him to portray not just Tenorio but his epoch, its music, the belle epoque of Bossa Nova.

But at first I thought the idea so mad that I didnt tell my friends, not even my wife [Truebas career long producer Cristina Huete], Trueba said.

But Trueba couldnt let go of his dream. One crucial decision was to come in at Tenorio on several levels, so that the film cuts several ways. It begins in 2009 at a New York bookstore, as an American writer is presenting his latest book. It then flashes back to explain how he had set out to write a book about Bossa Nova and ended up penning one about Tenorio Jr.

The film feature animated versions of the interviews. But as interviewees begin to talk about the past, it reenact their anecdotes as what Trueba calls fictionalized documentary scenes.

The result, Trueba said, is a film that work on multiple levels: Its a musical, but also a kind of political thriller, and a crime investigation as well.

Trueba immediately thought of Jeff Goldblum to voice the journalist. Goldblum had starred in Truebas 1989 Goya best picture winner El sueno del mono loco and remained a friend. Goldblum is also a gifted jazz pianist.

I just love working with Fernando on anything, talking to him, Goldblum said, graven voiced, courteous as ever, in a video relayed at Annecy.

He and I both love music. I think They Shot the Piano Player could be a really special, real really good, he added.

He has the most original and personal voice of American cinema and is a great pianist so especially attuned to the story. Its been a marvellous reencounter for me, Trueba said in Annecy.

Just how to animate the film is another matter. For the interviews, the film uses a realist palette, colors from daily life, everything clean, shirts ironed, Javier Mariscal said at the Work in Progress.

For interviewees anecdotes, the animation style of these clouds as Mariscal calls them, moves closer to Mariscals hallmark style but varies from one flashback to another. Bossa Nova Rio scenes are sensual, suffused by light in daytime and vibrant colors in clubs at night. Scenes at Argentinas ESMA torture centre come in dark, color-drained.

Recording sessions pick out the individual players, their faces creased in concentration or lit by happiness. Lighting may be luminous.

Colors help give emotion to the music, Mariscal said at Annecy.

They Shot the Piano Player is Truebas passion project. His passion, however, has proved contagious.

France Les Films dIci Mediterranee, Portugals Animanostra, the Netherlands Submarine and Perus Producciones Tondero are all producing the feature with lead producer Huete at Fernando Trueba Producciones.

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NEW YORK (AP)  The U.S. on Saturday opened COVID-19 vaccines to infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

The shots will become available next week, expanding the nations vaccination campaign to children as young as 6 months.

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the vaccines for the littlest children, and the final signoff came hours later from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agency's director.

We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with todays decision, they can, Walensky said in a statement.

While the Food and Drug Administration approves vaccines, its the CDC that decides who should get them.

The shots offer young children protection from hospitalization, death and possible long-term complications that are still not clearly understood, the CDC's advisory panel said.

The government has already been gearing up for the vaccine expansion, with millions of doses ordered for distribution to doctors, hospitals and community health clinics around the country.

Roughly 18 million kids will be eligible, but it remains to be seen how many will ultimately get the vaccines. Less than a third of children ages 5 to 11 have done so since vaccination opened up to them last November.

Here are some things to know:

WHAT KINDS ARE AVAILABLE?

Two brands  Pfizer and Moderna  got the green light Friday from the FDA and Saturday from the CDC. The vaccines use the same technology but are being offered at different dose sizes and number of shots for the youngest kids.

Pfizers vaccine is for children 6 months to 4 years old. The dose is one-tenth of the adult dose, and three shots are needed. The first two are given three weeks apart, and the last at least two months later.

Modernas is two shots, each a quarter of its adult dose, given about four weeks apart for kids 6 months through 5 years old. The FDA also approved a third dose, at least a month after the second shot, for children with immune conditions that make them more vulnerable to serious illness.

HOW WELL DO THEY WORK?

In studies, vaccinated youngsters developed levels of virus-fighting antibodies as strong as young adults, suggesting that the kid-size doses protect against coronavirus infections.

However, exactly how well they work is hard to pin down, especially when it comes to the Pfizer vaccine.

Two doses of Moderna appeared to be only about 40% effective at preventing milder infections at a time when the omicron variant was causing most COVID-19 illnesses. Pfizer presented study information suggesting the company saw 80% with its three shots. But the Pfizer data was so limited  and based on such a small number of cases  that experts and federal officials say they dont feel there is a reliable estimate yet.

SHOULD MY LITTLE ONE BE VACCINATED?

Yes, according to the CDCs advisers. While COVID-19 has been the most dangerous for older adults, younger people, including children, can also get very sick.

Hospitalizations surged during the omicron wave. Since the start of the pandemic, about 480 children under age 5 are counted among the nations more than 1 million COVID-19 deaths, according to federal data.

It is worth vaccinating even though the number of deaths are relatively rare, because these deaths are preventable through vaccination, said Dr. Matthew Daley, a Kaiser Permanente Colorado researcher who sits on the CDC's advisory committee.

WHICH VACCINE SHOULD MY CHILD GET?

Either one, said Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA's vaccine chief.

Whatever vaccine your health care provider, pediatrician has, thats what I would give my child, Marks said Friday.

The doses haven't been tested against each other, so experts say theres no way to tell if one is better.

One consideration: It takes roughly three months to complete the Pfizer three-shot series, but just one month for Moderna's two shots. So families eager to get children protected quickly might want Moderna.

WHO'S GIVING THE SHOTS?

Pediatricians, other primary care physicians and childrens hospitals are planning to provide the vaccines. Limited drugstores will offer them for at least some of the under-5 group.

U.S. officials expect most shots to take place at pediatricians offices. Many parents may be more comfortable getting the vaccine for their kids at their regular doctor, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said. He predicted the pace of vaccination will be far slower than it was for older populations.

Were going see vaccinations ramp up over weeks and even potentially over a couple of months, Jha said.

CAN CHILDREN GET OTHER VACCINES AT THE SAME TIME?

Its common for little kids to get more than one vaccine during a doctors visit.

In studies of the Moderna and Pfizer shots in infants and toddlers, other vaccinations were not given at the same time so there is no data on potential side effects when that happens.

But problems have not been identified in older children or adults when COVID-19 shots and other vaccinations were given together, and the CDC is advising that it's safe for younger children as well.

WHAT IF MY CHILD RECENTLY HAD COVID-19?

About three-quarters of children of all ages are estimated to have been infected at some point. For older ages, the CDC has recommended vaccination anyway to lower the chances of reinfection.

Experts have noted re-infections among previously infected people and say the highest levels of protection occur in those who were both vaccinated and previously infected.

The CDC has said people may consider waiting about three months after an infection to be vaccinated.

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Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
An advisory lists the name Mingo on a sign at an entrance to Mingo Beach, in Beverly, Mass., on Wednesday. The beach was named after enslaved African American Robin Mingo, who according to legend, was promised his freedom if the tide ever receded enough for him to walk out onto a rocky ledge offshore that becomes exposed at low tide. (Steven Senne / Associated Press)

An enslaved Black man, the tall tale he inspired and the beach that now bears his name are the focus of new efforts to recognize the role of slavery along Massachusetts' picturesque North Shore.

As the story goes, Robin Mingo was promised freedom by his white master if the tide ever receded enough for him to walk out onto a rocky outcropping off what is now known as Mingo Beach. Depending on the telling, Mingo either completed the challenge and was emancipated, drowned tragically or lived out his days in bondage without ever seeing the rare tidal event.

It shows how much power slave owners had over their slaves, said Katerina Pintone, a 19-year-old rising sophomore at Endicott College, where Mingo Beach is. That one man could have this much control over another mans life.

This past semester, Pintone and other Endicott students researched the local legend as part of a public history course and suggested ways to memorialize Mingo and his namesake beach. Their ideas included a heritage trail, a smartphone app and a boat tour highlighting Mingos story and the popular tourist regions slave ties.

Professor Elizabeth Matelski, who taught the course, is also doing research for a book on Mingo and working with other historians on a project mapping North Shore locations like Mingo Beach that are historically significant to people of color. Meanwhile Endicott, a private school, says it's in discussions with city officials to formally register the beach as a historic landmark.

Matelski hopes the efforts spark broader discussions about the often overlooked role of slavery in New England.

Most people who walk by that particular stretch of beach have absolutely no idea about this history, she said.

Abby Battis, an associate director at Historic Beverly, the citys historical society, agreed. Battis said she never heard Mingos story growing up in the seaside city, which is often overshadowed by its more famous neighbors  Salem, site of the infamous witch trials, and Gloucester, the historic fishing port.

We need to stop telling the old, dead white guy stories, she said. Theres so much more to Beverlys history.

The historical society is doing its part to create a fuller picture of the citys role in slavery, Battis added. The organization launched a virtual exhibit in 2019 featuring the stories of those enslaved in Beverly, a coastal city about 25 miles north of Boston that dates to the 1600s.

Mingo is not among those highlighted in  Set at Liberty, but the society has identified at least 100 enslaved people and more than 200 local ships involved in the slave trade as part of its ongoing work.

Its a common myth that slavery either never existed or was inherently different in New England than other places, says Beth Bower, a local historian on the board of Historic Beverly.

Historical records show New Englanders clearly imported enslaved Africans for all the tasks that made the young colony possible, including farming, fishing and building ships, she said.

And although history credits Massachusetts with being among the first states to abolish slavery in 1783, there is growing evidence that slavery persisted in the state into the early 1800s before gradually disappearing, Bower said.

President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but it took more than two years for Black slaves in Galveston, Texas, to receive word of their freedom. That day, June 19, 1865, is now known as Juneteenth, which is being celebrated as an official federal holiday for the first time Sunday.

Matelski said she first heard of Mingos tale in the summer of 2020, during the height of the protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

A Michigan native, she said she was immediately struck by the story's potential to speak to the present as the nation reckons with its racist past.

Mingos tale is all the more significant considering he was married to a free Indigenous woman, and his enslaver descended from the original founders of Beverly, Matelski said.

Its so deeply rooted in Beverly history and in the New England experience, she said. Theres just a lot of different threads happening there.

Part of Matelskis focus going forward will be separating myth from fact.

In the most popular telling, for example, Mingo achieves his feat and earns his emancipation, only to die later that year.

But local records suggest the real-life Mingo lived into his 80s, was baptized, raised a daughter and even acquired land in town before dying in 1748.

Matelski believes the Mingo legend has its roots in the stories abolitionists popularized in order to underscore the casual cruelty of the slave industry they fiercely opposed.

Such slave narratives typically centered on the harsh reality of Southern plantation life and the extraordinary perils some slaves endured to escape to freedom, making Mingos tale a uniquely New England take on the genre, she said.

What we know right now is a puzzle piece, Matelski said. As a historian, youre like a cold case detective, trying to create as complete a picture as you can of this really important story that hasnt been told.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A child cools off in a London fountain on Friday. (Kirsty Wigglesworth / Associated Press)

A blanket of hot air stretching from the Mediterranean to the North Sea is bringing much of Western Europe its first heat wave of the summer, with temperatures Friday exceeding 86 degrees Fahrenheit from London to Paris.

Meteorologists say the unusually early heat wave is a sign of what's to come as global warming continues, moving up in the calendar the temperatures that Europe would previously have seen only in July and August.

In some parts of Spain and France, temperatures are more than 10 degrees higher  thats huge  than the average for this time of year, Clare Nullis, a spokesperson for the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva, said.

In France, some 18 million people woke to heat wave alerts affecting about a third of the country Friday. Forest fire warnings were issued from the Pyrenees in the south to the Paris region.

Tourists dunked their feet in fountains near the Eiffel Tower or sought relief in the Mediterranean.

France has introduced numerous measures to cope with extreme summer temperatures after a deadly heat wave in 2003 that killed about 15,000 people.

On Friday, schoolchildren were allowed to skip classes in the 12 western and southwestern French regions that were under the highest alert. The government stepped up efforts to ensure nursing home residents and other vulnerable populations could stay hydrated.

Temperatures in France have mounted all week and passed 102.2 in the southwest on Friday. Nighttime temperatures are also unusually high, and the heat is stretching to normally cooler regions in Brittany and Normandy on the Atlantic Coast.

Matthieu Sorel, a climatologist at national weather service Meteo France, told public broadcaster France-Info that temperatures are expected to break several records. He called the exceptionally early long stretch of hot weather a marker of climate change.

Britain recorded its hottest day of the year so far, with the temperature reaching 90 at Heathrow Airport near London just after midday.

The heat wave prompted organizers of the Royal Ascot horse racing event to relax their famously strict dress code, with men allowed remove their jackets and ties once the traditional carriage procession by members of the royal family had ended.

In the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, people boarded trains to the nearest North Sea beach early Friday afternoon while others took to boats and stand-up paddle boards on one of the citys historic ring of canals.

In Germany, where firefighters were tackling several wildfires including one south of Berlin, the national weather service predicted that the big sweat would continue over the weekend as the heat moves into Central and Eastern Europe. It follows an unusually dry spring in Western Europe, with authorities ordering water to be rationed in northern Italy and parts of France and Germany.

Experts say climate change is already affecting rainfall patterns and evaporation rates across the region, with knock-on effects for agriculture, industry and wildlife.

Heat waves are starting earlier, said Nullis. Theyre becoming more frequent and more severe because of concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which are at record level. What were witnessing today is, unfortunately, a foretaste of the future.

She noted that extreme temperatures hit other parts of the globe in recent weeks. Nearly a third of Americans were under some form of heat advisory this week. During months of scorching temperatures, India and Pakistan saw the mercury scrape past 122 in some places.

The current heat wave in Europe started almost a week ago in Spain, where temperatures reached 109.4. Spanish authorities hope the weather will begin to cool again Sunday.

The intense temperatures and a lack of rain has helped fuel wildfires across Spain, taxing firefighting capacity.

The heat made itself felt also at a meeting in Madrid, where experts and policymakers gathered to discuss ways to tackle drought and the increasing spread of deserts across the globe.

Angela Charlton in Paris, Ciaran Giles in Madrid, Mike Corder in Amsterdam, Jill Lawless in London and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Homemade rifles seized from poachers are exhibited during the Zero-Snaring campaign in Kratie province, Cambodia, on June 18, 2022.

Cambodia's government officials and conservationists said here on Saturday that the participation by local people and strict law enforcement are essential to ending the snaring crisis and wildlife trafficking in the Southeast Asian country. (MoE/Handout via Xinhua)

KRATIE, Cambodia, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's government officials and conservationists said here on Saturday that the participation by local people and strict law enforcement are essential to ending the snaring crisis and wildlife trafficking in the Southeast Asian country.

Speaking at the Zero-Snaring Campaign event held in the northeastern Kratie province, Ministry of Environment's secretary of state and spokesperson Neth Pheaktra renewed his call on Cambodians to stop consuming wild meat and other wildlife products.

"I'd like to urge all individuals across Cambodia to say no to buying, selling and consumption of bushmeat, and encourage all participation in protecting the kingdom's wildlife and natural resources," he said.

Pheaktra said the environment ministry and its partners have worked together to provide alternative livelihoods, including agricultural, agroforestry and ecotourism initiatives, to the local people living adjacent to protected areas who are traditionally dependent on hunting for meat and trade.

He added that the effort will also seek to transform people's preference and attitude in wildlife consumption in order to protect public health from related risks.

Seng Bunra, senior technical manager at Conservation International, said the use of snares to capture wildlife in forests risks Cambodia's forests becoming empty of wildlife.

"The only way that this can be stopped is if there is no market demand for wildlife," he said.

"In the face of the snaring crisis that is decimating Cambodia's wildlife indiscriminately, everyone has a role in ensuring the zero-snaring in protected areas, community forests and other natural habitats with wildlife presence, especially through strengthened legislation, increased law enforcement," he added.

Seng Teak, World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Cambodia country director, said putting an end to all forms of wildlife trafficking is vital to saving the treasure troves of wildlife from future extinction.

"Concerted actions are urgently needed to stop the demand for wildlife meat and products through a ban on the purchase, sale, transport and consumption of wildlife," he said.

The Zero-Snaring Campaign event in Kratie is the fourth in a series of eight events following the first one held in the national capital Phnom Penh in March, the second in the northeastern Stung Treng province in April, and the third in the northwestern Preah Vihear province in May.

"Cambodia is a biodiversity hotspot. However, Cambodian biodiversity is under pressure from the threat of snaring," said Tuy Sereivathana, Cambodia program director of Wild Earth Allies.

"This drastic loss in biodiversity leads to a reduction of the functioning of the forest ecosystem as animals such as elephants play a key role in ecosystem processes. This is why I fully support this campaign and call for a stop in hunting and the trade of wildlife," he added.

According to the Cambodian Ministry of Environment, 61,611 snares had been removed from 72 protected areas and biodiversity corridors across the Southeast Asian country in 2021. In average, a total of more than 40,000 snares were removed per year.

"NatureLife has supported the rangers and local communities to remove and confiscate the snares from the forest, at the same time, we request the authorities to crack down on the illegal wild meat selling in the markets and restaurants," said Bou Vorsak, chief executive officer of NatureLife Cambodia. 
Indigenous leader Kamuu Wapichana stands before a banner with images of British journalist Dom Phillips, left, and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira during a demonstration in Brasilia, Brazil on Tuesday. A fisherman has since confessed to killing Phillips and Pereira. (Eraldo Peres / Associated Press)

Before disappearing in Brazils Amazon rainforest, Bruno Pereira was laying the groundwork for a mammoth undertaking: the creation of a 215-mile trail marking the southwestern border of the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, an area the size of Portugal.

The purpose of the trail is to prevent cattle farmers from encroaching on Javari territory  and it was just the latest effort by Pereira to help Indigenous people protect their natural resources and traditional lifestyles.

While Pereira had long pursued these goals as an expert at Brazils National Indian Foundation, a government agency known as FUNAI, he worked in recent years as a consultant to the Javari Valleys



Indigenous organization. Thats because after Jair Bolsonaro became Brazils president in 2019, FUNAI began taking a more hands-off approach toward protecting Indigenous lands and people  and the government unapologetically promoted development over environmental protection.

Frustrated, Pereira left the agency and embarked on a more independent  and dangerous  path.

He was last seen alive June 5 on a boat in the Itaquai River, with British freelance journalist Dom Phillips, near an area bordering Peru and Colombia. On Wednesday, a fisherman confessed to killing Pereira, 41, and Phillips, 57, and took police to a site where human remains were recovered. Some of the remains were identified Friday as belonging to Phillips; others are



believed to be from Pereira.

Pereira spoke several times with the Associated Press over the last 18 months, including about his decision to leave FUNAI, which he said had become a hindrance to his work. After Bolsonaro came to power, the agency was stacked with loyalists and people who lack experience in Indigenous affairs, he said.

Theres no use in me being there as long as these policemen and army generals are calling the shots, he said by phone in November. I cant do my work under them.

As a technical consultant for the Javari Valleys association of Indigenous people, or UNIVAJA, Pereira helped develop a surveillance program to reduce illegal fishing and hunting in a remote region belonging to 6,300 people from seven ethnic groups, many of whom have had little to no contact with the outside world. He and three other non-Indigenous people trained Indigenous patrols to use drones and other technology to spot illegal activity, photograph it and submit the evidence to authorities.

When it came to helping the Indigenous peoples, he did everything he could, said Jader Marubo, former president of UNIVAJA. He gave his life for us.

Like Pereira, Ricardo Rao was an Indigenous expert at FUNAI who, in 2019, prepared a dossier detailing illegal logging in Indigenous lands of Maranhao state. But fearful of being outspoken under the new regime, he fled to Norway. I asked Norway for asylum, because I knew the men I was accusing would have access to my name and would kill me, just like what happened with Bruno, Rao said.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly advocated tapping the vast riches of Indigenous lands, particularly mineral resources, and integrating Indigenous people into society. He has pledged not to grant further Indigenous land protections and in April said he would defy a Supreme Court decision if necessary.

Before quitting FUNAI, Pereira was removed as head of the agencys division for isolated and recently contacted tribes. That move came shortly after he commanded an operation that expelled hundreds of illegal gold prospectors from an Indigenous territory in Roraima state.

His position was soon filled by a former evangelical missionary with an anthropology background. The choice generated controversy, because missionary groups have openly tried to contact and convert tribes, whose voluntary isolation is protected by Brazilian law.

Pereiras colleagues at FUNAI either followed his lead and left or were shuffled to bureaucratic positions far from the demarcation of protected lands, according to a recent report from the think tank Institute of Socioeconomic Studies and the nonprofit Associated Indigenists, which includes current and former FUNAI staffers.

Of FUNAIs 39 regional coordination offices, only two are headed by FUNAI staffers, the report says. Seventeen military men, three policemen, two federal policemen and six professionals with no prior connection with public administration have been named under Bolsonaro, it said.

The 173-page report, published Monday, says many of the agencys experts were fired, unfairly investigated or discredited by leaders while trying to protect Indigenous people.

In response to AP questions about the reports allegations, FUNAI said in an emailed statement that it operates with strict obedience to current legislation and doesnt persecute its officers.

On the day they went missing, Pereira and Phillips slept at an outpost at the entrance of the main clandestine route into the territory, without passing by the Indigenous agencys permanent base at its entrance, locals told the AP.

Two Indigenous patrollers told the AP the pair had been transporting mobile phones from the surveillance project with photos of places where illegal fishermen had been.

Authorities have said an illicit fishing network is a focus of the police investigation into the killings.

This is not the first time a person connected with FUNAI has been killed. In 2019, an active FUNAI agent, Maxciel Pereira dos Santos, was fatally shot as he drove his motorcycle through the city of Tabatinga; he had been threatened for his work against illegal fishermen. That case remains unsolved.

Pereiras killing will not stop the Javari territorys border demarcation project from moving ahead, said Manoel Chorimpa, a UNIVAJA member. In another sign that Pereiras work will endure, Indigenous surveillance efforts have begun leading to the investigation, arrest and prosecution of lawbreakers.

Before joining FUNAI, Pereira worked as a journalist. But his passion for Indigenous affairs and languages  he spoke four  led him to switch careers. His wife, anthropologist Beatriz Matos, encouraged him, though it meant long stretches away from their home in Atalaia do Norte. More recently, they were living in Brazils capital, Brasilia.

The Indigenous people of the region are mourning Pereira as a partner; an old photo shared on social media shows a group of them gathered behind Pereira as he shows them something on his laptop. A child leans gently on his shoulder.

In a statement Thursday, FUNAI mourned Pereira and praised his work: The public servant leaves an enormous legacy for the isolated Indigenous peoples protection. He became one of the countrys top specialists in this issue and worked with highest commitment.

Before the bodies were found, however, FUNAI issued a statement implying that Pereira had violated procedure by overstaying his authorization in Javari territory. This prompted FUNAIs rank and file to strike, claiming the agency had libeled Pereira and demanding that its president be fired. A court on Thursday ordered FUNAI to retract the statement, saying it is incompatible with the reality of the facts, and to cease discrediting Pereira.

Rubens Valente, a journalist who has covered the Amazon for decades, said Pereiras work became riskier once he felt it necessary to take an independent path.

Fish thieves saw Bruno as a fragile person, without the status and power that FUNAI gave him in the region where he was FUNAI coordinator for five years, Valente said. When the criminals noticed Bruno was weak, he became an even bigger target.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Migrants walk near the Pournara migrant reception camp in Kokkinotrimithia, Cyprus, on the outskirts of the capital, Nicosia, on April 18. (Petros Karadjias / Associated Press)

Breakaway Turkish Cypriots on ethnically divided Cyprus must do their share to stem migrant arrivals, a senior European Union official said Saturday, as the number of asylum seekers has shot up significantly this year.

European Commission Vice President Margharitis Schinas said Turkish Cypriot authorities should also be held accountable for curbing migrant arrivals.

We wont let the Turkish Cypriot community to consider itself neutral in what is going on, Schinas said after visiting upgraded facilities at the Pournara migrant reception camp outside Nicosia, the capital. They must also assume their share of responsibility, and well find a way to remind them.

Cyprus was split along ethnic lines in 1974, when Turkey invaded after a coup aimed at uniting with Greece.

Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence. Cypriot government authorities say the overwhelming majority of migrant arrivals occur via Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot north through a loosely regulated student visa system.

Thousands then cross a porous United Nations-controlled buffer zone to seek asylum in the Greek Cypriot south, where the internationally recognized government is seated. Although Turkish Cypriots receive EU funding, only the south enjoys full membership benefits.

Schinas said EU Commissioner Elisa Ferreira will hold meetings in Cyprus next month to explore ways of handling the issue. He said Turkey has demonstrated a willingness to help ease the number of migrants arriving in Cyprus.

The EU will also help Cypriot authorities bolster monitoring and surveillance of the buffer zone to deter crossings in a way that is compatible with EU law, since the 110-mile-long area is not a formal border, Schinas said.

Cyprus Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said the number of asylum seekers doubled to 10,000 in the first five months of this year compared with the same period in 2021, noting that they make up an EU high of 5% of Cyprus population of 915,000 in the south.

He said that Cypriot authorities are working with the EU to facilitate the return of asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected as well as more funding from the 27-nation bloc, amounting to 72 million euros  about $75.5 million  to build a new migrant reception center.

Although overcrowding at the Pournara center has been greatly alleviated in recent months, a 27-year-old Nigerian, Miracle Chidiebera, said theres still plenty of anger among migrants over what he said is a chronic lack of water, poor food and congested facilities.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Police in Manchester, N.H., cleared out the area where the Queen City Pride festival is taking place Saturday after reports of a suspicious vehicle in the area, organizers said.

The area around Arms Park was evacuated early Saturday morning, as vendors were setting up their tents and booths for the festival, which was scheduled to open at noon.

Local media reported that an unoccupied truck with no distinguishable markings was found in the parking lot, triggering an investigation.

Manchester police, as well as members of the New Hampshire State Police Bomb Squad, arrived at the scene just before 9 a.m. to clear out the area.

Out of an abundance of caution the Manchester Police Department is doing their due diligence to inspect a suspicious vehicle on the festival grounds, organizers said in a statement, adding that the parade would be delayed for a short period of time.

Officers in protective gear moved people to a safer area, before approaching the truck to investigate. Once the vehicle was deemed safe, it was removed by a towing truck.

According to local news site Patch, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg said that investigators became suspicious of the vehicle police because of where it was parked and because of the number of participants expected at the event.

Organizers say that more than 5,000 people are expected to attend this years event.

The park has since reopened to the public, and the parade was delayed for about two hours.
Human remains found buried in the Amazon have been confirmed as those of British journalist Dom Phillips, a Foreign Office minister has said.

Forensic investigators made the identification on Friday after the prime suspect of Brazilian police confessed to killing Guardian contributor Mr Phillips and his travelling companion, indigenous expert Bruno Pereira.

Local police have arrested three people over their deaths so far.

A banner with images of Mr Pereira, right, and Mr Phillips, during a vigil in Brasilia (Eraldo Peres/AP)

Latin America minister Vicky Ford confirmed on Saturday that the remains discovered were those of Mr Phillips.

Writing on Twitter, she said: I am very sad to hear confirmation Dom Phillipss body has been identified.

My thoughts are with his family.

I am grateful to everyone involved in the searches.

We will continue to support Mr Phillips family, and the Brazilian authorities as the investigations proceed.

Mr Phillips family earlier said they were heartbroken by his death.

On Saturday, his sister said he had been on his final of several trips in the Amazon this year, where he was speaking to people working on projects including sustainable agro-forestry.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Sian Phillips said: I think he underplayed the risks to some extent.

But we knew that there were risks.

It was an area he had travelled in with Bruno before but of course things have changed since Bolsonaro has been in power.

The rights of the indigenous people have been rolled back.

Ms Phillips partner Paul Sherwood said the family is almost certain that the travellers were killed by people involved in illegal fishing because of their investigations into the trade and called for justice.

Police have taken the bodies to Brasilia [Eraldo Peres/AP)

Speaking on the same programme, he said: He (Mr Phillips) would have been aware that there would have been many people who would be happy to see the back of him because it was inconvenient truth he was uncovering.

We are almost certain now that they were attacked by people who were involved in illegal fishing.

What we dont know is what lies behind that.

Were they acting alone as the police have said recently or was there a larger involvement of other powerful people, organised crime?

There is a lot of drug trafficking as well as organised crime involved in the poaching of fish.

We want the kind of justice that makes it possible for journalists and protectors of the rainforest to feel that they are safe in continuing to report from and help the indigenous people.

Authorities have also said a main line of the investigation has pointed to an international network that pays poor fishermen to fish illegally in the Javari Valley reserve, near where the pair were last seen.

The men disappeared on June 5 and indigenous communities and police launched extensive searches along the banks of the Itaquai river.

Ten days later, fisherman Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, 41, led officers to where he had hidden the bodies deep within the forest, according to the countrys authorities.

The fisherman was arrested over their deaths, along with his brother Oseney de Oliveira, known as Dos Santos.

On Saturday, officers said Jefferson da Silva Lima, known as Pelado da Dinha, turned himself in to a police station in Atalaia do Norte in the Amazon.

Police said he will be referred to a custody hearing.

Identification of Mr Pereiras body has not yet been confirmed.

A federal police officer escorts a suspect towards a river in the area where the men disappeared (Edmar Barros/AP)

In their latest statement issued on Friday night, Brazilian federal police said: The confirmation (of Mr Phillips remains) was made based on dental examinations and anthropological forensics.

Work is ongoing for a complete identification of the remains so we can determine the cause of death, and also the dynamics of the crime and the hiding of the bodies.

Friends and colleagues of the environmental campaigner have paid tribute, with some suggesting the deaths were the latest in a spate of attacks in the Amazon.

Greenpeace UKs executive director Pat Venditti described the pair as brave, passionate and determined men who had carried out the vital work of shining a light on the daily threats Brazils indigenous peoples face in defending their land and rights.

Jonathan Watts, the Guardians global environment editor, said his long-time friend Mr Phillips had died in an undeclared global war against nature and the people who defend it.

In an opinion piece Mr Watts took aim at Brazilian authorities as well as the countrys president Jair Bolsonaro.

The police refused to put a helicopter in the air after the two men were reported missing, and the military said it had the capacity to search but wasted more than a day while waiting for orders, he wrote.

Mr Watts said the president, who earlier accused Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira of taking an adventure that was ill-advised, had encouraged illegal logging and mining, dismissed indigenous land rights, attacked conservation groups, and slashed the budgets and personnel of forest and indigenous protection agencies.
Falklands veterans and their families gathered in Edinburgh on Saturday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the end of the conflict.

The undeclared war lasted for 10 weeks from April 2 until June 14 1982, after Argentina invaded the occupied islands.

It claimed the lives of 255 British servicemen who were remembered as part of the commemorations in Edinburgh on Saturday.

Falklands veterans and members of the wider armed forces community, remember the 40th anniversary of the end of the conflict, during a parade and service of remembrance in Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA)

Veterans who served in the Falklands gathered at Charlotte Square, joined by the band of Her Majestys Royal Marines and the Scots Guards Association Pipes and Drums.

They marched along George Street which culminated in a memorial service in St Andrews Square as members of the public lined the streets.

Pipers played The Crags of Tumbledown Mountain and were simultaneously joined by 120 pipers from elsewhere in Scotland and from as far away as New Zealand.

The Royal Marines Band lead Falklands veterans and members of the wider armed forces community, during a parade in Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA)

Joining them was Justice and veterans secretary Keith Brown, who gave a reading and laid a wreath in remembrance.

Mr Brown was a mortar troop signaller in the Royal Marines and was sent to the Falklands in 1982.

He said he does not talk much about it unless he is meeting up with others who served.

I suppose it tends to be a kind of shorthand  if somebody else was there, they know certain things, you dont have to go over them, he said.

Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh Robert Aldridge joins Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans Keith Brown (Jane Barlow/PA)

He joined the armed forces after he lost his job.

Mr Brown added: I had lost a job and I wanted to get fit, so I thought Id try the armed forces. The first recruitment office I went into was on Lothian Road, in Edinburgh, which was a Navy recruitment office. There was no big family tradition, it was just something that I did at the time.

I am delighted that we have been able to partner with Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland to deliver a commemoration which will provide the people of Scotland with an opportunity to recognise the sacrifices made 40 years ago in the Falklands War.

The justice secretary was also joined by a fellow veteran, the Rev Angus Smith, who served in the Falklands as Padre to the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards.

Its wonderful that we can still share our grief in this way, Mr Smith said. Its still there and I suppose it is for everybody.

Standard Bearers joined military personnel, Falklands veterans and members of the wider armed forces community at the service (Jane Barlow/PA)

It has been one of the most wonderful experiences Ive had in years. The thought that has gone into this, its beautiful really. The first person I met today was the wife of a great friend of mine, who was amongst the first men killed in the war. We just looked at one another today, and we couldnt speak.

The event was organised by Poppyscotland and Legion Scotland.

Dr Claire Armstrong, chief executive of Legion Scotland, said: It was heartening to see so many people come together today to pay tribute to all those who served in the Falklands.

For veterans and their families, today was a very poignant day, as we remembered those who laid down their lives 40 years ago. Even now, many of those who served are still living with the physical and mental scars of the conflict.

This was also an opportunity to recognise the extraordinary resilience of our armed forces community and the vital role they continue to play today.

Were delighted that people of all ages have engaged with our learning programme over recent months, taking the chance to find out more about the Falklands and other conflicts, and their impact on our recent history.

It was particularly moving to hear the iconic pipe tune The Crags of Tumbledown Mountain being played at 11am, both here at St Andrews Square and by our global pipe band in all corners of the world.
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YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. Between May 23 and 24, 2022, the Diplomatic School of Armenia in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Armenia and the Delegation of the University for Peace (UPEACE) organized for the first ever a Training on Human Rights in a multilateral world at the United Nations in Geneva. This was part of a long and enriching educational travel which was initiated at the European institutions in Brussels and Strasburg. Held in different workshops and breakout sessions, high personalities and experts of the UN system shared with the future diplomats some good practices developed by the UN human rights machinery in the past years.

The President of the Human Rights Council, the Director of the UN Library and relevant chiefs of Branch at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights introduced to the students of the Armenian Diplomatic School on the different standard setting legal instruments. They received a deep knowledge and practical experience about the system of treaty bodies, the Universal Periodical Review, Special Procedures and the Development & Economic, Social Issues, which will be very useful in their successful and brilliant diplomatic careers.

This initiative led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia in cooperation with UPEACE in Geneva is a good practice in the field of education and diplomacy, which goes in line of the UPEACEs mandate in its  determination to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace and with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence (Charter of UPEACE, Resolution 35/55 of the United Nations General Assembly, 5 December 1980).

It should be underlined the UPEACEs compromise in the use of multilateral decision-making and diplomacy in achieving peaceful resolutions to conflicts among nations. In line of the Yerevan Declaration on Living together in solidarity with shared humanistic values and respect for diversity of 2018, UPEACE highlights that preserving the values of multilateralism and international cooperation, which underpin the UN Charter and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, is fundamental to promote and support the three pillars of the UN - peace and security, development and human rights.

Dr. David Fernandez Puyana

Ambassador and Permanent Observer of the University for Peace to the United Nations and UNESCO
MANILA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines on Saturday said it has surpassed its target of fully vaccinating over 70 million, or 77.78 percent of its target population with the COVID-19 shots.

As of Friday, the National Vaccination Operations Center reported that 70,005,247 Filipinos have received the two-dose vaccine, including more than 3.2 million children aged five to 11 and nearly 9.5 million minors aged 12 to 17.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire urged people on Saturday to get the booster shots to sustain their immunity amid a spike of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Vergeire said the country now tallies an average of 350 cases daily, 50 to 60 percent higher than the previous week. In Metro Manila, the daily average was 102 cases last week, but now it increased to around 170, she added.

"The number of cases is increasing, albeit slowly. We need to be cautious," she told a televised press conference, warning the cases could reach 800 to 1,200 per day by the end of June if the current number of cases continues to increase.

The Philippines has nearly 3.7 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 60,467 deaths. The country reported the highest single-day tally on Jan. 15 this year, with 39,004 new cases. 
YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Defense of Armenia Suren Papikyan visited on June 17 the 2nd Army Corps, the ministry said in a news release.

The minister was introduced on the latest technical means, equipment of local production, etc.

Thereafter, he watched a military drill. He thanked the staff and awarded several distinguished servicemen at the end of the drill.

Suren Papikyan also visited the Republics north-eastern borderzone, the military bases, watched the process of engineering works, got acquainted with the living conditions, the quality of food and talked with the servicemen.
YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Service of Artsakh warns that the special services of Azerbaijan continue spreading fake news on Facebook with Armenian user accounts, attempting to create an atmosphere of fear.

In a statement the NSS of Artsakh called on to avoid spreading suspicious news and follow only the official news.

The National Security Service of Artsakh is taking respective steps to prevent the possible developments. We call on not to give in to fake news and avoid spreading suspicious news, discussing them in social networks, and follow only the official news, the statement added.
YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried will meet with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and other government officials during the visit in Yerevan on June 18, the Embassy of the United States to Armenia said.

Assistant Secretary Donfried will discuss U.S. support for the diplomatic efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan towards a lasting peace. She will engage on our strong partnership, based on shared values, and our mutual commitment to Armenias democratic development, the Embassy said.
YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili arrived in Armenia on a working visit.

The Georgian PM met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Dilijan town, the Armenian PM's Office said.

The two PMs said that the high-level intensive contacts show that the Armenian-Georgian relations are dynamically developing and the political dialogue is at a high level.

They discussed issues and prospects on the Armenia-Georgia cooperation agenda.

Views were exchanged also on the regional situation and developments.

The sides reaffirmed the readiness to consistently deepen the friendly ties and agreed to continue the active dialogue.
No First Use benchmark was considered unique to Chinese strategic thinking

The new generation nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni P being successfully tested by the DRDO from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha, on Dec. 18, 2021. (PTI Photo)

Ukraine had the third-largest nuclear arsenal in the world when the Soviet Union disappeared in 1991. It gave up its nuclear weapons in return for security guarantees from the US, UK and Russia. Given that the guarantors of the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 failed to measure up to their commitments and one of them, Russia, actually invaded Ukraine first in 2014 and then again in 2022, it will make many small and medium powers reassess their national positions qua acquiring nuclear arms.

One of the positives of the 22-month-old stand-off with China is that the deterrence posture of both the nations has remained stable. Both India and China have long been proponents of a No First Use Policy with regard to the use of nuclear weapons.

However, in the absence of a structured dialogue between the two nations, especially given the tense stand-off in Eastern Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, can strategic stability be taken as a given?

Similarly, the inadvertent launch of a Brahmos missile by India that landed in Mian Channu in Pakistan and the subsequent radio silence till the time Pakistan went public, forcing the NDA/BJP government to issue a public regret, underscored the limits of strategic patience.

As a first nuclear age power that had to face nuclear coercion both during the Korean War in 1950-53 and again during the Sino-Soviet Border war in 1969, post its first nuclear test at Lop Nor on October 16, 1964, China still adopted a posture of recessed deterrence during the Cold War and even after that.

This No First Use benchmark was considered unique to Chinese strategic thinking. Western researchers who have made careers reading tea leaves emanating from Zhongnanhai believe that the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) does not consider it convincing or even ethically defensible to take a first strike position. They are of the considered view that China requires a nuclear arsenal for a very explicit objective, i.e., dissuading nuclear forays against China.

This is very distinct, however, from the US and Russian drill of maintaining a part of their respective nuclear arsenal on high alert status all the time. Apprehensive that an adversary might initiate a surprise nuclear first strike, both sovereigns are prepared to fire their nuclear missiles the moment they identify an attack to guarantee that their nuclear reprisal is efficacious. This defensive posture is called Launch on Warning (LOW) or Launch Under Attack (LUA).

This approach has started to filter into Chinese thinking on nuclear issues, too. Both the 2015 and 2019 defence white papers, respectively, reflect the desire to create a strategic early warning paradigm. Senior PLA military leaders are also perceived to be leaning towards a LOW posture. This would have a destabilising impact on strategic stability, especially in South Asia.

Pakistan is, of course, a different kettle of fish altogether. Its nuclear posture is fundamentally dictated by its perception of the India threat. As their former strategic plans division commander, Gen. Khalid Kidwai had opined, Notwithstanding the growing conventional asymmetries, the development and possession of sufficient numbers and varieties of nuclear weapons by both India and Pakistan has made war as an instrument of policy near-redundant. The tried-and-tested concept of MAD has ensured that. This, of course, has not prevented India and Pakistan from discerning spaces for limited wars under a nuclear overhang.

Pakistan has not declared an official nuclear doctrine since its nuclear tests of 1998. A publicly non-articulated doctrine does not lend itself to the interpretation that a theological basis for Pakistans nuclear programme is non-existent. Its position on nuclear first use and a unilateral moratorium against nuclear testing are seen as having intransience. However, whether its minimum credible deterrence during peace times is underpinned by both nondeployment and de-mating of weapons is an opaque facet and, therefore, an area of concern.

In the case of India, too, while the nuclear doctrine adopted on January 4, 2003, has held the field across different political dispensations now for over two decades, there have been certain unsettling noises that have given room for conjecture which can be increasingly unsettling in the world of nuclear theology.

When the BJP formulated its manifesto for the 2014 general elections, it incorporated a rather amorphous formulation with regard to nuclear weapons. In a subparagraph on Page 39 of its manifesto, it stated:  BJP will study in detail Indias nuclear doctrine, and revise and update it, to make it relevant to challenges of current times.

In November 2016, former defence minister Manohar Parrikar stoked a controversy when he pontificated, Why a lot of people say that India has No First Use policy. Why should I bind myself to a I should say I am a responsible nuclear power and I will not use it irresponsibly.  I am not saying that you have to use it first just because you dont decide that you dont use it first. The hoax can be called off.

In his 2016 book, Choices: Inside the Making of Indias Foreign Policy, Shivshankar Menon, NSA to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former foreign secretary, stated: There is a potential grey area as to when India would use nuclear weapons first against another nuclear-weapon state. Circumstances are conceivable in which India might find it useful to strike first, for instance, against a nuclear weapons state (NWS) that had declared it would certainly use its weapons, and if India were certain that the adversarys launch was imminent. But Indias present nuclear doctrine is silent on this scenario.

On August 16, 2019, less than two weeks after the BJP-led NDA government amended Article 370 and abrogated Article 35-A from the Constitution, defence minister Rajnath Singh stirred the nuclear cauldron again. He tweeted, Pokhran is the area which witnessed Ataljis (A.B. Vajpayee) firm resolve to make India a nuclear power and yet remain firmly committed to the doctrine of No First Use. India has strictly adhered to this doctrine. What happens in future depends on the circumstances.

Given that doctrinal thinking in all the three countries with regard to nuclear thresholds is evolving, the room for misunderstanding consequentially increases exponentially. It is, therefore, imperative for strategic stability in South Asia that two parallel and concurrent bilateral dialogues with both China and Pakistan on nuclear issues must be explored by India.
by Stefano Vecchia

President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. plans to confirm Duterte's executive order to include nuclear power in the country's energy mix. The first step could be repurposing a plant already built under Marcos Sr by US company Westinghouse in the early eighties not far from the capital, but which was never fuelled. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines energy costs are second only to Singapores.

Manila (AsiaNews)  In the Philippines, nuclear power has re-entered the debate on how to balance the countrys energy needs and protection of the environment, especially since it periodically faces supply issues and needs some better bases to produce energy and achieve self-reliance.

In a country of more than 7,100 islands, big and small, half of them uninhabited, energy production must take into account environmental conditions. In the settled parts of the archipelago, the main issue is the unreliable supply of energy, mostly provided by antiquated oil- and coal-powered plants.

On the one hand, environmental protection is subject to the vagaries of economic, political and strategic variables that no administration has fully evaluated so far; on the other hand, providing adequate energy supplies remains a priority but is a tough nut to crack.

Given the situation, nuclear power finds itself back in the spotlight, and not only in the Philippines. Elsewhere in Asia (Japan for example), large-scale environmental problems and strong opposition represent a major obstacle to the inclusion of nuclear power as an acceptable form of energy.

Against this backdrop, outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order that includes nuclear power in the country's energy mix, thus reigniting the debate over the desirability and feasibility of this kind of energy, a decision however backed by President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

The presidential order calls for the construction of a new nuclear power plant and breathe new life into the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), which is located about a hundred kilometres west of Manila.

Such a decision is driven by two considerations, namely the high cost of electricity in the Philippines (the second highest in Southeast Asia after Singapore) and dependency on fossil fuels, which currently meet 80 per cent of the countrys energy needs.

Nuclear power opponents counter that building and upgrading plants, buying the fuel, setting up maintenance facilities and managing the radioactive waste are highly costly.

Potential accidents are an additional factor to consider, as are the availability of suitable areas to build reactors and use them productively. Last but not least, political instability and terrorism must also be factored in.

Designed and built between 1976 and 1984 by a US company, Westinghouse, the 620 megawatts BNPP was never fuelled despite a US$ 2.2 billion price tag, which the country is still paying at the tune of US$ 40 to US$ 50 million a year.

Back in 1979 construction was even halted following reports of potential risks to public health and safety and the need to make substantial changes to the original blueprint.

For sceptics, support for a revived BNPP by both Duterte and Marcos Jr is more of a political ploy, part of the ongoing rehabilitation of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr, father of the new president who is scheduled to take office on 30 June.
Francis met in audience with members of the Indian diaspora, marking 1,950 years since the martyrdom of the Apostle Thomas. Dont be afraid to rebel against the growing tendency to reduce love to something banal, without beauty or genuine sharing, lacking in fidelity and responsibility, Francis said. Christianity consists not in a series of prohibitions, he added, but in a life project capable of bringing fulfilment to every human heart.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis met with participants of the Syro-Malabar Youth Leaders Conference" currently underway in Rome.

In his address, the pontiff said, There is a common ground on which all young people can meet, and that is the desire for an authentic, beautiful and profound love. Please, do not be afraid of that kind of love!

Accompanied by the major archbishop, Cardinal George Alencherry, youth groups leaders came from the Syro-Malabar eparchies in the diaspora and the apostolic visitation in Europe.

The conference is being held in the year in which the Syro-Malabar Church marks the 1,950th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Apostle Thomas, who, according to tradition, arrived on the coasts of India where he sowed the seeds of the Gospel, giving birth to the first Christian communities.

For the pontiff, in todays fluid, even frothy culture, our lives find substance and meaning whenever we say yes to Jesus. You can ask, Am I sure that life becomes full of meaning and fruitful when we say yes to Jesus? Am I sure of this? Have I known what it is to be freely loved, not for any merit of my own, but as a pure gift? Am I sure that my life is a gift? It is the experience of love freely given that gives meaning to our lives. It gives us the strength to say yes to a life of service and responsibility, and no to one of superficiality and dissipation.

Citing the example of the Apostle Thomas, Francis stressed that the Church continues to grow not by proselytism, but by witness. Every baptized person shares in building up the Church to the extent that he or she is a witness. You too are called to bear witness, primarily among your peers in the Syro-Malabar diaspora, but also among those who do not belong to your communities, and even those who do not know the Lord Jesus.

The truth about love is that it is precisely a fruitful soil for bearing witness. With this in mind, the pope urges young people, not to be afraid to rebel against the growing tendency to reduce love to something banal, without beauty or genuine sharing, lacking in fidelity and responsibility.

In fact, Whenever we use others as objects for our own selfish purposes, hearts end up being broken and leave only sadness and emptiness in their wake. By contrast, the testimonies of love by the saints in every age show more than any words  that Christianity consists not in a series of prohibitions that stifle the desire for happiness, but in a life project capable of bringing fulfilment to every human heart.

Francis then invited young people from the communities of the Indian diaspora to take root in the tradition and prayer of past generations, starting with their grandparents, and your Church and in its spiritual and liturgical riches.

In concluding, the pontiff noted that, like in the Magnificat, Mary teaches us also to live eucharistically, in other words to give thanks, to cultivate praise, and not to be fixated only on problems and difficulties.

In the course of life, todays fervent petitions become tomorrows prayers of thanksgiving. Your participation in the Holy Qurbana (Holy Sacrifice[*]) and the Sacrament of Reconciliation will thus be both an end and a beginning: your lives will be renewed each day and will become a perennial song of praise to Almighty God.

Photo: Vatican News

[*] The Eucharistic liturgy as celebrated in East Syriac Christianity,
Choe Son-hui, an expert on the United States, replaced the Ri Son-gwon, a hardliner. With the country struggling with COVID-19 and an enduring economic crisis, Kim Jong-un might be seeking some opening. However, before moving on the nuclear programme, he wants Washington to ease sanctions and offer economic compensation.

Seoul (AsiaNews)  Changes in North Koreas Foreign Ministry signal possible room for dialogue with the United States, this according to Seoul-based Daily NK, citing high-level sources in Kim Jong-un's regime.

At a recent meeting of the Central Committee of the Korean Workers' Party, which has ruled North Korea since the end of World War II, Kim promoted Choe Son-hui to the top position in the Foreign Ministry. Choe, who was the Deputy Foreign Minister, replaces Ri Son-gwon at the helm of the ministry.

North Koreas top diplomat is an expert on the United States. In 2018-2019 she led negotiations  which eventually stalled  with the Trump administration.

The Daily NK, which is linked to South Koreas Ministry for Unification, reports that Choe is one of the few top North Korean officials who can talk one-on-one with Kim.

Choe fell out of favour in 2020 with her boss at the ministry, Ri, but will in all likelihood be called to review her predecessors hard-line approach towards Washington.

North Korea is isolated from the international community (except for China and to a lesser extent Russia), and has been under a regime of international sanctions for years over its nuclear and missile programmes.

After three summit meetings and apparent good relations with Donald Trump, nuclear talks with Washington have stalled.

North Korea has been struggling under an enduring economic crisis, aggravated by a recent wave of COVID-19 cases. After the outbreak of the pandemic two years ago, North Korean authorities denied that it was present in the country.

Against this background, Pyongyang needs to reduce international pressure, which increased after its latest missile tests.

If talks with Washington do resume under Choe, North Korea will try to get its negotiating point of view acknowledged, expecting the US to first ease sanctions and offer economic compensation. Only then will Pyongyang move to suspend nuclear tests and freeze its nuclear programme.

However, US policy runs in the opposite direction, with Washington concerned about the number of nuclear warheads already in North Koreas arsenal, 40 to 50 according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
ISLAMABAD, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has been advocating for an international framework against hate speech and supporting a balanced approach between fundamental freedoms and responsibilities, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Saturday in marking the International Day for Countering Hate Speech.

"This day is an important occasion to renew global solidarity for combating hate speech which is the prime catalyst for hatred, inter-religious discord, discrimination, incitement to violence, and acts of violence against people and communities," the ministry said in a statement.

Pakistan has always been at the forefront of international initiatives for promoting peace, tolerance, and intercultural and inter-faith harmony, both at home and abroad, the statement said.

As the international community commemorates this day, Pakistan is particularly alarmed at the global resurgence in xenophobia, hatred and acts of violence against minorities, the ministry said.

"Pakistan will continue to advance international efforts to protect individuals from hate speech and related xenophobia, negative stereotyping, and stigmatization and will reinforce efforts to promote inter-faith and inter-civilizational understanding and harmony," according to the statement. 
Today's news: Kabuls last Sikh temple is attacked; in India, references to the 2002 clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat when Modi was chief minister were removed from history textbooks to rationalise their content; Turkish President Erdogan changes the name of Turkish Airlines, raising concerns in business circles.

WTO-ASIA

In Geneva the World Trade Organisation (WTO) reached a partial deal yesterday on the issue of COVID-19 vaccine patents, which India and South Africa raised two years ago. For five years, governments will be able to issue compulsory licences to domestic manufacturers to produce vaccines without the consent of patent owner but will have to pay royalties. All developing countries can benefit from this decision, except those with existing capacities to produce vaccines, such as China. Patents and intellectual property rights will continue to apply to existing drugs, diagnostic systems and other technologies related to COVID-19 treatment.

AFGHANISTAN

The Gornam Singh, Kabuls last Sikh temple, was the target of a terror attack this morning. Reuters reports that 30 people were inside the place of worship when the explosion occurred. An estimated 140 Sikhs are said to be left in Afghanistan. Back in the 1970s, as many as 100,000 Sikhs lived in the country.

INDIA

As part of a rationalisation of content, Indias National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) plans to remove any reference to the 2002 unrest in Gujarat from history textbooks. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to reduce content load on students, the NCERT said to justify the move. The relative paragraphs referred to clashes between Hindus and Muslims that caused hundreds of deaths at a time when current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Indian States chief minister. One paragraph warned that the government could become susceptible to sectarian passions.

RUSSIA  JAPAN

We will make sure to exclude Japan from the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 energy projects if Tokyo does not change its opposition to the policies of the Russian state, said State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. The goal is to exclude Japan from earning a hundred billion a year from oil production agreements signed in the 1990s.

TURKEY

As part of his campaign to change the country's name to Turkiye, President Erdogan has decided that Turkish Airline will become Turk Hava Yollar. The move was met with doubts in business circles concerned about the costs of changing the brand and the loss of recognition that this might generate for a company that presently reaches 334 destinations in 128 countries.

TURKMENISTAN

New restrictions have been imposed on women in Turkmenistan regarding the way they dress. In particular, they are no longer allowed to wear push-up bras that visibly boost the size of the breasts. A ban on tight-fitting clothing remains in place as is the obligation to wear the national trousers, balaki, under wide dresses. Married women must also cover their heads with veils.
Commissioners in all New Mexico counties have certified the results from their primary election, after one county had sparked a standoff over election integrity that was fueled by conspiracy theories about the security of voting equipment
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The main issue would be with two of NIOs models: the ES6 and the ES8. According to Audi, those names are just too similar to S6 and S8, which is what it calls sportier derivatives of the A6 and A8. Wed bet the recently presented ES7 would also be included in this lawsuit because of the Audi S7.The unexpected move does not make much sense. After all, Audi sells the S6 and the S8 in China, and we have never heard of a lawsuit there against NIO. It also sells these vehicles in Norway, where NIO is currently selling the ES8 . On top of that, Ferdinand Dudenhoffer, automotive professor at the Center Automotive Research (CAR) in Duisburg, told Handelsblatt that he does not see how two SUVs could be confounded with performance sedans. It indeed seems very unlikely.None of that seems to have changed Audis mind. NIO was planning to start sales in Germany by Q4 2022. At first, it will only sell the ET7 in Germany, not the ES8 it currently sells in Norway. Ironically, the ET7 is a competitor to the A8/S8. We dont think Audi will have any lawsuit argument available to try and stop its sales.For a matter of coherence, Audi may try to sue NIO in Norway and China as well. We may hear first from the German court. If it agrees with Audi, NIO may have a hard time renaming its vehicles not only in Germany, but also in all members of the European Union. Although that is a nuisance, it is doubtful that it will stop NIO in the Old Continent.William Li recently confirmed that NIO would have a factory in Hungary to manufacture battery swap stations and charging stalls. Instead of importing them from China, the NIO CEO wants them to be produced locally to accelerate the expansion of Power Swap stations. Whatever the name NIO cars are allowed to have, it seems Audi will need more than lawyers to prevent the threat they pose.
China refutes U.S. ambassador's remarks over anti-epidemic policy

Xinhua) 10:44, June 18, 2022

People shop at a mall in Fengtai District, Beijing, capital of China, June 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Friday refuted remarks by U.S. ambassador to China Nicholas Burns concerning China's dynamic zero-COVID approach.

"The reason why China adopted the dynamic zero-COVID approach is that we put the 1.4 billion people's lives and health before anything else," Wang told a press briefing, adding it is a testament to the governance philosophy of the CPC and the Chinese government, which is to give top priority to protecting the people and their lives.

He said whereas the average life expectancy in some developed countries, such as the United States, declined during the pandemic, China's average life expectancy has steadily gone up in recent years.

China's COVID containment measures are constantly adjusted to better respond to the latest developments in the COVID situation, which has proven to be effective, Wang said.

Noting the overall epidemic metrics in China have been stable, Wang said China has effectively brought virus transmission under control in Shanghai and other places, where life and work are going back to normal.

"Facts have proven that the existing anti-epidemic protocols can help to achieve the dynamic zero-COVID goal," Wang said, adding China's COVID policy suits its national reality and can stand the test of history.

Thanks to China's science-based, precise and effective epidemic prevention and control measures, China has not only mitigated the impact of the coronavirus on economic and social development to the greatest extent, but achieved steady economic growth, Wang said.

"According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, China's economy has gradually emerged from the shadow of COVID-19, with major indexes showing better performance in May. China's economy has shown momentum of recovery," Wang said.

Noting China's foreign trade went up 8.3 percent and FDI expanded 17.3 percent year-on-year in the period from January to May, Wang said China is fully confident in ensuring effective COVID response, stable economic performance and safe and secure development.

"During the same period, investment from the Republic of Korea, the United States, and Germany climbed by 52.8 percent, 27.1 percent and 21.4 percent respectively," Wang noted.

"These specific figures reflect foreign investors' genuine interest in investing in China and confidence in China's socioeconomic development," he added.

Wang said it is clear evidence that effective COVID response provides a good foundation for socioeconomic development and an important condition for fostering a favorable business environment.

"We are fully confident in ensuring effective COVID control, stable economic performance and safe and secure development," he added.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
ISLAMABAD, June 18 (Xinhua) -- A soldier and a terrorist were killed in combat between security forces and terrorists in the north Waziristan district of Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an army statement said on Saturday.

During an intense exchange of fire, a terrorist was killed, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement.

The soldier who lost his life was a 32-year-old resident of the Charsadda district of the province, the ISPR said.

Weapon and ammunition were seized from the terrorist, said the statement. 
SUV

The word probably doesnt ring any bells, given how probably most of you coming here to autevolution are not in need of such services, but if the company manages to make these things a reality, it'll probably be as famous as FedEx. Natilus (like Jules Vernes submarine, or the Lincoln, only misspelled, and with wings) is a blended wing body (BWB) machine, meaning an aircraft that shows no clear distinction between its main body and the wings. Unlike flying wing aircraft though, or lifting bodies, when it comes to BWBs both fuselage and wings are there, only nicely hidden into one another.Although this design comes with its share of disadvantages for passenger use (like, say horrible evacuation times during an emergency), it does come with a lot more advantages over conventional aircraft when it comes to cargo transport. And thats exactly what Natilus is trying to exploit with plans to make not just one, but an entire family of remotely piloted UAVs shaped like this.The family starts with the 3.8T, a drone meant for medium-distance delivery of goods. This one, already on the list of aircraft to be deployed in the fleets of the likes of Volatus Aerospace, Astral Aviation, or Aurora International, is supposed to carry 43 metric tons of cargo for distances of up to 1,035 miles (1,666 km), and at speeds of 253 mph (407 mph).Up next is the lineup are Mach 0.85-capable, trans-Pacific cargo UAVs, which open with the 60T. This one can travel with 66 metric tons of cargo onboard, and for distances of up to 4,745 miles (7,636 km). Up next is the 100T, good for 110 metric tons and 6,214 miles (10,000 km), and the top of the range 130T, rated at 143 metric tons of cargo and distances of up to 5,883 miles (9,468 km).The above numbers are not extraordinary in themselves, but Natilus adds some ingredients to the recipe that should make these planes , once theyre ready (the 3.8T twin-engine turboprop is scheduled for deployment in 2025), the ones to beat in this competitive market.First, thanks to the aerodynamic profile of these beasts, the level of CO2 emissions should be half those of a generic cargo transport plane of the same class. Then, thanks to the way in which they were designed, they should be capable of carrying 60 percent more cargo volume.Despite being a very advanced and weirdly shaped aircraft, the Natilus will not need specialized infrastructure to operate from, being capable of taking off and landing from and on existing airports, and it will also use standard air cargo containers - although, alternatively, the companys own proprietary shipping containers and diamond loading pattern can be used, and this is when you get that 60 percent more volume.And all of the above should make shipping from Asia to the U.S., for instance, about half as expensive as with traditional planes, despite taking the same amount of time to cross the Pacific.According to Natilus , a single operator will be capable of operating three such UAVs at a time from a ground control station, using cloud-based integration. Comms between the ground and the planes is backed by a dual redundant satellite system, and theres also a dual redundant autopilot to handle the planes.As said, the first Natilus should be in the air in 2025, but it'll probably be a long time before they become a common sight in our skies.
On the other hand, everybody knows that Google is working non-stop on adding new functionality, and the most recent announcement concerns toll prices.If youve been using navigation apps for quite some time, you probably know already that toll estimates are already available on Waze. So Google Maps getting the same feature isnt by any means a surprise given Waze is also a Google-owned app.However, Google Maps uses a different approach than Waze , so heres everything you need to know about the toll estimates that are now making their way to users on iPhone and Android.The feature was originally announced back in April, though some users have been seeing toll estimates in Google Maps for quite some time. But officially, the rollout kicked off this month, with Google claiming that its gradually happening for users in a series of specific countries.And speaking of the countries where Google Maps is getting toll estimates, the Mountain View-based search giant says approximately 2,000 toll roads are already included in Google Maps. They are located in the United States, India, and Indonesia, but the company promises that more countries would follow sooner rather than later.Then, its important to know precisely how the toll estimates work in Google Maps.As compared to Waze, the toll prices are displayed for Google Maps users before actually starting the navigation. In other words, once you define a destination in Google Maps and the application searches for a route, it displays a preview of the toll price estimates.However, you wont be able to see the exact price per each crossing, but a total of the entire route (though I expect Google Maps to get a feature to display such information in the coming updates, especially as it makes much more sense to break the total into further details for each crossing).Google says the Google Maps toll price estimates have been developed from the very beginning to be as accurate as possible. This is why the company isnt using crowdsourcing for the whole thing but information provided by local tolling authorities.Generating an estimate of the total toll price for a specific route isnt necessarily as easy as it sounds, especially because longer journeys mean you could end up reaching a specific crossing at a time when the toll price could be different than the time when you start the navigation.As a result, Google Maps relies on information such as the toll price at the moment when youre expected to reach the crossing, the day of the week, as well as the availability of a toll pass.Setting up the feature correctly is essential for the best experience with toll prices. Just like before, users will be allowed to avoid toll roads completely, but at the same time, Google will also add options to show toll prices with or without having a toll pass.Without a doubt, the addition of toll price estimates in Google Maps is still in its early days, so the feature will get more refined as it lands on more devices. At the same time, Google should be able to analyze more feedback when the availability expands to more regions, especially as this is one of the most anticipated navigation features in Google Maps.Needless to say, theres no estimate so far as to when other countries could get toll estimates in Google Maps.
"... Some people are basically being paid to maintain Russian super-yachts on behalf of the United States government. It's unbelievable."https://t.co/5RRyqNOQJw  Jonathan Guyer (@mideastXmidwest) June 16, 2022

Amadea is a 2017 build by shipyard Lurssen, estimated at $325 million  $400 million. At 348 feet (106 meters), it ranks as one of the worlds largest superyachts, and it has the amenities to match, including a sizable helipad, an in-deck pool, eight lavish cabins the general public has never seen because it was never offered for charter, and gold detailing throughout.Amadea was arrested in Fiji in April this year, when it stopped mid-way on its journey to friendly waters and asked to dock in Fiji, after a surprising and very costly crossing of the Pacific. Authorities here seized it on behalf of the U.S., as Kerimov was on sanctions lists since 2018 and was wanted for fraud. It would take several courtroom showdowns and two appeals for the U.S. to finally declare it state property Earlier this week, Amadea sailed out of Fiji , with U.S. Marshalls onboard and all-new U.S. hired crew, apparently heading towards Hawaii. Ever since the initial arrest, the Justice Department, which conducted the sting via its KeptoCapture Group, said that the goal was to get it to U.S. waters. The Insider reports that the goal has been achieved: Amadea has sailed into Hawaii, entering and mooring at Honolulu harbor.In short, Amadea is now U.S. property, sitting on U.S. territory. The direct implication of this apparent victory is that Amadea is also U.S. problem now, specifically the taxpayers. Annual costs for a superyacht are usually 10% of its value, so the U.S. is looking at at least $30 million a year, even if it never leaves dock.Even assuming the state will auction it off, which is not likely as of this moment because of the legal ramifications of the case and the lack of precedent, it will still have to pay for it until it changes hands.it changes hands is a better way to put it, because no billionaire on the market for a new boat will want another mans custom vessel, let alone a Russians, with the oligarch-typical styling.As a reminder, Amadea was seized as part of ongoing sanctions against Russian oligarchs who are funding President Putins war against the Ukraine. In the end, though, its the average Joe and Jane back home who will end up paying for it , in what could only be called the saddest irony of it all.The irony is not lost on authorities either, even if theyll never own up to it. Joe Bidens national security advisor Jake Sullivan let it slip on a hot mic during a recent Center for a New American Security (CNAS) conference: the craziest thing about seizing Russian oligarchs superyachts is that American citizens will be paying for them.When we seize one, we have to pay for upkeep, Sullivan said, unaware his microphone was still live. The federal government pays for upkeep... so, like, some people are basically being paid to maintain Russian superyachts on behalf of the United States government.For the time being, the fate of Amadea is yet undecided, even if the controversial chapter of its ownership seems to have come to a close. Whatever that fate might be, it will be expensive. And Kerimov and Putin wont be the only ones paying for it.
HP

He never won an Oscar and he never cared about that. The King of Cool was always enamored with the idea of remaining independent. That brought him a lot of headaches when it came to discussing motion pictures. However, almost nobody wanted McQueen to step aside. He got what he wanted almost every time  including money.But the American icon wasnt a man whose only goal was to be stubborn or annoying. He mightve said on multiple occasions that he answers to nobody and lives for himself, but McQueen was also heard uttering: You have to bend with the breeze or you break. That, and the strong belief he had about anyone deserving a real shot at living and not just existing, is a true show of character. America loved the rebel and, in response, he wanted everyone to like themselves and enjoy the short time we have on this planet.If you would talk with someone born after the year 2000 about the actor that made our 1970s a little bit better, then they might easily associate his name with bikes. Granted, the name can also be paired with a certain Mustang GT from 1968, but bikes carry a more solemn bond. After all, there were over 200 in his collection.He was just that amazing. Even if youngsters never saw the actor performing, the McQueen name carries such a powerful meaning that even just uttering it would attract some form of admiration or curiosity to learn more about the unmatched celebrity.The embodiment of the antihero persona was a fan of motorcycles  and racing. And now you can own a Husky that was delivered to him. The 1971 Husqvarna 250 Cross has been put up for auction on Bring a Trailer and there are only six days left until bidders can end their competition. If you want the bike, then make sure youre among those that stay until the digital hammer has come down.According to the description, the motorcycle was bought by Steve McQueen s Solar Productions company headquartered in Los Angeles. Afterward, it was delivered to California for the American icon to enjoy it. Notorious for not liking urban environments, this bike wouldve allowed the man to travel extensively out in the wilderness and live a peaceful countryside life. And, of course, join various competitions with it.This particular Husqvarna is powered by a 28-two-stroke single-cylinder engine paired with a four-speed transmission. It was meant to be used by McQueen in Californias Enduro Series. The actor applied but, in the end, decided to go with another motorcycle. He loved the Husky (as Husqvarna is known in the moto community) but enjoyed more power coming from bigger engines.Still, this doesnt mean theres no heritage here. The next owner will have a piece of working memorabilia thats tied with an American icon. Not many people can say they own such a beautiful thing. Just imagine the stories you could tell and the conversations you could start.You also have to remember that America didnt have the motocross that was so well-known in Europe back then. The phenomenon didnt quite catch over the pond. It needed a slight push. Torsten Hallmans efforts and help provided by others like Edison Dye changed the landscape. Instead of just courses with random jumps in them, America got to know exactly what motocross was. It caught like wildfire!Coming back to the bike, bidders should know the unit has seen some work being done on it. However, it doesnt have a title and exchanged hands a couple of times in the past ten years. The current owner bought it in 2019 for a sum thats reportedly between $50,000 and $60,000 at a Bonhams curated auction. It is offered with documents that show it belonged to Steve McQueen and is available only with a bill of sale. These papers also prove the motorcycle came from a Husqvarna shop that was preferred by the actor.This Husky also has a Mikuni carburetor, a cross-braced handlebar, a 21-inch front wheel and an 18-inch back wheel, Hi-Point fender mudflaps, and Magura grips that show a couple of decades have passed since this thing was made.The auction ends on June 24th. The current bid stands at $6,250.
Grace Gedye covers Californias economy for CalMatters, which is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more, go to calmatters.org.
Legacy Community Development Corporations Port Arthur Branch is offering residents assistance with rent and utilities.

Jefferson County has $4.8 million to aid with overdue housing fees. Income limits apply.

With the permission of residents, landlords may apply on their behalf as well.

Interested parties can find more information here.

For more information, contact the Port Arthur Office at 409-832-2723. They are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3800 Park Lane.


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An elected official who is a central figure in a New Mexico countys refusal to certify recent election results based on debunked conspiracy theories about voting machines has avoided more jail time for joining the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol
PITTSFIELD  A minor was wounded by a gunshot Friday night in the 400 block of Tyler Street, near its intersection with Glenwood Avenue.

Pittsfield police received a notice at approximately 10:09 p.m. Friday that shots had been fired, Lt. Michael Maddalena said in an email.

The victim was transported to Berkshire Medical Center with injuries that were said not to be life-threatening. According to a Pittsfield police news release, the victim is a juvenile male who is a resident of the city.

Candida Cooper, a long-time resident of the Tyler Street area, said a friend of her son was on the porch when he heard gunshots.

He ran inside. "I don't want to live here anymore, I lived here 26 years and when I first moved, I could sit outside on the porch. Not anymore," said Cooper.

This is believed to be the 14th shooting in Pittsfield since Feb. 1, and the third on Tyler Street.

Video surveillance in the area is being reviewed and the investigation is ongoing, said Maddalena. According to the release, ballistic evidence was also recovered at the scene.

The city's ShotSpotter system detected the multiple gunshots. Arriving officers found multiple shell casings, police said.

Anyone with information regarding this matter can contact the PPD Detective Bureau at 413-448-9705. Detective Michael Murphy is the lead detective.
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Ralph Gardner Jr. is a journalist whose work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and The New Yorker. He can be reached at ralph@ralphgardner.com . The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of The Berkshire Eagle.
Based on a grim batch of recently released data, the opioid crisis in Massachusetts shows no signs of easing its destructive grip on our communities.

Berkshire County opioid overdose deaths rose in 2021. In a dozen years, the county has lost 374 people The rate of opioid overdose deaths in Massachusetts as a whole climbed 9 percent last year, to a level that surpasses the state's previous high point in 2016. In Berkshire County, 62 people died of opioid overdoses in 2021, up six from the year before.

In fact, that grip sadly seems to be tightening. Last year, the commonwealths opioid overdose death rate rose to 32.6 per 100,000 residents, surpassing not just 2020s rate but the states previous high point in 2016. As bad as those statewide numbers are, the Berkshire figures are even worse. Annual fatal opioid overdoses in the county reached the highest level ever recorded in 2020  until last year when an increase of six pushed that macabre milestone to 62. Thats an 11 percent year-to-year jump from one high water mark to an alarming new one, and this deadly tide appears to be continuing the alarming trend of rising across the commonwealth while rising even quicker in Berkshire County.

As the overdose epidemic bears down on our county and countless other corners of the country, these statistics show the broad scope of the crisis. But they cant even begin to relate its painful depth. Since 2010, fatal overdoses have extinguished the lives of 374 people in the Berkshires. Every one of those is not just a number but a life full of potential cut short, a grieving family, a community robbed of a neighbor. Scale that up to the national level, where fatal overdoses claim about 100,000 Americans a year  more than gun violence and traffic fatalities combined.

That trauma is immeasurable, but doing something about it is only impossible if we allow ourselves to become numb to this repeating tragedy. We must do away with the false notion that addiction is solely a failing of individual character; it is a public health crisis that takes all kinds and spares no communities. The evidence is clear that the war on drugs is long past failure.

We must have the wisdom to see this scourge for what it is to better combat it. It is a multidimensional problem for which there is no silver bullet solution that will not abate immediately even with the correct mix of policy and cultural shifts. The U.S. must do a better job of fending off fentanyl from our borders. We should target youth with robust (and far more frank) educational campaigns about the realities and dangers of opioids and other drugs, especially given the recent spike in teen ODs. Our leaders must address intersecting issues  housing, economic opportunity, accessible mental health care  that often deprive entire communities of the footholds needed to climb out of deadly despair.

But we also must have the moral courage to meet this crisis most vulnerable victims where they are and stem the bleeding with real harm-reduction measures. That means embracing ideas that have been around for some time, such as boosting access to addiction recovery treatment and diversion programs to steer nonviolent drug offenders who pose more harm to themselves than others toward that treatment. Meaningfully reducing this brutal toll, though, will require bolder action, too.

Massachusetts should decriminalize possession of small amounts of buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist that curbs opioid cravings without producing euphoria with a ceiling effect that deters use above a regular dose. For those seeking a path to recovery, its a potentially powerful tool for limiting opioid use, making it less likely that theyll use and/or overdose. Vermont and Rhode Island have pursued this policy with promising initial results. At the least, Massachusetts should heed the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine Specialists and remove the waiver requirement for Bay State doctors to prescribe buprenorphine.

The so-called HOPE Act  introduced by state Rep. Smitty Pignatelli, D-Lenox  has unfortunately languished in the Legislature, but another round of disturbing OD data should spur lawmakers to finally act on it. All Massachusetts first responders should be carrying naloxone, which can reverse overdoses and save lives. This is particularly crucial for more rural corners of the state like ours, where response times and hospital trips are often longer. It also protects the first responders, who can come into contact with small but deadly amounts of powerful synthetic opioids at a scene. We have praised the Pittsfield Police Department and other Berkshire County first responders who took this initiative on their own, but its past time to make this life-saving policy universal across Massachusetts.

Berkshire DA urges legislators to approve supervised drug injection sites A Public Health Committee hearing is scheduled Monday on legislation that would authorize safe-injection sites, which doctors aligned with the Massachusetts Medical Society say is "an evidence-based intervention that fill a dangerous gap in our state's capabilities to address the opioid overdose crisis."

Another measure that has received far less attention than it should on Beacon Hill is a pilot program proposal for supervised injection sites. While some will decry the appearance of encouraging drug use, the reality is that people in the throes of addiction will consume drugs. Getting them off the street, reducing their likelihood of health risks and giving them compassionate access to treatment services could function as both a powerful harm-reduction measure and a new pathway to recovery, which merits real consideration for such a measure.

Still, Massachusetts embarking on such a bold if necessary policy path raises further questions. Would it expose the commonwealth to federal legal troubles? And would it behoove such sites to also provide clean drugs to prevent the increasingly deadly reality of fentanyl lacing? Some might view providing currently illegal drugs as an anathema, but this harm-reduction measure could also benefit entire communities that suffer from users resorting to property crimes to pay for their habits and other knock-on effects of the black market.

While even broaching these topics might seem a bridge too far for some, the painful reality is that what we are doing is not working. The numbers bear that out, and we cannot look away. From the local level to Beacon Hill to our federal representatives, we need leadership that recognizes the need for action on behalf of our hurting communities that we might mitigate this needless, incalculable suffering.

These proposals should be a start  sooner rather than later.
LEWISTON - On Friday, June 17 at approximately 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon, a 21-year-old Lewiston man was arrested for trafficking cocaine following the execution of a search warrant at his residence on the 400 block of 1st Street in Lewiston.

According to police, 21-year-old Joshua Scott Law was arrested after Lewiston Detectives discovered nearly six ounces of cocaine and nearly 20 grams of methamphetamine in his residence along with nearly $23,000 in cash.

The search warrant was obtained by police as a result of a long-term investigation conducted by Lewiston Detectives working as part of the Quad Cities Drug Task Force and the FBI North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force.

Police say the cocaine seized would have a street value of approximately $9,000.

Law was booked into the Nez Perce County Jail.
MORLEY  After honoring WWII Veterans in 2020 and Korean Veterans in 2021, this year, on July 4, three local Veterans will tell of their Vietnam experience.

Two of them are Purple Heart recipients, and all will represent the other men and women who served the county in that war.

This Fourth of July event will be co-sponsored with the Morley American Legion and will start at 11a.m. in the parking area on the north side of the center, 151 Seventh St., Morley. Richard Nielson, Gene Vining and Dale Ullrich will tell their stories. Following the presentation, a complimentary lunch will be served in the Community Center made possible by a generous donation from Meijer Inc.

At the Community Center grand opening in July 2019, the keynote speaker was Lt. Col. Donald Odell, who was a prisoner of war for 5 1/2 years after his fighter was shot down over North Vietnam. Odell passed in the fall of 2020. On his birthday, July 25, a walking suspension bridge over the Little Muskegon River will be dedicated to honor Odell for his service and as a thank you for speaking at the Centers opening. His widow Susan and family members will be present at the bridge dedication. Reservations are required to allow for transportation planning to the dedication site.

For information on either event, call 231-856-4496 or email mggalloway39@gmail.com. These presentations will be held in the Morley Community Center gym if weather prohibits the event at the scheduled locations.

Seven U.S. presidents have dealt with Vietnam issues over the years, and Stanley Karnow covered that history in his book 'Vietnam.' Karnow was a war correspondent when the French fought the Vietnamese and during our involvement there. His work is represented in podcast-length segments that will be scheduled in the Centers Vietnam room starting in late July. The Vietnam room is dedicated to Roger Friesner, the single casualty from the Morley area in that war.
Kim Henry can now say she is a homeowner after a lot of hard work and help from Habitat for Humanity Manitoba.

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Kim Henry can now say she is a homeowner after a lot of hard work and help from Habitat for Humanity Manitoba.

The mom from Shilo, along with her sons Kobe Henry, 19, and Chase Rice, 11, were the centre of attention as they were handed the keys to their house, a brand-new duplex on Franklin Street, Friday.

They also received housewarming gifts and many words of encouragement from friends, family and dignitaries who came to wish the family many happy moments.

"Im just excited to get into Brandon," she said after receiving the keys.

Henry said this journey to home ownership started in September when she signed the papers. From there, she also had to undergo thorough background checks, including financial and credit screening, to qualify.

In addition, she and her eldest son, along with friends, had to help build the house as per the agreement with Habitat for Humanity. Most of that work was putting in the walls.

This was on top of commuting from Shilo to her job at East Side Marios in Brandon. Following the celebrations, she was eager to unload the moving truck parked outside. After that, she said the family will be adjusting to a new work-life balance, knowing she and her kids finally have a place to call their own.

Getting Henry and her children into their house was a process Habitat for Humanity has been using for decades to help people who may not be able to afford a house on their own.

"We really impart that we are giving people a hand up, not a hand-out," said Bonnie Mills, communications and engagement manager for Habitat for Humanitys Brandon chapter. "We are not giving away houses for free. We are giving people a way to purchase their own homes in a way that is affordable."

The process includes having to meet certain financial thresholds, including having an annual income of at least $32,000 and be below the Manitoba low income cutoff. Applicants must also have a full-time job, live for at least two years in an area and be able to financially afford the home.

Applicants must send in bank and credit card statement, as well as undergo financial background checks and reference checks. To make sure homeownership would be a good fit for someone, Mills said they send all applicants to an outside financial counselling agency to make sure they are comfortable with a mortgage instead of renting.

TIM SMITH/THE BRANDON SUN Maxine Montegue, family selection and support committee member for Habitat for Humanity, poses for photos with new homeowner Kim Henry and her two sons Chase Rice and Kobe Henry at their new home in Brandons east end Friday.

If all of that goes well, they have two family subcommittee members go and do a home interview with the family and write up a report. If the applicant(s) are considered good candidates, that is sent to the Winnipeg office to a senior management team for final review.

In Henrys case, Mills said when she heard about her situation, she was sure she would be a good candidate and spoke to her numerous times about applying, eventually convincing her.

Single people are welcome to apply, but there is a preference for families with children, Mills said.

Through partnerships with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and several local stakeholders, the organization has been working to get people into their own homes.

Most notably, each family, along with relatives and friends who wish to volunteer, put in 500 hours of "sweat equity," helping to build the home they will eventually live in.

When a home is built, it is assessed and sold to her at fair market value. The mortgage is zero dollars down payment, no interest for 15 years and payments are tied to income.

For Henry, that comes to 27 per cent of her income, including property taxes. Whatever Henry pays back goes back to help Habitat for Humanity build more homes and keep the program going.

How many homes each chapter can build depends on the land and houses available in an area. The Brandon chapter received a gift of land in the east end on Franklin and Percy streets where it is currently building more homes.

Mills said building will likely be completed in three years, the Habitat for Humanity will look for other places to build homes.

"We are not selective about where we build, per se. Its about where opportunities we can build present themselves," she said, adding the organization helps revitalize neighbourhoods when they can with their builds.

Habitat for Humanity is looking for more people to apply for homes. Anyone interested is asked to contact Mills at bmills@habitat.mb.ca.

kmckinley@brandonsun.com

Twitter: @karenleighmcki1
Approximately 15 Manitoba Hydro employees could be seen on the picket lines in Brandon Friday as part of a provincewide strike aimed at increasing wages for the Crown corporations natural gas workers.

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Approximately 15 Manitoba Hydro employees could be seen on the picket lines in Brandon Friday as part of a provincewide strike aimed at increasing wages for the Crown corporations natural gas workers.

The workers picketed around the Manitoba Hydro building in Brandon on 10th Street, wearing signs over their front and back with "on strike" written on them. Several cars honked as they drove past the workers.

"Weve been without a contract since December 2020, weve bargained with the company 15 times and were not getting the financial offer we want from the Stefanson government," said Suzanne King, Unifor Local 681 national representative and lead negotiator, by phone.

"Were at an impasse."

Manitoba Hydro is offering the approximately 230 workers a 0.5 per cent increase for 2021, she said. King said natural gas workers are the lowest-paid skilled tradespeople currently at the Crown corporation.

"Were four per cent of payroll  they can afford to give us a decent deal," she said.

The workers picketing locally said they were not permitted to speak to the media and referred the Sun to Unifor Local 681 president Victor Diduch, who referred the Sun to King.

Pickets were also planned in Winnipeg, Neepawa, Selkirk, Russell and other communities.

The striking workers regularly respond to natural gas emergencies, gas leaks and issues with carbon monoxide, King said.

DREW MAY/THE BRANDON SUN Manitoba Hydro workers strike outside the Manitoba Hydro building on 10th Street Friday afternoon.

"They were going into COVID-positive homes all through COVID  to make sure Manitobans were safe, especially since they were working from home through the worst pandemic weve ever had."

Manitoba Hydro is "committed to continuing discussions with Unifor and the collective bargaining process," according to a Thursday news release.

"Our goal is to conclude negotiations as soon as possible to minimize the impact on our customers. We appreciate their patience as we work to resolve the strike," it reads.

The Friday strike was only planned for the day and scheduled to end at 6:30 p.m. Workers were then scheduled to return to work.

King said she hopes it pressures the provincial government to come back to the bargaining table.

If unsuccessful, she said a rotating strike is planned over the next 60 days.

Manitoba Hydro media relations officer Bruce Owen said the organization has contingency plans for emergencies to ensure natural gas service and public safety. Natural gas appliance inspections and other non-emergency work could be delayed to a later date.

Manitoba Liberal Party Leader Dougald Lamont said in a statement Manitoba Hydro workers are essential and deserve a settlement and proper working conditions.

"There is no question, this is up to the PCs, and not just Hydro, because no government in the history of Manitoba has done more to blatantly interfere with Hydro."

 dmay@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @DrewMay_
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The woman walked out of the doctors office that day feeling violated.

It was 2011, she was 19 and she had an appointment for her first full physical exam with the physician shed been seeing since she was a baby. But she knew he wasnt supposed to touch her that way.

"I asked him to stop," she said. "He was just very reassuring, very calm, (saying) This is what a physical is.  It was very sick."

Afterward, she told her family and friends what happened. Many believed her but some minimized her concerns and discouraged her from going to the police, she said. They said it would be a difficult process for her, considering it would be her word against a prominent physicians.

"I felt like I had no power," she said.

Doctor timeline: 1990: Arcel Bissonnette begins practising medicine in Manitoba. 2001: The alleged assaults begin, according to court documents. Sometime on or prior to Jan. 8, 2019: At least one person makes a complaint to the College of Physicians and Surgeons Manitoba regarding concerns about Bissonnette. click to read more 1990: Arcel Bissonnette begins practising medicine in Manitoba. 2001: The alleged assaults begin, according to court documents. Sometime on or prior to Jan. 8, 2019: At least one person makes a complaint to the College of Physicians and Surgeons Manitoba regarding concerns about Bissonnette. Jan. 8, 2019: In response to the complaint, CPSM has Bissonnette sign a voluntary undertaking accepting the following condition on his licence: A female attendant must be present during a breast or pelvic examination of a female patient. He is required to post a notice about this condition in his practice. Still, for three patients, the alleged sexual abuse continues, according to court documents. Nov. 5, 2020: Ste. Anne police arrest Bissonnette, charging him with six counts of sexual assault. The alleged offences involve female patients and took place between 2004 and 2017 while he was working at the Ste-Anne Hospital and the Seine River Medical Centre. Police did not say how long Bissonnette was under investigation but referred to the probe as lengthy. Nov. 6, 2020: Bissonnettes practitioner profile is removed from the colleges website. A court condition bars him from practising medicine and the college also asks him to sign another voluntary undertaking stating he wont practise medicine. When physicians cease practising, the college wipes their online profiles. Oct. 21, 2021: Police charge Bissonnette with 16 more counts of sexual assault. Sainte-Anne Police Chief Marc Robichaud said more patients came forward with allegations of abuse after his 2020 arrest. According to court documents, the alleged offences spanned 19 years, taking place between 2001 and 2020. Resources for survivors of sexual violence: Klinic Community Healths 24-hour sexual assault crisis line can be reached at 204-786-8631. The SANE program at Health Sciences Centre can be reached by 204-787-2071 and asking for the SANE on-call nurse. More information at klinic.mb.ca and hsc.mb.ca/emergency. Close

So she stayed silent for nearly 10 years. But after learning through news reports in November 2020 that her doctor  Arcel Bissonnette  was charged with six counts of sexual assault involving patients, she knew she needed to come forward. By October 2021, she was one of at least 16 more women who had reported allegations of sexual assault to police. Bissonnette, who is in his early 60s, is now charged with 22 counts of sexual assault for alleged incidents spanning nearly 20 years in both Ste. Anne, a community 45 kms east of Winnipeg where he practised, and Lorette, located just southeast of Winnipeg, according to court documents.

None of the allegations have been proven in court and he is presumed innocent. Bissonnettes lawyer did not respond to requests for comment. Bissonnette was released on bail and his medical licence has been suspended.

The woman, who cant be named due to a publication ban, was stunned to recently learn someone had raised concerns about him with the physician watchdog, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM), nearly two years before he was arrested. The college responded to the complaint by placing gender-based conditions on Bissonnettes licence in January 2019. (She stopped going to Bissonnette after the alleged sexual abuse a decade ago.)

If shed known someone else had raised concerns, she would have gone to police sooner, she said.

The government, or an independent oversight body, would be best positioned to take over regulatory duties, said medical malpractice lawyer Paul Harte. (Tijana Martin/ Winnipeg Free Press)

Instead, the regulatory body kept those concerns secret, allowing Bissonnette to continue practising for another year and 10 months. According to a Free Press review of court documents, three of the eventual 22 charges are dated to alleged incidents during that time, despite a condition placed on him by CPSM requiring him to have a female chaperone present while conducting breast and pelvic examinations on female patients.

The secrecy surrounding this case and others is the subject of a Free Press investigation into how the CPSM handles allegations of physician misconduct. Critics argue the colleges approach places the protection of physicians ahead of patients, leaving patients potentially exposed to everything from inappropriate behaviour to criminal offences. One advocate for survivors of sexual violence said the college has "failed" patients.

CPSM registrar Dr. Anna Ziomek declined to be interviewed for this story. The CPSM would only respond to questions by email.

In a submitted statement, Ziomek said disciplinary action has been imposed only in a small number of cases and that there are other ways to ensure patient safety.

"CPSM ensures qualification requirements for licensure are met, sets high standards of competence and practice, and monitors the quality of the practice of registrants, all of which contribute to patient safety," she said in the statement. "We are continuously reviewing our processes to identify where improvements for quality care and patient safety can be made, including our Standards of Practice."

We are continuously reviewing our processes to identify where improvements for quality care and patient safety can be made, including our Standards of Practice.  Dr. Anna Ziomek, CPSM registrar

Critics say its imperative the college updates its practices and that the province overhauls legislation governing the college  the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA), which covers all of Manitobas regulated health professions  to guarantee transparency and better patient protection.

Currently, much of how the college handles physician misconduct happens behind closed doors. What is known is that when the college receives a complaint, it takes one of four steps: resolves them through "facilitated communication;" refers them to the colleges complaints committee; refers them to the investigation committee; or dismisses them. Even if the complaint is possibly criminal in nature, the college typically only reports matters to police if they involve minors.

The colleges official mandate speaks mostly to its role in regulating the profession and ensuring its members are meeting standards set out by law. However, the college also said its role is to protect the public and "promote the safe and ethical delivery of quality medical care by physicians in Manitoba."

One critic argues the very foundation of the colleges structure  self-regulation, or doctors overseeing doctors  commits the college to prioritizing physicians and their interests over patients.

"The system is fundamentally broken," said Paul Harte, a Toronto-based medical malpractice lawyer.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Christy Dzikowicz, executive director of the Toba Centre. The centre works with survivors of child abuse in Manitoba. (Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Self-regulating professions are inherently flawed, he said, in that there is often little external oversight and those in charge are elected by their peers, leading to a greater incentive to maintain the status quo, rather than pushing for transparency and stricter discipline. The government, or an independent oversight body, would be best positioned to take over regulatory duties, Harte said.

In her statement, Ziomek said the CPSM is "bound to operate within the framework of the RHPA."

"We exercise the provisions that allow for transparency to their full extent. We recognize some improvements can be made, but overhauling the RHPA extends beyond CPSMs medical regulatory authority and can only be amended by the Legislative Assembly."

Health Minister Audrey Gordon declined an interview request. An unnamed government spokesperson said it would be "inappropriate" for her to "comment on a specific case."

Harte, meanwhile, said the focus should be on victims of abusive physicians and what could be done to stop them. The Bissonnette case specifically raises questions about how CPSM operates, he said.

"The public is left to simply trust without verification that the system is working," Harte said. "And then when you have situations like Bissonnette come up, the public is left wondering, Well, what happened?"

Harte believes the college should make all complaints against physicians public. Such a move would pull back the curtain on what they are accused of and how the college is handling the complaints. For example, even if a physician regularly receives similar complaints that are eventually dismissed, making that information public could at the very least suggest to patients they should be on the alert, and should compel the college to examine underlying issues, such as poor communication with patients, Harte said.

Either way, Bissonnettes patients deserved to know more, he said.

A second victim, who alleges Bissonnette sexually assaulted her for nearly 15 years, agrees, saying patients should have been warned he was under investigation.

"I dont understand the oversight," she said through tears.

Sonam Khangura, a frontline worker with Vancouver Rape Relief, said the colleges current practices serve to protect physicians, leaving patients vulnerable to harm.

"The college of physicians had a duty to protect women and they failed," Khangura said.

Khangura said the college should have immediately contacted patients and informed them about why Bissonnette was required to have a condition on his licence. Then, the college should have done a "quick and thorough" investigation to assess the matter and resolve it appropriately, she said.

Christy Dzikowicz, executive director of the Toba Centre, which works with survivors of child abuse in Manitoba, agrees the CPSM needs to be more transparent.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba Investigation Committee Policy Interim Suspension and Imposition of Conditions (2019) (Winnipeg Free Press)

"If we ever want to prevent these things from happening, we have to take misconduct allegations seriously," Dzikowicz said. "If they felt it was serious enough that (Bissonnette) had to have a female chaperone with him, then that sounds serious enough to share with the clients that he serves."

Lorian Hardcastle, an associate professor with the University of Calgarys faculty of law, said patients deserve to know if serious complaints have been lodged against their physician. Firstly, it promotes trust with patients, and secondly, it can encourage potential complainants to come forward.

"Its important for those people who  theyre not sure if they want to report, theyre not sure if theyre misinterpreting the situation  for those people to be able to go and look and, if theres been something in the past, that might be the thing they need to embolden them to report," she said.

That doesnt happen in Manitoba.

CPSM spokesperson Wendy Elias-Gagnon said in accordance with the RHPA, the college makes public final disciplinary decisions after an investigation has concluded, but not details of allegations prior to the decision being released. And those investigations can take longer than a year.

"There is currently no process in place for notifying a physicians patients of an investigation (and) we cannot alert other potential complainants due to the privacy requirements of the RHPA," Elias-Gagnon said in an email.

The CPSM also refuses to reveal details about the initial complaint it received against Bissonnette, including the nature of the complaint, if multiple complainants came forward and when the complainant(s) reported, citing "confidentiality reasons" under the RHPA. The college will only say it received at least one complaint relating to "concerns," which led to Bissonnette signing a "voluntary undertaking" restricting his licence in January 2019.

The CPSM said it was not aware Dr. Arcel Bissonnette breached any conditions of the restrictions on his licence. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press)

The condition required Bissonnette to have a female attendant present during breast or pelvic examinations of female patients. He was required to post signage informing patients of as much in his practice and the college was also required to note the condition on his online profile. The CPSM said it was not aware he breached any conditions of the restrictions on his licence, nor has it "received allegations of misconduct occurring" while the restriction was in effect.

The colleges policies state such conditions are meant to protect patients, pending the outcome of an investigation.

But one of the victims said patients deserve to know about serious allegations against physicians so they can make informed decisions about their health care. Instead, she was kept in the dark.

"Im just super f-----g angry," she said.

The other victim who alleges she was sexually assaulted in 2011 said she feels guilty, thinking she could have stopped him sooner.

She said she "absolutely" would have reported what allegedly happened to her, had she known others were allegedly enduring what she went through  had the CPSM made the initial complaint public. Shes outraged the CPSM never suspended his licence, something that the colleges policies state is an interim option.

In response, the college said courts in Canada have decided "regulators such as CPSM should not impose interim suspension based on allegations alone." Its unclear what court cases the CPSM is referring to.

Thats not good enough for the victim.

"Why would you let a predator practise?" she asked.

katrina.clarke@freepress.mb.ca
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE  Almost all employees of a Portage la Prairie youth jail that will shut down next month are transferring to other corrections sites, after Manitoba Justice pledged to offer them jobs.

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PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE  Almost all employees of a Portage la Prairie youth jail that will shut down next month are transferring to other corrections sites, after Manitoba Justice pledged to offer them jobs.

Most staff from Agassiz Youth Centre put the Manitoba Youth Centre in Winnipeg as their first choice when asked to rank three preferred options, said one employee, who asked not to be named.

"Most people were OK with the decisions handed to them, but there was some disappointment if they didnt get their first choice," the employee told the Winnipeg Free Press. "A few have looked into other employment options as a result."

The staff member said more than 20 workers will transfer to the Womens Correctional Centre in Headingley, a few will go to jails in Headingley and Brandon, and at least one will work at Milner Ridge, about 20 kilometres southwest of Lac du Bonnet.

Agassiz has 104 staff and a rated capacity of 128 inmates. It had 16 inmates as of June 10, as the province winds down operations.

There were 73 at the Manitoba Youth Centre, which has 222 employees.

The Agassiz employee called the transfer process "bittersweet" for those who got their first choice and now face an hour-long commute each way, while the price of regular gasoline and diesel have risen more than $2 a litre. The only way to avoid the costly commute is to move.

"Thats the toughest pill to swallow. I now have to commute down a terrible highway," the employee said. "The price of gas is a huge factor and something on most of our minds."

For staff who live in or near Winnipeg and currently drive to Portage, their commute to work will be shorter.

The employee said Manitoba Justice has closed one of three units since announcing March 24 that Agassiz would close, "which it assured us would not happen."

Part-time permanent staff who are backfilling full-time permanent positions have no guarantee of keeping a full-time role when they transfer, the person added.

"Im aware many part-time permanent staff, who work in full-time backfill positions, will lose those upon transferring to their new facility, and will be going back into the part-time pool and being on call for shifts," said the employee. "They have reshuffled our schedules and taken away additional staffing positions. Our part-time staff are struggling right now to get hours, which the employer (also) assured would not happen."

With the exception of four employees, all staff are being relocated to other jails and maintaining their respective classification because there were vacancies for them, said the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union.

One employee has decided to retire, one has found a job with a company in Portage, and two "bumped" less senior staff. Due to vacancies, jobs were available to the two employees who were bumped.

A spokesman for the province said all staff "will have the option of a job" within Manitoba Justice.

The province declined to give a breakdown of the facilities staff are transferring to and in what numbers.

"Individual staff assignments are handled on a case-by-case basis and are guided by the provisions of the collective agreement based on factors such as seniority and availability of positions at other correctional centres," the spokesman wrote in an email. "Further, the province has already stated publicly that the facility is operating well below capacity, so some internal adjustments have been made, but for security reasons it would not be appropriate to provide extensive detail on that effort."

Agassiz is the second provincial jail closed by the Progressive Conservative government in just over two years. Manitoba Justice shuttered the Dauphin Correctional Centre in May 2020, after the cost of renovations were deemed too high.

When he announced the closure of Agassiz in March, Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen said the jail has operated below 50 per cent capacity for years.

Agassiz had 32 inmates, or one-quarter of its capacity, on the day of the announcement. A majority of Agassizs inmates are Indigenous and from northern Manitoba, Goertzen said, and the province was shifting its priorities to better serve them.

The next day, he joined Garrison Settee, grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, to announce plans for the provinces first healing lodge.

MKO will set up and run the facility in Thompson, with $2 million in initial funding from the province. The Indigenous-led lodge will offer programs closer to home and incorporate traditional teachings. The first phase will have 20 open-custody beds and community transition programs.

Manitoba Justice plans to divert Agassizs operating funds to corrections in northern communities.

The loss of Agassiz is another economic blow to Portage, about 125 km east of Brandon.

In April, an MGEU economic impact study found Progressive Conservative cuts and closures in Portage would affect 456 public-sector jobs, that pay $27.6 million in wages and salaries.

The study looked at cuts to the Addictions Foundation of Manitobas compass residential program and the Crown Lands Property Agencys real estate division, and closures at Agassiz, Red River College Polytechnics Stevenson campus at Southport (a former Canadian Forces base south of Portage) and the Manitoba Developmental Centre, which is due to shut down in 2024.

A new hospital to be built in Portage is expected to open in 2025.

The facility, announced in 2021 at a cost of $283 million, could be built on the 23-hectare Agassiz site, which is next to the existing hospital and ambulance station.

 Winnipeg Free Press
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Whoever came up with the line that the British love a queue had clearly never been to The Grounds of Alexandria in Sydney or Melbournes iconic Lune Croissanterie on a Saturday morning. Queuing culture, particularly for buzzy, popular eateries, has well and truly taken over Australia. Spending your weekend lining up for a $50 brunch consisting of a couple of poached eggs and a flat white used to be a phenomenon limited to trendy inner-city suburbs, but its now a common occurrence across the suburbs. Good luck trying to get a roll from Harveys Hot Sandwiches in Parramatta or a samosa from Chatkazz in Harris Park without booking out a solid wait in your calendar. Things have gotten so out of hand that food blogs like Time Out now un-ironically publish lists of Food queues that are worth the wait. So, whats going on? Do we just love the order and process queues bring? Or is it possible were seeking out the long lines as some sort of flex on how willing we are to sacrifice for the perfect pastry, coffee or sandwich? Credit: How long have we been queuing? According to Dr Joe Moran, the author of Queuing for Beginners: The Story of Daily Life from Breakfast to Bedtime, queuing as a regular part of life is linked to the Industrial Revolution, when large numbers of people moved to urban areas, necessitating more structure around the distribution of goods. Economic crises throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the Great Depression, saw queues become more common, particularly for the urban poor who relied on charity to help put food on the table.

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The modern view that queuing is synonymous with being British seems to have formed during World War II, when rationing was commonplace for large swathes of the population. Of course, queuing for rations wasnt a uniquely British phenomenon, but the many photographs and newsreels from the time seem to have helped convince us that Brits were particularly adept at it. But the queues were talking about these days, outside hip cafes and restaurants, arent about rations. So, whats driving that urge? Loading Why do we queue today? There are a number of psychological reasons for joining queues, starting with the simple fact that they seem to suggest something desirable, says Dr Meg Elkins, a behaviour economist at RMIT. Why else would people forgo their time to wait in a queue for something that isnt quality? Heuristics are mental shortcuts that we use to make decisions because we have to make so many decisions in our day. Lets say were going past a restaurant. If we see a queue, it decides for us that it must be a good place to eat. The question of scarcity is still relevant though, even when were not talking about rations, because of its relationship to FOMO (fear of missing out). A croissanterie such as Lune, in inner-city Melbourne, is known to sell out every weekend  so that drives an impulse to get there early and line up to avoid going home empty-handed. Its an important persuasion tactic, says Elkins. We see a queue and think, well, theres a scarcity for that product, so it triggers our desire to be persuaded to stand in line.

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Talking to friends and colleagues though, there appear to be a multiplicity of different reasons for queueing. You wont find me queueing for brunch at my favourite cafe. If theres a line I will go somewhere else, one younger colleague said. But if its somewhere I have never been and I have had it on my list for a while then I am happy to queue. For example, the other week I waited in line for yum cha because I had never been before. I queued for the experience. Ill queue for something I know is good, but I wont just hop into a queue because Im walking past and see a long line, said another. Loading On a clear Saturday morning outside one well-known eatery in Melbourne, the queue stretches from the counter to the footpath and around the corner. Queueing is my definition of hell, says James, a visiting Sydneysider, as he waits with his friend Karan, from Melbourne. James has bad memories of queues from the time he went to Disneyland but hes willing to make an exception for this place because he and his family are on holiday, and theyd heard about the food. Ive never queued before, says John, also visiting from Sydney with partner Betina. Ive got other things to do. Hes never even queued at a nightclub. Once, when he and Betina were faced with a musical festival ticket queue they couldnt see the end of, they went off and enjoyed cocktails in a bar instead. This weekend, though, he and Betina are visiting their daughter, Luisa, so its a special occasion. They talked me into it, says John.

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Well, that is just ridiculous, Sarah laughs. Is it TikTok famous or something? Thats what shed said when shed first seen the queue shes now standing in. She, partner David and their puppy, Baxter, have driven half an hour to get there and are going to wait patiently. (Baxter seems sanguine.) Friends recommended the place, David explains, and they want to try something different. Asked what their limit for queuing is, customers answers vary from, Ive already exceeded it (the moment they stepped into the line); to 15 minutes (Im too impatient); to over an hour, with one younger group once waking up at 5am to queue for a fancy new breakfast item. Novelty is a factor, this younger group explains, as well as finding out what the social media and word-of-mouth hype is all about. Queuing could even be a kind of adventure. Theres a social factor, says Darren, who is waiting with friends Patricia and Evan. Queueing gives you time to catch up. But on second and subsequent visits, the group wont queue forever. Theres a certain threshold, says Darren. Half an hour. The Saturday queue for croissants at Lune in Melbourne. Credit:The Age To what extent is queuing about showing off? Aside from all the logistical reasons we might queue, theres something else at play. Queueing demonstrates that we have the social and economic capacity to give up our time to get a highly desired product. We might all want the most delicious croissant, samosa, or gourmet bacon-and-egg roll, but only some of us have the ability to sacrifice time and other social activities to acquire them. So even when the desired product is not particularly extravagant or expensive  think, a banh mi or a great hamburger  the act of queueing for it bestows it some kind of intangible value, similar to what Marx referred to as commodity fetishism. According to Marx, goods become fetishised when their value is delinked from their purpose or the amount of labour that went into producing them.

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Queueing itself can also help improve our enjoyment of whatever we were queuing up for, because of the community element of being part of a group activity, Elkins says, because youre talking about the pain of the wait ... and youve got this collective purpose. Add in the Instagram factor, where people in the queue want to show off their willingness and ability to queue by posting about it, and youve got a self-perpetuating hype cycle that just keeps the queue going. Of course, the positive experience of being in a queue is linked to how good the product that youre waiting for is. A 30-minute queue can be worth it if you really are eating Australias best croissant. Something dry and chewy? Not so much. Loading Whats queue etiquette? Its not fair that people are seated first come, first served, says Elaine, as she waits with George and Jerry for a table at a popular Chinese restaurant in Seinfeld. It should be based on whos hungriest. The key thing with queues is to follow whatever rules have been set by the venue. Remember, this is a social contract youve voluntarily entered into. Do they want you to line up? Are you supposed to put down your name and number down? Do they want you to leave and come back when they call you?

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I am aged 86 and was working until 2019 taking in international students, but now I have used all my savings and the only asset I have is my home. I have lived there for 48 years, and it is valued at about $6 million. Bendigo Bank and Household Capital are two places I have heard about that offer reverse mortgages, as well as the federal governments Home Equity Access Scheme. What are some of my options to tap my home equity to generate some income? R.S.

Centrelinks pension loans scheme was renamed the Home Equity Access Scheme (HEAS) at the beginning of the year, and this is likely to be your lowest-cost approach. It offers a fortnightly income stream of up to 150 per cent of the maximum age pension, with an interest rate of 3.95 per cent  although that may rise.

A reverse mortgage enables you to tap the equity in your home for living expenses. Credit:Dorothy Woodgate

In your case, if you have used up all your savings, then you could apply for the full single age pension of $987.60 a fortnight, or $25,678 a year, topped up with a further 50 per cent.

HEAS loan to about $38,516 ($58,063 for a couple), secured against your home.
Police investigate major fire at Mount Compass South Australia

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Every time Cheryl Olver sees a tall man with dark hair, for a second, she hopes its her son.

Daren died 28 years ago from an infection after contracting HIV. The last thing he did before he died, aged 29, was lift his mothers hand with his frail palm and kiss it before murmuring love you.

It was 1994, when the virus was ripping through Australias gay community, killing 10,000 men at the end of last century.

Cheryl Olver in front of the quilt panel she lovingly made for her son Daren after he died from an AIDS-related illness in 1994. Credit:Joe Armao

The epidemic was shrouded in stigma and authorities were slow to act. To bring attention to their deaths, and keep their memories alive, their loved ones began stitching quilt panels  that would later be joined to form large memorial quilts  in their honour, following a worldwide movement that started in San Francisco.
The Queensland opposition has seized on Crime and Corruption Commission concerns about disproportionate access for lobbyists, ramping its calls for a royal commission into the Palaszczuk governments decision-making processes.

But the Labor government batted away the suggestion and insisted its rules around lobbyists were the strongest in the nation.

the CCC has raised concerns about the access lobbyists have to decision makers in 1 William Street. Credit:Matt Dennien

The CCC on Friday announced an expansion of its probe into the influence of lobbyists on the state government, including an audit of contact records, after a recent surge in access to senior government decision-makers.

The corruption watchdog made a rare public statement to candidates ahead of the 2020 state election about the dangers of improper influence.
Washington: US Capitol Police arrested seven unauthorised people in a congressional office building and charged them with unlawful entry, after discovering a crew filming scenes for CBS Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

A person familiar with the matter provided the AP with a list of nine people who had been stopped by Capitol Police. They included several producers, along with Robert Smigel, the voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

The people who spoke with the AP could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The incident on Thursday night (Friday AEDT) followed the third public hearing by the House panel investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
The first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers have been approved by US medical regulators, paving the way for vaccinations to begin as soon as next week.

The Food and Drug Administrations action follows its advisory panels unanimous recommendation for the shots from Moderna and Pfizer. That means US children under five  roughly 18 million youngsters  are eligible for the shots. The nations vaccination campaign began about eighteen months ago with older adults, the hardest hit during the coronavirus pandemic.

Vaccines will be available to children as young as three-year-old Hudson, seen here with his parents Barry and Ilena Diener at a vaccine trial in New York last November. Credit:AP

Theres one step left: The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recommends how to use vaccines. Its independent advisers began debating the two-dose Moderna and the three-dose Pfizer vaccines on Friday (Saturday AEST) and will make its recommendation within 24 hours. A final sign-off is expected soon after from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

At a Senate hearing Thursday, Walensky said her staff was working over the federal holiday weekend because we understand the urgency of this for American parents.
British premium motorcycle brand Triumph is bullish on the prospects offered by the niche two-wheeler segment in India over the next one year, a period during which the company aims at boosting its market share to 25 per cent from 22 per cent at present, a senior official said on Friday.

India has seen a growth of 30 per cent in the last 12 months, with sales of "a little over" 1,200 units, he said.

"We are at a healthy spot right now, and hope to clock a growth of 25-30 per cent in the next one year, selling around 1,500 units," Business Head Shoeb Farooq told PTI.

The company, which set foot in India nine years ago, has a presence in the 500 cc and above motorcycle segment at a starting price of over Rs 5 lakh.

Farooq said growth in the premium segment has been slower than expected in the last few years, with the COVID-19 pandemic denting sales.

"The positive that is coming out is that the industry segment just below ours (the 250-500 cc category) is doing pretty well, registering sales of over 100,000 motorcycles per annum...this is good for us as consumers are likely to graduate to the next segment of 500 cc and above from here on," he said.

Motorcycles having engine capacity of more than 500 cc offer much more value for money, he said on the sidelines of the launch of a dealership in Kolkata.

Farooq said Triumph, which has 14 exclusive stores in India, passed a portion of the rising commodity and logistics costs to customers in the last six months, effecting a price hike of around 2 per cent across categories.

"There is likely to be a marginal rise in prices in August, too, though the exact amount is yet to be decided," he added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Doubling down on implementation of the Agnipath Yojana recruitment scheme, the (MoD) stated on Saturday that the number of volunteers being recruited under the scheme would rise from 46,000 volunteers in each of the first four years, to 90,000 volunteers in the fifth year, and to 125,000 in the sixth year.

The trajectory of those numbers will transform Indias military in about 15 years into a largely-volunteer force, with an average age of 27 years.

"In the times to come, [the soldiers average age] will come down to 26 years from 32 years. In six-seven years, we will be at 27 years of age at average," said Lieutenant General Anil Puri, additional secretary in the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), who the MoD fielded on television on Saturday to defend the Agnipath Yojana.

Stressing that Agnipath was not about cutting personnel costs, Puri stated that the schemes primary objective was to make the military younger, dynamic and technology savvy.

Dont take this as a financial exercise. Instead, focus on the Agniveers [the volunteers recruited under 'Agnipath] and the youth," said Puri, adding, There is no financial chapter in this project because [reducing manpower cost] is not the aim of the exercise.

The induction of women under the Agnipath scheme would be progressive, said Puri, and women would not be allowed combat roles.





ALSO READ: Railways cancels 369 trains in parts of India as Agnipath protests continue

The general explained why the army believes that Agnipath will greatly improve the quality of personnel who join the three services: There are 25 volunteers for each vacancy in the army, navy and air force. A second cut will be imposed at four years of service [when 75 per cent of a years intake is discharged from service]. This is the requirement of the times. The country deserved the best. Its must be adaptable to modern technology.

Puri also elaborated upon the skilling of the volunteers who join under Agnipath. We will give 10th class pass recruits a 12th class certificate. And recruits who have passed the 12th class will get a diploma, he said.

Asked what subjects the volunteer recruits would be taught, Puri cited physical education as a skill for which credit would be given; and supply chain management, for learning how to deliver ammunition trucks to the forward line of troops. Credit would also be given for learning how to handle sophisticated equipment, such as specialist vehicles and weapons.

With street violence continuing over the perception that the Agnipath scheme would result in job opportunities lost, the government brought forward the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and industry to promise preferential employment for Agniveers who had completed their tenure of service.





The MHA tweeted on Saturday: The MHA decides to reserve 10 per cent vacancies for recruitment in CAPFs (central armed police forces) and Assam Rifles for Agniveers, completing four years under the Agnipath scheme.

The MHA also tweeted that it would give three years age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit, to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles. Further, for the first batch of Agniveers, the age relaxation will be for 5 years beyond the prescribed upper age limit.

This constitutes a significant reversal by the MHA from several decades of resisting the allocation of job vacancies for retired MoD personnel in CAPF recruitment.

Puri said the Agniveers who joined paramilitary and police forces would be effective with very little training. The MHA would only need to put them through a finishing school, in which they would need only a two-to-three week orientation.

In the face of ongoing protests, the MoD also announced a 10 per cent quota in ministry jobs, spread across the Coast Guard and defence civilian posts and all 16 defence public sector undertakings. This would be in addition to existing reservations for ex-servicemen.

Reaching out to industry

The government has also canvassed private industry for job vacancies to be allocated to retired Agniveers. Anurag Jain, secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has spoken to 85 industries, including Bharat Forge, the Ambani Group and foreign companies such as Apple for job reservations to retired Agniveers.





ALSO READ: Rajnath Singh meets top brass of Army, Navy and IAF amid Agnipath protest

"Industry leaders have told the government: You give us discipline, we will do the finishing school', so hiring Agnipath graduates will not be a problem," said Puri.

Apples India chief, Virat Bhatia, told Jain: Well assemble an Apple (computer) in two months with these guys, according to Puri

The general sounded a stern warning against the street violence that has been led by youngsters worried by potential job losses.

In the next 48 hours, recruitment will start. The youth need to [get off the streets] and get their certificates and get fit [since Covid-19 lockdowns have restricted their fitness levels], said Puri. We do not stand for arson under any circumstances.
on Saturday afternoon clashed with agitating members of the All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) and All India Democratic Youth Organisation (AIDYO) when they tried to block roads protesting against the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme in the southern part of the city's Hazra area, a hundred metres from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence.

Protesting the scheme, the activists demanded that recruits into India's armed forces be given permanent jobs rather than be taken in under the "Agnipath" scheme which employs a soldier on a contract for four years.

A huge force led by senior officers cleared the area, arresting over 20 activists. "We will not allow anyone to disturb the here. We will deal with such kinds of attempts very strictly," the officer commanding the deployment said.

All police stations in the city and the districts of have been alerted and asked to keep tight vigil on areas under their jurisdiction to avoid any untoward incident, he said. The Centre on Tuesday unveiled 'Agnipath' scheme for the recruitment in the Army, Navy and the Air Force, in a major overhaul of the decades-old selection process.





(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 Union Home Ministry has accorded a cover of the CRPF to 10 legislators in view of threats posed to them by those protesting against the recently launched Agnipath military recruitment scheme, officials said on Saturday.



Those provided the Y category cover comprise Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi, state president and Paschim Champaran MP Sanjay Jaiswal, Bisfi MLA Haribhushan Thakur, Darbhanga MLA Sanjay Saraogi and six others, including some MLCs.



The (MHA) took the decision on the basis of a report received from central intelligence agencies that said these legislators faced threat of physical harm, the officials said.



The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been asked to quickly deploy armed commandos of its unit with these legislators who the officials said face threat in view of the violence that took place against the recently launched Agnipath scheme of recruitment into the armed forces.



The Y category security cover will entail two-three commandos with the protectee, they said.



According to the officials, more BJP leaders of the state could be extended a similar security cover, if required.



Large-scale incidents of violence and arson were reported in and some other states on Friday, and BJP offices and houses of its leaders were also targeted during the protests against the scheme, which envisages a short four-year term for soldiers in the three armed forces entailing no gratuity or pension upon retirement.



A large police contingent was deployed in front of the state headquarters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been at the receiving end of the protests, with many of its senior leaders having been physically attacked and its offices in at least three districts being set ablaze since Thursday.



The bandh has received in-principle support from opposition parties Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, the Left and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).



The BJP has squarely blamed the RJD for the violence in the state.



However, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), alliance partner of the BJP in the state and at the Centre, has sought a review of the scheme, and urged the Union government to allay the fears of the protesters.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
president is stable and recovering well, sources at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here said on Saturday, nearly a week after she was admitted to the facility owing to post-Covid issues.

She was detected with a lower respiratory tract infection after her admission to the hospital, according to the .

Hospital sources said Sonia Gandhi's "condition is currently stable" and she is "recovering well".

Sonia Gandhi, 75, had tested positive for COVID-19 on June 2 and was recuperating. She was admitted to the hospital on Sunday.

Her son and former president Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had visited her at the hospital on June 13.

Jairam Ramesh, general secretary in-charge of the Congress' communications department, on Friday said a fungal infection had been detected in the party president's lower respiratory tract upon admission to the hospital.

"She is currently being treated for it along with other post-Covid symptoms. She continues to be under close observation and treatment," he said.

has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate on June 23 in a money laundering case.

Rahul Gandhi is already being questioned by the probe agency and his next deposition before the ED is scheduled on Monday.

(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.)
Romanian physicist Stefania Maracineanu has been honoured on her 140th birth anniversary in the form of a on Saturday. One of the pioneering women in the discovery and research of radioactivity, Maracineanu formed Romanias first laboratory for study of Radioactivity after returning from the Astronomical Observatory in Meudon.



Listed below are her major works as a physicist:

1. Maracineanu's work led to what is most likely the first example of artificial radioactivity. She also dedicated a major part of her life in researching on artificial rain.

2.She researched upon the link between earthquakes and rainfall, making her the first one to report that a significant increase of radioactivity in the Earth's epicentre leads to an earthquake.

3.Maracineanu's contribution as a physicist never attracted a global recognition, however, Academy of Sciences of Romania in 1936 recognised her work and elected her to serve as a Director of Research

4.Maracineanu during her research on her half-life of polonium, she realised that half-life is based on the type of metal it was placed on, which led her to think if the alpha rays from the polonium had transferred some atoms of the metal into radioactive isotopes.

5.When Marie Curies daughter Irene and her husband won a joint noble prize for their discovery of artificial radioactivity, Maracineanu asked for the recognition of her contribution in the discovery.

A graduate in physical and chemical science degree in 1910, Maracineanu began her career as a teacher at Central School for Girls in Bucharest. She later pursued graduate research at the Radium Institute in Paris. Maracineanu also began working on PhD thesis on Polonium, the element which was discovered by Marie Curie.
Prime Minister met his mother Hiraba at her residence near Gandhinagar early on Saturday as she enters 100th year of her life, and took her blessings.

Modi arrived at Raysan village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar city, where his mother stays with his younger brother Pankaj Modi, around 6.30 am and spent around half an hour there.

According to the family members, the prime minister's mother was born on this day in 1923.

To mark the occasion, a "bhandaro" (community meal) has been organised at the city's Jagannath temple. Hatkeshwar temple at Modi's hometown Vadnagar has also planned various programmes on his mother's birthday.

PM Modi is on a day's visit to when he will visit the Pavagadh temple and later address a rally in Vadodara.

(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.)
Inaugurating the redeveloped Kalika Mata Temple, Prime Minister on Saturday said Gujarat's Pavagadh has been a center of universal harmony with the historical diversity of India.

Prime Minister inaugurated the redeveloped Kalika Mata Temple atop the Pavagadh Hill. It is one of the oldest temples in the area and attracts large numbers of pilgrims.

According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the redevelopment of the temple has been done in two phases. The inauguration of the first phase of redevelopment was done by the Prime Minister earlier this year in April.

The foundation stone of the redevelopment of the second phase, which was inaugurated in today's programme, was laid by the Prime Minister in 2017. This includes expansion of the temple base and 'parisar' at three levels, installation of amenities like street lights, CCTV system etc.

The Prime Minister underlined the importance of the moment today when after five centuries and even 75 years after independence, 'dhwaja' the sacred flag was hoisted on the temple.

He said, "Today, after centuries, the flag is once again hoisted on the top of the Pavagadh temple. This 'Shikhar Dhwaj' is not only a symbol of our faith and spirituality but this flag is also a symbol of the fact that centuries change, eras change, but the faith remains eternal."

PM Modi said the redevelopment right before the upcoming 'Gupt Navratri' is an indication that 'Shakti' never dims or disappears.

Referring to Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Kashi Vishvanath Dham and Kedarnath Dham, the Prime Minister pointed out "Today the spiritual and cultural glory of India is being restored. Today New India is proudly living its ancient identity along with its modern aspirations."

The Prime Minister recalled how Swami Vivekananda devoted himself to public service after getting Goddess Kali's briefings.

He said that has made sterling contributions in the freedom struggle as well as in the development journey of the nation.

"Garvi is synonymous with the pride and glory of India. In the glorious tradition of Somnath temple; Panchmahal and Pavagadh have kept working for the pride in our heritage," he said.

In the restoration, he said the ancient essence of the temple was not touched.

The Prime Minister also noted the ease of access to the temple. "Earlier the journey to Pavagadh was so difficult that people used to say that at least once in life the mother should have darshan. Today, the increasing facilities here have made difficult darshan accessible," he said.

Referring to the various temples of Goddess Shakti, the Prime Minister noted that has a security ring of blessings.

"There is spirituality in Pavagadh, there is also history, nature, art and culture. Here on one side is the Shaktipeeth of Maa Mahakali, and on the other side, there is also a heritage Jain temple. That is, Pavagadh has in a way been a centre of universal harmony with the historical diversity of India," PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister noted that with the development of places of faith new opportunities emerge for the region as tourism, employment and awareness about the art and craft of the region increases.

Recalling that Panchmahal is the land of legendary music maestro Baiju Bawara, the Prime Minister said that wherever heritage and culture get strength, art and talent also flourish.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
on Friday directed the state government to furnish a report on the recent violence over controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad.

Two people were killed and two dozen critically injured in violent protests in the state capital on June 10.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice S N Prasad were hearing a public interest litigation filed by one Pankaj Yadav on the violence.

The court directed the state government to mention steps taken to nab the culprits and the future course of action.

The bench also wanted to know how stones were gathered and police pelted with those.

Media reports claimed that shots were also fired at the police. The court observed that such actions can't be tolerated and the miscreants would be taken to task.

The bench also wanted to know the status of intelligence inputs of the state government.

The case will again be heard on June 24.

(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 Union Finance Ministry has already approved the Upper Bhadra project, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday and also demanded the Central government to declare it a national project and release funds for it.

"The Union Finance Ministry has already approved the Upper Bhadra project. I have demanded the Water Resources Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to take the lead in getting the cabinet clearance to declare it as a National Project and release of the funds," said Bommai.

The Chief Minister was speaking to media persons after the GST Group of Ministers meeting in New Delhi.

"I met the Union Water Resources Minister and discussed various irrigation projects of the State. I reiterated my demand to clear the DPR for the Mekedatu project at the earliest," he said.

The Chief Minister said that the issue of the Upper Krishna project too came up for discussion.

"The Tribunal order allowing the State to raise the height of the Almatti dam needs to be notified by the union government. The demand has been conveyed again and the union minister has responded positively," Bommai said.

The Chief Minister also met Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and thanked her for releasing the Rs 8,633 crore GST share of the State.

He also demanded the Finance Minister to reconcile a few accounts issues and release the due amount to the State.

Ministers from 7 states participated in the GST meeting and an interim report would be presented to the GST Council at its next meeting to be held on June 27 and 28, Bommai said.

Replying to a question on violence in various parts of the country against the Agnipath scheme, Bommai said effective measures have been taken to maintain law and order in the state.

"I had a meeting with the DGP, ADGP, Bengaluru Police Commissioner and the Home Secretary yesterday and instructed them to take strong precautionary measures to avoid any untoward incidents," he said.

The Chief Minister further said that the youth who come out after the military service would get ample employment opportunities.

"Agnipath is a scheme with good intentions. 17 to 21 is the age to learn. The youth who come out after the military service would get ample employment opportunities. The huge pool of trained youth would be an asset to society. More clarifications are also expected from the union government," he added.

Violent protest over the Central government's 'Agnipath' scheme for recruitment in armed forces continued in several parts of the country on Friday.

Agnipath Scheme was recently launched by the government in an effort to bring a change in the recruitment process of the Armed Forces. With the new military recruitment scheme facing a backlash by Opposition, the Centre has decided to bring a change in the upper age limit for recruiting Agniveers.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said the state has been powering the technology-based development and this will be the biggest contribution to the development of the country.

This came while speaking at a conclave "What India Thinks Today Global Summit-2022" organised by the TV9 Network in New Delhi.

At the event, the chief minister said that has been identified as the growth engine of the country and it has a long history of technological development.

" is home to the largest number of premier institutions in aerospace, defence and industrial production both in the public and private sectors," he said.

Highlighting Karnataka's importance in the country's economy, Bommai said most of the leading R & D Centers ranging from IT and BT to Artificial Intelligence are in Bengaluru.

"Karnataka is the state with the highest number of R & D Centers. About 400 out of the 500 fortune companies have their presence in Bengaluru. Karnataka is leading others in IT, BT, aerospace and startups," Bommai said.

On being asked about the benefits of double engine government, Bommai said, "Double engine government is definitely beneficial. Many works would have smooth sailing if the doors of Delhi are open. Policies are framed in Delhi, it is the international gateway, only a double engine government can pave the way to attain international level."

The Chief Minister further said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a leader with a long-term vision. He has accorded priority for skills development.

"Karnataka is rich in skilled manpower. The Prime Minister has changed the perception of seeing the huge population as a burden to seeing it as an asset terming it as a 'Demographic Dividend'. The Karnataka state is reaping huge gains from demographic science and its achievement is attracting other states too," Bommai said.

The chief minister further added that the defence sector has a big presence in the state under the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat mission.

"DRDO has many research centers in Karnataka, it is the first state to have signed MoUs with leading Semiconductor companies. The state would soon start manufacturing semiconductors. This is our strength. So the Double Engine Government is bound to bring huge benefits to the state," he said.

"We have the highest number of startups and unicorns. The policies being framed in Delhi have had a direct impact on Karnataka," Bommai said.

Further, he said PM Modi's concept of 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance' is the new model of growth.

"Karnataka's ecosystem, R & D base, and skilled manpower have proved ideal for setting up and growth of startups," Bommai 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.)
The Telengana government on Friday announced Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia for the family of the youth who died in railway police firing at Secunderabad railway station during the protest against new armed forces recruitment policy 'Agnipath'.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday night announced the compensation for the kin of D. Rakesh (22), who hailed from Dabeerpet village of Warangal district of the state.

Expressing deep shock over the death of Rakesh, he conveyed his deep condolences to the youth's family and said a son of Backward Classes lost his life due to wrong policies of the Central government.

The Chief Minister also announced that in addition to Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia, a government job will be provided to a member of Rakesh's family as per his or her qualification.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said it was deplorable that Rakesh became a victim of wrong policies being pursued by the Central government. He assured that the state government will take every care of the children of .

(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.)
Kerala Chief Minister on Saturday urged Prime Minister to put on hold the Agnipath scheme, saying the "protests erupting" against it is a clear indication of the sentiments of India's youngsters.

His statement came amid raging protests in many states including Kerala against the implementation of the scheme. In a tweet, the Chief Minister said, "Protests erupting against the Agnipath Scheme is a clear indication of the sentiments of India's youngsters. In the interest of our country, requested the Hon.@PMOIndia to put the scheme on hold, address criticism by professionals and duly consider the apprehensions of our youth." The Centre had on Tuesday unveiled the ambitious Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of aged between 17 and a half and 21 in the Army, Navy and the Air Force, largely on a four-year short-term contractual basis.

On Thursday night, it raised the upper age limit for recruitment under the 'Agnipath' scheme to 23 years for 2022 as the protests against the new model for enrolment of soldiers into the three services intensified.

On Saturday, the Centre also announced several incentives including reserving 10 per cent vacancies in its paramilitary and the Defence Ministry for Agnipath retirees and said it will look into any grievance about the new military recruitment scheme "with an open mind'.

Those recruited under the scheme will be known as 'Agniveers'.

After the completion of the four-year tenure, 25 per cent of the recruits from each batch will be offered regular service.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Live news updates: The goverment on Saturday announced reserving 10 per cent vacancies in paramilitary and the defence ministry for Agnipath retirees and said it consider any grievance about the new military recruitment scheme "with an open mind'', reacting as violent protests continued for the fourth day in many states.



The home ministry on Saturday announced to reserve 10 per cent vacancies in the Central paramilitary forces and the Assam Rifles for 'Agniveers', besides a three-year relaxation in the upper age limit.

The announcement comes amid widespread protests against a new scheme called Agnipath for recruitment of soldiers on a short-term contractual basis. The soldiers so recruited are to be called 'Agniveers'.

Bitcoin dropped below $20,000 on Saturday to its lowest level in 18 months, extending its slide as investors pull back from riskier assets amid rising interest rates.

The biggest cryptocurrency was down 7.1% to $18,993 at 0906 GMT, having earlier touched $18,732, its lowest since December 2020. It is down about 59% this year, while rival cryptocurrency Ethereum-backed ether is down 73%.
Prime Minister on Saturday launched schemes worth Rs 21,000 crore in Gujarat, hardly six months away from in his home state in December.

He laid the foundation stone for Railway projects worth more than Rs 16,000 croreworks that include a new 357-km long Palanpur-Madar section of a dedicated freight corridor (DFC). He laid foundation stones for the redevelopment of Surat, Udhna, Somnath and Sabarmati railway stations.

Modi dedicated 138,000 houses worth Rs 1,800 crore in urban areas and Rs 1,530 crore in rural areas: they were constructed as part of the (PMAY) scheme.

He inaugurated schemes across verticals at a public meeting called ' Gaurav Abhiyan' in Vadodara. The meeting also saw the launch of projects in railways, housing and education in central .

Urban poor families got 750,000 houses and 450,000 middle class families got help in constructing homes from the central government, Modi told the meeting.

He launched the Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojana nutrition scheme for pregnant and lactating mothers. With an outlay of Rs 800 crore, the scheme will see monthly supply of 2 kg of chickpeas, 1 kg of yellow split pigeon peas (toor dal) and 1 kg of edible oil free of cost from Anganwadi Centres for three years.

"Malnutrition was a big challenge here two decades ago when gave me the opportunity to serve. Since then we started working in this direction one after the other, whose fruitful results are being seen today," said Modi on Saturday, referring to his tenure as the states chief minister.

The Central University of Gujarat is also set to receive its own long pending permanent campus with Modi laying the foundation stone for the same in Kundhela village near Vadodara. The permanent campus of the central university will be constructed at a cost of around Rs 425 crore and will be able to carry a capacity of over 2,500 students.
Police have arrested one person and detained 18 others while they were protesting against the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) M Harsh Wardhan said at around 10.45 a.m. on Friday, 50-60 young boys came from Khaira Mode side towards the Dhansa bus stand near the gate of MCD office.

They were shouting slogans to withdraw the scheme.

The protesters were moved to one side of the road so that traffic movement did not get disturbed. They were also asked to disperse peacefully.

"Later one person namely Surender Sharma alias Fauji joined the and started to instigate the protesters by inflammatory speech," the DCP said, adding the said man also got into a scuffle with police personnel.

The protesters were then immediately dispersed to maintain law and order.

Eighteen active protesters were detained at the spot and they were booked under preventive action, said the official.

The police registered an FIR under sections 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functionsA), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code against Surender Sharma and arrested him.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said Prime Minister will be on a two-day visit to the state during which he will be participating at various events in Bengaluru and Mysuru.

Laying the foundation stone for Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, inauguration of Dr B R Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE), participating in the Yoga Day event and visit to Chamundi hills and Suttur Mutt, a prominent Lingayat seminary, are among the key highlights of his upcoming visit.

"On June 20 and 21, Prime Minister will be visiting Bengaluru and Mysuru. We have got his programme schedule. All arrangements have been done for the smooth conduct of the programmes and all our leaders, legislators, ministers, officials and also police are working in coordination with the SPG," Bommai said.

SPG refers to the Special Protection Group which is a government agency responsible for the safety and protection of the Prime Minister.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing preparations at Kommaghatta where the Prime Minister will be addressing a public function, Bommai said PM Modi will be landing in Bengaluru's Yelahanka Airforce Station at 11.55 am on June 20 and from there he will take a chopper to Air Force Command and further proceed to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), where he will be attending two events.

At IISc, Modi will be inaugurating the Brain Cell Development Centre, for which IT major Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan and family have donated Rs 450 crore. Also, the Prime Minister will be laying foundation for a 850-bed research hospital which is being setup by IT company Mindtree, Bommai added.

After IISC, the PM will be heading to Kommaghatta to lay the foundation stone for Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project and inauguration or foundation stone for railway, road projects, and multi-modal logistic parks.

Stating that suburban railway is needed for Bengaluru to connect the city to the outskirts, the CM said talks were going on for long regarding the Rs 15,000 crore-worth project and a firm decision has been taken to start the work with the BJP government coming to power.

"It will be a big gift from Modiji to the people of Bengaluru, in areas where there is no metro connectivity on the outskirts," he said, adding that about six railway projects will be launched along with National Highway projects, and foundation will be laid for Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) from Dobuspet to Hoskote.

Noting that the Prime Minister will subsequently be heading to Dr B R Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE), where he will unveil the statue of Ambedkar and inaugurate BASE, Bommai said, he will be then be traveling to Mysuru to participate in several events.

He will also be visiting Chamundi hills to offer prayers to goddess Chamundeshwari, the reigning deity of Mysuru and its royals, and will also pay a visit to Suttur Mutt, a prominent Lingayat seminary in the state.

On June 21, Modi will be participating in the Yoga Day event at the Palace premises in Mysuru, he added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Various parties, like the RJD, the HAM, and the VIP on Friday extended their support to the Bandh called by different youth organisations of the state on Saturday.

The call for a bandh amid violence sweeping since the last three days and many railway properties being attacked and destroyed on Friday as well.

A mob set part of Danapur railway station in Patna district on fire. They have set a car, parked near a fuel station, on fire.

Meanwhile RJD national President Lalu Prasad slammed the BJP government at the Centre.

"Capitalist government of Narendra Modi is increasing unemployment through anti-youth policies. Is this a government (Narendra Modi Government) formed by contractors who are offering jobs on the contract. Center should withdraw the Agnipath scheme immediately," he said.

He also appealed to the youths "to protest in a peaceful and democratic manner".

His son and Leader of Opposition in Assembly Tejashwi Yadav said: "If Centre has the justification for Agnipath why they are not recruiting officers on contract basis and why only kawans? The center should clarify whether 90 days leave which a regular army personnel is entitled to is applicable on Agniveers or not."

Hindustani Awam Morcha and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi also announced support for the Bandh.

"HAM is with youths of the country who are protesting against the Agnipath scheme. HAM does not believe in any kind of violence. We are ideologically supporting the on June 18 in the interest of youths and the country," he said.

Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) President and former minister Mukesh Sahani said: "We have given moral and ideological support to the youths for Bihar Bandh on June 18. There is a great anger among youths of the country against the Agnipath scheme and Narendra Modi government. That's the reason why lakhs of youths hit the streets in the country. The Central government is not stepping back which is a great concern for the country. It is extremely unfortunate."

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi, who faced the heat on Friday morning when a large number of youths pelted stones on her house in Bettiah town, said: "The students of the country do not understand the Agnipath scheme properly. Our students cannot do wrongful acts and violence. Those who are involved in violence are the goons of opposition parties who are trying to destabilise the government. Agnipath scheme is related to military training which the Centre wants to give to the youths of the country."

Industry Minister Shahnawaz Hussain said: "Confusion about the Agnipath scheme is spreading in the country and some people are creating violence in the shade of youths. Centre has taken historic decisions and every one needs to understand the scheme properly."

(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.)
Every state must recognise its strength, define its targets and develop a roadmap to achieve the same as this is essential for India to become a $5 trillion economy, Prime Minister Narenda Modi said at the national conference of Chief Secretaries which concluded on Friday.

"Urban areas will be key in future development and employment generation. Therefore, urban local bodies must be strengthened, and urban planning should be done innovatively," Prime Minister Modi said.

The conference, chaired by the Prime Minister, was attended by young district collectors and magistrates from states and union territories as well as the officials from Union ministries.

Appreciating the extensive sessions, the Prime Minister said that the deliberations were useful in laying out a roadmap for the sectors. He stressed that the Centre and states work together as "Team India". The action points and fresh ideas discussed at the conference must be implemented without delay, he said.

Emphasising on minimum government and maximum governance, Prime Minister Modi stressed the need to ensure greater ease of living in India. He also said that decriminalisation of minor offences should be taken up in mission mode.

He also spoke on the usage of drones in the service industry, such as for the delivery of essential drugs or horticultural products especially in hilly areas, which would add more economic value to the farmers and service providers.

Urging that all vacancies across state government departments must be filled, the Prime Minister said the states must identify such vacancies under each sector and fill them. "The states must try to integrate anganwadis with primary schools to achieve the goals of the National Education Policy," he added.

While stressing on the need for improving the usage of technology in all government schemes and programmes for creating interoperability of datasets of the Centre and states, the Prime Minister also said that PM-GatiShakti should be appropriately implemented to attract investment.

--IANS

avr/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.)
Police in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar on Friday secured a three-day custody of a national, who was arrested earlier this week on charges of staying illegally in India, and his Indian girlfriend, officials said.

The police had sought a week-long custody of national Xue fei aka Kelay (36) and his Indian girlfriend Petekhrinuo (22), who hails from Nagaland, but a court in Surajpur granted them only three days' remand, a senior officer said.

Xue fei was staying at the Jaypee Greens society in Greater Noida with his Indian girlfriend since 2020 with no valid documents and an expired visa. The duo were arrested from a hotel in Haryana's Gurugram on Monday, according to officials.

The arrest of Xue fei and Petekhrinuo came after the arrest of two more nationals, who were residing with them in Greater Noida, but were caught at the Indo-Nepal border in Bihar last Saturday while trying to cross over to the Himalayan nation, the officials said.

"The police have secured three days' custody of the Chinese national and his Indian friend. They are being questioned by the police as well as central probe agencies," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Minakshi Katyayan told PTI, declining to comment further on the topic.

Meanwhile, police in Greater Noida continued to investigate possible links to a Chinese-style club that was being operated illegally and in a clandestine manner in the remote Gharbara village.

Police have recovered a currency note-counting machine and retrieved CCTV footage from the three-storey building that had luxury rooms, a bar and a restaurant among other facilities and had Chinese nationals living in India as majority patrons, according to officials.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As protests against the 'Agnipath' scheme in several parts of the country continue, Vice President on Friday said people have every right to but there is no place for violence in a democracy.

The damaging public property would be harming the nation's interests, he said and called upon people to shun extremist tendencies.

Interacting with a group of students from Jawaharlal Nehru University at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas, Naidu called upon the people to protect the nation's unity, sovereignty and integrity and said that hatred and intolerance are not part of Indian culture.

The Vice President reiterated that India is the largest thriving parliamentary democracy and follows the principle of 'Sarva Dharma Sambhava'.

He said that the colonial rulers tried to create an inferiority complex among Indians and urged students to take pride in India's glorious civilisation.

Replying to a variety of questions from the students, the Vice President said that to be successful in life, it is important to aim high, work hard, and remain committed to achieving one's goals.

He advised the students to read about the lives and teachings of our great leaders and emulate their qualities to achieve success.

The Vice President wanted the students to protect and promote their mother tongue while acquiring proficiency in as many languages as possible.

He advised the students to adopt healthy food practices and undertake regular exercise.

Protests have broken out in various parts of the country against the new recruitment scheme in the Armed Forces. In some places, the protests turned violent as trains were set ablaze.

Meanwhile, one person died in Telangana's Secunderabad on Friday as protests against the newly announced military recruitment policy, Agnipath, turned violent.

Earlier, protesters torched compartments of a train in Bihar's Samastipur and those in another train at Lakhisarai station.

Notably, Agnipath Scheme was launched by the government, on June 14, in an effort to bring a change in the recruitment process of the Armed Forces. With the new military recruitment scheme facing a backlash by Opposition, the Centre has decided to bring a change in the upper age limit for recruiting Agniveers.

Granting a one-time waiver, the Centre on June 16, 2022, announced that the Agniveer upper age limit for recruitments via Agnipath Scheme has been extended to 23 years from 21 years.

The scheme is called Agnipath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers. Agnipath allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years.

(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.)
Railway authorities on Saturday closed the Visakhapatnam railway station and beefed up security at all other major stations in as a precautionary measure to prevent protests against the Central government's Agnipath military recruitment scheme.

Following intelligence alerts about army aspirants planning massive protests, authorities have shut down the station and stopped the trains at 7 a.m.

Officials said the station will remain closed till noon.

Passengers were allowed into the station till 7 a.m. after thorough checking. Later, the authorities declared the station will remain closed for all.

All trains coming from Vijayawada were being stopped or diverted at the Duvvada railway station on the outskirts. Trains coming from Howrah were being stopped or diverted at Kothavalasa.

Meanwhile, a high alert was sounded at the Guntur railway station following reports that youth aspiring to join the army are planning a huge .

Authorities beefed up the security and were allowing passengers to enter the premises only after checking their tickets.

At least 20 youths who were heading towards the Guntur station were arrested by police at Kothapet.

The alert was sounded in view of reports messages were being circulated on WhatsApp for the planned at Guntur station.

Security was also beefed up at Vijayawada, Kurnool, Tirupati and other major railway stations in as a precautionary measure in the wake of violent protests at the Secunderabad railway station on Friday.

Large scale violence rocked Secunderabad station as hundreds of youth went on a rampage, setting afire trains, goods and vandalizing the station.

One person was killed and four others were injured when the railway police opened fire to control the situation.

After the lasting for more than nine hours, police arrested the youth.

Train services resumed late Friday.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UN chief urges action to drought-proof planet's future

Xinhua) 11:11, June 18, 2022

UNITED NATIONS, June 17 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for actions to reverse the downward spiral of land degradation which results in drought and other nature disasters.

"Let us act now to drought-proof our future," the UN chief said in a message for World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

He said droughts in all regions are getting more frequent and fierce, and that the well-being of hundreds of millions of people is being compromised by increasing sandstorms, wildfires, crop failures, displacement and conflict.

Guterres warned that by mid-century, three-quarters of people could be living with drought.

"Climate change bears much responsibility, but so does how we manage our land," the UN chief said.

Half the world's population is already coping with the consequences of land degradation, he said, noting that "we can and must reverse this downward spiral."

"We can restore land for a fraction of what is currently being spent on environmentally harmful subsidies. Every dollar invested in restoring land can generate 30 times that much in benefits," he said.

Guterres said that while there are success stories of land restoration, such as the Great Green Wall of the Sahel in Africa which has already restored millions of hectares of land and created thousands of jobs, "much more needs to be done."

"Taking care of our land and its biodiversity can help address the climate crisis and assist in reaching all our Sustainable Development Goals," he said.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
India's purchases of Russian coal have spiked in recent weeks despite global sanctions on Moscow, as traders offer discounts of up to 30%, according to two trade sources and data reviewed by Reuters.

Russia, facing severe Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, warned the European Union in April against sweeping sanctions on coal, saying they would backfire as the fuel would be redirected to other markets.

India has refrained from condemning Russia, with which it has longstanding political and security ties, while calling for an end to violence in Ukraine. New Delhi defends its purchases of Russian goods as part of an effort to diversify supplies and argues a sudden halt would jack up world prices and hurt its consumers.

U.S. officials have told India there is no ban on energy imports from Russia but they do not want to see a "rapid acceleration". Yet as European importers shun trade with Moscow, Indian buyers are lapping up huge quantities of Russian coal despite high freight costs.

Its purchases of coal and related products jumped more than six-fold in the 20 days through Wednesday from the same period a year earlier to $331.17 million, according to unpublished Indian government data reviewed by Reuters.

Indian refiners similarly have snapped up cheap Russian oil shunned by Western countries. The value of India's oil trade with Russia in the 20 days through Wednesday jumped more than 31-fold to $2.22 billion, the data showed. India's trade ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.

"The Russian traders have been liberal with payment routes and are accepting payments in Indian rupee and United Arab Emirates dirham," one source said. "The discounts are attractive, and this trend of higher Russian coal purchases will continue."

Coal buying to continue

Offshore units of such Russian coal traders as Suek AG, KTK and Cyprus-based Carbo One in places including Dubai and Singapore offered discounts of 25% to 30%, triggering bulk purchases of Russian thermal coal by traders supplying to utilities and cement makers, the sources said.

The second source said the Singapore-based unit of Suek was also accepting payments in dollars. Suek and KTK did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reuters could not immediately reach Carbo One.

The EU ban has barred new coal contracts and by mid-August will force members nations to terminate existing ones. India bought an average $16.55 million of Russian coal a day in the three weeks through Wednesday, more than double the $7.71 million it bought in the three months after Russia's Feb. 24 invasion, according to Reuters calculations.

Oil purchases averaged $110.86 million a day in the 20-day period, more than triple the $31.16 million it spent in the three months ended May 26.

Indian bulk buying of Russian coal is set to continue, with June imports expected to be the most in at least seven and a half years, Refinitiv Eikon ship tracking data showed.

Bulk shipments of Russian thermal coal started reaching India in the third week of May, with orders mainly from cement and steel firms and traders, according to shipping data compiled by an Indian coal trader.

(Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan and Aftab Ahmed; Editing by William Mallard)

(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.)
With just 48 hours to go before a thriller contest for the biennial elections, the main contest will be between Congress' Mumbai President Bhai Jagtap and BJP's Prasad Lad for the 10th seat.

A total of 11 candidates are vying for the 10 MLC seats vide the electoral college comprising 288 MLAs, though effectively 285 shall vote in the on Monday (June 20).

Jagtap, 66, is a trade unionist heading the Bharatiya Kamgar Karmachari Mahasangh (BKKM) and President of Mumbai Congress, while Lad, 51, is a former MLC and ex-chairman of Mumbai Buildings Repair and Reconstruction Board.

Both considered good pals on a personal level, Lad is considered a confidante of Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and has been a trouble-shooter for the on various occasions.

Of the 288-member lower house, one MLA Ramesh Latke died recently, while two NCP MLAs Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik - currently in jail - were denied permission by Bombay High Court to vote for the MLC polls.

The quota for winning - depending on the actual votes cast - would be 26 or 27 per candidate, and the 29 MLAs of smaller parties or independents will play a crucial role in the .

The MVA has fielded Sachin Ahit and Amasha Padvi (Shiv Sena), Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar and Eknath Khadse (Nationalist Party), Chandrakant Handore and Bhai Jagtap (Congress).

The has nominated Pravin Darekar, Prof Ram Shinde, Shrikant Bhartiya, Uma Khapre and Prasad Lad.

With a strength of 106, the can comfortably bag four of the five seats it is contesting and the battle will be for Lad's candidature vis-a-vis Jagtap.

The Sena with 55 legislators and NCP with 51 MLAs can easily win their two seats respectively, while the with 44 legislators would require around a dozen votes from the independents, smaller parties or its allies.

Both MVA and BJP are desperately wooing the independents and smaller parties though the Samajwadi Party, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi have yet to indicate which side they will vote for.

--IANS

qn/skp/

(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 (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Millath Ltd based in Davangere, Karnataka, saying all depositors will receive their money.

"As on May 18, 2022, DICGC has already paid Rs 10.38 crore of the total insured deposits under the provisions of Section 18A of the DICGC Act, 1961, based on the willingness received from the concerned depositors of the bank," the RBI said in a press release, referring to the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation.

Millath does not have adequate capital and earning prospects and as such does not comply with provisions of Section 11 (1) and Section 22 (3) d read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. Its continuance is against the interests of depositors, the RBI said.

"The Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Karnataka, has also been requested to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank," the RBI said.
The Bipartisan Gun Law being negotiated in the Congress appears to have hit bumps already with majority of the American citizens and pro-gun lobby Republicans unwilling to back it unless they know what is actually in the bill.

This is despite the fact that Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, Republican from Kentucky, supports the laws in principle.

Speaking at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday in favour of the new gun violence legislation, health and law experts, law enforcement personnel, and a parent of a school shooting victim spoke strongly for the law, but also opined that a bipartisan deal being negotiated in the Congress doesn't go far enough, said USA Today in a special dispatch.

Pro-gun Republican lawmakers said they won't back the "framework" being discussed until they see what the actual bill says despite a strong in-principle backing from Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.

Even as details for the framework legislation are being straightened out, the Senate hearing on Wednesday gave an idea of what the stakeholders and Senators expect beyond the broad proposal amid their reservations.

"This framework doesn't include everything I want, but it's made up of reforms that Americans overwhelmingly support," said Illinois Democrat Senator Dick Durbin, who chairs the committee.

Broad support for mental health, early intervention and community support are included in the bipartisan framework deal besides support for state crisis intervention, investment in children and family mental health services and penalties for straw purchasing.

The new laws cover protections for domestic violence victims, clarification on the definition of a federally licensed firearms dealer and funding for school safety resources and school-based mental health services, said ys the USA Today report.

An "enhanced review process" for gun buyers under 21 years of age would include an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement agencies. It would not ban assault-style weapons, prohibit high-capacity magazines, or raise the age from 18 to 21 to buy a semi-automatic rifle.

People are not happy with this framework because it is vastly different from the New York state legislature 10-pack law that prohibits sale of semi-automatics to youth under 21 years, and insists on strict background checks on gun salesmen and buyers.

In Wednesday's hearing, the Senators were divided on how much the new legislation should focus on mental health services versus stricter gun control.

Mora Szilagyi, a pediatrician and president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said it will take "a multipronged approach", as an issue as complex and pervasive as gun violence doesn't have simple solutions.

Szilagyi quoted a recent study that revealed all school shooters had a significant amount of childhood trauma. She was of the opinion that addressing them early on with a network of school-based, community-based, and primary care-based centres would help identify signs of trouble before a situation worsens.

Several Senators and witnesses focused on red flag laws, which allow courts to confiscate firearms from those deemed a danger to themselves or .

Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat from Connecticut, spoke in favour of expanding these extreme risk protection orders which he and Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican, Syracuse, has introduced in the bipartisan framework.

What is bipartisan gun law legislation and how did it originate?

A bipartisan group of Senators unveiled an agreement in principle for gun safety legislation recently with an overview of a reform package to redress the nation's most pressing and divisive issue in the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas.

CNN TV News Network said one of the biggest hurdles to be sorted out is how exactly the framework legislation is going to be worded and written as a legal document. The announcement includes the support of 10 Republican Senators, which would give the proposal enough support to overcome the Senate filibuster -- but maintaining it through the legislative process will be a big challenge for the lawmakers to overcome before the next Congressional recess in two weeks.

Democrats are yet pursuing an ambitious goal: Draft the bill and keep Republicans on board before the next recess, close aides told CNN. Many of the details in the plan are still unsettled. ere is what the lawmakers included in the framework and what they left out:

Reforms included in the agreement

'Red flag' laws

A significant piece of the framework legislation is helping states create and implement the so-called red flag laws that keep guns off the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or . This legislation would provide significant funding to help states create new red flag laws, but the 19 states -- and Washington -- that already have these laws on the books would also be eligible for funding to improve the effectiveness of their established programs.

Mental health and telehealth investment

The proposal also includes "major investments to increase access to mental health and suicide prevention programmes; and other support services available in the community, including crisis and trauma intervention and recovery".

Closing the so-called boyfriend loophole

The senators said the legislation will address the so-called boyfriend loophole, which deals with whether unmarried partners could keep guns if they were found guilty of violence against a dating partner, according to the CNN report.

Early this year, the Senate negotiators involved in Violence Against Women Act dropped the provision under pressure from the gun lobbyist in the Congress, the National Rifle Association. This has dealt a huge blow to Democrats. However, its inclusion in this framework shows 10 Republicans are willing to override the largest gun lobby on an issue where they had maintained a long-stated position.

Enhanced review process for buyers under 21

A very competent due diligence process is being put in place in the new framework legislation for a more thorough review process for people between ages 18 and 21 buying a gun like an AR-15. Under a background check review, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System would have to also contact state and local law enforcement agencies to search for any disqualifying mental health or juvenile records, according to the Democratic aide.

Clarifying the definition of a Federally Licensed Firearm Dealer

How to define this is under debate. Because firearm sellers, proven to be "engaged in the business of selling firearms", need to be put on notice that they need to register to become Federally Licensed Firearm Dealers. It's significant because it means those dealers have to conduct background checks under federal law.

School security resources

The legislation would address an area Republicans have focused on in recent weeks: school security. The lawmakers said in their release that the proposal provides money "to help institute safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools", while also supporting "school violence prevention efforts" and training for school employees and students.

What have the lawmakers left out

Expanded background checks

The framework legislation does not include a provision to enhance background checks for all firearm sales or transfers in the country. Currently, background checks are not required for gun sales and transfers by unlicensed and private sellers. Democrats have been supporting such a requirement for a long time.

Last year, the House passed gun legislation that would expand background checks on all commercial gun sales, making it the first Congressional move on significant gun control as Democrats won the White House and the majority in both chambers of Congress.

Assault weapons ban

Also left out is a federal ban on military-style assault weapons, another measure Democrats have been pushing for in recent years, citing mass shootings that have involved such weapons.

Higher minimum age of purchase

Additionally, the agreement doesn't include a change to the age at which a person can purchase an assault-style weapon. Democrats, including West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, the chamber's most conservative Democrat, have said the age to purchase assault weapons must be raised from 18 to 21.

The New York legislators have done this in their 10-pack legislation on gun control. Witnesses and Senators advocate for more new details to the framework.

Senators and witnesses at Wednesday's hearing also pushed for the inclusion of safe storage of firearms -- also known as Ethan's Law -- that would require an unloaded or loaded gun to be properly stored so children cannot access them.

The proposal is not part of the bipartisan framework. Phoenix police chief Williams told the committee that Ethan's Law "could save thousands of lives" and that the MCCA agrees that safe storage is vital for preventing accidental violence and suicide among children.

Senator Cory Booker, Democrat from New Jersey, spoke about modifying Breaking the Cycle of Violence Act, to provide federal grants to communities for violence intervention and prevention programmes. Booker cited the success of similar programmes in Massachusetts and Oakland, California, according to USA Today.

Senator Cornyn on bipartisan gun proposal

Senator John Cornyn, Republican from Texas, addressed other things needed within the legislation and said that negotiations are ongoing. He said he and his colleagues need to work together so that they can vote on the bill the following week.

--IANS

arm/

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Cyber-security researchers have unearthed a new enterprise-grade spyware called 'Hermit' that is being used by the governments via SMS messages to target high-profile people like business executives, human rights activists, journalists, academics and government officials.

The team at cyber-security company Lookout Threat Lab uncovered the 'surveillanceware' that was used by the government of Kazakhstan in April, four months after nationwide protests against government policies were violently suppressed.

"Based on our analysis, the spyware, which we named 'Hermit' is likely developed by Italian spyware vendor RCS Lab and Tykelab Srl, a telecommunications solutions company we suspect to be operating as a front company," the researchers said in a blog post.

This isn't the first time Hermit has been deployed.

Italian authorities used it in an anti-corruption operation in 2019.

"We also found evidence suggesting that an unknown actor used it in northeastern Syria, a predominantly Kurdish region that has been the setting of numerous regional conflicts," the team noted.

RCS Lab, a known developer that has been active for over three decades, operates in the same market as Pegasus developer NSO Group Technologies and Gamma Group, which created FinFisher.

RCS Lab has engaged with military and intelligence agencies in Pakistan, Chile, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar and Turkmenistan.

Collectively branded as "lawful intercept" companies, they claim to only sell to customers with legitimate use for surveillanceware, such as intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

"In reality, such tools have often been abused under the guise of national security to spy on business executives, human rights activists, journalists, academics and government officials," the researchers warned.

Hermit is a modular spyware that hides its malicious capabilities in packages downloaded after it's deployed.

These modules, along with the permissions the core apps have, enable Hermit to exploit a rooted device, record audio and make and redirect phone calls, as well as collect data such as call logs, contacts, photos, device location and SMS messages.

"We theorise that the spyware is distributed via SMS messages pretending to come from a legitimate source. The malware samples analysed impersonated the applications of telecommunications companies or smartphone manufacturers," said the Lookout team.

Hermit tricks users by serving up the legitimate webpages of the brands it impersonates as it kickstarts malicious activities in the background.

The researchers said they are also aware of an iOS version of Hermit "but were unable to obtain a sample for analysis".

According to leaked documents published in WikiLeaks, RCS Lab was a reseller for another Italian spyware vendor HackingTeam, now known as Memento Labs, as early as 2012.

Hermit is a highly configurable spyware with enterprise-grade capabilities to collect and transmit data.

The spyware also attempts to maintain data integrity of collected aevidence' by sending a hash-based message authentication code (HMAC).

"In a sense, electronic surveillance tools are not that different from any other type of weaponry. Just this month, faced with financial pressure, CEO of the NSO group Shalev Hulio opened up the possibility of selling to 'risky' clients," said the researchers.

Pegasus was developed by the Israeli cyber company NSO Group that can be covertly installed on mobile phones and other devices.

It was capable of reading text messages, tracking calls, collecting passwords, location tracking, accessing the target device's microphone and camera, and harvesting information from apps.

The spyware has been used for surveillance of activists, journalists and political leaders from several nations around the world, including in India.

The Supreme Court-appointed technical committee last month informed the court that it would submit the Pegasus probe report soon.

The committee informed the top court that 29 mobile devices have been examined.

The Supreme Court gave more time to the technical committee to finalise and submit its report.

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Sergey Brin, the Google co-founder and worlds sixth-richest person, filed for a from his wife of three years, making him the third mega-billionaire to do so in as many years.

Brin filed a petition for dissolution of his marriage to Nicole Shanahan this month, citing irreconcilable differences, according to court documents. The couple, who have a three-year-old son, took steps to keep the details of the split private, requesting that documents be sealed by the court.

Because of the high profile nature of their relationship, there is likely to be significance public interest in their dissolution case and any potential child custody issues, according to the filing in Santa Clara, California.

Business Insider earlier reported on the split.

Brin, 48, has a fortune of $94 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, derived largely from his holdings in Google, the company he co-founded wth Larry Page in 1998 that later formed the holding company Alphabet Inc. Both he and Page left Alphabet in 2019, although they remain on the board and still are the controlling shareholders.

Brins earlier marriage to 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki ended in in 2015.

His most recent split comes a year after Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates announced the dissolution of their marriage and about three years after Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott divorced. At the time, Gates and French Gates had a $145 billion fortune to divide, while Bezos and Scott had $137 billion at stake when they broke up.

Its likely Brin and Shanahan have a prenuptial agreement since the relationship began long after he became a billionaire, said Monica Mazzei, a partner at Sideman & Bancroft LLP in San Francisco. But because the case is being handled by a private judge, we will never know the details of the divorce, she said.

Bia-Echo Foundation



Philanthropy could also play a role in the agreement, Mazzei said. Shanahan created the Bia-Echo Foundation, whose focus is on longevity and equality, criminal justice reform and a healthy and livable planet, according to its website. The foundation reported $16.7 million in assets and made $7.4 million in grants, according to its 2019 tax filing, the most recent available.

Mazzei said divorce agreements often include the support of an ex-spouses philanthropy because its mutually beneficial: The grantor gets a tax break and the grantee gets agency over their charitable giving. Brin was the only contributor to the foundation, according to the tax form, with a gift that year of more than $23 million.

A representative for the Bia-Echo Foundation didnt return a call requesting comment.

Scott has become the worlds most prolific philanthropist since her split from Bezos, granting billions of dollars to a wide range of causes thanks to the 4% stake in Amazon.com Inc. she ended up with in 2019.

Following the Gateses divorce, their focus has also turned to philanthropy. Unlike Scott and Bezos, the former couple had already made their name as mega-donors with their Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and there were questions about how the $50 billion charitable engine would be affected.

French Gates has since turned attention to her own philanthropic investment firm Pivotal Ventures, which was started in 2015 with a focus on implementing innovative solutions to problems affecting U.S. women and families.
India will not allow any unilateral attempt by China to change the status quo or alter the Line of Actual Control (LAC), External Affairs Minister said on Saturday, while asserting that through an enormous logistical effort, the country had countered the Chinese in eastern Ladakh.

Talking about the eastern Ladakh border row, Jaishankar said China, in violation of the 1993 and 1996 agreements not to mass troops on the LAC, chose to do so, and added that its attempt was obviously to unilaterally change the LAC.

"Even though we were in the midst of COVID-19 at that time, through an enormous logistical effort, which I think sometimes has not been adequately recognised by people, by analysts, even in our in this country, we were actually able to counter them at the LAC," Jaishankar said at a town hall organised by CNN-News18.

Elaborating on the row, he said some people have a simplistic idea of the border and one does not typically deploy at the patrolling point and that troops are in depth areas.

"What has happened as a result of this is because they (China) had forward deployments which were new and we counter-deployed, we also had forward deployments. You ended up with a very sort of intricate mix...which was very dangerous because they were too proximate, the rules of engagement were not being observed and then, exactly what we apprehended happened at Galwan two years ago. It became violent and there were casualties," Jaishankar said.

"Since then, we have had a situation where we negotiate the friction points. When you say have you yielded results, many of those friction points have been resolved," he said.

"There are areas where they pulled back, we pulled back. Remember, both of us are very much in advance of what our pre-April positions were. Has it all been done? No. Have we made substantial solutions? Actually, yes," Jaishankar said.

"It is hard work. It is very patient work, but we are very clear on one point, which is, we will not allow any unilateral attempt by China to change the status quo or alter the LAC," he said.

"I do not care how long it takes, how many rounds we do, how hard we have to negotiate -- this is something we are very clear of," Jaishankar said.

He also said the talks with China have not come to an end.

The remarks came amid a standoff between India and China that began in early May of 2020. As a result of military talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.

India has been consistently maintaining that peace and tranquillity along the LAC are key for the overall development of the bilateral ties.

In his remarks at the town hall, Jaishankar also said India's history with the United States is a troubled one.

"A lot of our problems with Pakistan are directly attributable to the support which the United States gave to Pakistan," he added.

But today, there is a US that is able to take a long view, which is actually able to say "India has a different history with Russia and we have to take that into account", he said.

"Part of the reason why Quad has worked is that the four of us have given each other that degree of latitude and understanding," Jaishankar said.

India's history with Russia is different from the latter's history with the US, Japan or Australia, and everybody in the Quad does not have an identical position on everything, he said.

"Had it been the case, we would have expected everybody to have the same stand on Pakistan as ours," Jaishankar said.

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Sri Lanka's Mahinda Amaraweera on Saturday was jeered by a group of farmers who protested his visit to an agriculture-related programme in Tissamaharama, a town situated in the country's southern province in Hambantota district, forcing him to flee the premises.

Amaraweera visited the Tissamaharama Divisional Secretariat on Saturday to attend an agriculture-related programme. Upon his arrival, a group of angry locals, consisting mostly of farmers, gathered opposite the local government body and staged a protest, according to web portal newsfirst.lk.

When the minister attempted to inquire, chaos broke out forcing the minister to flee the premises, the report added.

Sri Lanka's economic meltdown has taken a severe toll on the agricultural sector.

A blanket ban on the use of chemical fertilisers imposed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in April 2021 has caused a crippling blow to rice production in the country.

Prime Minister has predicted that by September this year, around four to five million out of the country's 22 million population could be directly affected by food shortage.

In such a grim scenario, farmers across the island nation have been forced to abandon their fields.

Earlier this week, the Cabinet also approved a move to grant government officials one leave per week for the next three months to engage in agriculture to mitigate the approaching food crisis.

The Army will also take part in a farming drive aimed at cultivating over 1,500 acres of barren or abandoned state land to multiply food production and avert any shortage in the future, newsfirst.lk reported.

which is facing its worst since independence from Britain in 1948.

The has led to an acute shortage of essential items like food, medicine, cooking gas, fuel and toilet paper, with Sri Lankans being forced to wait in lines for hours outside stores to buy fuel and cooking gas.

The nearly bankrupt country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, announced in April that it is suspending nearly USD 7 billion foreign debt repayment due for this year out of about USD 25 billion due through 2026.

Sri Lanka's total foreign debt stands at USD 51 billion.

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is blindly following Sri Lanka's path which will lead the country to fall into the trap.

Pakistan's already fragile economy suffered another setback when recently China demanded repayment, by November 2023, of USD 55.6 million for the Lahore Orange Line Project, reported Italian publication Osservatorio Globalizzazione.

Meanwhile, at the end of March, the foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of fell by a massive USD 2.915 billion, due to the repayment of external debt. Thus, faces a bleak economic future as far as relations with China are concerned.

The Chinese company, China-Railway North Industries Corporation (CR-NORINCO) which completed the Lahore Orange Line Project in 2020 has demanded from the Punjab Mass Transit Authority, an outstanding sum of USD 45.3 million by the end of March 2023 and the remaining outstanding of USD 10.5 million by the end of the year. CR-NORINCO has insisted that all dues be repaid before the expiry of the contract on 16 November 2023, reported Osservatorio Globalizzazione.

China has made a hard bargain with Pakistan when it comes to paybacks on its loans and other investments in Pakistan. In the fiscal year 2021-2022, Pakistan paid around USD 150 million towards interest to China for using a USD 4.5 billion Chinese trade finance facility. In the financial year 2019-2020, Pakistan paid USD 120 million towards interest on USD 3 billion in loans.

The Chinese demand for the Lahore Line payment was made in the first week of April 2022 when the new political dispensation under PM Shehbaz Sharif had just stepped into office. Earlier, at the beginning of March 2022, China acceded to Pakistan's request to roll over a whopping USD 4.2 billion debt repayment to provide a major relief for its all-weather ally, reported Osservatorio Globalizzazione.

China has been quite stringent in recovering money from Pakistan. Take Pakistan's energy sector for instance, where Chinese investors have repeatedly insisted on resolving issues relating to existing project sponsors in order to attract fresh investment.

Some Chinese projects in Pakistan are facing problems in securing insurance for their loans in China due to Pakistan's massive energy sector circular debt of about USD14 billion.

Pakistan has to pay around USD 1.3 billion to Chinese power producers and so far only USD 280 million has been paid. Another example of hard bargaining by China over monetary dealings vis-a-vis Pakistan is well documented in the case of the Dasu Dam Project. Last year, China demanded USD 38 million towards compensation for the families of 36 engineers who had died in the Dasu Dam terror attack.

Compensation was made a precondition for resumption of work on the project. To placate China, Pakistan subsequently agreed to pay USD 11.6 million as compensation.

While China is heavily responsible for Pakistan's debt problem, it is the mishandling of Pakistan's economy by successive governments that has led to the current impasse.

Extensive loans taken from China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well as 13 loans from the IMF over 30 years (with most loan programmes called off mid-way for failure to fulfil loan conditions), is a major cause for the economic downturn.

The 2019 USD 6 billion IMF loan is also on hold, and China has dealt with Pakistan's frequent requests to help. Ironically, Pakistan on its part is not shy of playing the loan addict.

This strategy has not paid the dividends and is only making Pakistan sink deeper into debt. Pakistan must be closely watching developments in Sri Lanka, for it could be next nation to face the consequences of bad economic policies and heavy debt burdens, reported Osservatorio Globalizzazione.

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There has been a significant increase in terrorist activities across since the came to power and it has "symbiotic relations" with various terror groups, Afghan Ambassador Farid Mamundzay said on Friday.

The Afghan envoy to India, appointed by the previous Ashraf Ghani government, also said the people of are going through the "darkest moments once in a generation" now as the country is facing economic, security and political crises.

"The fall of Kabul in August last year triggered complex humanitarian, security and political crises and Afghans are going through the darkest moments once in a generation right now," he said at a conference organised by the TV9 Bharatvarsh news channel.

The ambassador said the has "symbiotic relations" with various terror groups.

"In the aftermath of the US withdrawal (of troops) from and the return of the Taliban, there is a significant increase of terrorist activities across the country," Mamundzay said.

"The ISK (Islamic State-Khorasan) has gained more strength, the al-Qaeda is on the rise again. In the first 10 months since the fall of Kabul, the ISK's size has doubled from 2,000 to 4,000, mostly because of the release of ISK prisoners," he added.

The ambassador said as long as the exists in Afghanistan in the "current form", there is going to be an increase in terrorist activities, including terrorist sanctuaries and infrastructure required to drive a terror network.

"There is a rise of terror groups and their activities. As long as there is no change in the political landscape, there is going to be further deterioration in the current circumstances," he said.

Mamundzay said 21 terrorist groups exist in Afghanistan and the current economic crisis is providing a "perfect" ground for such groups to recruit people.

"Afghanistan is weak and a failing State, which is a prerequisite for any terrorist sanctuary. There are no jobs, the economy is cashless and people are going through difficult economic circumstances. It is a perfect ground for those terror groups to recruit people," he said.

At the same time, Mamundzay said terrorism is not an Afghan phenomenon.

"It is a regional and phenomenon. The Afghans are victims of terrorism. There has not been a single regional or incident where an Afghan citizen has been involved. Yet we pay the price for terrorism," he said.

The envoy also slammed the western powers, claiming that they left the Afghans on their own.

"We have been left alone. We have been humiliated by the West. The West negotiated a deal with the Taliban where they delivered to the Taliban, yet they failed to deliver to the Afghan people. Where we are today is because of a failed agreement with the Taliban in Doha," he said.

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British health officials reported another 50 cases of monkeypox across the country on Friday, for a total of 574 cases. That makes the U.K.'s outbreak the biggest to date beyond .

In a statement, Britain's Health Security Agency said most of the cases have been identified in gay or bisexual men, but warned that anyone who is in close, physical contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk of catching the usually rare disease.

If you have a rash with blisters, or any other monkeypox symptoms, don't go to events, meet with friends or have sexual contact, cautioned Dr. William Welfare of Britain's Health Security Agency. He said people who might have been exposed to the disease should stay at home and call health services for advice.

The World Health Organization has said people with monkeypox could be infectious for up to four weeks and advised them to isolate until they have completely recovered.

Globally, more than 30 countries have reported 1,880 infections in countries that don't typically report monkeypox, with 85 per cent of cases in Europe. No deaths have been reported.

Until last month, monkeypox had only caused sizeable outbreaks in central and west Africa; the continent has so far reported more than 1,500 cases and 72 suspected deaths in a separate .

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the continued spread of monkeypox in countries that haven't previously seen the disease as unusual and concerning.

He said he would be convening an expert meeting next Thursday to decide if the expanding monkeypox outbreak warrants being declared a global emergency. That would give it the same designation as the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing effort to eradicate polio.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with visiting British Prime Minister on Friday to discuss defense and security issues, the presidential press service said.

In particular, Zelenskyy and Johnson discussed in detail the current situation on the frontline in the east and the south of as well as the supplies of weapons.

"We talked about the need to increase the supply of heavy weapons. The main thing today is to provide air defense for as well. We started to move in this direction," Zelenskyy told reporters after the talks.

For his part, Johnson said that his country stands ready to continue providing weapons to and organizing military training for its use.

Besides, the parties have discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and the efforts to clear the Ukrainian territory from landmines.

Other key topics of the conversation were financial and economic support for Kyiv, the blockade of Ukrainian ports, as well as efforts to address the energy crisis in Ukraine.

Johnson arrived in Kyiv earlier in the day for his second visit since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Previously, the British prime minister visited the Ukrainian capital on April 9.

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A petition has been moved in the seeking directions to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct an inquiry into the violent protest that erupted against the "Agnipath" scheme launched by the Central Government and to investigate the damage caused to the public property including Railways.

The petition also sought directions to set up An expert committee under the Chairmanship of a retired judge to examine the Scheme "Agnipath" and its impact on security and the Army of our nation.

The petition has been moved by advocate Vishal Tiwari, who said that it would like to bring the Court's attention to the devastating condition of the country resulting from the Agnipath Scheme launched by the Centre through its Ministry of Defence.

"The consequence has been far-reaching for the citizens of this country resulting in intensified vandalism and protest leading to severe destruction of public property and goods. This Writ Petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution of India is in the interest of the public at large and to enforce the fundamental rights of right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, " the petition said.

The petitioner has cited various incidents of violence that took place in different parts of the country.

"Such arbitrary and experimental scheme has created havoc in the country with no response from the Respondents, such reluctance and non-action from the concerned governments have led to widespread damage of public good and properties which have been ultimately raised through public money," the petition said.

"The Rule of Law is at stake and there has been a severe violation of the fundamental right to life of people against the mala fide and arbitrary scheme of the government resulting in such havoc. This situation requires immediate judicial intervention, " the petition said.

Henceforth the petition has urged the top court to issue various directions including appropriate directions to the States Government to Appoint a Claim Commissioner under the Guidelines of the Judgement dated 16-4-2009 passed by the .

It also sought an appropriate direction to Setup a Special Investigation Team to enquire about the Violent protest that emerged against the Proposed scheme "Agnipath" launched by the Government and to enquire about the damage caused to the public property including Railways; to submit a Status Report on the Violent protest emerged against the Proposed scheme "Agnipath" launched by the Government and directions to Setup An expert committee under the Chairmanship of Retired Supreme Court judge to examine the Scheme "Agnipath" its an impact on the security and the Army of our nation.

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Moody's Investors Service has affirmed the Baa3 deposit ratings of ICICI Bank and Axis Bank.

At the same time Moody's has upgraded both the banks' baseline credit assessments (BCA) to baa3 from ba1 reflecting improvements in credit fundamentals, in particular asset quality.

The outlook on ratings for both banks remains stable. Strong solvency metrics limit downside risks, and given the ratings are already at the same level as the sovereign, upgrades are unlikely.

Moody's said that the asset quality of the two banks has seen a significant improvement, with both the gross and net non-performing loans (NPL) ratios declining. Credit costs have also reduced at the same time as provision coverage has increased. Lower credit costs have resulted in higher profitability.

ICICI and Axis' return on assets for the year ending March 2022 was 1.8% and 1.2% respectively, compared to an average of 0.8% and 0.4% respectively over the four years ending March 2020.

ICICI's profitability has also benefited from rising net interest margins as the share of the low margin international business has come down in the last four years.

ICICI and Axis have raised equity capital, resulting in significantly higher capital rations. The core equity tier 1 ratios of ICICI and Axis at end March 2022 were 17.6% and 15.2% respectively compared to 13.6% and 11.3% at end March 2019.

However, the proposed acquisition by Axis of Citigroup Inc.'s (Citi, A3 stable) India consumer assets will result in an approximately 230bps decline in capital at the bank. Axis is targeting March 2023 to close the acquisition.

"However, as Axis has good access to capital markets, we expect the bank to raise capital to maintain its current capital ratios, the credit rating agency said in a statement.

Funding and liquidity remain credit strengths of the banks, with both being majority funded by retail deposits. Liquidity coverage ratios of both the banks are comfortably above the regulatory minimums.

ICICI Bank had reported total assets of Rs 14.1 trillion while Axis Bank had reported total assets of Rs 11.8 trillion as of 31 March 2022.

Shares of ICICI Bank rose 1.43% to close at Rs 688.10 while that of Axis Bank advanced 0.03% to end at Rs 635.60 on the BSE yesterday.

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Rites inaugurated its first office in Guwahati, Assam.

Located opposite the Secretariat, in the heart of the city, the new office is spread across 5,500 square feet.

RITES' ongoing projects across the North-East include Institutional Buildings for NIT-Meghalaya, and IIM-Shillong as well as building works for Oil India at Duliajan, Assam. Additionally, RITES recently signed an MoU with the Government of Mizoram for infrastructure works.

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Calling upon the protesting against the defence recruitment scheme 'Agnipath' to believe in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, president J P Nadda on Saturday appealed to them to end the agitation and choose the path of discussion, and understand the scheme in detail.

Alleging that certain forces don't want reforms or change in the country, he claimed that the are being misled about the scheme.

"I want to appeal to our young friends that Agnipath is a revolutionary scheme, it is a big revolutionary step to place the Indian military at a strong position globally, we have to understand it. So I appeal to youth, I'm aware that attempts are on to trick and mislead them," Nadda said.

Addressing a meeting of Gram panchayat presidents and vice-presidents, he said there are certain forces in this country who don't want reforms or change, and they don't want the power of to be used in a right way in the service of the nation.

"But, I want to tell our young friends that they should believe in Prime Minister Modi, the way in which he has served the country...In the days to come the Agniveers who emerge from Agnipath will always be known for protecting the country by establishing themselves before the world," he added.

These statements from the ruling BJP's president came even as protests against the Agnipath scheme raged through several States across the country for the fourth day today.

Appealing to youth to understand the scheme in depth, Nadda said, "Try to know that at the age of 17, (the scheme gives) youth an opportunity to get trained not only for military but also for a change in their entire life."



The training, along with entry into military, would also help one join State services at a later stage, he said. Karnataka is among the States that have stated that they would give preference to Agniveers in recruitment to police services in the State, he said.

"It is a big opportunity and I certainly will like our young friends who are on the path of agitation to choose the path of discussion, try to know and understand in depth everything for the betterment of your future. Also, keep in mind that under Modi's leadership always thinks about the youth and the country," Nadda said.

Asking youth to take advantage and benefits of the scheme, he called on panchayat heads from the party to take the message about Agnipath to youth in their respective villages.

Stating that the work that Prime Minister has been able to do in the last eight years for security, no other Prime Minister has been able to do it, Nadda said, "There was a time when it used to take three days to reach the border, our soldiers were unable to reach on time, today our soldiers can reach within 24 hours, prepared for war."



"Till now, no one was able to give a standup to China, but by protecting our border, Modi has sent a clear message to the world that we are not interested in occupying other's territory, but no one can look at India with a wrong intention," he said, noting that thousands of kilometres of roads have been laid along the borders in the last eight years to ensure quick movement of soldiers and arms to frontier areas.

Trying to highlight that national security is the highest priority of Modi government, the chief further said, "You tell me did anyone think or did any government do surgical strike or air strike? Even during the Kargil, it was Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee (former PM), who had responded (to Pakistan), and now if someone has given a befitting reply to Pakistan it is ."



Nadda, while addressing the meet, also expressed confidence about "lotus blooming" (BJP coming to power) in Karnataka once again after the 2023 Assembly polls, as he called on partymen to work for it.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, State BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel, party national General Secretary Arun Singh, along with several Ministers and party leaders, were present on the occasion.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister said on Saturday that stories of many forgotten freedom fighters and incidents related to the struggle for India's independence are being brought forth during the ongoing 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

Speaking at the release of veteran journalist Ram Bahadur Rai's book, 'Bharatiya Samvidhan: Ankahi Kahani' (Indian Constitution: Untold stories), Modi stressed that it will give a fillip to this campaign and will make the country's memory of the past stronger in the future.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh were among those present at the event, while Modi made the remarks in a video address.

Praising the book, the prime minister said it introduces readers to various aspects of the Constitution.

He expressed confidence that the book along with the history of independence and the untold chapters of our Constitution will give a new thinking to the youth of the country and broaden their discourse.

India's Constitution is not merely a book but is an idea and commitment, and also a symbol of the nation's confidence in its independence, he said.

Dwelling on the living nature of the Constitution, Modi said India has by nature been a free-thinking country, and inertia is not part of our basic nature.

"From the formation of the Constituent Assembly to its debates, from the adoption of the Constitution to its present stage, we have consistently seen a dynamic and progressive Constitution. We have argued, raised questions, debated and made changes," he said.

Our Constitution came before people in the form of vision of a free India which could fulfil the dreams of many generations of the country, he said.

Modi noted that duties and rights are related, and an emphasis on duties "strengthens our rights as well". "Synergy of rights and duties is what makes our Constitution so special," he said.

Observing that the book has been released on a day when the then President Rajendra Prasad had given his nod to the first amendment made to the Constitution, he said the development only showed the Constitution's dynamism.

(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 preparations to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Bengaluru and Mysuru "a grand success" are in full swing, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Saturday.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the state on June 20.

"Preparations are in full swing for the two-day visit on June 20 and 21. We have made all the preparations to make it a grand success," Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said while addressing the mediapersons in Yeshwanthpur.

"A huge gathering is expected for the Prime Minister's programs. So all the arrangements are being made to ensure that all the programmes turn out to be a grand success," he added while mentioning that the participants of the public programmes would need to show their Covid vaccination certificate and those who turn up for the programmes in indoor halls should also get tested again for Covid for getting the entry.

The CM made these remarks after inspecting the preparations at Kommaghatta grounds in Yeshwanthpur constituency where PM Modi will be addressing a public rally.

"We have received his tour schedule. All of us including our senior leader DV Sadananda Gowda, my ministerial colleagues and the MLAs of Bengaluru are working to ensure that the programmes are conducted efficiently. The officials from Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Police too are working in association with the Special Protection Group (SPG) to ensure fool-proof security for the Prime Minister," Bommai said.

According to Bommai, PM Modi is scheduled to arrive at Yelahanka airbase at 11.55 am and reach the Indian Institute of Science by helicopter to participate in two programs. There, he will inaugurate the Brain Cell Research Centre established at a cost of Rs 450 crore by Kris Gopalakrishnan and lay the foundation stone for an 850-bed Research Hospital being built by the MindTree.

He also informed that the Suburban Rail project for Bengaluru will also take off on the same day as the Prime Minister would lay the foundation for a Rs 15,000 crore project to provide mass transit connectivity from the heart of the city to many localities in the outskirts.

Apart from this, PM Modi would also launch six railway projects. He is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the Satellite Town Ring Road connecting Dabaspet on Tumakuru road with Old Madras Road near Hosakote.

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has agreed to provide special concessions for the project after Bommai convinced him of the project's importance. "After launching these development projects the Prime Minister would address a public rally at Kommaghatta," Bommai 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.)
leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday urged the AAP government in Punjab to bring a resolution against the Centre's Agnipath scheme in the upcoming budget session of the state Assembly.

The budget session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha will commence on June 24.

Bajwa, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, also requested the state government to take an all-party delegation to meet the prime minister over the Agnipath scheme.

Protests have erupted in parts of Haryana and Punjab against the scheme, which aims at the recruitment of the youth aged between 17 and a half and 21 in the armed forces for a four-year period.

Bajwa in a statement here on Saturday, said, "I urge the Government of Punjab to bring forth a resolution against the Agnipath recruitment scheme announced by the Government of India during the upcoming session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha."



"Furthermore, I recommend that the Government of Punjab take an all-party delegation to meet with the hon'ble prime minister to explain why the Agnipath scheme must be immediately rolled back," he said.

Bajwa, who is a legislator from Qadian, said, "The Agnipath scheme will negatively impact the youth of Punjab."



Under the new recruitment scheme, Punjab's representation in the Army will plunge dramatically from 7.8 per cent currently to 2.3 per cent, he said.

"This is an insult to the sacrifices made by Punjabis for India," the leader added.

"The resultant loss of jobs for Punjabis and the chaos, frustration and unhappiness caused will lead to destabilisation of this strategic border state. This situation will be exploited by anti-national forces and enemies lurking across the border," he claimed.

The leader said the scheme "helps nobody, and the current shock and awe tactics employed to unveil the scheme has only demoralised thousands of applicants who wish to serve in the armed forces".

"For Indians to be retired at 21, with no chance at further growth apart from some nebulous promises of jobs in the Central Armed Police Forces will further disincentivise the youth of India from signing up for the armed forces," he said.

The Centre on Tuesday unveiled the ambitious scheme for recruitment of the youth aged between 17 and a half and 21 in the Army, Navy and the Air Force, largely on a four-year short-term contractual basis.

The youth recruited under the scheme will be known as "Agniveers". After the completion of the four-year tenure, 25 per cent of the recruits from each specific batch will be offered regular service.

(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.)
Anglo-French Drug & Industries one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in India, donated a Vestibulator to SRCC, a children's hospital in Mumbai.

The Vestibulator will be used to aid in the recovery of children with neurological issues, especially those suffering from autism and cerebral palsy. The machine itself is unique and state-of-the-art and was custom-made by IIT for SRCC; it is only the second of its kind in Mumbai. It will help in meeting the needs of the lower economic strata parents whose children will need therapy for various medical issues.

The machine was officially inaugurated by Abhay Kanoria, Chairman and Managing Director, Anglo-French Drugs & Industries Ltd at the official inaugural ceremony held by SRCC Centre for Child Development on June 17 at their Mumbai hospital.

The machine was donated to the hospital to expand its services to cater to the needs of children who would need physiotherapy. By using the machine the hospital aims to help children to recover faster and better and go back to leading a healthier life, which always has been the AFDIL's mission when it comes to providing the best healthcare services.

Talking at the inaugural ceremony Abhay Kanoria, Chairman and Managing Director, Anglo-French Drugs & Industries Limited said, "As an organization, we are committed to provide whatever help possible to create a great healthcare ecosystem. The reason we chose to donate this particular machine is that we felt that there is little focus on the vestibular system and how fixing it can aid in the well-being of children with neurological disorders, the incidences of which are on the rise. Our contribution to SRCC is our first step towards it. We hope that by way of this machine the needy children will get the best in class services."

Anglo-French Drugs and industries are one of the leading names in the world of pharmaceuticals. We have a heritage of 99 years with over 300 products selling across the world. The company has market-leading brands in nutraceuticals, CNS, skin, and respiratory segments. Our family comprises nearly 1000 people, who work diligently to serve over 65,000 doctors, 50,000 chemists, and all our other affiliated parties. Our vision is to build on our strong heritage and values to deliver high-quality medication and services.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ma Xingrui, secretary of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), made a public apology on behalf of the Shenzhen government for the 2015 Shenzhen landslide in 2015. Photo: CNR

In the spring of 2022, the entire Shanghai was put in strict lockdown, known as static management, for more than two months due to Covid-19 outbreaks. When the government released the schedule for lifting the lockdown, professor Qu Weiguo from Fudan University raised a critical voice: Although the authorities have expressed gratitude to the people of Shanghai, its regrettable that there was no apology for the suffering of Shanghai residents over the past two months, which was as a result of the governments mistakes.

Public apologies by the government falls within the scope of modern democratic politics and responsible governance; its different from the ancient imperial edict of repentance in which the ruler would admit a mistake and reproach himself. In modern politics, an apology from the government is connected to governing legitimacy.

When the government falls short of public trust and expectations due to dereliction of duty, it should apologize to the public. Professor Yu Keping once proposed six elements of good governance  legitimacy, transparency, responsibility, legalization, response and effectiveness. A law-based government is surely a responsible government, but if it refuses to respond to or admit its dereliction of duty, its legitimacy will be questioned.

We often see apologies from governments of Western countries and our neighboring country South Korea. Take South Korea, for instance. In 2005, the then President Roh Moo-hyun issued a Letter of Apology to the People for the death of two demonstrating farmers caused by excessive police violence; in 2014, the then President Park Geun-hye apologized to the nation in a televised address for the sinking of the Sewol ferry, a disaster that killed around 300 people, mostly children; in early 2021, the then President Moon Jae-in publicly apologized for illegal land speculation by the staff of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation, and at the end of the same year, he apologized for the governments decision to once again tighten pandemic prevention measures.

It is said that the act of apologizing is a process of communication between the past and future. An apology from the government helps restore personal dignity and the authority of those in power, as well as resolves public-private conflicts. In the Chinese movie The Story of Qiu Ju, the protagonist tenaciously deals with bureaucrats just so as to get an apology from an official.

China does not have a tradition of public apologies from the government, but theres been breakthroughs in recent years. In 2007, Governor of Shanxi province Yu Youjun made a public apology to the victims and their families for a slave scandal known as the Black Brick Kiln incident. In 2009, a sting operation by Shanghai authorities was deemed to have been performed haphazardly, resulting in the public getting misled. In response, Jiang Liang, district mayor of Pudong New Area, made a public apology at an executive meeting of the Shanghai government. In 2015, Ma Xingrui, secretary of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), made a public apology on behalf of the Shenzhen government for the 2015 Shenzhen landslide.

A complete apology should consist of the confirmation of facts, confession of the mistake, expression of regret, shouldering of responsibility and implementation of remedial measures. This should also be the standard for the government. However, some apologies from local governments come in the form of a slap in the face. Chen Yulian is the wife of Huang Shiming, a senior party official. On June 23, 2010, Chen was mistaken as a petitioner by six police officers of the Special Working Group for Petitioners of the Wuchang Branch of Wuhan Public Security Bureau in the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee and beaten for more than 15 minutes. The following month, Zhu Zhengxin, director of the Wuchang Branch of Wuhan Public Security Bureau, summoned two of the police officers before the victim for an apology. The two police officers did not say a word. Instead, they slapped themselves in the face repeatedly.

For the government, apologizing to the public shows its good governance and, in certain cases, the legal obligations to be undertaken. In accordance with Article 35 of the State Compensation Law of the Peoples Republic of China, if an administrative organ or its functionaries commit any acts infringing upon the rights of a citizen resulting in severe distress, the organ responsible shall extend an apology to the victim. Similarly, there are regulations in Shenzhen that implements a system for government departments to make apologies for dereliction of duty. Those who fail to perform their duties, resulting in serious consequences or severe social impact, shall make an apology to the public.

Drawing from the Anglo-American law system, Hong Kong enacted the Apology Ordinance in 2017, to encourage the issuing apologies as a means of resolving disputes. In addition to civil proceedings, this Ordinance also applies to the Government. Connie Lau, an Ombudsman of Hong Kong, said that the Ordinance will encourage government departments and public organizations to be more forthcoming in extending apologies where due, as this will certainly help soothe the sentiments of aggrieved citizens and even facilitate speedy settlement of disputes. She believed that apologies can lead to effective resolution of disputes, hence restoring social cohesion and mutual trust.

American scholar Aaron Lazare wrote in his book On Apology that, in an authoritarian society, leaders never make mistakes nor do they make apologies. On the contrary, acknowledging violation and expressing remorse is critical to the modern social structure of interdependence. We tend to view apologies as a sign of weak character. But in fact, they require great strength. It is a behavior that requires of both parties an attitude of honesty, generosity, humility, commitment and courage.

Peng Yihong is a Shanghai-based lawyer.

The views and opinions expressed in this opinion section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the editorial positions of Caixin Media.

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Photo: Rob Kruyt Ad Lucem Law Corp. lawyer Robert Laurie.

It has been nearly four years since recreational cannabis was legalized in Canada, and many people may have thought grey-market dispensaries were a quirky part of Vancouvers past, but history may be repeating itself as dark-market dispensaries have begun sprouting up again, this time selling psychedelic drugs such as mushrooms and peyote.

At least four dispensaries and several online operators have recently opened in the city. Because there are no government regulations allowing the sale of psychedelics, mushroom dispensaries are operating under a model similar to pre-legalization cannabis retail operations.

The Vancouver Police Department has said it is more concerned with trafficking by organized crime.

Robert Laurie, president of AD Lucem Law Corp., said law enforcement may also be concerned that raids on dispensaries will spark constitutional challenges, similar to those related to pre-legalization cannabis.

Despite all of the excitement with the shroom boom, I think Health Canada is very reluctant to jump to any conclusions that are going to have the result of recreational cannabis, said Laurie. Theres a lot that still has to happen before youre going to legally see anything happen beyond access to psychedelic therapy.

Cannabis legalization took 18 years to expand from medical marijuana exemptions to legalization.

The only way to legally obtain psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, is through a health exemption.

But legal framing created by cannabis activists in the early 2000s may have given psychedelic drugs a head start down the path to legalization.

Seventy-five companies focused on the psychedelics industry were trading on Canadian exchanges as of January, according to a blog post from law firm McMillan LLP. But Laurie said that doesnt mean legalization is imminent.

Unlike cannabis, this is very much a medical path. Im not aware of any companies of consequence that are talking about the recreational use of mushrooms, Tim Moore, CEO of Havn Life Sciences Inc., told BIV in January 2021.

Robert Tessarolo, president and CEO of NeonMind Biosciences Inc., concurred.

He said his company prefers seeking approval from Health Canada, similar to traditional pharmaceuticals, and that broader legalization is not necessary.
Photo: The Canadian Press The head offices of Caisse Desjardins are seen, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, in Montreal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

The Superior Court of Quebec has approved a nearly $200.9-million settlement of a class-action lawsuit against Desjardins over a data breach  the largest to date in the Canadian financial services sector.

Siskinds Desmeules and Kugler Kandestin say everyone affected by the breach, regardless of where they live, will be eligible to claim.

Class members may seek compensation for loss of time that is related to the personal information breach, as well as for identity theft.

In addition, class members who have not already registered for Equifax's credit monitoring service will be able to do so for five years at Desjardins' cost, and maintain the other protective measures implemented by Desjardins following the breach for at least five years.

The federal Privacy commissioner said in 2020 that a series of technological and administrative gaps caused the high-profile data breach at the financial co-operative, which he said did not demonstrate the level of attention needed to protect the sensitive personal information entrusted to its care.

The incident compromised the data of 4.2 million people who had active accounts, Desjardins said.

Class members do not have to take any steps at this stage. Notices containing instructions for making claims will be distributed over several months beginning around July 21.

For at least 26 months, a rogue employee was siphoning sensitive personal information collected by Desjardins from customers who had purchased or received products through the organization.
Photo: The Canadian Press A federal police officer escorts a suspect towards a river in the area where Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and freelance British journalist Dom Phillips disappeared, in Atalaia do Norte, Amazonas state, Brazil, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Federal police said in a statement Tuesday night that they had arrested a second suspect in connection with the disappearance of Phillips and Pereira in a remote area of the Amazon. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)

Federal police said Friday that some of the human remains found deep in Brazils Amazon have been identified as belonging to British journalist Dom Phillips.

The remains of two people were found Wednesday near the city of Atalaia do Norte after fisherman Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, 41, nicknamed Pelado, confessed he killed Phillips, 57, and Brazilian Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, 41.

He told officers he used a firearm to commit the crime and led police to a spot in the remote forest to locate the remains.

Police announced the forensic identification of Phillips' remains in a statement. They still have not identified Pereiras remains.

The discovery ended more than a week of searching for the missing pair.
Photo: The Canadian Press Surete du Quebec police car is shown during a news conference in Montreal on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Quebec provincial police say they've arrested an Ontario woman in the killing this month of a Quebec man with reported links to organized crime.

Provincial police say Britney Lewis, 25, of Pickering, Ont., is facing charges in connection with the June 1 killing of Bernard Cherfan inside a busy restaurant in Laval, Que., just north of Montreal.

They say the arrest was made today in Pickering, east of Toronto, with the assistance of the Durham Regional Police Service.

Authorities say Lewis faces charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and will be arraigned in Ontario before being transferred to Quebec.

Cherfan, 42, was targeted while seated at a table, and numerous people were inside the restaurant when the attack occurred at around 7:30 p.m.

Quebec provincial police say their investigation is ongoing and other arrests could take place soon.
Photo: Tyler Orton, BIV Bill Tam (left), chief operating officer of the Digital Technology Supercluster, moderates a panel with Semios CEO Michael Gilbert (centre) and Agribusiness Advisors founder Tom Urban in Vancouver

Theres a stereotype in the business world that Canadians are just a tad more reserved than their American counterparts when closing deals or doggedly pursuing customers.

I don't fully buy into that, that the Americans are that much more aggressive. I was pretty aggressive, Tom Urban, founder of Vancouver-based Agribusiness Advisors, said Friday to an audience gathered at a SemiosBio Technologies Inc. office in the citys Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.

Agribusiness Advisors was among the early investors in Semios, and has also invested in other B.C. agtech firms such as Terramera Inc. and CubicFarm Systems Corp (TSX:CUB).

What [Americans] have access to are bigger acres, Urban said, referring to Semios getting its start in the Okanagan rather than in a market that dwarfs Canadas.

He also noted the advantage many agtech competitors south of the border have when looking for deep-pocketed investors.

You can raise capital here, but it's not the most progressive in terms of valuations, Urban said.

Semios, though, is among the bevy of billion-dollar unicorns to have burst from the B.C. tech ecosystem since the pandemic.

The agtech company, which specializes in using sensors and data to ensure healthy crops for farmers by monitoring for pests and harmful weather, has raised $200 million from investors over the past two years to reach its $1-billion valuation.

The journey thickens your skin, for sure. You have to learn to take a lot of nos, Semios founder and CEO Michael Gilbert said during Fridays Invest Vancouver event, which brought together agtech experts to speak about the industrys potential on the West Coast.

He recalled scoring his first $50,000 cheque from an angel investor in a deal that closed at a Tim Hortons outlet in White Rock, B.C., before going onto eventually raise another $25 million from a mix of angels and family offices.

Since then, about three million Semios sensors have now been deployed globally, reporting every 10 minutes to help manage farming operations. For example, its devices can detect and identify agricultural pests and trigger the release of pheromones to thwart their mating.

But those sensors are not primarily monitoring farms in Canada, but in the U.S.

We target large enterprise markets, Gilbert said, adding rising input costs such as fertilizer are only increasing the demand for data-driven farming and the big farms that are investing in it.

Semios has taken other measures to push into bigger markets, going on an acquisition spree last year that scooped up three competitors based in California, Washington state and Australia.

Meanwhile, Gilbert and Urban agreed Canadian agtech startups cant be timid about approaching large customers, which Urban said arent always as sophisticated as some might think.

People say, I don't want to tell them about [the startups] secret sauce, because they're going to use it, they're going to make my product or somebody else is going to tell a competitor, Urban said. And at that point I just say, Well, then just stay in your basement if you're not going to talk about what you do.
Photo: DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST The Sashay Cafe drag show was scheduled for Saturday evening at Caffe Fantastico on Kings Road but was cancelled by the event organizer after threats were called in.

A Victoria drag show billed as family-friendly has been cancelled after the cafe venue received threatening phone calls.

Victoria police are investigating the threats, which were called in Wednesday and targeted the cafe for hosting the event, raising concerns for the safety of staff, participants and guests.

Caffe Fantastico, at the corner of Quadra Street and Kings Road, had planned to host the Sashay Cafe drag show Saturday night, to be staged by a group called For the Love of Drag.

This is being taken very seriously, the program producer wrote in an online statement. We dont know what the future of the show will be, but please know that the support shown during this terrible time has been a silver lining.

Sashay Cafe is an all-ages show thats been performed in Victoria for over three years.

We pride ourselves on being a safe space for kids, youth and everyone to try out drag to express themselves, which includes everything from lip syncing to tap dancing to singing live, said a statement from For the Love of Drag. Weve never had a complaint from the community about the content of our shows.

The incident comes as Victoria Pride Festival, an annual celebration by the Victoria Pride Society, is set to return to in-person events next week after a two-year hiatus during the pandemic.

A statement from society executive director Deidre Rowland said celebrations will go on with the support of our communities and allies.

VPS stands firm with its zero tolerance of hate, violence and discrimination.

Rowland said the society is in conversation with the Victoria Police Department and its security provider to ensure precautions are in place for the upcoming events, including the Pride Parade on June 26.

In response to the threats against the drag show, Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said: We need to come together as a community, not tear each other apart.

Pride month is about celebrating and honouring diversity, celebrating inclusion and making space in our community for love in all its forms, said Helps, who was in drag Friday to raise the Progress Pride flag outside city hall. To all 2SLGBTQ+ members of Victorias community, and all our allies, know that you are loved, and that love will always prevail over fear, hate and anger.

Sean Guist, a local drag performer and queer theatre artist, said the incident is a reminder that there is still work to do to tackle discrimination and hatred. And it cant all be done by queer people, Guist said. We need straight allies to step up and do the work.

Guist said he typically feels safe in Victoria but still endures discrimination, whether its slurs from passing vehicles or a comments from a worker in a fast food restaurant.

As much as we like to think we are in this lovely little bubble, its not always true, he said. Theres a lot of really amazing things [happening] but this is a reminder that there is a lot of work that needs to be done and theres a lot of education that needs to happen to address these pieces.

For many people, drag is a way to express their gender experience and be someone else on stage, Guist added.

To have that taken away and threatened, is such a problematic thing to happen any time of year. But to happen during Pride Month, for an all-ages drag show, is a pretty awful thing.

A statement from Staff St. Jennifer Ames, co-chair of the Greater Victoria Police Diversity Advisory Committee, said it was disappointing to learn of these deeply concerning calls and the impact that they have had on staff, event organizers and those who were looking forward to this event.

Hate has no place in Victoria. We want those who were looking forward to this event to know that were responding to ensure that they are safe and that we hope for the return of this event.

Anyone with information is asked to call the VicPD report desk at 250-995-7654 ext. 1. To report anonymously, call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Photo: Times Colonist Clara Kucher lined up on Fort Street at 5 p.m. Thursday so she could be first when the Service Canada passport office opened at 8:30 a.m. Friday. Next in line is Karina Schulz of Ladysmith with 16-month-old Zafira.

The first person in line at the Service Canada passport office in Victoria's Bay Centre on Friday set up her chair at 5 p.m. the previous evening, after her mailed-in application went missing.

I wasnt taking any chances, said 26-year-old Clara Kucher of Victoria, who had hoped to travel June 25 to Italy. Its completely unacceptable, its a disaster, its completely disorganized.

Kucher was one of about 70 people who got in line on the sidewalk outside the Fort Street entrance before the office opened at 8:30 a.m. Friday in hopes of reaching an agent. People who walk in are slotted into place between those who have appointments.

Kuchers mailed application needed to be transferred to the Victoria branch and the passport office can only process so many transferred documents a day, she said.

Kucher did reconnaissance on the ideal time to arrive to be first in line. She saw people lined up at 10 p.m. on Sunday for Mondays opening.

Last week, Karina Gould, the federal minister responsible, said wait times are far from acceptable and fixing them is her top priority. Part of the problem is a surge in demand coupled with the fact that many passport staff were given other work during the pandemic.

Those in line Friday had common complaints: Waiting months on applications mailed in with original documents, being forced to re-apply for passports in person and re-gathering documents, unsuccessfully phoning the toll-free Service Canada number for days on end, emailing inquiries to Service Canada with no reply, and a lack of realistic information on everything from how to line up to worst-case wait times.

The savviest came prepared with camping chairs and practical shoes. Those who borrowed plastic chairs from the food court quickly learned thats a no-no.

Im a 76-year-old man with a knee replacement, and theres parents with young children, said John LeGood of Cobble Hill. They came by twice asking us to kindly take the chairs back into the cafeteria where they belong. We said: We have no place to sit down. Its just intolerable.

LeGood was with granddaughter Lauren Steele, 20, of Nanaimo, who arrived just before 7 a.m. and was waiting inside the office, almost five hours later, in hopes of having a passport for her July 21 trip to Seattle. Its pretty horrendous, she said. I wish they could handle it better, especially the phones.

Dan Miller, 44, of Chemainus, arrived at 6:45 a.m. to try to get a passport for his son, who is headed to Ireland and England on June 27. He mailed in his application weeks ago and cant get through to Service Canada to find out the status.

Miller, an electrician, said he knows from his own business theres no one to hire out there, especially for specialized work, and he understands why the government is struggling.

At the same time, they tell you to go to the website and you cant get any information and so you call and no one answers, you cant get a person, and so now Im sitting on a floor with a hundred other people.

I also feel bad for the people in the passport office because they are the ones having to deal with everybodys frustration, everybody upset because they had to take a day off work.

Many of the overnighters learned to lean on one another, holding each others places in line to find a washroom or stretch their legs, or find food. Satu Reuhkala, 33, said amid the stress and the late-night hours, the group quickly became a wonderful new community  total strangers but fast friends.

Julie Dargis, boyfriend Mike Neary and friend Diana Rai all got in line at 11 p.m. Thursday, and ordered pizza at around midnight to share with those in line. Rai was supposed to take her grandson to Port Angeles and Mexico leaving June 22.

As the sun rose Friday, Juan Rodriguez left his post and returned with Tim Hortons Timbits for everyone. He needs to fly to Mexico next week. Like many others, he used social media rather than the government website for information on lineups and wait times.

Catherine Novak, 58, who works in the public sector, worked on a laptop while standing in line after arriving around 9:45 a.m. Novak was surprised in October when she realized she is one of a large number of Canadians who, during the chaos of the pandemic, unknowingly let their passports expire.

In a typical year, two million to five million passport applications are filed in Canada. During the pandemic, there were only 1.5 million passports issued over two years.

I know they are going as fast as they can  they must be slammed in there, said Novak, who plans to drive to the United States in three weeks.

The passport office on Friday was processing passports for people leaving up to Aug. 22 in an attempt to serve those in immediate need and to relieve the backlog.

Katrina Schulz, 39, who was trying to get a passport for 16-month old daughter Zafira, said the government should have known there would be a flood of passport applications when it opened travel up and should have been better prepared. Theres no reason for any of this.

For some, the wait paid dividends: Many left the Service Canada office on Friday with a return date to pick up their passports or a date when theyll be mailed.

Others were on the verge of tears, facing the prospect of re-collecting documents, purchasing new air tickets, returning another day or cancelling their trips.

Jessica Kjernisted and Brad Ostaffy of Victoria had planned to introduce nine-week-old Thea to family in Europe on Sunday.

The couple sent her application by express mail about a month ago. Since then, theyve been unable to track its whereabouts. Kjernisted said she phoned Service Canada 124 times one day before giving up.

On Thursday, they were turned away  told the office can only process so many transferred applications each day.

On Friday, the couple returned at 6 a.m., hoping for a miracle.

They didnt get one. As Kjernisted left, she said the couple will have to cancel their trip.

 With files from The Canadian Press
Photo: Contributed

The Whistler Search & Rescue (WSAR) team is looking to find one of their own missing members.

Pemberton RCMP are seeking public assistance in locating Toby Salin, who has been missing since Thursday.

Salin was last seen in Pemberton on June 16 around 9 a.m.

Police say his truck, a 2021 Black Chevrolet Crewcab was later located off West Lillooet Lake Road around the In-SHUCK-ch FSR, southeast of Pemberton.

A complete search of the area was done in assistance with the Pemberton Search and Rescue, RCMP Air Services, Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team, Pemberton RCMP, Stl'atl'imx Tribal Police, local residents, and RCMP Integrated Police Dog Services.

RCMP said there was no sign of Mr. Salin.

The WSAR Society confirmed in a Facebook post that Salin is one of their own.

"It is with sadness that we share this press release regarding the disappearance of Toby Salin, one of our WSAR members and volunteers. If you, or know someone who may have been in touch with Toby recently and can provide any information, please refer to the contact details," they said.

"Teams are mobilizing to search for one of our own SAR members. Please keep Toby and his family in your thoughts and prayers," British Columbia Search and Rescue Association shared in a Facebook post.

Salin is described as a caucasian male, 51 years old, 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) in height, roughly 200 lbs (90 kg) with blonde short hair and blue eyes

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Toby Salin is urged to contact the Pemberton RCMP at 604-894-6604, their local police, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Pakistan is blindly following Sri Lanka's path which will lead the country to fall into the Chinese debt trap.

Pakistan's already fragile economy suffered another setback when recently China demanded repayment, by November 2023, of USD 55.6 million for the Lahore Orange Line Project, reported Italian publication Osservatorio Globalizzazione.

Meanwhile, at the end of March, the foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan fell by a massive USD 2.915 billion, due to the repayment of external debt. Thus, Pakistan faces a bleak economic future as far as relations with China are concerned.

The Chinese company, China-Railway North Industries Corporation (CR-NORINCO) which completed the Lahore Orange Line Project in 2020 has demanded from the Punjab Mass Transit Authority, an outstanding sum of USD 45.3 million by the end of March 2023 and the remaining outstanding of USD 10.5 million by the end of the year. CR-NORINCO has insisted that all dues be repaid before the expiry of the contract on 16 November 2023, reported Osservatorio Globalizzazione.

China has made a hard bargain with Pakistan when it comes to paybacks on its loans and other investments in Pakistan. In the fiscal year 2021-2022, Pakistan paid around USD 150 million towards interest to China for using a USD 4.5 billion Chinese trade finance facility. In the financial year 2019-2020, Pakistan paid USD 120 million towards interest on USD 3 billion in loans.

The Chinese demand for the Lahore Line payment was made in the first week of April 2022 when the new political dispensation under PM Shehbaz Sharif had just stepped into office. Earlier, at the beginning of March 2022, China acceded to Pakistan's request to roll over a whopping USD 4.2 billion debt repayment to provide a major relief for its all-weather ally, reported Osservatorio Globalizzazione.

China has been quite stringent in recovering money from Pakistan. Take Pakistan's energy sector for instance, where Chinese investors have repeatedly insisted on resolving issues relating to existing project sponsors in order to attract fresh investment.

Some Chinese projects in Pakistan are facing problems in securing insurance for their loans in China due to Pakistan's massive energy sector circular debt of about USD14 billion.

Pakistan has to pay around USD 1.3 billion to Chinese power producers and so far only USD 280 million has been paid. Another example of hard bargaining by China over monetary dealings vis-a-vis Pakistan is well documented in the case of the Dasu Dam Project. Last year, China demanded USD 38 million towards compensation for the families of 36 engineers who had died in the Dasu Dam terror attack.

Compensation was made a precondition for resumption of work on the project. To placate China, Pakistan subsequently agreed to pay USD 11.6 million as compensation.

While China is heavily responsible for Pakistan's debt problem, it is the mishandling of Pakistan's economy by successive governments that has led to the current impasse.

Extensive loans taken from China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well as 13 loans from the IMF over 30 years (with most loan programmes called off mid-way for failure to fulfil loan conditions), is a major cause for the economic downturn.

The 2019 USD 6 billion IMF loan is also on hold, and China has dealt with Pakistan's frequent requests to help. Ironically, Pakistan on its part is not shy of playing the loan addict.

This strategy has not paid the dividends and is only making Pakistan sink deeper into debt. Pakistan must be closely watching developments in Sri Lanka, for it could be next nation to face the consequences of bad economic policies and heavy debt burdens, reported Osservatorio Globalizzazione.

(ANI)

Also Read: India-UK launches fourth round of talks on Free Trade Agreement
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Chattanooga Police said the first call they got on possible trouble outside Mary's Bar on McCallie Avenue on June 5 was at 2:17 a.m.

Owners of the bar told members of the City Beer Board on Thursday they had called in about large crowds outside at 1:35 a.m. and 1:45 a.m.

Three people died when a barrage of shots rang out on the street near the bar. There were 14 people shot and three hit by vehicles trying to flee the scene.

Police said they were not able to immediately respond on the 2:17 a.m. call from the bar because so much trouble was going on elsewhere in the city that early morning.

The McCallie Avenue shooting broke out around 2:30 a.m.

Police gave out a "timeline of events which occurred in the city prior to the shooting at Mary's at 2125 McCallie Ave."

Officials said, "As you can see, resources were exhausting quickly due to a number of events happening immediately before the shooting occurred. This sequence of events reflects the information which is releasable at this time. This investigation is still on-going and additional information is not releasable at this time."

Here is the timeline given by the police:



6/4 - 2320 hours - Shooting at 1300 Carter Street. Adam and Baker units responded to the scene. 3 persons were shot, which tied up several units on a large crime scene



6/5 - 0142 hours - Large fight on Station Street. 22 cars from city responded to the scene



6/5- 0217 hours - Security from Mary's called into HC 911 advising it was not an emergency, but there was a large crowd gathering and asked for a unit to assist with traffic control, no disorder at this time.



6/5 - 0219 hours - HC911 indicated there were no available units and delayed dispatch until a unit became available.(Units assigned to previous calls)



6/5 - 0220 hours - RTIC officer advised on Baker Channel that a armed suspect was observed on Milne Street (1 mile from 2125 McCallie) All available Adam and Baker units responded



6/5 - 0233 hours - Female caller reported problem driving through traffic



6/5/ - 0235 hours - Mary's manager called and asked for street to be cleared



6/5- 0235 hours - While CPD Units were looking for the previously mentioned armed suspect, they conducted a felony stop on suspect vehicle near McCallie and Willow



6/5 - 0237 hours - Parkridge Hospital called reporting multiple gunshots. While they were on the phone, victims walked into hospital



6/5 - 0238 hours - Numerous calls to HC 911 reporting persons shot and injured
A man charged in a Federal Court cyberstalking case has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and a $7,500 fine.

Zachary Hood, 36, appeared before Judge Charles E. Atchley, Jr.

Prosecutors said Hood engaged in cyberstalking by sending embarrassing photos to a woman and her husband as well as sending intimate photos of eight other women to them while making it appear it was from the unnamed female victim.

Prosecutors said that Hood on Oct.

16, 2017, set up a Facebook profile with the female victim's name and containing profile photos of her. It included a cover photo of her as well as a profile picture showing a close up of her face.

They said the female victim, who lives outside of Tennessee, initially was unaware of this Facebook page.

Sometime prior to setting up the page Hood had obtained intimate photos of the female victim on her wedding day, showing her bare breasts and buttocks, it was stated.

Prosecutors said Hood, while at a hotel in East Tennessee, contacted friends and associates of the victim and shared the embarrassing Facebook page with them. He made it appear that it was the female victim who was contacting them.

Hood, pretending to be the female victim, asked a Facebook "friend" if they liked the photos. When the friend expressed confusion and concern, Hood (acting as the victim) said she had not been hacked and just wanted to share the photos. When the friend still expressed concern, Hood, acting as the victim, told the friend to not tell anyone and to "pretend this never happened."

Prosecutors said Hood also made the husband aware of the Facebook page with the embarrassing pictures and made lewd and suggestive comments about his wife's appearance on their wedding day.

Hood also contacted eight other women who are unaffiliated with the female victim. He had acquired intimate photos of each. He sent each woman intimate photos and made it appear they were coming from the female victim.

Hood admitted that the photos were intended to cause severe emotional distress to the female victim and her husband.

Following his imprisonment, Hood will be on supervised release for three years.

Cyberstalking is a serious crime that can inflict lasting harm on its victims, said United

States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. The United States Attorneys Office is committed to

working with its law enforcement partners to combat the growing trend of digital harassment.

As this sentence demonstrates, those who go online to threaten, intimidate, or harass others face

real-world consequences, including federal prison time. Cyberstalking simply has no place in

todays society.



This kind of behavior is not a prank, it's disruptive to the victims and their families, and

those who think they can hide behind the anonymity of the Internet should think again, said

Joseph E. Carrico, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI Knoxville Office. The FBI along with

our local, state, and federal partners stand steadfast in our resolve to investigate, arrest, and

prosecute those who commit these horrendous personal acts.



The internet can seem like a modern day Wild West, where criminals roam free and are

not held accountable for committing crimes, said Assistant Director in Charge Michael J.

Driscoll for the FBI New York Office. Setting up a fake Facebook account and sending

intimate photos of someone to their friends without their consent is illegal, and now Mr. Hood

has to answer for his actions. Many people dont report these types of crimes because they dont

think anything will be done to the perpetrator. We hope this case proves when people break

federal laws they will face federal justice.



Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Wilson, the Districts Computer Hacking and

Intellectual Property Crimes Coordinator, represented the United States in court.
A woman at 1400 Highway 27 SB whose Ford F-150 had run out of gas on the side of the highway called police for assistance. Police ran the woman through NCIC and she had no active warrants. Police were also able to assist the woman by taking her to the nearest gas station, the Sunrise Market at 8425 Dayton Pike, to buy a gas can. Police transported the woman back to her vehicle and she was able to get her vehicle started. Police remained on scene for her safety until she was able to drive off.

* * *

A woman on Scruggs Street called police because she noticed her front window was broken. No suspect information is available.

* * *

Police were given a purse that was found on the sidewalk near 1257 Market St. Inside the purse was a Jeep key with the name "Tammy" on it. The purse was turned into Property.

* * *

A man on Ely Road told police he wanted a woman escorted off their property. The woman was on

the lease for the residence. Officers informed the man that to have her removed from the property, he would need to go through the court system and have her evicted.

* * *

A clerk of the Sunoco, 7490 Lee Hwy., told police that a white female came in, took a candy bar and left. The clerk said that he did not want to press charges, he just wanted her told to leave and not come back. Police found the woman next to the building. Officers have had interactions with her in the past. She is homeless, non-communicative and does not carry ID. Police told her to leave and not come back, and she left.

* * *



An officer was flagged down by a woman on E. 12th Street who said she cannot find her cell phone and was told to make a police report to be able to get another one. She said her phone is a blue, Assurance wireless Motorola government phone that has been misplaced or stolen. She was given the complaint number and told that she can buy a copy of the police report at 3410 Amnicola Hwy. after 5 on work days, to send in with her request.

* * *

A panhandler was reported at the Walmart, 2020 Gunbarrel Road. Police found a man matching the description given by Dispatch and warned him about panhandling. The man left the parking lot.

* * *

A man was reported loitering at the Steak n' Shake, 2296 Gunbarrel Road. Police spoke with the man, who said he was homeless and a veteran. He told police he wanted to go to a homeless

shelter, but refused to go to the Community Kitchen. The man said he was going downtown to try to find a different homeless shelter.

* * *

A man on Gunbarrel Road flagged officers down and said he lost his state-issued ID. He said he wanted to report this to local authorities.

* * *

While patrolling the area of McCutcheon Road, officers observed a vehicle where the tag did not return to anything. Before officers could initiate a traffic stop, the driver parked and exited the vehicle Officers were unable to speak with the driver at this time.

* * *



A man on W. 21st Street told police that sometime overnight someone stole two tool boxes full of tools from the back of his 2018 Chevrolet Colorado. He said he will prepare a list of the property taken and email it to police once he completes it.



* * *

A woman told police that while visiting her brother on Whitehall Road, a large truck was making a delivery of building materials for the new construction across the road. She said as the driver was removing the long pieces of lumber from the truck with a detached forklift, the load shifted, causing the lumber to fall into the fencing and yard of her brother. After speaking with the brother and sister, police spoke with the driver. The driver was identified and the lumber delivery was being made from the East Chattanooga Lumber Company. When checking the area. police did see damage to a section of the brother's fencing, as well as the grass beyond the fence.

* * *

A woman on Lara Lane told police that her Nintendo switch console with two controllers was

stolen from her house. She told police the last time she saw the Nintendo console was about a week ago in the house.
I just invented a car that runs on herbs I think I invented thyme travel.

I may be old, but I still have a memory like an elevator.

My boss texts me: "Send me one of those funny Father's Day jokes." Me: "I can't. I'm busy working." Boss: "That's hilarious! Send me another one!"

Swimming with sharks is so expensive. It cost me an arm and a leg!

Policeman knocks on the door and says, Sir, it looks like your wife has been involved in an accident. The man replies, I know but she's really sweet and has a lovely personality.

The police just arrested the worlds tongue twister champion.

They say hell be given a tough sentence.

I adopted a dog from a machinist, as soon as I got him home he made a bolt for the door.

One day I changed a lightbulb, crossed the road, and walked into a bar. That's when I realized my whole life is a joke.

Ignorance can be educated, crazy can be medicated, but there's no cure for stupid.

Are you better off than you were 514 days ago?

You can't even win at solitaire if you're not playing with a full deck.

I wasn't originally going to get a brain transplant, but then I changed my mind.

I saw an ad for burial plots, and thought to myself, this is the last thing I need.

Why do noses run and feet smell?

I bought a vacuum cleaner six months ago and so far all it's been doing is gathering dust.

To the mathematician who thought of the idea of zero, thanks for nothing!

* * *

IS THE CAT AT HOME?

A man absolutely hated his wife's cat and decided to get rid of him one day by driving him 2 miles from his home and leaving him at a park. As he was getting home, the cat was walking up the driveway. The next day he decided to drive the cat 4 miles away. He put the beast out and headed home. Driving back up his driveway, there was the cat! He kept taking the cat further and further and the cat would always beat him home. At last he decided to drive several miles away, cross a river, take an old country road into a forest until he reached a place 100 miles from his home and leave the cat there. Hours later the man calls home to his wife: "Jen, is the cat there?" "Yes", the wife answers, "why do you ask?" Frustrated, the man answered, "Put that amazing animal on the phone, I'm lost and need directions!"

* * *

ABOUT ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Father: Are you playing with that video game again? What about studying?! What about homework?!

Son: Ahhh, school is such a bore!

Father: Listen, when Abraham Lincoln was your age, he walked ten miles to school! When Abraham Lincoln was your age, he did his homework by fire-light!

Son: And when Abraham Lincoln was your age, he was President of the United States!

* * *

DONT MESS WITH AN OLD MAN

An elderly couple was just settled down for bed when the old man heard noise and voices outside. Three men had broken into the equipment shed. Scared, they called the police. The dispatcher replied, he would send an officer as soon as one became available as they were all out on calls. The old man waited a minute and called dispatch again. He told dispatch, "Don't worry about sending an officer, I shot three robbers in my back yard!" In no time at all, police were all over the place and captured the robbers red-handed! One of the cops asked the old man, "I thought you said you shot the robbers." The old man replied, "I thought you said, there weren't any officers available."

* * *

HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER NOW

Feeling down about my thinning hair, I told a friend, Soon Ill never need to go back to the beauty salon.

Whenever I vacuum, all I pick up is my hair that has fallen out. She responded, Well, then you wont need to vacuum either.

* * *

A SQIRREL IN THE BASEMENT

When a squirrel slipped into my house, I did the logical thing: I panicked and called my father.

"How do you get a squirrel out of a basement?" I shrieked.

Dad advised me to leave a trail of peanut butter and crackers from the basement to the outside. It worked - the squirrel ate his way out of the house. Unfortunately, he passed another squirrel eating his way in.

* * *

THE PRICE OF GAS IN FRANCE

A thief in Paris planned to steal some paintings from the Louvre.

After careful planning, he got past security, stole the paintings, and made it safely to his van.

However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas.

When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied, "Monsieur, that is the reason I stole the paintings.

I had no Monet, to buy Degas, to make de Van Gogh,

You have De Gaulle to arrest me,

I figured I had nothing Toulouse.

* * *

ONE MORE TIME FOR HENNY YOUNGMAN

-- Every time I ask what time it is, I get a different answer.

-- I'm offended by political jokes. Too often they get elected.

-- My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn't use glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle.

-- Who says nothing is impossible? I've been doing nothing for years.

-- Getting on a plane, I told the ticket lady, "Send one of my bags to New York, send one to Los Angeles, and send one to Miami." She said, "We can't do that!" I told her, "You did it last week!"

-- Nurse: "Doctor, the man you just gave a clean bill of health to dropped dead right as he was leaving the office". Doctor: "Turn him around, make it look like he was walking in."

-- When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.

* * *

THIS WEEKS BEST VIDEOS

* -- Candid Camera Classic: Too Many Bumps! CLICK HERE.

* -- Candid Camera Classic: Impossible Swing! CLICK HERE.

* -- Candid Camera Classic: Spell for My Baby CLICK HERE.
Better Call Saul brought Mark Margolis back from Breaking Bad to play Hector Salamanca again. Margolis was so indelible in the role on Breaking Bad, he was too good not to show his backstory in the prequel. And the role would have gone to someone else if the other actor had been more open-minded.

Mark Margolis | Michele K. Short/AMC/Sony Pictures Television

Margolis was a guest on the Better Call Saul Insider podcast on June 7. He shared how he first got the role of Hector Salamanca, and why the first choice for the role turned it down. Better Call Saul Season 6 returns July 11 on AMC.

Mark Margolis was the second choice for Hector Salamanca on Breaking Bad

When introduced on Breaking Bad, Hector had already had a stroke. He used a wheelchair and could not speak, so could only communicate by ringing a bell. Margolis didnt name the first choice actor, but explained why he didnt want the part.

RELATED: Better Call Saul Season 6: Bob Odenkirk Says Final 6 Episodes Show Jimmy Learning From Trauma

It was just offered to me, Margolis said on Better Call Saul Insider. So its a funny thing because a friend of mine before they offered it to me, they wanted to audition him. He lives in L.A., or lived. He passed away. Ive known him for years. We were in a movie together but he looked at the [sides]. Its the difference between a Hollywood mentality and a New York mentality among actors. He looked at the script, he flipped through and he thought, this guy doesnt have any lines. I dont want to do this.

Even before Better Call Saul, Mark Margolis loved the idea of a silent role

Margolis had no problems memorizing lines as he showed on Better Call Saul when Hector could talk, as well as his many other roles. But when presented with the Breaking Bad version of Hector, Margolis was on board.

RELATED: Better Call Saul: The Reason Giancarlo Esposito Demands Silence on the Set

I looked at the script and thought oh my, I dont have to learn any lines, Margolis said. I just have to fly out to New Mexico, get into the scene and think. And for me it was heaven. His take was completely [different] and I think they mightve given it to him because he is an authentic Latino from New Mexico. He was born in the slums of Albuquerque and he had a pretty good career in L.A. where he lived most of his life and speaks fluent Spanish. So he probably wouldve gotten it if he hadnt been uptight about no lines. I thought this is great. I dont have to learn any lines, I just have to think.

Hector Salamanca doesnt need to talk on Better Call Saul or Breaking Bad anyway

Another reason the lack of dialogue on Breaking Bad didnt bother Margolis was because it showed that Hector didnt really need to talk anyway. He got everything he wanted without the use of speech. Better Call Saul shows how he gained that power.

You only use words to get what you want, Margolis said. If you got what you want, Im repeating things Ive said on other things. If you come out to my log cabin and its the middle of winter and you come into the cabin and Im somewhere outside. Youre freezing and theres a pile of wood there. You throw it in the fireplace, start a fire, you feel good. If you dont know where the wood is, you have to say, Mark, Mark, wheres the wood? Thats the only reason youre speaking.

RELATED: Better Call Saul: Patrick Fabian Had an Idea for Howard Hamlin on Breaking Bad
TL;DR:

John Lennon was trying to explain his view of karma in his song Instant Karma!

The song was inspired by a certain type of coffee.

The song performed differently in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The Beatles John Lennon | Ron Howard/Redferns

One of the most famous classic rock songs from John Lennons solo career is Instant Karma! John once explained his feelings about karma. In addition, he said the song was connected to a certain type of coffee.

John Lennon revealed what he thought about karma and its relation to everyday life

In a 1980 interview from the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, John discussed his view of karma. If you dont get it right in this lifetime, you have to come back and go through it again, he said.

Well, those laws that are sort of cosmically talked about, accepted or not but talked about, apply down to the most minute detail of life, too, John continued. Its like Instant Karma!, which is my way of saying it, right? John said karma is a cosmic concept, but it also governs the small aspects of our lives.

RELATED: Paul McCartney Said Fans Needed to Sing 1 John Lennon Song to Get Richard Nixon to Leave the White House

How coffee inspired John Lennons Instant Karma!

Subsequently, John explained why he wrote Instant Karma! It just came to me, he revealed. Everybody was going on about karma, especially in the 60s. But it occurred to me that karma is instant as well as it influences your past life or your future life. There really is a reaction to what you do now. Thats what people ought to be concerned about.

John connected the song to commercials and coffee. Also, Im fascinated by commercials and promotion as an art form, John said. I enjoy them. So the idea of instant karma was like the idea of instant coffee: presenting something in a new form. I just liked it.

RELATED: The Beatles: John Lennon and Paul McCartney Used These 2 Words in Their Song Titles and Lyrics to Connect to Fans

How Instant Karma! performed on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

Instant Karma! became a big hit in the United States. It reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song stayed on the chart for 13 weeks. John released Instant Karma! on the compilation album Shaved Fish. The compilation reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200, remaining on the chart for 32 weeks.

According to The Official Chart Company, Instant Karma! became a hit in the United Kingdom too. It peaked at No. 5 in the U.K. and lasted on the chart for nine weeks. Meanwhile, Shaved Fish hit No. 8 and stayed on the chart for 29 weeks.

Instant Karma! was a huge hit  and it wouldnt be the same without instant coffee.

RELATED: Paul McCartney Didnt Realize 1 Beatles Song Couldve Been About John Lennons Mother Until Way After the Fact
Food Network star Ree Drummond is best known for cooking up cozy, hearty meals on her Oklahoma ranch in the show The Pioneer Woman. Drummond often takes inspiration for her recipes from her family, whether its cooking for husband Ladd after a long day with the cattle or preparing a family meal for when her kids return home from college. Throughout her years on the show, Drummond has also introduced us to the close bond she shares with her kids.

Drummonds shares a special connection with her daughter, Alex, because shes the Food Network stars first born. And the two looked adorable in matching florals during a recent appearance.

The Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond in 2017 | Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Hearst

Ree Drummond shares a strong connection with her oldest daughter, Alex

Drummond raised four kids on her Oklahoma ranch, and the family recently welcomed a new addition with their son Jamar. Now, the five Drummond kids have mostly gone out on their own, with Alex and Paige having graduated college, Bryce and Jamar currently attending college, and Todd preparing to enter his senior year of high school.

Drummond loves all her children, but she has an especially close bond with Alex because shes Drummonds first daughter. Alex has often been featured on Drummonds Food Network show, and when the pandemic hit in 2020, Alex took the reins on filming her mother so the show could go on.

Once Alex started dating Mauricio Scott, Drummond welcomed him with open arms; Alex and Mauricio wed in May 2021.

Okay, thank you! But are you sure? Cause every time I refresh, it changes. (Maybe I should stop refreshing? K bye.) https://t.co/QcmmJn8N5x  Ree Drummond  The Pioneer Woman (@thepioneerwoman) April 29, 2021

Ree and Alex Drummond were recently twinning in adorable matching florals

The Drummond ladies often collaborate on Ree Drummonds projects, with Alex and younger sister Paige both helping to film, plus the two daughters becoming models for their moms clothing line.

Recently, Alex posted an Instagram photo of her and her mom hosting an outdoor-themed live stream, and the two wore complementary outfits that appeared to be from Drummonds summer clothing collection. Just another day in the office, part of Alexs caption read. Fans loved the mother-daughter duo donning matching florals.

You two are the best of the best, one fan wrote.

You 2 [sic] are so cute! another person commented.

Another user suggested Drummond and her daughter looked like they could be sisters, while someone else asked if Alex will continue working with her mother. Though Alex didnt respond to the question, it seems likely the two will keep appearing together.

Alex Drummond previously said shes in no rush to start a family

Alex is the only Drummond daughter who has tied the knot; she wed Mauricio Scott in spring 2021 on the Drummond family ranch. Now, the two have settled down in Dallas, Texas, near where they went to college, though Alex returns to Oklahoma often.

Alex previously told People that she often gets asked when or if she and Mauricio will start a family. However, the 24-year-old made it clear that she isnt in a rush. People have asked, Oh, are your parents in a rush for you guys to have a baby and get grandchildren? she said. But I really have felt no pressure from my parents to rush into that. Alex added that her parents told her and Mauricio to enjoy marriage since theyre both still so young.
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Increasing violence points to big trouble ahead

When I started to write my upcoming book, Big Trouble Ahead, I had no idea how quickly and horrifically its warnings would unfold. The tragedy of violence continues to escalate, and its happening close to home. A few weeks ago in my Nashville suburb, a young man was shot to death just after a high school graduation. A week later, an unthinkable mass shooting took place at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, taking the lives of 19 children and two teachers  it takes your breath away.

These events are beyond tragic, but it would be disingenuous to act as if they were a surprise or something new. Violence is becoming far too familiar to us, and it comes in many forms. I recently conducted a memorial service for a college student killed by an intoxicated driver who was illegally in our nation. In 2021, Chicago had almost 800 homicides, and 12 major U.S. cities broke homicide records. Last November, a Wisconsin man drove his vehicle into a parade, killing six and injuring dozens of others. Earlier this year, a stranger pushed a woman in New York City onto the tracks in front of an oncoming train for no identifiable reason  just evil.

Every time there are new expression of violence, anger, hatred, or evil, there are loud and persistent voices shouting for change. But which of our current maladies have been vastly improved by those who are offering solutions to violence? People who use tragedy as a means for personal gain or their own agendas should not be trusted. If we cant see the solutions to the problems we faced before the crisis of the week, why would we entrust them with the solutions to the challenges we see today?

If they can't be trusted to protect our free speech;

If they can't be trusted to protect our unborn children;

If they can't be trusted to protect our right of peaceful assembly;

If they can't be trusted to protect our borders from illegal immigrants;

If they can't be trusted to tell us the truth about our economic condition;

Then why would we trust them with our personal protection? It's illogical.

We do need change. The question is, what kind?

Its tempting to rush to a quick solution, but thats a childish response. The truth is weve arrived to this point after years of ignoring God, and we will not find a better place quickly. There are some underlying realities that must be addressed, or we will soon find ourselves in a much deeper place with far fewer freedoms.

Lawlessness has been growing steadily. We ignore the laws we don't like, then we feign surprise and dismay when someone ignores legal authority. We ask, How could they do that? but the truth is weve been cheering for the same type of actions all along, when people break the law in a way we approve.

We defund our police, and continually assert that passive responses to violence are preferred. I assure you the police understand how many eyes are on them and how many attorneys are standing at the door. Now we're shocked when they're reluctant to respond to a crisis.

Our schools are failing. We were so distracted and disinterested in the education of our children, we were barely paying attention to what was being pumped into their hearts and minds. COVID began to wake us up. The teachers unions blame the parents, and the parents are angry with the system, but the awkward reality is that the education of our children begins with the family. Families need to be strengthened by faith, and then the familys biblical worldview needs to be integrated into our larger culture.

The children  all of the children, not just our biological ones  are our responsibility. The best gift we can give the children is to tell them, There is a God, and He loves you.

When we start to learn about the backgrounds of violent criminals, we see a history of isolation, abuse, rejection, broken or nonexistent families, and many times a lack of fathers in the home. Our families are broken  both inside and outside the Church. We are decades into this problem, and to be completely candid, it's going to take tremendous courage to walk in a new direction. Well need to talk about the biblical definition of family and marriage, and our roles within that structure. That requires submitting ourselves to the authority of God, instead of acting like His Word is just a suggestion, or some sort of a divine prompt.

We're in troubled times, and I don't know what the future holds. Our wealth may fail. Our freedoms could very well continue to deteriorate. Well likely see ungodliness continue to be celebrated and righteousness mocked. Whats clear is we are not going to get to a better place by electing somebody new. We need a fundamental change at the grassroots level.

We need to ask ourselves a series of questions:

To what extent have we relegated church and Christianity to a secondary place?

To what extent have we allowed our faith to be pushed out of the public square?

To what extent have we accepted the reasoning that our faith should be separate from the state?

To what extent have we forgotten God?

We are not hopeless. Our Deliverer is none other than the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and He is watching over us. Our authority comes from yielding to Scripture and obeying God in our personal lives, as difficult as that can sometimes be. Were not going to see an expression of His power, His deliverance, or His assistance until we are willing to fully submit our lives to Him.

If we will consistently choose to yield to God and follow His lead, Im confident it will change the trajectory of our nation.
Bart Barber: Complementarianism, decentralized polity not to blame for sex abuse crisis in SBC

Newly elected Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber has rejected claims that the complementarian theology of the denomination was a major factor in its sex abuse scandal.

At a press conference held Wednesday, Barber gave opening remarks in which he addressed the issue of holding sexual predators within Southern Baptist congregations accountable.

Some have argued that the complementarian theology that is prevalent in the Southern Baptist churches  which, among other things, says that men and women have distinct roles in society and prohibits the ordination of women  has contributed to the SBCs sex abuse scandal.

Barber rejected this view, stating that our problem is not with our theology or our polity; indeed these things are among our strengths and that it is because we are convinced that our theology is right that we are convinced that our actions have been wrong.

Barber noted that while sexual predators have used our decentralized polity to try to turn our churches into a hunting ground, he also believed that the same decentralized organization of the SBC can be used against predators.

Where there is no diocesan bishop to fire a local pastor, there is also no diocesan bishop to protect him. Where there is no regional presbytery to defrock a pastor, there is also no presbytery to reassign him while covering up his villainy, he said.

Predators have realized the vulnerabilities of our system; it is time for Southern Baptists to realize how nimble and resilient our Baptist polity can be to put sexual predators on notice that Southern Baptist churches are a dangerous place for them.

During the question and answer segment, The Associated Press asked about how some of the female abuse victims interviewed by Guidepost Solutions for their report had said that they would have felt better to be able to report this to women in leadership roles.

Barber responded that within an SBC member church with true congregational polity, then any member of the congregation, male or female, can be a reporting point.

And you have female reporting points, Barber claimed. In our churches, in these churches where the members come together and their vote is able to determine what the church does, almost all of those churches have more women in them than they do men.

We can hold to complementarian theology about the office of pastor and still have a lot of places for people who are not pastors but still have genuine freedom to speak into the life of the church and create reporting points for abuse.

A reporter for The Houston Chronicle asked Barber his opinion about the presence of right-wing politics in the SBC, citing conservative activist Charlie Kirk speaking at a breakfast event hosted by the Conservative Baptist Network.

Barber replied that while he definitely identified with Reagan Conservatism, he nevertheless said that his faith informs my politics, rather than my politics informing my faith.

I do believe that we have seen some unhealthy ways recently that secular politics have dominated the conversation here in the Southern Baptist Convention, Barber added.

Christians need to have opinions about politics, and we need to be engaged in politics. We just need to make sure that in the dance between theology and politics, theology leads.

In 2019, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler Jr. gave a speech in which he looked into the question of whether complementarianism was a cause of the abuse of women and girls.

For his part, Mohler concluded at the time that while complementarian theology can be and sometimes is used by abusive men to justify their mistreatment of women, when complementarianism is properly understood, it produces husbands who love their wives as Christ loves the church, and they love their wives as they love their own bodies.

Weve received a wake-up call that we be very aware that there are those who will use any doctrine to their sinful advantage, he continued. So do I believe that complementarianism leads to the abuse of women? I will tell you that yes, it can and it has, but thats not the source of the problem.

The source of the problem is human sinfulness  pride and arrogance. And yes, there are patterns of male pride and male arrogance and male terror that haunt us.
Christian factory worker fired for wearing cross necklace awarded $26K in religious discrimination suit

A Christian factory worker in Scotland who was fired after he told his line manager that he wouldn't take off his crucifix necklace as it had a deep and profound meaning for him, has won more than $26,000 in a religious discrimination suit.

Jevgenijs Kovalkovs, a quality inspector, was fired by his employer, 2 Sisters Food Group Limited in Coupar Angus, for wearing a silver necklace that had been sanctified during a baptism ceremony for his godchild, according to The Telegraph.

Kovalkovs, a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, had lost a job as a result of the discrimination toward him, Employment Judge Louise Cowen at the tribunal in Dundee was quoted as saying. His religion and the wearing of his necklace were of deep and profound meaning to him.

The Christian man joined the chicken wholesalers in November 2019 and was promoted to the role of quality inspector, The U.K. Times reported, adding that he wore a white coat over his clothes at work while his colleagues wore lanyards, identity passes and keys around their necks.

His line manager ordered him to remove the cross, a gift from his mother, saying it was deemed a hazard at the workplace. Kovalkovs was later seen wearing it again at the factory and refused to take it off.

As per the companys foreign body control policy, staff were not allowed to wear jewelry, except a single plain band ring, in the production areas on site. And religious jewelry required a risk assessment before being allowed.

The line manager did not carry out a risk assessment, thinking that the issue had been dealt with, the panel was told. Kovalkovs was then fired for not obeying an instruction. His employment ended immediately as he was in his probationary period.

The panel found that his sacking was based entirely on the non-declaration of the necklace during the induction course he went through at the time of joining.

In a similar case in 2013, Nadia Eweida, a British Airways employee, won a landmark legal battle at the European Court of Human Rights to wear a cross at work. The airlines had asked her not to wear her white gold cross visibly.

The court ruled it was a violation of her rights as per article nine of the European Convention on Human Rights, The Telegraph reported at the time.
Officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt at US Capitol in Jan. 6 riot acted lawfully: police

Authorities have cleared an unnamed police officer of wrongdoing in the death of Ashli Babbitt who was shot and killed while attempting to enter the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

In an announcement on Monday, the U.S. Capitol Police said they were not going to discipline or release the name of the officer that killed Babbitt, an unarmed U.S. Air Force veteran who attempted to climb through a smashed door pane into the House. She was shot in the neck by the plainclothes officer who was inside the chamber.

The USCP Office of Professional Responsibility determined that the officer acted lawfully and within Department policy as an officer may use deadly force only when the officer reasonably believes that action is in the defense of human life, including the officers own life, or in the defense of any person in immediate danger of serious physical injury.

The actions of the officer in this case potentially saved Members and staff from serious injury and possible death from a large crowd of rioters who forced their way into the U.S. Capitol and to the House Chamber where Members and staff were steps away, stated the Capitol Police.

USCP Officers had barricaded the Speakers Lobby with furniture before a rioter shattered the glass door. If the doors were breached, the rioters would have immediate access to the House Chambers. The officers actions were consistent with the officers training and USCP policies and procedures.

The announcement comes months after the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice likewise announced that they would not pursue criminal prosecution of the officer who fatally shot Babbitt.

The focus of the criminal investigation was to determine whether federal prosecutors could prove that the officer violated any federal laws, concentrating on the possible application of 18 U.S.C.  242, a federal criminal civil rights statute, stated the Justice Department in April.

The Justice Department went on to state that the investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber.

On Friday, Reuters reported that the FBI had found no evidence to suggest that the Capitol riot was a coordinated attack by supporters of former President Donald Trump.

"Ninety to ninety-five percent of these are one-off cases," a former senior law enforcement official told Reuters. "Then you have five percent, maybe, of these militia groups that were more closely organized. But there was no grand scheme with Roger Stone and Alex Jones and all of these people to storm the Capitol and take hostages."

Babbitt, 35, was unarmed when she joined hundreds of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol during a joint session of Congress meant to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. While some people forced their way into the Capitol, others were allowed in by Capitol police without incident.

She was shot and killed by the unnamed police lieutenant when she and others tried to get into the Speakers Lobby outside of the House chamber, which had been barricaded for the sake of protecting the members of Congress.

Some critics, among them retired police sergeant Betsy Smith, spokeswoman for the National Police Association, have questioned if the shooting of Babbitt was justified.

In an interview with NTD's The Nation Speaks back in April, Smith argued that there were many unanswered questions regarding the circumstances of the shooting.

I think that if the Justice Department has said that that officer should not be charged, then thats fine. But I think that the American public deserves to know the details of why deadly force was deployed, because there are very strict rules when we use deadly force, she stated at the time.
Megachurch pastor advises young adults to forgive absent, neglectful dads ahead of Father's Day

As Americans get ready to celebrate Father's Day on Sunday, a young adult ministry leader is encouraging Christians to forgive their absent fathers and others who have inflicted harm in their lives.

David Marvin, a pastor at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas, gave a sermon Tuesday titled "How to forgive" before the church's young adult group, The Porch, which ministers to thousands of young adults through live stream affiliations with 15 churches across 10 states.

"Christians are not called to just have the title of Christians, but the lifestyle of Christians. And Jesus over and over said: 'If you're going to follow me, you will forgive people.' And I know represented in this room there's a lot of pain," Marvin preached.

"When we brought up Father's Day a second ago, that's not a day of celebration. It's a day that reminds you of what you didn't have or the terrible father you did have.  God wants you to experience the healing that happens when you decide to forgive, which is why over and over He commands it."

He assured forgiveness can change the trajectory of someone's life.

Marvin, who's been on staff at Watermark for over a decade and has a biblical studies master's degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, said many people don't know what steps are needed to forgive. He believes there's a lot of misinformation on forgiveness, noting that "forgiveness is not forgetting."

"If anything, you have to remember in order to forgive someone. Forgiveness is not excusing what happened. It's not pretending like, 'man, it wasn't a big deal when they abused me.' That was a huge deal. But you're still called to forgive," Marvin preached.

"Forgiveness is not minimizing or belittling it. The sin that happened against you was such a big deal Jesus had to come on the cross and die. Forgiveness is not the restoration of a relationship. In other words, you can forgive someone, which doesn't make you best friends. But it is a command."

He stressed that "forgiveness is not fair" and laid out three steps to take.

Knowing what to forgive

The first step of forgiveness, Marvin said, is to "identify what to forgive."

"It is a really difficult thing to forgive or release the need for payback, to release that debt that was created if I don't know what was taken," he explained. "In other words, I can't forgive you for what you stole from my house if I don't know what you stole from my house."

Marvin said many never process what others did to hurt them, which can block the process of forgiveness to those who hurt them.

"Canceling that debt involves identifying what was taken. ... Every time somebody hurt you, sinned against you, neglected, abandoned, abused, sinned; there's the fact that it happened, then there's the impact it had,  and the fact of what was taken," Marvin said.

"What do I mean by that? That every time somebody has sinned against you or me, there's a debt that is created. And part of the way that we forgive is by looking it in the eye and saying, 'This is what was taken and I'm not holding that against you anymore.'"

Marvin offered himself as an example, speaking to the resentment he used to hold against his father for largely being absent from his life growing up.

"We'd see each other at holidays, and my siblings would drive across town two times a month due to custody orders, and we'd see him in this tiny little apartment," the pastor explained. "And I realized I was carrying some real hurt. And somebody gave me the teaching of forgiveness. It's really hard to forgive someone if you don't know what they took from you."

Years ago, Marvin began writing a journal to chronicle the different things his father "took" from him growing up.

"You took from me having a dad in the home. You took from me having a father show up at sporting events," Marvin recounted.

"You took from me the ability to see what God's design for marriage was meant to look like. You took from me every other Monday night where I had to drive across town and go to that apartment. You took from me having a father close in my life.'"

'Let go'

Forgiveness is a decision that needs to be made, Marvin said, referencing Ephesians 4:31. The verse reads: "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice."

The second step on the path to forgiveness and "by far the hardest," Marvin said, is making the decision to "let go" of the debt and release it to God.

"Maybe it was the fact that you grew up in a broken home like I did, and it led to some brokenness in your life ... that's not your fault and you didn't ask for it," Marvin said.

"But if you're going to forgive and experience healing, you've got to make the decision: 'I'm going to identify what was taken because I can't release that debt if I don't know what it is.'"

Marvin stressed that "forgiving is an act of faith" and warned of the potential consequences of failing to forgive.

"To say to God, 'I am choosing to not forgive this person,' is to say 'the eternal torment of Hell is not enough for the pain they created.' Or if they're a believer, it's saying to God, 'the death of your one and only Son Jesus on the cross, that may be enough for you God, it's not enough for me. And they need to pay. And however I can make them pay through the way that I treat them, or the way that I avoid them, or the way that I refuse to forgive them, I'm going to do,'" Marvin said.

"God says: 'the forgiven forgive people.' We forgive because we've been forgiven. ... God's grace doesn't just flow to us and His forgiveness doesn't just flow to us. It's to flow out through us and how we interact with other people."

Forgive daily

The third step to forgiveness, Marvin said, is to "choose to forgive daily."

Marvin discussed the Lord's Prayer, which includes the portion that states, "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors," which is also rendered as "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."

"Forgiveness is a medication you will have to take for the rest of your life," Marvin said. "Is holding on to that bitterness going to help you? Jesus says, 'No.' It's going to hurt you and your future."
Police in India beat, detain pastor for singing hymns at uncle's house Pastor suffers internal, external injuries after officers beat him with batons, leather strap

NEW DELHI  Nearly two months after police arrested a pastor in India from his grandmothers home, tied him to a tree and beat him, threats from officers and others have kept him from filing a complaint on the brutality, sources said.

Pastor Pravesh Kumar of Amamahua, Uttar Pradesh state, was visiting a sick uncle at his grandmothers house in nearby Bhais Khur village on April 22 when police arrested him after a Hindu neighbor videotaped them singing during a family devotional on the roof, he said.

The neighbor had sent the video clip to police after recording it from the adjoining rooftop, Pastor Kumar said. Officers immediately arrived and questioned him about the purpose of the visit and about their singing.

When he explained that they were singing hymns, police told him they were arresting him on suspicion of forcible conversion because hymns were part of converting people, he said.

They completely ignored the fact that the family we were visiting were all followers of Christ, Pastor Kumar said.

Officers took the 26-year-old pastor to Bijauli police outpost at about 8 p.m., tied him face forward to a tree and physically assaulted him as they reviled him in coarse language, he said.

I was beaten so brutally on my legs that they swelled up, and I was not able to walk, Pastor Kumar told Morning Star News. I was limping.

His 55-year-old uncle arrived, noticed he was limping and pleaded with the policemen to stop the assault, he said. The officers demanded $256 to $320 (20,000 to 25,000 rupees) to release them, and because Pastor Kumar told them he had no money and had committed no crime, they said they would send him to the Bardah police station, he said.

Pastor Kumar and his uncle were transported to the Bardah police station, where an officer asked about his limp and scolded the officers for hitting him on body parts that bore readily visible marks.

The officer demanded a leather strap and told the junior policemen, I will show you what body parts you should target while assaulting a person, and then lashed the pastor 30 to 40 times and also beat his uncle, Pastor Kumar said.

As he struck Pastor Kumar, the officer demanded that he shout slogans hailing Hindu gods and goddesses: Jai! Sri Ram [Hail! lord Ram]! and, Jai! Durga Ki [Hail! Durga], and as he refused, he was further beaten.

When one of the junior policemen asked the officer if they should let Pastor Kumars uncle go, he refused, saying they would fabricate a report that the pastor and his uncle had fought each other. He then ordered the officers to beat Pastor Kumars uncle.

Word spread of them being beaten in custody, and Christian leaders from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi called police to inquire about the arrest.

When my well-wishers and concerned Christians called the police station, the officer came and told me that he received a call and beat me all the more, accusing me of having a big group of supporters, Pastor Kumar told Morning Star News.

As the officers kicked and struck Pastor Kumar and his uncle with police batons and a leather strap, the police continued to revile them with coarse language, he said.

The two Christians sustained several internal and external injuries. Pastor Kumar was beaten on all major joints, including the wrists and knees, with a ruptured nerve on a wrist that turned black, he said.

Police registered a complaint against them under the Indian Penal Code for five or more assembling and disturbing public peace, abetment and abetting commission of offense. They appeared before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate court in Lalganj, Azamgarh District after a medical exam, and the evening of the next day they were released on bail.

Pastor Kumar was still taking pain medication two weeks after his release, he said.

Morning Star News refrained from calling police for comment as it could exacerbate mistreatment of the Christians, though Pastor Kumar gave permission to report on the case.

On the day of their arrest, Dinanath Jaiswar, a human rights activist and Christian leader in Uttar Pradesh, reached the police station along with other church leaders at about midnight. Jaiswar told Morning Star News that he was utterly shaken when he saw Kumars condition.

He was brutally beaten in custody, Jaiswar said. I had tears in my eyes when I met him in the police station.

A religious rights activist from Delhi who requested anonymity said that when he called the officer in-charge of the Bardah police station that same night, the chief refused to talk.

The moment I spoke about Pastor Praveshs detention, he cut my phone and then stopped answering my calls, the activist said.

Another Christian leader speaking on condition of anonymity said that he went to the police station the same night and asked police why were they torturing Kumar, a charge they roundly denied.

It was so heart-breaking to see Pastor Pravesh, the leader said. We felt so helpless. We panicked as to whom should we approach for protection, when the protectors themselves have become assaulters.

Threats

When police sent Pastor Kumar and his uncle for medical examination, they instructed the accompanying constables that they must state that the pairs injuries were the result of a scuffle between them, he said.

The station chief had warned him that if he told doctors or any senior police officer about the assault in custody, the officers knew where to find him.

The officer told me that he would falsely implicate me and my uncle under the anti-conversion law and send us to jail if we tried to take any action against them, Pastor Kumar told Morning Star News.

Jaiswar said the hospital doctor told him he could explain the injuries truthfully.

The doctor at the hospital, shocked at Praveshs condition, told him that he can mention in the medical report the brutality, in which he was beaten with leather stap marks and got baton marks all over his body, Jaiswar said. But Pravesh was very scared of the warning the police officer had given him of the consequences of revealing the truth.

Pastor Kumar was also hesitant to reveal anything that could spoil his brothers imminent wedding, he said.

I did not want to bring any kind of trouble upon the family and jeopardize my brothers wedding, he said. Even after my release, my mother and other family members persuaded me to not do anything that would bring any kind of trouble upon the family.

Jaiswar said he was an eyewitness to the injuries police inflicted on Pastor Kumars back, wrists and knees, and his difficulty in walking.

I persisted that we must file a counter-complaint against the police, Jaiswar said. I wanted to make him stand before the senior officials and question the brutality of the police department for a small complaint like this one. But Kumar was too scared to take any action.

Formerly a Hindu, Pastor Kumar had begun to follow Christ 18 months ago, along with his siblings and their families. The church where they worshiped was about 25 miles from their village, so his pastor encouraged him to start a fellowship at his house.

For the past six months I have been conducting prayers in my house, and about 60 to 70 people attend the house church, he said.

Since his arrest, he has not led the regular church service nor met for their regular Friday prayer meetings, he said. Residents in Amamahua have threatened him, saying they will follow the example set in Bhais Khur and call police if people gather in his house for prayer or worship.

The villagers told me that they had no idea that they could do this to me, he said. Now they have learned from my arrest, and they will follow the same by complaining about me to the police if I conduct church service or meet for prayers.

Complicity

A rise in the number of assaults on Christians in Uttar Pradesh has raised concern in the minority Christian community.

The water has gone over our heads now, said Jaiswar, a member of a rapid action team that helps Christians in Uttar Pradesh persecuted for their faith. While we are extending help in one case, we are informed of two more incidents elsewhere. We are forced to shift our attention from this one to the others. By the time we are tackling the new two, there are one or two new cases. We are puzzled as to how to reach out to all of them when they are geographically miles apart from each other.

An area Christian leader who requested anonymity said that government, administration, police and media have come together to target Christians.

The government has instructed the administration to carry out arrests wherever people are gathering for worship and file complaints against them under the law, he said. The right-wing groups get the police along, and without cross-questioning, the police arrest the pastors and lay leaders. Within two to three hours an FIR [First Information Report] is registered against them.

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India with more than 200 million inhabitants and is also the most populous country subdivision in the world. Its Christian population is 0.18%, while the Hindu majority is 79.73% of the population, according to the 2011 census.

The hostile tone of the National Democratic Alliance government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, against non-Hindus, has emboldened Hindu extremists in several parts of the country to attack Christians since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in May 2014, religious rights advocates say.

India is ranked No. 10 on Christian support organization Open Doors 2022 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, as it was in 2021. The country was ranked No. 31 in 2013, but its position worsened after Modi came to power.

Originally published at Morning Star News
Trump: 'Greatest danger to America comes from within;' talks Jan. 6, 'rigged election' and puberty blockers

Former President Donald Trump said the greatest danger to America comes from within and maintained that the House Select Committee's hearings on the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol are a witch hunt during a speech in Tennessee on Friday.

At the Faith & Freedom Coalitions Road to Majority conference in Nashville, the former president spoke to those gathered about the dangers of the radical Left, asserting that they are trying to destroy organized religion and trying to shred our Constitution.

The greatest danger to America is not our enemies from the outside, as powerful as they may be, said Trump. The greatest danger to America is the destruction of our nation from the people from within.

This is not just a political problem, this is a spiritual problem. For the radical Left, politics has become their religion. It is warped their sense of right and wrong. They dont have a sense of right and wrong.

Trump also criticized certain members of the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, protests that turned into a riot in part of the Capitol, labeling the politicians as the un-selects and claiming that they are engaging in an insurrection hoax, insisting they are not after me, they are after you.

Theyre con people; theyre con artists, he said. Every one of them is a radical Left hater. Hates all of you, hates me even more than you.

The un-selects have shredded every standard of decency, fairness, precedent, tradition, separation of powers, executive privilege and due process. Nobodys ever done this before. They are knowingly spinning a fake and phony narrative in a chilling attempt to weaponize the justice system against their political opponents.

The former president also touched on other topics, such as Russia's war in Ukraine and the dangers of prescribing puberty blockers to children suffering from gender confusion.

The Republican Party, he added, "must become the party of parents' rights" and upend the "radical Lefts corrupt education cartel." He accused the public education system of being "so upside down that school prayer is banned, but drag shows are absolutely allowed," adding: "You cant teach the Bible, but you can teach children that men can get pregnant and kindergarteners are allowed to pick their own gender."

Pushing gender ideology on young people is nothing less than child abuse. And when Republicans retake Congress, they also need to crack down hard on Big Pharma for giving puberty blockers and other dangerous drugs to mutilate our children and our youth."

Earlier in his speech, Trump condemned the Jan. 6 Committee and said they should question Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who he accused of rejecting requests to have thousands of National Guard soldiers at Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021, as offered by the Department of Defense ahead of scheduled events, including planned protests and counter-protests.

According to Politifact, however, there is no evidence that Trump made a formal request for the National Guard units, or that Pelosi ever rejected such a request.

Theres still no record of any such authorization being made, or of Pelosi standing in the way. The D.C. National Guard reports solely to the president of the United States, per its website, noted the fact-checking website.

In fact  the House committee noted that then-Vice President Mike Pence had called for the National Guard on Jan. 6  not Trump.

Trump also devoted time in his speech to reiterate his claims of election fraud during the 2020 presidential election, citing the movie 2,000 Mules, directed by conservative activist Dinesh DSouza, as evidence of ballot fraud in targeted regions of the country.

Kellyanne Conway, who served as campaign manager for Trump in 2016 and was one of his prominent aides, acknowledged in a recently published memoir that Trump had legitimately lost the 2020 election.

Despite the mountains of money Trump had raised, his team simply failed to get the job done. A job that was doable and had a clear path, if followed, wrote Conway. The team had failed on November 3, and they failed again afterward.

By not confronting the candidate with the grim reality of his situation, that the proof had not surfaced to support the claims, they denied him the evidence he sought and the respect he was due. Instead supplicant after sycophant after showman genuflected in front of the Resolute Desk and promised the president goods they could not deliver.

Additionally, as part of the select committee testimony, former Trump Attorney General William Barr referred to claims that the 2020 election was stolen as bull---.

Trumps remarks came as part of the annual gathering of conservative activists that aims to advance conservative policy ideas and often features prominent Republican speakers.

Earlier this month, Faith & Freedom Coalition announced that Trump would be their keynote speaker, with Executive Director Timothy Head saying it was a privilege to welcome the former president to the event.

Six years ago, he began the fight to make America great again, and since that moment he has delivered some of the most consequential victories for our movement and our nation  victories that continue to inspire leaders in states and communities around the country, stated Head.

His presence at this conference will undoubtedly inspire attendees to stand firm in defending conservative values and electing leaders that will do the same this November.
'Disgraceful attack on Christianity': Calif. city councilman criticizes LGBT flag-raising at city hall

A California city council member has denounced the raising of an LGBT pride flag at City Hall as a "disgraceful attack on traditional Christianity," prompting many to demand that he be removed from office.

Fresno Councilman Garry Bredefeld told EyeWitness News 47 that he believes a pride flag shouldn't have been raised outside City Hall.

I dont think the flag should be flying outside city hall. Ive been very clear about that. I think it should only be the United States government, and the state of California and the city of Fresno flag that should be flying out there, but I feel that way about all flags, Bredefeld said.

"If youre a follower of Jesus Christ, I dont know how you would refer to Jesus Christ as the 'scandalous one' and the 'queer of nations' and all of that. There are people who want to take that and say, 'Well youre against people who are homosexual,' which is false and not true. But the fact is when you attack Jesus in what you call a prayer, Im going to speak up about it and I did."

During the ceremony, the Rev. Raygan Baker of Fresnos Big Red Church gave a prayer in which he said that You, queer one, oh queering one, reveal the gifts of falling outside the lines."

Bredefeld tweeted Sunday morning that he considered the prayer delivered by Baker at the pride flag-raising event to be a disgraceful attack on traditional Christianity.

"Ill continue to speak out against these attacks on Christianity & never accept this kind of perversion of God and what God truly stands for as revealed in the Bible. Never," he added.

A Change.org petition, with an aim to have Bredefeld removed from his position for various reasons, including his recent comments, has garnered nearly 800 signatures as of Thursday afternoon.

Garry Bredefeld has proven time and time again to show his true colors when it comes to blatant disrespect of the people of Fresno. He is a stain on the community and should not represent the interests of its citizens, the petition reads. He ran uncontested and that means he won by default. He is anti-mask and pro-trump, which should tell you what you need to know about his character.

Bredefeld said, however, that even with the active petition, he isn't worried because he believes there's nothing wrong with his viewpoints opposing the pride flag-raising and against the prayer that Baker delivered.

"As far as Im concerned, hes attacking Christians and Christianity, and I thought it was very inappropriate, Bredefeld added.

In response to Bredefeld, Baker told Eyewitness 47 that he didn't find anything wrong with his prayer and believes it was justified because it mirrors what he typically preaches at his church.

I was just surprised at first. Its never the prayer as the part that people focus on, Baker said, referring to the council member's response. I mean, Im a Christian too."

"The thing is you know, he and I are both Christians even if were in different churches. Im a gay Christian, and Im sorry, I get to [pray] from my perspective too.

The flag-raising ceremony is progress, according to Baker, adding that when "queer people see it, they say, Oh, Im safe here. That Im a part of Fresno, too.
Nearly naked pro-abortion protester disrupts Catholic Mass

A nearly naked pro-abortion protester disrupted a Catholic Mass in Michigan over the weekend as Americans await the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on an abortion case that's expected to overturn Roe v. Wade and return abortion laws to the discretion of each state.

A TikTok video captured a nearly naked female protester and two other pro-abortion demonstrators disrupting Mass at St. Veronicas Church in Eastpointe, Michigan, on Sunday. The unclothed young woman with strategically placed dark green leaves covering her private parts chanted abortion without apology while another protester waving a green bandana exclaimed, Overturn Roe? Hell no!

Video footage documented ushers at the Detroit-area church removing both protesters who continued to shout pro-abortion slogans as they were escorted out of the building. Another woman holding a green bandana was standing at one of the pews at the front of the church before an usher escorted her out through a side exit.

The incident in Eastpointe comes just one week after pro-abortion protesters interrupted a church service at Joel Osteens Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. One of the protesters at Lakewood stripped down to her bra and underwear decorated with green paint handprints over their chests and red paint on their underwear to symbolize blood from an abortion, and screamed, Its my body, my [expletive] choice. She and other protesters, who also removed their clothes, continued to shout pro-abortion slogans such as Overturn Roe? Hell no! as security guards escorted them out of the church building.

The protests at St. Veronicas and Lakewood come as the Supreme Court is expected to release its ruling in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health by the end of the month. A draft opinion in the case, published by Politico on May 2, reveals that a majority of Supreme Court justices have agreed to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

After Politico published the draft opinion in the Dobbs case, which is not final, the pro-abortion group Ruth Sent Us encouraged pro-abortion protesters to descend on Catholic churches on Mothers Day. The organization cited outrage that six extremist Catholics set out to overturn Roe as the justification for disrupting Catholic Masses.

While Ruth Sent Us maintained that six extremist Catholics signed on to the draft opinion in Dobbs, only five justices expressed support for the idea that Roe must be overruled. Four of the five justices who signed on to the draft majority opinion in Dobbs are Catholic and the fifth, Neil Gorsuch, is an Episcopalian. The sixth justice derided by Ruth Sent Us as an extremist Catholic, Chief Justice John Roberts, did not sign on to the draft majority opinion but was appointed to the bench by a Republican president like the other five.

In recent weeks, many churches in the U.S. have found themselves subject to acts of hostility that extend far beyond disruptive protests. Churches in Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Texas and Washington state have been vandalized, primarily consisting of pro-abortion messages spray-painted on their exterior walls. Additionally, a Catholic Church in Texas had its tabernacle stolen.

If Roe is overturned as expected, abortion would not automatically become illegal in all 50 states. Instead, each state will determine the legality of abortion going forward. Pro-abortion activists in Michigan, where St. Veronicas is located, are working to gather the signatures required to get a ballot measure codifying the right to abortion into state law before voters in the November election. Michigan is one of three states where voters could weigh in on abortion laws in the near future.

Twenty-one states will either completely ban or more severely restrict abortion than they do now if Roe is overturned. An additional 16 states that have already codified the right to abortion into state law will continue to allow abortions throughout most or all of pregnancy. The remaining 10 states will likely continue enforcing existing abortion laws.
The luxury of petty debates

The American West has become a nursery for the irrelevant, a sanctuary for distraction. Due to social media and a false elevation of ideals, Western Christianity has been bogged down by petty debates  a luxury not afforded to Christians globally. Christians in the U.S. must remember the supremacy of Christ in their engagement in current issues.

In his letter to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul decided to know nothing among you but Christ and him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). As a Roman-born, Jewish-taught man, Paul knew much and had the right to maneuver otherwise restricted situations. In the temple, he could be referred to as Jewish, while in the company of Gentiles, he could be referred to as a friend. In every setting, however, he could be called a follower of Christ.

Pauls main directive, seen in the New Testament epistles and biblical documentation about his life, was not to be distinctly Jewish or Greek-speaking, but to lose all things to the extent that he only has Christ, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible [he] may attain the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:9-10).

Suffering, according to Timothy Keller, is the acid test of meaning. Across all cultures and time periods and experiences, suffering is an affliction that has been (or will be) the determining factor of the priorities of a person, community, or nation.

The last few years have felt like a constant acid test.

A global pandemic, the war between Ukraine and Russia, political tensions in the U.S., mass shootings, and the uncovering of sexual assault mishandlings by Liberty University, John MacArthurs Grace Community Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, and Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, have made every day seem daunting, every moment suffocating for the fervent Christian.

Yet, in this rise of massive controversy and dissension, a still more overwhelming amount of debate and strife has protruded into everyday life; whether via social media or human conversation, any breathable, suffering-less air is taken up by trivial, petty debates.

In a letter to his disciple, Paul instructs Timothy to Guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, for by professing it some have swerved from the faith (1 Tim. 6:20-21). During the rise of Rome and the heavy influence of Greeks in the first century, knowledge was a diamond. It was sought after to the point that men would construct palaces with which to showcase their collections of knowledge  the most notable of these was the Library of Alexandria. While much changed anno Domini, one thing that didnt was the rise in education and knowledge.

In Acts, Paul sees this intersect with the early Church at the Jerusalem Council. It may suffice to say that knowledge influenced Jewish decisions more than the heart and teachings of Christ. Pharisees were more concerned with what they knew about the Laws teaching and how to practice it outwardly, than their ability to let the power of Christ indwell them.

Such might be the same for Christians in the U.S. today. Centuries of religious thought and a years-long struggle to engage cultural and political issues have led to the Christian incentive to be right, always. The United States has been afforded the luxury of engaging in petty debates.

By petty debates I mean those arguments that are important, only as far as the cultural or societal moment allows. These are not arguments distinctly related to biblical salvation (i.e., what does it take for someone to be saved; can someone lose their salvation?), but often culture-centered issues, such as the question of what political party to vote for.

In persecuted countries, Christians do not have the luxury to taint their minds with issues that would fall into the lower levels of Albert Mohlers Theological Triage. The issues they encounter are life-threatening. They may not concern themselves with the justice system or deep eschatology so long as the Gospel goes forth.

A Christian perspective on politics and social issues is important  in fact, Christians should hopefully bring the most objective and reasonable thoughts to those conversations. But we must not abandon the centrality of the Gospel for the sake of second-rate issues. These things have caused long Twitter threads  people at each others digital throats  and strained friendships for those in the American Church.

In the mirk of petty debates and seemingly endless dialogue on everything, remember the words of Paul and the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus, seeing the sinful plight of man, descended into our darkness and, in our place, paid the punishment for our sins. He arose victorious over death and charged us to go therefore and make disciples of all nations, promising his accompanying presence until the end of the age (Matt. 28:19-20).

Concern yourself with the mission of Christ above all. When necessary, engage in lower-tier conversation  but always bear in mind the end goal: showing the love of Christ and his saving power. If anything, know nothing but Christ, and him crucified. That he is enough.
Howard and Nancy Graves are soon celebrating their 60th anniversary. Howard married the former Nancy Merhoff on June 23, 1962 in Louisville, Kentucky. The couples have two children, Michael (Janice) and David (Sheryl). They also have five grandchildren and four step-grandchildren.

Howard and Nancy plan to celebrate their anniversary with their family at a Great Lakes Loons game.
Police at the U.S. Capitol have arrested members of the CBS show The Late Show With Stephen Colbert who were filming a segment featuring a salty canine puppet voiced by comedian Robert Smigel.

The Capitol Police said Friday that they had arrested seven people in a hallway of the Capitol Building on Thursday night, at a time when the building was closed to visitors. The people had been told to leave the building earlier in the day, police said.

CBS said that Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the puppet that Smigel has voiced for years, had been at the Capitol on Thursday with a production team when they were detained by police. At the time of the arrest, the team had finished prearranged interviews with members of Congress and were filming final comedy elements in the buildings hallways for an upcoming segment on The Late Show.

The seven people were later charged with unlawful entry, and an investigation is now underway in consultation with Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, the Capitol Police said, adding that more criminal charges may be filed. Graves office could not immediately be reached for comment Friday night.

The arrests in the Longworth House Office Building occurred at a time when Congress is holding televised hearings into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the same building, in which supporters of President Donald Trump violently stormed the Capitol complex.

Word of the arrests was sure to provide fodder for pundits, comedians and politicians.

Soon after news of the arrests broke Friday night, Fox News host Tucker Carlson told viewers that Colberts producers had just committed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building. Its exactly like what happened on Jan 6., so well take a close look at what the punishments are, he said.

Liz Cheney, call your office, Carlson added, referring to the Republican congresswoman from Wyoming and the vice chair of the committee investigating last years attack. Weve got another committee to impanel.

Smigel, the comedian who plays Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, could not be reached for comment Friday night. CBS declined to provide further information about the arrests, nor would it say when the segment featuring Smigels canine puppet would air.

Smigel is a former writer for Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Conan OBrien, and his puppet is an irreverent, cigar-chomping dog who sometimes roams the halls of American power. Days after the 2016 presidential election, Colbert introduced Triumph on his show as an old friend and veteran of the campaign trail, a true mandarin of his business and a toy Rottweiler.

In a 2016 election special earlier that year, Triumph had described himself as an insult comic.

Thats the wave of the future, he told the Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. Thats what Trump is doing.

In a February 2020 segment of Colberts Late Show, Triumph visited the U.S. Capitol and joined a scrum of reporters around Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

Hey, Mitt! he said. Im a dog journalist! Can I get a ride home on your roof? (Romney did not reply.)

Later, when Triumph tried to enter a secure area of the Capitol building, a security guard told him that he did not have access.

Im here to report on the very important waste of time going on in the chamber, he replied.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Two actors on the Netflix series The Chosen One were killed and six other cast or crew members were injured after the van they were riding in crashed near Mulege on the Baja California Sur peninsula.

Local media reported the crash occurred Thursday, and said the van flipped after running off the road in a desert area. The crew had apparently been working in the nearby Santa Rosalia area at the time.
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A capital murder case being prosecuted by the Montgomery District Attorneys Office asserts a childs recent death resulted from a 2017 beating in another county.

Wesley Scot Stone, 29, a former Oklahoma resident, is charged with capital murder of a person younger than 10 years of age in the death of Jaci Stone, according to district clerk records from Montgomery and Lampasas counties.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Man sentenced in shooting death of Conroe teen

Stone was sentenced to 30 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to injury to a child in September 2018, according to Lamapsas County District Clerk records.

He was at the James V. Allred Unit prison near Wichita Falls when he was charged with murder, according to Montgomery County First Assistant District Attorney Mike Holley.

The nature of the allegations are that the injuries sustained in Lampasas County were the cause of the victims death, read an email from Holley.

The injury offense Stone was convicted of committing against Jaci occurred in March 2017 and the child died Feb. 13, 2020 in Montgomery County, according to information from the Lampasas County District Clerks Office and Holley.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Woman sentenced for killing Conroe man on Texas 105 in DWI case

A May 2017 Lampasas County indictment on Stone stated he intentionally and knowingly cause(d) serious bodily injury to Jaci Stone ... by squeezing, crushing and striking her.

Similarly, the Montgomery County capital murder indictment, filed April 5, stated Stone intentionally or knowingly cause(d) the death of Jaci by squeezing, crushing and striking her with his hands, feet, and an unknown object.

The Montgomery County murder indictment against Stone and documents on the injury to a child case from Lamapasas County do not specify Jacis age. Though Stone and Jaci share the same last name, court documents immediately available from either county did not indicate whether the two were related.

The Montgomery County District Attorneys Office declined to disclose Jacis specific ages at the time of the injury case and at the time of her death or whether Stone and the child were related.

When asked about the precedence of a murder case where the alleged victims injuries occurred in a county separate from where the person died, Holley expressed confidence in the prosecutions case against Stone.

Our office maintains that prosecution is lawful in these circumstances, and similar prosecutions have occurred in this county and other Texas counties in the past, Holley said via email.

Stone was booked June 8 at the Montgomery County Jail in Conroe, according to jail records. As of Friday, he was being held there without bond, jail records show.

If Stone is convicted, under state law he could face the death penalty.

In a subsequent email, Holley said he and Special Victims Division Chief Assistant DA Shanna Redwine will be prosecuting the case against Stone in either the fall or winter.

Stones defense attorneys did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

twitter.com/jrgzztx
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  The Virginia General Assembly on Friday elected two new justices to serve on the state Supreme Court, elevated a lower court judge to the state Court of Appeals and elected two other judges.

The Supreme Court, Virginia's highest, is comprised of seven justices who serve 12-year terms. The vacancies that lawmakers filled Friday were created after two recent departures. Former Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons retired in February, and Justice William Mims did not seek reappointment when his term ended in March.

The spots have been vacant for months because leaders of the Democrat-controlled Senate and GOP-controlled House could not agree on how much sway each side should have in picking the new nominees and backfilling subsequent vacancies.

The new Supreme Court justices are: Thomas Mann, who has served as a Circuit Court judge in Fairfax County since 2016; and Wesley G. Russell Jr., a Virginia native who has served on the Virginia Court of Appeals since 2015.

Mann spent a decade as a Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge before becoming a Circuit Court judge.

Last year, he scolded prosecutors for what he considered to be a lenient plea deal in a sex abuse case. Oscar Zaldivar, 53, received a 17-year sentence for molesting a young relative. The victims family asked the judge to reject the plea. Mann ultimately accepted the plea deal but told the victim at Saldivars sentencing hearing, Your government has failed you.

Manns daughter, Grace Mann, was a junior at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg when she was murdered in 2015. A roommate was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Mann graduated from the American University law school.

Russell, 51, worked as a deputy attorney general in the civil litigation division of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General before being elected to the Court of Appeals. Before that, he was a partner at the law firm of McSweeney, Crump, Childress & Temple. He earned his law degree from George Mason University School of Law in 1995.

Appointing justices to the Supreme Court of Virginia is a responsibility we dont take lightly  the individuals chosen will be determining the path of the Commonwealth for years. We are proud to appoint Justice Mann and Justice Russell today; their dedication to public service and lifelong commitment to the law will serve them well as they begin their work on the states highest court, Democratic Senate Judiciary Co-Chair John Edwards said in a statement.

Kimberley S. White, of Halifax, who is currently a Circuit Court judge for the 10th Judicial District, was elevated to fill Russell's spot on the Court of Appeals.

Manuel Capsalis, a judge in Fairfax County General District Court since 2015, was elected as a Circuit Court judge, while attorney Dipti Pidikiti-Smith, of Fairfax, was elected to serve as a judge in General District Court in the 19th District.

____

Associated Press writer Matthew Barakat contributed to this report.
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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  Behind the raw public frustration and anger over election security that has played out this week in New Mexico was a hint of something deeper -- a growing divide between the states Democratic power structure and conservative rural residents who feel their way of life is under attack.

In Otero County, where the crisis over certifying the states June 7 primary election began, County Commissioner Vickie Marquardt struck a defiant tone as she relented under pressure from the states Democratic attorney general, Democratic secretary of state and a state Supreme Court dominated by Democratic appointees.

One of the main explanations she gave for reversing course had nothing to do with questions over the security of voting machines  the reason the all-Republican, three-member commission had originally refused to certify its election.

If we get removed from office, nobody is going to be here fighting for the ranchers, and thats where our fight should be right now, said Marquardt, the commission chairwoman in a county where former President Donald Trump won nearly 62% of the vote in 2020.

Otero County is similar to the handful of other New Mexico counties where residents have questioned the accuracy of election results and given voice to unfounded conspiracy theories about voting systems that have rippled across the country since former President Donald Trump lost re-election in 2020.

In the states vast, rural stretches, frustration over voting and political representation has been building for years. Residents have felt marginalized and overrun by government decisions that have placed limits on livelihoods  curtailing access to water for livestock, shrinking the amount of forest land available for grazing, or halting timber operations and energy developments due to endangered species concerns.

Tensions have mounted as Democrats in New Mexico consolidate control over every statewide office and the Supreme Court. Democrats have dominated the Legislature for generations.

Even as they voted to certify their elections, sometimes reluctantly, commissioners from several New Mexico counties said they were bound by the law to take that step  thanks to legislation passed by Democrats. They urged their residents to take the fight to the statehouse.

Some bemoaned what they felt was an encroachment by the state on the powers of local government. Marquardt, from Otero County, complained of her commissions meager rubber stamping authority under laws enacted by Democrats and an election certification railroaded through by larger forces.

Otero County is among more than a dozen self-proclaimed 2nd Amendment sanctuary counties in rural New Mexico to approve defiant resolutions against recent state gun control laws. The county also has embraced resistance to President Joe Bidens goals for conservation of more private land and waterways for natural habitat, arguing it will cordon off already limited private land.

Amid alienation, skepticism about the security of elections has taken flight.

On Friday, Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin was the lone dissenting vote in the election certification, though he acknowledged that he had no evidence of problems or factual basis for questioning the results of the election. His vote came after the county elections clerk said the primary went off without a hitch and that the results were confirmed afterward.

The former rodeo rider and co-founder of Cowboys for Trump dialed into the meeting because he was in Washington, D.C., where hours before he had been sentenced for entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

Applause rang out when Griffin declared, I think we need to hold our ground.

The developments in New Mexico can be traced to far-right conspiracy theories over voting machines that have spread across the country over the past two years. Various Trump allies have claimed that Dominion voting systems had somehow been manipulated as part of an elaborate scheme to steal the election, which Biden won.

There has been no evidence of widespread fraud that would have changed the results of the 2020 presidential election, and testimony before the congressional committee investigating the insurrection has made clear that many in Trumps inner circle told him the same as he schemed to retain power.

The election clash that erupted this past week worries Dian Burwell, a registered independent and coffee shop manager in the Otero County seat of Alamogordo.

We want people to vote and when they see all this, theyll just say, Why bother? Burwell said.

Despite New Mexico counties eventual votes to certify their primary results, election officials and experts fear the mini-rebellion is just the start of efforts nationwide to sow chaos around voting and vote-counting, building toward the 2024 presidential election. The New Mexico secretary of states office said it had been inundated with calls from officials around the country concerned that certification controversies will become a new front in the attacks on democratic norms.

In another New Mexico county where residents angrily denounced the certification, commissioners were denounced as cowards and traitors by a hostile crowd before voting. Torrance County Commissioner LeRoy Candelaria, a Republican and Vietnam veteran, voted to certify the results without apologies, despite the personal insults.

The semi-retired rancher and highway maintenance foreman said he has taken time outside commission meetings to explain his position that New Mexicos vote-counting machines are well-tested and monitored.

Our county clerk did an excellent job. I dont think theres a vote that went wrong in any way, Candelaria said later in a telephone interview. My personal opinion is there are people who are still mad about the last presidential election. ... Lets worry about the next election and not take things personally.

___

Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Anita Snow and Terry Tang in Phoenix contributed to this report.
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The day after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with airline leaders to quiz them about widespread flight disruptions, his own flight was canceled and he wound up driving from Washington to New York.

That is happening to a lot of people, and that is exactly why we are paying close attention here to what can be done and how to make sure that the airlines are delivering, Buttigieg told The Associated Press in an interview Saturday.

Buttigieg said he is pushing the airlines to stress-test their summer schedules to ensure they can operate all their planned flights with the employees they have, and to add customer-service workers. That could put pressure on airlines to make additional cuts in their summer schedules.

Buttigieg said his department could take enforcement actions against airlines that fail to live up to consumer-protection standards. But first, he said, he wants to see whether there are major flight disruptions over the July Fourth holiday weekend and the rest of the summer.

Enforcement actions can results in fines, although they tend to be small. Air Canada agreed to pay a $2 million fine last year over slow refunds.

During Thursday's virtual meeting, airline executives described steps they are taking to avoid a repeat of the Memorial Day weekend, when about 2,800 flights were canceled. Now we're going to see how those steps measure up, Buttigieg said.

Travel is back. On Friday, more than 2.4 million people passed through security checkpoints at U.S. airports, coming within about 12,500 of breaking the pandemic-era high recorded on the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year.

The record surely would have been broken had airlines not canceled 1,400 flights, many of them because thunderstorms hit parts of the East Coast. A day earlier, airlines scrubbed more than 1,700 flights, according to tracking service FlightAware.

Weather is always a wild card when it comes to flying in summer, but airlines have also acknowledged staffing shortages as travel roared back faster than expected from pandemic lows. Airlines are scrambling to hire pilots and other workers to replace employees whom they encouraged to quit after the pandemic hit.

It takes months to hire and train a pilot to meet federal safety standards, but the Transportation Department sees no reason the airlines cannot immediately add customer-service representatives to help passengers rebook if their flight is canceled.

The government has its own staffing challenges.

Shortages at the Federal Aviation Administration, part of Buttigieg's department, have contributed to flight delays in Florida. The FAA promises to increase staffing there. The Transportation Security Administration, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, has created a roving force of 1,000 screeners who can be dispatched to airports where checkpoint lines get too long.
EDWARDSVILLE  The Madison County Board acted on seven separate zoning requests at Wednesdays regular meeting, denying two and approving five.

A request to keep bees, goats and double the allowed number of chickens on residential property; and to place a mobile home in the 1900 block of Roberta Drive in Granite City were denied by the full board, upholding previous decisions by the Building and Zoning Committee.

Steven Taylor and Kaitlyn Bryan, owners of property at 57 Odom Drive, Collinsville, had requested a special use permit to allow the keeping of bees, two goats and chickens; and a variance to allow them to keep 10 chickens instead of the five normally allowed.

Neighbors opposed the request, and submitted a petition against it.

The other denied request was for Danielle Trask and Joey Muscarella, who had requested a special use permit to place a mobile home at 1930 Roberta Avenue, Granite City, for Trask and her family.

Those requests approved include:

A request by Mike Moniger of Moniger Excavating Co. Inc. to rezone a 4.54 acre tract at 5965 Illinois 140, Moro, to B-4 Wholesale Business district from PD Planned Development District.

In February 2020 the County Board approved rezoning to a planned development district to allow a small-scale hemp processing facility, but the plans fell through, according to Planning & Development officials.

Nic Frey had requested a special use permit to allow the placement of a mobile home at 10115 Lower Marine Road, Marine.

Mark and Donna Sanders had requested a variance at 8411 Steelecrest Lane, Troy, to construct an attached garage 2 feet from the east property line, instead of the required 10 feet.

James and Patricia Radcliffe had requested a variance for 2635 Staunton Road, Troy, to construct an accessory structure in the front yard setback area in an R-1 Single-Family Residential area.

Andrew Jones Jr., on behalf of the Southwestern Electric Cooperative Inc., had requested the rezoning of a half-acre tract at 4772 Illinois 4, Alhambra, to PD Planned Development District from A Agricultural District to operate a bitcoin mining facility using power from the existing electrical substation on site.

All the zoning requests must go to the Building & Zoning Committee and then to the full Madison County Board for approval.

The County Board also approved a resolution authorizing they payment of $8.5 million in ARPA funds for a sewer interceptor for a large geographic area in the village of Bethalto.

In other business, the board:

 Approved a contract for $112,396 with WWCS Inc. of Cottage Hills for the replacement of the parking lot at the Madison County Detention Home.

 Approved a resolution authorizing Madison County Community Development to submit 2023 weatherization grant program applications for approximately $950,000 in three separate programs.

 Approved a $15,000 loan to the Venice Park District for the remodeling of the kitchen and bathroom at the facility at 305 Broadway, Venice.

 Amended the 2021 Community Development Action Plan to allow the city of Venice to modify its grand fund usage for sewer lining projects in low and moderate income areas.

 Approved a resolution to appropriate $900,000 in Motor Fuel Tax Funds toward the improvement of Renken Road near Holiday Shores.

 Approved a resolution to spend $39,750 for professional services to determine property values for the reconstruction of Staunton Road form Illinois 143 south to Interstate 70.
Recognition of Juneteenth, the effective end of slavery in the U.S., gained traction after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. But after an initial burst of action, the movement to have it recognized as an official holiday in the states largely has stalled.

Although almost every state recognizes Juneteenth in some fashion, many have been slow to do more than issue a proclamation or resolution, even as some continue to commemorate the Confederacy.

Lawmakers in Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and other states failed to advance proposals this year that would have closed state offices and given most of their public employees paid time off for the June 19 holiday.

That trend infuriates Black leaders and community organizers who view making Juneteenth a paid holiday the bare minimum state officials can do to help honor an often overlooked and ignored piece of American history.

"Juneteenth marks the date of major significance in American history. It represents the ways in which freedom for Black people have been delayed," said Democratic Rep. Anthony Nolan, who is Black, while arguing on the House floor in favor of making Juneteenth a paid holiday in Connecticut. "And if we delay this, it's a smack in the face to Black folks."

Juneteenth commemorates when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, two months after the Confederacy had surrendered in the Civil War and about 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in Southern states.

Last year, Congress and President Joe Biden moved swiftly to make Juneteenth a national holiday. It was the first time the federal government had designated a new national holiday since approving Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. Yet the move didn't result in an automatic adoption from most states.

In Alabama, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey issued another proclamation marking Juneteenth a state holiday earlier this week after state lawmakers refused to take action on a bill during their legislative session even after she voiced strong support for making it a permanent holiday back in 2021. The state closes down for Confederate Memorial Days in April.

Similarly, Wyoming's Republican Gov. Mark Gordon issued a statement last June saying he would work with lawmakers to make it a state holiday but no legislation was filed during the 2022 session.

In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee quietly tucked enough funding  roughly $700,000  to make Juneteenth a state paid holiday in his initial spending plan for the upcoming year.

Despite the bill gaining traction in the state Senate, GOP legislative leaders maintained there wasn't enough support for the idea even as Tennessee law currently designates special observances for Robert E. Lee Day, Confederate Decoration Day and Nathan Bedford Forrest Day.

"I asked many people in my district over the last few days, well over 100 people, if they knew what Juneteenth was and only two of them knew," said Republican Sen. Joey Hensley, who is white and voted against the proposal. "I just think we're putting the cart before the horse making a holiday that people don't know about."

In South Carolina, instead of working to approve Juneteenth as a holiday, Senate lawmakers unanimously advanced a bill that would allow state employees to choose any day they want to take off instead of the Confederate Memorial Day currently enshrined as a paid holiday in state law. However, the House sent the bill to a committee where it died without a hearing when the Legislature adjourned for the session.

At the same time, many of these Republican-led areas have advanced bills limiting what can be taught about systematic racism in classrooms, while also spiking proposals aimed at expanding voting rights and police reform.

This year, nearly 20 states are expected to close state offices and give most of their public employees time off. At least six states officially adopted the holiday over the past few months, including Connecticut, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, South Dakota, Utah and Washington. A bill introduced in California passed the Assembly and moved to the Senate this month, and individual cities such as Los Angeles already have signed proclamations making Juneteenth official.

"Becoming a state holiday will not merely give employees a day off, it will also give residents a day to think about the future that we want, while remembering the inequities of the past," said Democratic Del. Andrea Harrison, who sponsored the Juneteenth legislation in Maryland this year. "It will help us to reflect how far we've come as a nation, how much more we need to do as humankind."

Attempts to give Juneteenth the same deference as Memorial Day or July Fourth didn't begin to gain traction until 2020, when protests sparked a nationwide push to address race after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the deaths of other Black people by police officers.

"George Floyd protests against police brutality brought awareness to Juneteenth because there were people of all races learning about its significance for the first time following a public push to self-educate and learn more about Black history, culture and injustices," said Tremaine Jasper, a resident and business owner in Phoenix who has attended Juneteenth celebrations across Arizona with his family.

Some cities in Arizona, including Phoenix, have declared Juneteenth an official holiday, paying city employees and closing municipal buildings. However, lawmakers are not currently considering statewide recognition.

"There are so many other important issues that we need to tackle  education, political issues, reparations  before we prioritize making Juneteenth a statewide holiday," Jasper said, noting that those looking to celebrate know where to go.

Jasper, who was born and raised in Arizona, said it is going to be an "uphill battle" to get the state to recognize Juneteenth because there is not a large enough Black population outside of its largest cities to make the push.

Arizona also was slow in recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day, not doing so until 1992. It was one of the last states to officially recognize the civil rights leader.
BERLIN (AP)  The German Green party, which is part of the country's governing coalition, says its IT system was hit by a cyberattack last month that affected email accounts belonging to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Economy Minister Robert Habeck.

The party confirmed a report Saturday by German weekly Der Spiegel, but said the two hadn't actively used their party accounts since January.
Juneteenth may the newest federal holiday, but its origins date to the final weeks of the Civil War.

The commemoration arose from the freeing of slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865, 11 weeks after the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

The act helped fulfill the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Lincoln on Sept. 22, 1862. The proclamation took effect on Jan. 1, 1863, and many Americans today believe that all enslaved people were freed on that date.

But that was hardly the case. The proclamation only applied to states in rebellion, meaning slavery continued in the border states of Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware.

Lincolns proclamation also had to be enforced. While large parts of the South were under federal control by 1863, Texas  the westernmost member of the Confederacy  was largely untouched. Relatively few military actions were conducted in Texas, and few Union soldiers occupied the state.

As a result, slavery continued with little threat in Texas. Planters from elsewhere in the South migrated to the Lone Star State during the war to keep their slaves from confiscation and freedom.

Kathryn Harris, the retired director of library services at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, notes the lapse in emancipation for many slaves in the South.

On the eve of the Emancipation Proclamation, there had been Watch Night celebrations for many Blacks, with the coming of freedom, said Harris, a respected authority on African-American history. But it took a while for that freedom to come to much of the nation, especially Texas.

By 1865, some 250,000 blacks remained enslaved in Texas, even as the end of the war was imminent. Finally, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston on June 19, 1865, to assume command of a Union force of 2,000 troops.

That same day, Granger read General Order No. 3, declaring that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free with an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves.

General Order No. 3 was read at several locations in Galveston, an emotional series of events for the slaves of the city and the state.

I can only imagine their excitement of being free, Harris said. However, that must have brought a wide range of feelings. If youve never been free, as those people had not, you dont quite know what to do. It was a completely new experience, an overwhelming one.

Still, not all blacks were emancipated. In some cases in Texas, owners did not inform their slaves until after the harvest, months after Grangers declaration. Slavery throughout the United States finally was banned on Dec. 6, 1865, with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment.



On the first anniversary of the Galveston declaration, free Blacks in Texas organized a celebration dubbed Jubilee Day. The earliest commemorations often were political rallies to inform Blacks of newly gained voting rights.

Jubilee Day evolved into Juneteenth festivities, though there is debate as to how the name of the holiday originated. Many believe the name is a combination of the month and day, June 19. Others theorize that the words Jubilee Day somehow morphed into Juneteenth.

Texas was the center of Juneteenth celebrations for decades. In 1867, the first event was held in Austin; it became an annual event in 1872. That same year, African-American organizers and clergy raised $1,000 to buy 10 acres in Houston, christened Emancipation Park, for Juneteenth celebrations.

Many of the early Juneteenth festivities drew huge crowds. In Limestone County near Waco, 30 acres were purchased in 1898 to create Booker T. Washington Park, designed especially for Juneteenth festivals. As many as 30,000 attended the commemorations there.

In the early to mid-20th century, the holiday continued in pockets as Blacks from Texas emigrated across the nation, taking Juneteenth with them.

However, the onset of Jim Crow laws, particularly in the South, slowed the growth of Juneteenth.

Blacks in that time were still struggling for so many things, Harris said. Then, when Jim Crow popped up, along with the problems of Reconstruction, that added so many problems. And once the military was removed from the South to protect the freedmen after Reconstruction, that was really horrible.

I think, more than anything else, that Juneteenth represented hope. Even though freedom had come, many Blacks still werent really free. I think the holiday represented the hope of a better tomorrow.

The Depression added to the struggles, as Blacks scrapped to find work and survive, pushing Juneteenth further to the background. But the commemorations persisted, at least in some spots. The Texas State Fair became the focus of many Juneteenth remembrances, particularly in 1936, when some 150,000 to 200,000 were present.



As more Blacks left Texas in the post-war era, Juneteenth continued to spread, though the holiday languished throughout much of America. Some historians, however, attribute a rebirth to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, which sparked more interest in the spirit of Juneteenth.

That year, the storied Poor Peoples March on Washington ended on June 19, and marchers invoked Juneteenth as they returned home. From that, large-scale celebrations arose in cities like Milwaukee and Minneapolis, which remain to this day.

A 1978 celebration in Milwaukee attracted more than 100,000 participants. Four years earlier, substantial Juneteenth celebrations returned to Houston. Elsewhere, other major cities began Juneteenth events in the 1980s. In 1991, an arm of the Smithsonian Institution hosted a major exhibit titled Juneteenth 91: Freedom Revisited.

In 1980, Texas became the first to officially establish Juneteenth as a state holiday. Other states were slow to follow and, by 2002, only three states had joined Texas in that designation.

By 2008, half of the states had established a ceremonial holiday, including Illinois, which formally recognized Juneteenth in 2003. In 2020, Juneteenth was recognized in all 50 states.

More than 200 American cities held commemorations of Juneteenth in 2006, including Springfield, where an annual event was created in the mid-1990s

On June 16, 2021, Illinois became the latest in a handful of states to establish Juneteenth as a paid state holiday. The next day, Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday, the first new federal holiday since the creation of Martin Luther King Day in 1983.

Critics have charged that the recent legislation for Juneteenth has been purely for political reasons. But Harris and many others believe the actions are long overdue, and that the holiday is not just for Blacks.

It really should have been done a long time ago, Harris said. And Juneteenth is truly a day for everyone, not just African-Americans. We talk about diversity, equity and inclusion today, but were really still working on the stuff that was talked about with the Emancipation, the end of the Civil War, and Juneteenth itself.

To me, Juneteenth is a time of reflection, a time to think about where we are, where weve been, and the work thats left. And, just like in the early celebrations, its a time of hope.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Rudy Lucero believes in miracles. He sees one each time he looks in the mirror.

The Albuquerque resident is recovering in a Colorado hospital after having a May 2 double lung transplant, made necessary after a COVID-19 infection scarred his lungs and made breathing nearly impossible.

He expects that he and his wife, Deborah, will have to remain in Colorado another 2-3 months as he continues to get stronger and more independent.

Colorado is a good place to be, considering where Rudy was heading.

Im really close to the way I felt before I got sick, but Ive lost a lot of weight and my muscles are weak, Rudy told the Albuquerque Journal. Ive been going to pulmonary rehab, just trying to get stronger.

All he knows of his organ donor is that the lungs came from a 33-year-old male. The hospital, he said, would not release any additional information.

On New Years Day, 2021, Rudy and his then longtime girlfriend, Deborah Ortiz, both tested positive for COVID-19. Vaccines had just started to become available and the couple did not yet have access to them. Over the next five days, as Deborah got better, Rudy, who also has diabetes, experienced a profound deterioration in his ability to breathe. He wound up being rushed by ambulance to a hospital.

Rudy, 55, and Deborah, 53, had each been married before. They had known one another for more than 15 years and had plans to get married and have a honeymoon in Hawaii. Rudy had even traveled to Los Angeles to purchase a zoot suit for the occasion.

COVID-19 put the kibosh on that.

As Rudy lingered in a bed at Lovelace Medical Center, he realized he faced an uncertain future and suggested that he and Deborah get married right away. So on Feb. 7, 2021, Super Bowl Sunday, they exchanged vows  Rudy still in his hospital bed, and Deborah in the parking lot below, holding a cellphone with an audio-video connection and surrounded by about 100 mask-wearing friends and a procession of classic cars.

On June 23, closing in on a six-month hospitalization, Deborah was finally able to take Rudy home, but life was not easy for him. Rudy, who owned a plumbing company for 30 years, had to sell his business. Deborah, formerly a cosmetologist, became Rudys primary caregiver.

More than 70% of his lungs were scarred, causing a permanent condition called pulmonary fibrosis, which would require him to be on oxygen for the rest of his life, his doctors informed him.

In October, Rudy experienced another setback. He was hospitalized with pulmonary hypertension, which causes the heart to work at a dangerously high rate to pump blood through the lungs. It was at that point, Deborah said, that we started talking about a double lung transplant, a discussion they had hoped to put off as long as possible.

In March, the couple went to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center in Aurora, which has a lung transplant program. With his oxygen levels still falling, Rudy was placed on the transplant list and eight pairs of donor lungs were considered before an acceptable pair was located. The surgery took more than eight hours, Rudy said.

Theres a small window where someone can be not yet sick enough to have the transplant, but then theres also a line where a person can be too sick to have the transplant, Deborah said. Rudy was close to being too sick.

When he finally awoke 24 hours after the surgery, it was a revelation, Rudy said. I was breathing normal. It was crazy. The way I was living before, there was no quality of life. I couldnt get up and go to the bathroom without gasping for air, so this was amazing. Im still on a little bit of oxygen, but eventually I wont need it at all.

He will, however, have to take anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life, an assortment of 15 to 20 pills daily.

Its not a possibility of rejection, he will definitely have rejection at one point or another, if not multiple times, Deborah said. But as long as we keep on top of it, and when we see signs  a common cold, fatigue, fever  we can let the doctors know immediately and they can test him quickly and give him antibiotics or whatever hes going to need. But its not a matter of if, its a matter of when.

For the next couple of months or so, the couple is living close to the medical center in housing subsidized by Brents Place, a nonprofit that helps people like the Luceros. Rudy goes to pulmonary rehab three times a week and visits his doctor once a week.

Deborah, in the meantime, is planning their return to Albuquerque and the more elaborate wedding that they missed out on earlier, including the procession of classic cars adorned with a thousand tissue paper flowers that have been waiting in storage.

We had a really, really rough year and a half, and if it has anything to do with the marriage vows about in sickness and in health, well, weve already done the sickness part, so its time to do the healthy part and be happy, Deborah said.

Rudy knows how lucky he is to have survived the medical crisis. I would never have made it without Deborah, he said.

And every day he gets up and looks in the mirror he recognizes that his second chance at life is nothing short of a miracle.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has increased the Port of Morrows groundwater contamination fine to $2.1 million following additional wastewater violations.

The agency added $800,000 to the Ports original $1.3 million fine Friday for over-applying nitrogen-rich wastewater on agricultural fields in the Lower Umatilla Basin, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

The area is burdened with groundwater pollution and is the primary drinking water source for Morrow and Umatilla counties.

DEQ spokesperson Laura Gleim said the agency knew about additional violations initially but had to get documentation in order.

Gleim said the Port violated its water quality permit an additional 626 times  making a total of 2,155 violations during winter months between November 2020 and February 2022.

The agency found the Port added 96 additional tons of excess nitrate to nearby agricultural fields for an estimated 261 tons total. The fine is the second largest in the agencys history.

Port Executive Director Lisa Mittelsdorf said the company recognizes groundwater contamination has been a serious problem for decades. But she said its also a community problem that will require a community solution.

By the DEQs own analysis, the Ports industrial wastewater reuse program is responsible for less than 5% of the areas nitrates, she said in an emailed statement. We will continue to work with DEQ to collaborate on a solution that will address what happens to industrial wastewater during winter months without shutting down the industries generating that wastewater.

Last week, Morrow County declared a local state of emergency after private well water testing showed high levels of nitrate contamination. Drinking high levels of nitrate can cause health risks, including respiratory infections, thyroid dysfunction, and stomach or bladder cancer.
SEATTLE (AP)  While the nation waits for the Supreme Courts opinion on a blockbuster abortion case that could overturn Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood of Washington is getting ready for an increase in out-of-state patients seeking an abortion.

We are already seeing patients from Texas, from Oklahoma. I saw a patient a couple of weeks ago from Alabama, Dr. Erin Berry, gynecologist and Washington state medical director of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands, told KING-TV.

Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest said its working to see which locations in Washington could open up for additional days if needed and upping its patient navigation teams, which help patients with appointments and travel arrangements.

Theres a lot of unknown, Berry said. We also ultimately do not know how many people will be coming in from where and what their needs will be.

Twenty-six states are likely to have total or near-total bans on abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Idahos trigger law bans all abortions with exceptions for rape, incest and if the mothers life is at risk.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights, 230,000 patients could travel across state lines from Idaho seeking an abortion.

Berry said its expensive for patients to travel across the country to access medical care and fears for funding in the long term.

The looming decision is creating uncertainty for more than just patients. The Washington Medical Commission, which regulates physician license in Washington, said if Roe v. Wade is overturned it could raise practice concerns for Washington licensees.

If the Supreme Court rules the way it looked like it was, thats going to cause a lot of confusion in a medical, legal landscape, said Washington Medical Commission Deputy Executive and Legislative Director Micah Matthews. The pandemic has greatly extended (the medical fields) reach through telemedicine or getting licenses through compacts and surging into other states to help health systems in need.

The Washington Medical Commission, along with the Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission and Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission, released a jointly-written FAQ to address concerns.

We want to just be clear that when it comes to (the commission) considering an application, or a complaint that we received, what matters is Washington law, said Matthews.

No matter the ruling, abortion in Washington will remain legal.

In 2022, access to abortion expanded in Washington state, Matthews pointed out. Effective June 9, 2022, the states legal language changed from a woman to pregnant individual.

Seattle City Council also passed a resolution last month to allocate funds from the 2022 supplemental budget to expand access to reproductive health care. An exact dollar amount has not been given yet but is expected to be discussed in committee in July.

When asked if there are any plans for more state funding to accommodate an influx of patients, a spokesperson for Gov. Jay Inslees office said, We are speaking with legislators and providers about a range of additional policies and resources that would ensure we can provide abortion services to any person seeking them in Washington. The governor is fully committed to making sure we protect patients abortion rights and expand access.

Access, Berry believes, is a fundamental right.

It feels like a violation of a physicians oath to deny this care to people, Berry said. And to know that thats going to be happening on a widespread scale, its really intense and really sad.
ATLANTA (AP)  Witnesses say a federal officer and another man engaged in a shootout in downtown Atlanta on Friday and one of them was taken away by ambulance, but federal officials haven't explained what happened.

The gunfire was unleashed just after 3 p.m. on the Ted Turner Drive bridge, near the Richard Russell federal courthouse, State Farm Arena and CNN Center.
An officer on the scene at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas last month allegedly had a clear shot at the gunman who ultimately killed 19 students and two teachers during a mass shooting at the school last month, but elected not to fire out of fear of hitting a student by accident, according to a report from the New York Times.

The new report published Friday details how the City of Uvalde officer recognized the threat that the gunman posed to the school, but decided it was too dangerous to pull his trigger because kids were on the playground just behind the gunman at the time.

According to the officers, they didnt engage back because in the background there was kids playing and they were scared of hitting the kids, Chief Deputy Sheriff Ricardo Rios of Zavala County told the Times, retelling his conversations with cops on the scene.

The gunman was spraying bullets at a nearby funeral home and towards the school building before entering, but officers who first arrived on the scene thought he was directing shots at them, according to Rios. One of the officers told Rios that they took cover behind a patrol car and had the option to return fire but chose not to.

I asked him, Why didnt you shoot? Why didnt you engage? And thats when he told me about the background, Rios recounted.

The officer's choice not to take the shot is the second known opportunity law enforcement missed to kill alleged gunman Salvador Ramos before he entered the school. According to local authorities, a cop with the Uvalde school districts police force drove past the gunman in the school parking lot just before he entered the building but didnt notice him.

Law enforcements failure to stop the 18-year-old has been the subject of growing scrutiny and outrage since the shooting some three weeks ago. About 78 minutes passed between initial 911 calls reporting an active shooter at Robb Elementary and Ramos death at the hands of federal border patrol agents, according to a Times investigation.

Parents of Robb Elementary students begged officers to take action; one fed up mother even entered the school to save her two children while the gunman was still shooting.

Polices response to the shooting is now the subject of at least three different investigations: the Texas Rangers of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Department of Justice and a special Texas legislative committee are all scrutinizing law enforcements operations during the May 24 shooting.
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VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. (AP)  The 70-year-old visitor had previously attended some services at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church before police say he showed up for a potluck dinner, pulled a handgun and fatally shot three of the elderly participants, one of whom died in his wife's arms as she whispered words of love in his ear.

Police said church members were spared further violence Thursday evening when someone at the dinner subdued the gunman and held him until police arrived. The suspect, Robert Findlay Smith, was charged with capital murder Friday, Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr said in a statement.

The baffling violence in a wealthy suburb outside Birmingham left victims' families in disbelief, stunned a community known for its family-centered lifestyle and deepened unease in a nation still reeling from recent slaughter wrought by gunmen who attacked a Texas school, a New York grocery store and another church in California.

Two of the Alabama shooting victims were 84; the third, 75. They had gathered with other church members for a Boomers Potluck. St. Stephen's was Walter Bartlett Rainey's favorite place, a church that welcomes everyone with love, according to his family. They said in a statement Friday that it was hard to believe he was killed attending a church dinner with his wife of six decades.

We are all grateful that she was spared and that he died in her arms while she murmured words of comfort and love into his ears, said the statement provided by 84-year-old Raineys daughter, Melinda Rainey Thompson.

Police said Sarah Yeager, 75, of Pelham died soon after being taken to a hospital Thursday. The third victim, an 84-year-old woman, died Friday. Police did not immediately release her name, citing a request by her family for privacy.

More people likely would have been killed or injured had the shooter not been stopped, Vestavia Hills police Capt. Shane Ware said.

It was extremely critical in saving lives, Ware told a news conference Friday. The person that subdued the suspect, in my opinion, was a hero.

Ware said Smith and the three victims were all white. He said police are still investigating what motivated the suspect, who occasionally attended services at the church. Authorities executed a search warrant Friday at Smith's home, located less than 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from the church. A mugshot distributed by police shows Smith with a blackened left eye and cuts to his nose and forehead.

Records from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives show Smith is a licensed gun dealer whose business address is the same as his home address. Court records show Smith filed a lawsuit against Samford University, a private university in metro Birmingham, in 2008 in which he alleged that campus security wrongly detained him and accused him of impersonating a police officer.

The church gathering Thursday was described as a Boomers Potluck, according to messages posted on the churchs Facebook page by the Rev. John Burruss, the pastor. He said he was in Greece on a pilgrimage with a group of members and trying to get back to Alabama.

Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry told reporters his close-knit, resilient, loving community had been rocked by this senseless act of violence. The bedroom community is home to many businesspeople, doctors and lawyers who work in nearby Birmingham. Vestavia Hills is known for top-flight schools and a suburban lifestyle. It has nearly 40,000 residents, most of whom are white.

The Rev. Rebecca Bridges, the churchs associate rector, led an online prayer service on the church's Facebook page Friday morning. She prayed not only for the victims and church members who witnessed the shooting, but also for the person who perpetrated the shooting.

We pray that you will work in that persons heart, Bridges said. And we pray that you will help us to forgive.

Bridges, who is currently in London, alluded to other recent mass shootings as she prayed that elected officials in Washington and Alabama will see what has happened at St. Stephens and Uvalde and Buffalo and in so many other places and their hearts will be changed, minds will be opened."

"And that our culture will change and that our laws will change in ways that will protect all of us, she added.

There have been several high-profile shootings in May and June, starting with a racist attack on May 14 that killed 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. The following week, a gunman massacred 19 children and two adults at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Thursdays shooting happened just over a month after one person was killed and five injured when a man opened fire on Taiwanese parishioners at a church in Southern California. It comes nearly seven years to the day after an avowed white supremacist killed nine people during Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Agents with the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives joined investigators at the scene, which remained cordoned off Friday with yellow police tape as police vehicles with flashing lights blocked the route to the church.

On Saturday, thousands of people rallied in the U.S. and at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to renew calls for stricter gun control measures. Survivors of mass shootings and other incidents of gun violence lobbied legislators and testified on Capitol Hill earlier this month.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statement late Thursday lamenting what she called the shocking and tragic loss of life. Although she said she was glad to hear the suspect was in custody, she wrote: This should never happen  in a church, in a store, in the city or anywhere."

___

This story has been edited to restore a dropped letter to the name of Walter Bartlett Rainey.
Last month, Connecticut became only the fifth state in the nation to adopt a sweeping consumer data privacy bill. This bill will have far-reaching effects on Connecticut-resident consumers and many businesses located in Connecticut, as well as businesses in other states that sell goods or services in Connecticut. This new law, which takes effect on July 1, 2023, places Connecticut at the national forefront of data privacy regulation and enforcement, and it is one with which businesses will want to become highly familiar before it takes effect a year from now.

From concerns about data collection to the sale of personal data to data breaches, consumer data privacy has been making headlines for several years. Consumers, businesses, consumer advocates and government regulators have struggled with how to balance consumer expectations, information security and the recognition that personal data fuels so much of modern-day commerce in a manner that empowers consumers while also being manageable from a business perspective. This new law is Connecticuts attempt at doing all of that, and while only after the passage of time can we be certain, the state seems to have struck a good balance on many key issues that should both make consumers happy and allow businesses to breathe a sigh of relief.

At its core, the law is a consumer rights law and puts in place a slew of requirements regarding the collection and use of personal data by businesses and grants Connecticut residents new rights with respect to their personal data. While this may sound burdensome to business, the state did a nice job at modeling the law closely after similar, recently passed laws in Virginia and Colorado. This will be a welcome relief to businesses that operate nationally and (rightly so) fear an ever-growing patchwork of different, inconsistent privacy laws.

The similarity to the laws of Virginia and Colorado also brings a benefit to consumers by (hopefully) building consensus toward a national standard for consumer data privacy rights that apply more or less the same regardless of whether the consumer lives in Stamford, Richmond or Boulder. My expectation is that other states that are currently looking at adopting their own consumer data privacy laws will view Connecticuts embrace of the Virginia and Colorado models as a signal to fall in line behind this developing standard. And perhaps Congress will follow suit, should the federal government someday pass a federal consumer privacy act.

Connecticut consumers can look forward to numerous new rights relating to their personal data, at least when doing business with entities subject to the new law (the law makes exceptions for many types of organizations and types of data). Such rights include knowing whether a business is processing a consumers personal data, allowing consumer access to personal data maintained by the business, requiring the correction of inaccuracies in such personal data, requiring deletion of such personal data where necessary and allowing for a consumer to opt out of the processing of such personal data for the purposes of sale, targeted advertising or profiling.

Most significantly, Connecticuts new data privacy law requires businesses to provide a mechanism for consumers to revoke consent for using their data, which must be at least as easy as the mechanism by which consumers provide consent. These are meaningful changes to the business/consumer relationship that will particularly impact consumer-facing businesses in the state.

The bill also restricts businesses from processing personal data for unnecessary purposes, such as ones that are incompatible with the purposes to which the consumer consented. It also requires reasonable administrative, technical and physical data security practices to safeguard personal data as well as provide consumers with an accessible, clear and meaningful privacy notice.

Businesses will be required to conduct and document a data protection assessment for processing activities that present a heightened risk of harm to a consumer  by way of example, this could involve the processing of personal data for targeted advertising, sale and/or profiling. Some businesses already do this and will have a leg up on compliance. But for those that do not, there will be an ample amount of work in building up the new framework that allows for such assessments to be done.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the long-term good of data protection for both businesses and consumers will generally exceed the short-term cost of implementing these assessments. But it is something that will take effort and care to put in place and ensure is running effectively by next year  after all, violation of the data privacy laws requirements could subject a business to be sanctioned under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, something no business wants to face.

As mentioned, the new law does a fair job of balancing data privacy and the burden to business, and many businesses that operate nationally will already be familiar with many of these requirements. It will, however, still require work to become fully compliant by the day the law takes effect, and the key for Connecticut businesses is to begin that work now, while there is still plenty of time.

William Roberts is a cybersecurity and data protection partner with Day Pitney LLP and works from the firms Hartford office.
Times are tough. Oil prices are sky-high and seem to still be climbing, which is causing increased pressure on our wallets everywhere. Gas prices, home heating fuel and the cost of transporting the goods we need are all rising to points few of us can manage. It seems the only place where these impacts arent being felt involve oil companies profit margins.

In the state Legislature, elected officials are seeking solutions, at least temporarily, to this economic pressure. While gas prices remain high, they would be even higher if not for a cut to the 25-cent-per gallon gas tax through December; free bus service through the end of the fall is also intended to lessen the issues many families are feeling. We know that we must try to do as much as we can, which is why more proposals are being considered; the state budget included $600 million in tax cuts for further aid, as one example, and as home heating bills will come due in coming months, I will push to find ways to reduce those costs.

The conflict in Ukraine is only one reason why gas prices are high in Connecticut. Supply remains relatively low globally while demand is high due to increases in travel. Adding to that, New England pays some of the highest fuel costs in the nation due to our distance from major refineries, which increases the costs of transportation and acquisition of fuel. These dont fully explain why fuel costs continue to surge precipitously when oil companies continue to see surging profits, or why the wholesale price of gasoline in New York has dropped while the average retail cost of gas continues to rise.

Much like $20 bottles of hand sanitizer during the first wave of COVID-19, one could correlate this trend to price-gouging, but that is a difficult claim to prove, at least legally. Attorney General William Tong said in the Hartford Courant this month that retail sellers are often not responsible for price hikes, with potential gouging caused by wholesalers or suppliers raising costs. Under state law, price gouging can only be enforced at the retail level, making the claim difficult to prove.

Being aware of this, in the 2022 legislative session, before the conflict in Ukraine unfolded, I joined state Rep. Michael Winkler in co-sponsoring a bill that would have strengthened our states laws on price gouging, which are limited to retail enforcement and can only be enforced during state-declared emergencies. Our bill, House Bill 5463, would have made changes to state law making unconscionably excessive fuel pricing unlawful, likely reducing some of the strain our state experiences now. Similarly, Congress attempted to pass similar legislation at the federal level.

Unfortunately, these bills have not become law. In Congress, every Republican voted against the price gouging bill, meaning it would die in the Senate; as such, it has not been called for a vote. In Connecticut, state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, House chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said House Bill 5463 did not receive even a committee vote due to Republican opposition in a statement to the Hartford Courant. Republican leaders on that committee said there were disagreements on what price gouging entails, but did not elaborate further.

This bill was not intended to set arbitrary measures that could ensnare regular businesses in accusations of price gouging, instead meant to target systemic abuse. Tong said the bills extension of liabilities would have strengthened the states ability to oppose price gouging. State officials and industry experts testified that its protections should be extended even further, to services and fees. When natural disasters, pandemics and global conflicts have left markets volatile and families struggling, this legislation seemed to receive strong support.

Who opposed it? Fuel companies and fuel representatives. Christian Herb, president of the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association  which supplies fuel to more than 1,000 gas stations in our state  opposed the bill, as did the American Petroleum Institute and the Gasoline and Automotive Service Dealers of America. They claimed the bills would make it difficult for businesses to operate without fear of accusations of price gouging, but did not provide any details or guidance on how the bill could be better crafted. It seemed they wanted the bill to die, and the bill died.

And now we find ourselves at the start of the summer with gas prices nearing all-time highs after adjustment for inflation and few opportunities for relief at the pump, a situation I feared when I introduced this legislation months ago. When our state needs strong standards against price gouging, we did not accomplish them yet  but I do not intend to stop fighting.

State Sen. Saud Anwar, a Democrat, represents the Third District, which includes the towns of East Hartford, South Windsor, East Windsor and Ellington.
Inside Hook

Depending on how old you are, you might well remember a time when Styrofoam seemed ubiquitous. The substance was used in a range of objects, including shipping supplies, drinking cups, takeout containers and packaging materials. In 2022, its a lot harder to come by  due in part to states like New York enacting bans of the material.



Theres a simple reason for this: as a 2018 JSTOR Daily article points out, Styrofoam is toxic to many species in the wild and doesnt biodegrade  which makes for an alarming combination. But now, as per a Washington Post report, scientists have found something that is perfectly fine with consuming Styrofoam  a breakthrough that might have an impact on the larger waste disposal industry.



As Pranshu Verma notes at the Post, a recent study by a group of Australian scientists revealed that darkling beetle larvae are capable of eating nothing but Styrofoam.



That in and of itself is an intriguing finding, to be sure. But Verma writes that the scientists arent just looking to use massive quantities of worms to dispose of Styrofoam waste; instead, theyre looking to learn more about the enzyme that helps the worms break Styrofoam down to see if that can be replicated on its own.



If so, it might be a solution to one decades-old problem  with substantial applications for waste disposal all over the world.
The latest episode of Real Time With Bill Maher found the shows host opening his monologue with Fathers Day jokes, which segued to riffs on Nick Cannon and Herschel Walker. Maher pivoted from there to a familiar issue: the state of the economy, with Maher observing that the stock market is falling and inflation is growing. Are we sure that Russia didnt put the sanctions on us? he asked. He did see one bright side in this, though  people arent asking you to buy cryptocurrency as much.

The monologue continued through an array of domestic politics, including Maher imagining what a movie of the events of January 6th might look like  and venturing into some of the nastier primary campaigns occurring in the lead-up to this years midterm elections.

Mahers first guest was screenwriter, actor and director Danny Strong  most recently of the acclaimed miniseries Dopesick. Maher asked Strong if he thought that his work  which often deals with contemporary political issues  has had an impact off-screen. Strong pointed to the removal of the Sackler name from many museums as one sign of change.

Maher and Strong discussed the relationship between doctors and opioids  and the factors that led doctors to prescribe opioids, which led to a national crisis. Maher drews parallels between opioids and tobacco  with Strong arguing that the opioid epidemic was much worse, in terms of what the industry knew and when they knew it.

Their conversation took on a more overtly political framework from there, with both men expressing their frustration over former members of Congress working as lobbyists for the pharmaceutical industry. Maher then asked Strong about the geographical spread of the opioid epidemic. Theyre like Elvis  they didnt think they were drug addicts, because a doctor was prescribing them, Maher said.

From there, the show moved into its panel discussion phase. Joining Maher were Krystal Ball and James Kirchick; the January 6 hearings were the first subject up for discussion. Ball took a higher-level approach, seeking to explore the root causes of some of the issues at hand, while Maher was more eager to see Donald Trump prosecuted. Kirchick took a different perspective, saying, I would be very careful about how we approach this.

Trump is a symptom of a deep rot in our society, Ball argued  and made a case that deeper societal issues needed to be looked into and addressed. She continued to make this argument, even as Maher pushed back somewhat  and tied it in to the phenomenon of Democrats trying to face off against more extreme Republican nominees. Ball made the eminently understandable case that this could backfire in a big way.

Maher went on to address the case of Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio  including stating that hed like to debate him  and expressed his frustration that Del Rio had been fined for his comments about the events of January 6, 2021. Its not a crime to have a sh*tty take, Ball said.

In the second half of the panel, conversation turned to Joe Bidens approval ratings. Not to put too fine a point on it, but things got intense, with Ball and Kirchick verbally clashing on a number of policy areas. Ball also brought up one instance of government intervention during the pandemic  the Federal Reserve putting money into the financial markets to keep them stable  which neither of the other participants seemed all that familiar with.

Overtime ended up covering a lot of ground, including Kirchick discussing what he had learned when researching the Reagan administration for his book. The bulk of the segment used CNN as a springboard to talk about cable news and opinion journalism, before closing on a question for Strong  did he have plans to make a film about the 2020 election? He said that he and frequent collaborator Jay Roach had been talking about it, but werent sure about how best to translate certain key figures to film.

New Rules found Maher quipping about commuting during wildfire season and unimpressive drug busts. Maher went on to propose that, should two fathers wearing Worlds Greatest Dad shirts meets, theyd have to fight to the death.

The bulk of the segment, though, followed the recent controversy at the Washington Post that followed reporter Dave Weigel retweeting a joke. Maher summarized the controversy, then went on to hold it up as an example of many Millennials being overly sensitive, overly fragile and having no sense of priorities.

Maher went on to argue that this particular story had resonated because its a story we recognize. He went on to cite the 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in, and wondered whether the current iteration of the Post would be capable of handling such a story today. It was an ominous ending for the segment, and for the episode as a whole.

Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.

The post Bill Maher Pondered Jack Del Rio and the Washington Post on a New Real Time appeared first on InsideHook.
Biden calls on U.S. to acknowledge and condemn history of slavery

Xinhua) 11:16, June 18, 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to members of the press at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on June 17, 2022. Biden on Friday urged Americans to "acknowledge and condemn the history of slavery". (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, June 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday urged Americans to "acknowledge and condemn the history of slavery".

Biden, in a proclamation on Juneteenth Day, also called upon the United States to "recognize how the impact of America's original sin remains. "

"This Juneteenth, we are freshly reminded that the poisonous ideology of racism has not yet been defeated -- it only hides," he said.

The federal holiday came a month after a white male fatally shot 10 African Americans at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York in a racist attack.

Prosecutors said the shooter's motive "was to prevent Black people from replacing white people and eliminating the white race and to inspire others to commit similar attacks."

"As we confront the awful reality of yet another gunman massacring innocent people in the name of hatred, racism, and fear, we must meet this moment with renewed resolve," Biden stated, referring to the Buffalo shooting.

"We must stand together against white supremacy and show that bigotry and hate have no safe harbor in America," he added.

Last year, Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth, short for "June Nineteenth," as a federal holiday.

On June 19, 1865 -- over two years after Abraham Lincoln declared all enslaved persons free -- Union Army troops marched to Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and ensure that all enslaved people be freed.

Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
With pandemic travel restrictions largely lifted, the coast is clear for Canada to welcome high levels of immigrants, international students, and temporary foreign workers over the coming months.

Canada set to welcome over 500,000 newcomers this summer With pandemic travel restrictions largely lifted, the coast is clear for Canada to welcome high levels of immigrants, international students, and temporary foreign workers over the coming months.

Canada set to welcome over 500,000 newcomers this summer With pandemic travel restrictions largely lifted, the coast is clear for Canada to welcome high levels of immigrants, international students, and temporary foreign workers over the coming months.

Canada set to welcome over 500,000 newcomers this summer With pandemic travel restrictions largely lifted, the coast is clear for Canada to welcome high levels of immigrants, international students, and temporary foreign workers over the coming months. Kareem El-Assal Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Upon imposing COVID travel restrictions in March 2020, Canada prevented many newcomers from being able to enter the country.

There were some exceptions, such as those who received permanent residence and study permit approval prior to the restrictions taking effect, as well as those approved under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Canada gradually lifted these restrictions, with all of the main restrictions on permanent and temporary residents lifted by June 2021. Despite the restrictions, Canada still saw high newcomer levels in 2021. The signs indicate this is set to continue in 2022, with the next few months set to be particularly strong. This summer will be the first since the start of the pandemic without major travel restrictions impeding newcomers from entering Canada.

Permanent residents: Some 130,000 people could land in Q3 2022

Guided by its Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024, the Canadian government is currently pursuing the goal of landing some 432,000 new permanent residents this year. Last year, Canada achieved its goal by prioritizing the landings of applicants living in the country.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

However, recent Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data indicates the department is now processing more overseas applications. For instance, it has been prioritizing Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) applications this year, which are predominantly submitted by candidates living abroad. This is a function of travel restrictions no longer limiting the ability of new permanent residents from moving to Canada (an obstacle that existed between March 2020 and June 2021).

In the first quarter of 2022, Canada landed nearly 114,000 new permanent residents. A landing is either a person living in Canada converting their temporary status to permanent residence, or an individual outside of Canada moving to Canada with permanent residence status.

The Q1 2022 figure represents an over 60 per cent increase compared to the 74,000 permanent residents that landed in Q1 2021.

By Q3 of last year, Canadas permanent resident landings increased significantly to 123,000 people between July and September. This can be explained by three factors. First, IRCC was able to ramp-up its processing capacity, and has been able to sustain that capacity ever since. Second, the lifting of travel restrictions on all Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) holders in late June 2021 enabled many who were otherwise ineligible to land in Canada to finally do so in Q3 2021 and beyond. Third, there is a seasonal component to Canadian immigration. New immigrants prefer to arrive during the warmer spring and summer months as opposed to coming to Canada during the colder seasons. As such, prior to the pandemic, Canada tended to experience a 40 per cent increase in permanent residence landings in Q2 and Q3 of each year, before seeing landings decline during Q4 and Q1.

All three of these factors are set to influence new permanent residence landings this summer. As a conservative estimate, we can expect another 100,000 landings in Q3 2022. A more likely estimate is just like last year, we should see over 120,000 landings during this period. It is unlikely we will see an increase of 40 per cent or more due to seasonality, since IRCC processes applications in accordance with its Immigration Levels Plan. That is, processing many more applications that would result in a 40 per cent or more increase in landings this summer would result in Canada far exceeding its immigration levels target for this year.

Nonetheless, we should still see some seasonal aspect kick in. Assuming we see a 20 per cent increase in landings due to the warmer weather, we would have at least 130,000 new permanent residence landings between this July and September.

A major question mark is what share of these landings will be arriving from overseas. These figures are not published on the Canadian governments data website. In any event, we should expect a greater share of overseas arrivals this summer now that fewer COVID-related obstacles are in place.

International students: If Q1 2022 growth rate continues, up to 270,000 could arrive this summer

Between July and September 2021, Canada welcomed 207,000 international students. This is a staggering figure and all the more impressive considering Canadas pandemic-related travel restrictions at the time, such as that flights directly from India were banned last summer. India is by far the main source country of Canadas foreign students, comprising 35 per cent of them. Canada tends to experience the highest level of international student arrivals during the third quarter of each year as most foreign students begin their studies at the start of Canadas academic calendar, in late-August and early-September.

In the first quarter of 2022, Canada welcomed nearly 90,000 international students. This represents a 30 per cent increase compared to Q1 2021, and an over 50 per cent increase compared to Q1 2019 (Q1 2020 data is not good for comparisons sake since Canadas international student numbers were negatively impacted by the onset of the pandemic).

Assuming the 30 per cent increase enjoyed by Canada during Q1 2022 continues into subsequent quarters, we could see as many as 270,000 international students arrive to Canada between July and September of this year.

Temporary foreign workers: Over 100,000 work permits likely to be issued in Q3

Canada has two categories of temporary foreign workers. Those welcomed to address labour shortages are done so under what is called the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The TFWP comprises the minority of Canadas work permit holders. The majority are welcomed under the International Mobility Program (IMP), which sees work permits issued for a host of economic, social, and cultural purposes.

In Q1 2022, Canada welcomed about 28,000 people under the TFWP. This is actually lower than the 33,000 welcomed in Q1 2021, but still over 20 per cent higher compared to Q1 2019. TFWP levels tend to spike in Q2 as agricultural workers arrive at the start of Canadas harvest season. Levels in Q3 tend to be similar as Q1, meaning we can expect another 28,000 or so work permit holders to arrive under the TFWP between July and September.

Unlike the TFWP, which sees most new work permit holders arrive from overseas, the IMP sees a mix of its work permit holders arrive from overseas and a mix getting their work permits after already residing in Canada for some time. The main source of work permit holders under the IMP are international students who completed their programs in Canada and then go on to obtain what is called a Post-Graduation Work Permit. The Canadian government offers the PGWP as an opportunity for international graduates to obtain work experience, which increases their chances of applying for permanent residence.

Canada saw some 73,000 work permits issued under the IMP in the first quarter of this year. This is also down compared to the 91,000 that were issued in Q1 2021. Nevertheless, IMP numbers tend to be strongest in Q3, due to, for instance, many international graduates getting a PGWP following the completion of their programs (typically in Q2). As such, we should see somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 work permits issued under the IMP over the summer (assuming that there is also pent-up demand among the IMP that will see stronger work permit figures than usual this summer).

When combining TFWP and IMP projections, we could see between 110,000 and 120,000 new work permits issued between July and September.

Grand total: Over 500,000 people likely to land, as well as see their study and work permits take effect

All told, we could see 520,000 or more people getting permanent residence, as well as seeing their study and work permits take effect over the course of this summer. This would be a considerable figure in just a three-month period and would represent a remarkable turnaround following two difficult years in Canadian immigration.

By way of comparison, some 445,000 people got permanent residence, or saw their study or work permits take effect in Q3 2021.

It is important to note that projecting Canadas newcomer figures is difficult for a variety of reasons. There is double-counting, and even triple-counting, since it is routine for newcomers to switch their visa status. For instance, an international student can begin with a study permit, switch to a PGWP, and then obtain permanent residence. If this all occurs in the same year, they would be counted three different times in IRCCs statistics. More commonly, an individual may switch visa status twice in a given year (e.g., from a study permit to a PGWP, or from a work permit to permanent residence). There is also the issue of IRCCs processing capacity. IRCC has proven the ability to process very high volumes of applications over the past year, but it also faces obstacles routinely which may slow it down There are also variables such as the desire of new international students to come to Canada or decide to study elsewhere, as well as the desire and ability of Canadian employers to hire foreign workers.

Despite these variables, there is a high likelihood of the aforementioned newcomer categories exceeding 500,000 people over the summer due to reasons such as pandemic travel restrictions being largely lifted as well as IRCC processing record-high levels of applications to get through its pandemic-induced backlogs.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

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On Saturday, June 18, 2022 shortly before 1:00 AM, Oregon State Police Troopers and Clackamas County Sheriff Office Deputies were involved in an officer involved shooting that resulted in the death of a suspect. The incident occurred after an attempted traffic stop and pursuit that ended in the area of SE Railroad Avenue and SE Wood Avenue in Milwaukie.

The investigation is being led by Clackamas Interagency Major Crimes Team in collaboration with the Clackamas County District Attorneys Office. The area of SE Railroad Avenue and SE Wood Avenue will be closed for several hours while the investigation is being conducted.

A follow up press release will be made by the Clackamas County District Attorneys Office next week following an autopsy and additional investigation.
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Btanet.ir scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 30 Dec 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the btanet homepage on Twitter + the total number of btanet followers (if btanet has a Twitter account). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the btanet homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if btanet has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the btanet homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the btanet homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the btanet homepage on StumbleUpon.

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE      DESCRIPTION   |     |    |  |   |       |  |   |     | KEYWORDS    ,    ,    ,    ,     ,     ,    ,    ,    ,      OTHER KEYWORDS imaco, rss feed , rss feed , rss feed , rss feed , rss feed, rss feed



The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The title found in the head section of the homepage.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE Persian UTF-8Persian SERVER Apache OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

Operative System running on the server. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Type of server and offered services. The language of btanet.ir as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Character set and language of the site.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for btanet.ir by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

Facebook link

FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND

The type of Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The URL of the found Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users.

Twitter account link

TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND
80%

Website cantoneseinput.com uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 68214 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 38839 bytes (37.93 kb uncompressed) and 9168 bytes (8.95 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2022-06-18, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
Projectpew.net scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 11 Jan 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the projectpew homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if projectpew has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the projectpew homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the projectpew homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the projectpew homepage on Twitter + the total number of projectpew followers (if projectpew has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the projectpew homepage on Delicious.

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE Project Pew DESCRIPTION The official site of the community servers for bros. KEYWORDS community, servers, pewdiepie, pewdie OTHER KEYWORDS project pew, project, servers,



The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache/2.2.16 (Debian) (PHP/5.3.3-7+squeeze14) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) The language of projectpew.net as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Character set and language of the site. Operative System running on the server. Type of server and offered services.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for projectpew.net by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

Facebook link

FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND

A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The type of Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page.

Twitter account link

TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND
CALF PASTURE BEACH  Drawn by the full moon rising over the Norwalk Islands on Tuesday night, a swarm 450 million years in the making lurked just below the waves lapping onto the sandy beach.

Joe Schnierlein, a former marine biologist and high school teacher, swooped into the shin-deep water and pulled up the armored shell of a female horseshoe crab, one of several hundred of the spider-like animals that chose this night to come ashore and lay their eggs to spawn the next generation in Long Island Sound.

The full moon and its associated high tide  which provides good cover for the horseshoe crabs to lay their eggs high up on the beach  also attracted about 40 human volunteers, including Schnierlein, who have come to place tags on the animals as they spawn, part of a scientific monitoring program that has attempted to track populations of these ancient crabs in the Sound for more than two decades.

Led by staff from the nearby Maritime Aquarium, volunteers like Schnierlein have been coming to this particular spot on the beach for years, where they say favorable tides and clear nights can help them find and tag upwards of a hundred crabs in about an hour. On other occasions, however, it can be a struggle to find even a few dozen crabs.

Theres been some good years, some bad years, Schnierlein said. Is it because of the weather? You dont know.

Across Long Island Sound, researchers who monitor the results of these and other tagging efforts say that horseshoe crabs are on the decline, driven by a combination of habitat loss, pollution and commercial fishing that is threatening the role this species has played in the environment since before the time of the dinosaurs.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission reported in 2019 that stocks of horseshoe crabs in the New York region, which includes Long Island Sound, were in poor condition, after a series of surveys showed their numbers declining since the late 1990s.

Jennifer Mattei, a biology professor at Sacred Heart University who has studied horseshoe crab populations for years as part of Project Limulus, said those findings were in contrast to more abundant populations farther south in places such as Delaware Bay, where millions of eggs laid by the crabs serve as a vital smorgasbord for migrating birds such as the endangered red knot, which flock to the bay in the thousands on their way to nesting grounds in the Arctic.

While the horseshoe crabs in the Sound are not in danger of going away completely, Mattei said that their numbers are so low that they cannot support the numbers of birds and other wildlife that they do elsewhere in their range.

We dont have that phenomenon here because there just arent enough crabs for that to happen. Mattei said. Its kind of whats quoted as an ecological extinction, where theyre just not feeding the birds, theyre not feeding the fish, because the eggs are sparse and buried and so theyre unavailable to most of the animals that use them for nutrition.

Prompted by the concerns raised by Mattei and others, officials with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection began drafting new regulations last year to sharply reduce the annual harvest of crabs within the Sound.

While the crabs are harvested in some areas for biomedical research that uses their blue blood to test the purity of vaccines, the majority of those harvested off the coast of Connecticut are taken by about a dozen licensed fishermen to be cut up and used as bait in eel and whelk traps, according to DEEP.

Fishermen were incredulous at the new rules, arguing that volunteer efforts to tag and count the crabs were doing a poor job of finding them, leading researchers such as Mattei to underestimate the overall population.

Theres more than they think, said Bob Guzzo, a commercial fisherman based in Stonington. I dont think theyve got the science all right either yet, (but) they dont ask us much, all they do is keep restricting us more and more and more.

This year, Guzzo said hes given up on harvesting horseshoe crabs altogether in favor of alternative, less regulated bait species such as the Jonah crab.

For researchers, the decision of a few fisherman to find alternative baits may represent the best opportunity for the population to rebound, after state lawmakers earlier this year ran out of time to enact a complete moratorium to cut off the harvest of tens of thousand of horseshoe crabs each summer.

I didnt do this work to take peoples livelihoods away, I want to manage the resources so theyre sustainable, Mattei said. But what weve found is that the horseshoe crab has continued to decline for all of these various reasons, everything from loss of habitat to pollution and harvest, and that their role in the ecosystem and the environment has declined dramatically.

In addition to regulatory changes, advocates for horseshoe crabs say that public outreach is also vital to raising awareness for the species and efforts to monitor and preserve their populations.

Bridget Cervero, an educator for the Maritime Aquarium who led the group of volunteers to Calf Pasture Beach this past week, said the program has experienced massive interest this year after such outings were limited during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As she spoke to the group of volunteers at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, nearly all of the adults and children huddled around in headlamps raised their hands to indicate that it was their first time tagging horseshoe crabs.

The aquarium, which leads two or three trips to the beach during May and June, requires that first-time volunteers attend a training session to learn about the horseshoe crabs and how to properly collect them and apply the tags.

One of the newcomers, Jeff Spahr of Norwalk, said he grew up seeing horseshoe crabs while taking trips out to the nearby islands on his boat, but said those sightings had become less frequent in recent years.

I always felt the population was declining and I felt bad about that so I wanted to do something to help document them, Spahr said. When I saw this, I jumped on it, it was great.

For others, including roommates Andrea McKenna and Johnny Fremgen of Saugerties, N.Y., the midnight excursions have become a regular summertime activity and a way to tap into a love of nature.

It seemed to me a better way to contribute than your typical reduce, reuse, recycle, McKenna said. Even if it was squids, Id be out here doing it.

As a result of years of tagging data done by the volunteers, Mattei said she and her fellow researchers have been able to determine that the horseshoe crabs tagged along the Connecticut shoreline will cross the Sound, but rarely venture outside of its waters.

That finding helped prompt regulators in New York and Connecticut to work together drafting similar limits on the horseshoe crab harvest on both sides of the Sound, Mattei said.

The horseshoe crabs have also found other allies in the conservation movement, most notably from the Connecticut Audubon Society, whose members have called for a complete ban on the commercial harvest to help support migratory bird populations.

The more horseshoe crab population we have here, the more fuel these birds are going to have when they stop over here, said Patrick Comins, executive director of the Connecticut Audubon Society. If they dont get the nutrition they need, theyre not able to arrive on their breeding grounds in the Arctic.

On Tuesday night, the results from the expedition along Calf Pasture Beach were encouraging, as volunteers used up all the 180 tags brought by Cervero in about an hour-and-a-half.

As with an earlier outing in May, Cervero said volunteers reported that most of the animals they found, including breeding pairs, were healthy and free of parasites. After the animals are tagged, they are placed back in the water so that they may continue to lay their eggs.

Theyre hardy animals, Cervero said. Theyve been around for 450 million years and theyve done that because theyve figured out how to live.
Efforts by President Joe Biden to boost manufacturing and installation of solar power and other types of renewable energy are being viewed favorably by Connecticut political leaders and industry officials in the state.

Biden announced on June 5 that he was signing executive orders designed to make the procurement of solar energy components easier and more affordable. His orders also authorized the use of the Defense Production Act to speed U.S.-based manufacturing of equipment like solar panel components, energy-efficient heat pumps and fuel cells.

Katie Dykes, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said the solar industry is the fastest growing area of employment in our energy sector. The solar energy industry in Connecticut employs 2,126 people, according to data from The Solar Energy Industries Association, a Washington, D.C. There are 135 solar companies in the doing business in Connecticut including 54 installers and developer and 27 manufacturers of solar components.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn, said that while he is supportive of Bidens actions, there are no quick fixes to beefing up the solar industry.

We made a big mistake in this country years ago, we didn't see this boom in solar energy coming, so we let the Chinese dominate the lion's share of the market, Murphy said. Now, we are going to start the process of investing in an American solar industry. But we have a lot of work ahead to build up the industry in America.

Jeff Hintzke, vice president of policy and new markets with Greenskies Clean Focus, said there are two key elements to Bidens announcement. The North Haven-based company specializes in installing solar energy systems for commercial businesses and institutional clients.

Hintzke said one important element in Bidens announcement was a 24-month suspension on duties and tariffs on solar energy components that are important into the United States.

There has been a lot uncertainty in the marketplace because of these tariffs, he said. By suspending these tariffs, it basically removes a significant risk factor in our business and allows us to be more aggressive in competing for projects. Having tariffs made some of our project costs prohibitive.

Before Bidens executive action put the tariffs on hold, most foreign solar module manufacturers had halted shipments to the United States earlier this year, causing an industry-wide module shortage, according to Abigail Ross Hopper, president and chief executive officer of The Solar Energy Industries Association. These supply constraints are expected to ease as manufacturers ramp up shipments to the U.S. in the coming months.

Mike Trahan, executive director of the Connecticut Solar & Storage Association, said the supply constraints hit home in the state in the form od a shortage of meter sockets. The component is essentially a electric socket that connects the meter which measures the solar energy generated to a home, Trahan said.

The shortage has since eased, he said.

It just shows that its not limited to just the major parts that are integral in getting the job done, Trahan said of solar component shortages.

The other key element from Bidens executive orders, according to Hintzke, is implementing the Defense Production Act. Created in 1950, the Act is a law that gives presidents the power to order companies to produce goods and supply services to support national defense.

The Biden administration is looking to accelerate manufacturing in five key areas:

-Solar panel parts like photovoltaic modules and module components.

-Building insulation.

-Heat pumps, which heat and cool buildings super efficiently.

-Equipment for making and using clean electricity-generated fuels, including electrolyzers and fuel cells.

-Critical power grid infrastructure like transformers.

Some new manufacturing is going to get built because of this, Hintzke said. What is uncertain at this point is where that is going to happen. The state could piggy back on federal incentives with some of it own to encourage some of that manufacturing to occur here.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
Willimantic Police Department / Contributed Photo

WILLIMANTIC  A Massachusetts man wanted for sexually assaulting children was found hiding in town with two minors Friday, according to police.

Officers on Friday apprehended the suspect, Leon Mejia-Vicente, 46, of New Bedford, Mass. Police also found the children  a 17-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy  and said they were unharmed.
A Ridgefield startup is building a virtual reality platform to give real estate agents a better way to show listings without ever stepping foot on the properties  a major plus with skyrocketing inflation making it far more expensive for people to travel to those locales.

At the January CES show that showcases emerging technology products, Domotics was one of more than 500 products from corporations and startups globally that were nominated for innovators awards. The company plans a soft launch of the app this fall, with plans to raise as much as $3 million in early-stage funding to support hiring 10 people or more.

While real estate agencies already have access to virtual reality tools  many getting wider use during the early COVID-19 mandates for social distancing  the companys founders believe the Domotics RE platform offers far better ways for agents and buyers to interact.

Using the app on a digital device  to include virtual reality goggles  buyers can get walking tours of houses with nuances captured in 360-degree images that can create 3-D floor plans to help visualize the layout of a house. Domotics plans to add video chat functionality to the app, and buyers can give an agent access to their screen to allow them to call up relevant information and images as they come up in a conversation.

Its an immersive type of listing platform, said CEO Jason LaVardera who co-founded the company with brother Josh LaVardera and Michael Sturges. We really tried to solve two things  what youre able to see while youre online, and how you are able to see it.

Jason LaVardera worked for the Westport-based hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, then a real estate investment trust in New York City called Torchlight Investors. He said the idea came to him when he and his spouse were looking to buy in Ridgefield in 2019, and grew frustrated with the online tools available at the time to view properties.

The three founders planned originally to market the platform to house flippers who renovate and resell houses for a profit. But after the LaVardera brothers father suggested they run the idea by an executive with a California company called IntelliMedia Networks, they ended up expanding the Domotics idea as an all-purpose app for listings. Domotics uses IntelliMedias Mixie HoloPort technology for elements of its immersive virtual viewing capabilities.

Under the Domotics RE business model, agencies would subscribe to the platform and use it to build listings for clients selling their houses and condominiums. Jason LaVardera said the company plans to create a subscription option as well for sellers who do not retain agents under the for sale by owner model, and for people who use platforms like Airbnb to rent out vacation properties.

Real estate technology startups  dubbed proptech by the industry  drew more than $30 billion in funding in 2021, according to the Real Estate Tech360 website that tracks the sector.

Jason LaVardera said the three are well aware of what they are up against in trying to get onto the radar of real estate agencies  but notes there is precedent with the successes of companies like Zillow, Redfin and Matterport which pioneered 3-D photography for the real estate industry.

Zillow is just a listing platform  in its simplest form, thats what it is, he said. This is a new way to show your home.

Due to a reporting error, an initial version did not correctly identify and quote Jason LaVardera in his role as CEO of Dometics. Co-founder Josh LaVardera is chief operating officer.

Includes prior reporting by Paul Schott.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
We know Rani Gaidinliu as a well-known freedom fighter today, remembered fondly by the people and given recognition and honour by the Government of India. Her struggles and legendary exploits against the mighty British Empire in Northeast India are well documented. Her contribution to the freedom struggle is being taught as part of the history syllabus in schools and colleges in India.

Some years ago, on 26 August 2015, the Government of India commemorated the birth centenary of Rani Gaidinliu culminating in a year-long celebration all over India. At the inauguration of the birth centenary celebrations at New Delhis Vigyan Bhavan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a commemorative coin of one hundred rupees and a circulation coin of five rupees featuring Rani Gaidinliu (p. 233). The Prime Minister credited Rani Gaidinliu with spreading the message of Mahatma Gandhi in Northeast India. Referring to her as Rani Maa, the Prime Minister said that it is our misfortune that people such as Rani Gaidinliu are not remembered adequately.

Chief ministers of Nagaland and Manipur, T.R. Zeliang and Okram Ibobi Singh, respectively, were present on the occasion and paid rich tributes to her memory. Minister of State for Development of North East Region Jitendra Singh announced that as a tribute to Rani Gaidinliu, the DoNER ministry intends to create a library-cum-museum at Kohima. Unfortunately, this announcement set off a chain of events back in the small state of Nagaland where social organisations representing various tribal groups, tribal councils and even religious organisations vehemently protested against the setting up of the library-cum-museum at Kohima. A war of words started in the local newspapers condemning the proposal to commemorate and honour her in Nagaland. The basic arguments against the move were based on the premise that Rani Gaidinliu was pro-India and therefore anti-Naga as she worked against the interest of Naga nationalist political groups who wanted an independent sovereign Nagaland. Also, since Gaidinliu promoted her own version of indigenous religion known as the Heraka in an otherwise Christian majority state, she was seen as working against the interest of the majority religious groups. Vilification campaigns against Rani Gaidinliu followed this announcement by various pro-independence writers and retired bureaucrats egged on by vested interest groups. This continued for months. Most views expressed were jaundiced and biased, based on the writings of British colonial authors and on information passed down from social milieu based on hearsay and rumours. One interesting allegation was that it was a conspiracy by the rightist RSS to promote Hinduism and proselytise Nagas. Nothing could have been farther from the truth.

I began to wonder why the personality of Rani Gaidinliu aroused such extreme reactions from different sets of people in Northeast India? These reactions from different quarters have confronted me as an author as I started to read more and delved into the enigmatic life of Rani Gaidinliu.

Gaidinliu was simply known as Apei Rani or Grandma Rani amongst her people, the Zeliangrongs, a proud and conservative tribe inhabiting the once-contiguous geographical area of Manipur north and west districts, Cachar district, parts of Barak Valley of Assam, and Peren district of Nagaland.

########

Around December 1937, Jawaharlal Nehru while touring undivided Assam as president of the Indian National Congress, as it was his wont, threw himself into the affairs of the state. To understand the problems besetting the state of Assam, he started meeting all the stakeholders, representatives from different communities, tribal groups and various splinter groups. It was during such interactions with some Congressmen from Cachar in the Surma valley that Nehru first heard about the heroic deeds and struggles of Jadonang and Gaidinliu. He was very impressed by the fact that Gaidinliu was recognised by her Naga people, especially the Zeliangrong tribe, as their saviour and leader. A visionary freedom fighter and a romantic writer, Jawaharlal Nehru was greatly impressed by the exploits of Gaidinliu and was shocked that a young Naga girl should suffer so much at the hands of the British.

While Nehru was in Sylhet in December 1937, he wrote:

In Sylhet also, many Nagas from the surrounding hills came to visit me with greetings and gifts. From them and others, I heard a story which India ought to know and cherish. It was a story of a young woman of their tribe belonging to the Kabui clan in the Naga Hills. She was of the priestly class and she had the unique opportunity to receive her education in a mission school [this was probably misinformed to Nehru as Gaidinliu was unlettered], where she reached the ninth or tenth class. Gaidinliu was her name and she was about nineteen six years ago when the civil disobedience movement blazed over the length and breadth of India, news of Gandhi and the Congress reached her in her hill abode and found an echo in her heart. She dreamt of freedom for her people and the ending of all restrictions they suffered from; she raised the banner of independence and called her people to rally around it. Perhaps, she thought rather prematurely that the British Empire was fading out. But that Empire still functioned effectively and aggressively and it took vengeance on her and her people. Many villages were burnt and destroyed and this heroic girl was captured and sentenced to transportation for life. And now she lies in some prison in Assam, wasting her bright young womanhood in dark cells and solitude. Six years she has been there. What torment and suppression of spirit they have brought to her, who in the prime of her youth dared to challenge an Empire! She can roam no more in her hill country through the forest glades, or sing in the fresh crisp air of the mountains. This wild thing sits cabined in darkness with a few yards of space in the daytime, yearning her heart. And India does not even know of this brave child of her hills. A day will come when India will remember her and cherish her, and bring her out of her prison cell.





Excerpted from Rani Gaidinliu: Legendary Freedom Fighter from the Northeast (Niyogi Books)





Rani Gaidinliu

By Som Kamei

Niyogi Books

pp. 230, Rs.299
WESTPORT  Post Road East is about to get a bit more haute.

Blue & Cream, a designer clothing retailer native to New York, is coming to 46-48 Post Road East. The 2,071-square-foot facility, leased by Saugatuck Commercial Real Estate, will host upscale clothing.

Blue & Cream is a lifestyle curated through fashion, showcasing the most coveted styles from an edited blend of both established and up-and-coming designers which resonate an effortless aesthetic, the business website states.

Specific details about the opening date have not yet been released. However, Director of Marketing and Administration for Saugatuck Commercial Real Estate Marianne Adamo, said that they are hoping for a summer opening.

She said that Westport became a vision for introducing the Blue & Cream lifestyle for the first time out of New York.

Two of its other shops are located in Manhattan and one is in East Hampton.

Adamo said they identified as a market that features much of the same demographics and style profiles as their flagship store in East Hampton.

Not only does the business offer Blue & Cream-brand exclusives, they also sell popular brands like Canada Goose and Nike, as well as more niche designers such as Lucien Pellat-Finet, Misa Los Angeles and Clergerie.

Their new womens summer collection features two-piece casual wear, long-sleeve dresses, pops of color juxtaposed with neutrals, complex and simple prints and more.

As for menswear, graphic crewnecks, animal print two-pieces, distressed jeans and button-ups are just some of the many pieces in the summer collection.

Blue & Cream also sells shoes, accessories and products for children.

Adamo said that the business will feature Nike Grails, Supreme and Chanel resale.

As part of Blue & Creams exclusives, they feature luxury casualwear known as The Tile Club.

The Tile Club is inspired by late 19th-century New York-based artists and architects, who would meet in private salons to talk about ideas and paint on ceramic tiles.

With this spirit of adventure and artistic exploration, the website states, The Tile Club embodies the expansive artistic energy of the Young New Yorker of the 2020's who travels the world and summers in the Hamptons.

Located on Post Road East, Blue & Cream will join other high-end businesses like Tiffany & Co and NYC Jewelers of Westport. Other businesses near the shop include Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters and Patagonia, among others.

Penney Wickey and Nathan Greenberg of SCRE represented the owners, 46 Post Road LLC, and will continue to represent them in leasing five office suites on the second floor of the property.

The location previously housed Joie, a womens clothing company known for its coastal-inspired aesthetic.
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WASHINGTON  When Shepaug Valley High School Spanish teacher Mike Nolan was in his early 20s, he was a social worker, teaching English to children of migrant workers with the Mid-Hudson Migrant Education Outreach Program.

I was kind of like the conduit between the schools and the families of migrant workers, said Nolan, who is now 43. I was officially assigned to a caseload of migrant worker children, mostly from Puebla and Oaxaca  the poorer parts of Mexico. I would tutor the kids, help them with their English, and help them with their homework in their homes in the evenings.

When Nolan began teaching at Shepaug 20 years ago, he said he naturally stepped into the role of helping English as a second language students. In addition to his responsibilities as a Spanish teacher, Nolan helps English learners in all areas  both in and out of the classroom.

Nolan recently earned a statewide award through his teachers union  the Connecticut Education Association  called Above and Beyond the Call of Duty, for his extraordinary efforts to assist English learners and their families  the award said.

Liaison

At Shepaug, Nolan serves as a liaison between the school and families of ESL students.

While an ESL teacher at Shepaug handles classroom responsibilities such as teaching English and academics, I plug in for the non-academic support," said Nolan, a Sharon resident and married father of two.

Over the years, Nolan has helped students and their families who came from countries such as Mexico, Ecuador, Spain, Chile and Argentina.

He said his role changes from year to year and even, week to week  depending on students needs.

When families first show up, typically the guidance counselor will come to me and I'll help with enrollment in bringing the family into the school and interpreting for them, he said.

He remains with the family throughout the entire enrollment process, translating school forms and documents and also serving as a translator with educators.

The guidance counselors  they're not necessarily trained to look at a transcript from a school system in Ecuador. They have different names for courses and different standards, so I help figure out what grade a kid should be in, he said.

Additionally, he administers standardized testing in Spanish to the students.

He also does after-school tutoring to students who are struggling with the language, typically in subjects such as history and science, he said.

During the pandemic, he delivered donated groceries to the home of an ESL student and his family.

When an ESL student is absent, Nolan calls their home to ask if everything was OK.

Recently, a child was sick and the father was worried it might be COVID-19, so Nolan brought the student into the nurse and helped to interpret.

The nurse didn't think it was COVID. But she gave a couple of COVID tests to send home because the dad didn't have them. So I explained to the kid what to do, he said.

The father didn't have transportation and the student had to go home early.

So, after getting permission from the school and parent, he drove the student home during his planning period.

Last fall, he took a parent of an ESL student to Town Hall to get a form notarized.

He has also helped in tough situations, such as if a child is being bullied.

I sit in and interpret for the parents, he said.

He has taken students to the military recruitment office in Torrington to take a proficiency exam.

He still keeps in touch with a family from Barcelona, Spain whom he helped several years ago.

After their second son graduated from Shepaug, they flew in to come to the graduation and then we went out to dinner to meet them, he said, adding he has a standing invitation to visit them.

Service trips

Nolan said he was strongly influenced to give back by his former teacher  Maryellen Holden, who taught Spanish at Chase Collegiate school in Waterbury, which has since closed.

Aside from teaching Spanish, she would take us on field trips to the soup kitchen and so she taught us that service was important, he said. So, typically during the holidays, I have my homerooms make sandwiches and we deliver them to Loaves & Fishes (Hospitality House charity) in New Milford.

He has also taken volunteer service groups to Mexico.

I've done it about five times through the years, Nolan said. We go to an orphanage through a local (nonprofit) Connecticut organization called Simply Smiles.

He has taken five groups of Shepaug students to the Casa Hogar Orphanage in Mexico.

We go down for a week in the summer. The kids do painting and light construction work, Nolan said. Additionally, there's about 30 kids that live at the orphanage and the Shepaug kids will help them with their homework, read to them or play with them  so they get to practice their Spanish as well.

While Simply Smiles volunteer operations have not reopened since prior to the pandemic, Nolan is now trying to organize a trip there for the summer of 2023.

While the number of ESL students in the area is typically very small, he said ESL students have an opportunity to thrive in a smaller school district.

Whether it's Shepaug or Housatonic or Wamogo or Litchfield, the schools in our area typically don't have a robust ESL population. Yet, the districts go above and beyond by providing ESL services when there's only a handful of kids, he said. "Everybody knows everybody's name and you get to know people and it's just easier to make sure that kids don't fall through the cracks, whether they're Spanish speaking, immigrant families or just the regular population.

Nolan has a master's degree in education and is in the process of applying to get a second master's degree in TESOL  to be able to teach English to speakers of other languages.

He said he gets a great sense of satisfaction from his job.

When I became a Spanish teacher, I kept my social worker hat on, and when they would ask me to help these families, the only other option was to sit there and watch them flounder. So of course, I was going to help them, and then I actually got to be friends with some of the families. I have some good friends to this day because I helped them with their kids, Nolan said. "Through my job, I get the gratification and the satisfaction of helping kids in need.
The federal bipartisan gun safety deal, which Connecticuts two Democratic U.S. senators helped negotiate, is drawing praise from domestic violence prevention groups for proposing to close the so-called boyfriend loophole.

Federal law currently prohibits anyone convicted of domestic violence, or who is subject to a domestic violence protective order, from possessing a firearm. But the restriction currently only applies to violent actions taken against a spouse, a person with whom they have lived or with whom they share a child.

The Senate plan would update the law to include romantic partners.

Its crucial, if were going to address gun safety, domestic violence needs to be a part of that conversation, said Meghan Scanlon, president and CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Current and former dating partners make up about about one third of intimate partner homicide relationships, according to the coalitions Fatality Review Report.

The Senate plan would also require convicted abusers, and those subject to protective orders, to be added to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Scanlon said that would make it easier to disqualify abusers from obtaining a gun.

We know survivors are five times more likely to be killed if their abuser has access to a firearm, Scanlon said.

A Hearst Connecticut Media Group investigation published late last year found that nearly 300 people had been killed by intimate partners in Connecticut since 2000. Of the 11 confirmed domestic violence homicides that took place last year, more than half were committed with a firearm, Scanlon said.

We continue to see that as the dominant method of murdering a partner, she said.

In addition to killing their partners with a firearm, abusers often use guns to intimidate and control their partners, which is a tactic of abuse reported frequently and a major indicator of potential lethality, experts say. Responses to lethality assessment screenings performed by police at the scene of a domestic violence incident indicate 45 percent of victims report jealousy or control was present in their relationship.

Access to, or prior use of, a firearm by abusers to threaten or intimidate partners are some of the strongest risk factors associated with fatal intimate partner violence, according to multiple studies, and a partner having gun access was reported by nearly one fifth of victims, according to the report.

Around 4.5 million women in the United States have been threatened with a firearm, and nearly 1 million women have been shot, or shot at, by an intimate partner, according to a 2018 study.

The bipartisan Violence Against Women Act, passed by Congress earlier this year as part of the omnibus government funding bill, initially included a provision to close the boyfriend loophole. But it was taken out over objections from the National Rifle Association, which threatened GOP support for the bill.

The proposal resurfaced in talks between U.S. Senate negotiators on gun safety legislation following the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas last month, and became part of the agreement announced earlier this week.

Some researchers posit that domestic violence and fatal mass shootings are linked and one is a predictor of the next. One study published in The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law found between 2009 and 2018, at least 54 percent of mass shootings, defined as shootings in which more than three people are killed in one event, were related to domestic or family violence.

Another 2021 study found that in 68 percent of mass shootings between 2014 and 2019 the shooter either killed at least one partner or family member, or had a history of domestic violence, and that those shootings that were domestic violence related had higher fatalities.

This was true in the Uvalde shooting and in the school shooting in Sandy Hook in 2012.

Connecticut law prohibits people who have permanent restraining orders against them from possessing a firearm.

In 2016, state lawmakers expanded the restriction to those who are subject to temporary restraining orders, passing a law requiring them to turn in their firearms to police within 24 hours.

Advocates have called this a critical step in preventing intimate partner homicides with firearms because they say the most dangerous time for a victim is when abusers begin to lose their control.

julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com

Clare Dignan contributed to this story
DEAR ABBY: When my sibling and I were 6 and 10, our parents sat us down and told us they were getting a divorce because Dad had an affair. Mom was, to say the least, incredibly hurt. Her hurt and resentment haven't subsided to this day. Dad has never apologized to her, but he has supported her financially ever since.

Mom has tried therapy, but the minute a therapist upsets her, she stops going. My parents both now live near my sister to help care for her twins. Mom is constantly upset with things Dad does or that he's not friendly enough with her. She says he is nicer to strangers than he is with her.

I don't want to seem insensitive, but they have now been divorced longer than they were married. It's exhausting, and it is starting to feel like we are enabling her. I hate that what happened has defined the last two decades of her life. Is there something I can say to communicate that it's way past time to be over this, but in a nicer way that may be helpful, and maybe won't leave her too much room to tell me I'm victim blaming?

 WHAT'S PAST HAS PASSED

DEAR WHAT'S PAST: I, too, am sorry about what happened to your parents' marriage. That your mother has been unable to move beyond the divorce and quits therapy the minute a therapist says something she doesn't want to hear is very sad  for her. What you need to understand is that some people cling to their "victimhood" for comfort. It buffers them from having to recognize their own contribution to their failure.

Because you have tried in the past without success to help your mother let go of her bitterness, I'm advising you to stop trying. For your own sake, when she starts complaining about your father, change the subject, end the conversation or tune out. Enabling her isn't helping either of you.

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have a business and work together. He takes care of sales, and I keep the books. I have raised his children, scheduled all appointments and taken care of everyone's needs, including the pets. I also do all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc.

I tend to suffer from depression and need at least eight hours of sleep each night. Because of this, I work at the office only four to five hours a day. My husband cannot understand why I don't work eight to 10 hours a day. I get done what NEEDS to be done. Of the many other businesses we've known, the wives are expected to do this. How do I make him understand?

 WORKING ENOUGH IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR WORKING ENOUGH: From your description of your weekly activities, you are not only living up to normal expectations, but exceeding them. Explain to your husband that people are individuals. Human bodies don't all function alike. If he can't get that through his head, have your doctor explain it to him.

Has he considered what it would cost him to hire someone else to do all the jobs you are doing? Perhaps he should consider that before criticizing and flogging you to do more. Tell him you'll spend an extra hour or so at the office if he agrees to take up some of the slack at home.

P.S. I can understand why you "tend to suffer from depression." You are married to a slave driver.

DEAR ABBY: Two years ago, at a national conference, I bumped into a woman I had dated decades ago. We started dating again, even though she lives in Phoenix and I live in the Midwest. The geographical distance between us is challenging, but we made it work through phone calls and traveling to see each other at least once a month.

It was working so well that we began discussing my relocating to Arizona so we could move in together. I thought that was our future until earlier this week. My lady friend just told me she wants to reduce the number of phone calls we've been having each week to three or less. She explained she needs more time to herself to deal with "challenges" she has been facing, and everything is fine with our relationship.

I was shocked because we had been talking two or more times a day as well as exchanging text messages. We have both faced significant challenges during our relationship and we had used our talks to figure out how to deal with them.

I said I wanted to talk more than three times a week. She says this won't work. She wants less contact  MUCH less. She also canceled our next in-person get-together. I feel like our relationship is heading for the rocks. When I expressed this, my girlfriend continued to insist everything is "fine" and we could have the same relationship with less contact. I disagree. What do you think?

 COMPLETELY THROWN

DEAR THROWN: Because this lady didn't elaborate on what challenges she's facing, I think the abrupt change in her behavior may be her way of trying to let you down easy. I can't guess what may have caused her change of heart, but please accept my sympathy.

DEAR ABBY: A family member does beautiful scrapbooks year-round. Her work is remarkable, and everyone enjoys looking at the finished product. I have become the photographer. Here is my dilemma: I know not everyone likes to have his or her picture taken. How do I approach this? I think it would be awkward to poll everyone about whether it's OK before snapping their photos. A group shot at the end of, say, Christmas Day seems rather understated. Too often, I feel like the paparazzi. What are your thoughts?

 SHUTTERBUG IN COLORADO

DEAR SHUTTERBUG: My "thought" is that you are very considerate. In addition, I think that before snapping a picture it's polite to ask the subjects if they would LIKE to be included in the shot, or take a moment to put on some lipstick, a hat or pose with their "better side" to the camera. (It's also a surefire way for anyone in witness protection to move out of range of the camera.)

DEAR READERS: Happy Father's Day to fathers everywhere  birth fathers, stepfathers, adoptive and foster fathers, grandfathers and all of those caring men who mentor children and fill the role of absent dads.

P.S. Also, a big shout-out to dual-role moms. I applaud you all  today and every day.

 LOVE, ABBY
Vic Eng / Hearst Connecticut Media Group Vic Eng / Hearst Connecticut Media Group Vic Eng / Hearst Connecticut Media Group Vic Eng / Hearst Connecticut Media Group Vic Eng / Hearst Connecticut Media Group

The Westport Womens Club hosted its 2022 Yankee Doodle fair from June 17 to June 19, 2022. The event featured carnival rides, games and food. Were you SEEN?
For much of Friday, however, the Chief Minister (in picture) had not reacted in public to the violence at the Secunderabad railway station on Friday against the Agnipath armed forces recruitment scheme.  Twitter

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao late on Friday night expressed grief over the death of Army job aspirant Damodar Rakesh, a native of Warangal district, in the firing by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at the Secunderabad railway station on Friday.

In a media statement, the CM held the Centre's flawed policies responsible for the death of Rakesh. He announced ex gratia payment of Rs 25 lakh to the family of Rakesh.

The CM offered condolences to Rakeshs family members and reiterated that the Telangana government would come to the aid of the people and protect them. He assured that the government would provide a job to one of Rakeshs family members.

For much of Friday, however, the Chief Minister had not reacted in public to the violence at the Secunderabad railway station on Friday against the Agnipath armed forces recruitment scheme.

Rao maintaining silence even after BJP leaders including Union minister G. Kishan Reddy and BJP state president Bandi Sanjay accused the TRS of being behind the violence became a subject of heated debate in party and political circles.

Official sources said the CM spoke to Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and DGP M. Mahendar Reddy over phone soon after violence broke out. He reviewed the law and order situation and asked the officials to take immediate steps to maintain law and order and bring the situation under control in coordination with the Central agencies concerned.

Party sources said the CM continued to be busy with his exercise of launching the national party to take on the BJP, and held meetings with senior leaders in this regard on Friday.

Party circles maintained that the violence triggered by BJP leader Nupur Sharma's remarks against Prophet Mohammad followed by the Agnipath scheme proved that Rao was right in cautioning the people against the BJP's 'communal and divisive politics' and Modi government's 'flawed policies'.

Party sources said that during his visit to a few states recently, Rao had told the local media that if the BJP was not checked, it would lead to violent incidents which would affect the country's economy, investments resulting in loss of jobs and livelihood not only for Indians living in the country but also those Indians settled abroad for livelihood.

These statements were proving correct they said citing examples of demands cropping up in few Islamic countries against employing Hindus and asking them to leave their countries following Nupur Sharmas remarks.
Several incoming trains to Secunderabad were regulated or short-terminated during the agitation at nearby stations of Cherlapally, and Moulali, small railway stations in the vicinity of Secunderabad. While the agitation was going on, the SCR used all mediums of mass broadcasting to pass on the information to the passengers.  DC file image

HYDERABAD: South Central Railway (SCR) cancelled 28 mail and express trains, diverted eight trains, partially cancelled 19 trains and changed terminal stations for two express trains till 8 pm of Friday, following violent protests by defence job aspirants which resulted in the death of a youth.

The train from Lingampally to Kakinada, Cocanada Express, scheduled to reach the station at 8 am was late by 11 hours 40 minutes, and reached the platform at Secunderabad at 7.40 pm. Most of the trains were delayed as well, according to a senior official. The train services which had been affected due to the agitation would get back to normalcy in two or three days, he said.

The SCR immediately swung into action soon after the protest turned violent and took steps to provide facilities to stranded passengers. Several incoming trains to Secunderabad were regulated or short-terminated during the agitation at nearby stations of Cherlapally, and Moulali, small railway stations in the vicinity of Secunderabad. While the agitation was going on, the SCR used all mediums of mass broadcasting to pass on the information to the passengers.

The SCR officials started restoration works for immediate resumption of train services from the station. The officials were put on high alert and additional manpower was deputed to facilitate stranded passengers. Security officials deployed additional forces and maintained constant vigil at the railway stations.
VIJAYAWADA: State finance minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy on Saturday released AP Polycet 2022 results in which 91.84 percent of 1,31,608 students who wrote the tests have qualified. While pass percentage of boys is 90.56, that of girls is 93.96.

Challa Satya Harshitha from East Godavari secured the first rank with 119 marks in Polycet entrance, followed by Alluri H.S. Nihantha from Kakinada, who got second rank though with 119 marks. Tenkani Sai Bhavya Sri from Kakinada secured 118 marks and bagged the third rank.

Interestingly, students of Alluri Sitarama Raju district secured the highest overall pass percentage with 98.93. The districts boys and girls topped the individual pass percentage with 98.80 and 97.79 respectively.

The minister announced that National Board of Technical Education has given recognition to Kalyana Durgam and Kuppam polytechnic colleges. Soon, another 16 colleges will be similarly recognised. New courses have been included to ensure that students get jobs soon after completing their course. These include artificial intelligence, 3D graphics, and animations multimedia, which had been introduced in 202021. For the current academic year, new courses are cloud computing and big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning and communications and computer networking.

Rajendranath Reddy said 500 digital classrooms have been set up in 84 government polytechnic colleges in the state. They will be providing skill development training to students of these colleges. State government has also signed an agreement with Mumbai IIT to provide quality education through online classes to these students, he stated.

The minister underlined that there is a wide range of job opportunities in hotel management, nursing care and paramedical, both nationally and internationally. He disclosed that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is more focused on availability of advanced courses in every constituency. He pointed out that Jagananna Vidya Deevena introduced by the CM is already benefitting 85,790 students.

Principal secretary (Skill Development and Training) Saurab Gour, technical education commissioner Pola Bhaskar, secretary K. Vijay Bhaskar and joint director A. Nirmal Kumar Priya were present.
Sir Lenny Henry worries about the lack of black and brown faces at the Glastonbury Festival. He says: Its interesting to watch Glastonbury and look at the audience and not see any black people there. Im always surprised by the lack of black and brown faces at festivals.

And he has a very serious point. Events such as Glastonbury and the even more self-admiring Hay Literary Festival are summer pilgrimage sites for the Liberal Elite. They go to them to admire each other and themselves. There they are, ageless, virtuous, fashionable, open-minded, or at least that is what they think. But they are also, undoubtedly, as Sir Lenny says they are. And he is absolutely entitled to be worried about it.

Events such as Glastonbury and the even more self-admiring Hay Literary Festival are summer pilgrimage sites for the Liberal Elite

No doubt the organisers of these events feel bad about the problem that Sir Lenny has identified, and wish to put it right. Well, I have an instant solution. Instead of sending cross-Channel dinghy migrants to Rwanda on expensive aircraft, why not bus them instead to Glastonbury? The vast sums saved, in transport costs and legal fees, could be used to erect good-quality housing and provide food and other necessities, while also paying for them to have free tickets to the festival. No doubt they would enjoy it greatly. There, they and the Liberal Elite can make each others acquaintance in friendly and relaxed conditions. Once the event is over, the migrants could be housed permanently on the site, unless they had all by then been invited to share the homes of festival-goers. The mingling of migrants and elite could become a regular event.

I am sure the Home Office could provide interpreters, as it seems to have so many already, so that the two groups could have a thorough meeting of minds.

Surely, nothing but good could come of this. I am surprised nobody has thought of it before.

What was Sir Lenny Henry hoping to achieve by seemingly suggesting that Glastonbury is some kind of annual racist conspiracy, set to the beat of all-white alt rockers such as Coldplay or U2?

Has the Republic of Transgendria scrapped its support for Ukraine?

Ukrainian flags, once everywhere, have now mostly disappeared from the buildings of Oxford University. They have been replaced by the increasingly complicated stripey banners of sexual liberation and gender politics. As I cycle through the city, I sometimes wonder if I am, in fact, living in the Republic of Transgendria.

Is this because the students are bored with Ukraine, or because they have grasped that their radical sexual politics would not get a big welcome in some parts of that far-from-liberal country?

Have they discovered that Ukraine is, in fact, corrupt and badly governed, and guilty of atrocities against its own citizens? I do not know.

Ukraine flags have been replaced by the increasingly complicated stripey banners of sexual liberation and gender politics

But I think it is certainly time for thought to replace emotion, as Britain wonders what to do about this crisis. We have absolutely no material interest in a long, draining, bloody American-Russian war (such as this is) fought on the territory of Ukraine and using Ukrainians as pawns.

On the contrary, as a country and a people we would benefit greatly from a negotiated peace, as would the Ukrainians.

Pope Francis, who has also been very rude about Russias Orthodox Church leaders, has now twice stated that there was some provocation of Russia in this conflict. This view is even held by the severely anti-Putin American neoconservative Robert Kagan.

So I think any intelligent person should now feel free to accept this possibility. Likewise, all those rightly outraged by the storming of the USs Capitol building in January 2021 need to take a look at the much more successful mob attack on Ukraines seat of government, by an armed mob, in February 2014. There is wrong on both sides. It is time to stop the killing and destruction, instead of treating the war as a desirable and admirable thing.

Falklands well captured

I have been puzzled by how little has been done to mark the recapture of the Falkland Islands 40 years ago. This was the last war in which Britain actually fought in its own interests and in the clean cause of British liberty against aggressive foreign tyranny. As far as I can recall, every war we entered after that date was some sort of Utopian adventure, often as the fifth wheel in Americas cart.

Fight For Falklands Freedom is a terse, gripping new book on these moving events by Harold Briley, who was the BBCs brave and enterprising correspondent in Buenos Aires before and during the conflict. It is well worth reading. And it greatly strengthens my view that diplomats and politicians, and formal allies, are not worth much if you do not maintain strong, competent conventional armed forces led by men who understand that they are, in the end, paid to fight.

Do we have such forces now?

This BBC drama left me in a pit of despair

How I long for intelligent TV drama. How disappointed I am by the new BBC series Sherwood, set in a Nottinghamshire village still divided by angry memories of Arthur Scargills miners strike. With a superb cast, what an opportunity this was for a clever plot and a realistic look at modern Britain outside London. And how quickly it sank into soap-opera crudity and needless smut. Compare and contrast with HBOs brilliant, properly serious Mare Of Easttown starring Kate Winslet, similarly set in a resentment-haunted grim post-industrial zone.

How disappointed I am by the new BBC series Sherwood, set in a Nottinghamshire village still divided by angry memories of Arthur Scargills miners strike

E-scooters are multiplying fast because they appeal, above

all, to laziness, one of our strongest driving forces. So there will be more deaths and more injuries. A year from now, when Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has fully legalised them, we will wonder  too late  why we so easily conceded the safety of pavements and footpaths, for ever.

To comment on Peter Hitchens click here
Labour MPs are losing patience with Keir Starmer. Theres talk of having a whip-round for Durham police, one Shadow Minister joked. Were going to send them a bung to guarantee they fine him.

A second Shadow Minister wasnt quite so light-hearted. The Shadow Cabinet all hate him, they said bluntly.

Another Shadow Cabinet veteran was similarly direct. The consensus is hes a plank of wood. If he doesnt deliver by conference, therell be a push to get rid of him.

Labour MPs are said to be losing patience with Keir Starmer (pictured). One Shadow Minister even joked that 'there's talk of having a whip-round for Durham police' to guarantee they fine him

The Westminster pendulum is again oscillating wildly. A week ago it was Boris facing defenestration at the hands of his party. But now the tables have turned. Despite the Prime Ministers difficulties, Labour cannot break open a double-digit poll lead.

Focus groups show Keir Starmer failing to cut through. And doubts among his top team resurfaced after a survey for the liberal-leaning Observer found most still prefer Boris for PM.

Stop calling me boring, Starmer angrily demanded at a meeting of his Shadow Cabinet last Tuesday.

Which would be fine  though a touch petulant  if being tedious really was his main issue. It isnt. The fundamental difficulty is that over the past few months Starmer has opted to place honesty and probity at the heart of his offer to the electorate.

And no one  not allies, not enemies, not the British people who hes depending on to deliver him the keys to Downing Street  can rely on a single political word that passes his lips.

Last week at Prime Ministers Questions, Starmer engaged in a highly transparent and excruciating attempt to demonstrate hes actually just one of the guys. He made a couple of off-colour quips about Love Island, threw in some comic references to Star Wars, and branded Boris Jabba the Hutt.

A week ago it was Boris Johnson facing defenestration at the hands of his party. But now the tables have turned to Kier Starmer. Doubts among his top team resurfaced after a survey for the liberal-leaning Observer found most still prefer Boris for PM

This from the man whod said in an interview just a couple of days before: Governing is a serious business. It requires focus, dedication, integrity, and the highest standards. At times like this, people are less interested in the Prime Ministers jokes and more interested in what hes doing to help them pay their bills.

But the most telling moment came when he opted to taunt Boris with a Tory rebels briefing document. It is a document circulated by his backbenchers, in which they call him the Conservative Corbyn, Starmer gleefully goaded. Prime Minister, I dont think that was intended as a compliment.

Nope. But who exactly is this Corbyn fella? The mystery man who St Keir  high priest of integrity and consistency  is suddenly using as a cudgel to batter our hapless PM?

Surely not the same Corbyn Starmer himself served under as Shadow Europe Minister?

The same Corbyn who Starmer spent years trying to get elected Prime Minister?

The same Corbyn whose political programme Starmer embraced during the Labour leadership campaign, forming the foundation of his 10 Pledges?

The same Corbyn Starmer hailed at the start of that campaign as a friend he respects?

DAN HODGES: 'The reality is Keir Starmer was happy to pose as Jeremy Corbyns friend. He was happy to serve under him. He was happy to campaign for him, and endorse major parts of his agenda. For as long as it was politically useful. Then when it wasnt, he junked it'

In the days following the PMQs jibe, the former Labour leaders allies swung into action. Ex-Unite leader Len McCluskey raged: It seems to me that Keir, who wanted unity to be his most important thing, has failed miserably in that. We have a divided party. Leading Corbynite commentator Ash Sarkar tweeted: I would rather boil my own head than vote Labour with this leadership.

Much of this anger is a rehash of the traditional betrayal storyline, so beloved of the Labour Left. But theres one problem. On this occasion, the accusation of treachery is an accurate one.

The reality is Keir Starmer was happy to pose as Jeremy Corbyns friend. He was happy to serve under him. He was happy to campaign for him, and endorse major parts of his agenda. For as long as it was politically useful. Then when it wasnt, he junked it.

All of which begs the question  just who is Keir Starmer going to betray next?

Some of his cheerleaders claim the answer is obvious: hell continue to turn his back on the Left of his party, and embark on a subtle but inexorable drift to the centre.

But its not that clear-cut. Not least because most Labour insiders I speak to insist Starmers instinctively more Left-wing than people appreciate. Last week I dug out the slick video he made for the launch of his leadership campaign. It featured people who had known him for decades giving an insight into the real Keir Starmer.

Keir defended the print workers at Wapping, one recalled. He was in the crowd that night when police on horseback charged. The screen cuts to footage of the Trafalgar Square poll tax riot. He gave free legal advice to the poll tax protesters, a friend explains.

But lets say Starmer is prepared to abandon his old comrades in his pursuit of power. How does that align with his claim I stand for honour and integrity, and the belief that politics is a force for good, and we shouldnt all be dragged down by this cynical belief that all politicians are the same?

Allies say this simply shows his politically pragmatism. That hes abiding by the rule you first pander to your base, then  when secure  the electorate. Yet that represents a misreading of political history.

Thatcher was more radically Right-wing in government than in opposition. Tony Blair pledged to govern as New Labour, and did so. Boris vowed to bulldoze Brexits opponents, and on that  if little else  was as good as his word.

'The Corbynites are right. They werent able to trust St Keir. And until he comes clean about whose side hes really on, neither can anyone else.' PICTURED: Jeremy Corbyn

But who can actually trust Keir Starmer? Whose side is he really on? During this weeks rail strikes, is it the unions who can depend on his support, or commuters?

When it comes to the Rwanda deportations, is he on the side of the migrants and their liberal defenders, or those who want firm action to stop the Channel crossings?

Does he stand with women who wish to protect their safe spaces, or the transgender community who wish to access them?

At the moment Keir Starmer cant answer any of these questions.

Which is supremely ironic  some might say laughably hypocritical  given the nature of the attacks hes launched on Boris over the past few months.

On last weeks Question Time, former Tory Minister Rory Stewart delivered what many saw as a devastating critique of the Prime Minister. He lurches sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left, but always in the direction of his own self-interest, he said.

But exactly the same charge can be levelled at Keir Starmer. If he thinks dumping Corbynism is whats best for his party, and ultimately the country, fine.

Then he should stand up clearly and say so. He should be open and transparent about how and why Labour lost its way. And he should have the courage and maturity to explain where he intends to lead it next.

Above all, that he should set out his political road-map with honesty and conviction. Not nods and winks and snide asides at Prime Ministers Questions.

The Corbynites are right. They werent able to trust St Keir. And until he comes clean about whose side hes really on, neither can anyone else.
Funny old age, 40. Not quite old, not quite young, a time when things are coming at you from all sides. Children still small, parents getting creaky, career responsibilities ramping up. That first wrinkle, that odd, more frequent twinge in your back or knee, never quite enough hours in the day or, more importantly, hours in the night for some well-earned shut-eye.

As Prince William prepares to celebrate his 40th on Tuesday surrounded by family and friends and with the triumphant strains of the Queens Jubilee celebrations still echoing in his ears, its a moment to stop and reflect. Not just for him personally, but for us as a nation.

Because very soon, sooner than any of us would want, he will be the Prince of Wales, in charge of a billion-pound business empire (the Duchy of Cornwall) and required to carry out far more Royal duties, including trips abroad.

More time away from the children, less time for his wife, more public exposure. And on the ever-moving conveyor belt of life, he will find himself edging ever closer to that moment where, ultimately, he replaces his father as King.

In that respect, of course, Williams situation is unique, but in many other ways hes just like the rest of us. My 40s were easily the hardest decade of my life, punctuated by periodic bouts of ill health and depression, brought about in no small part by the pressures of the life I was living.

As an indicator of how bad things were, my son (now 17) said to me only the other day that when he was seven or eight he used to think it was just normal to have a mother who was exhausted, or ill, and in hospital all the time.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during day four of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on Friday

I dont think my experience was unique: I know a lot of people who struggled during their 40s, worn down by the weight of responsibility and worry. Psychologically too it can be a tough decade.

Im sure William, with all his awareness of mental health issues, understands this.

Nevertheless, it can be hard to apply that awareness to yourself. I suppose what Im trying to say here is, he needs to remember to put his own oxygen mask on first. The pressure is particularly acute for William because of the appalling way his brother has behaved. Even if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had moved to America and remained on the best of terms with the family back home, Prince William would still have felt the added responsibility of filling the gap left behind.

As it is, Harry has not only dumped his own Royal responsibilities at Williams feet, hes also kicked him repeatedly in the teeth for his troubles.

And yet, despite his brothers brattish betrayal, William must still act like the adult in the relationship. That cant be easy.

And so, surrounded by weapons-grade narcissists (not just the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but now Prince Andrew too), William has had no choice but to step up, to be the rock of the family, the one safe pair of hands, the person who does the right thing when everyone else is busy slamming doors and flouncing off home on their private jets.

The fact that he seems to manage it with such charm, good grace and, frankly, sanity is a trait he shares with his grandmother. And, like the Queen, a large part of his success stems from his wise decision to marry the right person for the job. The Queen could hardly have chosen a better companion to guide her through 70 years of service than the Duke of Edinburgh. The Duchess of Cambridge, it seems to me, occupies a similar place in the psyche of the Royals.

Was the Duchess of Cambridge really referencing Princess Diana with her high-necked polka-dot Ascot dress by London designer Alessandra Rich?

Unlike his brother Harry, who chose someone who, instead of soothing the undeniable trauma of his upbringing only added to it with her own layers of drama, William married a woman who, for him at least, appears to be balm for the soul.

He clearly understands this, which is why he goes out of his way to protect her and his young family in any way he can, and why he always makes time for the two of them. And that is good, because when your job is as mad as his is, its important to pay your dues to the one who keeps you sane.

I hope they can enjoy this moment together, safe in the knowledge that whatever challenges lie ahead, their contribution  and their sacrifice  is not only understood by many, but also greatly appreciated.

Kates in her prime

Was the Duchess of Cambridge really referencing Princess Diana with her high-necked polka-dot Ascot dress by London designer Alessandra Rich?

Maybe  although I suspect that unlike some Royal watchers, she doesnt have an archive of all her mother-in-laws outfits readily to hand. Nevertheless, she looked stunning.

No one does vintage elegance like the Duchess, somehow managing to be both demure and disturbingly hot.

It was the same with that lemon-yellow dress she wore for the Jubilee Service at St Pauls, and the fuchsia Stella McCartney number at the pageant.

This is a woman in her prime who knows exactly what suits her, and how to wear it.

Abuse of Priti Patel is real sexism

Why is it that whenever anyone says anything even vaguely disobliging about a Labour woman (eg Angela Rayner) the whole world goes tonto, and yet you can compare a Conservative woman to a sadistic witch and no one seems to bat an eyelid?

Priti Patel may not be everyones cup of tea politically, but she does not deserve to be compared with Dolores Umbridge (from Harry Potter), or subject to half the abuse she receives online.

Priti Patel may not be everyones cup of tea politically, but she does not deserve to be compared with Dolores Umbridge

Could it be that, for all their bluster, there are far more misogynists among the ranks of Labour supporters than Tories?

Or is it just that any woman who is a Tory  and especially a woman from an ethnic minority whos a Tory  is considered Untermensch by a party that still believes it has a monopoly on voters from certain backgrounds?

Forget Rwanda: if thats not racism (not to mention sexism), I dont know what is.

I must confess I was starting to worry whether Kate Moss  aged 48 and having enjoyed a lively lifestyle in her time  might not be some sort of supernatural being.

So I was rather relieved to see that she too suffers from the bane of the middle-aged smoker: the dreaded upper lip barcode.

No doubt shell have endless experts queuing up to rid her of the affliction. But in the meantime, its nice to know supermodels are human too.

Banning Jennifer Lopez from using the symbol for women is as idiotic and insulting as insisting a 60-year-old man state whether hes pregnant or not before he can donate blood.

This is what happened to Leslie Sinclair, from Stirling in Scotland. Unsurprisingly, he refused  and was turned away from his local blood clinic.

I dont know whats more stupid: the idea of a 60-year-old being pregnant... or of that person having a penis.

I can't tell whether the demise of Revlon  maker of the Queens favourite lipstick, Elizabeth Ardens Bold Red  spells the end of the road for the brand that created the first red nail polish in 1937 or a brilliant opportunity to reinvent itself.

After all, theres nothing the internet loves more than a vintage trend, and it would only take a few social media influencers to turn something no one under 25 has heard of into a raging success story. Just look at chart-topper Kate Bush.

Musician Kate Bush performing live in 1978. She returned to the top of the charts this week

If even the head of the World Health Organisation now believes that Covid was leaked from a lab in Wuhan, its fairly safe to assume it was leaked from a lab in Wuhan. The real question is: what is the world going to do about it?

Or are we just going to keep buying cheap goods from China, propping up a despotic, genocidal regime and pretend nothing has happened?
An angry-looking Rowan Atkinson is about to take a powerful metal-cutter to the door of an E-Type Jaguar. Sacrilege, you might think, for someone so passionate about classic cars, but its all in a days work for the master of slapstick playing a man at the end of his tether.

In Netflixs new comedy Man Vs Bee, a ten-part series of hilariously tense ten-minute episodes, Rowan stars as Trevor, a man recruited by an agency to house-sit for wealthy strangers Christian and Nina. But the presence of a bee in the luxury house drives him increasingly mad, and after a succession of calamitous attempts at silencing it end in absolute carnage, the bee buzzes off to Christians beloved Jag.

And thats when the power tool comes out. What starts out as a minor inconvenience for Trevor becomes an obsession prompting large-scale destruction, explains Rowan.

The bee is the catalyst for Trevor vandalising the house, and the car, in a variety of ways.

Rowan Atkinson (pictured) stars in a new comedy Man Vs Bee, a ten-part series on Netflix, as Trevor, a man recruited to house-sit for wealthy strangers

Trevor is Rowans first new sitcom TV character since pompous Inspector Raymond Fowler in BBC comedy The Thin Blue Line almost 30 years ago, although its the creation that preceded him who invites most comparison. Hapless buffoon Mr Bean often found himself in the kind of farcical situations Trevor faces, and Rowan acknowledges theres a similarity between the two.

If Im going to be playing a character without words  and Trevor doesnt say a great deal  youre going to see something redolent of Mr Bean, he says. Theres going to be something that reminds you of him and there are aspects of the story that are reminiscent of the kind of difficulty Mr Bean would get into.

But Trevors a more rounded character than Mr Bean, who was a two-dimensional, self-serving anarchist. Trevors more likeable, so hopefully people will be rooting for him when he gets himself into more and more trouble.

And therein lies the fun  we watch on aghast as a gorgeous house and a prestige car are destroyed by a man whos supposed to be looking after them as he fights a losing battle of wits with a bee. To ramp up the sense of destruction, Netflix went to town when it came to creating the houses interiors at Bovingdon Studios in Hertfordshire.

Trevor is Rowans first new sitcom TV character since pompous Inspector Raymond Fowler in BBC comedy The Thin Blue Line almost 30 years ago

The bedrooms, a vast lounge with huge windows, a state-of-the-art kitchen and a library all contain exquisite artworks created especially for the show by artist Humphrey Bangham, and the furniture is elegant and expensive.

The E-Type Jag Trevor attacks was actually a stand-in for a more expensive model, the first E-Type Jag ever made in 1960. But Rowan, a petrolhead whos owned dozens of classic cars, was clearly taken with the substitute  when filming was over he bought it!

He loved it, he even wanted the hole in the door left as it was, says executive producer Chris Clark. He reckons thats what makes the vehicle special.

What starts as a minor inconvenience becomes an obsession prompting large-scale destruction

The bee we see on screen is the bees knees too. It was computer-generated, while on set tiny model bees were used to give Rowan an idea of where the CGI bee was in relation to his character.

A model bee would be put on the end of a fishing rod so Rowan got his movement in relation to Trevors nemesis right, explains Chris.

Filming the show wasnt much fun for Rowan though, but then it rarely is for the 67-year-old former Blackadder star. If you look at a TV project as a sandwich, then I enjoy the bread but not the meat in the middle, he admits.

I enjoy the rehearsal period, I like working on the script and I enjoy post-production. I relish the chance to get involved with the sound mixing and the editing.

The filming part is horrible as far as Im concerned, but its something you have to do to tell the story. The irony is thats the part Im supposed to be good at.

Rowan admits that he does not enjoy filming due to frustrating Covid delays and the physical demands of playing someone in pursuit of a bee

'But Im playing a singular character, so the pressure is on me to make the show work. With that comes considerable stress, which is not nice.

'Whatever I do, I always think I can do it better. Ive felt that with every part Ive played, apart from Blackadder, because there was a shared responsibility on that so I felt I was carrying the burden with others.

Add in frustrating Covid delays and the physical demands of playing someone who has to crawl on his hands and knees and leap around in pursuit of a bee, and its not surprising Rowan isnt exactly enthusiastic about a second series.

I cant see that happening now, he sighs. But I do need a lot of decompression after a show, and with the passage of time things change, so never say never!
Fashion columnist and influencer Joanne Hegarty

I've got a serious girl crush

I want to be more AW. Not autumn-winter, as thankfully it's only June. No, I want to be more Anna Wintour. I've always been fascinated by the legendary editor-in-chief of US Vogue, who is still reigning supreme after 34 years in the post, and devoured Anna, The Biography by Amy Odell.

Behind those sunglasses (which she uses to hide from the world), I learned, is a woman who was badly bullied on her way up and had to call on her inner steel to thrive. One example of what she endured was when she was hired as a fashion editor at New York magazine, a position many staff looked down on, and was made to feel like an outsider.

Occasionally, she'd put up her bobbed hair in a Samurai knot using an elastic band. When the other staff noticed, one by one they mockingly put their hair up in rubber bands, too  even the balding men  leaving Wintour fleeing the newsroom in tears. Yes, she does cry occasionally.

I want to be more AW. Not autumn-winter, as thankfully it's only June. No, I want to be more Anna Wintour. I've always been fascinated by the legendary editor-in-chief of US Vogue, who is still reigning supreme after 34 years in the post, and devoured Anna, The Biography by Amy Odell

Many of her tormentors were her female colleagues. So much for women supporting women. There were other surprises in the book, too. Far from a story of perfection, Wintour dropped out of school early, made many blunders at the start of her career and was fired from more than one job.

However, being her assistant is seemingly the nightmare it looks in the film The Devil Wears Prada, with one poor girl told to scour the streets for Wintour's two missing Goldendoodle dogs.

She had lots of boyfriends and often preferred the company of men, while also being a fiercely protective mother who hosted playdates at her home. Imagine the pressure of turning up to one of those! In the 90s, Wintour had a penchant for miniskirts teamed with Manolo Blahniks and her Vogue staff would copy her in a bid to win her favour. Of course, she's far from a saint and has left many ruffled fashion feathers  and sacked staff  in her wake.

And it's true that to this day, Vogue staff remain terrified of sharing the lift with her. So why do I want to be more AW? What shines most through Odell's biography is Wintour's self-belief in the face of relentless criticism and arched eyebrows behind her back. We women are too often our own harshest critics. It's wonderful to hear about a role model who threw all the barbs back in her critics' faces, and still is at the age of 72.

Large givenchy sunglasses  all the better to hide behind. dress by sustainable label Mara Hoffman

Bling goes boho

Lazy holidays call for a laidback vibe. And what could be more chilled than this rope shell necklace (17.99, mango.com)? Pair with a maxi skirt and T-shirt

Kit me, Kate

Fringed details, waistcoats and suede  the supermodel's top go-tos  are looking hot for summer

Bagsy the top spot

I always feel a designer handbag deserves a seat of its very own around the table. And Italy, it seems, agrees, with many of its restaurants having now installed stools to place your favourite one on while you enjoy your pasta. Mille grazie!

Most wanted

You can't beat a blouse by French label Sezane. This Chiara one (100, sezane.com) is just the summer ticket paired with denim flares and a basket. But be quick, it's selling like warm croissants

Follow me on Instagram @thestylistandthewardrobe
The year is 1967 and its the Summer of Love. Im a chubby American teenager in a tough North London comprehensive school called Holloway. Its parents day and a steady flow of dads  and mums  is passing through the school gates. These dads wear smart suits, ties, shiny shoes and have short, neat hair. They look like theyre dressed for church.

Among them, I spot a dad who looks like hes dressed for a rock festival. He has long hair, big dark shades, red love beads around his neck, bright yellow flared trousers with large floral patterns and hes wearing sandals. His toenails are clearly visible. They are painted bright purple  and my face is bright red because thats my dad.

Earlier that morning Id begged him to come to parents day in normal clothes. Please wear a suit... please dont wear your sandals... please dont look weird... just be a normal dad for one day, please!

Cosmo Landesman reminisces about his father, Jay Landesman (pictured) who was anything but normal. He was self-obsessed, sex-mad and selfish but made life fun for his family

A normal dad? he said. What the hell is a normal dad? I wasnt quite sure, but all my friends at school had one  and I wanted one too. Normal dads were, well... normal. You know, a bit dull and emotionally distant, but decent and dependable. They were not loud and embarrassing; they didnt burst into show tunes on the street like my dad and flirt openly with any woman possessed of a pulse. Normal dads just quietly went about their business doing dad things, while my dad always had to be the centre of attention, the star performer of any room  especially when it was filled with my friends.

Unfortunately for me, my dad didnt do normal; he always did the unconventional. Even when he abandoned his hippie look for his trademark suit  which he designed  it was an example of what he proudly called the tailoring of the absurd. In the early 1950s he was a hip beatnik hanging out with the King of the Beats Jack Kerouac in Greenwich Village. Later, he set up a cabaret theatre in his hometown of St Louis called The Crystal Palace, where young performers including Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce and an unknown Barbra Streisand appeared.

One day he decided he was bored with America so he packed up his family, left the dishes in the sink and headed to London. It was 1964 and he had one phone number: the comedian Peter Cook. Through the Cooks my parents met the great and the groovy of swinging London. At breakfast my dad would amaze me with his tales of dinner with John Lennon or Paul McCartney at Peter Cooks house. Having dinner with a Beatle in 1964 was like having tea with God. No wonder I wanted to be like my dad when I grew up.

Cosmo (pictured) says his dad taught him how to mix the perfect martini, how to be funny and socially fearless.

I can honestly say that my dad didnt teach me one sensible thing about life. He never mentioned the importance of education, the value of hard work, being self-reliant and responsible. He did give me some great advice: Dont take everything so seriously, especially yourself  which I foolishly ignored for most of my life.

He taught me how to mix the perfect martini, how to be funny and socially fearless. My dad would walk up and talk to the likes of Jack Nicholson or Jimi Hendrix, like they were old friends. And yet he wasnt some celeb groupie. He always had time for people that nobody else had time for: the misfits, the oddballs and the lonely of London. If he saw someone standing on their own at a party, hed always wave and shout: Come and join us!

He has yellow trousers. His toenails are painted purple  and my face is red because thats my dad

The sad thing about my dad was that he always felt like he was a failure because he wasnt really famous or more successful. He had a show on Broadway in the 1950s that bombed, two volumes of biography in the 80s that flopped and a talent agency for untalented people that folded after two months. But to me he was a great success. For not only was he the life of the party, he lived his life like it was a party, filling it with interesting people  writers, actors, musicians  and always having fun. He never had a job that bored him, he had beautiful girlfriends and a wife who adored him.

Unfortunately, he had an oversensitive son called Cosmo who was always criticising him for being himself. But then he was one of those larger-than-life dads who leave you feeling small and in his shadow. We had good times and bad times. He wanted me to be more of a buddy than a son and for us to hang out together. We did for a while  he took me to louche drinking dens in Soho like the legendary Colony Room  but in my late teens I was always afraid he would embarrass me so I kept my distance. Later, I learned how hurt he was by this and I was sorry.

Yes, my dad was self-obsessed, sex-mad and selfish, but he made life fun for his family, taking us off to rock festivals instead of museums. When it comes to fatherhood Ive always felt a bit of a failure compared to him. I wanted to be a Great Fun Dad for my boys too, but it didnt work out that way. Actually, most of the dads I know with teenage kids also feel a bit of a failure.

My dad came from a generation of men who didnt worry about being a good or bad dad the way we do. They just got on with their lives. Back then, children wanted their dads approval; now dads want their children to approve of them.

Towards the end of his life it was odd to hear my 91-year-old dad, then bedridden and with Alzheimers, say to me in a moment of rare clarity, Im sorry I wasnt a better dad to you. I took his bony hand and I said: No, you were a good dad  bloody weird, but wonderful! He smiled. I blubbed.

Yes, my dad was an Ab Fab nightmare who embarrassed me for over 45 years but, looking back, Im so glad he didnt do normal.
There is one thing I can claim to share with Victoria Beckham  we both have three sons, followed by a daughter. But other than that? Well, her world and mine seldom collide.

That is until the recent wedding of her son Brooklyn to American actress Nicola Peltz when Victoria shimmered down the aisle in a liquid-metal slip dress (below). With my son Max getting married this summer, this  for me  was a watershed moment. For in one fluid move, the former Spice Girl elegantly jettisoned all the rules about mother of the bride (or groom) fashion. Be gone, pastel coat/frock combos! Seeing Victoria, I felt empowered about my quest to find a dress. Heck, who said it had to be a dress at all?

Not that my outfit is the most absorbing aspect of planning a wedding. My thoughts are more preoccupied by the milestone it represents. I think of the golden-haired baby, born in the stifling summer of 1995. Where did the years go? At times the emotion is overwhelming. Its why the dress  sorry, outfit  has to be a source of confidence and support in more ways than one.

Angela Epstein was inspired by Victoria Beckham's (pictured) mother-of-the-groom look. UK-based journalist wants to be elegant yet comfortable for her son's wedding

How, though, to begin such a search? Perhaps with the dress code. The couple have requested black tie to bring a touch of Hollywood glamour to the event. Its something I embrace, offering extra licence to swish and sparkle.

That said, I dont want to get it wrong. Even though Ive been married to my husband Martin for 31 years, I still remember how my late mum hated the dress she wore for our wedding. She was 59 at the time and had asked a local dressmaker to design something smart, comfortable and age appropriate. Inspired by Mums beguiling green eyes, the modiste  so Bridgerton  delivered an emerald drop-waisted frock with leg-of-mutton sleeves and full skirt. The result was overly girly and Mum felt frumpy, though was far too polite to complain. That hideous dress, as she later called it, never got a second airing.

There are other factors to consider, too. Im a menopausal size ten, with a spreading cup and doughy tummy. Wedding days are physically demanding and emotionally draining. The outfit will have to accommodate an ill-timed hot flush. Thats why comfort is the dealbreaker. I want to be able to sit elegantly without fidgeting. And I want, above all, to celebrate, be it slouchy slow dances or a life-enhancing hora (this is a Jewish wedding). All of which means no plunging cleavage or scratchy material. The cut has to be forgiving, the colour flattering and I want to be able to go to the loo.

YOUs fashion editor Sophie Dearden accepted the challenge  with rather unexpected results

THE SATIN SUIT

Blazer, 299, and trousers, 199, lkbennett.com

Blazer, 299, and trousers, 199, lkbennett.com. Sophie says that a trouser suit is a sexy and modern take on mother of the bride/groom

Angela says: Part of LK Bennetts Royal Ascot collection, this hyacinth blue trouser suit sprigged with a green floral design is simply lovely. The slim cigarette-cut trousers sit beautifully on the waist and the single-button jacket is feminine without feeling too boxy or structured. I might have shied away from a trouser suit for fear of losing the floaty vibe of a midsummer wedding, but this colour chases such fears away. Teamed with a neutral camisole and spiked heels, the impact is subtle, elegant and pretty. Im sorely tempted.

Sophie says: A trouser suit is a sexy and modern take on mother of the bride/groom. This cut, colour and subtle floral print nod to soft femininity, while the nipped-in waist and cigarette-style trousers show off Angelas silhouette. A suit is also a fantastic way to have fun with a black-tie dress code.

THE BOLD MAXI

Dress, 65, Asos Design at asos.com

Dress, 65, Asos Design at asos.com. Angela says that this dress scores highly for comfort and courage

Angela says: Two immediate thoughts. First, the price. 65? Am I short-changing the couple and disrespecting the importance of the event by buying a cheap-as-chips frock? Then theres the colour. Green, as a friend once remarked rather tartly when I previously attempted this shade, is a difficult colour to wear. Saucer of milk over there, please. Though in her catty observation lies a kernel of truth: green can be brash when not curated carefully. Which is why the cut, fabric and fall of this maxi dress have been so thoughtfully designed. The high neck, drape sleeves and satiny fabric are a counterpoint to the courage needed for the colour. It scores highly for comfort, too. A definite maybe.

Sophie says: Green is a winner on Angelas skin but this isnt the case for everyone, so shop around when looking at brights to find a shade that works for you. The details of this dress are what makes it look expensive: cowl back, nipped-in waist and dramatic sleeves. Colour-blocking in this gorgeous rich tone is bold but not aggressive, and exudes confidence and elegance.

THE SPARKLY FAIL-SAFE

Dress, 250, jigsaw-online.com

Dress, 250, jigsaw-online.com. Sophie saus that the ruching on this dress is flattering positioned

Angela says: This dress appears to have it all. The sparkling wink of pewter sequins fulfils the black-tie remit, while the ruched front and back result in a beautifully draped fit. The v-neck and cap sleeves are far less obvious than spaghetti straps, offering sanctuary for any tone-free zones I may wish to hide. And I dont need to worry about overheating. Its also incredibly easy to shimmy in and out of.

Surely a shoo-in? Not according to the niggling voice inside my head which whispers its too safe. Had it been floor-length rather than midi, Id be sold. But the swathe of bare legs makes me feel something is missing. Shame.

Sophie says: The ruching on this dress is flatteringly positioned. It is fabulous and glam while remaining subtle and grown up, but I agree with Angela that it feels safe. Perhaps better suited to a party rather than one of the most important events of your life.

THE ONE-SHOULDER SENSATION

Dress, 650, Victoria Beckham at mytheresa.co.uk

Dress, 650, Victoria Beckham at mytheresa.co.uk. Angela describes the shade as delicious and says it gives her a deceptively slender shape

Angela says: Wow! On the hanger this form-fitting, one-shouldered silhouette in a disquieting shade of orangey crimson looks terrifying. Certainly its a challenge to find my way in, the structured cut compounded by the unforgiving viscose and polyester-knit fabric. I shoehorn it on like Scarlett OHara on adrenaline, muttering curses under my breath. But once Im done, I love it. The shade is delicious, and the dress gives me a deceptively slender shape. The impact, as my husband tells me, is knockout. And thats what holds me back. This dress is all about me. The wedding is not. With immense difficulty (again), I peel it off.

Sophie says: If I was left to my own devices to style Angela for the wedding, this would be my choice. It showcases her fantastic figure. Made from a firm knit, it gives support where she wants it but moves comfortably too. The colour is amazing and the length and neckline keep it sophisticated and classy. I disagree with Angela  I think it manages to be showstopping without screaming look at me.

THE SCANDI FLOOR-SKIMMER

Dress, 445, valleandvik.com

Dress, 445, valleandvik.com. Sophie says the material is light and doesnt cling to those wobbly bits we try to hide.

Angela says: At first glance this dress appears rather prim. In fact, the floral print reminds me of the matching blouses sometimes worn by GP receptionists. Pretty. But for my boys wedding? Yet coaxed into being more open-minded (remember Victoria Beckham!), I slip it on. The transformation is immediate. The crepe de chine silk swishes beautifully as I do a twirl. Which, to my delight, also reveals a cheeky, thigh-high slit. This isnt prim, its relaxed Scandinavian glamour (Valle & Vik founder Silje Vallevik was born in Norway). Cinched at the waist with a small, puffed sleeve, it ticks all the boxes  comfy, cleavage-free, elegant and eye-catching. I love it  decision made. I think Mum would agree that not all frocks are created equal.

Sophie says: Having worn this label myself to a wedding and received endless compliments, I knew I had to get Angela into one of their dresses. The material is light and doesnt cling to those wobbly bits we try to hide. The shape is cut flatteringly and the print is feminine but cool. This colour is gorgeous on Angela and I could see she felt fabulous in it. The brand has a variety of colours and prints, so look for ones that go with your colouring. I love this on Angela  but I still stand by the drama of that one-shoulder number!
A German shepherd who survived for weeks in a backyard pen in Oklahoma following his owner's death has found a new home after being adopted by his extended family in Texas.

Gunner was on the brink of death when the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office discovered the remains of his 64-year-old owner in his home on May 14. Deputies believed he had been dead for as long as a month.

The dog spent weeks trapped in a 'large pen in the backyard,' according to the department's Facebook post. A veterinarian estimated that he had 'just hours to live' when he was found.

Gunner, a rescued German shepherd, has found a new home with his late owner's family after surviving for weeks in an outdoor pen in Oklahoma

Gunner is pictured two weeks after he was rescued last month (left) and at his new home in Texas this week (right)

Gunner was on the brink of death when the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office discovered the remains of his 64-year-old owner in his home on May 14

'Somehow, Gunner managed to survive for weeks by drinking rainwater and apparently getting into a small amount of food that was left behind,' the sheriff's office explained.

The emaciated dog's muscles were 'wasted away' to the point that he could 'barely stand,' and he was 'covered with thousands of ticks and fleas.'

The sheriff's office contacted the Bella SPCA Rescue Center in Oklahoma City to help Gunner, who was in critical condition when he was admitted to Woodlake Animal Hospital for care.

We have the best news ever for you today: Gunner has gone home! We cant thank you all enough for following Gunners story & donating toward his care. All of his veterinary expenses (and then some!) were covered thanks to yalls support. Gunner has received the absolute best care & love from the wonderful staff at Woodlake Animal Hospital. We appreciate you, Woodlake team! Wed also like to give a huge thank you again to the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Department who contacted us after Gunner was found to see if we could help. Our supporters answered the call when we posted his story & for that we say THANK YOU for helping us save Gunners life. Gunners extended family has adopted him & we know he is in great hands. We ask the public to please be kind & sensitive to this situation. The family is grieving the death of a loved one & we are so sorry for this tragic loss. Gunner has been a bright spot for them, as evidenced by our meeting today. We can assure you they love Gunner & are going to give him the best care. They are immensely thankful to all of the organizations, donors & supporters that stepped in to help. Gunners owner was a man who called when he called, lived out of state from family and kept to himself. But, his sister assured us that he absolutely loved his German shepherds. Because of that, we find peace that Gunner was well loved. We love you, Gunner! Welcome home, buddy. #gogunnergo #whyibella Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office Woodlake Animal Hospital Posted by Bella SPCA on Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Deputies believed the 64-year-old had been dead for as long as a month while Gunner was trapped in a 'large pen in the backyard'

According to the department's Facebook post, the dog survived by drinking rainwater and finding small amounts of food that were left behind

Bella SPCA covered the dog's veterinary costs through donations and has been sharing updates about his progress on its Facebook page.

The Bella SPCA Rescue Center in Oklahoma City has been sharing updates about his progress on its Facebook page

By June 7, Gunner had gained 29 pounds and was well on his way to recovery.

The rescue center announced on June 14 that Gunner had gone to his new home in Texas with the deceased's extended family, saying he has been a 'bright spot for them' following their tragic loss.

Bella SPCA added that Gunner's late owner was a man who 'called when he called' and lived out of state from his relatives, but 'his sister assured us that he absolutely loved his German shepherds.'

The update included a heartwarming video of Gunner leaving the rescue center with his new family, including his later owner's niece, who was close to tears.

'I just wanted to say thank you to everybody who donated to Gunner's case,' she said. 'Because of you, I'm able to bring my uncle's dog home, and I will take very good care of him. Thank you.'

In a heartwarming video documenting Gunner's departure from the rescue center, the deceased's niece thanked everyone who helped her bring her uncle's dog home

Gunner is now settling into life in Texas with his new owners after leaving the rescue center

The German shepherd also has a new sibling that he is getting acquainted with

Just a few days later, Bella SPCA shared before and after photos of Gunner to show how much he has improved over the past month.

The first photo showed the dog two weeks after he had arrived at Woodlake Animal Hospital, while the second was snapped in his new backyard.

'Look at the difference! Look at his eyes! He is HOME!!!!' the rescue center wrote of the dog, who also has a new sibling.

'This sweet boy still has a lot of growth and healing to do only now from the inside out. We will keep you posted on his [continual] transition as we get updates from the family.'
Prince Andrew missing Ascot this week has given the Royal Family hope the Duke may be finally realising he has to step away from public life.

The 62-year-old Duke of York was due to attend the Berkshire horse racing event this week, joining other members of the Firm in a carriage procession.

But according to the Times, a source said he decided to stay away, in a decision made 'without fuss', following the controversy generated by his desire to attend Monday's Order of the Garter ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Prince Andrew was forced to miss that event, one of the most colourful events in the royal calendar, after the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge reportedly lobbied the Queen about his participation.

The decision was clearly taken at the 11th hour, because Andrew's name was on the order of service.

Prince Andrew's decision to skip Ascot has reportedly left the Royal Family relieved, and feeling like the Duke may be starting to realise he should move back from public life, according to reports

Other members of the Firm, including Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall (pictured) took part in a carriage procession as they attended Ascot this week

According to Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie, the Duke was left 'crushed and confused' after he was banned from attending.

Writing in his column for Yahoo News, Omid, known for his biography about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, said source said Andrew was crushed [and] a little confused'.

Earlier in the week, the Duke of York was apparently under the notion that blessing had been given for him to attend the service alongside senior members of the royal family.

Omid said the monarchys reluctance to completely remove Prince Andrew from all aspects of royal life is damaging and reflects terribly on the family.

The Duke of York, 62, was not seen in public during the ceremony at Windsor Castle, one of the most colourful events in the royal calendar, after the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge reportedly lobbied the Queen (pictured with Prince Charles) about his participation

He added: The reluctance was clear when Andrew was allowed to walk the Queen in front of the worlds media for Prince Philips televised memorial service, and when he was given the go-ahead to attend some of the Platinum Jubilee events.

In the end, the Duke didnt join royal family members at the four-day festivities due to a positive COVID-19 test result.

Omid continued: Every chance Prince Andrew is given to try and rehabilitate his image is a step closer to further damage and shame for the institution of the monarchy. Its a disaster waiting to happen.

The Duke of Cambridge came together with Prince Charles to put a halt to Andrew's plan to return to public duty, royal expert Katie Nicholl recently claimed - in the father and son's latest show of unity in recent months.

Prince William (right), 39, told the Queen and Prince of Wales that he would pull out of the Order of the Garter ceremony if his uncle the Duke of York was given a public role

Prince William, 39, told the Queen and Prince of Wales that he would pull out of the Order of the Garter ceremony if his uncle the Duke of York was given a public role.

And Katie revealed how Prince Charles was also 'particularly resistant' to his brother attending the event in case he 'upstage Camilla's big moment' which she was 'thrilled to receive.'

Writing in Vanity Fair, she explained how both Prince William and Prince Charles are 'adamant' Andrew does not return to public life and want to 'ride the wave of goodwill' created by the 'success of the Jubilee' without the Duke.
Princess Charlene of Monaco put on a glamorous display donning an all-green ensemble as she joined her husband Prince Albert at a media event last night.

The former Olympian, 44, appeared alongside Albert at the opening ceremony of the 61st Monte Carlo TV Festival.

Charlene looked chic in a one-shoulder green gown, which she paired with statement earrings, and a tousled hair style.

She recently returned to Monaco following a 10-month absence in her native South Africa and was seen last month with her children and husband for the first time since November after spending time in a treatment facility for 'exhaustion'.

Princess Charlene of Monaco (pictured) attended the 61st Monte Carlo TV Festival with her husband Prince Albert (pictured) yesterday

The royal opted for a glamorous one-shouldered Grecian-style gown for the event, pairing it with statement earrings and a slick make-up look

The royal couple's appearance together comes after Prince Albert said he was 'hurt by the vicious rumours' peddled about his marriage following his wife's absence and said that it's the 'most beautiful thing' to have her back with him.

The outing is the fourth time the royal couple have been seen in public together since French media claimed she is receiving 10million a year to appear by her husband's side at public outings.

It followed an appearance a day earlier, where the royal was photographed alongside Albert and their daughter Gabriella, seven, during a balcony appearance for the Catholic festival, Corpus Christi, though Gabriella's twin brother Jaques was not seen with the rest of the family.

Prince Albert, 62, said the time apart was 'a test for his wife' but they 'spoke often, despite the distance.

The 44-year-old former Olympian looked elegant as she donned a Grecian-style frock with gold heels and statement earrings

The appearance marked the the fourth time the royal couple have been seen in public together since French media claimed she is receiving 10million a year to appear by her husband's side at public outings

During the glamorous event, Charlene and Albert (centre) were snapped alongside other event attendees

Speaking to French Sunday paper Journal de Dimanche at the start of this month, 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'.

Princess Charlene of Monaco put on a sombre display in an all-black ensemble when joining her husband Prince Albert and their seven-year-old daughter Princess Gabriella today

Prince Albert recently 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

The interview took place prior to the announcement that Charlene had tested positive for Covid.

Despite her health worries, palace sources said her diagnosis was 'not worrying' and she was self-isolating.

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.

While she use to be a regular at racing events, Charlene 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 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.
BRICS countries see expanding agricultural cooperation

13:44, June 18, 2022 By Yan Huan and Bi Mengying ( People's Daily

A live commerce activity that promotes featured products from BRICS countries is held, April 28, 2022.

Agriculture possesses a vital position in BRICS countries and is directly related to 42 percent of the global population.

In recent years, BRICS countries have made continuous efforts to establish a long-term and stable cooperation mechanism focusing on food security and poverty reduction, enhancing exchanges in agricultural production and technological innovation. As a result, they have achieved fruitful results in deepening pragmatic agricultural cooperation.

Agricultural trade between BRICS countries and other countries reached $588.3 billion last year, surging 128 percent from that in 2010. Besides, BRICS countries are seeing an expansion of their agricultural influence globally as their combined gross agricultural production accounts for more than half of the world's total. BRICS agricultural cooperation has made contributions to global food security and injected impetus into economic recovery in the post-pandemic era.

China is the largest buyer of Brazilian beans, beef and chicken. Jean Taruhn, Special Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture of Brazil, noted that Brazil-China agricultural trade is crucial. According to him, Brazil exported $45 billion of agricultural products to China in 2021.

"The trade complementarity between the two countries has very much benefited Brazil's agricultural industry. Brazil is lifting the image of its products based on the demands of the Chinese market, so as to diversify its exports," Taruhn said.

Ronnie Lins, an economist and director of the China-Brazil Center for Research and Business, believes BRICS countries enjoy broad space for cooperation in agricultural trade.

He explained that the five countries have rich climate, environment, land, fishery and other natural resources, and occupy half of the world's irrigation area, 40 percent of the world's cereal production area, and a market of around 3.2 billion people, which creates favorable preconditions for agricultural cooperation.

Besides, BRICS countries are all agricultural powerhouses and their markets match each other well, Lins said. "The BRICS agricultural cooperation will keep making important contributions to coping with the global food crisis in the post-pandemic era," he noted.

Customers select products during a live commerce activity that promotes featured products from BRICS countries, April 28, 2022.

The five countries are enhancing cooperation under the BRICS mechanism to train professional personnel for the modernization of agriculture and rural areas.

By the end of 2021, China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs had trained 295 agricultural technicians and management personnel from South Africa in multiple fields such as rice cultivation, agricultural machine production and application, plant protection, renewable energy utilization, aquaculture and fishery management.

Besides, China Agricultural University, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science and other scientific institutions have nurtured over 50 doctoral and master's students from South Africa.

As e-commerce constitutes an important part of both digital economy and real economy, e-commerce cooperation has become a vital force driving the agricultural development and trade of BRICS countries.

Today, agricultural products from Brazil, Russia and South Africa are entering the Chinese market via e-commerce platforms, and BRICS countries are seeing increasing agricultural investment.

At the end of April, a live commerce activity under the BRICS framework was held as China took over the BRICS chairmanship this year, during which a number of featured products from BRICS countries were introduced to Chinese consumers, including South African wine, Brazilian coffee beans, Indian seasoning powder and Russian chocolate.

As of May 12, the sales of these products had reached 270 million yuan ($40.3 million) on major Chinese e-commerce platforms. During the activity, Chinese coffeehouse chains reached an agreement with its cooperation partners, planning to buy a total of 45,000 tonnes of coffee beans worth 1.5 billion yuan from Brazil between 2023 and 2025.

"We take innovation and digital economy as a major area of growth in the next couple of years, which will impact the global economy and help reduce poverty and social inequality," Lins said BRICS countries have significant global influence.

Luis Paulino, an expert on China at the Sao Paulo State University, promotes the development of "Internet plus agriculture" and agricultural cross-border e-commerce to build a fast track for agricultural innovation and cooperation. BRICS countries are expected to forge a future in which innovation and digital cooperation possess a larger role, he noted.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
On the last day, Rangam happens when Susheelamma, the orator, is possessed by a goddess. She indulges in an act of prophecy at Sri Bhulaxmi Mata Mandir. She predicts the future events for the following year.  DC image

HYDERABAD: The century-old Sri Bhulaxmi Mata Mandir, Begum Bazaar X Road, is gearing up for grand Bonalu, the annual festival that venerates Goddess Mahakali, after a gap of two years due to the pandemic restrictions.

The temple was constructed when the Musallam Jung Pul or Muslim Jung bridge was built in 1893. Yelduri Babu Guru, chief priest of the temple said, The Goddess apparently came from underneath the ground and appeared for real. It was the Nizam government that built the temple. We have been taking care of this temple for generations. I am the fifth generation priest here. Bonalu has been celebrated since 1969 in this temple.

In a traditional ritual a day prior to Bonalu, the Goddess wedding takes place. On the festival day, devotees start coming to the temple from 5 am to offer Naivedyam, known as Bonam which means meal offered to the Goddess. On the day of Bonalu, thousands of people visit this temple. In the evening, there is a Palaram Bandi Julus where the Goddess procession is taken through the town.

As part of the festivities, Ghatam, a copper pot, decorated in the form of Goddess, is carried by a priest to a lemon tree, followed by a procession to perform pooja. Ghatam is a parade to invite the Goddess to celebrate Bonalu festival with people. They immerse it in water on the last day of the festival.

On the same day, Rangam happens when Susheelamma, the orator, is possessed by a goddess. She indulges in an act of prophecy at Sri Bhulaxmi Mata Mandir. She predicts the future events for the following year.

Explaining the significance of mud pots in Bonalu, Yelduri Babu Guru, the chief priest said, Mud pots have special significance in this festival. Devotees put their offerings in mud-pot because it is considered to be the purest of material rather than metals. It is also powerful.
Princess Beatrice was snapped smiling today, as she attended the fifth and final day of Royal Ascot with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

The royal, 33, shared a carriage with her 38-year-old property developer husband, as the two made today's appearance at the horse racing event.

Edoardo, who married Beatrice on July 17 2020 in an intimate ceremony at Windsor, has become more involved with royal life in recent times, often attending events with his wife.

Today's appearance was just one of several high profile outings the royal has made with her Italian property developer husband in recent weeks.

The couple wore elegant attire for their day out, with the royal donned a navy blue and white polka dot dress, while her husband opted for a traditional suit

The royal couple, Princess Beatrice, 33, and her 38-year-old husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, were snapped having fun at Ascot, ahead of the horse races

The royal couple (pictured) made their way to Ascot in a carriage they shared with Professor Douglas Antczak and Mrs Douglas Antczak (pictured)

And the couple certainly made sure they were dressed for the occasion.

Beatrice opted for a navy midi dress, featuring a white spot print. She paired the frock with a neat navy and white fascinator, and black heeled pumps.

To finish the look, she wore her long locks loose and flowing, and chose a simple make-up look, with clear skin and a natural lip, playing up her eyes with a dark, smoky shadow.

Meanwhile, Edoardo donned traditional top hat and a long coat, over a yellow waistcoat and navy tie. In an effort to save off the drizzle, he carried a large umbrella.

The couple arrived at the event by carriage, as part of the royal procession. Also in their carriage were Professor Douglas Antczak and Mrs Douglas Antczak. Other royals in the procession today included the Duke of Kent.

The princess looked elegant in a midi dress with polka dot print, and her natural make-up look, which she paired with loose, flowing locks

The royal took a more conservative approach to her headgear than some of the other event attendees, opting for a small navy and cream creation

The carriage procession is one of the traditions at Royal Ascot. Earlier in the week royals including Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall (not pictured) were snapped arriving in one

During the carriage ride, Mrs Douglas Antczak (left) was seen clutching on to her hat, as the breeze threatened to blow if off her head

The Duke of Kent (pictured) was another royal who took part in the carriage procession today, though he did not ride in the same carriage as Beatrice and Edoardo

The couple joined other glamorous racegoers, who were also snapped donning lavish outfits as they started arriving at day five of Royal Ascot today.

Guests were snapped wearing eye-catching outfits boasting a rainbow of colours as they made the most of the sunshine during the final day of the races.

The five-day society favourite event has returned to its pre-pandemic extravagance, after restrictions meant it was subdued in 2020 and 2021.

And so far, attendees have shown their appreciation for the races' return, donning high fashion finery and some show-stopping millinery for their big days out.

Pretty in pink: rainbow tones have been the order of this year's Ascot, and these women were no exception, showing off their fuchsia headgear

Hats off: floral fascinators were the flavour of the day, with racegoers showing off elegant and imaginative creations

Ascot revellers donned intricate outfits, taking to the racegrounds to show off their carefully curated frocks and hats

Best foot forward: these guests opted for strappy heels as they took to the Berkshire racecourse for the final day

Despite the rain forecast, these racegoers managed to look positive and keep a smile on their faces - donning spring looks

Hat's the one! As ever, fashion-savvy attendees took the opportunity to show off some elaborate headgear

Feeling floral: One guest took a botanic approach to her headgear, opting for a fairytale-inspired flowery creation

Despite the heatwave earlier in the week, Saturday saw the heavens open, and racegoers were snapped clutching umbrellas

Brollies were brought out as attendees did their best to keep the drizzle off their carefully curated outfits

The five-day event has seen a number of high profile attendees, including senior royals like Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Kate Middleton, 40, also appeared at Ascot this year, alongside husband Prince William, 39.

However, despite having horses running in more multiple events, the Queen has not attended the society favourite event, amid ongoing mobility issues.

But the event did attract some well known faces, including reality star Georgia Toffolo, and Lady Victoria Hervey.

Although today marks the final day of Royal Ascot, guests were still keen to make their mark, donning eye-catching outfits

Photos from today show guests battling with brollies, as they try to stay dry amid the drizzle

Scenes of guests carrying umbrellas were a far cry from yesterday's pictures, which showed attendees doing their best to stay cool amid soaring temperatures

In between showers, some party goers sat down to enjoy a picnic lunch, despite the somewhat blustery conditions

All white: well known faces Georgia Toffolo and Lady Victoria Hervey made their way to the Berkshire race ground for the final day of racing

Meanwhile, Charlotte Hawkins donned a monochrome blue look, pairing a floaty frock with a colourful fascinator

Pictures showing people clutching umbrellas and ponchos as they fight to stay dry amid today's drizzle are a far cry from scenes yesterday, amid the heatwave.

There, revellers were seen drowning drinks, and sporting skimpy outfits, in a bid to stay as cool as possible as temperatures rose to 66F (19C) across the South East.
Thousands of men with prostate cancer could be safely spared chemotherapy, after research found some were not helped by it.

A study of more than 2,000 men with advanced prostate cancer showed that on average, docetaxel chemotherapy improved five-year survival rates.

It was more effective in men with many metastases  meaning the cancer had spread  when diagnosed. But men with fewer metastases whose cancer was caught earlier did not benefit at all.

Experts said it could allow chemotherapy to be targeted at those who will benefit the most, while others can be offered other effective treatments to extend their lives further and allow them to avoid unnecessary side effects of tiredness, nausea, hair loss and loss of appetite

Dr Hayley Luxton, Research Impact Manager at Prostate Cancer UK, said: This is really exciting because it shows exactly how we can treat smarter, not harder and get the most from existing prostate cancer treatments.

There have been a lot of new treatments approved for prostate cancer in recent years, but theres still so much we dont know about how they interact with each other and who benefits most.

The study shows that some groups of men get a huge boost to their life expectancy, and could be targeted to receive the drug as a priority

Since the beginning of the pandemic, fewer men have been receiving chemotherapy due to its impact on the immune system. But this analysis shows that some groups of men get a huge boost to their life expectancy, and could be targeted to receive the drug as a priority.

Other groups dont get any benefit at all, so could safely be moved on to other treatments.

All this paves the way for men to receive more personalised, more effective treatments while experiencing fewer side effects.

Experts said it is likely that hundreds of men each year could be spared chemotherapy based on the results of this research - adding up to the thousands over time.

Side effects can include tiredness, feeling and being sick, hair loss and a loss of appetite.

The study, led by University College London and funded by Prostate Cancer UK, was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago.

Dr Claire Vale, who presented the data at ASCO, said: Research into new prostate cancer treatments can be incredibly expensive and can take a long time, so this type of analysis that makes the best use of the information we already have, can make a big difference.

Even then, its extremely rare to find such clear links between the characteristics of the patient and how effective their treatment is going to be. In this case, the evidence is clear, and we want to make sure its incorporated into clinical practice as soon as possible.
Last week, hundreds of experts in liver health gathered for the World Hepatitis Summit, and one topic dominated the agenda: the mysterious outbreak of hepatitis in children which has gradually spread across 34 countries  including the UK.

Speaking at the event, liver expert Dr Philippa Easterbrook said: It is the first time so many severe cases have been seen in children. It is important we understand the cause and take these cases seriously.

At its most extreme, hepatitis can cause the liver to stop working. So far, more than 240 cases have been reported in the UK, while 11 British children have needed a transplant.

What could be behind this is a subject that divides the scientific world. But the latest development comes from intriguing research by Israeli scientists which suggests the answer may lie with Covid-19.

Last week, hundreds of experts in liver health gathered for the World Hepatitis Summit, and one topic dominated the agenda: the mysterious outbreak of hepatitis in children which has gradually spread across 34 countries  including the UK

Some experts claimed there may be a link between the mystery outbreak and Covid 19

Doctors analysed the medical history of five children who developed the condition  which is dangerous inflammation of the liver.

They noticed one common factor: all had caught Covid within the previous year. The liver inflammation, they suggested, may be an extreme side effect of the immune system response to the virus.

Influential doctors took to Twitter to share news of the findings, coining the phenomenon long Covid liver. British epidemiologist Dr Deepti Gurdasani, from Queen Mary University of London, tweeted her confidence in the findings, accusing some who dismissed them as denying the damage Covid has had on children. Yet numerous highly respected paediatric health experts and epidemiologists have angrily disputed the claims.

Professor Alasdair Munro, an expert in paediatric infectious diseases at University Hospital Southampton, said the study provides almost no useful information and no evidence that these hepatitis cases are linked to Covid.

While Dr Jake Dunning, an infectious disease expert at the University of Oxford, said scientists branding the disease long Covid liver really should know better.

The prevailing theory is that a nasty strain of a common childhood infection called adenovirus is to blame  three-quarters of children admitted to British hospitals have tested positive for this variant.

Most children will pick up the infection at some point but it usually causes just minor problems with the upper respiratory tract, leading to a cough, runny nose and, in rare cases, pneumonia.

But experts think a lack of exposure to adenoviruses during the Covid lockdowns has left childrens immune systems without natural protection to fight it off, leading to a severe reaction. Even so, the new claims may reignite worry among parents  so could they be right?

On the surface at least, the Israeli research appears convincing. The report, published in the Journal Of Pediatric Gastroenterology And Nutrition, tells of five patients: two aged three who needed liver transplants, and two eight-year-olds and a 13-year-old who were hospitalised but made a full recovery. All five were infected with Covid within the four months leading up to their hepatitis diagnosis.

The authors say their findings suggest a Covid infection caused the immune system to malfunction and begin attacking the liver. This is not unheard of with other viral infections, and in this case is known as post-viral hepatitis, a recognised condition in children.

Dr Gurdasani, a vocal supporter of the long Covid liver theory, says another piece of evidence is the fact that the UK and US have seen the largest number of hepatitis cases. Both had very high infection rates in children, unlike many other nations which enforced strict Covid-safety measures in schools.

The UK has been an outlier in how we tried to protect children from the virus, says Dr Gurdasani. We didnt enforce mask-wearing in the same way as other countries, and we havent done anything to ventilate schools. Its possible were seeing the impact of those decisions.

The study also casts doubt on the other probable cause: adenovirus wasnt detected in any of the five patients. And its not the only study of its kind thats reached that conclusion. At the end of April, doctors in Alabama published research noting the absence of the virus in nine children with severe hepatitis who required a transplant.

And many scientists have pointed out that adenovirus has never before been linked to hepatitis  in fact, there is not a single case of adenovirus triggering hepatitis reported in the medical literature. The argument this is caused by an adenovirus gets weaker and weaker, says Dr Gurdasani. It doesnt cause hepatitis and multiple studies have failed to find it in the livers of these children. So wheres the evidence?

But experts say there are multiple problems with the Israeli study. The biggest: its just five children.

Israel has recorded 12 child hepatitis cases, so the study includes fewer than half of these patients.

The researchers dont explain why these patients were selected, or why the other hepatitis cases were not, says Prof Munro. We dont know if they only picked those that had Covid, so this doesnt tell how likely it is a child who develops Covid will develop hepatitis.

Prof Munro also points out that since Covid has been so prevalent, it is not necessarily surprising these children had Covid infections. Covid infection is so common and the time lapse between these children getting the virus and then hepatitis is so varied, there isnt any clear evidence that one is causing the other. Thats not to say Covid and hepatitis arent linked, but this study doesnt provide any concrete proof they are.

Prof Will Irving, a virologist at the University of Nottingham, agrees that it is too early to jump to conclusions. He says: Five cases isnt enough to prove anything, we need to look carefully at how many of the several hundred UK cases have had Covid and go from there.

To add to the confusion, last week US health officials said that while the country had seen more than 270 cases of unexplained hepatitis in children this year, this is no more than it sees in a normal year. There has always been a background level of these unexplained cases, even before Covid, says Prof Irving.

The one thing all experts agree on is that finding the cause remains an urgent task as it will help doctors know what treatment to give. In the UK, children hospitalised with hepatitis are treated for adenovirus  using the antiviral drug cidofovir. But other countries, such as Israel and Austria, are treating them with steroids, which can help regulate a malfunctioning immune system potentially impacted by Covid.

Dr Gurdasani warns: If the adenovirus theory is wrong, weve been giving patients the wrong treatment for months. UK health officials need to focus on the Covid theory if they want to protect children.
A drug proven to protect vulnerable patients still at risk from Covid can also radically slash their chances of dying if they do become infected, a study has discovered.

Evusheld, developed by AstraZeneca, was approved by UK regulators in March  but as The Mail on Sunday revealed the following month, the Department of Health and Social Care has refused to cover the 800-a-dose cost.

However, in light of the latest findings, experts have renewed calls for the drug to be fast-tracked into use by the NHS for the most vulnerable patients as Covid infections begin to rise again.

An estimated 500,000 Britons do not respond to the Covid vaccines due to having a severely impaired immune systems  known as immuno-compromised  and many of them are still shielding. These are primarily blood cancer patients, as well as transplant patients who rely on medications to suppress their immune system to stop their bodies rejecting donor organs. These same medications render the Covid vaccine less effective.

An estimated 500,000 Britons are still at risk of Covid-19 because the current vaccinations do not provide adequate protection. A new drug developed by AstraZeneca, Evusheld, could boost their immune systems, but the government does not want to pay the 800-a-dose cost

Some patients are not adequately protected by the existing Covid-19 vaccines. Some vulnerable people have received five vaccines at this stage

In an effort to provide vulnerable Britons with some measures of protection, they had been offered extra jabs, meaning that many will have received five Covid vaccine doses by now. But the protective antibodies provided by the jabs  defensive proteins created by the bodys immune system in response to a vaccine  quickly wane in these patients.

The trial results for Evusheld released earlier this year showed that, if taken once every six months, it cuts the risk of a person catching Covid by nearly 80 per cent. And the latest data now shows that if it is given within a week of Covid infection, Evusheld can also reduce the risk of severe disease and death by 50 per cent, even in patients who are deemed the most vulnerable.

Experts say Evusheld should now play a dual role in protecting those most at risk as well as ensuring hospitals remain free of Covid patients as they fight to bring surgery waiting lists down.

Official figures last week revealed that Covid cases are on the rise again, and the number of patients in hospital with the virus has increased from 4,200 to 5,000 in the past seven days. Professor Penny Ward, a pharmaceutical expert at Kings College London, says: Its important the Department of Health and Social Care gets Evusheld soon, so we can protect the vulnerable when Covid returns this winter.

Since December 2021, Britons who are deemed at high risk of falling dangerously ill with Covid have been offered drugs in hospital to bolster their defences. But there are growing concerns that some of these are ineffective against the Omicron variant and its various sub-types.

One drug, called sotrovimab, could soon be pulled from NHS use because of worries that it is ineffective against the Omicron subvariant BA.2, which is now prevalent in the UK. In April, the US Food and Drug Administration removed its authorisation of sotrovimab while further investigations are carried out. The UKs Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency says it is also reviewing the treatment.

And in January, NHS chiefs took the decision to stop using another treatment, ronapreve, after studies showed it was no longer effective against Omicron. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said in April that Government scientists were still assessing Evushelds effectiveness against the Omicron variant. No findings from these investigations have yet been reported.

Meanwhile, other research has suggested that Evusheld does fight Omicron  a University of Oxford laboratory study published in May found that it still works against all the most recent Covid variants.

This is more than can be said for sotrovimab, which doesnt appear to be particularly effective against Omicron but is still used regularly on the NHS, says Prof Ward.

Evusheld is a monoclonal antibody drug. It works by attaching itself to and inhibiting the Covid virus ability to bind with healthy cells and infect the body.

The most recent trial data is significant because participants were, in the majority, classed as vulnerable and, at the time, unvaccinated. The trial recruited more than 900 participants worldwide and 90 per cent had a condition which put them at risk of developing severe Covid, including cancer, diabetes, obesity and chronic lung disease.

When a single dose of Evusheld was given within seven days of signs of a Covid infection, their risk of hospitalisation or death fell by 50 per cent compared with a group given a placebo. When the drug was given within three days, this figure rose to 88 per cent.

Despite the success of vaccines, many individuals, such as older adults, individuals with comorbidities and those who are immunocompromised, remain at risk for poor outcomes from severe Covid-19, says Hugh Montgomery, professor of intensive care medicine at University College London and principal investigator for the Evusheld trial. [The trial results] show that one dose of Evusheld can prevent these individuals from progressing to severe Covid-19, with earlier treatment leading to even better results.

Prof Ward says it would be up to health chiefs to decide whether to give the drug as a preventative medicine  stopping patients from getting Covid  or to deploy it as a treatment once people are infected.She adds: The data shows it is effective at doing both. My guess is the Government would prefer to use this as a treatment, as its easier to offer the infected a one-time injection than 500,000 people injections every six months.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: We recognise Evusheld could potentially also be used as a treatment for patients who become infected with the virus and we are closely monitoring clinical trial data.
Trendy cannabis-based products that have become a 700 million-a-year business in the UK do not appear to alleviate pain, according to a major US study.

Over the past decade there has been a boom in sales of oils, sprays and ointments containing cannabidiol (CBD)  one of the main active ingredients in cannabis but which does not produce the high associated with the Class B drug.

Many adverts for CBD products imply health benefits, including pain relief, although as almost all are classed as food supplements, makers are banned from making explicit claims. But researchers, in a study backed by the US government, have now found little evidence they help in this respect.

Writing in the journal Annals Of Internal Medicine, author Professor Marian McDonagh, of Oregon Health and Science University, said: With so much buzz around cannabis-related products, and the easy availability of marijuana in many [US] states, consumers might assume there would be more evidence about the benefits and side effects. Unfortunately, there is very little scientifically valid research into most of these products.

POPULAR: The market for CBD products has boomed in recent years

The researchers found that products very high in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)  the psychoactive compound in cannabis that does cause its high  did appear to help chronic pain, at least in the short term, although patients put on them frequently suffered sleepiness and nausea.

However, CBD products sold in UK shops can, by law, contain no more than 1mg of legally controlled cannabinoids such as THC. For a 30g bottle of CBD oil, that equates to about 0.003 per cent THC.

Dr Amir Englund, of the Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Kings College London, said: There is almost a complete lack of well-designed studies of cannabis products for pain relief and that few had tested the products against a placebo.
Pictured: Sarah Harris, 29

A former Playboy model who took out a $30,000 loan to get 'toxic' breast implants removed says the silicone made her so sick she had debilitating joint pain, struggled to breath deeply and suffered blackouts.

Sarah Harris, from Auckland in New Zealand, was 21 when she had an operation to remove a cyst in one of her breasts - but the operation left her with one C-cup - which was her natural size - and one significantly smaller A-cup.

'Doctors asked me if I wanted a boob job to even them out, and I said "yeah, okay, sure", and then I had new boobs two days later,' the 29-year-old said.

'I was about to go overseas for my modelling career at the time and I was so excited that I didn't really have time to think about the decision properly.'

Surgeons used the same size implants for her already uneven chest, which meant one side ended up being a D-cup and the other was an E-cup - so she went back under the knife in Thailand in 2017 to balance them out.

The influencer and business owner, who modelled for Playboy, Maxim and Zoo, and has 2.3 million Instagram followers, had a few unexplained symptoms prior to her second augmentation - such as hormonal issues, fatigue and joint pain - but her health deteriorated rapidly afterwards.

Ms Harris started feeling better immediately after getting her implants removed on Thursday, and opened up to Daily Mail Australia about her ordeal to discourage others from getting breast augmentation.

Pictured: Sarah Harris modelling for Zoo at 21, just after her first breast augmentation

Ms Harris, 29, is pictured the day after her breast implants were removed. She said she has more energy, despite just coming out of surgery

Sarah Harris is pictured with her fiance, Josh Williams, 28, who works as a personal trainer

Following her second surgery in 2017, Ms Harris started getting 'full-body rashes out of nowhere'.

'I got some tests done and it turned out I was allergic to heavy metals, like tin,' she said.

'The allergies were so bad doctors asked me if I worked in a metal factory, and it turns out heavy metals are used in breast implants, but no one tells you that.'

According to the US Food and Drug Administration, silicone breast implants contain trace amounts of heavy metals, including platinum and tin.

Ms Harris had debilitating fatigue, she sometimes blacked out, had night sweats, digestive issues, hair loss, she couldn't breath deeply, and had excruciating joint pain that was so bad her fiance Josh Williams had to help her get out of bed.

The pain in her hip escalated to the point where she had surgery to shave the bone down - 'they thought maybe the bones were too close to each other, which might have been causing the pain,' she added.

Ms Harris decided to go public with her health struggles to make sure other people are properly informed before they get breast implants

Ms Harris has struggled with body image in the past, but said she's happy she got her implants removed

Her symptoms fluctuated rapidly from day-to-day, but the pain didn't stay away.

'I was also getting really bad anxiety and I was told to keep taking deep breaths, and I couldn't - every time I tried, it felt like there was something pushing against my chest, which gave me more anxiety,' Ms Harris said.

'My body honestly felt like it was 92.'

Throughout her battle for a diagnosis, one doctor told her it could be a condition called 'breast implant illness' - a term which refers to a wide range of symptoms that can develop after breast implants.

Ms Harris initially shrugged the suggestion off - 'having big boobs was part of my job, and you don't want elective surgery to be the reason you're unhealthy,' she said.

'You've created the look you want to achieve and then it's taken away from you.'

She was sent to a breast implant surgeon, who suggested she get a scan that would reveal any inflammation in her body.

The photos above were taken two weeks apart - Ms Harris had acne and shadows under her eyes prior to getting her implants removed (left). After the surgery, she shadows went away (right)

Sarah Harris had full-body rashes (pictured left) and suffered hair loss (pictured right) as a result of her implants

The scan showed bright red patches of swollen tissue and fluid surrounding her chest - her inflammation glowed brighter on the scan that doctors often see in people with breast cancer.

'It was then that I realised I needed to make a decision for myself,' she said.

The decision to get the implants removed was an expensive one.

Ms Harris and her fiance were already out-of-pocket due to their wedding plans next year, and decided they'd have to take out a personal loan to cover the $30,000 surgery.

She had the surgery on Thursday and immediately felt better.

Doctors said she struggled to take deep breaths because scar tissue from her implant operations was attached to the muscle, and pulled with every deep breath she took.

Surgeons had to burn the scar tissue from the muscle.

Ms Harris is pictured with her fiance Josh Williams after her surgery to get her implants removed

Ms Harris is excited to see how her life will change as she recovers from surgery (pictured with her fiance)

'When I took my first deep breath after getting them removed, I cried,' she said.

The pain in her joints is also gone, along with her fatigue and the dark shadows under her eyes.

Ms Harris struggled with an eating disorder and her body image throughout her modelling career, and was a bit concerned about how her chest would look once the implants were removed.

'I've never looked in the mirror in my adult life and not seen implants,' she said.

'But I had a sneak peak [on Friday] morning and I'm actually happy with how they look.'

She initially wanted to keep her health struggles to herself, but decided to go public to discourage others from making her mistakes.

'I shared my story and I had so many girls in my Instagram messages saying they'd cancelled their implant appointments,' Ms Harris said.

'Now I want as many people to know as possible, because maybe I can save someone from going through what I went through.'
Priti Patel has claimed that European human rights judges who blocked a migrant flight to Rwanda are 'anti-Tory' and 'anti-Brexit'.

The Home Secretary, whose parents were Ugandan Indian immigrants to Britain, blasted the 'scandalous' intervention and vowed to overturn the decision while also making clear her desire to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The inaugural removal flight to east Africa was cancelled shortly before it was due to take off on Tuesday following an 11th-hour intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) - despite the UK Supreme Court's initial green light.

Patel wanted to send migrants on a one-way flight to Rwanda in a bid to deter other illegal migrants from making dangerous crossings in the Channel.

She also suggested the ECHR's intervention was politically motivated and came about because of Britain's decision to leave the EU.

Priti Patel has claimed that European human rights judges who blocked a migrant flight to Rwanda are 'anti-Tory' and 'anti-Brexit'

Members of the staff board a plane reported by British media to be first to transport migrants to Rwanda, at MOD Boscombe Down base in Wiltshire on June 14

An RNLI lifeboat escorted 80 migrants back to Dover on June 17 after they were picked up in the English Channel

Boris Johnson agreed in his 2019 Brexit deal that Britain's commitment to the ECHR was essential to have the cooperation with the European bloc that he desired. Yet Downing Street has left the door open to the move, saying 'all options are on the table'

'How and why did they make that decision? Was it politically motivated? I'm of the view that it is, absolutely,' she told The Telegraph.

'The opaque way this court has operated is absolutely scandalous. That needs to be questioned.

'We don't know who the judges are, we don't know who the panel are, we haven't actually had a judgment  just a press release and a letter saying we can't move this person under rule 39.

'They've not used this ruling previously, which does make you question the motivation and the lack of transparency.'

The ECHR has used rule 39, which are urgent 'interim measures', multiple times in rulings in the UK.

Patel, who said she received abusive messages calling her a 'racist b****' because of the plan, added the ECHR's decision was anti-Tory.

She said: 'This is all about thwarting flights and keeping people who have come here, through these dangerous routes, in our country rather than actually letting the Government do its work.'

The ECHR was set up by politicians including Sir Winston Churchill after the Second World War and is not connected to the EU.

Boris Johnson agreed in his 2019 Brexit deal that Britain's commitment to the ECHR was essential to have the cooperation with the European bloc that he desired.

After the ECHR stopped Britain from sending illegal migrants on a one-way plane to Rwanda, Patel said: 'I'm not an advocate of European institutions, I never have been.'

Leaving the institution may jeopardise Britain's relationship with the EU, especially as the Government has threatened to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol created to prevent a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.

As well as breaking the terms of Boris Johnson's Brexit deal it would also break the terms of the Good Friday Agreement that brought an end to 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland.

Some ministers are calling for the UK to ignore the ECHR ruling, arguing that its ruling can simply be overridden. Previously, the UK ignored ECHR rulings on prisoner voting.

One Cabinet minister told MailOnline: 'The ECHR decisions, unlike the European Court of Justice, do not have direct effect so can simply be overridden.'

'When our own courts accept something is legal we should not allow an oddly constituted international court to overrule the democratic process. We should assert Parliamentary sovereignty.'

According to the European Implementation Network, which monitors the effectiveness of the court, almost half of its judgments in the last decade are yet to be complied with by member states.

The UK is one of the top performers, complying with 80 per cent of judgments, compared with 72 per cent for France, 63 per cent for Germany and just 39 per cent for Spain.

Russia has implemented only 10 per cent of the court's rulings in the last decade, while Azerbaijan has followed just three per cent.

The ECHR was set up by politicians including Sir Winston Churchill after the Second World War and is not connected to the EU

The grounded Rwanda deportation flight EC-LZO Boeing 767 at Boscombe Down Air Base in Wiltshire last night

A private charter jet leaves MoD Boscombe Down empty on Tuesday

Priti Patel's inaugural deportation flight is seen at MoD Boscombe Down base in Wiltshire on Tuesday night

A convoy believed to be carrying migrants leaves MoD Boscombe Down on Tuesday night

Police vehicles pictured guarding the main entrance to MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire

However, there were signs that a full withdrawal from the ECHR would split the Tory Party.

Downing Street has left the door open to the move, saying 'all options are on the table'.

Attorney General Suella Braverman told the BBC: 'We are considering our response in relation to that decision, but more broadly we are definitely open to assessing all options available as to what our relationship should be going forward with the [ECHR].'

Although Britain's courts have said the flights can go ahead, they have not said they will be legal.

Protesters gathered outside Colnbrook Immigration Detention Centre in Heathrow and lay on the ground in an effort to halt Tuesday's first flight transporting UK asylum seekers to Rwanda

Schoolchildren walk along a street among pedestrians in Kigali, Rwanda, on June 15, following the dramatic flight cancellation

The Supreme Court made clear that if a full High Court review of the Rwanda policy finds the plan to be illegal, the Government will have to fly the migrants back to the UK.

Yet the ECHR went further and said Priti Patel and the Tories should wait to hear whether their policy is legal before sending the migrants to Rwanda. The High Court's review is expected to take place is July.

Patel acknowledged Rwanda's genocidal past that is wrought with human rights abuses and said: 'The past is appalling but it's scarred the country in the sense that they are rebuilding.

'I always think the silent, hard-working majority just want the Government of the day to be left to get on and do its job.'
A 70 year-old arms dealer has been named the suspect in the murder of three elderly Alabama churchgoers at a 'Boomers Potluck' party.

Robert Findlay Smith, 70, now faces capital murder charges over Thursday's triple-shooting at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church on the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama.

Those killed have been named as Walter 'Bart' Rainey, 84, Jane Pounds, 84 and Sarah Yeager, 75, who also goes by the name Sharon.

Authorities believe that Smith produced his concealed gun around an hour into the potluck event and began shooting.

No motive has been given for the shooting. Smith claimed to have been a past attendee of the church, but survivors said they didn't recognize him from past services.

His mugshot showed him with a huge black eye - believed to have been inflicted after a have-a-go-hero flew at him with a chair in a bid to stop him shooting.

Smith is being held without bond at Jefferson County Jail. Officials have not revealed what the motive was for the attack.

Robert Findlay Smith shown in his mugshot following his arrest. He accused of capital murder in the shooting deaths of three people at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

Smith was shown bruised and beaten in his mugshot.

Captain Shane Ware of the Vestavia Hills Police Department said that Smith, who police said acted alone, was subdued shortly after brandishing the pistol, by another attendee, church member Jim Musgrove.

Musgrove reportedly struck the suspect with a chair and wrestled the gun from him.

'Another attendee at the event subdued the suspect and held him down until law enforcement arrived,' Ware said of the churchgoer's actions.

He called the Good Samaritan a 'hero' who saved 'countless lives.'

'It was extremely critical in saving lives,' Ware said of Musgrove's actions. 'In my opinion, he's a hero.'

One of the victims, Sarah Yeager, pictured on her Facebook page

Another of the victims, Jane Pounds. Police said gunman had reportedly concealed the gun, a pistol, before opening fire at the potluck dinner

Walter 'Bart' Rainey, 84, pictured here with his wife Linda, was identified Friday morning as one of three seniors fatally shot St. Stephens Episcopal Church Thursday during a church meeting

The day after the shooting, police vehicles could be seen outside of Smith's home close to Cahaba Heights, less than two miles from the site of the shooting, reports AL.com.

Online records show that Smith is a licensed firearm dealer running a store called Original Magazines 2 out of his home.

His license expires in 2025.

Smith does not have a violent criminal past. He was cited twice for drunk driving in 2005 and 2016.

In the 2005 case, he was also cited for possession of a handgun while intoxicated, according to the AL.com report.

While in 2008, Smith sued Samford University and University of Alabama at Birmingham police officer Jeremy Burchfield.

Smith accused Burchfield of wrongfully detaining him after the suspect was found on the campus with firearm and carrying a badge.

In his lawsuit, Smith said that Burchfield had no evidence for charging the suspect with impersonating an officer. As a result, Smith was awarded damages of $29,000.

Smith's attorney in the case made reference to the suspect's license as a firearms dealer saying that many of his clients were law enforcement personnel.

The shooting, which saw another attendee injured, transpired just after 6pm, a meeting billed as a 'Boomers' Potluck.' It was attended predominantly by seniors.

Police said that Smith was in attendance at the church, located in Birmingham suburb Vestavia Hills, at the time of the shooting.

About an hour into the dinner, he produced a pistol he had concealed on his person.

If found guilty, Smith would be one of the oldest mass shooters in US history.

It comes as police revealed that Smith had previously attended processions at the house of worship.

Police said gunman had reportedly concealed the gun, a pistol, before opening fire at the potluck dinner.

At a news conference Friday morning, Vestavia Hills police provided some details on the shooting, such as the identities of the victims - but did not release a name or motive for the incarcerated suspect, who faces capital murder charges.

The suspect reportedly called himself Mr. Smith and was sitting alone at the event when a fellow congregant invited him to their table.

Smith then refused, witnesses said, producing the handgun and opening fire.

Police said the gunman was in attendance at the church, Alabama Episcopalian, at the time of the shooting, at a meeting billed as a 'Boomers' Potluck'

The 'Boomers Potluck' event was advertised on the church website

On Friday, a neighbor remembered Bart Rainey for his kindness.

'He was the nicest gentleman anyone could have met,' Raineys neighbor, Brian Cocke, told AL.com Friday of the deceased.

Cocke added that Rainey and his wife, Linda, whom he had lived next door to for about four years, had been 'absolutely wonderful neighbors.'

On social media, Cocke shared that he was 'heartbroken' over the loss of his friend.

'You always hear about these things and think of how tragic the situation is, but its a whole different level when it turns out it was someone you knew. Just simply unbelievable.'

Captain Shane Ware of Vestavia Hills revealed Wednesday the currently incarcerated suspect allegedly behind the shooting at an Alabama church Thursday was a regular and attended a small church meeting before killings two fellow attendees and injuring one

The shooting, which saw one other congregator injured, transpired Thursday just after 6pm, at the church in Vestavia Hills, a suburb of Birmingham

Addressing reporters Friday, Captain Shane Ware revealed the suspect produced the firearm about an hour into the assembly.

'Our investigation, while ongoing, has revealed that an occasional attendee of the church that I will only identify as a white male aged 71 was at the dinner,' Ware said.

'At some point he produced a concealed handgun and began shooting striking the three victims.'

Ware said the first victim, Rainey - known to friends as Bart - of Irondale, was shot and killed at the scene.

The second to be slain, 75-year-old Yeager, of Pelham, died of her injuries at nearby University of Alabama Hospital, the chief said. She died just prior to 9:30pm.

He added that Pounds, of Hoover, was shot but survived, but ultimately succumbed to her injuries Friday afternoon.

Ware did not specify how many times or where exactly the seniors had been shot, nor did he reveal the extent of the survivor's injuries. The three victims were all white.

A panicked priest was filmed running from the scene at the Alabama Episcopalian church, in a suburb of Birmingham, which was hosting the neighborhood gathering

Ware said he was not sure how many people were in attendance at the dinner, but Reverend Doug Carpenter, who founded the church in 1973, said there were roughly 25 attendance.

Carpenter said that none of the attendees knew the suspect, who referred to himself as Mr. Smith and said that he was a former member of the church.

'We're trying to figure out who he is,' the reverend told AL.com.

Police Friday said the suspect's identity would likely be revealed later in the day, after warrants are signed.

The chief, however, did allude that the suspect may have already been known to police when questioned on the matter by a reporter.

'Any past interactions involving this suspect are currently being investigated by numerous agencies. It would be premature to go into this topic,' Ware said.

He added that the suspect had 'previously attended services at this church, but as far as the motive behind this event, they are being looked into by multiple agencies.'

He said 'it would be inappropriate for me to comment' further on the matter while it was still being investigated.

He denied to comment on whether the weapon used by the suspect was legally obtained or not.

The suspect is currently being held in the Vestavia Hills city jail, where he faces capital murder charges, Ware said.

Multiple first responders attended the scene of the attack on Thursday evening

The shooting started just after 6pm in the small town of 39,000, police said.

Multiple law enforcement agencies and fire departments were at the scene Thursday well into the night.

Rev. Kelley Hudlow with the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama said the congregation were inside the church when the shooting started.

'There were folks at church. There has been a shooting, and there are folks that have been injured,' she said.

'We are working to get more information, to take care of the people who were there..

'We are praying for healing and safety for all of those who have been impacted and affected.

'We are praying for everyone involved and we are trying to get as much information about what happened as we can get.'

Hudlow said it was 'a scary thing'.

She urged the community to 'do what this community is really good at - and that's coming together, through prayers and thoughts and anything else.'

Police in Vestavia Hills, six miles from downtown Birmingham, Alabama, confirmed that 'multiple people' were shot in a church on Thursday evening

Kelley Hudlow, a priest with the Episcopal Church of Alabama, said the shooting was 'scary' and urged everyone to send prayers

A prayer circle formed in a parking lot near the church on Thursday night

People held hands in a prayer circle in Vestavia Hills on Thursday night

On Thursday night well-wishers gathered in the parking lot of the church, holding hands in a prayer circle.

'What you are seeing is hope, folks,' said Jonathan Hardison, WBRC anchor.

'You are seeing healing, with those folks standing together.'
Amerie Jo Garza, 10

Amerie Jo Garza (right)

Amerie Jo Garza, a fourth grader at Robb Elementary, was one of 19 students confirmed to be killed Tuesday morning by Ramos, who cops say was carrying a handgun and an AR-15 during the attack that also killed two teachers in the classroom.

Her grandmother, Berlinda Irene Arreola, said the 10-year-old was killed as she tried to phone 911 while sitting next to her best friend, who ended up 'covered in her blood.'

Arreola said Ramos told the students and staffers inside the room, 'You're going to die,' before opening fire - shooting her granddaughter dead as she tried to phone for help.

'So the gunman went in and he told the children, 'You're going to die,' Berlinda told The Daily Beast.

'And [Amerie] had her phone and she called 911. And instead of grabbing it and breaking it or taking it from her, he shot her. She was sitting right next to her best friend. Her best friend was covered in her blood.'

Uziyah Garcia

Uziyah Garcia, 8

Uziyah Garcia, the youngest victim at age eight, was also killed in the attack.

The child's family announced he was killed hours after announcing he was among the many children unaccounted for following the tragedy.

The boy's grandfather, Manny Renfro, broke the news early Wednesday after being notified by authorities.

'[He was] the sweetest little boy that I've ever known,' Renfro said. 'I'm not just saying that because he was my grandkid.'

Renfro recalled how Uziyah last visited him in San Angelo over spring break.

'We started throwing the football together and I was teaching him pass patterns.

'Such a fast little boy and he could catch a ball so good,' the grieving grandad said.

'There were certain plays that I would call that he would remember and he would do it exactly like we practiced.'

Makenna Elrod, 10

Makenna Lee Elrod

Makenna Elrod, 10, had also been among the missing in the chaos that followed the massacre, with her father, Brandon Elrod telling reporters at the time he feared 'she may not be alive.'

Her death was eventually confirmed by a family friend on Wednesday. 'It's pretty sad what this world's coming to,' the girl's father told local outlet KTRK after the shooting.

A mother of one of Makenna's friends lamented the loss in a post to Facebook.

'Sweet Makenna Rest in Paradise!! My heart is shattered as my daughter Chloe loved her so much!!' the mom wrote. A relative Wednesday confirmed that the girl had been among the victims.

Xavier Lopez, 10

Xavier Lopez

Xavier Lopez, 10, was the first student victim to be identified as one of Ramos' victims.

The child's mother, Felicha Martinez, told the Washington Post Tuesday that just hours before the massacre, the mom had been at the school to see her son participate an honor roll ceremony.

She took a picture showing her son showing off his certificate.

In the last exchange she had with the child, the mom heartbreakingly told the boy that she was proud of him and that she loved him, giving him a hug goodbye - not knowing it would be the last time she would see him alive.

'He was funny, never serious and his smile that smile I will never forget,' she recalled after learning of his death from police. 'It would always cheer anyone up.'

The boy's cousin, Lisa Garza, 54, of Arlington, said Xavier enjoyed swimming and had been looking forward to the summer.

'He was just a loving 10-year-old little boy, just enjoying life, not knowing that this tragedy was going to happen today,' she said.

'He was very bubbly, loved to dance with his brothers, his mom. This has just taken a toll on all of us.'

Amelia Sandoval, Lopez's grandmother, said: 'It's just so hard... you send your kids to school thinking they are going to make it back home but they're not.'

Eliahana Torres, 10

Eliahana Cruz Torres

Eliahana Cruz Torres, 10, had also been missing for hours until she was confirmed to be among the dead.

Adolfo Cruz, her great-grandfather, said she didn't want to attend school the day of the shooting - but was told by her family that she had to attend.

He said he remained outside the school gates throughout the night until he leanrned of her fate from local authorities.

'I hope she is alive,' he said at the time.

Torres was an avid baseball player and played the sport in a local little league.

Ellie Lugo, 10

Ellie Lugo

Ellie Lugo was named as a victim of Tuesday's attack by her parents, with Steven Garcia and Jennifer Lugo confirming her death several hours after she was listed among the missing.

'It's hard to issue out a statement on anything right now my mind is going at 1000 miles per hour but I do wanna send our thoughts and prayers to those who also didn't make it home tonight!!! Our Ellie was a doll and was the happiest ever,' Steven Lugo said Wednesday.

'Mom and Dad love you never forget that and please try and stay by our side.'

Nevaeh Bravo, 10

Nevaeh Bravo

Nevaeh Bravo was confirmed to be among the dead late Tuesday, after her cousin posted on social media following the shooting to ask for helping the girl.

Around 9 pm, she broke the news on Twitter.

'Unfortunately my beautiful Nevaeh was one of the many victims from todays tragedy,' she wrote.

Sje said the schoolchild was 'flying high' and asked for the family to be kept in people's prayers

'Our Nevaeh has been found. She is flying with the angels above. We love you Navaeh very much princess.'

'Thank you for the support and help,' she wrote. 'Rest in peace my sweet girl, you didn't deserve this.'

Bravo's age could not immediately be confirmed.

Tess Marie Mata

Tess Marie Mata

Tess Marie Mata was also among those to perish in the attack, her sister, Faith Mata, revealed in a post to Facebook Wednesday.

'I honestly have no words just sadness, confusion, and anger,' she wrote.

'I'm sad because we will never get to tag team on mom and dad again and tell each other how much we mean to each other, I'm confused because how can something like this happen to my sweet, caring, and beautiful sister, and I'm angry because a coward took you from us.'

Photos shared with the post showed Tess smiling in a baby photo, snuggling with a cat, doing gymnastics, flashing a peace sign, and posing in front of a large heart mural.

'Sissy I miss you so much, I just want to hold you and tell you how pretty you are, I want to take you outside and practice softball, I want to go on one last family vacation, I want to hear your contagious laugh, and I want you to hear me tell you how much I love you,' she wrote.

Her age could not immediately be confirmed.

Rojelio Torres, 10

Rojelio Torres

Rojelio Torres, 10, was initially reported missing by his father, but on Wednesday was confirmed dead by his family.

A person who said she was the boy's cousin wrote on Twitter: 'It breaks my heart to say my rojelio is now with the angels I'll forever miss you and love you my angel.'

The child's father , Federico Torres, told Houston reporters that he was at work when he learned about the shooting and immediately raced to the school.

'They sent us to the hospital, to the civic center, to the hospital and here again, nothing, not even in San Antonio,' he said. 'They don't tell us anything, only a photo, wait, hope that everything is well.'

Nearly half a day later, cops broke the news to the boy's family.

'Our entire family waited almost 12 hours since the shooting to find out Rojelio Torres, my 10-year-old nephew, was killed in this tragedy,' Torres' aunt, Precious Perez, told KSAT. 'We are devastated and heartbroken. Rojer was a very intelligent, hard-working and helpful person. He will be missed and never forgotten.'

Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, 10

Jayce Luevanos

Jayce Luevanos, 10, died in the shooting along with his ten-year-old cousin, Jailah, the child's mother said Wednesday.

In a Facebook post, uncle Unberto Gonzalez shared photos of both kids while offering a touching tribute.

'My babies going to miss them like crazy!!!,' Gonzalez wrote. 'We luv y'all so much!!! I'm just lost right now!!! Fly high my beautiful Angels!!'

Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10

Jailah Nicole Silguero

Ten-year-old Jailah Nicole Silguero was also killed in the shooting, her mother, Veronica Luevanos, tearfully revealed to Univision Wednesday.

She also lost her 10-year-old nephew Jayce to the tragedy.

She said Jailah loved to dance and film videos on TikTok.

The child reportedly also asked her mom the morning of the shooting if she could stay home from school - a request the now mourning mom rebuffed.

'I took her to school, but she didn't want to go. She told her father, 'Can I stay home?'' Luevanos said, noting that it was not a common occurrence for her daughter to make such a request. 'I think she knew something would happen.'

Luevanos' mom confirmed the loss on Facebook Wednesday.

'Fly high my angels. We're going to miss yall so much,' wrote Veronica Luevanos - whose dad had died just a week earlier.

'I'm so heart broken,' she wrote with a photo of her daughter and nephew.

'My baby I love u so much  fly high baby girl.'

Alithia Ramirez, 10

Alithia Ramirez

Fourth grader Alithia Ramirez was confirmed dead early Wednesday by her father, Ryan Ramirez, who shared a post to Facebook showing the 10-year-old with angel's wings. He had used the same photo the previous day as he pleaded for help finding her after the massacre

He had heartbreakingly used the same photo the previous day as he desperately pleaded for help finding her after the massacre.

'Trying to find my daughter Alithia. I called all the hospitals and nothing,' he wrote at the time.

He also reporters during his frantic search, 'I'm trying to find out where my baby's at.'

Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10

Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez

Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10, was another killed by Ramos Tuesday - along with her cousin, who has yet to be identified.

Annabell's father spent the afternoon after the shooting in frantic search for his daughter.

Speaking to KHOU11 Tuesday, he lamented at how he was at a loss as to what do, having little success with the search.

'They're not letting us in at the hospital right now so we don't know where to go.'

She has since been declared to be among the dead.

Miranda Mathis, 11

Miranda Mathis

Miranda Mathis, 11, was also confirmed as another casualty from the mass shooting early Wednesday, in a Facebook post by an older cousin who earlier that day had posted a desperate plea for help in locating the child.

'My sweet baby cousin we loved u dearly,' Deanna Miller wrote alongside a photo of the child with angel wings.

'I'm so sorry this happen to u baby please keep my family in your prayers,' she grieved.

Miller's kids had also been at the school at the time of the shooting, but survived the attack.

One of her sons told her that they were ushered out of a window by staffers during the attack and subsequently ran to a nearby funeral home after 'he heard the shooter say he was gonna kill all the kids.'

Alexandria 'Lexi' Aniyah Rubio, 10

Alexandria Aniyah Rubio

Alexandria Aniyah Rubio - who was better known to friends as 'Lexi' - was confirmed dead just before midnight on Tuesday.

The ten-year-old was shot dead just hours after posing for a photo with her parents at the school's honor roll ceremony.

Kimberly Mata-Rubio, the girl's mother, wrote of the loss: 'My beautiful, smart, Alexandria Aniyah Rubio was recognized today for All-A honor roll. She also received the good citizen award. We told her we loved her and would pick her up after school. We had no idea this was goodbye.'

Maite Yuleana

Maite Yuleana

Maite Yuleana was another student to die in the attack that had attended the honor roll ceremony just hours before.

A cousin of the girl's mother, Ana Rodriguez, announced the loss Wednesday.

'It is with a heavy heart I come on here on behalf of my cousin Ana who lost her sweet baby girl in yesterday's senseless shooting.

'We are deeply saddened by the lose [sic] of this sweet smart little girl. God bless and may she R.I.P Maite Rodriguez we love you.'

Another relative shared a photo of Maite with her honor roll certificate.

Her age could not immediately be confirmed.

Jose Flores Jr, 10

Jose Flores

Jose Flores, 10, was also killed in the shooting after attending the honor roll ceremony, where he was pictured triumphantly clutching a certificate celebrating the accomplishment.

Uncle Christopher Salazar confirmed to the Washington Post Wednesday that his 10-year-old nephew was among the dead, after sharing a tribute to the child on Facebook.

'I love you and I miss you,' Salazar wrote in the post.

The boy's father described Jose to CNN as an amazing boy and big brother to his two younger siblings.

'He was always fill of energy,' Jose Flores Sr. said. 'Ready to play till the night.'

He said the boy loved playing baseball and video games.

Jackie Cazares

Jackie Cazares, 10

Jackie Cazares, 10, was another to be killed during the vicious attack at the elementary school.

Her father Jacinto confirmed she lost her life inside her fourth-grade classroom.

'My baby girl has been taken away from my family and I,' the grieving father said in an online post.

'We're devastated in ways I hope no one ever goes through. ... It hurts us to our souls.'

Cazares said his daughter, who was with her cousin, Annabell Rodriguez, when she died, was 'full of life and love'.

Layla Salazar, 10

The 10-year-old student was the last of the slaying victims to be identified.

Vincent Salazar told the Philadelphia Inquirer his young daughter was among those killed.

He said she was 'a lot of fun' and recalled how they sang along to 'Sweet Child O' Mine' by Guns 'n' Roses whenever he drove her to school.

Layla Salazar

Irma Garcia, 46 - fourth grade teacher

Irma Garcia

Irma Garcia, who co-taught with Mireles for the last five year, had been at Robb Elementary for 23 years.

Married to Joe for 24 years, she was a mother of four - Cristian, completing Marine boot camp; Jose, attending Texas State university University; Lyliana, a sophomore in high school; and Alysandra, a 7th grader.

'My tia did not make it, she sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom, i beg of you to keep my family including all of her family in y'all's prayers , IRMA GARCIA IS HER NAME and she died a HERO,' tweeted her nephew John.

'She was loved by many and will truly be missed.'

She was nominated as teacher of the year for the 2018-19 awards, organized by Trinity University.

Eva Mireles, 44 - fourth grade teacher

Eva Mireles

Eva Mireles, a fourth grade teacher, was identified by her family as being one of the staff members shot dead. She had worked in education for 17 years.

Her husband Ruben Ruiz, a veteran detective and SWAT team member currently serving as a police officer with the school district, held regular active shooter drills for the schools - most recently at the end of March.
The mother of a woman who was bashed to death with a fire hydrant cover by her bikie boyfriend has revealed she also suffered domestic violence at the hands of a partner.

Natalie Hinton, 56, admitted she had been abused by her boyfriend just like her daughter Tara Brown, 24, who was killed on the Gold Coast on September 8, 2015.

Ms Brown was run off the road by her estranged Bandidos bikie enforcer partner Lionel Patea before she was brutally bashed to death with a steel fire hydrant.

Ms Hinton said she recognised the signs early on that her daughter was in a toxic relationship after coming out of one herself, Courier Mail reported.

Her daughter was 18 years old when Ms Hinton began to see a man who spat on her, belittled the single-mother and stalked her to the point police had to intervene.

Her confession comes as Ms Hinton revealed she has yet to tell her 10-year-old granddaughter Aria how her mother died. The child has only been told her mother was killed in a car crash while her father is in prison for hurting people.

The mother (pictured, Natalie Hinton) of a woman who was bashed to death with a fire hydrant cover by her bikie boyfriend has revealed she also suffered domestic violence at the hands of a partner

Natalie Hinton, 56, admitted she had been abused by her boyfriend just like her daughter Tara Brown, 24, who was killed on the Gold Coast on September 8, 2015

Ms Hinton realised Ms Brown was also in a toxic relationship as she noticed Patea take control of her life, manage her money, decide what outfits she wore and made several attempts to isolate her from family.

'I'd see bruising on her arms, like he'd been forcefully holding her,' she said.

On one occasion Ms Hinton said she received a distressing phone call from her daughter in April 2012.

Ms Brown was 33 weeks pregnant and was rattled following a violent outburst from Patea in her car at Mermaid Beach.

He busted the windscreen, smashed the side mirrors, spat in Ms Brown's face and called her a 'putrid dog mongrel slut'.

'Mum, he's smashed my car again; he's ripped my dress off,' Ms Brown said on the phone.

Ms Brown, who was too fearful to make a formal complaint, also revealed her partner had threatened her with a handgun.

Ms Brown and Patea had known each other since they were five years old as they grew up in the same New Zealand/Maori community on the Gold Coast.

Ms Hinton said her daughter would regularly come home from school with stories of Patea and his brother always 'getting into trouble'.

The pair grew closer over the years and Ms Hinton watched her daughter slowly be won over by him as he showered her with gifts.

'We'd struggled all the way through; I couldn't shower her with all the gifts like he was,' she said.

Patea pleaded guilty to Ms Brown's murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2017.

Ms Brown was run off the road by her estranged Bandidos bikie enforcer partner Lionel Patea before she was brutally bashed to death with a steel fire hydrant cover

Ms Hinton said she recognised the signs early on that her daughter was in a toxic relationship after coming out of one herself

Disturbing details about the days leading up to Ms Brown's death were revealed in a coronial inquest which found there were 27 lethality risk factors present at the time she was killed.

These included a history of violence from Patea towards Ms Brown, threats by Patea to commit suicide and attempts he had made to isolate her from her family and friends.

Patea also sought control over every aspect of her life and would not only force her to pay rent for living in his home but would move money out of her account leaving her, on one occasion, with just $8.

Ms Hinton said police were meant to consider cases as urgent as soon as six risk factors were present but shockingly Ms Brown's case 'wasn't considered as urgent' by cops.

The deputy state coroner found police had dismissed Ms Brown when she asked them for help.

Ms Bentley said Ms Brown had gone to police to make an application for a domestic violence protection order on September 3 - five days before her death.

Her pleas for help were rejected, with one officer telling an internal investigation it was 'commonplace for women to make false allegations to further their position in Family Court matters'.

Prior to her death, Ms Brown had revealed her partner had threatened her with a handgun and smashed her windscreen

Ms Brown had dropped her daughter off at daycare when Patea ran her off a Gold Coast road, forcing her down an embankment

Ms Brown's solicitor had called ahead at the Southport Police Station to request a private room for Ms Brown so she could discuss her fears over Patea.

But Ms Bentley said police failed to provide a room or to take a statement when Ms Brown arrived at the station.

Ms Brown even showed the constable at reception she had received 'hundreds of messages in the space of hours' from Patea.

'The constable spoke to his shift supervisor, a sergeant, and both concluded that they had no evidence to confirm that domestic and family violence had occurred,' Ms Bentley said.

The deputy state coroner also said Ms Brown had seen a member of Patea's family outside the station and expressed concern they might be watching her.

Her confession comes as Ms Hinton revealed she has yet to tell her 10-year-old granddaughter Aria how her mother died. The child has only been told her mother died in a car crash while her father is in prison for hurting people

Ms Brown also revealed she had been pinned down on the bed and threatened with a pair of scissors by Patea.

Ms Bentley said the constable did not accurately record the incident when he was told about it.

'Ms Brown reported that Mr Patea held scissors to her throat and threatened her, but the constable's recollection and reporting of events differed dramatically from that of the solicitor and Ms Brown's mother, who were also present,' Ms Bentley said.

'He recorded that scissors fell out of Mr Patea's pocket after he pushed her onto the bed and that it was not a violent push.

'Ms Brown was reluctant to sign a statement about the events.'
Collection of exorbitant parking fees by the above establishments puts the customers in financial loss and the municipal authorities, police, labour and fire departments, which are obligated to restrain them from collecting the parking fee, are turning a blind eye towards this issue.  Representational image/DC

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has taken up the issue of illegal collection of heavy parking fees by certain hospitals, commercial establishments, malls and cinema theatres under the guise of maintenance and security or some other reasons, which is in utter violation of municipal rules.

As per the municipal rules and bye-laws, persons running cinema halls, commercial establishments, hospitals, cinema theatres, etc., have to provide free parking to the customers because the municipal authorities accord building permission or license to the concerned owner, only after satisfying that such an establishment can provide parking to the customers.

The High Court converted a letter addressed by Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili and Justice A. Abhishek Reddy to the judicial registrar into a suo motu PIL.

Collection of exorbitant parking fees by the above establishments puts the customers in financial loss and the municipal authorities, police, labour and fire departments, which are obligated to restrain them from collecting the parking fee, are turning a blind eye towards this issue.

The court made the Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police, the principal secretary (municipal administration), the principal secretary (home department), Commissioner, GHMC, director of country and planning and commissioner, labour as respondents to the PIL.
Multiple people who work on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' were detained Thursday night on charges of illegal entry to the House of Representatives.

A total of nine people were initially detained over the incident, according to Fox News.

Among the arrestees are Robert Smigel, best known for his character Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Smigel, 62, is a frequent guest on Colbert's CBS show.

Also arrested were one of Colbert's producers, Allison Martinez, and writer, Josh Comers, reports Fox News.

According to Fox News' Chad Pergram, the group was attempting to film and take pictures around the offices House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Lauren Boebert.

It is unclear why, but the visit may be linked to the ongoing January 6 riot hearings - with Democrat Representative Adam Schiff reportedly letting the posse in.

The group had earlier been attempting to get interviews in the Cannon House Office Building but were removed due to a lack of proper press credentials.

Those detained in addition to Smigel have been named as Jake Plunkett, Allison Martinez, Tyrone Dean, Stephen Romond, Nicoletta Green, Brendan Hurley, Josh Comers and David Feldman.

According to her LinkedIn page, Allison Martinez is an associate producer on Colbert's popular late night comedy talk show.

While on his page, Jake Plunkett is listed as a senior producer and director on the program.

Robert Smigel performs as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog in the hallways outside the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol hearing in the Cannon House Office Building

Brendan Hurley is a prop master on the show and has worked with Colbert since the host's Comedy Central show, 'The Colbert Report.'

Josh Comers is a Brooklyn-based comedian and writer.

David Feldman is a writer and comedian who previously worked on 'Real Time with Bill Maher' and 'The Daily Show.'

On his website, Feldman made no reference to his arrest but said that he was returning to New York City after filming with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog whom he referred to as his 'boss.' Feldman joked: 'He's tough, but fair.'

A CBS spokesperson told DailyMail.com that the members of the team were detained following their final interview after they stayed behind to film 'comedy elements in the halls.'

The spokesperson said that the interviews were authorized and pre-arranged through congressional aides.

The team were filming at the Capitol on June 15 and 16, the spokesperson said.

Colbert staffer Nicoletta Green was among those arrested. She has worked on the show since September 2020

Prop coordinator Brendan Hurley has been with Colbert since the host's Comedy Central show, 'The Colbert Report'

Colbert pictured with senior producer Jake Plunkett

Citing a congressional source, Fox News Jesse Watters said on a broadcast that the group gained access to the building from Democratic congressmen Rep. Adam Schiff of California and Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts.

During an appearance on Watters' show, Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois said that the group were banging on the doors of fellow Republicans Rep. Jim Jordan and Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

Davis also told Watters: 'We just found out about the arrest today, and Im going to make sure when we get back to Washington next week, we are going to ask the questions that need to be asked. We will ask the security officials why these arrests had to be made.'

The House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack public hearings have featured heavily on Colbert's show in recent days.

On Wednesday, the host made light of reputed Proud Boy leader Joseph Biggs requesting to have his trial moved from Washington DC due to media attention.

The group had earlier been attempting to get interviews in the Cannon House Office Building but were removed due to a lack of proper press credentials

Colbert's crew were filming outside the offices of GOP reps Kevin McCarthy, left, who's the House Minority Leader and Lauren Boebert. It's unclear what they were doing, but it may be related to the ongoing January 6 riot hearings being held at Congress

Biggs' lawyers specifically mentioned Colbert's show in documents. Colbert joked: 'They want to move the trial to some place where The Proud Boys have a better reputation. Like 1930s Berlin.'

According to a statement from capitol police: 'On June 16, 2022, at approximately 8:30 p.m., U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) received a call for a disturbance in the Longworth House Office Building.'

'Responding officers observed seven individuals, unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway.'

The statement continued: 'The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day.'

'They were charged with Unlawful Entry. This is an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges after consultation with the U.S. Attorney.'
Thrillseekers at Europe's largest funfair were left hanging 131ft up in the air for over 15 minutes after the ride they were on broke down.

Newcastle welcomed The Hoppings week-long funfair to the Town Moor on Friday for the first time in three years, but did not come without its day-one hiccups.

The popular ride, Speed Buzz, left fair goers stranded almost 40metres up in the air after experiencing 'technical difficulties'.

The incident on the two-car, four-seater ride which rotates at a high speed happened within just three hours of opening doors to the public.

Staff at the Newcastle funfair were said to be desperately trying to correct the problem which happened at around 4pm.

One person, who was on the ride with their friend when it stopped 131ft up, said: 'We went up to the top but then we were stuck there for about 15 minutes.

Thrillseekers at Europe's largest funfair, The Hoppings in Town Moor, Newcastle, were left hanging 131ft up in the air for over 15 minutes after the Speed Buzz ride (pictured) broke down

'We didn't know what was happening but then someone said the bracket had broke.

"[My friend] was already scared to go on in the first place but I persuaded him to go on. He was white as a sheet, he was terrified,' they told ChronicleLive.

Another rider, who was on Speed Buzz before it broke down, said: 'I said to him before he went on the ride that the brackets were going to break, I was only joking, I didn't expect it to actually happen.'

Those on the ride reported that they were 'left tilted in their seats'. Once they were taken off the ride, staff did not allow anyone back on until they were sure it was safe to do so, following some test runs.

Riders and those who waited in line for Speed Buzz got a full refund of 5 after the incident.

Newcastle welcomed The Hoppings week-long funfair to the Town Moor (pictured) on Friday for the first time in three years, but did not come without its day-one hiccups. The popular ride, Speed Buzz, left fair goers stranded almost 40metres up in the air after experiencing 'technical difficulties'

Another person who was in the queue, said: 'We were waiting in the line to get on but we were given a refund because they said it was broken. Some people have been suck up there for about 20 minutes.'

One other in line for the ride said they saw a girl crying as she sat 131ft up in the air.

The Hoppings, which is said to be Europe's largest funfair, opened at 1pm on Friday, and has promised a huge come back after a three-year hiatus from Newcastle.

They have listed live performances, a food village, new rides and the reappearance of older favourites for their 2022 week at the Town Moor.
VICTORIA'S NEW COVID RULES Face masks are no longer required in airport terminals. No visitor caps at residential aged care and disability facilities. People with Covid can drive household members to work and school. Workers in key sectors do not need a third vaccine dose. Employees can return to the office without two vaccine doses. Advertisement

Victoria has announced several Covid rules will be lifted next Saturday including most vaccine mandates and the need for masks in airports.

The Andrews Government announced on Saturday masks will no longer be required in airport terminals from 11.59pm on June 24.

Masks will remain mandatory on domestic flights, public transport, rideshare vehicle, hospitals, and care facilities.

The third vaccine mandate for workers in education, quarantine accommodation, food distribution and meat and seafood processing have now been lifted.

Visitor caps at residential aged care and disability facilities will also be scrapped but visitors will still be required to return a negative RAT test.

People who are infected with Covid will still be required to isolate for seven days but can drive other household members to school or work as long as the infected person does not leave the vehicle.

General employees will no longer be required to work from home if they aren't double vaccinated.

Masks will no longer be required in Victorian airport terminals but remain mandatory on domestic flights (pictured, Melbourne Airport)

Employers can still implement their own vaccine policies.

However employees in health and care sectors will still be required to have at least one booster shot - three vaccine doses.

Earlier this week the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) recommended mask mandates be lifted in airport terminals.

People infected with Covid will still be required to isolate for seven days but can drive other household members to work and school, so long as the infected person does not leave the car

The Andrews Government's new rules are in line with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee updated recommendations from earlier this week (pictured, Dan Andrews)

'The AHPPC notes all states and territories have relaxed mask mandates in most settings within the community and considers that it is no longer proportionate to mandate mask use in airport terminals,' the AHPPC said on Tuesday.

Health Minister Martin Foley said some rules needed to remain so hospitals didn't become overwhelmed through winter.

'Modest changes to our public health measures will keep Victorians protected as we continue to safely lift mandates and support businesses and individuals to begin to manage their own Covid risk,' he said in a statement.

The lifting of more Covid restrictions is significant in Victoria given its capital, Melbourne, became the most locked down city in the world last year after racking up 245 cumulative days over six lockdowns.
Holidaymakers heading to Spain or Portugal this summer are the most likely to face flight cancellations an expert has warned as Gatwick Airport announced plans to cut thousands of flights.

About 4,000 flights to various destinations will be cancelled with Spain and Portugal expected to be the worst hit.

This comes as Gatwick bosses was accused of 'panicking' holiday-goers yesterday after it made the shock announcement.

Gatwick Airport is expected to cancel up to 4,000 flights this summer because of staff shortages. Spain and Portugal will be among the worst hit

The airport said that because of staff shortages, schedules will be reduced allowing passengers to experience a more reliable and better standard of service.

The consumer watchdog Which? said the decision was sensible.

However, it criticised the airport for making the announcement before having agreed with airlines which flights would be cancelled.

Gatwick bosses are planning to limit its number of daily flights to 825 in July and 850 in August, compared with a reported 900 a day during the same time period in previous years.

Spain and Portugal will be most affected, experts fear  especially the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and the Algarve.

The Government is encouraging all airports to review the feasibility of their flight schedules.

But last night, other major airports such as Manchester and Stansted signalled they would not impose a cap.

Paul Charles, chief executive of the PC Agency travel consultancy, told The Daily Telegraph: Its inevitable flights to Spain will be the worst hit.

Schedules will be reduced as Gatwick bosses are planning to limit its number of daily flights to 825 in July and 850 in August. The consumer watchdog Which? criticised the airport for making the announcement before having agreed with airlines which flights would be cancelled

Its very frustrating for consumers. The pressure is now on Gatwick and the airlines to cancel these flights urgently because airlines will be wanting to reduce the compensation.

If they give over two weeks notice, they dont have to pay compensation. Gatwick boss Stewart Wingate said: By taking decisive action now, we aim to help ground handlers and airlines better match their flying programmes with their resources. The majority of flights will operate as normal. Passengers can expect a more reliable service.

EasyJet said it expected to be able to re-accommodate the majority of customers whose flights are being affected.

BA and Wizz Air are also reported to have agreed to bring in the restrictions.

However, Ryanair said it did not have plans to cancel Gatwick flights and said the airport should be looking to the airlines who are already making mass cancellations across the UK for these cuts.

Rory Boland, Which? travel editor, said: This is the sensible thing to do.

But Gatwick has panicked customers because people flying over the summer are worried whether their flights will be cancelled.

It would have been more sensible to talk to the airlines first and make sure affected passengers know as well.

A No 10 spokesman said: We want everybody to be able to travel freely and easily, which is why we continue to encourage the industry to step up their recruitment so they can put on enough flights for families who are looking forward to well-deserved holidays after the pandemic.
A glamorous property manager attempted to blackmail a wealthy businessman out of $150,000 after he 'ghosted' her on a sugar daddy dating website.

Rachel Roche, 40, was charged in 2020 for the attempted blackmail of the Perth businessman earlier that year after he suddenly ceased contact with her.

The man cannot be named due to a nationwide suppression order.

Rachel Roche (above), 40, has been given a 18-month suspended jail sentence for attempting to blackmail $150,000 from a Perth businessman after he 'ghosted' her on a sugar daddy dating website

Roche said she was trying to find a 'father figure' for her children in late 2019 on a popular dating website: Seeking Arrangement.

Seeking Arrangement is widely known as a sugar daddy dating site.

Perth's District Court heard on Thursday that Roche was under the impression the businessman was single and was shocked to see a photo of him wearing a wedding ring next to a WA minister, Perth Now reports.

When Roche confronted the man about the woman in the photo he confirmed it was his wife but said he planned to leave her soon.

Roche said she was looking for a 'father figure' for her children on infamous sugar daddy dating website Seeking Arrangement when she met the businessman

'She stupidly believed him,' Roche's defence lawyer Linda Black said.

However the businessman suddenly 'ghosted' (ceased contact with) Roche.

Roche was devastated and suffering from an illness she believed to be a sexually transmitted disease from the man.

'She was angry and of course, she has behaved not only inappropriately, but unlawfully,' Ms Black said.

Roche (above) later found out the man she had been dating was already married and when she confronted him about it he blocked her on all social media

On January 3 Roche began her blackmail campaign against the businessman and over the course of four days sent nine threats to his work email address.

She demanded the man pay her $150,000 otherwise she would publicise their affair.

Roche also ordered the man to pay an extra $50,000 for each day past her deadline.

She signed off one of the extortion emails with a #metoo.

Perth's District Court heard on Thursday that Roche had been left 'devastated and angry' by the man's sudden disappearance and threatened to publicise their affair if he did not pay her $150,000

Prosecutor George Brett said the emails put the man in an extreme situation where he had a 'significant amount to lose'.

'He was in a Catch-22, either he would pay or risk his affair being disclosed,' he said.

'And there is a degree of spite and vindictiveness, and an element of greed.'

Judge Vernon said Roche would not be immediately jailed for her actions but should have known she was doing wrong.

'You are not young, you should have known better. And you obviously threatened him with something that mattered to him  exposure,' she said.

Roche was sentenced to 18 months suspended jail time.
Vice President Kamala Harris has argued that there is no conflict between religious faith and support for national protections for abortion, as the Supreme Court is poised to issue a major ruling that could curtail abortion rights.

Harris, a practicing Baptist from a multi-faith family background, told reporters on Friday that she had 'convened faith leaders' to discuss the abortion issue from a religious perspective.

'For those of us of faith, I think that we agree, many of us, that there's nothing about this issue that will require anyone to abandon their faith, or change their faith,' she said, referring to abortion.

'It's simply saying that the government should not have the ability to decide what an individual does with her own body -- let her make that decision with her pastor or her rabbi, or whoever she consults,' added Harris. 'But it should not be the government making that decision.'

Vice President Kamala Harris argued on Friday that there is no conflict between religious faith and support for national protections for abortion

Harris, whose mother was a Hindu immigrant from India, was raised attending a Baptist church in Oakland, California.

She has said in interviews that she still regularly attends church and professes a Christian faith. Her husband Doug Emhoff is Jewish, making him the first Jewish spouse of a vice president.

Many anti-abortion activists do cite their religious faith in opposing the termination of pregnancies. The Catholic Church, for example, classifies abortion as a grave sin, holding that human life begins at conception and must be respected.

However, many prominent Catholics -- notably including President Joe Biden -- have spoken in favor of keeping abortion legal nationwide.

On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat and a practicing Catholic, also addressed the issue of religious faith and abortion after she was banned from taking communion by a bishop in her native San Francisco.

'Whatever I agree with the pope on is not necessarily what public policy should be in the United States as people make their own judgements, honor their own responsibilities, attend to the needs of their families.'

Harris, who was raised Baptist and still attends church regularly, is seen on a campaign stop at a Michigan church during the 2020 campaign

Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, are seen at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Friday, paying respects to the victims of a 2018 mass shooting

'Let me just say this. A woman has a right to choose to live up to her responsibility. It's up to her, her doctor, her family, her husband, her significant other and her God. This talk of politicizing all of this, I think, is something uniquely American and not right,' she added.

'Other countries, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, have had legislative initiatives to expand a woman's right to choose - very Catholic countries. I'm a very Catholic person, and I believe in every woman's right to make her own decisions.'

The dioceses of San Francisco; Santa Rosa, California; Tyler, Texas and Arlington, Virginia have all banned Pelosi from receiving Communion.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, Pelosi's home district, has been forceful on this issue and wrote Pelosi a letter banning her from the sacrament.

On Sunday Pelosi was spotted at Mass in Washington, D.C. where she did receive Holy Communion.

On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat and a practicing Catholic, also addressed the issue of religious faith and abortion

A leaked Supreme Court draft opinion indicates that the court could overturn Roe vs. Wade in a ruling that is likely to come by the end of June

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a landmark ruling in the coming weeks that would hand regulation of abortion back over to the respective states, a draft of which was leaked in an unprecedented move last month.

Emotions have run high since the Politico news organization published the draft abortion decision authored by conservative Justice Samuel Alito on May 2.

Since then, protesters have rallied outside the homes of some of the conservative justices.

A California man named Nicholas Roske, carrying a handgun, ammunition, a crow bar and pepper spray, was charged with attempted murder after being arrested on June 8 near Justice Brett Kavanaugh's Maryland residence.

After the leak, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, known for his criticism of the Roe ruling, said on May 6 at a legal conference in Atlanta that the court should not be 'bullied into giving you just the outcomes you want.'

The abortion ruling will come in a case involving a Republican-backed Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy that was struck down by lower courts as a violation of the Roe precedent.
An eight-month-old boy was allegedly starved of food and fluids for 21 hours while his mother was high on methamphetamine before he died, a court has heard.

Dexter Wilton was found dead at a home on Sonter Street at Raceview in Ipswich, south-west Brisbane, on June 21, 2019.

His mother Natalie Jade Whitehead, 36, and her partner Andrew William Campbell, 42, were charged over his murder and faced Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday.

The court heard Whitehead had put her baby to sleep at 8.30pm, got high on drugs with her partner, and then checked on Dexter at 5.30pm the following day.

An eight-month-old boy was allegedly starved of food and fluids for 21 hours while his mother was high on methamphetamine before he died, a court has heard

His mother Natalie Jade Whitehead, 36, and her partner Andrew William Campbell, 42 (pictured), were charged over his murder and faced Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday

Dexter Wilton was found dead at a home on Sonter Street at Raceview in Ipswich, south-west Brisbane, on June 21, 2019

Judge Lincoln Crowley said Whitehead allegedly first disposed of her syringes in her neighbour's trash before phoning triple zero, Brisbane Times reported.

'She and Mr Campbell bathed the children, changed them into fresh nappies, and threw out the bag of rubbish [in a neighbour's bin] with dirty baby clothing and nappies,' Judge Crowley said.

'[They told] the neighbour not to tell the police about it. The bag also contained dirty syringes as well as other drug paraphernalia.'

Prosecutor Matt Le Grand told the court the home was found in a 'state of squalor' with Whitehead holding Dexter and crying on a mattress.

The court heard an expert pediatrician had provided evidence Dexter had been malnourished for several days.

'Whitehead must have likely known by inference that her child would likely die by lack of care,' Le Grand said.

Whitehead was charged with one count each of murder and misconduct with a corpse, as well as six counts of failure to supply the necessities of life (pictured, bicycle and children's equipment found at the Ipswich home)

Whitehead was charged with one count each of murder and misconduct with a corpse, as well as six counts of failure to supply the necessities of life.

She was also charged with one count of unlawful weapon possession - the offence is unrelated to Dexter's death.

Campbell was also charged with one count each of murder and misconduct with a corpse, as well as four counts of failure to supply the necessities of life.

Judge Crowley rejected Whitehead's application for bail that was submitted to the court.

Whitehead and Campbell will front Ipswich Magistrates Court on July 27.
Breakthrough Australian research has found the major causes behind one of the mysterious symptoms experienced by sufferers of long Covid - the mental impairment caused by 'brain fog'.

By identifying the nerve toxin responsible for the fuzziness in the brain experienced by long Covid sufferers, doctors say they will be able to trial potential treatments for the condition and possibly discover new treatments for other cognitive injuries.

However, the new research also points to some grim realities for those already suffering from brain fog until treatment becomes available.

Long Covid is the broad description for a range of longer term conditions suffered by some people who have been infected with the Covid-19 virus and includes fatigue, fever, joint pain, cough, headache and difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly.

Researchers have proven brain fog is a real affliction and have located what they believe to be its source in the body during studies of long Covid patients

Bruce Brew, a neurologist at St Vincent's Hospital and the University of New South Wales, made the discovery with colleagues while the studying the effects of long Covid.

Their work proves brain fog is a real condition.

'It validates that there is an organic basis for the cognitive impairment and gives us that target - in the past there's been some controversy about long Covid and its related cognitive impairment,' Dr Brew told Daily Mail Australia.

'It gives us an explanation as to what the basis of the cognitive impairment is and it gives us a target.'

Brain fog refers to problems with memory, attention and executive function related to other long Covid symptoms.

Doctor Bruce Brew (pictured) found the nerve toxins behind brain fog and said the long process of trialing for treatments can now begin

'There are some drugs that are being developed and trialed on other diseases that can have an effect on this pathway. It gives us the opportunity to look at it much more carefully and perhaps explore other therapeutic options.

'These things (trialling cures) are always frustratingly slow but having a target, hopefully we'll be able to fast track this with the support of other researchers around the world...

In a St Vincent's study of 128 patients over 12 months researchers found the cognitive impacts of long Covid can last for longer than a year, and for some may even be permanent.

The study found one in five of the patients had cognitive issues which could be traced back to one particular pathway in the body.

When infected, the Kynurenine pathway  responsible for balances of energy, mood and the immune system  can raise the level of two chemicals to detrimental affect.

Infections to the system can potentially result in a rise in quinolinic acid and 3 Hydroxyanthranilic Acid.

The nerve toxin originates after some 'bit' of the virus inhibits a crucial immune system response, with an increase in chemicals damaging nerve cells and later, brain cells

Doctor Brew said 'bits' of the virus which should have been cleared after the patient had recovered from Covid can continue to stimulate that pathway in the immune system and cause the problems associated with brain fog.

The pathway is designed to slow the immune system back down once it has completed a job.

'Its like someone is in a car park and they've got their foot on the accelerator  that's the immune system going into overdrive  and this pathway has got the foot on the brake, and the car is edging forward, but its doing a lot of damage to the brakes and to the car itself,' Dr Brew said.

Physical and mental exercises are used in long Covid clinics to help patients progressively regain their strength (pictured, Sydney's new clinic at St Vincent's Hospital)

The process can cause detrimental and potentially irreversible nerve damage.

'It injures the nerve cells and long enough exposure will kill some brain cells,' he said, which can lead to longer-term brain impairment resembling 'traumatic brain injuries'.

'We don't know to what extent patients with long Covid have fixed, irreversible damage as opposed to something that's in the repair phase against ongoing damage.'

Daily Mail Australia has previously reported revelations from Dr Brew's peers, with one top doctor at St Vincent's hospital saying he noticed those with more than five symptoms while infected with Covid were more likely to develop long Covid symptoms.

Dr Anthony Byrne also said even the young and fit aren't spared by the 'highly variable and quite debilitating' condition.

'I saw a high functioning, young individual, he was in a high-flying job, who got Covid in December and he hasn't been able to work since,' he said.

St Vincent's Hospital (pictured) opened a clinic in New South Wales to treat patients with long Covid and have been monitoring patients progress

That patient, Dr Byrne said, isn't able to work because he suffers sleep issues, crippling fatigue and his brain 'doesn't work properly'.

It leaves him unable to complete complex tasks and, some days, even find words.

Both Dr Byrne and Dr Brew have stressed that despite lifted lockdowns and easing restrictions, Covid isn't over yet, with its true impact coming beyond hospitalisations.

'I think it's a mistake to assess the impact of Covid on society just on the number of ICU admissions,' Dr Byrne said.

'Long Covid has a significant impact on the community and on individuals, and people do need to get vaccinated  it does seem to to lessen the issue of long Covid's presence and severity  and at the same time recognise its not the last thing we can do either. We need to stay sensible,' said Dr Brew.
More than 80,000 homes across Queensland have been left empty, prompting calls for action to be taken against those owners who don't rent them out.

The revelation comes as Australia experiences its worst rental crisis on record.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data revealed that 87,000 residential properties in Queensland weren't being rented out, while there were 577,000 across Australia, The Courier Mail reported.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data revealed that 87,000 residential properties in Queensland (pictured) weren't being rented out, while there were 577,000 vacant across Australia

Property expert Michael Matusik believes there should be new tax measures put in place to 'incentivise or penalise' owners to release the homes for rent.

'Around 29 per cent of investment properties are not rented out. They are sitting there vacant,' Mr Matusik said.

According to Urban Utilities, the Sunshine State's largest water provider, 19,500 houses in lower southeast Queensland had their water connection turned on.

However, it was discovered that there were no one living in those homes for many months.

Unitywater executive manager customer and community Katherine Gee said their numbers showed 2,104 houses had used 1,000 litres or less water over a 90-day period.

Ms Gee added: 'It is important to note that it cannot be categorically stated that these properties are 'vacant'.

'We operate in a desirable region and some of these properties may be holiday homes or homes that are occupied for only parts of the year.'

Property expert Michael Matusik believes there should be new tax measures put in place to 'incentivise or penalise' owners to release the homes for rent (pictured, Brisbane properties)

A spokeswoman for Mackay Regional Council said the figures for 'empty' apartments are harder to get given 'there are a significant number of residential units/complexes that feed off a single meter and it will depend if each unit/complex are separate parcels of land (lot and plan).'

Brisbane Mayor, Adrian Schrinner, reacted to the rental crisis by announcing 'significantly higher rates' for landlords who 'turned homes into mini hotels' including letting space through Airbnb.

'If owners have these properties in the market for a short term, that is their choice, but what they'll be facing now is a 50 per cent increase in their rates.

'We're excluding (those that rent out) individual rooms. This is about people who rent out the whole house.'

Queensland Council of Social Service CEO Aimee McVeigh said state funding had failed to keep pace with the housing crisis, and accelerated construction of social housing was needed, ABC News reported.

'We have more than 50,000 people on our social housing register. That has grown by almost 80 per cent in the last four years.'

Ms McVeigh added: 'In the last 20 years, Queensland's population has grown by about 48 per cent and the Queensland government is saying we're expecting an additional 1.4 million people into the state in the next decade.'

Brisbane experienced a rental price surge of 22 per cent over the past year to $610 a week, with units up 11.2 per cent to $430 a week, the latest SQM Research data discovered

There are vacancy fee penalties in place against international buyers who leave their real estate investments empty, which are enforced by the Federal Government.

Australian Taxation Office figures show there was $2.3m collected in penalties in 2021, $3.7m in 2019/20 and $1.8m in its first year of collection (2018/19).

Prosper Australia director of advocacy Karl Fitzgerald said foreign investors were not solely to blame for empty or under-utilised homes, with 'speculative vacancies' by Australian investors curbing supply and pushing prices higher, reported The Courier Mail.

He said governments needed to reduce incentives for short-term profiteering from housing.

Brisbane experienced a rental price surge of 22 per cent over the past year to $610 a week, with units up 11.2 per cent to $430 a week, the latest SQM Research data discovered.

The effects of the ongoing crisis caused one young family-of-four struggling to find a home to live in a tent after becoming homeless when the landlord sold their rental.

Sushannah Taylor, 20, (pictured) has been living in a tent with her two kids and husband after their rental property was sold last month

The family have been moving from campsite to campsite to find safe places to spend the night

Sushannah Taylor, 20, spends each day trying to find a suitable campsite in Bundaberg, Queensland, where she can stay the night with her husband Tristan, 22, and their two daughters Delilah, two, and six-month-old Luna.

Just last month, the family were stable and secure in their long-term rental home in Roma, six hours away, in the state's southwest.

'We had a nice little rental out in the country and we'd been there for about two years. But our landlord sold the house and we couldn't find another rental in time, plus our area had become unaffordable to rent in,' Sushannah told 7News.

The young family have tried to find homeless shelters in the area but have been told they are all full

'We miss out on a lot of nutrition, basic hygiene is difficult to maintain, it gets really overheated in the tent and then it gets really cold.'

The family are victims of the nation's crippling rental market as prices for properties skyrocket and availabilities shrink amid soaring demand.

Sushannah said they have exhausted all efforts to try and secure long-term accommodation and all the homeless shelters she has contacted are all full.

The couple have bond to move into a rental, she said, but there is no affordable housing and the market is extremely competitive.

The family have packed their lives into their car as they continue to search for a home and desperately try to find work

In the past year, rental costs in most capital cities have risen by double-digit percentages, with experts predicting they will only get worse as the rates rises at the fastest pace in more than a decade.

In April, a report by Anglicare Australia found only five out of 45,000 rentals were affordable for a single person on Jobseeker.
A popular Sydney school has been slammed as too 'woke' after it banned young students from playing outside before class.

Bondi Beach Public School reportedly banned outside play earlier this week in an effort to increase students' 'preparedness' before class.

A letter to parents left them infuriated with one anonymous parent saying: 'None of the parents I have come across at the school thinks no play outdoors before school is a good idea.'

Bondi Beach Public School has been accused for creating a 'prison situation' for young students after it banned outdoor play before classes

'There has been little discussion between the school principal about the restrictions or changes to when children can play in the school playground,' one parent told Sydney Morning Herald.

A spokesperson from the Department of Education said the ban would help students pay better attention during classes.

'The trial is one of a number of strategies Bondi Beach Public School has implemented to support positive classroom behaviour and learning,' the spokesperson told News.com.au.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said the ban would help improve students' classroom behaviour

'Other examples include having two breaks in the day of a similar length where children can engage in active play if they wish.'

However, local parents have remained adamant the play ban is creating a 'prison situation' for the students and called into 2GB Radio's afternoon host Jim Wilson to share their thoughts.

'The woke brigade is out of control, can we just let kids be kids?,' Wilson said.

'They need to spend energy and get physical activity and fresh air, not sitting inside waiting for the bell to go.

Parents have called for the ban to be lifted and accused the Sydney school of being too 'woke'

'Where's the Education Minister Sarah Mitchell on this and minister you've got to put an end to this madness! For goodness sake, let the kids play.'

'It's like a prison situation,' one upset mother said.

'All the fun has gone out.'
SRINAGAR: After Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah has declined to be the joint Opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.

Dr Abdullah stated on Saturday that J&K was at a "critical juncture" and that he wanted to help navigate his home territory through these "uncertain times."

At a meeting with the leaders of 17 Opposition parties in New Delhi on June 15, Trinamul president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had proposed the names of Dr Abdullah and Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and C. Rajagopalachari, as possible consensus Opposition candidate to contest the presidential elections.

In a signed statement issued here, Dr Abdullah, 84, said that he was honoured to have had his name proposed as a joint Opposition candidate for the office of President of India by Banerjee. He said that after his name was proposed by her, he has received a number of calls from the Opposition leaders offering their support for his candidature.

Dr Abdullah said, "Ive taken a few days to discuss this unexpected development with my family and senior colleagues. Im deeply touched by the support that Ive received and honoured to have been considered for the highest office in the country."

Declining the offer, Dr Abdullah said that he believed that J&K is passing through a critical juncture and his efforts are required to help navigate these uncertain times. "Ive a lot more active politics ahead of me and I look forward to making a positive contribution in the service of J&K and the country. Therefore, I would like to respectfully withdraw my name from consideration and I look forward to supporting the joint Opposition consensus candidate," he said.

Dr Abdullah thanked the Trinamul Congress chief for proposing his name. He said, "Im very grateful to Mamata Didi for proposing my name. Im also grateful to all the senior leaders who offered me their support."
More illegal immigrants on a terror watch lift have been caught crossing the southern border so-far this year than during the last five years combined, figures reveal.

Since the fiscal year began in October, 50 migrants who appeared in the federal Terrorist Screening Dataset have been intercepted while trying to cross into the US between official checkpoints at the southern border, according to Customs and Border Patrol statistics.

That's up from just 15 for the 2021 fiscal year, three in 2020, none in 2019, six in 2018 and two in 2017 according to the enforcement statistics data released on Wednesday by CBP.

It comes as overall illegal border crossings surge to new records and President Biden is blasted for what many see as his lax attitude to illegal immigration, compared to Donald Trump's unashamedly hardline stance during his time in office.

In May, encounters at the southern border hit a new all-time high of 239,416, according to figures released earlier this week.

The number of migrants who appeared in the federal Terrorist Screening Dataset who were apprehended trying the cross the southern border unlawfully has surged in recent months

Smugglers look skyward as they are followed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter after transporting migrants across the Rio Grande river into the U.S. on Thursday

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said he believes that individuals with terror ties are attempting to take advantage of the chaotic situation on the border to sneak into the country.

'These aren't people that are coming here because they want to work at a hotel or a restaurant,' Brnovich told Fox News in an interview.

'These are people clearly that are using this crisis, this lack of border security in order to endanger our national security. And that's why we're seeing these unprecedented numbers.'

The subject of potential terror suspects using the southern land border to enter the US unlawfully has gained increasing attention in recent months.

CBP only resumed publishing its data on the subject last month, following pressure from Republican lawmakers.

Soon after President Joe Biden took office, CBP stopped posting updates on terror watchlist encounters, labeling the issue 'law enforcement sensitive'.

Lawmakers visited the United States border with Mexico in Texas and were given a tour by the National Border Patrol Council on Friday

In March, Republican Representatives James Comer and John Katko urged Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandra Mayorkas to publicly release the numbers of migrants who were stopped at the southern border and whose names are listed on the Terror Screening Database.

'It is no secret that terrorists and other bad actors attempt to exploit weakness in border security and vetting to enter the United States,' the lawmakers wrote.

'Reporting indicates that multiple individuals with terrorist ties have been recently apprehended after illegally crossing the border, and that such encounters may be increasing. The American people deserve to know whether President Biden's weak border policies are allowing terrorists to enter our homeland.'

In December - which is part of the ongoing 2022 fiscal year - U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Yuma Sector busted a 21-year-old Saudi Arabian national with ties to a Yemeni terror group.

While the man's name was not released, the sector confirmed him 'as a positive match linked to several Yemeni subjects of interests.'

In an unusual twist, the suspect was wearing a volunteer paramedics jacket from an ambulance company in Central Oneida County, New York.

Homeland Security officials have said that border resources are exhausted when agents face 5,000 migrants per day. Last month, they saw nearly 8,000 per day.

Border agents say there were a higher-than-usual number of repeat crossings in May due to the fact that migrants expelled under Title 42, a pandemic-era restriction currently tied up in court, face no legal repercussions if they try to cross again.

The number of unique individuals attempted to cross in May was 177,793, and 25 percent of those stopped by agents had attempted to cross at least once before in the prior 12 months, according to CBP. The average re-encounter rate prior to Title 42 was 15 percent.

Most migrants attempting to cross in May were not families but single adults - 69 percent.

And unlike previous months, Title 42 is no longer the main authority under which migrants are expelled, only 42 percent of migrants were removed under the CDC's health order.

Most of the migrants expelled under Title 42 were single adults - only about one in six who came in families with children under 18 were subject to Title 42. Unaccompanied children are exempt from the rule.

Fifty-eight percent were expelled under Title 8. Under Title 8, a U.S. immigration policy used when migrants who try to cross unlawfully cannot establish any 'credible fear' basis for being in the country. DHS has said it will expand use of Title 8 once Title 42 is gone.

The Biden administration planned to end Title 42 on May 23 but a federal judge in Louisiana blocked the move three days before.

Migrants have been expelled more than 2 million times without a chance to seek asylum since the rule took effect in March 2020.
The mother of a Bandidos bikie enforcer is continuing to fight for her son's remains after his long-term girlfriend claimed he wanted her in charge of his funeral.

Ricky Chapman, 32, died on April 20 after suffering a medical episode while working at Rio Tinto's port in Cape Lambert, 1,500km north of Perth.

Since his death his mother, Suzanne Britt, and girlfriend, Stacey Schoppe, have been locked in a battle for his remains and the right to hold his funeral.

Former Bandidos bikie enforcer Ricky Chapman (above) 32, died on April 20 after suffering a medical episode while working at Rio Tinto's port in Cape Lambert, 1,500km north of Perth

Chapman's girlfriend Stacey Schoppe (above) initially started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for his funeral before Chapman's mother, Suzanne Britt, filed to take custody of his remains

Last week Ms Schoppe was granted permission to organise Chapman's funeral by a Supreme Court judge, The West reports.

The court heard Chapman and Ms Schoppe had been in a 'marriage-like' relationship and had once been expecting a child together.

However, Chapman's mother, Ms Britt, filed an appeal the following day to release Chapman's body into her custody and give her the authority to organise his funeral.

The urgent appeal hearing has been set for next week.

Suzanne Britt (above) has said there is no proof Ms Schoppe and Chapman were in a 'marriage-like' de facto relationship and is seeking permission to organise Chapman's funeral

The Office of the State Coroner has been listed as a party in the case despite already ruling in Ms Schoppe's favour.

Chapman's death came just 16 months after he survived being hit by the same assassin's bullet that killed Rebels bikie boss Nick Martin's at Perth Motorplex in December, 2020.

Ms Schoppe, who is also Martin's stepdaughter, initially started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for his funeral.

She raised thousands of dollars for his funeral but those plans were soon halted after Chapman's mother, Suzanne Britt, took the matter of who had the right to organise his funeral to court.

Ms Schoppe (right) and Chapman (left) began dating in late 2019 but Ms Britt said they had been broken up for some five months when her son died

Chapman did not have a will at the time of his death.

Ms Schoppe and Chapman began dating in late 2019 but Ms Britt said they had been broken up for some five months when her son died.

Ms Britt said there was no evidence the couple had been in a 'marriage-like' de facto relationship before Chapman's death and alleges they broke up in November, 2021.

She said Chapman had at one point been staying at the Rendezvous Hotel in Scarborough without Ms Schoppe.

Chapman (above) died while working at Rio Tinto's port in Cape Lambert, 1,500km north of Perth after suffering a medical episode, just days after he sought medical treatment for epilepsy

Ms Schoppe wrote in a victim impact statement her relationship with Chapman had 'ended under the pressure' of a shooting that killed her stepfather, Martin.

Ms Schoppe responded to these claims with a sworn affidavit stating she was in a de facto relationship with Chapman and he had been 'excited' to be a father before she lost their child in a miscarriage.

'Mr Chapman was excited when he found out they were pregnant and devastated when Ms Schoppe miscarried, which indicated they did intend to create a family in a marriage-like relationship,' Justice Curthoys said.

He noted the couple may have broken up between November and December of last year but that didn't mean the relationship completely ended.

Ms Schoppe said it was Chapman's wish that she arranged his funeral and was granted custody of his remains by the Supreme Court before Ms Britt's appeal

Ms Schoppe told the court she would be honouring Chapman's wish by arranging his funeral.

'I'm only here because Ricky told me what he wanted, otherwise I would be happy for him to go to his mum,' she said.

'He did a lot of jail and spent a lot of time in misery and I just wanted him to have what he wanted for once.'
The New South Wales state government is set to spend millions on making public spaces and workplaces safer for women in next week's state budget.

Women's Safety Minister Natalie Ward says the government is prioritising her portfolio and will spend $30million over two years installing CCTV and lighting along parks and pathways.

'Women travelling in the dark know that sometimes we take extra precautions,' she said on Saturday.

'This program seeks to address both the symptoms, as well as the cause of why so many women feel unsafe in our cities, especially after dark.'

Pilots will be conducted in The Rocks in Sydney's CBD, Parramatta Park in the city's west and up to eight other locations to be announced later.

Treasurer Matt Kean says the state wants to hear from women about unsafe areas and will set up a taskforce to advise where street lighting should be upgraded or cameras installed.

Women's Safety Minister Natalie Ward will spend $30million over two years installing CCTV and lighting along parks and pathways

Women's safety and economic participation are key focuses of Tuesday's budget, Mr Kean's first.

One barrier to improving both is workplace harassment and the government has allocated $4.8million to combat it via a new taskforce involving regulator SafeWork NSW.

'Sexual harassment should have no place in our community and it certainly should have no place in our workplaces,' Mr Kean said.

The funding will include money allocated for more CCTV cameras and lighting in public parks

He says the government is committed to implementing recommendations from the Australian Human Rights Commission's Set The Standard report, which reviewed Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces.

Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos says the SafeWork taskforce will educate employers and make sure they take the necessary steps to eradicate harassment, especially in male-dominated industries.

'When women experience sexual harassment in the workplace, they're less likely to be productive and that workplace is more likely to experience staff turnover,' she said.

An additional $4.8million will go to a new taskforce involving regulator SafeWork NSW

Specific guidance will be provided for small businesses lacking the human resources staff of larger companies.

Some $69million will also go to support services for domestic violence survivors to provide safe pathways out of abuse.

Continued funding will help improve integration between survivors, families and support services, says survivor and advocate Amanda Morgan.

'This injection of money is so important.

'The programs exists, we don't need to recreate the wheel ... but they need to go on.'

Attorney-General Mark Speakman also on Saturday announced upgrades to courts and funding to support past and future legislative changes.

A further $18million will continue upgrades to audio-video links, which can help reduce trauma for survivors in domestic and family violence matters.

Another $8million over four years will go to specialist court officers to ask questions on behalf of people representing themselves in those matters.

The government banned direct cross examination of witnesses by self-represented accused in domestic violence cases last year.

Mr Speakman says cross examination is an important part of a fair system but has to be balanced against the trauma it can cause.

Some $700,000 will also help prepare the judiciary and police for the criminalisation of coercive control.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been warned to stay indoors as dense black smoke from a burning electricity substation overwhelms residents south of Sydney.

A Transgrid depot at Dapto near the Tallawarra Power Station, on the shores of Lake Illawarra, burst in flames in dramatic scenes after reports of explosions ringing out on Saturday afternoon.

The blaze took the Tallawarra station, which supplies up to 200,000 homes in NSW, offline for two hours, causing customers to go without power on a chilly afternoon.

The fire, believed to have been ignited when oil supplies caught fire at the Dapto substation, forced major disruptions to Shellharbour Airport 90 minutes south of Sydney.

A Transgrid depot near the Tallawarra Power Station on the shores of Lake Illawarra, burst in flames in dramatic scenes after reports of explosions ringing out on Saturday afternoon

Hundreds of thousands of people have been warned to stay indoors as dense black smoke from a burning power station overwhelms residents south of Sydney

Fire and Rescue NSW responded to 'numerous' triple-0 calls about explosions at the plant followed by huge plumes of smoke in the aftermath.

NSW ambulance attended the scene, just off Yallah Road, and it was later reported nobody was harmed in either the explosions of the fire.

Hundreds of thousands of Wollongong and Unanderra residents were urged to stay indoors because of smoke from the raging blaze.

'Large volumes of smoke from the fire are impacting the Wollongong and Unanderra areas,' warned Fire and Rescue NSW on social media.

YALLAH | #FRNSW Update 1 - Large volumes of smoke from the fire are impacting the Wollongong and Unanderra areas. Residents are urged to stay indoors with windows and doors closed until the air quality has improved. #StaySafe  Fire and Rescue NSW (@FRNSW) June 18, 2022

'Residents are urged to stay indoors with windows and doors closed until the air quality has improved.'

The fire service sent 16 trucks and 60 firefighters to the site where it is understood more than 1,000 litres of oil caught on fire.

It is thought the huge fire could burn for up to four days.

High voltage power lines are believed to have been damaged by the blaze.

The ABC reported one transformer at the substation was fully alight while a second was under threat.

The fire was initially reported as at the Tallawarra Power station, a gas-fired power station at Yallah Bay owned by EnergyAustralia.

But the company's spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia Tallawarra is not on fire.

'One of the redundant transformers at Dapto substation has mechanically failed resulting in a contained oil fire,' Transgrid said in a statement.

The fire service sent 16 trucks to the Illawarra substation where it is understood more than 1,000 litres of oil caught on fire

The Transgrid spokesperson said the fire 'will not impact the electricity supply to customers'.

But a statement from Energy Australia said 'The incident resulted in Tallawarra power station coming offline for around 2 hours.'

'The team at Tallawarra safely returned the plant to service at around 5:15pm where we will be there to support the evening peak.'

Transgrid operates and manages the high voltage electricity transmission network in NSW and the ACT.

Despite the health warnings from Fire and Rescue NSW, Transgrid said in its statement 'The smoke emanating from the site is not toxic.'

'It's a biggy,' Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry told the Illawarra Mercury.

'We can't do anything until we get the confirmed power isolated.'

Fire crews were trying desperately to extinguish the blaze on Saturday evening.
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Royal Ascot punters made sure they stayed hydrated by downing drinks at the racecourse yesterday, as people around the country revelled on the hottest night of the year while could, with temperatures forecast to drop today.

As the country recovered from the sweltering heat which drew people in their thousands to the coast, people inland found their own ways of having fun and keeping cool.

Racegoers at Royal Ascot, which loosened its dress code due to the heat, had buckets of fun as they spent the day enjoying the horse racing in the glorious sunshine.

It all became a bit much for some people, with pictures showing some having to sleep off their exertions with a mid afternoon siesta.

Meanwhile, in Leeds groups of young revellers made the most of the weather and headed for a night out in the city centre dressed in skimpy clothing and downing pints.

It came after millions Britons basked in glorious sunshine as the mercury reached 90F (32.7C) in Santon Downham, in Suffolk, breaking the year-to-date record which was set only yesterday.

Overnight temperatures reached a muggy 66F (19C) in the South East, a stark contrast to further north where they remained in single digits in some areas.

However, the balmy weather looks set to come to an end, with forecasters predicting they could drop by as much as 25 degrees today as cooler air sweeps in from the Atlantic.

The BBC is predicting highs of 75F (24C) in London today, while the Met Office says large parts of the country will not see temperatures above 68F (20C).

A group of ladies at Royal Ascot, with one looking slightly worse for wear after a long day mixing alcohol and horse racing

This lady had to have a mid-afternoon siesta to try and sleep off the effects of her exertions at Royal Ascot on Friday, June 17

The long day of drinking and horse racing proved too much for some, with some racegoers having to have a lie down at the end of the day

This man needed to rest his head, deciding to do it on the asphalt of a car park at Royal Ascot on Friday afternoon while waiting for a lift home

The dress code at Royal Ascot was relaxed by organisers to mitigate the extreme heat. Pictured is a racegoer taking a rest after a long day at the event

A reveller in Leeds city centre enjoys a Friday night out on what was set to be the warmest night of the year so far after three days of extreme heat

A group of revellers pose the camera as they head for a night out in Leeds city centre last night after a day of sweltering temperatures

These ladies seemed to be having a fantastic night in Leeds city centre yesterday on what became the hottest day of the year so far

There had been suggestions that the all-time June temperature record of 96F (35.6C) could be under threat yesterday after a plume of warm air from the continent moved north.

However, temperatures fell just short of this as a slight southwesterly wind meant air was driven in from the cooler Atlantic Ocean, rather than continental Europe where Spain and France are in the grip of a historic heatwave.

That didn't stop people across the country enjoying the weather, with lidos across London packed early in the morning as swimmers enjoyed a pre-work dip in the hot weather, while large groups of sunbathers were seen sitting on Bournemouth beach as early as 8.30am.

The council in the Dorset town said that by 11.15am, all of its seafront car parks were full and the surrounding roads were 'very busy'.

Royal Ascot relaxed its dress code for the hot weather, allowing men to remove their ties and all spectators to bring in water and soft drinks - with both moves happening for the first time in the event's history.

The dress code was relaxed for the first time in 2017 when men were allowed to take off their jackets, while on another occasion racegoers were advised to wear boots on waterlogged ground, reported the Daily Telegraph.

After the glorious weather of the last three days, Saturday saw the return of the rain, with umbrellas a much-needed item at Royal Ascot

While Royal Ascot loosened the dress code to allow for the extreme heat on Friday, there was no such relaxation of the rules today as cooler weather moved in

Two women try to shelter from showers on day five of Royal Ascot today, as the rain moves in following three days of sweltering temperatures

However, other places have still had their fair share of sunshine on Saturday, with beachgoers in Weymouth, Dorset, enjoying fine weather

Sunbathers and families in Weymouth, Dorset, pictured today don't seem to mind the cooler temperatures as the sweltering heat dissipates

Meanwhile, rain and cloudy weather hit Manchester and parts of the north west of England, while parts Hull and the surrounding areas in the north east also experienced some showers.

People in the capital were pictured eating ice creams as early as 10am; police patrolled beaches in South Wales in plain clothes in a bid to spot 'concerning or predatory behaviour'; racegoers drank water as they waited to enter Royal Ascot; and a bus burst into flames at Streatham Hill in South London although the cause is not yet known.

Parts of the UK were hotter than Jamaica and the Maldives yesterday- but people in Northern Ireland, North West England and Scotland were warned to brace for cooler weather and rain.

And while many people were enjoying the glorious weather, experts fired warnings for people to be careful the heat and sun.

Dr Vikki Thompson, climate scientist at the University of Bristol's Cabot Institute for the Environment, said: 'Heatwaves are one of the most deadly natural hazards. In the UK, 3,000 deaths were linked to heatwaves in 2021.

'The health issues related to heat include direct effects, such as heat stroke and cardiovascular failure, and indirect effects including poorer mental health and an increase in accidents such as car crashes and drownings.'

Sadly one person is already through to have lost their life in the heatwave - a 37-year-old man died after 'getting into difficulty' in a lake at Pitville Park in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on Thursday evening.

Emergency services had been called to the park at 5.47pm on Thursday. Despite crews' best efforts to save the man, he was pronounced dead at the scene. His death is not currently being treated as suspicious.

These two women in Leeds appeared to be having a cracking night out on Friday, joining other revellers in enjoying the warm weather

This group of revellers in Leeds didn't wait for the sun to go down before starting a night of drinking and fun while in fancy dress

In a scene that was common in cities across the country yesterday, this group of revellers headed for a night out after the warm temperatures

With temperatures peaking at more than 32C yesterday, revellers in Leeds made the most of it before things cool down over the weekend

The heat is expected to lessen somewhat today according to forecasters, with the Met Office predicting relatively cool highs of 77F (25C) on the south coast today, with temperatures inland and on coastal areas further north staying below 68F (20C).

The scorching continental air will be pushed away with a cooler blast from the Atlantic on Saturday and Sunday with temperatures expected to drop to a low of around 59F (15C) by the end of Sunday.

The Met Office says tomorrow is likely to see rain in southern parts of England and the north, while other areas are expected to have sunny spells.

Meanwhile, a flood warning is in place in England and Scotland.

Spring tides have prompted a flood alert - which warns that flooding is possible - in south west London for the Tidal Thames riverside from Putney Bridge to Teddington Weir at 6.45am.

The heatwave seems to be well and truly over, with rain pouring down on people as they go for a punt on the River Cam in Cambridge today

After three days of scorching weather, the classic British summer is back with a bang, with punters forced to take cover under umbrellas on the River Cam today

Forecasters say today is expected to be 'cloudier and much cooler' across much of England and Wales, with some showers like this one in Cambridge

A Government statement said: 'River levels are expected to be high as a result of spring tides.

'Flooding of low-lying roads and footpaths is expected, which may exist for one to two hours either side of high tide. Flooding of properties is not expected.'

The alert is expected to be updated at 1pm on Saturday.

Meanwhile the Churchill Barriers, in the Orkey Islands, has a flood warning, which means flooding is expected, in place.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said road closures are likely around the time of high tide which is between 12.30am and 2am on Saturday.

It warned that further flooding could take place from 12.30pm and 2pm on Saturday.
An Aussie company is offering the rich a chance to come back from the dead with the country's first cryogenic freezer to hold corpses until science can revive them.

Southern Cryonics have set up a hi-tec facility in rural Holbrook, NSW, 500km south-west of the firm's Sydney HQ.

Participants will need to fork out a whopping $150,000 to be encased in liquid nitrogen at temperatures close to -200C in the steel chambers.

Interiors of chambers where bodies are incased (pictured in a U.S. facility) head first, feet up, get down to a frosty -196C

There are no guarantees nor refunds for those wishing to extend their life through the project

Their bodies will be submerged head first, feet up so the brain has the best chance of survival if the chamber happens to leak.

The not-for-profit organisation already has 40 spaces - with most reserved for its founders - to be filled in stage one of their project, but plans to add 600 more spots once additional warehouses are built.

Cryonics is the practice of preserving human bodies in extremely cold temperatures inside chambers - with the expectation medical technology in the future will be able to bring them back to life.

It promotes the idea that death is a gradual process and can be reversed if a dead body is frozen quickly enough.

The Holbrook facility (pictured) in NSW has 40 spots, most of them reserved for founders of Aussie firm Southern Cryonics

The facility (pictured) hopes to give participants a revival hundreds of years after their deaths

As soon as certain medical advancements are made in the future, participants may be able to be resuscitated, insists the Southern Cryonics website.

It hopes future medical technology will be able to repair the accumulated damage of ageing and disease at molecular level and restore the patient to health.

Yet there are no guarantees or refunds for those wishing to take the chance of extending their life with this project.

Previous participants lucked out in the late 1970s when the Cryonics Society of California president Robert Nelson walked away from a facility after funds ran out.

Nine bodies, which should have been preserved, were left to decompose, with families later filing a successful lawsuit against Mr Nelson.

The idea of a life able to be revived after being frozen for a length of time has largely been relegated to science fiction in scientific circles.

Dennis Kowalski, the president of the Cryonics Institute in the U.S. told Discover Magazine there are three challenges for future technology advancements to overcome.

Repairing the damage done by freezing, curing whatever ailment that killed the subject and reversing the ageing process will all be required so the person has a healthy body to enjoy their second chance at life.

Shannon Tessier, a cryobiologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital in the U.S. said the freezing process alone is a permanent death sentence.

'There is absolutely no current way, no proven scientific way, to actually freeze a whole human down to that temperature without completely destroying  and I mean obliterating  the tissue,' Ms Tessier said.

The Southern Cryonics facility (pictured is an architect's rendering) in NSW, 500km south west of Sydney, could grow to accomodate 600 more customers in years to come
A Tory MP says schoolchildren who call themselves transgender are going through 'nothing more than a phase' as he urges schools to 'push back' against campaigners.

Nick Fletcher, who made headlines when he claimed young men are being turned towards a life of crime because Dr Who is a woman, has sent letters to every school in his constituency.

He insisted a 'transgender lifestyle' is being glamorised in books and in the media and claimed he would stand up for head teachers who didn't indulge in the same way.

The MP for Don Valley in South Yorkshire said in his letter: 'I believe that quite simply boys are boys and girls are girls.

Tory MP Nick Fletcher says schoolchildren who call themselves transgender are going through 'nothing more than a phase' as he urges schools to 'push back' against campaigners

Mr Fletcher has often been outspoken over women taking traditionally male roles in films and television, most notably when Jodie Whittaker was named as the first female Dr Who, which he claimed was forcing young men towards a life of crime

Tory MP Mr Fletcher with Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a trip to Doncaster

'There are obviously some who may feel different to this.

'I recall that in my childhood there were girls who were viewed as 'Tomboys' and usually or probably prepubescent boys that liked the company more of girls, so this in itself is nothing new.

'What is new is the way it is now viewed. It appears from the media that it is now seen by our children and young people that they may be or actually are transgender when it comes to feelings of being a boy or a girl.

'Books which make this ideology acceptable to embrace and such media in all its forms that glamorise this transgender lifestyle are I'm afraid reaffirming something that is nothing more than a phase.

'I understand schools sometimes feel as though they have to be all things to all people and are afraid of being classed as transphobic.

'But please be assured that a push back on this is desperately needed and if you do I will stand up for you at all times and champion your resolve.'

Mr Fletcher has often been outspoken over women taking traditionally male roles in films and television, most notably when Jodie Whittaker was named as the first female Dr Who, which he claimed was forcing young men towards a life of crime.

The MP used a debate about International Men's Day to bemoan a lack of positive male role models on the big screen.

And he drew a link between crimes committed by young men with a slew of previously male on-screen roles shown in a positive light being taken on or replaced by women in the lead.

Among those he cited were Dr Who, the Ghostbusters - whose original all-male team was replaced by an all-female one for a 2016 reboot - and Luke Skywalker being replaced by Daisy Ridley's Rey.

He said that more positive male role models could help combat violence against women and girls, the vast majority of which is carried out by men and boys.

Last year, Mr Fletcher was caught out posting the same selfie for the third time to publicise a constituency visit after residents spotted Christmas trees in the background.

The selfie posted by Tory MP Nick Fletcher, 39, with Christmas trees and festive lights in the background

The MP apologised after constituents realised he posted the same selfie in December 2020 and September earlier this year

The Conservative posted a picture on his Facebook page that claimed was taken in the small town of Thorne, near Doncaster.

However, constituents quickly spotted Christmas trees and festive lights in the back of the photo, despite decorations not yet having been erected in the town this year.

The selfie, showing the MP smiling, is actually an old picture that he has posted to his social media on two previous occasions within the last year - leading to residents accusing him of faking the visit.

Mr Fletcher quickly apologised for the error claiming he had 'forgotten' to take a photo during the visit so, instead, used an older one.
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A famous part of the famous Blackpool Illuminations display which has stood for 60 years is to be removed after complaints that it is racist.

The tableau, dating back to the 1960s, is usually displayed on Blackpool's promenade and depicts six axe-wielding Native Americans wearing headdresses and gathered around a totem pole.

The town's world-famous light show dates back more than 140 years - but it came under fire last year after members of the Chickasaw Nation complained about it, saying the depiction 'reinforces racial sterotypes'.

A letter from a member of the tribe added the continued use of the tableau to date suggests the town 'supports racism' and isn't 'welcoming'.

The controversial installation features six Native American figures holding axes surrounding a traditional totem pole with two cactus plants in the background

The display will be put to bed and not appear in this year's illuminations - while the council work on creating a new installation that will 'celebrate' indigenous culture

Blackpool's world-famous light display draws thousands of visitors each year and holds a large 'switch-on' every year with celebrity guests

The display has a strong nautical theme and stretches along the coast line for four months of the year - but the light installations represent all sorts of themes and cultures, from fairies to modern art

Two separate tribe members approached Blackpool Council last year and criticised the 'Wild West' light display.

The complaint letter read: 'Caricatures such as these reinforce racial stereotypes of Native Americans as being primitive people who have no place in modern society,' The Telegraph reports.

'Showing  let alone promoting  such illuminations also does little to promote Blackpool as a welcoming community.

'Instead, it paints Blackpool as a community that supports racism and discrimination.

'Worse still, these illuminations are seen by hundreds of thousands of people each year, which means that they spread stereotypes to other communities in the UK and beyond.

'I would not expect such an exhibit to stand if it contained caricatures of Black, Asian or other peoples of colour; nor should it stand if it contains caricatures of the first peoples of the United States and Canada.'

The member of the Chickasaw Nation, who now lives in the UK with his family, also tweeted in September 2021 about the issue.

An aerial view of the city during the illuminations is quite something, and shows the display stretching for miles along the sea front and promenade

The Blackpool Illuminations began in 1879 when Blackpool became the first town to have electric street lighting - when people swarmed the town to look at the eight lights along the promenade. Now it has become famous world-wide for its thousands of LED lights

A member of the Chickasaw Nation complained to the council that the display showed the town to be unwelcoming, adding it 'paints Blackpool as a community that supports racism and discrimination'

Visitors can view the illuminations on train and tram tours which are often decorated to match the theme of the sea

Anthony Perry, an NHS manager and author, said: 'Hi Visit Blackpool, could you please explain why you've chosen to make Native American caricatures as part of your Blackpool Illuminations?

'As a Native American living in the UK, I find this deeply problematic.

'Would you do this to other BME people? Why us?'

His complaint letter also said he was 'deeply concerned about racism against Native peoples being celebrated through the Blackpool Illuminations.'

The letter continued: 'I was dismayed to see stereotypical Native peoples dancing before a totem pole on the Visit Blackpool site for the Blackpool Illuminations.

'Native Americans have long been caricatured - often in the name of 'honouring' them - as an attempt to erase our culture, redefine our history and assimilate us with Euro-centric ideals.

Mr Perry has met with Blackpool Council bosses to discuss the lights, and has called for them to be replaced by an artwork by a Native American artist.

But the council has defended the inclusion of the panel, and said the lights were 'designed and created many years ago and intended to be a celebration of different cultures'.

However, a council spokesman said that the continued use of the lights in upcoming years would be addressed.

Now the council has announced this part of the display will not feature this year - when illuminations will decorate the town from September until the beginning of January.

They added a replacement display will be created for the 2023 season, saying they are 'proud' to produce a new set of illuminations that 'celebrate' indigenous culture.

A spokesperson said: 'We are re-imagining the tableau for the 2023 Illuminations season with input from representatives of the Native American Network.

'We are looking to produce a new design that will celebrate indigenous culture. The current tableau will be rested for this season to enable that work to be undertaken.'

The Chickasaw Nation tribe are internationally recognised as indigenous Native Americans and originate from the state of Oklahoma. Members now live across the globe, and two UK residents complained to the council over the display

The Blackpool Illuminations began in 1879 when Blackpool became the first town to have electric street lighting.

Visitors came to marvel at Blackpool's Lights when just eight arc lamps bathed the Promenade.

The first 'modern' displays took place in May 1912 to mark the first royal visit made by Princess Louise to Blackpool.

It has since grown to become the largest free light exhibition in the world, according to Visit Blackpool.

This year will see the maiden outing of brand-new installation Odyssey, the biggest 3D piece in the Blackpool Illuminations to date.

Odyssey has been created by international designer Jack Irving in collaboration with a team of computer scientists from Lancaster University.

Standing almost 10 metres high, the installation comprises six large-scale structures that are combined with state-of-the-art technology to create an immersive and interactive projection show, themed on creatures from the deep sea.
Stella Artois has introduced a new five per cent lager after drinkers hit out at it for lowering the alcohol strength of its main brand.

The Belgian brewer has rolled out its new Stella Artois Unfiltered as its strongest available drink, less than two years after it dropped the strength of its original brand.

The pilsner-style beer is being marketed as an 'unfiltered premium lager' and reverses a trend of lowering alcohol levels.

It comes after drinkers were left furious when the brewer reduced the strength of its main brand from 4.8 per cent to 4.6 per cent in 2020.

The firm said the change had come due to 'health and wellness trends', and while customers hit out at the move, the brewer insisted it hadn't changed the taste.

Stella Artois says its new unfiltered beer (pictured) is five per cent alcohol strength, making it the strongest it has available

The firm was lambasted by drinkers after it lowered the strength of its main brand (pictured) to 4.6 per cent in 2020

Stella Artois: A timeline 1366: Brewing beer becomes an entrenched tradition in Leuven, Belgium. 1466: First valid reference of the Den Hoorn brewery. 1708: Sebastian Artois becomes an apprentice to head brewer Jacob de Bruyn at Den Hoorn. 1717: Sebastian Artois buys the brewery. 1726: Sebastian dies aged 45 and his wife, Barbara Hermans, runs the brewery. Sebastian's son, Adrian, then takes over for 50 years from 1733. 1840: Adrian's child, Jeanne Marie, leaves the Artois family's inheritance to their friend and brewery manager Albert Marnef. 1901: The business NV Brouwerijen Artois is created. 1923: The new 'Den Hoorn' brewery is opened, after the original one was destroyed around a decade earlier during the First World War. 1925: The drink is first brewed under the moniker 'X' and Stella Artois' name is registered for trademark one year later. 1960s: Beverage starts being exported to other European countries. 1993: The brewery in Leuven is opened. Source: Stella Artois Advertisement

On it's website, the brewer said the new unfiltered 'premium' lager has a 'naturally crisp and vibrant taste'.

It said: 'Our Belgian brewmasters honour the brewing methods of the past by creating this unfiltered premium lager. The absence of filtration allows the fresh flavours of malt and Saaz hops to burst through for a naturally flavourful taste.

'A naturally crisp and vibrant taste profile is encapsulated within this hazy, golden lager. It delivers malty notes and smooth refreshing finish. Perfectly complimented by a pleasant round, fruity hop aroma, with hints of ripe pineapple in background.'

The new beverage has become popular with drinkers wanting something a bit stronger, The Sun reports.

One fan writing on the Asda website, said: 'This tastes wonderful, and such an enjoyable flavour with no aftertaste and is the old Stella's five per cent alcohol volume.'

Another said: 'This is fantastic. Finally Stella is back to what it should be  at full strength. It's a fantastic comeback.'

It comes after drinkers blasted the brewer for watering down its main brand lager in September 2020.

Dorien Nijs, brew-master at the brand's brewery in Leuven, Belgium, said at the time: 'Stella Artois still has the same full flavour and clean crisp taste, confirmed through rigorous testing by consumers, as well as internal and external beer experts across the world, including in Leuven, Belgium, the home of Stella Artois.

'Stella Artois in the UK will still be brewed using the original Stella Artois yeast and celebrated Saaz hops, in Magor, Wales and Samlesbury, Lancashire using British barley.

'We know that taste and quality remain the number one priority for Stella Artois drinkers, and we also recognise an ongoing health and wellness trend through moderation.

'We are proud that we can now deliver the same Stella Artois taste people know and love, with an ABV of 4.6%.'

The firm, which started rolling out the change in September 2020, noted that sales of lagers with a 4.6 per cent alcohol content have been the fastest growing in premium and super premium beer in the UK - more than doubling over two years.

Sales of low and no-alcohol beers and wine have also seen enormous growth.

Alongside Budweiser and Becks, Stella's alcohol volume was also cut in 2012 from five per cent to 4.8 per cent as part of a shake-up that saved millions of pounds by offsetting duty hikes and cost increases.

The new unfiltered lager (pictured) is available in 660ml bottles, 12x330ml bottles and 6x330ml cans

Historically, the beer's alcohol content saw it linked to aggression and binge drinking, even gaining the unflattering 'wife beater' nickname.

The description proved so damaging that the brewer hired a PR firm to try improve its online reputation, which included attempts to change its Wikipedia page to remove the phrase.

Stella explained the change was in line with its commitment to responsible drinking.

It wanted to give people greater choice in how they can moderate alcohol intake without having to sacrifice on the taste.

However, the move was criticised by fans of the lager, who hit out at its 'bland and insipid' taste, while one said they initially thought they might have Covid due to the change.

One person wrote: 'A once great beer of the geezers. Now watered down to 4.6 per cent.

'Won't be buying this anymore, off to find another beer that is at least 5 per cent, or are the English not trusted with that anymore.

'First Becks, now Stella. Scandalous.'

Another said: 'Today I cracked open a can of Stella 4.6 per cent and thought I had Covid, since I could not taste anything.

'I then had a bottle of Budweiser Budvar which was spot on. Stella is now bland, insipid and already described as dishwater.'

The move has left some drinkers furious over its 'bland and insipid' taste, with one Briton even declaring they 'thought they had Covid' in a spate of one-star reviews on Tesco's website

A third raged: 'Shocked they have lowered Stella to 4.6pc now. Tastes rubbish.

'Such a shame, used to be a premium lager, now the only thing premium is the price.'

A fourth beer lover wrote: 'Can't believe it is down to 4.6 per cent which is a real joke for a 'premium' lager.

'If you are in store then check the packs as I know some are 4.8 per cent which is slightly better, but still not great.'

Leaving a one-star review, a drinker wrote: 'It was disappointing when they reduced it from 5.2% to 5%, then down to 4.8%. Was truly surprised to find they've now reduced it down to 4.6%.

'Tasteless, even compared to some supermarket brands. Would never have ordered these if I knew they were so watered down.'

The brand is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, commonly known as AB InBev, an American-Belgian brewing company that also owns brands such as Budweiser, Corona, Beck's and Boddingtons.
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Holidaymakers who endured airport chaos in the UK are facing huge delays in Ibiza where driver shortages are leading to massive taxi queues.

Travellers have struggled to secure taxis and public transport to their accommodation from Spanish airports, with chaotic scenes reported at Palma, Costa del Sol, Barcelona and Ibiza airports.

There are also lengthy queues at security desks.

It comes as an influx of UK holidaymakers opt for the EU nation for a getaway as covid restrictions continue to ease.

Travellers have struggled to secure taxis and public transport to their accommodation from Spanish airports

Chaotic scenes have been reported at Palma, Costa del Sol, Barcelona and Ibiza airports

The president of one of the taxi-driver associations, Biel Moragues, told the Majorca Daily Bulletin: 'In the short term, it is impossible to find a solution. It's madness.

'There aren't enough buses either. But everywhere is the same - Barcelona airport, Costa del Sol.

'Everything is being overwhelmed, it's unsustainable. This has never happened before. We can't handle all the traffic.'

He added that there is an estimated shortage of 500 taxi drivers in Mallorca and that in Ibiza, the problem is twice as bad.

The Spanish Government has also come under fire for the lengthy queuing times at its airports.

Authorities have pledged to assign more police officers to the airports to reinforce controls in a bid to bring down queuing times.

But the ACAVE association of specialised travel agencies in Spain has said more officers will not be enough to prevent lengthy queues and congestion at certain airports, which they claim have lasted up to three hours in some.

It comes as an influx of UK holidaymakers opt for the EU nation for a getaway as covid restrictions continue to ease

There are lengthy delays as tourists queue up to get a taxi or catch public transport to their Spanish accommodation

Despite reports that the tourist forecast for Spain shows there will be fewer visitors than in 2019, the association insists that more police are needed.

In response, the association has sent a letter to the ministry calling for a 'more ambitious expansion of the workforce to reduce waiting times at controls.'

Airports identified as needing police reinforcement include Palma, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Tenerife and Madrid.

It is believed that fifty additional officers will be in Palma Airport from June 20, but reports are conflicting.

It has also been suggested the fifty officers will be for three airports in the Balearics and not solely for Palma.

Queues are particularly lengthy for Brits at Madrid-Barajas as they now need to stand in the non-EU travellers line.

ACAVE has highlighted the situation for UK travellers and the urgent need to stamp passports to avoid delays.

It is estimated that there is a shortage of 500 taxi drivers in Mallorca and that the problem is twice as bad in party capital Ibiza

What is causing the airport chaos in Britain? The aviation industry is struggling to cope with a huge post-pandemic rise in demand for travel abroad amid a severe staffing shortage that is particularly affecting easyJet, British Airways, Tui Airways and Wizz Air. Some airlines have not been able to ramp up their operations quickly enough for the numbers of people travelling, which has surged in recent months following the lifting of restrictions both domestically and abroad. The boss of Heathrow has warned of up to 18 months of disruption as the industry struggles to recruit and train staff to replace those let go during the pandemic. The airlines are desperately trying to rehire people - with security staff, ground handlers and check-in staff among the areas in which they are struggling to recruit. But there is a huge backlog for vetting new staff with security background checks often taking months required before training can even begin. And this all comes in the context a labour shortage, with more vacancies than workers available to fill the roles. Airports such as Manchester, Bristol and Gatwick have been among the worst-hit in recent months with customers facing huge queues amid airline advice to arrive earlier than normal for flights. Advertisement

Jordi Marti, the association's president, said 'urgent measures must be taken' to properly handle the arrival of tourists, especially from the UK.

'We cannot wait, as the high season has already started.'

It comes after Ryanair's Spanish cabin crew announced a six-day strike set to take place from June 24 to July 2.

Workers say they are unhappy with their working conditions and pay.

Staff of Dublin-based Ryanair, the largest airline in Europe in terms of passenger numbers, have walked out in other countries such as Belgium and Italy. Lidia Arasanz, from the USO union, said today: 'We have to resume mobilisation so that the reality of our situation is known and Ryanair is forced to abide by basic labour laws.'

Brits have fought through the chaos in British airports to get their long awaited holidays.

Shocking scenes from around the country in recent weeks have shown holidaymakers stuck in huge queues with some forced to sleep on the floor of airports amid long delays.

Industry chiefs have pointed the finger at mass layoffs during the pandemic which saw staff let go because of the collapse in demand for travel during the various lockdowns.

Airlines are now struggling to rehire workers previously let go, leading to a shortage of security staff, ground handlers and check-in staff.

Industry sources say staffing levels are around 80 to 90 per cent of where they need to be for the peak summer season at larger airports and about 70 per cent at smaller ones.

Some workers have also decided to quit the industry and not return following the pandemic, it has been suggested.

Another issue has been the vetting of new staff, with background checks taking several weeks.

Experts say UK airlines are leasing European planes with European crew to reduce their own cancellations  with an example being British Airways bringing in four Finnair 209-seat planes with Finnair staff, but running BA flights.

Other airlines which have used planes from other airlines in recent weeks include easyJet as passengers continue to be left furious by late-notice cancellations and struggle to get hold of the airline's customer service teams.

As staffing problems continue to impact flights in the UK, some airlines are now looking at 'wet leasing', which is where they bring in another airline's plane and crew; or 'dry leasing', which is where a plane comes with no crew.
ABC boss Ita Buttrose has been called out for breaching the broadcaster's own guidelines by using the word 'Aborigine' in a speech to thousands of colleagues.

Former ABC and NITV journalist Jennetta Quinn-Bates tagged the ABC chair on social media after she used the word during a high-profile media industry lecture.

Buttrose delivered her speech at the Andrew Olle Media Lecture black tie dinner in the The Ivy Ballroom in Sydney on Friday evening.

She said Mr Olle's work on TV and radio would 'tell the stories of Aborigines, the mentally ill, the poor and the powerless.'

She immediately came under fire for using the term.

Former ABC and NITV journalist Jennetta Quinn-Bates tagged Ita Buttrose on social media after the ABC boss used the word 'Aborigines' to describe Indigenous people during a high-profile media lecture

Ita Buttrose has been called out for ignoring her own guidebook and using the word 'Aborigine' in a key speech in front of thousands of colleagues

Ms Quinn-Bates, a Malyangapa Barkindji woman and former ABC journalist, posted a critical thread in response on twitter.

Ms Quinn-Bates also posted a link to official ABC editorial guidelines which state staff should 'Avoid using Aborigine outside of quotes'.

'I'm out here tweeting to ABC chair Ita Buttrose!' Ms Quinn-Bates sniped. 'I guess when you're [the] big dog you probably edit your own work.

'You would think [she] would be familiar with the policies and standards of the organisation they chair.'

She said 'Aunty Ida' would probably say the rulebook is just a guide, 'but still, some respect please'.

Some have called on the media to abandon the use of the term 'Aborigine', which is a compound of two Latin words.

The ABC appeared to have consigned the word to history in its editorial style guide, which included guidelines on Indigenous content from 2015 and was updated last year.

It has been claimed the continued use of the word has 'negative effects on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' self-esteem and mental health'.

Ms Quinn-Bates sniped that Ita Buttrose should be familiar with her own policies and probably edited her own work because she is 'the big dog'

One Aboriginal man on social media disagreed with Ms Quinn-Bates.

'Fill me in why I'm suppose to be offended? As an 'Aboriginal man' myself, I never understood why we where referred to as indigenous vs my and my family's preference as Aboriginal?'

The ABC chair's mistake came the day after the national broadcaster's newly-appointed director of news apologised over claims of racism by staff.

This week Justin Stevens' the ABC's new director of news issued an apology after some staff claimed to have been victims of racism.

'To anyone in News who has ever experienced any racism or bigotry in our workplace, current and former News employees, as Director, News I would like to express my sorrow for that and make a heartfelt apology,' he said in an email to staff.

An internal review of workplace culture at the ABC found First Nations employees felt undervalued, ignored and discriminated against.
Boris Johnson has come out in support of Kyiv hosting next year's Eurovision Song Contest after European broadcasters awarded it to the UK due to safety fears stemming from the war in Ukraine.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said yesterday that it would look elsewhere for a venue, sparking fury from Ukrainian officials who insist they should still be given the chance to host the international event after their entry, folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra, swept to victory.

The EBU approached the BBC to host the event in Britain after the UK's Sam Ryder finished as runner-up, but Boris Johnson has insisted that Ukraine should host, confident that peace will have returned to Ukraine by the time the competition comes round again in May.

'I don't think it's right,' Mr Johnson told reporters at RAF Brize Norton following a surprise visit to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. 'I hope the European Broadcasting Union recognise that. This thing is a year away.

'It's going to be fine by the time the Eurovision Song Contest comes around, and I hope the Ukrainians get it because they deserve it.

'The Ukrainians won it fair and square - even though we had a brilliant entry - and I do think they should be given the chance to to host it.'

Speaking at RAF Brize Norton upon his return from Kyiv, Boris Johnson insisted that Ukraine should host the Eurovision Song Contest, confident that peace will have returned to the country by the time the competition comes round again in May

Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra (pictured) won the event in Turin, Italy, in May with their song 'Stefania', meaning traditionally Ukraine should host next year's event

'Of course I would love it to be in this country but the fact is they won and they deserve to have it and I believe they can have it and I believe that they should have it.'

Traditionally the winner of the international singing contest - which garnered more than 160 million viewers this year - hosts the next year's edition, but the EBU wants break with tradition.

It announced on Friday that, following a 'full assessment and feasibility study', it had concluded the 'security and operational guarantees' required to host the event in Ukraine could not be fulfilled by its public broadcaster, UA:PBC.

The channel, however, issued a statement claiming it had been 'denied the right' to host the contest and called for negotiations on a new location to be put on hold.

Mykola Chernotytskyi, head of its managing board, said: 'We are disappointed with this decision of the EBU.

'During this month, a large number of people in Ukraine have thrown all their efforts to fulfil the conditions for holding Eurovision in our country. Security is, of course, our first priority.

Boris Johnson pictured with Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv yesterday

Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to RAF personnel at RAF Brize Norton Wing. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said yesterday that it would look elsewhere for a venue for Eurovision, sparking fury from Ukrainian officials who insist they should still be given the chance to host the international event

The UK's Sam Ryder (pictured) finished second in this year's edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, so broadcasting bosses awarded next year's event to the UK in lieu of Ukraine

'The team of UA:PBC, state and local authorities did a thorough job and offered different options.

'It is a pity to see such an unappealable statement, therefore, we ask our partners to hold further negotiations.'

The decision has outraged the eastern European country, which said it still wants to host the event, something that would normally happen after it won this year's show in Turin in May.

Ukraine will now have hope - with Downing Street's support - that the decision might be reversed.

'I have just been to Kyiv. I won't say it is completely jiving and buzzing and popping but it is far, far more lively. People are much more confident. People are out in the streets eating in cafes and restaurants in a way that they weren't a even few weeks ago,' the Prime Minister said.

Mr Johnson was speaking after making a flying visit to Kyiv, where he offered President Zelensky a major training operation he believes that could 'change the equation' against the Russian invasion.

The PM vowed to provide fresh military aid to Ukraine during a surprise visit to Kyiv a day after Emmanuel Macron and EU leaders visited the capital for the first time. Pictured: Boris Johnson inspects an exhibition of destroyed Russian military vehicles

Mr Johnson told the Ukrainian president that the UK is prepared to launch a major operation to train Ukrainian armed forces, training up to 120,000 troops every 120 days

Boris Johnson lights a candle during a visit to St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral, Mykhailivskyi Zolotoverkhyi

Mr Zelensky, who also appears to be a fan of Queen Elizabeth II, looked overjoyed as he leafed through his latest gift from the PM: Robert Hardman's book Queen Of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II

Mr Zelensky and French president Emmanuel Macron shared an awkward embrace as EU leaders visited Ukraine yesterday

Mr Zelensky appeared pleased to see the Prime Minister as he greeted him at the presidential palace in Kyiv, contrasting with the frosty reception given to the leaders of France, Germany and Italy on their visit the day before.

'The UK is with you and we will be with you until you ultimately prevail,' said Mr Johnson.

The UK is proposing to lead a scheme to train and drill up to 10,000 Ukrainian troops every four months. The soldiers would be expected to spend three weeks on the training course, learning skills for the front line, as well as training on cyber-security and counter-explosives.

Downing Street said an earlier operation  launched after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea  had seen the UK train more than 22,000 Ukrainian service personnel. The PM said: 'I have offered President Zelensky a major new military training programme that could change the equation of this war.'

He also promised to continue providing military aid and training on new equipment.

Mr Johnson also reiterated how important it was that Britain continue to show it is supporting Ukraine for the long haul, warning of a risk of 'Ukraine fatigue' as the war drags on.

'The Russians are grinding forward inch by inch and it is vital for us to show what we know to be true which is that Ukraine can win and will win,' Johnson told reporters on his arrival back in Britain from a visit to Kyiv.

'It would a 'catastrophe' if President Vladimir Putin was able to claim victory,' he said.

'He'd love nothing more than to say: 'Let's freeze this conflict, let's have a ceasefire like we had back in 2014.'

'For him, that would be a tremendous victory. You'd have a situation in which Putin was able to consolidate his gains and then to launch another attack.

'We've got to make it clear that we are supporting the Ukrainians in their ambitions ... to expel the Russians, expel Putin's armies, from everything that he has obtained since February 24, and make sure the Ukrainians are not encouraged to go for a bad peace, something that simply wouldn't endure.'

Some members of his Conservative Party had criticised him for making the trip instead of attending a conference in northern England.

The timing of the visit led to accusations that he was snubbing the north ahead of a crucial by-election in Wakefield in West Yorkshire which the Tories are widely expected to lose.

The Prime Minister is shown the Memory wall of Ukraine's defenders after attending a ceremony in which they paid their respects to the fallen

The Ukrainian President is pictured with Boris Johnson at the Mikhailovsky Zlatoverhky Cathedral in Kyiv

However, speaking to reporters at RAF Brize Norton upon his return, Mr Johnson said it was important to demonstrate the UK's support at a time when the Ukrainians were 'suffering terribly' in the face of the ongoing Russian offensive in the Donbas.

'When Ukraine fatigue is setting in, it is very important to show that we are with them for the long haul and we are giving them the strategic resilience that they need,' Johnson said.

Alexander Rodnyansky, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, told GB News that the British Prime Minister's surprise visit to Ukraine this week was both 'symbolic' and incredibly important.

He also laid out how dependent Ukraine was becoming on British support in its war effort.

'The Prime Minister's visit was very important, symbolic and the President and the Ukrainian people appreciated it,' he told Weekend Breakfast.

'More significantly, he brought important news with him about the continued support the UK will offer. Support is vital for Ukraine at this stage. In some ways, we are even more dependent now on this than before because Russia has destroyed so many of our military facilities including those where we are able to produce ammunition.'

Mr Rodnyansky said the Ukrainian people remained worried about the future and braced for a long-term conflict.

'People remained concerned about the future,' he admitted. 'They are braced for a lengthy war effort. We know the Russians are not going to give up.

'We need to resist as long as we can and then wait for the moment when something materially changes inside of Russia. There is nothing else that will change things. The source of all this is, and remains, Putin and the Russian regime.'
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Students at Cambridge University dressed up in cocktail gowns and dinner jackets last night to celebrate their first May Ball for three years.

Hundreds of young men and women braved the heat to queue up outside Robinson College on Friday night, eager to get into one of the most anticipated events of its social calendar.

Those in attendance dressed up in their finest clothes to match the Moulin Rouge theme, with tickets for the popular night going for 100 each.

It is the first time May Balls have been held at the university since the Covid pandemic. Previous events in 2021 and 2020 were cancelled, meaning the last events held there were in 2019.

Students dressed up in their finest clothes to attend the first May Ball at Cambridge University in three years on Friday, June 17

Students queued for an hour in the heat while dressed up in glamorous cocktail dresses and dinner jackets as they waited to get into the ball

A group of students make their way to the May Ball, which had a Moulin Rouge theme at Cambridge University's Robinson College

Students queue outside Robinson College ahead of the Moulin Rouge-themed May Ball, which took place for the first time in three years

Students dressed up in their finest livery for the event, with men looking dashing in dinner jackets and ladies looking stunning in cocktail dresses

Once inside, students were treated to live music, cabaret and magic, as well as headline indie act, Kawala and food including Sicilian sourdough pizza.

It states on their events page: 'Cabaret, elephants, windmills! The theme of the Robinson May Ball 2022 is MOULIN ROUGE!'

'Prepare yourself for an over-the-top spectacular frenzy of colour, music and movement fueled by all the food and drinks your heart desires!

'Party all night, watch the sunrise and experience the legendary Moulin Rouge at what Varsity described at one of the best value for money May Balls in all of Cambridge!'

One of the hosts for the Moulin Rouge-themed event welcomes a student at the entrance to Robinson College on Friday evening

Organisers said the event promised to put 'cabaret, elephants and windmills' on show for those in attendance on Friday night

People attending were promised an 'over-the-top spectacular frenzy of colour, music and movement' as they celebrated the end of the academic year

The event is one of the most popular in the college's social calendar, with tickets for those wanting to attend going for 100 each

Alumni of Robinson, which is one of the newest colleges at Cambridge, include the likes of comedian Robert Webb, TV presenter Konnie Huq and former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

May Balls have been held at the prestigious university colleges since 1866 to mark the end of the academic year.

The tradition of May Balls in Cambridge started in the 1830s with the first official one being the First and Third Trinity Boat Club May Ball in 1866.

They are usually lavish affairs with ticket prices ranging from around 100 to as much as 640 for a pair of dining tickets at Trinity.

Student at Robinson College queue up outside for the first May Ball to be held at the university in three years on Friday night, June 17

An aerial view of Robinson College where May Ball took place. Organisers promised a fun filled night at the event, with entry costing 100

A group of female students pose outside the college for a photo. Those with tickets were asked to dress up for the Moulin Rouge theme

Men and women enjoyed the glorious weather ahead of the ball and wore their finest clothes for the normally annual event

It is the first time in three years that the ball has taken place, with the Covid pandemic forcing it to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021

Meanwhile, students at Oxford's will attend one of its summer balls tonight.

The Christ Church Commemoration Ball will see hundreds of past and present students dress up in white tie attire.

Organisers say the ball, which takes place every three years and is being held at the historic college, will transport people into an 'incredible world of spectacle and enchantment' with its La Duree theme.
A devastated animal lover shot and killed his two pet crocodiles, after a government department gave him a 20-day ultimatum to get rid of his beloved animals.

Adrian Hogg, 45, had held a permit to keep the reptiles but Queensland Department of Environment changed the law in 2020 and banned crocs from being kept as pets.

Mr Hogg told Daily Mail Australia he was shattered at having to put down the treasured animals after investing $50,000 into their care and shelter.

Mr Hogg (pictured) said he was devastated at having to put his pets down after wrangling with the Queensland Department of Environment and Science

Mr Hogg said he was also told to provide proof of their deaths to the department so the father of two said he turned up at the its Innisfail office with the crocodile carcasses as proof he had done what it asked for

'It was horrible, absolutely horrible ... my kids were also devastated,' Mr Hogg said about shooting his crocs. 'The DES are supposed to conserve wildlife not order its destruction.'

'It was horrible, absolutely horrible ... my kids were also devastated,' Mr Hogg said.

The North Queenslander said the department had repeatedly requested to monitor and mitigate the crocodiles' threat to the public.

'They have been harassing me for the past five years since I legally kept them,' he said. '

I followed every single law including building a pen at great expense, with a condition on the permit that I had to meet those standards.'

But earlier this month, Mr Hogg was issued with a notice to re-home the crocs or have them euthanised humanely by a veterinary surgeon.

He said both options were problematic and his efforts to re-home them proved futile as zoos are full to capacity with crocodiles.

Mr Hogg said he didn't want to put them in a farm for fear they might get killed for their skin.

He was also told to provide proof of their deaths to the department.

The father of two said he turned up at the Innisfail office with the crocodile carcasses as proof he had done what it asked for.

Mr Hogg is now said to be under investigation by the department for the manner in which his crocs were killed, according to the Courier Mail.

The North Queenslander spent $30,000 after being told by the DES to secure the crocs, by building an enclosure complete with fish-filled lagoon

Mr Hogg is under investigation by the DES for the manner in which his crocs were killed the Courier Mail reported on Saturday

But Mr Hogg told Daily Mail Australia he has received no notification of any new investigation and says the officials are acting out of spite.

'They are just trying to turn it, that I'm the evil one,' he said.

'[They don't] like media exposure of their requirements for euthanasia of healthy captive protected native animals.

'They are supposed to conserve wildlife, not order its destruction.'

Mr Hogg said he bought his prized pets for $700 in the Northern Territory and had invested $30,000 in an 'escape proof' enclosure for them at his home, which included a lagoon full of fish.

The department told the Courier Mail it was illegal to keep crocodiles as pets under current legislation because they were dangerous reptiles and a public safety risk when kept in captivity.

A spokeswoman said it did not tell Mr Hogg to shoot the crocodiles but to have them euthanised humanely.

It said the matter was now under investigation.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Queensland Department of Environment and Science for comment.
The German government is mulling proposals to enforce compulsory mask-wearing from October to March, it was reported today.

The plans would encompass mask wearing in all public spaces - including bars, restaurants and shops - during the colder half of the year in a bid to battle the spread of Covid, in a so-called 'O-bis-O' (Oktober bis Ostern) scheme, German paper Die Welt reported on Friday.

Covid cases usually rise over the winter months as people retreat indoors, so advocates of the plan hope to counteract that trend and also tackle other lung and flu infections.

The country has recently reported between 50 and 130 coronavirus-related deaths a day, according to official figures in what has been described as a 'summer wave' even before the cold weather arrives.

It is unclear whether the rules would apply to schools and kindergartens. Currently in Germany mask wearing is only obligatory on public transport and medical centres.

Last year's Oktoberfest was cancelled entirely by German authorities, which would normally attract 6 million attendees, so beer aficionados will be more than disappointed if this year's festival is disrupted by compulsory mask wearing.

The 'O-bis-O' rule refers to motoring regulations, which require drivers to put winter tyres on their cars during the months when the German cold really bites.

The German government is mulling proposals to enforce compulsory mask-wearing from October to March in a bid to battle the spread of Covid over the winter months

Covid cases in Germany have been ticking up even before the winter arrives, with some analysts declaring the country to be experiencing a 'summer wave'

Germany Health Minister Karl Lauterbach holding up a mask. The country has recently reported between 50 and 130 coronavirus-related deaths a day, according to official figures in what has been described as a 'summer wave' before the cold weather even arrives

The Loewenbraeu-Festhalle tent at the Oktoberfest in Munich. The iconic festival will likely be hit by the proposals

The plan will come as a disappointment to the more than 80 million Germans who have been enjoying reborn freedoms as Covid rules have been relaxed across Europe.

With summer arrived, millions of people have been enjoying social activities and interactions without onerous Covid restrictions such as maintaining social distance and limiting group sizes.

The German government is likely to wait on the findings of a scientific commission before it decides which rules to put into the next version of the Infection Protection Act, which is set to expire in September.

It's the commission's job to tell the government by the end of the month which restrictions have been effective.

Germany Health Minister Karl Lauterbach presented his seven-point plan for the autumn on Friday, when Covid cases are expected to rise, but did not comment on reports of a return to compulsory mask wearing.

He urged residents and visitors to wear face masks indoors to protect themselves and others from the coronavirus, but he acknowledged that current data doesn't justify making mask use a legal requirement.

The libertarian Free Democratic Party, which is part of the country's governing coalition, has been particularly vocal in pressing for an end to COVID-19 measures.

The plan will come as a disappointment to the more than 80 million Germans, who have been enjoying reborn freedoms as Covid rules have been relaxed across Europe

With summer arrived, millions of people have been enjoying social activities and interactions without onerous Covid restrictions such as maintaining social distance and limiting group sizes

Park visitors enjoy summer weather with Berlin's famous TV tower in the background, Covid concerns largely long gone

Lauterbach, an epidemiologist by training, said Germany was experiencing an expected increase in cases that amounted to a 'summer wave.'

'I ask those who want to protect themselves or others to wear masks indoors,' Lauterbach, a member of the Social Democrats, told reporters in Berlin, noting that cases could continue rising over the coming months.

'Voluntarily wearing masks needs to be a normality indoors.'

The dominant variant circulating in Germany is comparatively mild, and many residents are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19, meaning they are less at risk of serious illness, the health minister said.

'There is no need to to panic,' he said.

Lauterbach said the government was working on obtaining a broad supply of vaccines for the fall that would respond to all the main variants.

Citizens who are at risk, or who want to avoid endangering others, should consider getting a second booster shot, he added.

Back in England, Covid cases surged by 40 per cent last week, in what is feared to be the start of a fresh wave of the virus.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates 1.13million people were infected on any given day in the week ending June 10, the equivalent of one in 50 of the population. It marks the biggest weekly jump since December, when Omicron was first seeded in the country.

Covid cases surged by 40 per cent in England last week in what is feared to be the start of a fresh wave of the virus, official figures show. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates 1.13million people were infected on any given day in the week ending June 10, the equivalent of one in 50 of the population. That figure is up 42 per cent on the previous week

Cases are also rising in Wales and Northern Ireland (one in 45 had the virus last week) and Scotland (one in 30).

The ONS' weekly infection survey has become the best barometer of the outbreak in the post-pandemic era after free testing was axed and the daily dashboard was scaled down.

Data suggests the resurgence is being driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron, which are thought to be even more infectious than the parent strain. Scientists also believe the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations may have fuelled the uptick.

Outbreaks of Covid are rising in care homes and hospital admissions are also increasing, and experts fear that it could put more pressure on an already overwhelmed health service.
Peter Phillips, 44, and partner Lindsay Wallace have been pictured arriving at the Royal Ascot today after the royals broke with tradition yesterday by bringing Ms Wallace into the royal procession.

Unlike on Friday, when the couple faced soaring temperatures and the Ascot's iconic dress code had to be relaxed, today the couple will have to dodge the rain - and temperatures which have dipped by 10C.

Today is the final day of racing of the Royal Ascot and the couple are once again expected to appear in the Royal Enclosure this afternoon.

The couple were pictured arriving at Ascot today (June 18) for the final day of racing. Lindsay Wallace is wearing a cream, figure-hugging dress with a matching purse and white shoes

Ms Wallace is wearing a striking white fascinator which certainly stands out from the crowd

Yesterday the couple were pictured at the races together with Peter Phillips' arm around his partner. They looked to be enjoying themselves and chatted at length between themselves and with fellow royals

Princess Anne's son broke with royal tradition yesterday by bringing his partner along in his carriage for the royal procession prior to the start of the races

Mr Phillips had a previous marriage which broke down. The divorce was finalised a year ago in June 2021, but his former wife and their two children continue to live in the family home in Gloucestershire

Peter Phillips sent another strong signal that his relationship with his new girlfriend Lindsay Wallace is becoming serious yesterday, as the couple made a high profile outing to Royal Ascot

Other high profile royals were also in attendance yesterday - and Peter and William seemed to have a particularly good rapport

Yesterday the couple broke royal tradition as Princess Anne's son brought his girlfriend, a mother of two, into the carriage procession at the parade ground in Berkshire.

The royal procession traditionally only contains the royal family and their married spouses, and bringing a partner prior to marriage is unprecedented.

Ms Wallace, who is an old school friend of Mr Phillips from Gordonstoun school in Scotland, made her public debut at the Epsom Derby during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Ms Wallace, who has also split from her husband, was in the same year as Zara at Gordonstoun, which was also attended by Prince Charles.

She was among the guests at the royal's 2011 wedding to rugby star Mike Tindall.

The break with tradition signals their relationship is about to get serious - but even young royals Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie rode in the procession solo until they were wed.

Rumours of their romance first emerged in March 2021 - which raised questions over whether he had broken lockdown rules.

This was after he was photographed visiting Ms Wallace's home in St Cyrus, Aberdeenshire - a 460-mile round trip from his Gloucestershire home.

The royal family said the trip to Scotland was made as a marketing consultant for company XF Medical, set up last June to provide rapid Covid and antibody tests for businesses, although sources said he was 'besotted' by Ms Wallace.

In January of this year he invited her as his plus-one to his nephew Lucas's christening.

Prince William and wife Kate Middleton also attended the races and drew many eyes to them - and they seemed friendly and familiar with Ms Wallace, who at times did appear slightly nervous

While Ms Wallace's outfit might have been suited to the hottest day of the year so far, the royals' full morning suits complete with top hats must have been a struggle

Lindsay Wallace wore a pale pink dress with statement sleeves and a matching fascinator, and carried a clutch purse

Ms Wallace looked stunning in her maxi dress and shining shoes - but the wind did seem to provide a bit of a challenge for many racegoers

The couple were photographed sharing a cute moment in which Ms Wallace struggled to keep her fascinator on her head, and they had a laugh about it together

Mr Phillips looked confidant at the races yesterday and keen to help Ms Wallace through the day of tradition and ceremony

The couple have been very caring to one another in public after Ms Wallace made her public debut at Epsom racecourse during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations

Lucas is the Queen's great-grandson and the daughter of Philip's sister Zara and Mike Tindall.

The couple were photographed in a car together ahead of the Royal Family gathering.

Peter, the elder of two children of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, then took the highly significant step of introducing Ms Wallace, the daughter of an oil tycoon, to his grandmother the Queen, who is said to have been 'delighted'.

Ms Wallace was introduced to Her Majesty at a shooting party at Windsor and the encounter was described as 'warm' by a source.

Mr Phillips was flawless at the races yesterday - pictured laughing and chatting with other members of the royal family, as well as the Duke of Bedford during their carriage ride

The couple looked to be enjoying themselves at Ms Wallace's first public outing with Mr Phillips at the Epsom Derby

A spokesman for Mr Phillips confirmed at the time that Ms Wallace, 40, had accompanied him to the joint christening of Zara and Mike Tindall's son, Lucas, and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's son, August, in Windsor yesterday.

It is understood Ms Wallace and Mr Phillips have become close after spending time together following the breakdown of both of their marriages.

Mr Phillips finalised his divorce from wife Autumn in June 2021, 16 months after announcing their separation.

Autumn Kelly, previously Phillips, met the prince in her home town of Quebec, Canada.

The couple share daughters Savannah, 11, and Isla, 10, and continue to live on Princess Anne's Gatcombe Park estate, in Gloucestershire.
A Tube driver invited a female passenger into his cab and sexually assaulted her while stinking of cannabis, a court has heard.

Nathaniel Cummings-Stewart allegedly told the woman to join him by the driver's seat before touching her thigh and making sexual comments.

The 46-year-old from Brent, north London, is accused of turning the lights off within the driver cab, of suggesting he return to her hotel to 'Netflix and chill' and of smelling like he'd recently been smoking cannabis.

Cummings-Stewart has denied a single count of sexual assault after he was reported to the British Transport Police.

Nathaniel Cummings-Stewart allegedly told the woman to join him by the driver's seat before touching her thigh and making sexual comments

Jurors at Inner London Crown Court heard the woman had travelled to London with her friend for a long weekend, and had been staying at a hotel near Waterloo.

On August 21, 2020, she travelled to Wembley Boxpark to meet with friends and decided to return to Central London later that evening.

In order to avoid missing the last train, the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was walked by her friend to the nearest station to board the Jubilee line shortly after midnight.

After arriving, she was approached by Cummings-Stewart who, the court heard, had asked 'Which stop are you going to?', and invited her into the driver's cab.

She told the court that being unfamiliar with London, she thought he was someone 'to be trusted' as he was in a TfL uniform.

She claimed that he smelled of cannabis, telling the jurors: 'It was strong, it must have been recent [that he'd been smoking].'

She said she sat next to him as he worked the controls of the train. During the course of the journey to Waterloo, he asked her questions about her visit to London, the location of her hotel and asked her to remove her Covid-19 mask, she claims.

The woman claims that he 'turned the lights off, closed the blinds and locked the door' and began to suggest that he would come to her hotel after his shift ended in two hours.

He also told her he wanted to shower and 'Netflix and chill' with her, before taking her phone and insisting that she accept his number, the court was told.

The woman told jurors that she had felt 'uncomfortable' and had refused to give her own number and told him she was 19, before texting her friend which failed to send due to signal problems.

Whilst they were travelling between Tube stations, she said he reached over to give her a high five, before beginning to touch her upper thigh.

After arriving at Waterloo station, the woman said she insisted that it was her stop and she left through a side door.

The 46-year-old from Brent, north London, is accused of turning the lights off within the driver cab, of suggesting he return to her hotel to 'Netflix and chill' and of smelling like he'd recently been smoking cannabis

Speaking of her reaction to the incident, she said: 'My heart was beating really, really quickly; as soon as I got out of the platform I was jogging, my heart was pounding.'

She said she confided in her mum a few days later and reported him to Transport for London Customer Services.

Jurors heard the recorded call, where she described his behaviour as 'inappropriate' and said: 'I got really scared, I didn't know what was going to happen and I really did fear for what was going to happen.'

Taking the witness stand, her mum tearfully said: 'She was sat at the table, I was cooking, I believe, and I knew something was wrong, she's my daughter.

'I could see she wanted to tell me something. The way she looked, the way she was looking at me, her whole posture. She brought it up. She said she had something to tell me.

'My gut feeling was something had happened with a man and she's going to tell me something that I don't want to hear. She then tried to explain what happened.

'From what I can remember she said something had happened on the Tube and she said a man touched her. The first thing I asked her was 'were you raped' because that's my first fear, and she broke down and cried..'

She continued: 'She then said he said to her where is she staying, she said where she was staying and what she was doing in London, he then suggested that he could come back to the hotel with her to have sex and he would shower off and no one would know.

'She then said she was so scared she told him he was younger than her age, hoping that would scare him off and he would leave her alone. He took her phone and put his number in her phone and told her to call him.'

Cummings-Stewart has denied the allegation and claimed that he first approached the woman because she looked like his sister, and invited her into the cockpit because she appeared 'distressed'.

In order to avoid missing the last train, the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was walked by her friend to the nearest station to board the Jubilee line shortly after midnight. After arriving, she was approached by Cummings-Stewart who, the court heard, had asked 'Which stop are you going to?', and invited her into the driver's cab

He claimed that she told him she was being followed, which the woman told jurors 'was not true at all'.

Under Transport for London guidance, drivers are not permitted to allow passengers into the cockpit before contacting controls or a manager.

During his police interview, Cummings-Stewart said he 'overlooked' that guidance but had wanted to ensure her protection.

He also denied smoking cannabis or consuming any alcohol or drugs whilst driving the train.

The trial continues.
Former President Bill Clinton told James Cordon he sent federal agents to Area 51 to find out if aliens were hiding there.

Clinton, 75, joined Cordon, 43, on his show on Wednesday evening, revealing he and his former Chief of Staff John Podesta, sent a team to the classified military base.

'When I was president, and I had a Chief of Staff John Podesta - he loved science fiction - he made every attempt to find out everything about Roswell. And we also sent people to Area 51, we wanted to make sure there were no aliens.'

When Cordon excitedly asked the former president who exactly he sent to the coveted area, he grabbed the late-night host's shoulder and said: 'Oh, if I told you that.'

However, Clinton ended up revealing that, while the alien hunt was a disappointment, the base was used as a research and test ground for stealth aircraft.

'I got to find out how we're going to deal with this, because [Area 51] is where we do a lot our invisibility research in terms of technology, like how do we fly airplanes that aren't pick up by radar and all that,' he said. 'So that's why they're so secretive.'

Bill Clinton, 75, told James Cordon, 43, that he and former Chief of Staff John Podesta sent the late National Security Advisor Sandy Burger to Area 51

The top secret area (pictured) has always been surrounded by alien conspiracy theories, but Clinton revealed his team did not find any aliens

He also revealed that he and his wife, former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, visited the largest telescope in the world, the Keck telescope, in Hawaii in 2018.

And although he revealed there were 'no aliens that I know [of]' at Area 51, scientists working on the telescope told the presidential couple that argued that the chance of other life in the universe was between 85 to 95 percent.

'In other words, it's very unlikely that there is not other life,' he told Cordon. 'There's a lot of mysteries out there, which is why I think we should take good care of this planet. I think we ought to hang onto it if we can.

'But I also think it should keep us humble. There's a lot of things we don't know.'

In addition, both Clintons suggested that American democracy is teetering on the edge of existence in a pair of separate interviews this week.

The pair both said the government as we know it is at risk after the third January 6 committee hearing and a new poll saying a majority of both Democrats and Republicans believe America will 'cease to exist' as a democracy.

The former president also told Corden that he fears the United States could 'completely lose our constitutional democracy.'

Bill and Hillary Clinton both suggested that American democracy is teetering on the edge of existence in a pair of separate interviews this week

Hillary painted a similarly bleak picture in an interview with the Financial Times in an interview published less than 48 hours later on Friday.

Reporter Edward Luce suggested to her that the Democrats 'seem to be going out of their way to lose elections by elevating activist causes, notably the transgender debate, which are relevant only to a small minority'.

'We are standing on the precipice of losing our democracy, and everything that everybody else cares about then goes out the window.'

'Look, the most important thing is to win the next election. The alternative is so frightening that whatever does not help you win should not be a priority.

Corden asked Clinton how he stays 'so positive in what has been a very, very dark few years,' without mentioning Donald Trump by name.

The Democrat admitted it was 'impossible to be pessimistic about the future' while he was watching his grandchildren growing up, but went on to paint a bleak picture of America's future - just hours after the third hearing from the January 6 committee hearing.

'I actually think there's a fair chance that we could completely lose our constitutional democracy for a couple of decades if we keep making  if we make bad decisions, Clinton added.

'I'm not naive about this. I've been in a lot of fights. I've lost some, won a bunch. I've been elated and heartbroken,' he continued.

'But I've never before been as worried about the structure of our democratic form of government,' he added.

At her lunch with the Financial Times, Hillary was also asked about the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned.

'If you go down the rabbit hole of far right intellectuals, you see that birth control, gay marriage  all of it is at risk,' she said.

Then referencing the The Handmaid's Tale author Margaret Atwood, she discussed what the Christian 'endgame' is and referenced how the future could mimic the hit Hulu show.

'The level of insidious rulemaking to further oppress women almost knows no end,' Clinton says. 'You look at this and how could you not but think that Margaret Atwood was a prophet? She's not just a brilliant writer, she was a prophet.'

Corden asked Clinton how he stays 'so positive in what has been a very, very dark few years,' without mentioning Donald Trump by name. The Democrat admitted it was 'impossible to be pessimistic about the future' while he was watching his grandchildren growing up, but went on to paint a bleak picture of America's future - just hours after the third hearing from the January 6 committee hearing

Their interviews followed the Yahoo News/YouGov poll released on Wednesday showing that 55 percent of Democrats and 53% of Republicans share that belief in a stunning sign of pessimism about the country's future.

Additionally the poll found that a majority of Republicans - 52 percent - say it's likely that 'there will be a civil war in the United States in [their] lifetime' while half of independents - 50 percent - and a plurality of Democrats - 46 percent - agree.

The poll, which surveyed 1,541 adults and was conduced from June 10 (the day of the first January 6th hearing) until June 13 (the day of the second hearing), also found Americans have largely given up on one another.

Members of both parties picked negative phrases to describe the person across the political aisle.

Republicans, when asked to choose the phrase that best 'describes most people on the other side of the political aisle from you,' a majority used 'out of touch with reality' (30 percent), a 'threat to America' (25 percent), 'immoral' (8 percent) and a 'threat to me personally' (4 percent) to describe Democrats.

Very few opted for 'well-meaning' (4 percent) or 'not that different from me' (6 percent).

Democrats felt the same about Republicans, using phrases such 'out of touch with reality' (27 percent), a 'threat to America' (23 percent), 'immoral' (7 percent) and a 'threat to me personally' (4 percent) to describe them.

Very few used words like 'well-meaning' (7 percent) or 'not that different from me' (5 percent).
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A man was left bloodied after being pushed onto the tracks at Grand Central station in Manhattan Thursday, by a one-armed suspect who is still on the run.

The incident occurred on the station's 7 train platform just after 4 pm, police said Thursday, after the suspect got into a physical fight with the 51-year-old victim, who has not been named.

The fight quickly escalated and the suspect pushed the man onto the tracks before running off. The attacker was described as a black male, wearing a yellow shirt, and beige and black pants, and having just one arm, by DailyMail.com photographer Peter Gerber, who was at the scene.

Thankfully, the victim was able to pull himself up off the tracks before being hit by a train.

He was not seriously injured but did suffer lacerations to the forehead and cheek during the fall. Cops said he was treated for those injuries on the platform.

Shocking photos show the bloodied victim in a daze as police questioned him following the attack.

The brazen attack at one of the city's most trafficked stations took place right at the cusp of rush hour - but it did little to hinder straphangers' commutes.

Shocking photos show the victim - who was able to pull himself up off the tracks before being hit by a train - bloodied and in a daze as police surveyed the scene

The victim, an unnamed white male aged 51, suffered lacerations to the forehead and cheek during the fall, cops said, and was treated for those injuries on the platform

The incident occurred on the station's 7 train platform just after 4 pm, police said Thursday, after the suspect got into a physical fight with the 51-year-old victim, who has not been named

The unnamed victim was seen leaving the station, with bloody down his face and dirt marks from the tracks, as he made his way outside

Police have yet to reveal what spurred the latest brazen attack on the city's embattle subway system - but they have disclosed that the victim did not know the suspect.

They added that the suspect fled while his victim was still on the track.

Cops have yet to release any surveillance footage of the attack. An investigation is currently ongoing.

The incident could have been the latest in a string of subway-related deaths in The City That Never Sleeps, which has seen its crime rates burgeon since the start of the pandemic - many taking place in the city's transit system.

The suspect pushed the man onto the tracks before running off. Thankfully, the victim was able to pull himself up off the tracks before being hit by a train

He was surrounded by cops after the incident in the already heavily policed station

He was not seriously injured but did suffer lacerations to the forehead and cheek during the fall. Cops said he was treated for those injuries on the platform

An FDNY ambulance pulls up outside the station where the straphanger was attacked on Thursday

Last week, a man was arrested in Queens after going on a subway slashing spree that saw two stabbed - one in the face - just a day after being released from jail for carrying an illegal knife.

The suspect, Donny Ubiera, 32, randomly stabbed the commuters in separate incidents on Friday and Saturday, while riding on a Flushing-to-Times Square 7-line subway train.

One of the victims, who were not identified, was stabbed in the face, while the other sustained neck injuries.

Ubiera had just been released from jail on Thursday after being arrested just a day before for allegedly refusing to put a knife away in front of police, who had ordered him to do so. He initially waved the weapon at them and tried to flee with it.

The concerning statistics come on the heels of Mayor Eric Adams' vow to clean up the crime-ridden subway system, amid a rash of reports of slashings, assaults, and even murder, on platforms and stations across the city.

However, the mayor has struggled to address violence in the city - both on its streets and below them - in the six months since assuming office.

Transit crime has soared since 2021, a year that saw more subway assaults than any other year before - even in the 80s, when the then-crime ridden city was dubbed 'Fear City.'

And the increase is not a modest one. The year, the NYPD has reported 1,037 crimes on the city transit - nearly 400 more than the 666 seen at the same time last year. That's a 55.7 percent increase.

Adams, a former police captain who campaigned on a platform of increasing public safety and being tough on crime, is now under pressure to quell the increase - which has seen overall crime in the city jump 38.35 percent from last year.

Felony assaults in New York are up 19.5 percent and robberies are up 40.3 percent. Rapes are also up, by 16.9 percent.

New York City Mayor Eric Adam, pictured last week partying at the Puerto Rican Day Parade, as been slammed for spending more time partying than cracking down on crime

Meanwhile NYPD officers are reportedly leaving the department at a record rate amid the violent crime surge, sparking officials and fed-up citizens for the mayor to make good on his promises.

According to data obtained by The New York Post, nearly 1,600 officers have left the force this year alone - a number that has spiked by 430 since this time last year.

With that said, Adams has remained confident that he can address the crime - which was spurred by the pandemic and recent soft-on-crime policies implemented by woke DA's such as Alvin Bragg, who have sought to find alternatives to incarceration.

'We are going to turn around this city in crime - I know that,' he asserted earlier this month when confronted with the crime surge.

A new poll, however, shows that Big Apple residents are sick of waiting for the mayor, whose approval ratings have fallen to a new low.

The Spectrum News NY1/Siena College poll shows 70 percent of New Yorkers feel less safe than before the coronavirus pandemic. And 76 percent of residents interviewed said that also fear they could be a victim of violent crime.

Meanwhile, Adams is asking New Yorkers for more time.

'I know it's going to take a while before New Yorkers feel safe in this city,' he said earlier this month. 'I know that but trust me we are going to get there.'
Kamala Harris greeted a new shipment of baby formula brought from overseas this week to try and ease the crippling shortage.

The vice president and second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, met with aviation workers helping with the formula delivery at Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C. on Friday.

Harris announced that by Father's Day, 13 million eight-ounce bottles will have been brought in by the administration through its 'Operation Fly Formula' airlift.

'This really is about what should be one of the highest purposes for any one of us,' Harris said in a short speech at the airport, 'which is to ensure we are meeting the needs of our children.'

The formula shortage started in February after the Abbott factory in Michigan shut down due to contamination concerns. The factory resumed production on June 4 but was forced to halt again after severe storms cause flooding damage to the building.

Vice President Kamala Harris greeted a new shipment of baby formula brought from overseas this week amid the crippling shortage

Harris announced that by Father's Day, 13 million eight-ounce bottles will have been brought in by the administration through its 'Operation Fly Formula' airlift

'Operation Fly Formula' flights for June 13-19 June 13: A United Airlines flight arrived at Dulles International Airport from London Heathrow carrying Kendamil infant formula. June 14: Two United Airlines flights arrived at Dulles International Airport from London Heathrow carrying Kendamil infant formula. June 15: A United Airlines flight arrived at Dulles International Airport from London Heathrow carrying Kendamil infant formula. June 16: A flight arrived in Columbus, OH, from Melbourne, Australia, carrying Bubs Australia infant formula. And, a flight arrived in Louisville, Kentucky from Switzerland carrying medical specialty infant formula from Nestle. June 18: A United Airlines flight will arrive at Dulles International Airport from London Heathrow carrying Kendamil infant formula. June 19: Two United Airlines flights will arrive at Dulles International Airport from London Heathrow carrying Kendamil infant formula. Advertisement

In her speech, Harris praised the multi-agency partnership that has brought thousands of pounds of formula amid this emergency crisis.

'We are clear that the strength of public-private partnerships is something that can meet moments like this in an extraordinary way,' Harris said.

This shipment is the latest through the Biden-Harris Administration's Operation Fly Formula, a multi-agency partnership through which the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the Department of Defense (DOD) ship infant formula so it can get to store shelves faster.

Friday's shipment was donated by United Airlines and is one of 10 international shipments of baby formula facilitated through Operation Fly Formula for this past week, according to the White House.

The shipment had 14,000 pounds of Kendamil formula from London, which is more than 200,000 eight-ounce bottles of formula. Other shipments this week came in from London, Switzerland and Australia.

On June 18, another United Airlines flight will arrive at Dulles International Airport from London Heathrow carrying Kendamil infant formula.

And on June 19, two United Airlines flights will arrive at Dulles International Airport from London Heathrow carrying Kendamil infant formula.

Harris said that while this is progress, she stressed that more needs to be done and that domestic production and the movement of formula needs to immediately arrive on shelves.

The administration has also used the Defense Production Act to speed up domestic production of formula.

The formula shortage started in February after the Abbott factory in Michigan shut down due to contamination concerns.

Abbott recalled several leading brands of formula then, including Similac. That squeezed supplies that had already been strained by supply chain disruptions and stockpiling during COVID-19 shutdowns.

The ongoing formula shortage has been most dire for children with allergies, digestive problems and metabolic disorders who rely on specialty formulas.

The shipment had 14,000 pounds of Kendamil formula from London, which is more than 200,000 eight-ounce bottles of formula

Harris said that while this is progress, she stressed that more needs to be done and that domestic production and the movement of formula needs to immediately arrive on shelves

Abbott recalled several leading brands of formula in February, including Similac, which triggered a shortage on supplies that had already been strained by supply chain disruptions and stockpiling during COVID-19 shutdowns

Biden's administration has since eased import rules for foreign manufacturers, airlifted formula from Europe and invoked federal emergency rules to prioritize U.S. production.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf told a Senate committee on Thursday that government work done to increase the supply means that there will be more than enough product to meet current demand. He also noted that other U.S. baby formula manufacturers are running their plants around the clock.

Califf said they hoped to have a 'super supply' of formula to get shelves fully restocked in perhaps two weeks.

'But it's too early to give an exact estimate of what the delay will be in the Sturgis plant,' Califf said at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions.

Califf called the flood at the plant 'an unfortunate setback and a reminder that natural weather events can cause unforeseen disruptions in supply chains.'

The contamination at the Sturgis facility triggered a nationwide formula shoirtage. Photos show a few baby formula cans on nearly empty shelves at Walgreens in Las Vegas on May 22

Harris greets eight-month-old Manadana Marvel Metcalf (R) prior to speaking on Operation Fly Formula in front of a United Airlines plane that delivered pallets of Kendamil infant formula

Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff (R) greets eight-month-old Manadana Marvel Metcalf (C) while Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on Operation Fly Formula at Dulles

Abbott is one of just four companies that produce about 90% of U.S. formula. Hamilton said Abbott has produced 8.7 million pounds of formula in June, or 95% of what it produced the month before the recall.

The Michigan factory was closed after the Food and Drug Administration began investigating four bacterial infections among infants who consumed powdered formula from the plant. Two of the babies died.

The company continues to state that its products have not been directly linked to the infections, which involved different bacterial strains.

FDA inspectors eventually uncovered a host of violations at the plant, including bacterial contamination, a leaky roof and lax safety protocols.

During Thursday's hearing, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, cited Associated Press reporting that the Food and Drug Administration skipped 15,000 inspections of baby formula plants due to COVID-19 and said inspectors should be considered 'essential workers.'

The Abbott plant in Michigan began production again on June 4 but was forced to shut down this week after severe storms led to flooding.

Abbott halted production again at its Michigan plant Wednesday that has been at the center of the nation's baby formula crisis - this time for storms that flooded parts of the building

Production for Abbotts EleCare specialty formula has been suspended, but there is enough supply to meet demand until production is restarted, the company said.

Abbott had prioritized ramping up production of the specialty formula for infants with severe food allergies and digestive problems who have few other options for nutrition.

Abbott says it needs to assess damage and re-sanitize the factory after severe thunderstorms and heavy rains swept through southwestern Michigan late Monday. Spokesman Jonathon Hamilton said flooding hit a few areas of the factory, but he declined to provide more specific details about damage.

Once it restarts, the factory will begin with the production of EleCare and other specialty formulas. Abbott says it also plans to restart production of its Similac formula as soon as possible.

This chart shows how quickly the nationwide crisis has escalated
A Philadelphia firefighter was killed when a fire caused a building to collapse, trapping five others in the rubble.

In the early hours of Saturday morning firefighters with the Philadelphia Fire Department responded to a fire in a commercial building in the Fairhill neighborhood.

The fire was under control within 15 minutes and a family inside was able to escape without injury.

But 90 minutes later as officials were surveying the damage, the building collapsed while five members of the fire department and a building inspector were still inside.

Firefighters carry the body of their fellow Philadelphia firefighter who died in a house collapse on Saturday

First responders work to reach firefighters trapped in a house collapse early on Saturday morning

Officials say initially they rescued four people but worked for hours to find and rescue the remaining two people after losing contact

Firefighters are seen carrying the body of their fellow Philadelphia firefighter after removing him from the rubble of the collapsed commercial building

1st Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy described it as a 'lean-to/pancake collapse' in which some collapsed material fell flat on a surface, while other material might have leaned against a wall, creating space.

'There were a lot of void spaces,' Murphy told CNN.

Officials say initially they rescued four people but worked for hours to find and rescue the remaining two people after losing contact.

First responders are pictured clearing the rubble from the sudden house collapse that trapped six people

First responders worked for hours to reach all six people, including five fire fighters and one building inspector

The aftermath of a commercial building collapse in Philadelphia on Saturday morning

1st Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy described it as a 'lean-to/pancake collapse' in which some collapsed material fell flat on a surface, while other material might have leaned against a wall, creating space

In the early hours of Saturday firefighters with the Philadelphia Fire Department responded to a fire in a commercial building in the Fairhill neighborhood

Ultimately four of the firefighters and the city licensing and inspections worker were rescued and sent to a local hospital.

But one firefighter, an unidentified 27 year veteran with the department, died in the collapse.

'It's a sad day for the Philadelphia Fire Department,' Murphy said. 'Unfortunately our department lost a member bravely fighting a fire then caught in a building collapse.'

As of Saturday morning the licensing worker was released and the four firefighters remained hospitalized in stable condition, Commissioner Murphy said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it is not believed to be suspicious.
The boasting of a despicable female crime ring boss who smuggled prostitutes into the UK and told them to 'look pretty' to fund her luxury life has been revealed as she was jailed this week.

Catalina Cojocaru, 37, lived a luxury lifestyle with boyfriend Jamie Dunn, 42 as she raked in 250,000 a year running a huge prostitution ring which exploited vulnerable women for sex and smuggled them to the UK illegally.

Meanwhile her brother, who was also involved in the ring, as been on at least 12 different luxury holidays since the ring was set up including to Thailand, North Africa and the Dominican Republic.

Cojocaru played a leading role in launching a crime ring with Dunn in Northampton before expanding across the country to Nottingham and Birmingham - soon earning 20,000 a month.

Police raided her Northampton home in January 17, where they found detailed evidence of the operation and the key role she played in organising it.

Catalina Cojocaru, 37, lived a luxury lifestyle with boyfriend Jamie Dunn, 42 as she raked in 250,000 a year running a huge prostitution ring

Cojocaru and Dunn boasted about a trip to London as recently as December 2021, during which they visited expensive restaurants

A court heard Cojocaru told women to wear make up when she requested their semi-nude photographs

Cojocaru was pictured outside a luxury hotel which charges up to 562 for a double room

Dunn has shared shameless photos of their happy lives just months before their trial and sentencing - including racy snaps of his partner in a bikini

Although partners when they began their trafficking ring, the couple have now married and have two children - but now face years behind bars

Catalina Cojucaru, right, pictured with boyfriend Jamie Dunn, centre and brother Andrei Cojucaru, left. All three were part of the sex trafficking ring

She ran the day-to-day operation by sourcing women, mainly from Romania, to travel to the UK as sex workers and organising their flight and transport to a property of her choosing.

The women then engaged in off-street prostitution at brothels across the Midlands.

A court heard Cojocaru told women to 'look their best' and, when requesting semi-nude photographs, would tell them to 'look sexy' and wear make-up.

Police recovered lists and text messages that showed that Cojocaru acted as the sex workers' 'boss' having daily contact with them and keeping records of daily takings.

Evidence showed the women would earn up to 1,640 per day of which the gang took 50 per cent from each woman between November 2015 and January 2017.

On one day, where 900 was made by seven women, she wrote at the bottom of the diary: 'f**k me, I'm brilliant.'

She would take half the women's earnings and used them to pay for her luxury lifestyle.

The gang exploited up to 13 women at the same time and rented four separate properties to house them.

Cojocaru told women to wear make up and 'look sexy' when requesting semi-nude photographs

Photos on Dunn's Facebook page show the couple spending time together in luxury locations as recently as December 2021.

A photograph shows they stayed at The Montcalm Hotel in Marble Arch, London just before Christmas which is a luxury hotel where prices go up to 562 per night for a double room at the time of publishing.

During the same trip the couple visited Mr Whites restaurant by Marco Pierre White in Leicester Square.

Marco Pierre White was the first UK chef to be granted three Michelin stars.

The couple splash out on other luxury restaurants too - including The Point restaurant in the Haven Hotel in Poole - where main meals range from 21 to 38.

The couple have married since being arrested and have two children.

Dunn's Facebook profile contains no reference to the crimes he and Catalina committed, but does contain plenty of holiday shots of the couple in the sun.

Dunn posted to wish Cojocaru happy birthday on December 4 last year, saying 'Happy Birthday my amazing wife, best friend and the most patient mum on the planet. Thank you for everything you do each day to keep our wheels turning.'

Ayanna Nelson, prosecuting, told the court Cojocaru did this 'with an expectation of substantially significant financial gain.'

On sentencing Cojocaru Judge Rebecca Crane said: 'You exploited the labour of others for substantial financial gain and the business would have continued if it were not for police intervention.'

Cojocaru was jailed for three years and nine months at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday (June 14).

Dunn's role in the prostitution ring involved ensuring there was a 'constant supply' of women to work for him and his partner and creating online adverts - and around 11,000 was spent on advertising sexual services alone.

Dunn and Cojocaru, who lived in the posh village of Lower Harlestone, Northampton, where house prices average 900,000, were charged with trafficking women into the UK.

They both admitted two counts of conspiring to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person to the UK with a view to them being exploited for prostitution.

Dunn was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison.

Dunn's elderly dad Martin Dunn, 74, was also involved in the plot as well as Cojocaru's brother Andrei Cojocaru, 26.

Dunn Snr paid for airline tickets for women coming into the UK, would help collect them from airports and even financed hotels and serviced apartments.

On one day, where 900 was made by seven women, she wrote at the bottom of the diary: 'f**k me, I'm brilliant.'

Police found lists and text messages that showed Cojocaru acted as the sex workers' 'boss'

A photograph shows they stayed at The Montcalm Hotel in Marble Arch, London just before Christmas which is a luxury hotel where prices go up to 562 a night

Jamie Dunn's dad Martin, 74, was also involved in the plot and helped out with picking up the women from UK airports

Andrei Cojocaru's job was to man the brothel phones and arrange meetings between clients and the women, direct them to the property as well as collecting the trafficked women from airports.

Andrei Cojocaru's Facebook profile tells a story of jetting off all over the world, presumably using his earnings as a part of the trafficking ring.

Since the ring started in November 2015 he has posted about luxury holidays to the Dominican Republic, Greece, Romania, Prague, Morocco (including riding camels across the Sahara Desert), a second holiday to Greece, London, Spain, Tenerife, a second holiday to Romania, Thailand and Paris - as well as visiting Romania just months before the trafficking and exploitation ring began.

Andrei Cojocaru, 26, has shared dozens of photographs of himself on luxury holidays all over the world since the trafficking ring was set up in 2015

Cojucaru's brother even went to Thailand on one luxury trip - while at home he was helping his sister exploit women for sex

Andrei travelled across Morocco, posting boastful pictures of his adventures in cities and the Sahara Desert

Andrei Cojucaru also went to the Domican Republic (left) and Greece twice (right)

Martin Dunn, of Northampton, was given a 12-month community order and 100 hours unpaid work for acquiring criminal property after coming into a large sum of money following a house sale.

Andrei Cojocaru, also of Northampton, was handed one year in prison, suspended for 14 months plus 150 hours of unpaid work for conspiring to control prostitution for gain.

The convictions, which were part of Operation Eton, were the first modern slavery and human trafficking charges secured by Northamptonshire Police.
A Queens man, 26, who allegedly slashed a 19-year-old woman in New York City's Lower East Side and beat another in a Brooklyn hotel, before raping a woman in Baltimore, was finally held without bail in Maryland - despite being arrested and released five times in the Big Apple during his 11-day crime spree.

Subhan Zaib, 26, reportedly began his spree of crimes, which were mostly against women, on May 30 when he threatened his ex-girlfriend in Queens and ended with a brutal rape in Baltimore on June 14.

They included allegedly knifing a 19-year-old woman inside the Delancey Street/Essex Street station in the Lower East Side on June 10.

Zaib first started his reign of terror on May 30 between 3am and 4am, his ex-girlfriend, who asked to remain anonymous, told the New York Daily News (NYDN). He reportedly called her, only to reach her father, and threatened to kill her and her family if she did not give back the $500 he said he owed her.

'Im coming over to get the money and if you dont give it to me, Im going to kill her and your family,' he told the father, the complaint - viewed by the NYDN - read.

The couple split up seven years ago and she said he was 'always so violent when I was around him.'

However, she said she was surprised to he 'could harm a random person,' but not shocked the slashing happened, she told the NYDN.

Subhan Zaib, 26, was arrested and released without bail five times before he knifed a 19-year-old woman inside the Delancey Street/Essex Street station in the Lower East Side on June 10. His crimes, which were mostly against women, started on May 30 by threatening his ex-girlfriend in Queens and ended with a brutal rape in Baltimore on June 14

Police released his photo to the public (pictured) after he slashed a woman in a subway station in the Lower East Side. His father told their neighbor he was 'scared' of his sun and that his son was 'mentally ill'

He went on a multi-borough, multi-city crime spree between May 30 and June 14

'When I was associated with him he would make death threats, and would stalk people he believed had done him wrong,' she told the NYDN.

He was arrested after the threats and released on 'non-monetary conditions,' the Queen's District Attorney's Office said.

Two days later, he would allegedly terrorize his Richmond Hill neighbor, Johann Poveda, by cutting the wires to his surveillance cameras and ripping his Ring doorbell off.

Poveda lived on the floor below Zaib's family in the house and said he and his wife 'called the cops on him multiple times.'

Poveda told the NYDN that Zaib caused him constant anxiety and that the man's father told him he was 'mentally ill but he would not take his medicine.'

Zaib went on an 11-day crime spree before being held without bail in Baltimore for rape charges. He was arrested during his crimes in NYC was released without bail

'His father was afraid of his son,' Poveda told the New York Daily News. 'We lived next to them for about five years and it wasnt a pleasant experience at all.

'He was very problematic. He threatened us multiple times.'

Only mere minutes later, Zaib reportedly pulled a knife on a man on 108th Street and Atlantic Avenue. The man called authorities and he was arrested for criminal mischief. menacing, criminal possession of a weapon, trespassing, and harassment.

He was once again released without bail.

By June 4, his crimes escalated significantly and became more violent and extended into another borough.

He reportedly punched, choked, and hit a woman with a belt and threatened her with a knife inside a room at 369 Hotel on Glenmore Avenue in Brooklyn, prosecutors alleged.

Zaib was once again released without bail, despite the fact that second-degree assault is eligible for such, the NYDN reported.

Brooklyn prosecutors reported forewent bail as the victim allegedly gave a fake phone number and police were unable to contact her, sources told the NYDN.

Crimes included allegedly knifing a 19-year-old woman inside the Delancey Street/Essex Street station in the Lower East Side on June 10

He reportedly punched, choked, and hit a woman with a belt and threatened her with a knife inside a room at 369 Hotel on Glenmore Avenue in Brooklyn

Three days later, Zaib would hide inside the women's bathroom at the Rock Church in Maspeth, Queens around 9.30pm. When an unidentified woman entered the bathroom and found him, she allegedly told him: 'You cant be in here.' He then turned off the lights and pinned her against the wall

He also raped a woman while she was out shopping at a Maryland shopping center (pictured)

Three days later, Zaib would hide inside the women's bathroom at the Rock Church in Maspeth, Queens around 9.30pm. When an unidentified woman entered the bathroom and found him, she allegedly told him: 'You cant be in here.'

He then turned off the lights and pinned her against the wall, the NYDN reported. She was able to break free and get help and told another churchgoer: 'He tried to rape me.'

The man then followed Zaib. The criminal then threatened the man, telling him: 'I can f**king kill you. I can f**king shoot you,' the complaint read.

He was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, but was released without bail again.

On June 10, he attacked the 19-year-old, who was taken to Lenox Hill hospital in stable condition.

The slashing happened around 5am and he reportedly put her in a chokehold and slash her neck and back several times. Her injuries were non-life-threatening.

Four days later he would end up in Charm City, where he would met his next victim outside of a Walgreens. He reported asked the woman for a lighter before ordering her into a wooded area near the store at knifepoint, a criminal complaint read.

The woman told police she was walking to the bus stop after shopping in Family Dollar when Zaib approached her, WMAR 2 News reported.

He is currently being held in the Baltimore County Detention Center (pictured)

He then put a knife to her back and ordered her to walk behind a building and strip for him before going to the wooded area, where he raped her and cut a piece of her hair off and forced her to call him 'pimp.'

Zaib then reportedly took her money and ran away from the scene. He was arrested the next day after entering a business near where the assault happened and told authorities he had just moved to Baltimore.

The business owner told authorities Zaib had purchased the knife the day of the rape, WMAR 2 News reported.

Zaib reported told authorities he had to 'take care of some things' when he bought the knife and 'took care of two girls and three guys.' He later admitted to selling the knife.

He also admitted to police that he had asked a woman for a lighter preferred Marlboro Red's, which were found on the scene, according to WMAR 2 News.

Zaib was reportedly identified by Maryland police by his NYC backpack, which was found inside the apartment he shared with his father in Maryland and that was seen on surveillance footage, WMAR 2 News reported.

The victim also reportedly went under a SAFE exam and it came back positive for signs of assault.

New York City officials have received a lot hate for its lax bail laws as more and more criminals continue to hit the streets again and terrorize citizens.

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg dropped bail from many crimes, leading to an air of uneasiness among citizens.

Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell slammed the DA in April, saying that the '[justice system] must be fair, but it must first and foremost favor the people it was designed to safeguard and protect.'

'This is not what New Yorkers expect or deserve, and we will not stand for it,' she said at the time. ''It's clear what we are confronting: A perception among criminals that there are no consequences, even for serious crime. We need tangible changes.

'Everyday New Yorkers need more help. Our police need more help. We need help from every corner of the criminal justice system, and from everyone who lives in, works in, or visits our great city,' said Sewell.

All major crimes are up in NYC with overall crime pulling at 38 percent.
Australia's secret plans which will trigger on the day the Queen dies include a new national holiday after a solemn period of mourning.

The code words from Buckingham Palace that 'London Bridge is down' will signify the tragic death of Queen Elizabeth II after more than 70 years on the throne.

And it will start a ten-day process beginning with naming a new King and ending in her funeral.

The Australian Prime Minister will be told news of the Queen's passing an hour before the rest of the world is informed via an official announcement.

The secret plans that will be triggered on the sad day that Queen dies have been revealed and what they mean for Australia - including a new national holiday

On the day the Queen dies, Prince Charles will become Charles III, proclaimed at St James's Palace and in Australia by the governor-general

It is understood the prime minister's staff now always carry a ceremonial black tie for Anthony Albanese to wear immediately after he is told the news.

He's also likely wear it in making a statement to the Australian people from Canberra.

The plans are understood to have been revised since 2017 and were passed to Mr Albanese as the incoming Australian prime minister, The Weekend Australian reported.

On the day the Queen dies, Prince Charles will become Charles III, proclaimed at St James's Palace and in Australia by the monarch's representative here, the governor-general, at Parliament House.

Charles's new full title will be the elaborate 'Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Australia and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth'.

Charles's wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, will assume the title of queen consort, as confirmed by the Queen in February this year.

'When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me,' she said.

If the Queen dies before 2025, the official mourners are likely to include Mr Albanese and his girlfriend, Jodie Haydon

Charles' new full title will be the elaborate 'Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Australia and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth'. Camilla Parker Bowles will become queen consort

'It is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as queen consort as she continues her own loyal service.'

She will not have any authority or title in Australia other than social and diplomatic, but she will be known to the world as Queen Camilla.

A framed notice will be placed on the fence of Buckingham Palace informing the public of the Queen Elizabeth's death.

The palace floodlights be be extinguished in a poignant but traditional piece of symbolism.

Of most interest to Australians will be the news that a national public holiday could come out of the Queen's passing.

But fittingly that will have to wait, at least 11 days.

Her funeral will take place ten days after her death, with a procession to Westminster Abbey at 11am, a committal at 3.55pm at Windsor Castle and a private burial at the castle at 7pm.

There will be four official Australian mourners - the Prime Minister, his partner, the governor-general and his wife.

Current governor-general David Hurley would likely be an official mourner at the Queen's funeral if it happens before 2024

If the Queen dies before 2024, the official mourners are likely to be Mr Albanese, his girlfriend Jodie Haydon, current Governor-General David Hurley and his wife Linda Hurley.

Mr Albanese would likely have a ceremonial role for the service in the United Kingdom as well as at home in Australia.

A further ten to 12 notable Australians will be invited to attend the Queen's funeral.

They are expected to be Indigenous Australians, representatives from charitable, religious, sporting and community fields and organisations.

The plans include two RAAF planes collecting Pacific leaders and flying them to London for the Queen's funeral.

An Australian service will be held at a yet-to-be confirmed Anglican cathedral after the state funeral.

The day that happens is likely to be named a national holiday. Flags will be flown at half-mast in the UK and Australia for ten days.

The Queen celebrated her platinum jubilee this month, but has grown increasingly frail since turning 96 this year, missing several key engagements and sparking concerns for her health.
Supermarket staff have discovered millions of pounds worth of cocaine stashed inside boxes of bananas.

Astonished employees at shops in Czech Republic found huge blocks of the illegal drug within the fruit boxes - believed to have been shipped from central America.

A total of 840kg worth of cocaine - said to be worth in the region of 68million - was discovered in the banana shipments.

The boxes had been sent to stores in the towns of Jicin and Rychnov nad Kneznou, in the northern region of the Czech Republic, supposedly by mistake.

Officers are now searching other stores in the country where banana boxes from the same shipment were delivered.

Employees at shops in northern Czech Republic were astonished to find green packets of the illegal drug within the fruit boxes - which are believed to have been shipped from central America

The boxes had been shipped to stores in the towns of Jicin and Rychnov nad Kneznou, in the northern region of the Czech Republic. Pictured: The packets of cocaine that were seized

Police said they were cooperating on the case with their counterparts from other unspecified countries.

Jakub Frydrych, the head of the police anti-narcotics unit, told the Czech public radio the cocaine likely originated in Central America.

The street value of the drug is estimated to be more than 2 billion Czech crowns.

'Supermarket workers found moulded cocaine cubes in boxes with bananas this afternoon,' the police said on Twitter, where it also posted pictures of some of the seized cocaine.

'The information about the shipment leads outside the Czech Republic, therefore we will use international police and justice cooperation,' the police said, without further details.

Jakub Frydrych, the head of the police anti-narcotics unit, told the Czech public radio the cocaine likely originated in Central America. Pictured: A drug dog inspects shipments at a port

In a similar case in 2015, over 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of cocaine was discovered in a Prague supermarket.

In 1999, police seized 117 kilograms (258 pounds) of cocaine in a warehouse north of Prague packed among dry fruit.
Ukraine is claiming that Vladimir Putin has purged the chief of his airborne forces over heavy losses in the war, which estimates are starting to put at a symbolically disastrous 50,000.

Colonel-General Andrey Serdyukov, 60, has paid the price of devastating 'mass casualties' among paratroopers, it was alleged.

The speculation comes as one Russian source suggested the country's overall losses in Ukraine are close to 50,000 - significantly higher than most other estimates.

Unconfirmed Ukrainian sources cited by Odessa military-civilian spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk say that Putin has axed Serdyukov and replaced him with Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky, 53, current chief of staff of the Central Military District who was born in the Donetsk region.

Serdyukov was sanctioned by Britain as having Ukrainian blood on his hands in the wake of the Bucha horrors.

If his axing is true this 'would indicate that Serdyukov is being held responsible for the poor performance of, and high casualties, among Russian [airborne] units, particularly in early operations around Kyiv.

Colonel-General Andrey Serdyukov, 60, has paid the price of devastating 'mass casualties' among paratroopers, it has been reported

He has reportedly been replaced by Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky, 53, current chief of staff of the Central Military District, who was born in the Donetsk region

The reported sacking would indicate that Serdyukov is being held responsible for the poor performance of, and high casualties, among Russian [airborne] units, particularly in early operations around Kyiv

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks as he takes part in the opening ceremony of new healthcare facilities in several regions of Russia via a videoconference in St. Petersburg. He is reported to have fired his airborne forces chief, the latest senior commander to face the chop under Putin

Several sources claim that Putin is personally micromanaging war decisions and wielding the axe on commanders he sees as under performing, in this case commanders responsible for losses in early airborne operations around Kyiv

'Continued dismissals and possible internal purges of senior Russian officers will likely further degrade poor Russian command and control capabilities and the confidence of Russian officers.'

There has been no indication from Moscow that Serdyukov has been ousted. He is a 'Hero of Russia' - the country's highest honour - and is seen as one of the country's ablest military minds.

Izvestia said he commanded the operation to annex Crimea from Ukraine in the spring of 2014, and he is reported to have participated in the Pristina airport stand-off with NATO peacekeeping forces in 1999 as a 37-year-old, when Russia troops rushed the airport during the Kosovo war that nearly triggered world war three.

Russia has announced very few of the myriad changes Putin has made among commanders during the war which started on 24 February.

But several sources claim that Putin is personally micromanaging war decisions and wielding the axe on commanders he sees as under performing, in this case commanders responsible for losses in early airborne operations around Kyiv.

In the early hours of the nascent war, on February 24, elite troops of the Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) launched an assault on Antonov Airport near Kyiv, with the objective of capturing it and using it as a springboard to fly in further troops for an assault against the Ukrainian capital.

The operation did not go to plan, with the Ukrainians counterattacking the initial foothold and surrounding the VDV soldiers who were unsupported by heavy weapons.

These soldiers, some of Putin's most highly trained, were systematically destroyed by Ukrainian defenders, who operated with greater numbers and far more competence than the Russians had anticipated.

A Ukrainian soldier stands before a destroyed hangar at Hostomel Airport, the scene of fierce fighting in the first days of the war which saw elite Russian airborne troops decimated by the Ukrainians

There has been no indication from Moscow that Serdyukov has been ousted - he is a 'Hero of Russia' - the country's highest honour - and is seen as one of the country's ablest military minds

Telegram channel General SVR alleged that the overall Russian army toll in the Ukraine conflict is now 37,592. Add to this were the alleged losses of 9,457 fighters from private military companies backing the Russian war effort, said the channel

Funeral for an 18-year-old Russian soldier in the Urals, Russia. If correct, the figures would mean overall military losses of 48,837. It contrasts with other figures which suggest Putin has lost in excess of 30,000 troops

A second assault the following day brought fresh airborne troops and ground forces coming from Belarus managed to capture the airport, whose runway had been damaged beyond repair.

Telegram channel General SVR alleged that the overall Russian army toll in the Ukraine conflict is now 37,592.

Add to this were the alleged losses of 9,457 fighters from private military companies backing the Russian war effort, said the channel.

Additionally, the Russian national guard - which reports directly to Putin - has suffered 1,788 losses, it claimed.

The channel said that these figures had been reported directly to Putin, but provided no evidence of this. It was not possible to verify this claim.

If correct, it would mean overall military losses of 48,837. It contrasts with other figures which suggest Putin has lost in excess of 30,000 troops.

As Russian losses have mounted, Putin has been increasingly relying on conscripts to fill the ranks, with locals in occupied Donbas saying their men are being 'kidnapped' and forced into service.

Russian conscripts from separatist areas have complained of being sent to the frontlines with little equipment and rifles that date back 200 years (pictured)

Conscripts are being thrown into battle against their own countrymen as 'cannon fodder' with little equipment, ancient weapons and almost no training, Kyiv's men said.

Serhii, a Ukrainian soldier wounded fighting in the Donbas, said locals press-ganged into Russia's ranks are being sent on 'suicide missions' so that Kyiv's men will shoot at them, exposing their positions to watching drones and nearby artillery guns.

He described separatist fighters who appeared to be 'high on something' rushing at Ukrainian positions in front-on attacks without body armour or support from tanks, and being killed 'like pieces of meat'.

Kyiv has admitted suffering devastating losses of up to 200 men killed every day in Donbas, largely victim to overwhelming Russian artillery barrages, but insists that Moscow's forces are being similarly decimated.

The losses have seen Putin's forces lose 54 confirmed colonels in Ukraine - a shocking toll that probably underscores the true scale of losses among these high ranking officers.

Putin has also lost at least 11 generals in his war so far.
A robber who threatened a woman in her 50s with an axe as he stole her 25,000 watch in a terrifying street attack before fleeing to Spain has been jailed for 10 years.

Mark Toth was one of the Met's 10 most wanted men after he went on the run following the raid in Chelsea in November 2019.

The victim was threatened by two men on a moped in Ashburnham Road who held the weapon against her neck, put her in a headlock and forced her to the ground.

Toth then tried to strangle the woman whilst she was on the pavement before removing her 25,000 Daytona model Rolex watch, as bystanders watched in horror.

Thankfully the victim did not suffer any serious physical injury. The stolen watch has still not been recovered.

Mark Toth was one of the Met's 10 most wanted men after he went on the run following the raid in Chelsea in November 2019

A third offender was arrested on the day of the robbery after attempting to move a car that officers knew was linked to the suspects, parked near to where the offence happened. His co-defendant was arrested eight days later.

Toth absconded after hearing of the arrests of the other two gang members, who were jailed in May 2020, before finally being tracked down in February this year.

He was busted in a hotel room on Hanger Lane, Ealing after he was spotted by officers in photos posted on social media when he returned to England for a funeral.

On arrest, Toth screamed 'I'm unarmed' and when police entered the hotel room with a swipe key, he tried and failed to break his phone in half before being put in handcuffs.

The victim, a woman in her 50s, was threatened by two men on a moped. An axe was held against her neck during the incident, and she was put in a headlock and forced to the ground.

Toth, of Shrewsbury Street, Kensington, was sentenced to a total of ten years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and remaining unlawfully at large.

The 37-year-old was previously put behind bars for five years back in 2006 for his role in a carjacking gang, who used 'gratuitous violence' to overpower their victims and pocket an estimated 350,000.

A police chief at the heart of that probe admitted he was 'disappointed for the feelings of the victims in relation to the light sentences that have been given by the judge'.

Toth tried to strangle the victim whilst she was on the pavement before removing her 25,000 Daytona model Rolex watch, whilst bystanders watched in horror

Speaking after Toth's sentence yesterday, Detective Constable Peta Lundgren, who led the investigation, said: 'This man has at last been jailed for this terrifying robbery.

'The three suspects were quickly identified and two of them were arrested soon after the attack. However, Toth although identified, evaded police by going on the run and fleeing the country following the news of their arrests.

'This sentence should serve as a warning to anyone concerned in serious criminality, we will investigate and will use every tool to find you and bring you to justice.

'We would again like to thank the victim for her cooperation during the investigation, and acknowledge her courage and bravery.'
Four inmates escaped from a federal prison in Virginia Saturday morning in the latest string of jail breaks at Bureau of Prisons facilities, which has been plagued by chronic violence, significant security issues and persistent staffing shortages for years.

Corey Branch, Travares Lajuane Graham, Lamonte Rashawn Willis, and Kareem Allen were reported missing from the Federal Correctional Complex Petersburgs satellite camp in Hopewell, Virginia, around 1:45am Saturday during a security check, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said in a news release.

Officials did not release any details about how the inmates escaped. All four men are still on the run.

The Bureau of Prisons immediately notified the US Marshals, FBI, along with other law enforcement agencies, and has launched an internal investigation.

Branch, 41, was sentenced to a 16-month sentence on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm as a felon

Graham, 44, received an aggregate 120-month sentence for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base

AP reporter Mike Balsamo said the Bureau of Prisons has notified the US Marshals, FBI, along with other law enforcement agencies, and launched an internal investigation

The four inmates who escaped were in prison for a drug and weapons charges, according to jail records.

Branch, 41, was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia to more than 13 years for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm. He's scheduled for release on January 31, 2028.

Willis, 30, was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia to 18 years for possessing and concealing a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He's scheduled for release on March 20, 2030.

Shaw, 46, was sentenced in the Western District of Virginia to more than 16 years for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a measurable quantity of heroin.

Graham, 44, was sentenced in the Eastern District of North Carolina to 10 years for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He's scheduled for release on June 25, 2025.

The bureau has previously faced scrutiny over the last few years for inmate escapes, according to the Associated Press.

At some of the institutions, doors are left unlocked, security cameras are broken and officials sometimes don't notice an inmate is missing for hours.

At one Texas lockup, security is so lax that local law enforcement officials privately joke about its seemingly 'open-door policy.'

Willis, 30, was given a 216-month sentence for possession and concealment of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Shaw, 46, was sentenced to 194 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a measurable quantity of heroin

The Virginia Federal Correctional Complex in Petersburg, Virginia (FCC Petersburg) is a minimum-security facility near Hopewell that holds 185 male offenders

Last summer, the Associated Press report that within 18 months - between 2019 and 2021, 29 prisoners have escaped from federal lockups across the U.S.

All of the escapes happened at minimum-security federal prison camps, some of which don't even have fences, and house inmates the Bureau of Prisons considers to be the lowest security risk.

'Anybody can escape from any camp any minute of any day,' said Jack Donson, a prison consultant and former case manager at a federal prison in Otisville, New York. 'They're not secure facilities. They have no fence, no metal detectors.'

The numbers raise serious concerns that the agency long besieged by chronic mismanagement, misconduct and a severe staffing crisis is failing at performing its most basic function: keeping prisoners in prison.

Federal officials often refer to them as 'walk-aways,' though it is still an escape from federal prison under the law and law enforcement officials say there is still a risk to the community when an inmate absconds.

'These are very small, unsecure facilities,' said Cameron Lindsay, a retired Bureau of Prisons warden who now testifies as an expert witness on prison matters.

Because of their size and the generally low risk the inmates pose, federal prison camps often have the lowest levels of staffing in the Bureau of Prisons' system, sometimes with just one officer working to supervise inmates during a shift, he said.

The Virginia Federal Correctional Complex in Petersburg, Virginia (FCC Petersburg) is a minimum-security facility near Hopewell that holds 185 male offenders.

Anyone with information about the four men is encouraged to call the United States Marshals Service at (804) 545-8501.
Two Orange County deputies have been disciplined for spreading information about Bob Saget's death before it was made public.

According to a report from the Orange County Sheriff's Office deputies Emiliano Silva and Steven Reed violated department procedure when they shared details of the comedian's passing before the public information officer could inform the public, ClickOrlando.com reported.

The 65-year-old comedian died unexpectedly on January 9 after suffering a head injury in his Orlando hotel room.

Asked if she was surprised by the conspiracies following her husband's death, Rizzo told DailyMail.com: 'In today's day and age not really. Nothing is really shocking anymore'

According to the report, the deputies leaked details of Saget's death before his wife Kelly Rizzo was notified, resulting in 'an influx of media inquiries at a time when Mr. Saget's next-of-kin had not been notified and Homicide Unit detectives had not even arrived at the scene.'

The pair now face unspecified disciplinary action for violating the department's dissemination of information directive.

Silva, who was one of the responding deputies at the scene, told his brother of Saget's death, who in turn posted about it on Twitter.

The deputy as unaware his brother tweeted 'RIP Bob Saget' until he was shown a screenshot forty minutes later, the report said.

Silva was upset and asked his brother to delete the tweet but by that time the media already picked up on it.

The report added that Reed, who was off-duty at the time, informed two of his friends who had gone to one of Saget's shows about the comedian's death.

Saget's sudden passing attracted major media attention and raised questions due to the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the beloved actor

The 65-year-old comedian died unexpectedly on January 9 after suffering a head injury in his Orlando hotel room

Orange County Sheriff's Office deputies Emiliano Silva and Steven Reed violated department procedure when they shared details of Bob Saget's death

Saget, best known as single dad Danny Tanner in 90s sitcom Full House, was found dead at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando the morning after a standup performance in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Saget's sudden passing attracted major media attention and raised questions due to the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the beloved actor, who was said to be 'happy' and in good health.

His family then sparked further scrutiny and rumors after Rizzo and Saget's three daughters filed a lawsuit blocking the release of any records from the medical examiner's office and the Orange County Sheriff's Office, including photographs, video and audio recordings, and 'statutorily protected autopsy information'.

Saget's death was ruled an accident as a result of blunt head trauma believed to have been caused by a fall, however, investigators were not able to determine exactly how he severely fractured his skull.

In recent months fans have raised theories questioning medical conclusions on the death, including baseless claims that the COVID-19 vaccine was a factor.

Asked if she was surprised by the conspiracies dominating the news rather than the tragedy, Rizzo told DailyMail.com: 'In today's day and age not really. Nothing is really shocking anymore.'

While the loss 'still doesn't make sense' to her, Rizzo said she does not entertain the conspiracy theories that have emerged.

'We don't give it any energy. We cannot give it any energy. It is just ridiculous,' she said.
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Brits may have been sweltering yesterday what was the hottest day of the year for the UK, with many in London and the south of England experiencing temperatures of more than 90F.

But elsewhere in Europe the mercury kept climbing amid a searing heatwave which exacerbated wildfires in Spain and prompted evacuations from several villages.

Spain was already heading towards its hottest early summer temperatures in decades this week, with forecasts of between 104-108F in northeast and northwest Spain, according to national weather agency AEMET.

The baking heat combined with windy conditions has triggered wildfires in several areas, with Zamora, near the northwestern border with Portugal, among the worst hit.

Almost 20,000 hectares of land had been burned in the Sierra de la Culebra mountain range and the fire was 'still active', said a tweet today from the regional government of Castile and Leon, where Zamora is located.

On Saturday afternoon, it said 11 villages had been evacuated and some 500 firefighters were battling to extinguish the terrifying blaze.

Members of the Military Emergencies Unit work to extinguish a wildfire near Artesa de Segre, Spain, June 16, 2022

Some 500 firefighters are battling to extinguish the terrifying blaze in Spain, whipped up by strong winds amid brutally hot temperatures

An AS-350 'Ecureuil' fire-fighting helicopter takes part in fire containment operations in Artesa de Segre, in Catalonia

A member of the Military Emergencies Unit looks on while he works to extinguish a wildfire near Artesa de Segre, Spain, June 16, 2022

This photograph taken on June 17, 2022 shows a pharmacy sign displaying the temperature of 42,5 Celsius degrees in Bordeaux, south-western France

People take a bath in the river Limmat at Letten, as a heat wave reaches the country, in Zurich, Switzerland, 18 June 2022

A woman passes her hand under the spray of a fountain in the city of Perpignan, southern France on June 17, 2022

In Catalonia, firefighters who were trying to bring a fire under control in Baldomar said they expected Saturday to be 'complicated' by 'very high temperatures and a strong southerly wind'.

Flames crackled and raged high into the air on the outskirts of the village of Caudiel, in Castellon, eastern Spain.

Firefighters, wearing masks, goggles and helmets, struggled to bring the flames under control. They helped evacuate residents, some of whom dragged along their pet dogs and horses, as smoke wafted through the village.

'This is evidence of climate change,' Bernardo Funes, 63, a stallholder and organic farmer in Zaragoza, told Reuters. 'It's very worrying because... we've already had highs of 34, 35 degrees in May and now in June, it's something like 44 degrees.'

The northeastern Spanish city's farmers market is typically a hive of activity on Saturday afternoon, but today the stall owners and visitors alike simply rested in the shade and tried their best to keep hydrated as the mercury reached 107.6F at 4pm.

Outside the city's grand cathedral, Marisa Gutierrez was sitting beneath a shaded canopy that displayed the lottery tickets she was selling.

'It's been very bad, with a hot wind that felt as if it was from the desert,' she told Reuters. 'This isn't normal... at this time of year there's usually a pleasant temperature but not this heat.'

Meanwhile at a stag do in the city centre, participants, dressed as Romans, said they were having to drink as much water as beer.

People walk past a street thermometer reading 46 degrees celsius as near record temperatures continue to affect the country, in Bilbao, Spain June 17, 2022

A man cools off in The Trocadero Fountains in front of The Eiffel Tower in Paris on June 18, 2022, amid record high temperatures sweeping across France and western Europe

A helicopter overflies a wildfire near Artesa de Segre, Spain, June 16, 2022

In France, special measures have been taken in care homes for elderly people, still marked by the memory of a deadly 2003 heatwave. Pictured: A solitary plant grows on a dry bank of the Loire River, in Montjean-sur-Loire

It's not just Spain bearing the brunt of the brutal euro heatwave. Many areas of Western Europe have been sweltering under unseasonably hot temperatures over the past few days, compounding climate change fears.

Meteorologists say the unusually early heatwave is a sign of what's to come as global warming continues, moving up in the calendar the temperatures that Europe would previously have seen only in July and August.

'In some parts of Spain and France, temperatures are more than 10 degrees higher - thats huge - than the average for this time of year,' Clare Nullis, a spokesperson for the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva, said.

In France, some 18 million people woke to heat wave alerts affecting about a third of the country Friday, and forest fire warnings were issued from the Pyrenees in the south to the Paris region.

The southwestern French city of Bordeaux saw the mercury peak at 108.5 yesterday, while people as far north as Paris were seen dipping in the city's fountains to cool off. Temperatures in Montpellier even reached 114F this week.

A man cools off in The Trocadero Fountains across from the Eiffel Tower in Paris on June 18, 2022

A woman refreshes at a fountain in Casa de Campo during a heatwave in Madrid, Spain

Women wearing hats to protect themselves from the sun stand near a public fountain in Nice as an early heatwave hits France, June 16, 2022

A man cools off in a fountain in the Lustgarten during hot summer weather temperatures on June 18, 2022 in Berlin, Germany

The German weather service issued a heat warning due to temperatures expected to reach 34 degrees Celsius, which is unseasonably hot for June

In Gironde, southwest of France, public events outdoors have been banned 'until the heatwave ends'. Indoor events at venues without air-conditioning have also prohibited.

Meanwhile schoolchildren in the 12 'red alert' areas were told to stay home, and care home residents were rotated through air-conditioned rooms.

'Everyone now faces a health risk,' local official Fabienne Buccio told France Bleu radio, while a climatologist at national weather service Meteo France told public broadcaster France-Info that temperatures are expected to break several records.

In the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, people boarded trains to the nearest North Sea beach early Friday afternoon while others took to boats and stand-up paddle boards on one of the city's historic ring of canals.

And in Germany, firefighters were tackling several wildfires including one south of the capital Berlin on Friday, as the national weather service predicted that the big sweat would continue over the weekend.

Authorities are also ordering citizens to ration water in northern Italy and parts of France and Germany.
Ben Stiller has arrived in Poland to meet refugees forced to flee Ukraine following the Russian invasion.

The Night At The Museum actor, 56, was pictured on Saturday in the large south-eastern city of Rzeszow, close to the border, speaking to aid workers in a storage facility.

More than 3.5 million people are thought to have crossed over into Poland since the war began in February.

Stiller, who is a goodwill ambassador for UNHCR - the UN refugee agency - will meet families to help share 'stories of the human impact of war' and to 'amplify calls for solidarity'.

Actor Ben Stiller, 56, has arrived in Poland to meet refugees forced to flee the war in Ukraine

The actor took to Twitter to announce his arrival in Poland to meet with Ukrainian refugees

Stiller took to Twitter and posting a photograph of himself speaking with two aid workers, said: 'I've just arrived in Poland with UNHCR, to meet families whose lives have been torn apart by war and violence in Ukraine.

'Millions have been forced to flee their homes with over 90% being women and children.

'I'm here to learn, to share stories that illustrate the human impact of war and to amplify calls for solidarity.

'I hope you'll follow along and share your own messages of support, for people who have fled their homes in Ukraine and for people who have been forced to flee all over the world.

'Everyone has the right to seek safety. Whoever, wherever, whenever.'

Stiller, pictured earlier this week, is a goodwill ambassador for UNHCR, the UN refugee agency

The Zoolander and Meet The Fockers star's presence in Poland comes ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20.

He started working with the UNHCR in 2016 and has travelled with the body to meet refugees in Germany, Jordan, Guatemala and Lebanon.

In 2019, he testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the humanitarian crisis in Syria, where he pleaded with lawmakers.

He said: 'We must not look away, we cannot let Syrian families go deeper into destitution and we cannot let their children be part of a lost generation.'

Stiller is not the first celebrity to involve themselves in humanitarian work for Ukraine, with Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher raising 29million ($35m) for the country and David Beckham handing over his Instagram page to a Ukrainian doctor in Kharkiv for the day.
Two actors from Netflix's The Chosen One were killed in a car accident that left six others injured in Mexico after their vans flipped over near the Baja California Peninsula.

Raymundo Garduno Cruz and Juan Francisco Gonzalez Aguilar have been reported dead by the Baja California Department of Culture, according to the Independent.

Six others, who have not been identified, were also injured, but the extent of their injures are unknown.

Their van allegedly crashed near Mulege in a desert area as the group was traveling between there and Santa Rosalia, where the show is being filmed.

Raymundo Garduno Cruz (pictured) and Juan Francisco Gonzalez Aguilar reportedly died in a car crash in Mexico on Thursday

Garduno (pictured) and Gonzalez were there filming Netflix's The Chosen One, which focuses on a 12-year-old boy who finds out he's the second coming of Christ

Aguilar (pictured) is among the dead after their van flipped over near Mulege. Six others are also injured, but their conditions are unknown

The actors were filming a show the centered around a 12-year-old boy who finds out he is the second coming of Christ, TMZ reported.

It's based off a comic book by Mark Millar and artist Peter Gross and the crew began filming in April, according to Comicbook.

There is no release for the series and it unclear how Netflix will proceed moving forward.

Netflix has not publicly commented on the accident. DailyMail.com has reached out the streaming service for comment.

They were filming The Chosen One near Santa Rosalia in Mexico
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People came out in their funkiest outfits for the triumphant return of Coney Island's Mermaid Parade.

On Saturday spectators lined up to look at the creative costumes during the largest art parade in the nation which hasn't been held since 2019 due to the pandemic.

The parade, which features 1,500 participants from all of New York City, celebrates ancient mythology and 'honky-tonk rituals' of the seaside, according to the parade's website.

Miss New York holds hands with an adorable young girl in a purple dress at the Mermaid Parade

A parade goer rocks an all-blue ensemble with a matching blue wig at Saturday's Mermaid Parade

A parade goer doesn't forget to add a political message to her outfit, with the words 'abortions on demand' written on her belly

Although not nautical themed, a man wears an impressive cyborg costume at Saturday's Mermaid Parade in Brooklyn

A group of women look stunning with their bedazzled faces and outfits at the 40th annual Mermaid Parade

A parade goer wearing a a sparkly blue mermaid outfit adjusts his makeup ahead of the parade on Saturday

A young girl rocks funky blue hair and holds a trident on one of the floats for the 40th Annual Mermaid Parade

A woman wears a creative floatie that reads" 'Free Shrugs' as she shrugs during the Mermaid Parade

Two mermaids dazzle on the backseat of a convertible as they participate in this year's Mermaid Parade

A man wears a creative fish head costume as part of the nautical theme for the annual art parade in Brooklyn

A woman adds a sinister twist to her costume for Saturday's Mermaid Parade

A parade goer gets in the spirit and busts a move with her friends at Saturday's Mermaid Parade in Brooklyn

A parade participant smiles as she takes part in the festivities which celebrate ancient mythology and 'honky-tonk rituals' of the seaside

A large group of people dressed to the nine participate in the Mermaid Parade 40th Annual Mermaid Parade in Coney Island,

Parade participants stun in traditional yellow outfits during the 40th annual Mermaid parade

After a two-year hiatus one parade goer flashes a sign celebrating the return of the Mermaid Parade

An adorable baby dressed as some kind of sea creature joins in on the fun at the 40th annual Mermaid Parade

Parade goers dance next to a huge green and blue cheetah print squid costume on Saturday

A line of parade goers dance down the streets of Brooklyn to celebrate the return of the Mermaid Parade

A man casts his vote for best costumes and music groups at this year's Mermaid Parade

The Mermaid Parade is a local tradition that's been around since 1983, celebrating both the summer solstice and the Brooklyn neighborhood's quirky heritage.

The parade now has a global following and is staged each year on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice.

Adam Rinn, the artistic director of Coney Island USA, which organizes the event told Gothamist that the parade has something for everyone.

'Imagine the greatest underwater safari that you can be on where there's just something to see all over the place,' Rinn said. 'And if you blink, don't worry, because there's even more cool stuff coming up.'

Every year a King Neptune and a Queen Mermaid are crowned.

Schools of glittery mermaids marched wearing a bedazzling combination of pearls, jewels, fringe shells, sequins, scales and glittery seaweed.

Festive floats made their way down the parade route in Coney Island as marchers danced under the hot sun and crowds cheered from the sidewalk.

DJ Vourderis, with Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, told PIX 11 that the parade is a 'huge party' and that its just what people need after the pandemic.

'COVID brought out the worst in us,' he said. 'This is the best of us and a place of joy.'

One of the many creative, colorful costumes on display at the world-famous Mermaid Parade in Brooklyn

A group of women got the memo and dressed in their most colorful mermaid outfits for Saturday's parade

A young lady lets her curls blow in the wind as she holds up an umbrella in her white, purple and pink outfit perfect for the Mermaid Parade

A parade goer throws up a peace sign on top of a unicorn at the Mermaid Parade

A man dressed as Neptune, king of the sea, takes a break from the festivities on Saturday

A group of matching all-red mermaids steal the show at the 40th annual Mermaid Parade in Brooklyn

A well dressed duo show out and stick to the nautical theme for the 40th annual Mermaid Parade on Saturday

Revelers take pictures of a parade goer wearing his best blue outfit with green face paint to match

A group of women strike a pose in their most colorful clothes and makeup at the Mermaid Parade in Brooklyn

A parade goer opts for a more political costumer, dressing as a judge with a sash that reads 'Save Roe v Wade'

Festive floats made their way down the parade route in Coney Island as marchers danced under the hot sun and crowds cheered from the sidewalk

A parade participant waves to the adoring crows as he ears an impressive headpiece

A parade participant ricks heart-shaped sunglasses and wears an extravagant purple ensemble

A group of grey-haired ladies wear matching golden outfits for the spirited Mermaid Parade

People dressed eccentrically for the festivities ride the subway the the Mermaid Parade on Saturday
He may have slain a dragon, but Saint George has proved to be no match for the woke warriors of academia.

Dons have slapped a trigger warning on the heroic story of Englands patron saint, lest the legend prove upsetting and offensive to todays university students.

Undergraduates have been told: This literary text tells the story of St George and his martyrdom which contains descriptions of and allusions to torture and violence leading to his death.

It also contains instances of discriminatory language, particularly with reference to ethnicity and religion.

Dons slapped a trigger warning on the heroic story of Englands patron saint. Undergraduates were told that the literary text contains 'descriptions of and allusions to torture and violence leading to his death'

It is believed that St George was a real Roman soldier and was tortured and executed in AD 303 after refusing to renounce his Christian faith. In the 11th Century, the story of how he killed a dragon to save a princess gained popularity

Exam pupils tripped up by woke question Critics have expressed concern that the use of gender neutral language in exam questions could confuse students and cost them marks. While the usual format is for questions to refer to a boy or a girl, or use their name, followed by the pronoun he or she, some exam boards are removing gender and replacing it with, for example, a student followed by they. A GCSE maths question this year from the exam board AQA refers to one of 35 students who is chosen at random. It then asks: What is the probability that they exercise for at least one hour? In online forums, teachers and parents said pupils may have thought they refers to the 35 students rather than one. Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign For Real Education, said: Exam questions need to be unambiguous. AQA said they had been used because it was grammatically correct, adding: No schools have been in touch to say this question caused confusion. Advertisement

Students at the University of East Anglia (UEA) are then told: If you have concerns about any of the content please feel free to discuss with your seminar tutor.

The warning was slapped on The Legend Of St George, by the 15th Century monk and poet John Lydgate, which forms part of the Medieval Monstrosities module of the English Literature course.

It is believed that St George was a real Roman soldier, born in Turkey, who was tortured and executed in AD 303 after refusing to renounce his Christian faith.

In the 11th Century, the story of how he killed a dragon to save a princess gained popularity.

Critics last night ridiculed the warning. Former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe said: Quite honestly, if students do not know that in medieval times they were quite violent and had very different attitudes towards race, then they are not fit to be at university. The mere fact that its a medieval poem should warn them they may not find nice, comfy 21st Century language there.

Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said: People are going through our history looking for things to be offended by. It is not about genuine pain or hurt, it is about distancing England from its traditions and its past.

Students at UEA are also warned that work by Victorian poet Robert Browning, a champion of womens rights, deal with toxic masculinity and implied/explicit misogynistic violence.

Last night, a UEA spokesman said: We want to prepare students to have a robust debate about a variety of materials. We have various mechanisms in place to encourage these discussions and trigger warnings are just one of these.
A woman who was filmed pepper spraying four Asian women in a racially motivated attack in Manhattan last week has been tracked down and arrested by police, after video of the incident went viral.

The suspect, 47-year-old Madeline Barker, was caught on camera hurling racial insults at the victims, such as 'Go back to where you came from' and you don't belong here,' during the June 10 altercation.

The incident, which transpired in a public plaza in the Meatpacking District, subsequently sparked a search for the then-unidentified woman - dubbed 'Karen' by internet users.

Police now reveal the woman - who wore a bright pink pashmina and Jacqueline Onassis-esque sunglasses during her tirade - is in custody.

Barker, who hails from Florida, now faces hate crime charges for the attack, and was awaiting an appearance Saturday in Manhattan Criminal Court on charges of assault as a hate crime, attempted assault as a hate crime and harassment as a hate crime.

The incident, which left one victim 'unable to open her eyes,' comes amid a rash of anti-Asian violence in City That Never Sleeps.

The suspect, 47-year-old Madeline Barker, was caught on camera hurling racial insults at the victims, such as 'Go back to where you came from' and you don't belong here,' during the June 10 altercation. The footage subsequently went viral and led to police arresting Barker

Even though the victims attempted to walk away, Barker, who faces hate crime charges, chased and pepper sprayed the victims in the face, the footage shows. One victim said she was 'unable to open [her] eyes' after the attack

Police had been on the hunt for the suspect, investigating the case as a hate crime after the footage went viral last week

Shocking video recorded by the victims shows the moment the woman, dubbed "Karen" by social media users, starts arguing with the four Queens women, all in their 20s, in Manhattan's Meatpacking District on Saturday.

The victims, who asked to remain anonymous, told ABC 7 that they were checking out a flower installation when the woman suddenly picked a fight with them, and after accusing them of harassing her, the Karen pepper sprayed the four.

'It was so painful, one victim said. 'I couldn't open my eyes for about 30 minutes.'

A bystander then filmed the victims walking away from the argument, but the Karen continues to yell at them and walks up behind one of the women and blasts her directly in the eyes with the pepper spray before leaving the area.

It's the latest anti-Asian crime in the New York City, where hate crimes have shot up, those against Asians going up 343 percent last year

Police said the incident was currently under investigation and was being treated as a hate crime.

According to the victims, Barker went on a racist tirade as she pulled out the pepper spray on the Asian women.

'[She was] saying, like, "Go back to where you came from, you don't belong here,"' one victim recalled to ABC 7.

'She pointed to an Asian bystander who was a man, we didn't know who he was, pointed at him and said, "Take your ***** back to your country."'

The victims claimed that after the assault, one of them got a message from someone else who had allegedly ran into the same women earlier in the day, saying the Karen had pepper sprayed three others, including a 13-year-old girl.

'Learning that she did this to other people, including a minor, that's not ok,' one of the victims said. 'She needs to be caught.'

Another victim said that despite hearing racist remarks growing up, it was the first time any of them had been physical victims of a hate crime.

Hate crimes have been on the rise in the Big Apple and nationwide, with the NYPD reporting that hate crimes had shot up 96 percent in 2021, with 133 Asian Americans experiencing terrifying and dangerous experiences of discrimination in the city.

Hate crimes are currently up 31.1 percent from the same time last year with one of the latest attacks taking place in April, when a Chinese food delivery worker was gunned down.

Zhiwen Yan, 45, (right) in this undated image on the day of his wedding, was making a delivery on his scooter in the Forest Hills neighborhood Queens at around 9:30 pm on April 30, cops say, when he was fatally shot in the chest

Supporters of Yan, who was allegedly killed by Glenn Hirsch, 51, held a demonstration outside Queens Supreme Court protesting the suspect being released without bail

Steven Zajonc, 28, was arrested and charged with assault as a hate crime, attempted assault as a hate crime, aggravated harassment and harassment in March

This map shows the times and locations of the attacks Zajonc allegedly perpetrated against seven Asian women on February 27

NYPD's own figures show how hate crimes rocketed during the pandemic

Zhiwen Yan, 45, was shot and killed in Queens during an argument 'over duck sauce,' with police arresting Glenn Hirsch, 51, a man obsessed with the condiment.

Hirsch has pleaded not guilty and is currently being held without bail, much to the outrage of the Asian community as residents protested the decision, slamming the murder of the father-of-three as a hate crime.

In March, police arrested Steven Zajonc, 28, of Florida, who had barricaded himself in the New York Public Library after allegedly assaulting seven Asian women in a two-hour rampage across Manhattan.

At the start of the year, the city was shocked by the murder of Michelle Go, 40, who had been pushed to her death at the subway platform in Times Square.

The rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans has been attributed to the pandemic due to COVID-19's origins in China, while former President Donald Trump referred to coronavirus as 'kung flu' or 'the China virus.'

The attacks come amid a continued rise in violent crime across the city as felony assaults have shut up by 19.5 percent so far this year when compared with the same period last year, with the NYPD reporting 10,929 cases as of Wednesday.

Overall crime is up almost 40 percent in the Big Apple, with assault up nearly 20 percent

Robberies have seen the most dramatic uptick, with 7,187 cases reported so far this year - 40.3 percent more than the same time last year. Rapes have also shot up by a marked 16.9 percent.

Although murders and the number of shooting victims has seen a down tick of 11.5 and 8.1 percent, respectively, overall crime in the city is up 38.35 percent.

Transit crimes are also up a shocking 53 percent.

Public transportation has become so scary for residents, 85 percent support more transit cops in the stations - which Mayor Eric Adams, 61, promised to address but hasn't seen through.

In addition, 63 percent support metal detectors in stations, according to the SCRI.
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Dame Deborah James has said she is 'overwhelmed' after her campaign for fashion brand In The Style has raised 1million for charity - as the much-loved activist continues to receive end-of-life care for bowel cancer.

The former deputy headteacher turned bowel cancer campaigner, 40, says the fashion brand's 'Rebellious Hope' t-shirt, which she helped to design, 'is what has got me through the last few years and its what is keeping me going now'.

All proceeds from sales of the t-shirt go to the BowelBabe Fund, which has raised more than 6.7m so far.

Posting a picture on Instagram today, she said: 'WOW!! ONE MILLION POUNDS. I am honestly so overwhelmed we, through In The Style raised over 1,000,000 for Cancer Research UK.'

She continued: '"Rebellious Hope" is what has got me through the last few years and its what is keeping me going now!

Dame Deborah James posted this picture on Instagram of her posing with a large cheque alongside In The Style founder Adam Frisby and his partner Jamie Corbett

Dame Deborah James, 40, pictured in In The Style's 'Rebellious Hope' t-shirt, which she helped to design' and has raised 1million through

Now receiving palliative care at her parents' home in Woking, Surrey, Dame Deborah James says she will Father's Day this weekend with 'a whisky or two' with her father Alistair who she called her 'unsung hero,

'Seeing all your messages, tags and support has just been the best and I am so grateful that we have been able to do this together! Thank you all.'

The photo showed Dame Deborah posing with a large cheque alongside In The Style founder Adam Frisby and his partner Jamie Corbett.

She said she that, when the t-shirt launched, she and the brand spoke of 'how incredible 50,000 would be', adding that the 1m is 'just so incredible'.

It comes after Dame Deborah reflected on the loving support of her father Alistair as her family prepares for a heart-wrenching Father's Day this weekend.

She said she is looking forward to celebrating the day with her husband Seb, children Hugo, 14, and Eloise, 12, as well as her father and mother Heather.

Now receiving palliative care at her parents' home in Woking, Surrey, she says she will mark the day with 'a whisky or two' with her father who she called her 'unsung hero,' The Sun reports.

She said: 'Ive not always been a big one for telling Dad how much I love him, so take it from me, just say it. You never know when it might be your last chance.

'It's too hard to think about, the idea I wont see my son as a father.'

Dame Deborah also revealed her husband Seb is an 'incredible' father to their two children.

And she was thrilled when her brother Ben proposed to his girlfriend of 11 years Ashley.

Prince William meets with Deborah James to award her her Damehood last month for her tireless campaigning and fundraising for cancer research

She added: 'For me, this year its about my dad and Seb, but its also about the men in my life who will hopefully one day be fathers too, my son and brother.'

Yesterday, Dame Deborah revealed she was given just days to live when she was released from hospital last month - and insisted her day at Royal Ascot was a 'fab milestone' that proves she 'ain't dead yet'.

The mother-of-two has been making the most of the time she has left after revealing last month that she's no longer receiving active treatment for her cancer.

In that time, she has been on a number of outings, including watching opera at Glyndebourne, enjoying a trip after hours to the Chelsea Flower Show and lunch at the 700-a-night Beaverbrook estate in Leatherhead, Surrey.
The Archbishop of Canterbury again slammed the Government's Rwanda migrants plan, branding the policy 'heartless'.

Justin Welby branded the plan 'heartless' in a trio of new provocative tweets this evening

Justin Welby hit back at the Home Secretary after she accused the plan's critics of 'inbuilt prejudice and racism'.

In a trio of fiery tweets sent this evening, Mr Welby said the Church of England's opposition to the offshore processing plan 'is not because the destination is Rwanda'.

He wrote: 'We would oppose such heartless treatment wherever people were sent.

'We oppose this policy because it outsources our responsibilities, and treats vulnerable and traumatised people without any kind of dignity, compassion or justice.

'This is not how God calls us to treat each other.'

In a third tweet, Archbishop Welby added: 'We'll continue to call for a humane and effective immigration system, and to offer our support to national and local government to deliver it.

'And in parishes we'll continue to help local communities receive asylum seekers and others arriving from overseas.'

The Home Office Boeing 767 sat at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire on June 14, but did not take off

Welby earlier slammed the policy as 'the opposite of the nature of God' in a punchy Easter address two months ago.

Ms Patel told The Telegraph today that the first flight's grounding last week was 'scandalous' - and a reason to quit the ECHR.

She also said: 'If it was France, if we were sending people to Sweden, New York, Sydney, would they [the critics] change their mind? That actually speaks of inbuilt prejudice and I would even go as far as to say, racism.'

Government sources reportedly threatened to try and boot Church of England leaders out of the House of Lords in response to their opposition to the plan.

It was reported that Cabinet ministers were openly talking about expelling the 26 bishops from the House of Lords - with one noting that Iran is the only other country to have religious leaders sitting in their parliament.

Yet Number Ten swiftly denied this, with Boris Johnson's press secretary stating: 'There are no plans to do that.'

Under an agreement struck with Kigali in April, Home Secretary Priti Patel plans to send migrants who enter Britain illegally thousands of miles away to have their asylum claims processed.

Her scheme has yet to get up and running after the European Court of Human Rights blocked a first flight to Rwanda last week.

Church of England archbishops and bishops sit in the House of Lords as the Lords Spiritual.

In their letter this week, published in The Times, the 25 current members of the Lords Spiritual claimed the Rwanda policy 'should shame us as a nation'.

'The shame is our own, because our Christian heritage should inspire us to treat asylum seekers with compassion, fairness and justice, as we have for centuries,' they wrote.

'Those to be deported to Rwanda have had no chance to appeal, or reunite with family in Britain.

'They have had no consideration of their asylum claim, recognition of their medical or other needs, or any attempt to understand their predicament.'

Their letter added: 'We cannot offer asylum to everyone, but we must not outsource our ethical responsibilities, or discard international law  which protects the right to claim asylum.

'We must end the evil trafficking; many churches are involved in fighting it. This needs global co-operation across every level of society.

'To reduce dangerous journeys to the UK we need safe routes: the church will continue to advocate for them.

'But deportations  and the potential forced return of asylum seekers to their home countries  are not the way. This immoral policy shames Britain.'
The authors of a new book claim a chilling warning about the devastating impact school closures would have on pupils during the pandemic was ignored by Government scientists behind Britains lockdown.

Campaigners Liz Cole and Molly Kingsley unearthed a report written in April 2020, just a month after schools closed, which said the move was putting education seriously at risk and two-thirds of parents were already warning their childrens mental health was suffering.

The report, written by four academics and a civil servant on the Governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the risk to 30,000 vulnerable children had increased significantly and called for data to be urgently collected on whether child suicides were rising.

The authors found the study had been quietly released as an annexe to another report and did not appear to have been discussed by other scientists on Sage.

They say it was one of a string of ear-splitting warnings that went unheeded about the harm that school closures and strict social distancing rules would cause children. The Childrens Inquiry, which will be published this month, claims children were treated as a de facto underclass during the pandemic and that an entire cohort of pupils are now unhealthier, unhappier and behind educationally.

The book says: It should be a matter of shame to all involved that by summer 2020, most UK children were unable to attend school while adults queued outside Primark or went to the pub.

MATTER OF SHAME: Schools were closed to most pupils for longer than in any other country in Europe

It adds: From a child welfare point of view, our pandemic response was a national disaster.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on March 18, 2020, that Englands 24,000 schools were to close until further notice. They would remain closed for longer than any other country in Europe.

Many children returned to their classrooms in September 2020, only for schools to be shut again in January last year. Even when they reopened that March, Covid outbreaks and isolation rules caused chaos.

Amid mounting concern, Mrs Cole, 48, and Mrs Kingsley, 43, who each have two children, founded the UsforThem campaign.

We have spent two years watching as four happy children by turns became sad, angry, demotivated, confused, had rites of passage and life opportunities taken away from them and friendships curtailed, they write in the book, which also reveals that:

More than one million referrals were made to specialist child mental health services last year  up 15 per cent. The number of children waiting for eating disorder treatment has tripled;

Almost half (46 per cent) of children who entered reception year in 2020 were not school ready  up from 35 per cent in 2019  with a staggering increase in speech and language difficulties;

Obesity among ten and 11-year-olds increased from 21 per cent in 2019/20 to 25.5 per cent in 2020/21;

The number of primary school children achieving at or above the expected standard fell by about one-fifth between autumn 2019 and summer 2020;

Amid fears of a surge of child abuse, Great Ormond Street Hospital for children reported a 1,493 per cent increase in cases of abusive head trauma during the first month of school closures;

Neurologists identified an explosion of children with lockdown-induced tics, disorders and Tourettes syndrome.

The book reveals that Anne Longfield, then Childrens Commissioner, spent weeks and weeks arguing that children should return to school, culminating in a demand in May 2020 that Ministers and unions stop squabbling and agree a plan.

Ms Longfield told the authors it was absolutely unnecessary to keep schools closed until the last weeks of the summer term in 2020, saying: It added a huge additional detriment to those children and was completely irresponsible and virtually criminal for those children.

The authors highlight how Professor Mark Woolhouse, an infectious disease epidemiologist and a member of Sage, said there had been no compelling evidence to justify school closures and express their shock at discovering that some of the worst effects had been pinpointed within a month of locking classroom doors  yet Government scientists continued to recommend tough lockdown measures.

In the first month of school closures Great Ormond Street Hospital for children saw a 1,493 per cent increase in cases of abusive head trauma

Co-author Mrs Cole said last night: The report was ignored. It was an annexe  a footnote. We cant see that it has been acted on, yet the warnings were so chilling. That document should have provoked a sense of urgency and serious recognition that this was an emergency situation.

The book highlights the impact of strict social-distancing and mask-wearing rules once classrooms did reopen.

One parent says the temperature in her daughters classroom fell to 10C in February last year because windows were kept open to provide ventilation. Shes being sent in with a hot-water bottle, blanket, hot soup, hand-warmers and a flask of tea. How is that acceptable? the mother said.

The Department for Education said: The Government acted swiftly over the course of the pandemic to minimise the impact on childrens education and wellbeing and help keep pupils in face-to-face education as much as possible.

The Childrens Inquiry, by Liz Cole and Molly Kingsley, is published by Pinter & Martin on June 30.
The break in the recent hot weather may be short-lived, with experts predicting four more heatwaves in the coming months.

Temperatures soared to as high as 32.7C (91F) on Friday, but it was far cooler yesterday, with much of the UK experiencing rain.

Further showers are expected today, with highs of 21C (70F). But forecasters say there will soon be a return to a Spanish summer with further hot spells on the way.

In response to the warming climate, the Met Office recently changed its definition of a heatwave, meaning that it now requires certain thresholds to be met for three consecutive days.

Crowds packed out the beach at Brighton on Saturday, with experts predicting the fine weather is set to continue with four more heatwaves in the UK over the summer months

It changes county by county, with temperatures of at least 28C (81F) required in London and the Home Counties, 27C (82F) across the rest of the South East and most of the Midlands, 26C (79F) in the North-West Midlands and Welsh Borders, and 25C in the North and West.

Leon Brown, from The Weather Company, the worlds biggest commercial forecaster, said: More heatwaves imported from the Continent to the UK are forecast this summer, each reaching at least 28C  and likely higher  and each lasting several days.

Mr Brown, the head of meteorological operations, said the next hot spell was forecast for early July, with another predicted for the second half of the month.

He added: With heat building further in Western Europe by July and a similar air flow expected from Spain again, it would bring even hotter temperatures than on Friday.

We should see well into the 30s  36C (97F) would not be at all surprising. A third hot period is due in August, with September having further hot spell potential.

Warmth can be brought to the UK in September by tropical storms tracking across the Atlantic.

Crowds of sunseekers take up every spare inch of space at Bournemouth beach on Friday

In contrast to Britain, many parts of mainland Europe continued to experience sweltering temperatures yesterday.

Outdoor public events were banned in parts of southern France, while Paris recorded its hottest ever June day with temperatures predicted to reach 42C (104F).

In Spain, temperatures were forecast to hit a scorching 43C, according to the governments Aemet weather service.

Firefighters battled forest blazes in the north-west Sierra de la Culebra region which have forced some 200 people from their homes.

Meanwhile, water levels are so low across large stretches of Italys largest river, the Po, that locals have been able to walk through the middle of the expanse of sand, and wartime shipwrecks are resurfacing.

Londoners were seen attempting to cope with sizzling temperatures as it hit 31C on Friday

Temperatures are set to plunge across Britain by up to 13C (55F) today, meaning it will be a cool and somewhat soggy 17C to 21C for Fathers Day.

The South will be mainly dry from tomorrow and is set for temperature highs of about 26C (79F) by Wednesday, but the North faces further showers.

A Met Office forecaster said last night: Rain in the far South on Sunday will be heavy in places, with temperatures much nearer normal, while showers are due in the North.

Rain spreads to the North West from Monday, with the South feeling warm in sunny spells by Wednesday.
Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth says he's returning his Harvard diploma in protest at the prestigious college's woke policies which he claims are 'poisoning' children's minds.

Hegseth appeared on a segment of Sean Hannity Friday night with co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy who brought up his previous promises to send back his degree in protest of the school's beliefs.

He received a masters in public policy from Harvard's esteemed John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2013, having previously graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton in 2003.

In his recently published book, 'Battle for the American Mind,' Hegseth details the 'destruction' of government education and encouraged people to mail their degrees back.

On Saturday morning's Fox & Friends, Hegseth went through with his own promise. He insisted he was making a statement - not a stunt - about higher education when he pulled out his Master's Degree in public policy on air, removed it from the frame and wrote, 'return to sender' across it.

Harvard alum and Fox & Friends co-host Pete Hegseth writes 'Return to Sender' across his diploma with a promise to send it back to Harvard in protest of what he views as far left policies in the school's teachings

Hegseth then crossed out 'Harvard' and wrote in its place: 'Critical Theory,' making it 'Critical Theory University.'

'Is your mom going to be mad?' his co-host Campos-Duffy asked Hegseth.

Very,' he responded. 'I don't think my wife's going to like this either.'

Hegseth said he hopes this is a statement that 'as conservatives and patriots, we can't keep sending our kids and elevating them to universities that are poisoning their minds.'

'People will say, 'this is just a stunt. You still have a degree,' and that's fine. I went, I got the degree, I walked into the classes, all of that,' he said. 'But I hope this is a statement as conservatives and patriots, if we love this country, we can't keep sending our kids and elevating them to universities that are poisoning their minds.'

He also accused Harvard of pushing critical theory and not being as religiously focused as they used to be.

'I don't want to elevate the prestige of Harvard considering what Harvard has become. The head chaplain at Harvard today, the president of the chaplains is an atheist. This was a university founded by John Harvard with the original motto of: for the glory of Christ. When you look at the ubiquitousness of critical theory, of Marxist thinking, of racist thinking, frankly, inside Harvard  why are we holding it up as the vanguard of what is the imprimatur of what makes someone credible?'

On Saturday morning's Fox & Friends, he insisted he was making a statement - not a stunt - about higher education when he pulled out his Master's Degree in public policy on air

Hegseth then crossed out 'Harvard' and wrote in its place: 'Critical Theory,' making it 'Critical Theory University'

In 2021, New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik was removed from a panel at Harvard for making comments that perpetuated President Donald Trump's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.

Stefanik accused her alma mater of caving to the woke Left after the schools Institute of Politics on Tuesday dropped her from an advisory committee, citing her public remarks about fraud in the 2020 election.

Hundreds of students and alumni had called on Harvard to cut ties with Stefanik, a 2006 Harvard graduate, after last week's violent insurrection at the US Capitol.

US Rep Elise Stefanik (pictured in 2021) was removed from Harvard University panel for comments that perpetuated Donald Trump's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud

Hundreds of students (file image) and alumni called on Harvard to cut ties with Stefanik, a 2006 Harvard graduate, after last week's violent insurrection at the US Capitol

Following the university's announcement, Stefanik responded that it's a 'rite of passage and badge of honor' to be boycotted by US universities.

'The decision by Harvard's administration to cower and cave to the woke Left will continue to erode diversity of thought, public discourse, and ultimately the student experience,' she wrote in a statement.

She continued: 'The Ivory Towers march toward a monoculture of like-minded, intolerant liberal views demonstrates the sneering disdain for everyday Americans and will instill a culture of fear for students who will understand that a conservative viewpoint will not be tolerated and will be silenced.

'Congratulations Harvard, the entire Board of the Institute of Politics now consists only of Joe Biden voters - how reflective of America.'

Earlier this year, Harvard students' 'woke' beliefs were blamed when an on-campus Harvard University police station was forced to closed after students complained that its presence was 'a violent, visual intimidation tactic.'

A Harvard University police station on campus was forced to closed after students complained that its presence was 'a violent, visual intimidation tactic.' Pictured: A Harvard University police officer blocks off an area following a bomb threat that was made on campus in 2015

The police department's substation, located inside the Mather House residential hall, closed in February following years of outcry from both woke students and faculty.

They argued the outpost, which opened in 2005 and was one of four on campus, was more intimidating than helpful, according to the Harvard Crimson, and even took aim at officers for eating in the students' dining room

Eleanor 'Ellie' Taylor, a Harvard student and resident of Mather House, claimed the substation was being used as a 'visual intimidation tactic' against students.

She added there were concerns about Harvard University Police Department officers eating meals alongside students in the dining hall during the 2019-2020 academic year, which she said made many students feel uncomfortable.

Kai DeJesus, another Mather House resident, told the Harvard Crimson that the substation's closure is a 'really good first step,' but believes that the university's police department ultimately needs to be abolished.

DeJesus pointed to a 2020 incident in which an officer was accused of using excessive force, while arresting a black man in Harvard's Smith Campus Center.

'It's really important that we keep these violent institutions outside of residences,' DeJesus said. 'Ultimately, HUPD remains the police force that disproportionately targets Black and Brown people here on campus and in Cambridge.'

'For real justice to exist on this campus, HUPD must be abolished,' DeJesus said.

Most recently, in April 2022, Harvard students gave the classic musical The Mikado a 'woke' makeover to remove racist references and turn it into a dystopian drama about goat-herding.

Students from the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert And Sullivan Players (HRGSP) rewrote Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado into a musical about a goat herder in dystopian London (pictured)

The 'yellowface' performances continued well into the 2000s, with American actors Michael Harris (left) and Laurelyn Watson starring as the leads in the NYGASP's performance in 2003. The NYGASP cancelled the production's run in 2015 following social media backlash

Students from the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert And Sullivan Players (HRGSP) reimagined the Gilbert and Sullivan drama in a renamed production called The Milk Made which was performed late last month.

The Harvard students chose to keep Arthur Sullivan's origin score but completely rewrote the play. Instead of a drama about the main character's search for love, they instead opted to tell the story about an Asian boat worker looking to herd goats in a futuristic Chinese-dominated London.

Keagan Yap, 25, the music director, said the changes were made to avoid the use of 'yellowface' and racism found in the original play in order to create a more woke experience.

Yellowface sees white actors don makeup and traditional clothing to make them appear Asian. It is similar to blackface, and is also now widely-regarded as offensive and racist.

'A number of our cast and crew members also have Asian heritage and belong to these cultures and to come onto this project  and imbue their identities and imbue their cultures and experiences into this work that has drawn music from centuries ago  I think was a very enlightening experience,' Yap told the Harvard Crimson.

Following a wave of cancellations of the musical throughout the country, many, like the Harvard students, have attempted to rewrite the story to avoid the Japanese stereotypes and 'yellowface' performances.
December 2005

We Are Sorry to Inform You

Simone Santini, University of California, San Diego

Once upon a time there was a little-known patent clerk in Bern who received a disappointing annual performance review in '05 (www.norvig.com/performance-review.html).

E.W. DIJKSTRA

"Goto Statement Considered Harmful." This paper tries to convince us that the well-known goto statement should be eliminated from our programming languages or, at least (since I don't think that it will ever be eliminated), that programmers should not use it. It is not clear what should replace it. The paper doesn't explain to us what would be the use of the "if" statement without a "goto" to redirect the flow of execution: Should all our postconditions consist of a single statement, or should we only use the arithmetic "if," which doesn't contain the offensive "goto"?

And how will one deal with the case in which, having reached the end of an alternative, the program needs to continue the execution somewhere else?

The author is a proponent of the so-called "structured programming" style, in which, if I get it right, gotos are replaced by indentation. Structured programming is a nice academic exercise, which works well for small examples, but I doubt that any real-world program will ever be written in such a style. More than 10 years of industrial experience with Fortran have proved conclusively to everybody concerned that, in the real world, the goto is useful and necessary: its presence might cause some inconveniences in debugging, but it is a de facto standard and we must live with it. It will take more than the academic elucubrations of a purist to remove it from our languages.

Publishing this would waste valuable paper: Should it be published, I am as sure it will go uncited and unnoticed as I am confident that, 30 years from now, the goto will still be alive and well and used as widely as it is today.

Confidential comments to the editor: The author should withdraw the paper and submit it someplace where it will not be peer reviewed. A letter to the editor would be a perfect choice: Nobody will notice it there!

E.F. CODD

"A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks." This paper proposes that all data in a database be represented in the form of relationssets of tuplesand that all the operations relative to data access be made on this model. Some of the ideas presented in the paper are interesting and may be of some use, but, in general, this very preliminary work fails to make a convincing point as to their implementation, performance, and practical usefulness. The paper?s general point is that the tabular form presented should be suitable for general data access, but I see two problems with this statement: expressivity and efficiency.

The paper contains no real-world example to convince us that any model of practical interest can be cast in it. Quite the contrary, at first sight I doubt that anything complex enough to be of practical interest can be modeled using relations. The simplicity of the model prevents one from, for instance, representing hierarchies directly and forces their replacement with complicated systems of "foreign keys." In this situation, any realistic model might end up requiring dozens of interconnected tableshardly a practical solution given that, probably, we can represent the same model using two or three properly formatted files.

Even worse, the paper contains no efficiency evaluation: There are no experiments with real or synthetic data to show how the proposed approach compares with traditional ones on real-world problems. The main reason for using specialized file formats is efficiency: Data can be laid out in such a way that the common access patterns are efficient. This paper proposes a model in which, to extract any significant answer from any real database, the user will end up with the very inefficient solution of doing a large number of joins. Yet we are given no experimental result or indication of how this solution might scale up.

The formalism is needlessly complex and mathematical, using concepts and notation with which the average data bank practitioner is unfamiliar. The paper doesn't tell us how to translate its arcane operations into executable block access.

Adding together the lack of any real-world example, performance experiment, and implementation indication or detail, we are left with an obscure exercise using unfamiliar mathematics and of little or no practical consequence. It can be safely rejected.

A. TURING

"On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungs Problem." This is a bizarre paper. It begins by defining a computing device absolutely unlike anything I have seen, then proceeds to showI haven't quite followed the needlessly complicated formalismthat there are numbers that it can't compute. As I see it, there are two alternatives that apply to any machine that will ever be built: Either these numbers are too big to be represented in the machine, in which case the conclusion is obvious, or they are not; in that case, a machine that can't compute them is simply broken!

Any tabulating machine worth its rent can compute all the values in the range it represents, and any number computable by a functionthat is, by applying the four operations a number of timescan be computed by any modern tabulating machine since these machinesunlike the one proposed here with its bizarre mechanismhave the four operations hardwired. It seems that the "improvement" proposed by Turing is not an improvement over current technology at all, and I strongly suspect the machine is too simple to be of any use.

If the article is accepted, Turing should remember that the language of this journal is English and change the title accordingly.

C.E. SHANNON

"A Mathematical Theory of Communication." This paper is poorly motivated and excessively abstract. It is unclear for what practical problem it might be relevant. The author claims that "semantic aspects of communication are irrelevant to the engineering problems," which seems to indicate that his theory is suitable mostly for transmitting gibberish. Alas, people will not pay to have gibberish transmitted anywhere.

I don't understand the relevance of discrete sources: No matter what one does, in the end, the signal will have to be modulated using good old-fashioned vacuum tubes, so the signal on the "'channel"' will always be analogical.

A running example would have helped make the presentation clearer and less theoretical, but none is provided. Also, the author presents no implementation details or experiments taken from a practical application.

Confidential comments to the editor: The only thing absolutely wrong with this paper is that it doesn't quite "resonate" with what the research community finds exciting. At any point, there are sexy topics and unsexy ones: these days, television is sexy and color television is even sexier. Discrete channels with a finite number of symbols are good for telegraphy, but telegraphy is 100 years old, hardly a good research topic.

The author mentions computing machines, such as the recent ENIAC. Well, I guess one could connect such machines, but a recent IBM memo stated that a dozen or so such machines will be sufficient for all the computing that we'll ever need in the foreseeable future, so there won't be a whole lot of connecting going on with only a dozen ENIACs!

IBM has decided to stay out of the electronic computing business, and this journal should probably do the same!

C.A.R. HOARE

"An Axiomatic Basis for Computer Programming." I am not sure I understand this article. It claims to be about programming, but it doesn't contain a single line of code.

The paper introduces the idea that certain inference rules can be associated to statements in a program and used to show that the program does indeed compute what it is supposed to. I have some reservations that the program's purpose can be defined in the terms the author claimswe all know how fuzzily defined the features of real programs arebut the idea, if suitably justified, might have some merit. However, in its current state, the work is far too preliminary to be considered for a journal. It may well be insufficient for any kind of publication, so I would advise the author to try a workshop at which these kinds of preliminary ideas will be more likely to find a home.

Before the author attempts journal publication, he should complete this work in several respects. The method assumes that the function of a program can be specified as the final value of certain variables. This is an unrealistic view for interactive programs: The author should show how his method fits with the industry's standard way of specifying requirements. He should also extend the method to be applicable to a standard programming language such as COBOL or PL/I and provide the details of his implementation, possibly with a few graphics to show how the system works in practice.

Until this is done, I fear the work is too tentative and preliminary for publication.

R.L. RIVEST, A. SHAMIR, AND L. ADELMAN

"A Method for Obtaining Digital Signatures and Public-Key Cryptosystems." According to the (very short) introduction, this paper purports to present a practical implementation of Diffie and Hellman's public-key cryptosystem for applications in the electronic mail realm. If this is indeed the premise, the paper should be rejected both for a failure to live up to it and for its irrelevance.

I doubt that a system such as this one will ever be practical. The paper does a poor job of convincing the reader that practicality is attainable. For one thing, there is the issue of the number n used to factor the message.

The scheme's security relies on the factorization of n in prime factors taking so long as to be impractical. The authors also stress that the encryption algorithm must be fast andif their application, electronic mail, is to make sensethe algorithm should run on all sorts of machines. Let us be generous and assume that every computer user has access to a latest-generation minicomputer such as the VAX. This 32-bit machine's speed considerations limit the choice of n to n < 232 = 4,294,967,296. Granted, this is a large number, but by the very results of the paper's Table 1, it can be factored in a couple of hours. Scarcely a time margin that will grant security!

Further, as the authors acknowledge, a data encryption standard already exists, supported by both the US National Bureau of Standards and IBM, currently the largest computer manufacturer. It is unlikely that any method that runs counter to this standard will be adopted in any significant degree. True, the IBM method presents the problem of distributing the encryption key, but their method is a standard and we must live with it. Instead of creating nonstandard methods that will soon be dead for lack of users, the authors should try to extend the standard and devise ways to distribute the encryption keys securely.

Finally, there is the question of the application. Electronic mail on the Arpanet is indeed a nice gizmo, but it is unlikely it will ever be diffused outside academic circles and public laboratoriesenvironments in which the need to maintain confidentiality is scarcely pressing. Laboratories with military contracts will never communicate through the Arpanet! Either normal people or small companies will be able to afford a VAX each, or the market for electronic mail will remain tiny. Granted, we are seeing the appearance of so-called microcomputers, such as the recently announced Apple II, but their limitations are so great that neither they nor their descendants will have the power necessary to communicate through a network.

The introduction is only two paragraphs long, the relevant literature is not presented or cited, and there is virtually no comparison with the relevant work in the area. In summary, it looks as if this paper is a mathematical exercise with little originality (the authors claim that most of their ideas come from other papers), too far from practical applicability, running against the established standards, and with a declared application area of dubious feasibility. Not the kind of material our readers like to see in the journal. Reject.

And the rest is history.



Simone Santini is a project researcher at the University of California, San Diego. Contact him at ssantini@sdsc.edu.


Boris Johnson is failing to reap the full benefits of Brexit because the countrys ruling elites are being crippled by a woke dogma, a powerful new report has concluded.

Experts at the Centre for Brexit Policy argue the nation is being held back by the defeatist mindset of civil servants, who are abandoning their impartiality to thwart the Governments ambition.

The hard-hitting paper says the Whitehall blob is in the grip of a dismal cosmopolitan mindset and a liberal tyranny of guilt based on a caricatured version of British history centred on slavery, violence and colonial oppression.

Its authors attack a declinist mentality among the Establishment which believes that the UK is a fading force on the world stage.

They add: How different would our view of the world and of our role in it be if we thought of ourselves as a new and rising force, rather than a nation in decline?

Whether post-Brexit Britain will in fact turn out to be a rising or a declining force is not determined by history or geography: it is essentially in our own hands.

The report, produced by specialists including Cambridge Professor Robert Tombs and former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, is also critical of identity politics, with its focus on race and gender, as well as an obsession with the negative aspects of Britains past.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks to RAF personnel on board a C17 at RAF Brize Norton on Saturday

Cabinet members led by Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss have pushed a vision of a low-tax, low-regulation Singapore-on-Thames to take advantage of the UKs new freedom from Brussels laws

It seems almost calculated to increase internal dissent and ethnic and religious conflict; and it certainly works in the interests of our global opponents in the rapidly crystallising grey war between the authoritarian and free worlds, the authors say.

Mr Johnson has been urged by pro-Brexit Ministers and MPs to do more to highlight the dividends the UK can reap after leaving the EU.

Cabinet members led by Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss have pushed a vision of a low-tax, low-regulation Singapore-on-Thames to take advantage of the UKs new freedom from Brussels laws.

The report also calls for the Prime Minister to ensure that Brexit is a tangible success and to make it unambiguously irreversible.

It suggests Britain should bypass the EU and forge relations with the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe, while revitalising its alliances with countries such as the United States and members of the Commonwealth to check the rise of China and Russia.

However, it is critical of how the Civil Service has stymied Government aims, citing its active opposition to the policy of sending migrants on a one-way ticket to Rwanda.

The shocking thing about these interventions is their entirely subjective and political character, in flagrant breach of the Civil Service Code, it says.

Civil servants are servants: the clue is in the name. They are required to maintain the highest standards of impartiality not allow their personal political views to sway their advice to Ministers or affect the way they do their jobs.

It appears that this fundamental principle has been completely abandoned. By extension, democracy itself is at risk when officials attempt to undermine Ministers and frustrate policies that the Government was elected to implement.

If civil servants feel empowered to threaten  quite openly  to block a policy simply because they dont like it, without fearing so much as a slap on the wrist, the problem in Whitehall looks to be enormous.

The report, produced by specialists including Cambridge Professor Robert Tombs and former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith (pictured), is also critical of identity politics

Is it even possible to reform a bureaucratic behemoth that thrives on disloyalty and ineptitude?

The report, Defining Britains Role In The World After Brexit, will be published this week and says the EUs impotent actions over Ukraine have exposed it as a paper tiger increasingly irrelevant on the world stage.

It concludes: The notion that we are a country in decline is deeply ingrained in our elites. It explains why we joined the EU and why we are struggling to escape its orbit even after our departure.

After Brexit, Britain needs a new self-confident national mindset, one that sets aside the myth of declinism and recognises that the country has huge assets, not least the fact that it is held in high regard across the world and that it plays a pivotal role in the Commonwealth.

Britain needs to re-establish a cohesive national purpose respectful of our past and our traditions and patriotic without being jingoistic.

'We must now return to what we were, a fully sovereign, independent, United Kingdom that needs a coherent understanding of its national interest.

A renewed sense of national purpose would also reject both isolationism and the liberal tyranny of guilt that seeks to atone for past imperial power.
Boris Johnson risks angering the China-sceptics in his party by quietly dropping his policy of reducing Britains reliance on imports from the country.

Two years ago, during the height of the pandemic, the Prime Minister instructed civil servants to draw up plans for Project Defend  a strategy for protecting national security after the pandemic by diversifying the UKs imports of critical goods, such as pharmaceuticals, away from Beijing.

But a letter sent by Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said the project was quietly dropped last year.

Boris Johnson quietly dropped his policy of reducing Britains reliance on imports from China after drawing up plans two years ago. Project Defend was a strategy for protecting national security after the pandemic by diversifying the UKs imports of critical goods, such as pharmaceuticals, away from Beijing

In response to questions about the project in the House of Lords, Lord Ahmad referred to the project in the past tense.

He said: Project Defend was a cross-Government project created at the start of the pandemic. It successfully analysed the supply chains that were critical to the United Kingdom, raising our visibility and understanding of supply chain vulnerabilities.

It supported critical winter planning in 2021 and supported Government departments and industry to identify options for building more resilient supply chains.

But last night, China hawks in the Lords said they planned to amend the Procurement Bill to force Ministers to effectively revive the policy by eliminating any form of strategic dependency on China imports.

A letter sent by Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (pictured) revealed that the project had been discreetly dropped last year. In response to questions in the House of Lords, he said the plan had 'supported critical winter planning in 2021 and supported Government departments and industry to identify options for building more resilient supply chains'

Tory peer Baroness Stroud, who has tabled the amendment, said: If the Ukraine crisis tells us anything it is that dependency on bad actors exposes us.

This amendment is a step towards putting that right and I hope the Government will adopt it.

Luke de Pulford, the co-ordinator of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said: The Government should not underestimate the depth of the disappointment on the Tory backbenches. Theres a real sense that the rhetoric on China doesnt match the action.

Last night a Government source said Project Defend was restricted to Covid supply issues, and that after the pandemic, the Foreign Office was toughening up in this area rather than weakening.
A rapist whose deportation was dramatically thwarted when a protest by virtue-signalling passengers prevented the plane from taking off is still in the UK four years later, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

A blizzard of legal challenges by Left-wing lawyers have repeatedly torpedoed Home Office attempts to kick out the man, who is in his 30s.

On another occasion three years ago, he was believed to be on the airport tarmac waiting to be led on to another flight, only for a fresh appeal by his lawyers to stop his removal.

The rapist  who the MoS is banned by a draconian court order from identifying  arrived as a refugee from Africa claiming that he was persecuted in his own country. He repaid Britains generosity by targeting a teenage girl and viciously raping her.

When he was released after more than four years in prison, the Home Office tried to deport him, but an MoS investigation has established that he has had no fewer than 15 immigration tribunal hearings since 2016.

Taxpayers have been left to pay more than 500,000 in court, legal and detention fees.

The shocking saga echoes the tactics used by activist lawyers to halt the Home Offices plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.

A European Court of Human Rights judge last week made an 11th-hour order that grounded the inaugural fight to the East African country after a string of legal claims made on behalf of asylum seekers in UK courts failed.

Protest: The rapist, not pictured, was on a plane before his late reprieve. Taxpayers have been left to pay more than 500,000 in court, legal and detention fees

The rapists victim last night said it was disgraceful the man had not been deported, adding that she has almost given up hope that he will ever be kicked out.

It is absolutely ridiculous. He has no right to be here after what he has done, she said.

I just dont understand how it is still ongoing, how we havent got rid of him yet. We havent got the power to do what needs to be done.

Its just frustrating and really disheartening and it feels like we will never be rid of him  that he is always going to be there, over my shoulder.

In his latest attempt to stay in the UK, the man claims his life would be at risk from terrorists if he is removed from Britain.

The Home Office believes his supporters planted a fake online video, which purported to show extremists threatening to kill him.

The rapist has used every available legal lever to frustrate his removal, including claims that he was a victim of modern slavery and his human rights would be breached because he would face persecution or take his own life if removed.

Government lawyers have successfully fought off three claims by the rapist and his lawyers for judicial review but have still failed to kick him out of Britain.

When each legal avenue has been exhausted, his lawyers have simply submitted a fresh challenge with new reasons why he should not be deported.

In an astonishing move, the Home Office has arranged accommodation and a generous package of mental health care for the man, who is said to be at risk of suicide, in the country to where he is due to be removed. Even this has not secured his deportation.

In 2016, Theresa May, the then Home Secretary, stripped the man of his refugee status after he had served his sentence, and ordered that he be deported.

This, however, was simply the opening salvo of a tortuous legal saga.

The following year, an immigration judge sitting in the First Tier Tribunal struck out the offenders appeal against his deportation and highlighted that the man had failed to take responsibility for his crime.

Then in 2019 a judge in the Upper Tribunal again rejected the mans fight to stay in the UK, describing his case as absolutely hopeless.

By this time, the man was claimed to be suffering from serious mental health problems and his deportation was delayed so he could be assessed by a consultant psychiatrist.

He also claimed that he was a victim of modern slavery before he entered the UK.

The psychiatrist said the man was suffering from severe depression and a serious mental disorder and that he was at high risk of suicide.

The claims have infuriated his victim who has suffered years of anguish and despair.

The experts findings were contradicted by another psychiatrist, appointed by the Home Office, who found that while he was suffering some depressive symptoms, they did not qualify as a diagnosis of depression.

Nevertheless, the Home Office contacted a clinician in the country to where he was to be sent, who agreed to help him. Officials even offered to use taxpayers money to pay for a personalised care plan.

In a breakthrough in May 2020, a judge in the Upper Tribunal backed a decision by Home Secretary Priti Patel that the man had no real prospect of persuading a court that his deportation would breach his human rights.

But even this did not end the wrangling. The rapist launched yet another human rights appeal after alleging that extremists in the country where he is due to be deported had threatened to kill him in a video posted on Facebook.

The Home Office claims the video, plus three online news articles, are fake and have been planted by the mans friends and family to engineer a claim and prevent his imminent removal.

During a tribunal hearing earlier this year, Rory Dunlop QC, for the Home Office, described the video as poor quality and amateurish and that it does not bear the hallmarks of a genuine terror group video.

He said the timing of the videos release was suspicious, adding: It was just when the appellant was about to be removed.

He revealed that when an immigration officer served the rapist with removal papers in 2020, the criminal replied: I am two steps ahead of you. You think its over [but] its not.

What possible reason does he have to say that if he doesnt know about the planting of the video? Mr Dunlop said, adding that the man was a thoroughly dishonest and devious person and the Government had made a generous offer to support him after his deportation.

It was a belt-and-braces offer that we stand by simply because we want to do everything that is possible to protect the public in the UK from this man and deport him.

The MoS has tried to get the order that bans the mans identity from being published overturned, but a judge ruled in favour of the rapist.
A Walgreens employee reportedly murdered his coworker after she turned him down and complained to the supervisors that he made her feel uncomfortable.

Riley Whitelaw, 17, was found inside the breakroom at a Colorado Springs Walgreens on June 11 by a manager after the teen failed to return from her break around 7pm. She was reported gone for at least 90 minutes before anyone looked for her, according to Mercury News.

Her coworker Joshua Johnson, 28, has now been arrested in connection with her death, Buzzfeed News reported.

Johnson was arrested on June 12 around 100 miles away from Colorado Springs and he has been charged with first-degree murder.

Police arrived at the scene on June 11 shortly before 7pm and found Whitelaw's body inside and pronounced her dead on the scene. She was reportedly surrounded by a significant amount of blood and had trauma to her neck area.

Her blood was splattered on the floor, cabinets, and counter in the breakroom, Buzzfeed News reported.

Walgreens Manager Justin Zunino, who found her body, told police that Johnson had been told to leave Whitelaw alone about a year ago after she had complained he had made advances toward her and her uncomfortable, the affidavit said.

Riley Whitelaw, 17, was found inside the breakroom at a Colorado Springs Walgreens on June 11 by a manager after the teen failed to return from her break around 7pm. She was reported gone for at least 90 minutes before anyone looked for her

Her coworker Joshua Johnson, 28, has now been arrested in connection with her death. He admitted to getting into a fight at Walgreens and being in the breakroom and was seen on surveillance footage trying to cover the security camera's view

Another manager Crystal Ishmael told police that Whitelaw's boyfriend joining the Walgreens team as an employee didn't deter Johnson's 'jealousy.'

Weeks before her death, she had requested to work opposite shifts as Johnson, but when she asked for overtime, she was informed some of the shifts would collide.

On the day of her death, Johnson was seen on surveillance footage stacking bins in front of the cameras - which he would later deny he was obstructing. And a customer reported they heard a woman screaming around 5.45pm and had stopped by the store again to tell police when she saw cop cars outside.

One of the managers also noticed on surveillance footage that paper had been taped over the windows and a sign saying the bathroom was closed was on the door.

When Ishmael went to look for her missing employee, she followed the stench of bleach to the dumpster area, but when she went to open the doors, a male voice told her he was changing and she left him alone, Buzzfeed News said.

Johnson admitted to authorities that he was the person inside the dumpster area and that he was also in the breakroom and had fallen in her blood when he arrived.

When troopers found the 28-year-old walking along the interstate, he had scratches on his hands and face and told them he had been attacked at Walgreens.

After being arrested, he told police he was no longer interested in Whitelaw and was involved with Ishmael, but the manager did not tell authorities she was in a relationship with the employee.

The teen was a straight-A students and loved art and music, according to her obituary

She worked at the Walgreens on Centennial Boulevard (pictured)

Whitelaw's funeral will be held next week, as the investigation is still currently underway.

The teen was said to be able to 'lift you up' on a bad day and was a straight-A student at Air Academy High School.

'Riley is bigger than any obituary can encompass, with a smile that drew in every person that she encountered,' her obituary read.

The teen was also into art and music and she also volunteered at the local Humane Society and pet sit.

'Riley inspired others through her art, eclectic taste in music and shining personality,' the obituary said. 'Riley will be profoundly missed.'

A GoFundMe was also set up in her honor that will go toward genetic research, a topic Whitelaw 'enjoyed studying.'

It has surpassed its $10,000 and has currently raised more than $12,000 as of Saturday afternoon.

Senior Director for Walgreens Fraser Engerman said the company was 'saddened' by the loss and said safety inside stores as a 'top priority.'

The company has also offered 'counseling [services] and other resources' to the Centennial Boulevard store location team.

Her death is the 24th homicide in Colorado Springs in 2022, up from the 18 in the same period last year, the police reported.
The 96-year-old, who has cut back on public engagements due to mobility issues, is in Edinburgh and was all smiles as she took part in the historic Ceremony of the Keys - the traditional opener to Holyrood week for the Royals. She has been joined by her youngest son, Edward, and his wife, Sophie, known as the Earl and Countess of Forfar while they are in Scotland, for the event, which is taking place at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The ceremony sees the monarch handed the keys of the city and welcomed to her 'ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland'. Her Majesty 'hopes' to carry a out several engagements - and will meet Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon during her stay. The trip comes after the recent Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the Queen, in which she pledged to continue to do her job 'to the best of my ability supported by my family'.
Migrants who crossed the Channel in small boats last week have already received letters warning they could be sent to Rwanda.

In a sign of the Governments determination to press ahead with the controversial policy, officials have sent out a wave of fresh notifications, including to a group of ten Albanians.

The Mail on Sunday understands that one of the seven migrants in the final group to avoid being flown to Rwanda last week is an Albanian farmhand in his mid-20s who arrived in Dover last month after crossing the Channel in a small boat.

Speaking from the familys two-bedroom home in a remote village, his mother, who is in her 50s, said: May God help my son.

He told me he will kill himself if he is sent to live in Africa by the British. I am begging your Prime Minister Boris Johnson not to send him to Rwanda. I will never see him again.

She recalled kissing her son goodbye just before Christmas as he set out for Britain hoping to work on building sites. He wanted to go to England, but he wanted to stay here with me. His mind was divided, she said.

The Mail on Sunday understands that one of the seven migrants in the final group to avoid being flown to Rwanda last week arrived in Dover last month after crossing the Channel in a small boat

Now I am now alone with the two cows, which make my only income. When he got to the UK, he did not tell me he had been locked up.

Then a few weeks ago, he phoned, sounding frightened, to say the British were sending him to Rwanda. Clutching a photograph of her son, she added: He told me if they were going make him live in Africa he would hang himself in the removal centre.

His words to me were, I am not going there. The farmhand, like hundreds of young Albanian men who head for Britain, told the UK authorities that traffickers arranged his entire journey, first from his village in northern Albania to northern France, and then  after spending seven months in a migrant camp  on a boat across the Channel to Britain.

Albanian police say he has no criminal record.

Asked how her impoverished son could afford his journey, the mother said: Maybe the traffickers sent him to England to work for them, make themselves money from him, and to pay back his fares.

Home Secretary Priti Patel described the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling as scandalous and opaque

According to sources, her son had arrived in a van on the tarmac of the Ministry of Defences Boscombe Down airfield on Tuesday evening when news of a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg arrived and the flight was abandoned. This weekend, he remains in a detention centre as Home Office officials continue to plan further flights, and also await the outcome of a judicial review of the Rwanda policy in the High Court next month.

Home Secretary Priti Patel described the ECHRs ruling as scandalous and opaque, adding: [We] dont know who the judges are, we dont know who the panel are, we havent had a judgment  just a press release and a letter.

A group of ten Albanians who came ashore after Tuesday and are now at the Colnbrook immigration removal centre near Heathrow are among those who have received letters informing them that could be sent to Rwanda. All but a handful of the original 130 migrants given notice that they could be sent to Rwanda on Tuesdays aborted flight remain in detention.

Ten Albanians are now at the Colnbrook immigration removal centre near Heathrow and received letters informing them they could be sent to Rwanda

Around a third are Sudanese, with others from Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, Algeria, Eritrea and Vietnam.

Fresh flights are considered unlikely before the outcome of the judicial review. One Home Office source said: Were still assessing the ECHR ruling. Its very unusual and we werent expecting that.

Its possible we could still try to charter new flights before the judicial review but we need to be sure theyre not just going to block people being removed again.

But were determined to keep on with the policy  nothing has changed for us.

It is understood that officials were buoyed by the decision of the UK courts which has given them confidence about the outcome of the judicial review.
A mother whose teenage son was driven to suicide by bullies at his elite private school wants its former boss to be fired from his prestigious new job for allegedly failing to prevent the tragedy, or discipline her son's tormentors.

Rosellen Bronstein, 48, filed a $100 million against the Latin School of Chicago and its former principal, Randall Dunn, 57, claiming the administrators ignored her son, Nate's, plea for help after months of relentless bullying.

After finding out that Dunn was leaving to be the head of the prestigious Rye Country Day School, in Westchester, New York, come July, Bronstein called for Dunn to be canned.

The grieving mom said: 'I am warning all the parents of (Rye Country School.) This is going to happen again. Their kids are not going to be protected in that school under Dunn...'

'Dunn does not care about students,' Bronstein told the New York Post. 'He cares about himself and his career. He's a fraud. He is dishonest.'

Dunn earned $750,000-a-year while at the Latin School, and will almost certainly be on at least $1m-a-year at Rye, with the educator he's replacing currently on a $1.18 million salary.

Rosellen Bronstein (left) demanded fromer Latin School of Chicago Principal Randall Dunn (right) be canned from his new job at the prestigious Rye Country Day School, in Westchester, New York, because he allegedly failed to help her son, who comitted suicide in January

Nate, 15, had hung himself after months of bullying at school, which began as false rumors spread about him being vaccinated. Bronstein claims administrators knew about the relentless bullying but failed to do anything to stop it

The heartbroken parents, Rosellen and Robert (left) are suing Dunn and the school district for $100 million and want Dunn to stay away from the students in New York

Rye says it's standing by Dunn, that it had contacted the Latin School of Chicago for more details on Nate's suicide, and hailed Dunn as an experienced and caring educator.

A spokesperson told the Post: 'Student safety is of paramount importance to the RCDS Board of Trustees, which is comprised almost entirely of current parents.

'A committee of trustees has been scrutinizing the details of this tragic case and has not found evidence that would support the aggressive claims against Mr. Dunn or that would raise safety concerns for the RCDS community.

'Mr. Dunn has an exemplary, 30-year track record as a compassionate and ethical educator, and we look forward to him joining RCDS.'

Nate, 15, hanged himself in January following months of bullying, which his parents said was started in-part by a false rumor that he had been unvaccinated, according to court documents.

The suit went on to expound on incidents that stemmed from the rumors, like when Nate had been approached at school by students on two separate occasions, with both students asking him if his parents were 'anti-vaxxers.'

Nate's parents reached out to the school to resolve the matter, which only made matters worse because it led to continued harassment of the 15-year-old boy.

Another incident detailed in the lawsuit alleges that around October or November, Latin School geometry teacher Andrew Sanchez relentlessly accosted Nate in front of the entire class, telling the class that Nate was 'going nowhere in life.'

Bronstein said she was afraid that what happened to Nate would also happen to students at the Rye Country School if Dunn was left in charge.

The Latin School of Chicago has denied the Bronstein's claims and said that they, too, were saddened by Nate's suicide.

'The school's faculty and staff are compassionate people who put students' interests first, as they did in this instance,' the school said in a statement after the lawsuit was initially filed in April.

'While we are not, at this time, going to comment on any specific allegation in this difficult matter, the school will vigorously defend itself, its faculty and its staff against these unfounded claims.'

A Rye Country School spokesperson said the district looked into the case but found no evidence supporting the claims against Dunn, who they said they were excited to bring on board.

'Student safety is of paramount importance to the RCDS Board of Trustees, which is comprised almost entirely of current parents,' the spokesperson told DailyMail.com. 'A committee of trustees has been scrutinizing the details of this tragic case and has not found evidence that would support the aggressive claims against Mr. Dunn or that would raise safety concerns for the RCDS community.

'Mental health issues unfortunately have become increasingly prevalent at schools nationwide, and RCDS has put best in class resources in place to support its students.

'Mr. Dunn has an exemplary, 30-year track record as a compassionate and ethical educator, and we look forward to him joining RCDS.'

Dunn has also denied the allegations, with his spokesperson telling DailyMail.com: 'The loss of a child is an unspeakable tragedy and Mr. Dunn's heart goes out to the Bronstein family.

'While it is understandable that grieving parents would look to assign blame, that blame is misplaced and the allegations of wrongdoing the Bronsteins have made against Mr. Dunn are completely false and unfounded.

'Throughout his decades-long career as an educator, Mr. Dunn's highest priority has always been the safety and well-being of the students in his care, as it will be in his new position. He is a man of integrity and compassion who has earned the trust, respect and good will of parents and colleagues - he will work to do the same at RCDS.'

Nate had been repeatedly ridiculed by his fellow students over false rumors that he was unvaccinated and that his parents were 'anti-vaxxers.' Bronstein also claimed Nate was humiliated in front of his class by a teacher who allegedly said the teen had no direction in life

Nate was still adjusting as a a new transfer last fall to the Latin School of Chicago, an elite $55,000-a-year private school (pictured)

Bronstein told the Post that she truly believes her son would still be alive today if a different person had been in charge, claiming that Dunn and his administration was more preoccupied with enforcing 'woke' policies than helping her white son.

'They spent more time yelling at my son about keeping his nose covered with that f**king mask than teaching the kids to be inclusive and kind and thoughtful and caring,' she said.

'They are very focused on their [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] stuff and all their progressive bullst,' she added.

'I can assure you that if my son was black and this happened, this would have been handled a lot differently. But my son was a white Jewish kid.'

The Bronstein's lawsuit also details text threats and snapchat messages exchanged between Nate and school classmates, one of which encourages Nate to kill himself, and another was understood to be an indirect death threat.

Bronstein (left) claimed that Dunn and his administration was more preoccupied with enforcing 'woke' policies than helping her white son

On December 13, 2021, Nate met with the dean of students to report the bullying, but the dean took no disciplinary action against any student. Nate's report was also kept from his parents, the suit claims.

The Bronsteins told CBS News they were never told that Nate had asked for a meeting with his dean of students to report the harassment.

'It had been kept from us, so that's why we were completely, completely taken off guard when this happened,' said Robert Bronstein.

According to the Illinois General Assembly Public Act, every school in the state, including private schools, must have an anti-bullying policy.

That policy must include information about how bullying should be reported and how it is to be investigated, and also that bullying incidents must be reported to the parents of those involved.

The family stresses that they are not suing Latin for the money. Instead, they've pledged to donate any money gained through legal proceedings to anti-bullying and anti-suicide charities - with their goal of helping others in similar situations.
Representative Dan Crenshaw, who lost an eye while deployed as a Navy SEAL in Afghanistan, was heckled by far right protesters at a GOP event who screeched the slur 'Eyepatch McCain' at the Congressman.

Crenshaw, 38, has been hit with the insult - a reference to the late moderate Republican Senator John McCain - ever since Tucker Carlson first brought the moniker up in mid-May.

The Congressman was being accosted by a group of hecklers including Alex Stein, a self-described 'comedian and social activist' and others whom witnesses told Mediaite were Proud Boys at the Republican Party of Texas convention Saturday.

The video, which Stein tweeted out himself, shows Stein and others approaching Crenshaw at the event.

'Eyepatch McCain! Hey, Eyepatch McCain! Look at Eyepatch McCain right here! You're a globalist RINO!' he is heard yelling at the Congressman before being led away.

One of Crenshaw's staffers was allegedly shoved during the protest, although the protesters did not make physical contact with the congressman.

Crenshaw hit back on Twitter later Saturday, calling Stein an 'angry little boy' who 'can't get girlfriends.'

Representative Dan Crenshaw, who lost an eye while deployed in Afghanistan, was heckled by far right and Proud Boys-adjacent protesters at a GOP event, with one bringing up the recurring nickname of 'Eyepatch McCain' at the Congressman

Crenshaw, pictured in December 2021, later jibed that heckler Alex Stein was a 'little boy' who couldn't get a girlfriend

Crenshaw hit back on Twitter later Saturday, calling Stein an 'angry little boy' who 'can't get girlfriends'

'Eyepatch McCain! Hey, Eyepatch McCain! Look at Eyepatch McCain right here! You're a globalist RINO!' Stein is heard yelling at the Congressman

Stein quote-tweeted Crenshaw and remarked: 'Dan, I'm 2 feet taller than you bud...lol.'

Carlson first used the name - a reference to the late Arizona Senator McCain's occasional moderate views - on May 16 after Crenshaw was critical of those who didn't support military aid for Ukraine, according to The Daily Beast.

'You know the more I think about it, it takes a lot of gall for eyepatch McCain to attack moms who are worried about baby formula as pro-Russia,' Carlson said on his Fox News show.

DailyMail.com columnist and McCain's daughter Meghan slammed Carlson at the time.

This is just trash,' McCain tweeted. 'That being said I'm sure @DanCrenshawTX doesn't mind the comparison.'

In response to this latest dust-up, McCain has retweeted both Crenshaw's response and a tweet by CNN host Jake Tapper calling it '[a]bsolutely disgusting that the far-right has turned a Navy SEAL's war wound into some lame attempt at derision.'

Another Twitter user later accosted Crenshaw for being a 'World Economic Forum sellout.'

I CALL OUT DAN CRENSHAW FOR HIS WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM INVOLVEMENT AND SELLING US OUT WITH @Ccampbellbased #WEF22 #texasgopconvention pic.twitter.com/H4ECF13crK  Alex Rosen (@football_56OL) June 18, 2022

Crenshaw, previously a favorite target of liberals to the point that then-SNL cast member Pete Davidson publicly apologized to him for mocking his eyepatch after conservatives including Carlson ripped the comedian, has since come under fire from the far right.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had gone after Crenwhaw when he appeared on Fox News and called for federal interventions to deal with the rapid spread of the omicron virus variant.

'So what the federal government should be doing, again, is using their FEMA resources to bolster a lot of these testing sites, open up new testing sites,' Crenshaw said.

Greene, who got suspended from Twitter on Jan. 2, slammed his remarks on Instagram. She said the feds shouldn't be setting up testing for 'sneezes, coughs, and runny noses'  describing the most mild form of a virus that can also land people int he hospital with severe breathing problems or result in death.

Crenshaw wrote in response: 'Hey, Marjorie, if suggesting we should follow Trump policy instead of Biden mandates makes you mad, then you might be a Democrat  or just an idiot.'

He kept after her in his 'victim' attack  and accused her of playing up such incidents to boost her own fundraising and notoriety. The voted to strip her of committee assignments for some of her prior statements.

Wrote Crenshaw: 'That Marjorie scoffed at the notion of supporting anti-censorship legislation is indicative of her true intent: to remain a victim. She doesn't want solutions and she doesnt [sic] care if you get censored. She just wants to be a victim so she can keep asking you for campaign donations. It's a scam.'

Greene hit back on conservative media platform Gettr: 'Dan Crenshaw, who spends more time attacking America First Republicans because he (not so secretly) hates Trump, is talking about a bill to 'hold Big Tech accountable!; but is the same type of toothless bill the Paul Ryan types try to sell to make it look like they're doing something,' she wrote.
A Donald Trump biographer has speculated that Ivanka Trump had a bad feeling that things might take a turn for the worse on January 6, 2021, after hearing her father berate Mike Pence in a heated phone call.

In an interview with MSNBC on Saturday, author Tim O' Brien reacted to this week's hearings by the House committee investigating the US Capitol riot, following testimony about the furious call Donald Trump made to Pence.

Asked whether he believed Ivanka Trump had a 'bad feeling' prior to her father's rally on the Ellipse claiming election fraud on January 6, O'Brien responded 'absolutely'.

'We know from other accounts of what she did that day that she honored the fact that Mike Pence was resisting Donald Trump's pressure to decertify the electoral results on January 6th at the Capitol,' he said.

'And then she obviously was in the Oval Office with several other campaign advisers, including lawyers, who heard him swearing at Mike Pence, who heard him grow increasingly angry at Mike Pence, because Mike Pence wouldn't do a Donald Trump wanted him to do, which was to break the law,' said O'Brien.

O'Brien wrote TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald in 2015, and boasted of being given unfettered access to the then-property developer and reality star while researching the tome.

In an interview with MSNBC on Saturday, author Tim O' Brien reacted to this week's hearings by the House committee investigating the US Capitol riot

The January 6 committee presented testimony this week that Ivanka Trump was in the room when her father berated Mike Pence in a 'heated' phone call

Supporters of Donald Trump are seen storming the US Capitol as Congress was certifying the 2020 election results on January 6, 2021

In Thursday's hearing, the committee played a video montage of testimony from witnesses describing Donald Trump's to Pence on the morning of January 6, pressuring him to overturn the results of the presidential election.

Trump's body man Nick Luna said Trump called Pence 'a wimp' during that conversation and Ivanka Trump's chief of staff Julie Radford said Trump used 'the p-word' when he talked to Pence.

The montage also included a bite from Ivanka Trump's closed-door testimony, where she described being in the Oval Office when Trump called Pence.

'The conversation was pretty heated,' Ivanka Trump said of the call. 'It was a different tone than I heard him take with the Vice President before.'

Multiple Republican officials on Thursday testified that Trump's push to get Pence to overturn the election results was 'illegal' and that then vice president withstood the pressure and didn't cave.

Thursday's hearing delved deep into constitutional law and the role of the vice president in overseeing the certification of the electoral college.

Trump and his supporters argued Pence could reject those results in his role as president of the Senate .

Pence and his legal team argued his role was ceremonial as outlined in the 12th amendment, which says: 'The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted.'

'The conversation was pretty heated,' Ivanka Trump said of her father's call the morning of January 6th with Mike Pence. 'It was a different tone than I heard him take with the Vice President before'

A central figure in Trump's efforts was attorney John Eastman, who outlined a scenario in which Pence would disregard seven states' Electoral College votes to throw the election back to the House.

Pence's lawyers concluded such a move would be illegal and possibly lead to violence in the streets.

The panel on Thursday played video of Eastman's testimony to them, where he pleaded the fifth amendment repeatedly.

Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar, who led Thursday's hearing, said Eastman pleaded the fifth a 100 times during his time with the committe.

The panel also revealed an email from Eastman to Rudy Giuliani, who was Trump's personal attorney, where he asked to be put on a list for a presidential pardon.

'I've decided that I should be on the pardon list, if that is still in the works,' he wrote.

In Thursday's hearing, the panel showed how Trump, Eastman and others essentially waged war on Pence to try and get him to overturn the election.

Retired U.S. Appeals Court Judge J. Michael Luttig, who was an informal adviser to Pence during that time, spoke slowly about the vice president's role but his words carried weight. Luttig is widely respected among conservatives for his interpretation of the consitution while he sat on the federal bench.

Luttig testified that if the then-vice president had followed Trump's orders then 'that declaration of Donald Trump as the next president would have plunged America into what I believe, would have been tantamount to a revolution within a Constitutional crisis.'

The committee showed the various theories being banded about by Trump and his supporters to try and overthrow Joe Biden's victory, including have Pence recognize slates of alternative state electors who would support Trump instead of Biden and having Pence reject the results from seven states in order to send the election back to the House.

Luttig called the theories 'constitutional mischief.'

Retired U.S. Appeals Court Judge J. Michael Luttig, who was an informal adviser to Pence during that time, testified that if Pence had followed Trump's orders it 'would have plunged America into what I believe, would have been tantamount to a revolution within a Constitutional crisis'

Donald Trump and his supporters were pressuring Mike Pence to overturn the election results despite being told it was 'illegal' and Pence himself told Trump he did not have such power

An image of former President Donald Trump and his family is displayed during the third hearing of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol

The panel played clips of Trump's speech on January 6th pushing Pence to 'come through for us' and showed testimony from officials in Trump's White House saying Pence was being pushed to throw out the electoral results - even though he had told Trump he didn't have the constitutional power to do so.

Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar said the original speech text 'included no mention of the VP and the president revised it to include criticism of the VP and then ad-libbed.'

The panel also showed clips of MAGA supporters marching on the Capitol on January 6th. One threatened to drag politicians through the streets because Pence 'caved.' Others chanted: 'Bring out Pence!' And others yelled: 'Hang Mike Pence!'

Aguilar revealed that on January 6th, as Secret Service moved Pence from his office by the Senate floor to a more secure location in the Capitol, there was only about 40 feet between the vice president and the rioters.

''Approximately 40 feet. That's all there was: 40 feet between the vice president and mob,' he said.

He also revealed the Proud Boys wanted to kill Pence.

The Democratic Congressman from California noteed that in a recent court filing by the Department of Justice 'explains that a confidential informant from the Proud Boys told the FBI, the proud boys would have killed Mike Pence, if given the chance.'

The rioter, who is cooperating with federal investigators and is called W1 in court documents, said the Proud Boys would have killed 'anyone they got their hands on, they would have killed, including Nancy Pelosi.'

Both Marc Short, Pence's former chief of staff, and Greg Jacob, Pence's legal counsel, testified that Pence personally told Trump he did not have the authority to overturn the results of the electoral college well ahead of January 6th.

Short, in video testimony played by the committee, said there were 'many times' Pence personally told Trump he could not make such a move.

Jacob described a meeting he attended in the Oval Office between Trump and Pence where the then-vice president 'never budged' from his stance that he could not consitutionally overturn the election.

The committee focused on two theories being pushed by Trump supporters.

One theory came from Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney advising Trump's campaign, who sent a memo to Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

The 'Chesebro memo' - as it became known - suggested that a handful of states that Biden won should present a set of 'alternative electors.' Pence should then recognize those alternative electors, who would support Trump.

Chesebro argued the Pence could say that 'he, and he alone, is charged with the constitutional responsibility not just to open the votes, but to count them  including making judgments about what to do if there are conflicting votes.'

Pence's team had rejected that idea.

Luttig testified that 'there was no support whatsoever in either the Constitution of the United States nor the laws of the United States for the vice president frankly ever to count alternative electoral slates from the states that had not been officially certified.'

Greg Jacob, Pence's legal counsel, testified that Pence personally told Trump he did not have the authority to overturn the results of the electoral college

Marc Short, Pence's former chief of staff, said in video testimony that Pence told Donald Trump he could not over turn the election

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Officer Michael Fanone, Metropolitan police department officer Daniel Hodges and U.S. Capitol Police Officer Pfc. Harry Dunn attend Thursday's hearing at the Capitol

Another theory came from attorney John Eastman.

His memo outlined a scenario in which Pence would disregard seven states' Electoral College votes - thus ensuring no candidate received the 270 Electoral College votes required to be declared the winner.

The election would then be decided by the House.

Each state delegation would then have had one vote to cast for president, and since Republicans controlled 26 state delegations, a majority could have voted for Trump to win the election.

Eastman pleaded the fifth amendment a 100 times during his earlier testimony to the panel, the committee said.

The panel also revealed an email from Eastman to Rudy Giuliani, where he asked to be put on a list for a presidential pardon.

'I've decided that I should be on the pardon list, if that is still in the works,' he wrote.

Jacob was with Pence inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, arguing with Eastman by email during the riot.

'The 'siege' is because YOU and your boss did not do what was necessary to allow this to be aired in a public way so that the American people can see for themselves what happened,' Eastman said in an email to Jacob, according to the Los Angeles Times.

After the riot ended, Eastman again emailed Jacob to say Pence should still send the election back to the states rather than certifying it, based on what he called a 'relatively minor violation' of the procedural law.

Instead Pence returned to the House floor to certify Biden's victory.

Jacob noted the consitutition 'is unambiguous that the Vice President does not have the authority to reject electors. there is no suggestion of any kind, that it does. There is no mention of rejecting or objecting to electors anywhere in the 12th amendment.'

Jacob said Pence's team looked at the constitution, legal precedent and American history when making their determination about Pence's role in the certification of the election.

'No vice president in 230 years of history had ever claimed to have that kind of authority - hadn't claimed authority to reject electoral votes, had not claimed authority to return electoral votes back to the States in the entire history of the United States. Not once had a joint session ever returned electoral votes back to the States to be counted,' he noted.

He also pointed out that Al Gore oversaw the certification of results for the 2020 election, where Gore was defeated by George W. Bush after a long legal battle over Flordia's votes. He noted Gore did not demand the Florida results be overturned or for the election to be sent back to that state.

And there were concerns there would be a violence in the streets if Pence tried to overturn the results.

Former White House attorney Eric Herschmann, in his video testimony, recalled he said to Eastman: 'Are you out of your effing mind?'

'I said, you're gonna turn around and tell 78 plus million people in this country that your theory is this is how you're going to invalidate their votes because you think election was stolen,' he noted. 'They're not going to tolerate that. You're going to cause riots in the streets.'

He said Eastman responded with a shrug and said: 'There's been violence in the history of our country to protect the democracy or protect the Republic.'

Thursday's hearing from the January 6th committee focused on Trump's efforts to pressure Pence to refuse to count and certify the electoral count.

MAGA supporters were heard yelling 'Hang Mike Pence' as they marched on the Capitol on January 6th - a noose was errected outside the building

The third January 6 hearing on Thursday will focus on Donald Trump's pressure campaign to get Vice President Mike Pence to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results. Pictured: Pence sits with daughter, Charlotte (left), and brother, Greg, as his wife, Karen (right), draws the curtains in the ceremonial room off the Senate floor where he was evacuated to on January 6, 2021, as Trump supporters attacked U.S. Capitol

Mike Pence, after the insurrection, returned to the Capitol to oversee the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election

A central figure in the hearing was attorney John Eastman, who pushed the theory Pence, in his role as vice president, could block the certification of Joe Biden's victory.

Eastman, who once served as clerk for Clarence Thomas at the Supreme Court, outlined scenarios for denying Biden the presidency in legal memos and in an Oval Office meeting on Jan. 4 with Trump and Pence, according to previous reports.

In the days leading up to the January 6th certification, Trump delivered a string of tweets demanding that Pence use his position to prevent Congress certifying his election defeat to Joe Biden.

Pence had already told the president he had no such power.

Eastman, however, wrote a memo arguing Pence could overthrow the election results when he oversaw the certification of the electoral college count on January 6th.

And Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, emailed with Eastman about the matter, reported The Washington Post on Wednesday.

Eastman had told Jacob, Pence's legal counsel, that Clarence Thomas would back their argument if the matter went to the Supreme Court.

Jacob, according to a report earlier this year from Politico, told the panel in previous testimony that when Eastman pushed for Pence to throw the election back to the states, he said to him: 'If this case got to the Supreme Court, we'd lose 9-0, wouldn't we, if we actually took your position and it got up there?'

Eastman told him he thought the court would vote 7-2.

Jacob noted he replied: 'And I said, 'Who are the two?' And he said, 'Well, I think maybe Clarence Thomas.' And I said, 'Really? Clarence Thomas?' And so we went through a few Thomas opinions and, finally, he acknowledged, 'yeah, all right, it would be 9-0.'

Constitutional scholars and Pence, himself, disagreed with Eastman's interpretation of the vice president's role in the largely ceremonial process.

Pence's former chief of staff Marc Short told CNN on Wednesday that Pence did his duty by certifying the election results.

'He knew it from the beginning, and I think he was clear with the president and so was our office clear about what we viewed his role as. I think that, you know, for any limited government conservative I don't think he'd want the notion that our founders would have thought any one person would have been bestowed with that much authority to overturn election results. So I think the they he approached this was what does the constitution say,' Short told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

'He did his duty. He swore an oath to uphold the constitution. He swore an oath to god to uphold the constitution just as our men and women in uniform do,' he said.

The committee had been in a legal battle with Eastman for months over whether his former employer, Chapman University, could turn over to the committee the contents of his university email account, which is what he used to email many Trump officials.

Eastman claimed attorney-client privilege over some of the documents. A judge reviewed the emails and ordered hundreds turned over to the committee.

The days leading up to January 6th led to tension between Trump and Pence as the then-vice president made it clear he would not do as Trump asked.

But Trump denied he wanted his vice president harmed that day.

During last Thursday evening's hearing, Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, who serves on the panel investigating the insurrection, said of Trump: 'Aware of the rioters' chants to 'hang Mike Pence,' the president responded with this sentiment: 'Maybe our supporters have the right idea.' Mike Pence 'deserves' it.'

There were gasps in the hearing room at her words.

'I NEVER said, or even thought of saying, 'Hang Mike Pence.' This is either a made up story by somebody looking to become a star, or FAKE NEWS!,' Trump wrote in response the next day on Truth Social.
Sir Keir Starmer banned a popular frontbencher and leadership contender from media appearances.

The Labour leader, who has been plagued with accusations of being too boring, signed off the ban after Dr Rosena Allin-Khan travelled to Ukraine and gave television interviews from the war zone.

Insiders said his office was furious at the Shadow Health Ministers March visit and told her not to make broadcast appearances for weeks after.

A Labour source said: Keir isnt happy with anyone he thinks might be overshadowing him.

A Labour insider said Sir Keir Starmer's office 'went nuts' and instilled a media ban after Dr Rosena Allin-Khan travelled to Ukraine and gave television interviews from the war zone

When Rosena went on a visit to the Ukraine and did some interviews, his office went nuts. They banned her from doing any media work for weeks.

Dr Allin-Khan has been cited as a contender to succeed Sir Keir in the event of a challenge, or if he steps down following Durham Constabularys investigation into allegations that he broke lockdown regulations.

The Tooting MP ran for the partys deputy leadership in 2020. Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, Dr Allin-Khan travelled to Lviv to work as a humanitarian doctor.

From there she gave a prominent interview to the BBCs Newsnight programme and said she was helping the charity MedGlobal.

Her 1,200 trip was funded by David Kogan, a former BBC executive who is a director of website LabourList.

Shadow health minister Dr Allin-Khan gave a prominent interview to the BBCs Newsnight programme and said she was helping the charity MedGlobal during her visit to Ukraine

It is understood other Shadow Cabinet Ministers were told not to travel to the war-torn country unless on official visits.

When asked at the time if she should be in Ukraine, Dr Allin-Khan said she was there in her capacity as a doctor and not here for political purposes.

I am a mother, I am a doctor I am seeing other people lose their children, and I just could not come with the organisation that is doing incredible work and that Ive worked with for many years, she said.

A Labour source said: The UK shows solidarity for Ukraine by parking party politics and standing united.

'Labour shows we are ready for government by being serious when it comes to defence policy. Neither of those aims involves Shadow Cabinet freelancing on trips there.

Last week Sir Keir told his Shadow Cabinet to stop calling him boring behind his back, adding: Whats boring is being in opposition.

Sir Keir has been accused of being 'boring' amid concerns his polling lead is not high enough

A Shadow Cabinet veteran said: The consensus is hes a plank of wood. If he doesnt deliver by conference, therell be a push to get rid of him.

Concerns have been raised that Labours polling lead is not high enough in the wake of multiple threats to Boris Johnsons leadership.

Former Labour Minister Lord Austin yesterday wrote in the Daily Mail: Labour should be miles ahead and confident of winning the next election.

Instead, the party is barely in front of the Conservatives and Boris Johnson still beats Sir Keir when voters are asked who would make the best Prime Minister.

A source from the Labour leaders office said: With Keirs leadership, the Labour Party has changed. We are a patriotic party, an ally of Nato, and we are serious about our role in the UKs support for Ukraine.

Dr Allin-Khan declined to comment last night.
An ancient crocodile species that lived in Africa several million years ago ate human ancestors. Based on a study from researchers at the Iowa University responsible for finding two new species that existed for about 18 to 15 million years in the African continent before disappearing.

Giant Dwarf Crocodiles

These species of archaic crocs are giant dwarf crocodiles which are the distant ascendants of today's dwarf crocodiles living in present central and west Africa today, reported Phys Org.

Despite the names, the archaic giant dwarf crocodiles were far more humongous, and the descendant is only 4 to 5 long, but millions of years ago, they were 12 feet long. Any animal that came across their jaws rarely survived, even pre-humans.

Christopher Brochu, a professor and part of the study, had described them as predators that ate pre-humans who waited by the water to ambush even human precursors coming to drink.

Also, these reptiles, like modern crocs, are opportunistic hunters waiting patiently at the water's edge for the next meal, citing Science Daily.

Extinction Due to Climatic Shift

These ancient crocodile species, called Kinyang mabokoensis and Kinyang tchernovi, have been shortened with deeper snouts with large cone-shaped teeth for tearing prey. Instead of living in the water, they were terrestrial, waiting in the forest or the bush, noted EurekAlert.

Brochu added it had a big grin that appeared happy, but they'll bite a chunk of our human ancestors anytime.

Read also: NASA Hubble Image Shows Stunning View of Farthest Star Seen; Is it Also the Oldest?

Living in the East Africa Rift Valley is the Kinyang in present-day Kenya; it existed from the early to mid-Miocene epoch when forests dominated the landscape. But the two species at the end of the Miocene Climatic Optimum disappeared 15 million years ago.

The professor suggested that less rain in the region due to the climatic shift had ended them. No rain led to the forests receding, slowing the grasslands and mixed savanna woodlands.

Specific adaptation to wooded forests for hunting and nested was a shock to Kinyang, that failed to adapt successfully to change.

To this day, the modern dwarf crocodilian is still living in wetlands and forests based on thirty years of scholarship studying ancient and modern crocs comparatively, like most extinct species that died out when their habitat was affected by climate change.

But for larger bipedal primates, it was advantageous as the environment would be perfect for them, later leading to modern humans.

Hypothesis on Dwarf Crocodile Extinction

Brochu's studies are incomplete and cannot be certain how Kinyang became extinct, that needs more data. Knowing how extinction sets in is not a simple process.

One loud discrepancy is a gap that has not been resolved in the fossil record that bridges what led to later modern crocodilians from after their extinction to a modern one.

This gap covers 7 million years in the past that has yet to find significant fossils connecting the ancient croc to modern ones. Of the younger species identified is the Nile crocodilian living in Kenya.

Brochu studied the specimens in 2007 at the National Museums of Kenya, located in Nairobi, and his study was published in The Anatomical Record.

These ancient crocodile species were precursors of today's crocodilians; they preyed on human ancestors as alpha predators until they died in the Miocene.

Related Article: Scientists Discover Bipedal Dinosaur Armed With Massive Sword-Like Claws Lived in Asia During the Cretaceous Period

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The bones of soldiers who were killed during the historic battle of Waterloo may have been turned into fertiliser by local thieves, a new study suggests.

Professor Tony Pollard, from the University of Glasgow, put forward the theory because very few human remains have ever been found from the battle which killed thousands.

He studied drawings and battlefield descriptions made by people who visited in the days and weeks following Napoleon's defeat in 1815.

They pointed to the existence of mass graves, which have never been discovered, but if real would have been a definite target for grave robbers.

An 1824 painting by Jan Willem Pieneman depicting the Battle of Waterloo and the Duke of Wellington receiving the message that Prussian forces are coming to his aid

Burying the dead at Chateau Hougoumont following the Battle of Waterloo in Mudford (1817)

Historical drawings and battlefield descriptions pointed to the existence of mass graves near Waterloo, which would have been a definite target for grave robbers

Locations of the grave sites from historic sources. Shaded areas indicate large pits or small graves that have been depicted or described. Circles indicate a pyre in the vicinity. Triangles are confirmed locations of human remains. MSJ: Mont St Jean; LHS: La Haye Sainte; PL: Plancenoit; LM: Lion Mound (Butte de Lion); HM: Hougoumont; BA: La Belle Alliance

The Battle of Waterloo was fought on June 18 1815, when a French army led by Napoleon Bonaparte, was defeated by two armies from The Seventh Coalition

WHAT WAS THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO? In 1808 Napoleon had invaded Spain and Canning and dispatched one of his army commanders from India, Arthur Wellesley, to ensure his forces crossed the Iberian peninsula from Portugal. A four year campaign saw him etch his name in the history books and not withdraw from Spain until 1812. He then attempted to quell the Russians before retreating from Moscow following defeat at the Battle of Borodino in 1814. Napoleon returned to Paris and the French Emperor was sentenced to exile in and considered a national disgrace. He escaped his exile in Elba and headed back to his homeland, he was confronted with a hastily assembled by Wellesley, who had now become the Duke of Wellington. On June 15, 1815 a ball in Brussels announced the arrival of the French Army. The two opposing generals, both 46, met on the battlefield at Quatre Bas and Waterloo two days later. Both forces had 70,000 men approximately but the allies had an additional 48,00 Prussians. It was to be the belated arrival of these reinforcements that would sway the battle. The Imperial guard fell, Napoleon fled and his carriage captured by the Prussians. They went on to incorporate his diamonds in to their crown jewels. He hoped to flee to America but was sent to exile in St Helena where he spent his remaining six years before his death in 1821. His downfall signalled the end of the hundred years war between the English and the French. Advertisement

.The Battle of Waterloo was fought on June 18, 1815, when a French army led by Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by two armies from The Seventh Coalition.

The Seventh Coalition was a military alliance between the UK, Russia, Prussia, Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany against Napoleon.

The battle marked the end of a 23-year-long Napoleonic wars, but resulted in nearly 50,000 casualties.

Professor Pollard said: 'At least three newspaper articles from the 1820s onwards reference the importing of human bones from European battlefields for the purpose of producing fertiliser.

'European battlefields may have provided a convenient source of bone that could be ground down into bone-meal, an effective form of fertiliser.

'One of the main markets for this raw material was the British Isles.'

Analysis of the historic materials was published today in the Journal of Conflict Archaeology - exactly 207 years since the conflict.

This includes letters and personal memoirs from a Scottish merchant living in Brussels at the time of the battle, James Ker.

He visited the site just after the bloodbath took place and describes men dying in his arms.

Ker's accounts, along with those of other visitors, describe the exact locations of three mass graves containing up to 13,000 bodies.

But Pollard, the Director of the Centre for Battlefield Archaeology, states it isn't quite a situation of 'case closed'.

He said: 'Artistic licence and hyperbole over the number of bodies in mass graves notwithstanding, the bodies of the dead were clearly disposed of at numerous locations across the battlefield, so it is somewhat surprising that there is no reliable record of a mass grave ever being encountered.

'Waterloo attracted visitors almost as soon as the gun smoke cleared.

'Many came to steal the belongings of the dead, some even stole teeth to make into dentures, while others came to simply observe what had happened.

'Its likely that an agent of a purveyor of bones would arrive at the battlefield with high expectations of securing their prize.

'Primary targets would be mass graves, as they would have enough bodies in them to merit the effort of digging the bones.'

The Battle of Waterloo marked the end of a 23-year-long Napoleonic wars, but resulted in nearly 50,000 casualties. The image was painted in 1898 by Stanley Berkeley

'The Farm of La Haye Sainte' by James Rouse, 1815. Professor Pollard used historical artworks and accounts to locate potential mass graves dug for fallen Battle of Waterloo soldiers

A map of the Battle of Waterloo, showing the opposing sides with the French in blue and the Anglo-Dutch forces in red. The battle halted Napoleon Bonaparte's expansion across Europe

Locals would have been able to direct the thieves towards the mass graves, as many would have vivid memories of the burials and may have even helped dig them, the study states.

'It's also possible that the various guidebooks and travelogues that described the nature and location of the graves could have served essentially as treasure maps complete with an X to mark the spot,' said Pollard.

'On the basis of these accounts, backed up by the well attested importance of bone meal in the practice of agriculture, the emptying of mass graves at Waterloo in order to obtain bones seems feasible, and the likely conclusion is that.'

Next, the professor will be helping to lead a several-years long geophysical survey to try and plot the Waterloo grave sites resulting from the analysis of the early visitor accounts.

They hope to find archaeological evidence of the pits that formed the documented mass graves, from which so many bones and possessions were stolen.

This would be a rare find, as there have only been two recordings of soldiers' remains from the Battle of Waterloo so far.

The first was a human skeleton found in 2015 uncovered during the building of a museum and car park, and the second was some amputated human leg bones in an excavation of an allied field hospital in 2019.

There is also a skeleton of uncertain provenance in the museum in Waterloo.

Pollard said: 'Covering large areas of the battlefield over the coming years, we will look to identify areas of previous ground disturbance to test the results of the source review and distribution map, and in conjunction with further documentary research and some excavation will provide a much more definitive picture of the fate of the dead of Waterloo.'

War veterans will be invited to join in the dig alongside world-class archaeologists, and in turn will receive recovery care.
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Archaeologists are in a race against time to save a 1,300-year-old shipwreck in France that is so fragile, air can destroy the wooden remains.

The 40-foot-long boat carcass, which was unearthed near Bordeaux, consists of beams that have not been in contact with oxygen or light for quite a while, resulting in them dehydrating and splitting.

However, teams are spraying the beams with water every 30 minutes until each of the some 200 pieces can be carefully removed and submerged in water.

The boat's final resting place has not yet been decided  the wooden beams could be injected with resin to preserve it or the shipwreck could be reburied where it was found, according to archeologists.

Archaeologists are in a race against time to save a 1,300-year-old shipwreck in France that is so fragile, air can destroy the wooden remains

The boat remains were first discovered in 2013, but has just now been completely exposed above the silted bed of a stream.

The vessel is dated between 680 and 720 and is believed to have been used to ship goods throughout an old arm of the Garonne, which is a river of southwest France and northern Spain.

But archeologists say the ship was strong enough to travel as far as the Atlantic coast.

According to Inrap, the institute involved in the work, the 'wreck will be cleared and documented by photo surveys, 3D restitution, topography and recording of the various pieces of wood. It will be dismantled and numbered piece by piece.

The 40-foot-long boat carcass, which was unearthed near Bordeaux, consists of beams that have not been in contact with oxygen or light for quite a while, resulting in them dehydrating and splitting

However, teams are spraying the beams with water every 30 minutes until each of the some 200 pieces can be carefully removed and submerged in water

The vessel is dated between 680 and 720 and is believed to have been used to ship goods throughout an old arm of the Garonne, which is a river of southwest France and northern Spain

'This dismantling will allow a detailed analysis of the construction of the boat, an essential operation to determine the naval architectural tradition to which it is attached.'

Laurent Grimbert, who is leading the excavation for the institute, told NBC News: 'The excavation and dismantling of the wreck should be finished by mid-September. For the moment we are on schedule and each piece of wood that is dismantled teaches us more about the shipbuilding techniques of the early Middle Ages.'

The shipwreck discovered in France may be ancient, but a more recent wreck inspired the 1985 classic 'The Goonies.'

The boat's final resting place has not yet been decided  the wooden beams could be injected with resin to preserve it or the shipwreck could be reburied where it was found, according to archeologists

The shipwreck discovered in France may be ancient, but a more recent wreck inspired the 1985 classic 'The Goonies.' Marine archaeologists recovered timbers from the hull of the 17th-century Spanish galleon Santo Cristo de Burgos in sea caves in Oregon

Marine archaeologists recovered timbers from the hull of the 17th-century Spanish galleon Santo Cristo de Burgos in sea caves in Oregon.

The ship is said to have inspired Steve Spielberg's cult adventure film, in which a group of children follow a treasure map leading to a pirate's fortune.

The ship is said to have inspired Steve Spielberg's cult adventure film, in which a group of children follow a treasure map leading to a pirate's fortune

Jim Delgado, an archaeological investigator and the senior vice president of cultural resource management firm SEARCH Inc, told National Geographic: 'These timbers are physical evidence for the stories that have been known and passed down through generations.'

A written account from 1813 tells of a Spanish manila galleon that was wrecked in the late 1600s near Neahkahnie Mountain.

Indigenous tribes also passed down the legend of a ship that had vanished off the Oregon coast around 1693, carrying porcelain, beeswax and Chinese silk.

These were backed up by mysterious chunks of beeswax that would continue to appear along the shoreline of Nehalem Bay throughout the 19th century.

Legends of lost treasure were widely reported in Oregon newspapers during the late 20th century, and allegedly caught the attention of director Steven Spielberg.

This sparked the idea for 'The Goonies', where a troupe of kids discover a treasure map that leads them to the long-lost fortune of One-Eyed Willy, a 17th-century pirate who hid his bounty on his ship.
Every wondered what happened to Ruby Rose?

Once dubbed Hollywood's most promising new actress, the Orange Is the New Black star, 36, has suffered her fair share of career setbacks in recent years.

From her breakout success to being nominated as one of Hollywood's 'worst actresses', we take a look at the career highs and lows of Australia's former golden girl.

Every wondered what happened to Ruby Rose? From her breakout success to being nominated as one of Hollywood's 'worst actresses', we take a look at the career highs and lows of Australia's former golden girl. (Pictured at the 2018 Met Gala in New York City)

The Melbourne native, whose real name is Ruby Rose Langenheim, began her showbiz career as a model, DJ and TV presenter for MTV Australia.

As her popularity grew, she found herself fronting major modelling campaigns for big names including Maybelline, and co-hosting popular shows such as Channel 10's The Project and Australia's Next Top Model.

She moved to Hollywood in 2013 with hopes of making it as an actress.

The Melbourne native, whose real name is Ruby Rose Langenheim, began her showbiz career as a model, DJ and TV presenter for MTV Australia. (Pictured on March 5, 2009, in Sydney)

Her efforts paid off, as Ruby shot to fame in 2015 with her breakout role in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.

In 2016, Ruby was named the face of popular makeup company Urban Decay, starring in a global campaign for the brand's Vice lipstick collection.

The gender-fluid star's acting career skyrocketed when she was cast in blockbuster movies such as Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016) and Pitch Perfect 3 (2017).

Ruby moved from Australia to Hollywood in 2013 with hopes of making it as an actress. (Pictured in Ibiza, Spain, on August 3, 2015)

Her efforts paid off, as Ruby shot to fame in 2015 with her breakout role in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Pictured on the show

She starred alongside Hollywood royalty Vin Diesel in xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017) and Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017).

In 2018, Ruby also co-starred with Jason Statham in sci-fi thriller The Meg.

However, her career took a turn for the worse in 2020 when she controversially quit CW superhero series Batwoman after just one season.

The gender-fluid star's acting career skyrocketed when she was cast in blockbuster movies such as Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016) and Pitch Perfect 3 (2017). Pictured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in August 2018

She starred alongside Hollywood royalty Vin Diesel in xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017) and Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017). Pictured in xXx: Return of Xander Cage with (left to right) Kris Wu, Rory McCann and Vin Diesel

Announcing her departure in May 2020, Ruby told The Hollywood Reporter: 'I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season.

'This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles.'

Ruby was eventually replaced by British actress Wallis Day on the series.

Ruby's career took a turn for the worse in 2020 when she controversially quit CW superhero series Batwoman after just one season. (Pictured on the show)

The reason for Ruby's departure was shrouded in mystery for almost a year.

In July 2021, she claimed she was forced to leave after discovering she was allergic to her character's latex costume.

'I did find out that I was allergic to latex... and unfortunately my mask is latex,' she told The Kyle and Jackie O Show at the time.

'I was like, "I'm a little itchy!" And it was getting worse and worse, because as you get more contact with it, I guess you get more reactions.

'I took [it] off at the end and my whole face was just hives.'

In October 2021, Ruby made the explosive claim she was subjected to bad working conditions on the set. She alleged that former Warner Bros. Television chairman Peter Roth 'forced' her back to work following surgery from a neck injury and hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on her. (Pictured in Batwoman)

But in October 2021, Ruby made the explosive claim that she was also subjected to bad working conditions on the set.

She alleged that former Warner Bros. Television chairman Peter Roth 'forced' her back to work following surgery from a neck injury and hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on her.

Ruby blasted showrunner Caroline Dries, as well as Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter of Batwoman's production company Berlanti Productions, promising to 'come for you so what happened to me never happens to another person again'.

Ruby took a break from acting in November last year to spend time Down Under with her family, before returning to LA to film her latest two action movies, Vanquish and SAS: Red Notice. (Pictured with her ex-girlfriend Jessica Origliasso in Sydney on November 29, 2017)

Warner Bros. Television condemned Ruby's claims as 'revisionist history', and said it didn't renew her contract for a second season due to receiving 'multiple complaints about her workplace behaviour'.

Ruby took a break from acting in November last year to spend time Down Under with her family, before returning to LA to film her latest two action movies, Vanquish and SAS: Red Notice.

Unfortunately, both films received poor reviews, with Vanquish scoring an average rating of just 3.10/10 on Rotten Tomatoes.

Unfortunately, both films have received poor reviews, with Vanquish scoring an average rating of just 3.10/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. (Pictured in Beverly Hills on August 4, 2019)

Respected film critic Peter Sobczynski described the movie as 'dull, threadbare, and bereft of thrills'.

Ruby's performance in Vanquish was panned, and she was nominated for Worst Actress at the 2022 Golden Raspberry Awards, also known as The Razzies.

SAS: Red Notice also drew mediocre reviews, averaging 5.10/10 on Rotten Tomatoes.

Ruby's performance in Vanquish was panned, and she was nominated for Worst Actress at the 2022 Golden Raspberry Awards, also known as The Razzies. (Pictured on May 16, 2019, in NYC)

A review by NME described the film as an 'inept action thriller' that 'plays like Call of Duty: The Movie'.

'SAS: Red Notice is so close to being fun that it's a real shame to see it let down by a lousy script, lazy directing and enough army cliches to fill a dozen Call of Duty cut scenes,' the review stated.

Ruby is now working on an American comedy film titled 1Up, replacing actor Elliot Page as the lead role.

SAS: Red Notice also drew mediocre reviews, averaging 5.10/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. (Pictured in SAS: Red Notice with co-star Sam Heughan)

She is also preparing to star in an upcoming horror flick called The Yacht alongside Patrick Schwarzenegger and Frank Grillo.

Her recent Instagram activity suggests she is focusing on her personal life at the moment.

She was last seen on a Hollywood red carpet in May last year.

Her recent Instagram activity suggests she is focusing on her personal life at the moment. Ruby is pictured at Seven Magic Mountains, Las Vegas, in May
The crisis on set of The Block's upcoming season looks set to reach fever pitch as the contestants edge closer to auction day.

The homes being built by the teams look nowhere near ready, as shown in these exclusive photos obtained by Daily Mail Australia.

The latest pictures come after the construction company overseeing the builds put out a call for more tradesmen to help the contestants finish their homes.

The crisis on set of The Block's upcoming season looks set to reach fever pitch as the contestants edge closer to auction day. The homes being built by the teams look nowhere near ready, as shown in these exclusive photos obtained by Daily Mail Australia

The latest pictures come after the construction company overseeing the builds put out a call for more tradesmen to help the contestants finish their homes. (Pictured: host Scott Cam)

The Block 2022 is being filmed in Gisborne in country Victoria, a 40-minute drive from Melbourne, and is said to be one of the most ambitious seasons yet.

The teams are each building a home on 10 acres of land.

In the new aerial images, the homes appear to be still under construction.

In the new aerial images, the homes appear to be still under construction

Despite some having new roofs installed, the homes still have scaffolding around them and the site is filled with mud and yet to be landscaped.

Domain signs are up outside each of the properties, revealing a 'forthcoming auction' will be taking place for each address.

It's unclear when this date will be.

Despite some having new roofs installed, the homes still have scaffolding around them and the site is filled with mud and yet to be landscaped

Domain signs are up outside each of the properties, revealing a 'forthcoming auction' will be taking place for each address

Last week, the construction company behind the build, Nine in Six Builders, posted a call-out desperately seeking tradesmen to help them finish the homes.

'We desperately need help completing the current series of The Block: Tree Change,' the Instagram post read.

'Carpenters, cladding crews, skilled labourers, trade assistants. Wages, casual, subbies, we won't discriminate. Immediate start, five weeks to go... send us a message if you're keen.'

The Block is being filmed in Gisborne in country Victoria, a 40-minute drive from Melbourne, and is said to be one of the most ambitious seasons yet

After years of city renovations, the producers have opted for a 'tree change' by having the contestants transform homes in rural Victoria.

Now the teams will each be building a home on 10 acres of land.

Influencer Elle Ferguson and her footy star fiance Joel Patfull quit The Block back in April due to a family emergency.

After years of city renovations, the producers have opted for a 'tree change' by having the contestants transform homes in rural Victoria

The couple initially tried to stay on the show, but left after they 'couldn't get a definitive answer' from producers as to whether Joel, 37, could 'come and go' from the building site in country Victoria to visit his ailing mother Trish in Adelaide.

Without assurances that he could regularly leave to visit his mum, who had broken her neck in a fall, the pair pulled the pin on the Channel Nine show.

In addition to her broken neck, Trish fractured her wrist and has also potentially broken her coccyx.

Last week, the construction company behind the build, Nine in Six Builders, posted a call-out desperately seeking tradesmen to help them finish the homes

At the time of their exit, Elle wrote on Instagram: 'Wherever you are in the world, whatever you are doing, family always comes first.'

She also shared a black-and-white image of Joel sitting with their luggage as they prepared to catch a flight to Adelaide.

A Nine spokesperson confirmed the pair's departure to Daily Mail Australia.
Ree Drummond's husband Ladd was left with minor injuries after being run over by a cow while working at the Drummond Family Ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

On Friday, the 53-year-old television personality shared a video in which she asked her spouse about the incident and revealed a large gash on his back.

'Ladd gave the cow two choices: Turn around and join the other cows, or run him over. She chose the latter. (You should see his leg) Moo!' Ree wrote in the caption of her Instagram post.

Injured: Ree Drummond's husband Ladd was left with minor injuries after being run over by a cow while working at the Drummond Family Ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma

In the clip, which was set to The Bobby Fuller Four's I Fought The Law, Ree approached Ladd as he crouched on the porch while petting their basset hounds and Labrador retriever.

'How was your day, dear?' the food blogger asked.

'It was good,' Ladd said nonchalantly as he looked up at her with a slight smile.

Scraped up: On Friday, the 53-year-old television personality shared a video in which she asked her spouse about the incident and revealed a large gash on his back

Ouch! Ree panned the camera around to display the back of Ladd's shirt, which had a large rip that exposed a bloody scratch

Ree then panned the camera around to display the back of Ladd's shirt, which had a large rip that exposed a bloody scratch.

'Sure about that?' she asked as she lifted up the side of the muddied and torn material and focused in on the injury.

'Pretty good, wasn't it, Fred?' Ladd replied, referring to their basset hound.

'Are you sure about that?' Ree asked dubiously.

'Fred helped me,' Ladd said casually.

Unfazed: Though Ree seemed concerned about Ladd's injuries and the incident, he appeared to brush it off. Seen in 2017

'What happened back here?' she asked.

'A cow ran over me, knocked me down,' he told Ree with a laugh.

'Are you ok?' the Food Network host asked him.

'I was like a turtle on my back,' he joked as he continued to pet the dogs.

Ladd added, 'My back doesn't hurt, but she stepped on my leg. It hurts.'

'You need some Neosporin back here, sir,' Ree told him sternly.

Though Ladd seemed unconcerned over the incident, the couple oldest daughter Alex, 24, appeared to share her mother's worry, writing, 'OMG' in the comments.

Scary: In March 2021, Ladd sustained a much more serious injury after a scary accident on their farm left him with a broken neck

In March 2021, Ladd sustained a much more serious injury after a scary accident on their farm left him with a broken neck.

Ladd and the couple's nephew, Caleb, were each driving a Himmat fire truck when they collided 'head on' according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol at the time of the accident.

The OHP reported that the accident was the result of 'high winds on a gravel road.' Neither man happened to be wearing a seat belt and Caleb was 'ejected approximately 70 feet from point of rest.'

Caleb survived the ordeal though he was arrested later in 2021 on a DUI charge unrelated to the accident.

Update: In April, Ree gave an update on Ladd's condition in a blog post she shared where she told fans that he's back to doing many of the things he enjoys

In April, Ree gave an update on Ladd's condition in a blog post she shared where she told fans that he's back to doing many of the things he enjoys.

'He's lifting weights,' she divulged. 'He's riding his horse. He's feeding cattle and doing all the work on the ranch he always did.'

Though he is back to his old self in many ways, Drummond did concede that his neck will probably never entirely go back to the way it was before the accident.

'Sure, his neck is still a little stiff and probably always will be,' she said. 'He can no longer whip his head around when I call 'Oh, Honey????? Can you do me a favor????' from the other room. (And this is probably okay with him, haha).

'So all in all, I'm giving thanks today Ladd is pretty much back to normaljust in time for spring burning to start, by the way. I repeat: Jesus take the wheel.'

She also reiterated just how devastating her husband's injury almost was.

Bad accident: Ladd and the couple's nephew, Caleb, were each driving a Himmat fire truck when they collided 'head on' according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (pictured 2017)

Wedding accessory: Ladd wore a neck brace to his daughter Alex's wedding though he took it off before walking down the aisle

'The surgeon had told us that the fracture in his neck came dangerously close to damaging his spinal cord, and the fact that he was lucky to be able to get up and walk around after surgery was not lost on Ladd,' she said.

Ever the resilient man, Ladd didn't wait long before pushing himself, going as far as driving a truck around their ranch just days after surgery according to Ree.

He also removed the neck brace he wore in order to walk his daughter Alex down the aisle at her wedding.

Drummond said her faith helped her to not worry so much when her beau decided to push what he could do.

'Fortunately, I've been married to this dude for 25 years and I asked Jesus to take the wheel many years ago, so I was able to throw my hands up and surrender when these envelopes were pushed,' she wrote.

Happy family: Ree married Ladd on September 21, 1996. The couple shares five children: Alex, 24, Paige, 22, Bryce, 19, Todd, 18, and their foster son Jamar

Ree married Ladd on September 21, 1996. They honeymooned in Australia.

The couple shares five children: Alex, Paige, 22, Bryce, 19, Todd, 18, and their foster son Jamar.

They have a close familial relationship as evidenced by when they all had to band together to film The Pioneer Woman television show on The Food Network during the pandemic.
Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling are enjoying a family vacation on the small Greek island of Antiparos, which occupies an area of only about 17 miles.

The Hollywood couple, who have been known to keep a low profile and keep their personal lives private, have been spotted taking casual strolls with their two daughters Esmeralda, seven, and Amada, six, according to the Greek Reporter.

On Friday, during a break from all the sight-seeing, Mendes took to her Instagram page and shared a holiday photo of herself soaking up the sun near their abode.

Family holiday in the sun: Eva Mendes, 48, shared a photo of herself soaking in the sun and the culture while on a family holiday on the small Greek island of Antiparos with longtime partner Ryan Gosling and their two daughters

In the photo, the Training Day actress posed on some outdoor steps in a red and white-patterned dress that she left open to reveal a green top.

She also wore a pair of brown sandals, along with stylish, large-frame sunglasses and a red-patterned scarf, which helped keep her long tresses off of her face.

Mendes shared some deets about her effortless vacation look in the caption of her post, specifically her accessories.

'Adoro [I adore] these light summer jewelry pieces I found,' began the star, who noted the pieces were from the brand Neola Design.

She continued: 'Loving this small female owned biz for unique and ethically sourced pieces. Besos [Kisses].'

Let the fun begin: 'Comenzo el verano [Summer begins] and I couldn't be happier about it,' she captioned a video she posted on her Instagram Stories

Family time: The mother of two waled casually along a sidewalk with the glaring sun if Greece beating down

Lovely: The actress kept a stern look on her face as she took her casual stroll

Peek-a-boo: The Place Beyond The Pines star gave her 2.7 million Instagram fans and followers a glimpse of her face with the gorgeous blue water in the backdrop

Life is good: The Florida native also shared a slow motion clip of herself soaking in the sun

About six hours after her initial Instagram post on Friday, Mendes posted a video of herself taking a stroll in her red-patterned dress.For an added touch of style, she dropped in some catchy Latin-based music with vocal in Spanish.

The couple were spotted this week taking an evening walk with their girls, which was caught on camera by Mykonos TV. Mendes and Gosling can be seen holding hands as they make their way past a stretch of shoppes and businesses with their girls by their sides.

At one point, a man sitting at a table noticed the two stars and appeared to say hello along with friendly head nod to Gosling , which the Notebook actor reciprocated with a head nod of his own.

The longtime leading man, 41, is still sporting platinum blonde hair, which he dyed for his latest role as Ken in the upcoming movie Barbie, that's based on the eponymous toyline by Mattel, and stars Australian actress Margot Robbie as the titular character.

Hands-on parent: The actress went on hiatus from her acting career to be a hands-on mom in 2013; she is pictured four days ago

All dolled up: Mendes couldn't resist joking and gushing over her longtime partner all dolled up as Ken Doll for the upcoming live-action film Barbie

Item: Mendes and Gosling have been an item since around the time they starred together in the crime drama film The Place Beyond the Pines, which was shot in the summer of 2011; they are pictured at the film's premiere in March 2013

Just two days earlier, Mendes couldn't resist taking a fun jab at her longtime partner by posting a photo of him all made up as Ken, complete with a deep orange tan and ripped abs that peeked out from behind a denim vest.

'So. F. Funny. So. F. Good. So F. excited for you to see this #thatsmyken,' she wrote in the caption.

Mendes, 48, opted to go on hiatus from her Hollywood career in order to be hands-on parent to raise their two daughters. Her last credited film role was in the fantasy thriller film Lost River, which was written and directed by Gosling and shot in 2013.

She did do a voice role for an episode of the Australian preschool animated series Bluey in 2021.

Fans will get to see Gosling all dolled up as Ken when Barbie premieres in theaters in the U.S. on July 21, 2023.
The Australian cafe manager who wrongly claimed Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson had dined at his restaurant shamelessly resurfaced on Saturday while revealing details about the elaborate hoax.

Matt Black, who went to ground and stopped answering phones after his lie was exposed, was seen beaming as he made his way into work at the Botanica cafe he manages in Edge Hill in Cairns in far north Queensland.

Mr Black couldn't wipe the smile off his face while carrying bags of milk and a loaf of bread into his cafe just 24 hours after sharing a rather cheeky status on Facebook about the saga, writing: 'Keeping up with Matt Black'.

He then broke his silence to insist he's simply a 'larrikin' and that it was all 'a joke that backfired'.

Mr Black said he's known to be a bit of a trickster with locals and never expected to make global headlines.

Matt Black from Botanica cafe in Edge Hill, Cairns in far north Queensland shamelessly resurfaced on Saturday after falsely claiming Kim Kardashian dined at his venue with boyfriend Pete Davidson

The cafe manager couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he made his way inside, carrying bags of milk and a loaf of bread after visiting a bakery

Mr Black shared a rather cheeky status on Facebook on Friday about the Kim Kardashian saga, writing: 'Keeping up with Matt Black'

'I'm a larrikin, I just do these things,' he told TropicNow.

'People who know me know I stir stuff up on social media.'

Mr Black said he left a cheeky comment on a local news outlet's Facebook page saying that Kim and Pete had breakfast at his cafe and it all took off from there and the story went global.

'At the end of the day it was a little joke and I was going to set the record straight,' he said.

'I'm in a bit of a pickle that's for sure but I've had a lot of support, other small businesses saying dude if this is real or not, it's genius marketing.'

Mr Black said he received interest and calls at the cafe from journalists all around the world before realising his little hoax had got out of hand.

Mr Black had left a cheeky comment on a local news outlet's Facebook page saying that Kim and Pete had breakfast at his cafe

Mr Black said on Saturday that the Kardashian saga was simply a 'joke that backfired' and that he's known to be a bit of a trickster with locals

'I'm a larrikin, I just do these things,' he explained

ABC Far North was the first media outlet to report on Kardashian, 41, and Davidson, 28, visiting far north Queensland.

Mr Black lied to them about his alleged encounter with the American reality star and her comedian boyfriend on Wednesday, spinning an elaborate yarn.

He claimed their security team asked cafe staff to place their phones on the counter for the duration of the pair's date so no one could take photos of them while they were dining.

'We had to put our phones out on the counter,' he claimed to the ABC, adding that the security detail also requested their CCTV footage remain private.

'There was just me and my barista, and to be honest, he didn't know who they were. He's really out of the loop with that sort of stuff.'

Mr Black's claims were later debunked by Daily Mail Australia, forcing the ABC to remove its article.



While Davidson is in Australia filming his new movie Wizards!, his A-list girlfriend has not joined him and is still in Los Angeles with her children.

Mr Black's story fell apart when it emerged Kardashian had been picturedin LA on Tuesday night just hours before she was supposedly seen brunching 11,000km away in far north Queensland.

A representative for Davidson shot down this fake account, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'Pete is currently in production in Australia without Kim'.

A source close to Kardashian also confirmed to Daily Mail Australia she hadn't been in the country 'in years'.

Mr Black wrongly claimed Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson visited his cafe in Cairns on Wednesday

Botanica Cafe and bar in Cairns which made global headline after rumours Kim Kardashian and boyfriend Pete Davidson had dined there

ABC Far North was the first media outlet to report on Mr Black's claims after pics emerged of Kardashian holidaying

Mr Black claimed their security team asked cafe staff to place their phones on the counter for the duration of the pair's date so no one could take photos of them while they were dining

The ABC was far from the only publication to report on the sighting that never occurred, as most of the Australian media lapped up the brush with fame.

The cafe even posted a video on Instagram of television crews assembling on the street outside, writing: 'Chasing that scoop!'

Kardashian on Monday shared a gallery of racy snaps while holidaying with Pete at a secluded beach location. 'Beach for 2,' her post was captioned on Instagram.

Several Aussie fans commented on her post saying they were on the lookout for the couple in tropical Queensland.

'My eyes are peeled for you in Cairns!' one fan wrote.

The holiday photos were reportedly taken in Tahiti at an unspecified date.

ABC Far North ha since removed the article (404 page seen here) after Daily Mail Australia debunked the story

The Botanica cafe acknowledged the media storm by taunting the press in an Instagram post that morning

The hoax sighting comes after Davidson was spotted exploring Cairns (for real) on Wednesday night and even stopped to take photos with fans.

In one picture shared to Instagram, the New York native posed alongside a local at the Timezone videogame arcade on Abbott Street.

Other fans claimed to have spotted the King of Staten Island star venturing into a casino on the same night.

The Queensland tourist hotspot has become a hub of A-list activity recently thanks to David Michod's new film Wizards! being filmed there for the next three months.

The film also stars Franz Rogowski, Orlando Bloom and Naomi Scott.

Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B, is backing the film and production is expected to inject an estimated $14.7million into Queensland's economy.

Kim shared a gallery of racy snaps on Monday while holidaying with Pete at a secluded beach

Davidson (left) was pictured with businessman Chris Bowtell (right) outside Blvk Temple Tattoo on Lake Street in Cairns on Friday afternoon
Olivia Munn shared her postpartum struggles on Friday, six months after welcoming her son Malcolm with partner John Mulaney.

The Predator actress, 41, posted a sweet video on her Instagram, featuring her cradling Malcolm in her arms, with her head resting on his.

'My body hasn't snapped back, but it made this little guy so I only have love for it,' she wrote in a text overlay on the video.

Postpartum journey: Olivia Munn shared her postpartum struggles on Friday, six months after welcoming her son Malcolm with partner John Mulaney

She continued the sentiment in her caption, which read: 'The post partum road is rough, but its so worth it.'

Olivia sported a black T-shirt in the clip, and wore a pair of grey leggings and a plaid shirt wrapped around her waist.

The brunette beauty wore her long strands parted on the side and cascading down her shoulders and back.

Sweet: The actress, 41, posted a video on her Instagram, featuring her cradling Malcolm in her arms, writing, 'My body hasn't snapped back, but it made this little guy so I only have love for it'

Meanwhile Malcolm looked adorable in a grey top and matching bottoms with an anchor print, as well as a grey hat and yellow socks.

The tender mother and son clip was set to a cover of Billy Joel's song 'Vienna' with the lyrics 'Slow down, you're doin' fine/ You can't be everything you wanna be/ Before your time.'

Her friends and followers were quick to reassure her, with one writing, 'Olivia this is just perfect. The moment. The mama. The baby. Hang in there!!' Another one added, 'You are a rockstar.'

Rough: She continued the sentiment in her caption, which read: 'The post partum road is rough, but its so worth it'

Munn has been open about her postpartum challenges, including her struggle to breast feed.

In January, the X-Men: Apocalypse star reached out for others' opinions on the matter: 'Any other moms takin all the supplements and teas and tinctures yet barely make milk?' she asked her Instagram fans and followers.

Later she wrote, '8 weeks in and I've taken a million vitamins, countless teas, lozenges, tinctures and worked with two lactation consultants. Breastfeeding. Is. Hard.'

Open: Munn has been open about her postpartum challenges, including her struggle to breast feed, revealing that she worked with two lactation consultants but was having a tough time

Olivia and John announced their pregnancy in September, amid a romance that went public on the heels of his split from wife Anna Marie Tendler.

The couple welcomed Malcolm the day before Thanksgiving, after a whirlwind year in which John went to rehab and filed for divorce.

The former SNL writer went public with the pregnancy on Late Night With Seth Meyers, whose host had been part of his intervention in 2020.

He gushed about their 'incredible' new relationship, saying: 'Olivia and this baby have helped save me from myself in this early journey out of recovery.'

Cute family: The X-Men: Apocalypse star recently shared a cute family portrait of her, John, 39, and Malcolm inside of a public bathroom

Baby boy: The couple announced their pregnancy in September, amid a romance that went public on the heels of John's split from wife Anna Marie Tendler

John entered a 60-day stint at a treatment facility for cocaine addiction and alcoholism in December 2020, Page Six revealed.

His separation from his estranged wife went public in mid-May 2021 and he finally filed for divorce that July in New York.

When news broke of his marriage breakup last May, Page Six insiders said that John requested a divorce from Anna Marie as early as that February.

'I am heartbroken that John has decided to end our marriage,' she said when the split was announced. 'I wish him support and success as he continues his recovery.'

A few days after their separation was announced last May, a People source claimed that John had become romantically involved with Olivia.
Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury eyed up a six-figure engagement ring during their sun-drenched getaway in Dubai last month, according to reports.

The influencer and her boxer boyfriend have been together since their appearance on Love Island in 2019, with their relationship only going from strength to strength.

In a picture obtained by The Sun, the reality stars, both 23, sat next to each other in Cara Jewellers during their trip to the United Arab Emirates, where Manchester-born Tommy allegedly insisted that his girlfriend's ring must be a 'top of the range, flawless gem'.

Wedding bells? Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury eyed up a six-figure engagement ring during their sun-drenched getaway in Dubai last month, according to reports

A source at the sophisticated showroom told the publication that Pretty Little Thing's creative director spoke for an hour about how she wanted the ring mounted, before Tommy sighed: 'I'm just here to pay for it, mate.'

The source continued: 'It was a very funny moment. Molly-Mae pretended to be upset but then laughed and got on with discussing the ring.

'The couple were lovely and charming and looked very much in love.

Love: The influencer and her boxer boyfriend, both 23, have been together since their appearance on Love Island in 2019, with their relationship only going from strength to strength

Encounter: A source at the jewellers told The Sun that Molly-Mae spoke for an hour about how she wanted the ring mounted, before Tommy sighed: 'I'm just here to pay for it, mate'

'Tommy was insistent it must be a rare, top of the range flawless gem. And Molly-Mae spent a long time discussing how the ring must be designed.'

MailOnline has reached out to representatives for Molly-Mae and Tommy for comment.

In April, Molly-Mae teased that the sound of wedding bells might not be too far in the future.

Following Tommy's victory against Daniel Bocianski in their light heavyweight fight, an interviewer apologised for referring to her as Mrs Fury.

Cute: In April, Molly-Mae teased that the sound of wedding bells might not be too far in the future

The star responded: 'It's fine, don't worry! Maybe soon.'

The news comes after the blonde beauty gave a very honest account of how her love life with boyfriend Tommy dwindled during her battle with 'excruciating' endometriosis.

She wrote about her struggle in her new book, Becoming Molly-Mae, and said that some of her health issues reared their head once she had started seeing Tommy.

Endometriosis causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus to grow in different organs around the body.

Open: The news comes after the blonde beauty gave a very honest account of how her love life with boyfriend Tommy dwindled during her battle with 'excruciating' endometriosis

Tissue build-up can be minimal but in the most painful severe cases it can cause scarring that fuses organs together because of the time it takes for the cells to leave the body after they thicken during the menstrual cycle.

Molly-Mae, who signed copies of her book in the Trafford Centre on Monday, wrote: 'Before I was with Tommy, I wasn't really having sex, so I didn't really think there were any problems other than my period pains.'

But she said: 'I was suffering horrendous pain - literally feeling like I'd been stabbed in the stomach - just awful. And it was causing me so many issues.

'Big TMI! But my sex life just became non-existent: it was just not part of our relationship.'

Back in March, Molly-Mae admitted she thought she would die and has nearly called an ambulance multiple times during her periods.

The influencer explained how she found nights particularly difficult, and was fearful she 'wouldn't wake up' due to the excruciating pain.
Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson turned 16 and celebrated with her older boyfriend and family, on the latest episode of Mama June: Road to Redemption.

The former Toddlers And Tiaras star was thrilled when her beau Dralin Carswell, 20, surprised her by showing up to her intimate bash with flowers and a gift.

However, she was not happy to see another unexpected visitor, her mom June Shannon, 42, who has been busy traveling and crashed the party despite not being invited, exposing her family to Covid-19.

Sweet 16: Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson turned 16 and celebrated with her older boyfriend and family, on the latest episode of Mama June: Road to Redemption

Episode 17 of season 5 starts off where the last episode left off, with Lauryn Efrid (aka Pumpkin), 22, speaking to Dralin during a coffee meet up prior to Alana's party, as she grills him about his intentions for her younger sister.

'My mama's a liar. Been dealing with that for a long time, so I don't need that coming from you, too. You got that?' she said, asking, 'So are you a liar?'

'No,' Dralin calmly replied.

Surprise! The former Toddlers And Tiaras star was thrilled when her beau Dralin Carswell, 20, surprised her by showing up to her intimate bash with flowers and a gift

Happy: The surprise came after she thought he wouldn't be allowed at the party, due to her sister's Covid-safety measures

'Well, I'm just going to let you know that Alana has not had the best of luck with men, as far as her daddy is a POS. Every man that's really basically been in her life kind of just walked out, got that?' she said, protective of her baby sister.

'Alana has been through a lot. Even her mama has put her through some s***. She's barely there. So we're not doing none of that playing-around stuff, okay?'

'I understand,' Dralin replied.

Mama June: However, she was not happy to see her mom June Shannon, 42, who was busy traveling and crashed the party despite not being invited, exposing her family to Covid-19

'Mama and Sugar Bear have not done anything to protect her. She has to live with neither one of her parents wanting her, neither one of them, like, wanting to put the effort in. So I feel like she doesn't have anybody, and, like, the only person she has is me and Josh,' she said, referring to her husband Josh Efird, 25.

Alana Thompson has been living with Pumpkin and Josh in their new home, along with her sister Jessica Shannon (aka Chubbs), 25.

'Someone else coming into the picture, I'm not really fond of that, but, I mean, I did give her permission to start dating at 16,' Pumpkin, who gained full custody of Alana in early June 2022, explained.

Protective: Episode 17 of season 5 starts off with Lauryn Efrid (aka Pumpkin), 22, speaking to Dralin during a coffee meet up, as she grills him about his intentions for her younger sister

Warning: 'Alana has been through a lot. Even her mama has put her through some s***. She's barely there. So we're not doing none of that playing-around stuff, okay?' she warned him

She seemed to warm up to Dralin, and decided to give him a chance after all, as she invited him to Alana's small birthday party, after telling her baby sister that none of her friends could attend due to Covid.

'Well, you seem like an okay fellow. So what are you doing this coming up week?' she asked, before inviting him to the celebrations. 'I am throwing Alana a party for her birthday. So I was just kind of wondering if maybe, like, as a surprise for Alana, because I know that it would make her real happy, if maybe you showed up.'

'I guess I answered the question right. She invited me to Alana birthday party,' Dralin said in a confessional.

'This is me giving you a chance of trust right here... Because I'm giving you our first secret. So, if you tell Alana... I hate to have to tell you that I will bury you,' Pumpkin joked.

Warming up: She decided to give Dralin a chance after all, as she invited him to Alana's small birthday party

Happy to attend: 'I guess I answered the question right. She invited me to Alana birthday party,' Dralin said in a confessional

The scene then transitioned to Pumpkin, her daughter Ella, four, and aunt Doe Doe - June's sister - at an animal farm, as they discussed the latest news on the Shannon family matriarch.

'Well, you know, I've seen them tabloids. I know. She got that one guy in an apartment, and now he's engaged to someone else,' Doe Doe stated.

'Damn. The one thing I can say, though, the tabloids haven't been wrong,' Pumpkin said in a confessional with Doe Doe.

'Well, that's true. They have definitely been right on point,' Doe Doe replied.

Catching up: Pumpkin, her newborn son Bentley, daughter Ella, four, and aunt Doe Doe - June's sister - then met up at an animal farm, as they discussed the latest news on Mama June

'I find out more through them than I do my actual mother. She wants to, like, just leave everybody in the dark and lie about everything, and I'm so f***** sick of it,' Pumpkin said.

'I mean, I don't understand the secrecy of having a boyfriend. I mean, we knew,' Doe Doe replied.

'She doesn't want to help her family, but she sure will throw money at anybody else,' Pumpkin replied.

'Yep. I mean, she's always been that way. It's nothin' new,' Mama June's sister concurred.

Concerned: 'Well, you know, I've seen them tabloids. I know. She got that one guy in an apartment, and now he's engaged to someone else,' Doe Doe stated

'I haven't even been answering none of her phone calls. She's been calling me, blowing my phone up, texting me. I've been seeing on, like, all her social media stuff, she's doing 50 states in 50 weeks. It's like, "Girl, do you not know covid is a thing?" And I know she ain't wearing her damn mask,' June's daughter stated, concerned.

'No. She ain't doing what she's supposed to do,' Doe Doe agreed.

'She's so irresponsible. She's like a f***** child,' Pumpkin complained.

'Let's get real. You are the mom now. Whether you want to be or not, you're the sister mom. I mean, trust me, I give you all the props, you know that. You're doing it, and it ain't easy,' Doe Doe told Pumpkin. 'It is not easy. But you're making sure that Alana's got what she needs.'

Irresponsible: 'I've been seeing on, like, all her social media stuff, she's doing 50 states in 50 weeks. It's like, "Girl, do you not know covid is a thing?" And I know she ain't wearing her damn mask,' June's daughter said

Advice: 'Let's get real. You are the mom now. Whether you want to be or not, you're the sister mom. I mean, trust me, I give you all the props, you know that,' Doe Doe told Pumpkin

'Mama's raised her to be a certain type of way. Like it's okay to sugarcoat, it's okay to lie, or it's not okay to come up to you and, like, speak to you about stuff, but, like, I want to make that different for Alana, and I have been trying,' Pumpkin revealed.

'That's why you got to break that curse, and that's what you're doing,' Doe Doe said in support.

'Alana realizes it. Alana's just, like, over her s***. She's like, "I just know at this point, now that I'm expecting Mama to f*** up."'

'That hurts my heart. That does. That hurts my heart. I mean, let's get real. In the steps of recovery, there's a step in there where you go in to repair your family, your family, not everybody else's, but your family, the one you ripped to shreds and said, "See Ya. Wouldn't want to be Ya,"' Doe Doe said in a confessional.

Not invited: Pumpkin explained that June would not be invited to Alana's Sweet 16: 'I don't feel like she deserves to be a part of that'

'So I know that I really want to do something nice for Alana's sweet 16. I mean, I know that she won't be able to have a bunch of friends over again, which is going to suck, but I'm not inviting Mama,' Pumpkin said.

She further explained: 'I don't feel like she deserves to be a part of that. 'Cause Alana's super pissed. She's like, "No, I would rather her not be here.'''

The scene then transitioned to Mama June who was doing a speaking engagement at a church, saying she wants to 'show people that you can get clean. You can live a better life. You can get out of a domestic-violence situation.'

Speaking engagement: In the next scene Mama June was doing a speaking engagement at a church, saying she wants to 'show people that you can get clean. You can live a better life.'

'I'm trying to use my platform as being Mama June because I want to use my own experiences to help the next one,' she explained.

'Okay. I'm not gonna lie to you. I am nervous as s***,' she said as she got up on the podium.

'You know, my story started way back. You know, at the age of 14, growing up in a drug-infested community, I always told myself, "June, you're not going to be that person. You know, I'm never going to do that." Well, let's fast-forward.'

'It started out as a gram of cocaine to three ounces a day. I couldn't film. I couldn't function. I couldn't do anything,' she explained, as the footage showed clips of her passed out and not being able to film.

Drug habit: 'It started out as a gram of cocaine to three ounces a day. I couldn't film. I couldn't function. I couldn't do anything,' she explained her addiction

'You know, I got busted in Macon County, Alabama. But at that time, I kept using for another year. And didn't know what to do, and the house that I told my daughter that would always be hers, I sold it for $100,000.'

'Guess what - two months later $100,000 was smoked up in cocaine. Um... I stayed in [bleep] hotels. I had my dope man staying there. I ran out of money. I started, like, hustling. I used to have jewelry all on my hands. This is only the ring I've got left.'

'Bracelet that had every one of my daughters' birthstones on it and my grandkids, um... was no longer.'

Difficult: 'The house that I told my daughter that would always be hers, I sold it for $100,000. Guess what - two months later $100,000 was smoked up in cocaine,' she confessed

'The kids still look at me as that drug addict. They look at me as I'm still a bad person,' she said.

'Have you had a moment with all of them where you just apologized for the past?' a woman in the crowd asked.

'It is hard for me to say I'm sorry sometimes. I want to be honest with you, like, there for a while, I just thought that things would go back to normal, like, when I got clean. You know, sometimes it's hard to say I'm wrong. Dealing with that raw emotion sometimes is hard for me to do.'

June was then seen speaking in a confessional, as she said: 'I am sorry for some of the actions that I made, but I do feel like sometimes the girls hold my past and what I've done and what I may be still doing in a way. They think that I'm supposed to be this perfect person, and I'm not. You know, nobody's f***** perfect.'

Sorry, not sorry: June said in a confessional: 'I am sorry for some of the actions that I made, but I do feel like sometimes the girls hold my past and what I've done and what I may be still doing in a way. They think that I'm supposed to be this perfect person, and I'm not'

Tough journey: 'I lost everything. I went through $250,000 of dope in 4 1/2 months. It was to the point towards the end that my dope people were concerned

The footage then cut back to her speaking in front of the crowd: 'I lost everything. I went through $250,000 of dope in 4 1/2 months. It was to the point towards the end that my dope people were concerned. They didn't want to give me dope. I have to tell myself every day when I wake up, "I'm going to stay clean these next 24 hours no matter what life throws at me."'

'Oh, a lot of people don't know this. I just got out of an abusive relationship... Mental, physical, and verbal. And I am trying so hard to not to look in the past, to look forward to, like, what's in front of me, like, right now. And I'm grateful for the person that I found, Justin,' she said, as the camera panned to Justin Stroud in the crowd.

Though they were dating at the time, Mama June is currently married Justin Stroud, 34. The two tied the knot after just a few months of dating.

New man: June then expressed gratitude for new new man - her now husband - Justin Stroud, 34, who was seated in the crowd

Happily together: Though they were dating at the time, Mama June is currently married Justin Stroud, 34. The two tied the knot after just a few months of dating

'I do have a wonderful man right here. Justin is a lot different than Geno, Sugar Bear, any other man that's been in my life. Honestly, he's showing me how somebody can actually be treated good. He supports me in my recovery and whatever I want to do. He doesn't worry about my bank account. Like, he makes me extremely happy,' she said of her new love.

'So I'm very grateful for him today. He's in recovery hisself, so he kind of understands. I met Justin through rehab. Then me and Justin just started hanging out, and I realized that I was starting to catch a little bit of feelings, more than just friends with Justin.'

Mama June revealed that she pursued her new love interest. 'I told Justin, "Hey, I really like you. I want to see what happens."' Then six days later, he asked me to be his girlfriend.'

Justin then revealed that he felt a little jealous of how much attention June was getting at her speaking engagements: 'At the meetings, it's, like, everybody wanted a piece of June Bug. You know, I'm not jealous, but I'm territorial.'

Territorial: Justin then revealed that he felt a little jealous of how much attention June was getting at her speaking engagements: 'At the meetings, it's, like, everybody wanted a piece of June Bug. You know, I'm not jealous, but I'm territorial'

The scene then transitioned to Pumpkin setting up the birthday party for Alana.

'Our little Alana is 16 today. When I was growing up, I didn't have birthday parties. Mama just kind of was just like, "Okay, I'll make you your favorite dinner. And then, like, you'll be on your way." So, for Alana, I want it to be special. You're turning 16. Like, who doesn't have a sweet 16 birthday party? Except me,' she said.

The camera then followed Alana to her room, where a producer asked: 'How do you feel about your mom not coming to your birthday?'

'I'm so pissed at her. So I really don't even want to her here. I mean, she done left me at the airport, so she showed me that she didn't really care. So why should I?'

Mad: Alana revealed she didn't want her mother to come to her birthday: 'I'm so pissed at her. So I really don't even want to her here. I mean, she done left me at the airport, so she showed me that she didn't really care. So why should I?'

'And, I mean, she's out spending money on this one and that one, so... I mean, plus, she missed my last two birthdays anyway. So it's kind of becoming a normal thing now.'

Alana then explained that expensive gifts were not the way to her heart, and would not make her birthday special.

'Just 'cause you buy me some expensive gifts doesn't mean my birthday is so special. I think that's what she thought "Special" meant, though. Like, just buying some gifts that I want or whatever. That's what I think she think meant "Special" was, but, no, that's not what special is.'

It's not the gifts that count: Alana then explained that expensive gifts were not the way to her heart, and would not make her birthday special

In the next scene Mama June and Justin were in a hotel, as he helped her prepare for crashing her daughter's birthday.

'The reason why I got this thing is because, like, you know, she was totally, like, into sunflowers and stuff, so I'm really hoping that she still is, because, you know, they're not talking to me right now,' June explained, showing off the gifts she had for Alana.

'But I'm gonna take all these gifts, and it's gonna work out amazing. Like, even though they haven't talked to me, do they really think I'm not just gonna show up?' she stated.

Birthday crasher: In the next scene Mama June and Justin were in a hotel, as he helped her prepare for crashing her daughter's birthday

'Yeah, I mean, I've missed a couple birthdays in my own addiction. Yeah. Whether they want me there or not, I've missed enough. I'm not going to miss this, her turning 16.'

'I try to call 'em every day. No response. I mean, I'm just gonna order, like, a car,' she went on, after which Justin asked if she wants him to drop her off.

'No, babe. I want my girls to kind of, like, work in to you so I can keep the good thing going. The girls have been through a lot. And I just don't - they're not even talking to me. And so I don't need to have you over there in World War III, and you'd be like, "F***, this family's crazy," and run for the hills. Oh, you already know I'm crazy.'

Too soon: June explained that she would take an Uber, because she didn't want the girls to meet Justin yet, and worried her might think her family is crazy

He likes crazy: Justin replied that she was a little crazy, and he liked it: 'Yeah, you're a little crazy but you're sometimes... My kind of crazy. I like it'

'Yeah, you're a little crazy but you're sometimes... My kind of crazy. I like it,' he replied, before June drew him in for a kiss.

Mama June was then seen arriving at the birthday party carrying gifts - but nobody seemed to be happy to see her, especially not Pumpkin's husband Josh.

'The fact that June has the audacity to just show up on Alana's birthday uninvited, I mean, is enough to make me explode. So, in order for me not to blow up on June. I'm going to take my a** in a whole nother room away from my family so I don't ruin their day by blowing up on June and saying what I want to say to her. But one of these days, I'm just not gonna be able to bite my tongue,' he said as he left the room.

Good reply: Happy with his reply, June drew him in for a kiss

'Why didn't you invite me to the birthday party?' June asked Pumpkin.

'Because I figured you had plans,' her daughter replied.

'It is Alana's 16th birthday. I mean, you don't miss, like, milestones like that.'

'What about when I had Bentley? Mm-mm, cat got your tongue?' Pumpkin questioned her, referring to the fact that June missed the birth of her son.

'I was going through my breakup. I've been trying to call y'all for, like, days now.'

Bringing gifts: Mama June was then seen arriving at the birthday party carrying gifts - but nobody seemed to be happy to see her, especially not Pumpkin's husband Josh

'Okay, and I've been busy,' Pumpkin replied.

'With what?'

'Uh, taking care of two of your kids, taking care of the two of mine, setting up for Alana's birthday party. And I feel like I said what all I had to say the other day on the phone with you.'

'Okay, but it's her birthday. I got gifts,' June said.

'So gifts are supposed to make it all f***** better?' Pumpkin asked, outraged.

Upset: 'The fact that June has the audacity to just show up on Alana's birthday uninvited, I mean, is enough to make me explode,' he said, before leaving the room

'I mean, when were you going to hit me with the fact you weren't never coming back, that we're not getting a house together, like I didn't waste all my time going to look for places while y'all were gone?' her other sister Jessica asked.

'I've been, like, trying to follow my passion, helping people in recovery, helping people get away from domestic violence,' Mama June replied.

'You can barely get yourself out of a situation,' Jessica said.

'Okay, but helping somebody else get out of a situation that I know,' June went on.

'You can't even get yourself out of a wet paper sack with a tear in it,' her daughter stated, before adding. 'According to the tabloids, you done bought some boy a car, a house, paying the bills.'

Busy: When June asked Pumpkin why she's been too busy to answer her calls, she replied: 'Uh, taking care of two of your kids, taking care of the two of mine, setting up for Alana's birthday party'

In a confessional Pumpkin questioned whether her mother even knew her youngest sister anymore.

'Mama's got some nerve showing up here. I mean, she's done messed all of us up in the past month, like, everybody. And I don't even think Mama knows Alana anymore. I mean, she thinks a couple of gifts is gonna suffice everything. Like, gifts don't make everything better.'

It turned out that she was right, because when Alana found out about her coming, she was not thrilled.

'Why is she here? I am a little livid that Mama showed up, because I wasn't important enough for you to hang out in LA. You was all up on your phone with your boy toy, and then you want to show up to my birthday party like I'm just the most special thing to you. Girl, bye. You can leave. This is gonna be the worst birthday ever.'

Why: When Alana found out about her mother coming, she was not thrilled. 'Why is she here? I am a little livid that Mama showed up'

Pumpkin then went to check on Josh and tried to urge him to join the rest of the family.

'Are you coming out there?'

'Baby, I'm not going out there with your mother. I don't want to hear your mother's mouth either,' he replied.

'It's super awkward.'

'That's 'cause she wasn't even supposed to be here. You know, if it was up to me, I'd have slammed the door in her face as soon as I saw her, because all she does is come in, f*** everything up, and then leaves.'

'It's a repetitive cycle, and I don't understand why they continuously let her back in their lives just to screw something up. It does not make any sense to me,' he later said in a confessional.

Still upset: Josh explained why he was frustrated with the situation: 'You know, if it was up to me, I'd have slammed the door in her face as soon as I saw her, because all she does is come in, f*** everything up, and then leaves'

'So, I mean, what is Josh's problem with me, Jessica?' June asked her daughter.

'I mean, have you seen what you done? We can tell you why he doesn't like you.'

'Just because your kids are grown don't mean you can just leave them.'

'No, but I don't leave them. You don't ever answer your phone, Alana,' she replied.

Cycle: 'It's a repetitive cycle, and I don't understand why they continuously let her back in their lives just to screw something up. It does not make any sense to me,' he said

'I haven't answered your phone call because of obvious reasons... Because the fact you left me at the airport should be enough said.'

'Okay, well, whatever, like, y'all just don't understand.'

'Look at her on her phone texting her new boo.'

'Yeah. I had to get used to that quick in L.A.' Alana said, suggesting her mother ignored her and spent her time on the phone.

Leaving: After getting too much criticism, June decided to leave the party early

June couldn't take any more of the criticism, and decided to leave the party early.

'Because y'all don't want me here, I'm going to order a car, and I'm going to leave so you can enjoy your birthday, Alana.'

'I'll believe it when you walk out the door,' she replied.

'I'm trying to move forward with them. My feelings are crushed, most certainly, but I'm not going to be sitting here and letting them talk to me however they want to and make me have to pay for the mistakes of the past,' June stated.

He sister Doe Doe was not impressed: 'June's doing just like our mom did. Forgets about the kids and chases the men. And there's money thrown around to attract more men so that she can play the victim later. Yeah, poor pitiful me. Break the cycle. Seriously, break the cycle. I did.'

Surprise! Alana was then pleasantly surprised, when her boyfriend Dralin knocked on the door, and brought her flowers and a necklace for her birthday gift

Alana was then pleasantly surprised, when her boyfriend Dralin knocked on the door, and brought her flowers and a necklace for her birthday gift.

The two chatted outside, when Josh decided to interrupt them in order to set some rules with Alana's beau.

'She does live in our house, so the only thing I ask for is respect, honesty, and to treat her really, really good cause she hasnt had the best mother in the world to treat her like shes supposed to have been treated.'

Rules: The two chatted outside, when Josh decided to interrupt them in order to set some rules with Alana's beau

'If you dont do all those things, man, Im just gonna break ya neck, okay?' Josh said to Dralin. He then added, 'But as long as you treat her good, thats the biggest thing.'

Even though Alana was slightly embarrassed by the interaction, she admitted that it felt nice to have a protective father figure look out for her.

'Pumpkin and Josh definitely think its funny or fun to embarrass me, but its really not,' she said, before adding, 'At the same time, Ive never had a father figure there that cares that much for me. And, I mean, it kinda feels good.'

Pumpkin and Josh are Alanas primary caregivers, after a Georgia judge granted Pumpkin sole custody of the teen in early June 2022.

Treat her well: 'She does live in our house, so the only thing I ask for is respect, honesty, and to treat her really, really good cause she hasnt had the best mother in the world to treat her like shes supposed to have been treated'

Sweet: Even though Alana was slightly embarrassed by the interaction, she admitted that it felt nice to have a protective father figure look out for her

Mama Junes visitation rights are decided by Pumpkin, but she is allowed to call Alana daily and has to pay $800 a month in child support until Alana is 18.

Alana was happy at the end of her party, saying: 'I'm really, really excited. Now I'm 16. I'm going to be driving soon. I mean, what more could a girl ask for?'

The last scene in the show took a more serious turn, as a producer got June on the phone to inform her that they received her Covid test back, and she was positive.

'We got your Covid test back, and you tested positive,' the female producer told her on Facetime.

Positive: The last scene in the show took a more serious turn, as a producer got June on the phone to inform her that they received her Covid test back, and she was positive

'It's tough, man, 'cause you were at the party... Alana's sweet 16 where you were in close contact with Pumpkin and Alana, Jessica, Tink. I'm gonna drive down there and kick your ass myself,' she told June.

'Now I'm getting blamed because I've got Covid. Yeah, I mean, I may have exposed the whole entire family, but it's not like I'm meant to,' June said, not taking any blame.

'It's actually serious. Listen to me. If you're starting to have breathing problems and s*** like, we have to get you to a hospital. You could end up on a f***** ventilator. I'm worried about you, so keep me updated.'

Mama June: Road to Redemption airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on WE tv.
The upcoming launch of China's first supercarrier will be the largest sea vessel in service with any Asian navy. For the west, it is the start of Beijing's rise to power in the contested Indo-Pacific that cannot be ignored. A new naval power is coming that the western navies cannot discount as minor but a major power shift.

China's Supercarrier Comparable to the US

It is long-awaited when the newest aircraft carrier of the PLAN is only the sixth homegrown ship in China, reported Military Watch Magazine.

Before launching from the dry dock, there have been speculations about entering the sea. An image posted on June 14 had the colossal ship in dry dock at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai.

Flags are hanging from the ship's island as seen, and they are down from the side, and all around the deck with other decorations indicating a launching ceremony will be coming soon.

Initially, the ship was called the Type 003, but now it's the Type 002 according to the designation.

Except for the USS Gerald Ford, equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), China's first supercarrier will be the direct equivalent of the US carrier, cited Naval News.

Another carrier is the Charles De Gaulle of the French Navy, which is smaller and developed with US support.

The US and China are presumed to be the only countries with carriers integrated with catapult launch systems, enabling their planes to take off with substantially more weapons and fuel.

Read Also: US Sanctions 3 US Firms for Sending Technical Rocket Data to China

Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System

Advances from the steam catapult to the ultramodern Electromagnetic system are only in use now; the older Nimitz class and the French carrier De Gaulle only have the steam-powered ones. Also, the EMALS is more compact on the flight decks, citing Navair.

Chinese Carriers in Service

Today the Chinese navy has five carriers in service with the PLAN, which are the Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers displacing 65,000 tons based on the Soviet Kuznetsov class.

A smaller class of carriers is smaller than Liaoning and Shandong are the Type 075 Class assault carriers.

They are about 35,000 tons and have helicopters and a plane to equip F-35 equivalents capable of vertical landing on the flight deck.

The newer Type 002 is more capable than its earlier predecessors with the latest variant of J-15 Flanker when it goes into service.

Outside it looks like a J-15, but it is alternatively designated the J-15B or J-15T, equipped with EASA radars (electronically scanned array radars) capable of synching with newer PL-15 air-to-air missiles.

Upgrade nose landing gear which is strengthened with shock-absorbing, improved for carrier landing; with a launch, the bar is used to connect to catapult launchers and hook a cable on landing.

The J-15D electronic attack jets with KJ-600 recon plane, including drones, will be available later. One is the FC-31 prototype adapted for naval use will be the F-35 equivalent when equipped on Type 002.

The new ship's features will put China and the US in their own category. Though it will not be fully functional for several years, it the more likely after 2025.

Once China's first supercarrier leaves the dry dock and undergoes trial, and eventually enters service in the plan, the west will watch this ship.

Related Article: LCA Tejas Vs. Saab Gripen: Better Fighter Stands a Good Chance of Winning the Indian Defense Contract

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Zoe Foster Blake has built an empire with her Go-To skincare products.

And this week, the 41-year-old showed off her flawless makeup free complexion as she got a facial ahead of the Logies on Sunday.

Zoe enjoyed a relaxing skin treatment at the Melanie Grant Studio in Sydney, with Melanie and her staff being facialists to the stars.

Beauty guru Zoe Foster Blake, 41, showed off her flawless makeup free complexion this week as she got a facial ahead of the Logies: 'Vital event prep!'

The mother of two shared a picture of herself after having had a treatment, which included the use of a LED lamp, saying she wanted to get a 'glow' before the big awards ceremony.

'Bit o' that Melanie Grant glow before the Logies this weekend,' she wrote.

She added: 'Including LED lamp of course: vital big event prep.'

Zoe also shared a picture of her styling preparation, revealing she chose her outfit with the help of a stylist and is ready to go

LED lights used in facials and skin treatments are believed to help the skin and stimulate collagen, depending on the colour of light used.

Zoe also shared a picture of her styling preparation, revealing she chose her outfit with the help of a stylist and is ready to go.

'Stylist is wonderful. Dress is sorted. Now to procure a carriage and horses,' she wrote.

Her husband Hamish, 40, is nominated for the coveted Gold Logie this year.

The event is being held this year on the Gold Coast.

Her husband Hamish, 40, is nominated for the coveted Gold Logie this year

It comes after Foster Blake sold off a 50.1 per cent controlling stake of Go-To skincare to beauty giant BWX for $89million in August last year.

The ASX-listed company is also behind Aussie skincare brand Sukin, and has a lucrative five-year supplier deal with Chemist Warehouse.

BWX praised Go-To for providing its consumers with 'simple, trusted and effective skincare products for the masstige market'.

The term 'masstige' refers to mass-produced, inexpensive goods that are marketed as luxurious.

Go-To was established by the former magazine journalist in 2012, and generated $36.8million in revenue in 2020 alone.

That same year, Foster Blake's net worth was estimated to be about $36million, earning her a spot on the AFR's Young Rich List.
Laverne Cox left little to the imagination as she displayed her fit figure at NYC Pride Presents: Disclosure during 2022 Tribeca Festival on Friday night.

The 50-year-old Orange Is The New Black star strutted her stuff on the red carpet in a red mesh bodysuit with bold black tiger stripes throughout.

Laverne's black lace panties and matching bra were visible as she posed for the cameras in her daring look.

Daring: Laverne Cox left little to the imagination as she displayed her fit figure at NYC Pride Presents: Disclosure during 2022 Tribeca Festival on Friday night

She accessorized with a pair of black mesh gloves and slipped her feet into a pair of pointy black booties.

Laverne wore her waist-length blonde hair down and styled in voluminous waves.

Her already stunning features were sculpted with bronzing powder and she highlighted her cheekbones and forehead for an ethereal glow.

Laverne rocked a black smokey eyeshadow look and a glossy maroon lip.

Strut your stuff: The 50-year-old Orange Is The New Black star strutted her stuff on the red carpet in a red mesh bodysuit with bold black tiger stripes throughout

Cheeky: Laverne's black lace panties and matching bra were visible as she posed for the cameras in her daring look

Along with getting in her solo glamour shots, Laverne eagerly mingled with other red carpet attendees.

She posed for several snaps with actress Joslyn DeFreece, before gathering with Disclosure producer Amy Scholder, Disclosure director Sam Feder and philanthropist Mona Sinha.

Disclosure, which first aired on Neflix in 2020, is a documentary that provides an 'unprecedented, eye-opening look at transgender depictions in film and television, revealing how Hollywood simultaneously reflects and manufactures our deepest anxieties about gender,' as per NYC Pride.

Glam: Her already stunning features were sculpted with bronzing powder and she highlighted her cheekbones and forehead for an ethereal glow

Pose up: Along with getting in her solo glamour shots, Laverne eagerly mingled with other red carpet attendees. She posed for several snaps with actress Joslyn DeFreece

Teamwork: She also gathered for a photo with Disclosure producer Amy Scholder, Disclosure director Sam Feder and philanthropist Mona Sinha. Laverne serves as one of the project's executive producers

Laverne serves as one of the project's executive producers.

Earlier this month, Laverne put her fierce fashion sense on full display as she arrived to UGG & The Trevor Project's 'FEEL HEARD' panel for Pride 2022 in New York City. The actress posed for shutterbugs in a sexy black dress with a sheer skirt and daring thigh-high slit.

She was joined on the panel by The Trevor Project's VP of communications, Kevin Wong, and 'gender non-conforming' writer/performance artist, ALOK.

Fierce! Earlier this month, Laverne put her fierce fashion sense on full display as she arrived to UGG & The Trevor Project's 'FEEL HEARD' panel for Pride 2022 in New York City . The actress posed for shutterbugs in a sexy black dress with a sheer skirt and daring thigh-high slit

Laverne's sizzling dress was styled with a fitted black blazer with three-quarter sleeves and a pair of black mesh opera gloves.

For an element of coziness, the Orange Is The New Black star slipped her feet into a pair of colorful fluffy slide sandals by UGG.

Her long blonde hair was parted down the middle and flowed down her back and chest in loose tendrils.

As for makeup, Laverne rocked a flawless, matte complexion and doused her plump pout in nude toned lip gloss.

Wow: The 50-year-old actress posed for shutterbugs in a sexy black dress with a sheer skirt and daring thigh-high slit

Pop of color: For an element of coziness, the Orange Is The New Black star slipped her feet into a pair of colorful fluffy slide sandals by UGG

She was given a sultry stare with a set of dramatic faux lashes and smudged out eyeliner.

The LGBTQ+ activist struck several poses in front of a bright pink 'Feel Heard' photo booth before heading to the stage to mingle with her fellow panelists.

Laverne also stopped to check out all of the Pride themed UGG merchandise, including rainbow purses and trays of colorful socks.

Full glam: As for makeup, Laverne rocked a flawless, matte complexion and doused her plump pout in nude toned lip gloss

Blonde bombshell: Her long blonde hair was parted down the middle and flowed down her back and chest in loose tendrils

For the panel, she took a seat on a fluffy light blue chair while her co-panelists grabbed the fluffy pink and purple chairs beside her.

Laverne looked ultra confident as she spoke into the mic and discussed topics with Wong and ALOK.

ALOK rocked a patterned kaftan with pink satin ruffles and sported the same type of UGG slides as Laverne.

Panelists: She was joined on the panel by The Trevor Project's VP of communications, Kevin Wong, and 'gender non-conforming' writer/performance artist, ALOK

Cute! For the panel, she took a seat on a fluffy light blue chair while her co-panelists grabbed the fluffy pink and purple chairs beside her

Decked out: ALOK rocked a patterned kaftan with pink satin ruffles and sported the same type of UGG slides as Laverne. Wong was dressed in a fitted black tee, a pair of black skinny jeans and another pair of slides from UGG's Pride collection

Wong was dressed in a fitted black tee, a pair of black skinny jeans and another pair of slides from UGG's Pride collection.

Laverne's presence at the panel comes just one week after she rang in her 50th birthday.

To celebrate the milestone, the Inventing Anna actress slipped into a skimpy patterned bikini and hung out by her pool - an experience she happily shared with her Instagram followers.

'50...This what it look like,' she began in the caption, before adding, 'Happy birthday to me,' and the hashtags: #TransIsBeautiful #ProtectTransKids #Fendace'
Neil Patrick Harris is reportedly set to take on the role of nostalgic villain The Toymaker during his guest-starring stint in Doctor Who's 60th anniversary special.

The actor, 49, will play the 'greatest enemy the Doctor has ever faced', as previously confirmed by showrunner Russell T Davies.

But now, rumours of the character - who last appeared on the drama in 1966 - making a return have been swirling after a shop with the name, Mr Emporium, sprung up on the Bristol set.

Exciting: Neil Patrick Harris is reportedly set to take on the role of nostalgic villain The Toymaker during his guest-starring stint in Doctor Who's 60th anniversary special

According to The Mirror, it features a sign claiming the owner is 'Toymaker of the Year' and appears to flog 'magical items, games and tricks'.

Originally played by Michael Gough in The Celestial Toymaker four-part storyline, it is the mostly missing sixth serial of the third season, with only the final episode held in the BBC archives.

An enigmatic being from outside of space and time, he caused William Hartnell's first Doctor to become invisible for two episodes and had a number of living toys as his servants.

Coincidence? Rumours of the character - who last appeared on the drama in 1966 - making a return have been swirling after a shop with the name, Mr Emporium, sprung up on the set

Having, at one time, been expected to make a comeback in 1986 in an episode filmed at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, plans were scrapped after Doctor Who went on hiatus for 18 months.

Having caught on themselves, one fan wrote on Twitter: 'Neil Patrick Harris better be playing the Celestial Toymaker! I can't bring myself to have it any other way! #DWSR #DoctorWho.'

Others added: 'Neil Patrick Harris is so playing the Celestial Toymaker. #DoctorWho,' and, 'Is it just me who thinks from the costume that Neil Patrick Harris is playing the Toymaker? #DoctorWho.'

Throwback: Originally played by Michael Gough in The Celestial Toymaker four-part storyline, it is the mostly missing sixth serial of the third season (pictured in 1966)

A fourth wrote: 'Okay, I have a theory about Neil Patrick Harris in the #DoctorWho 60th anniversary specials. What if hes playing a new version of the Celestial Toymaker from the William Hartnell era?'

The BBC declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.

The news came after it was announced that Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa, 29, will become the 14th Doctor on the popular BBC series, after Jodie Whittaker revealed last July that she would be leaving the show.

Fingers crossed! Having caught on themselves, fans took to Twitter to voice their excitement

Showrunner Russell confirmed Neil will be joining the cast as a villain.

It remains unclear whether Neil will appear alongside returning Time Lord David Tennant or Ncuti's new incarnation - with David currently filming scenes for the 60th anniversary special.

Following the BBC's announcement, Russell wrote on Instagram: 'Neil Patrick Harris, welcome to Cardiff! Playing the greatest enemy the Doctor has ever faced.

Bad guy? The actor, 49, will play the 'greatest enemy the Doctor has ever faced', as previously confirmed by showrunner Russell T Davies (Neil pictured in April 2022)

'Such a great actor, such a great man, it's an honour and a hoot. Have fun! @nph @bbcdoctorwho Ha!'

Neil added on his page: 'My current gig. Never looked more dashing. Thank you for inviting me into your Whoniverse, @russelltdavies63.

'Ill try my hardest to do my worst. This Doctor has no idea whats in store. And even if he does Who cares? Ha ha ha HA ha-ha-ha!'

Grateful: Meanwhile, Ncuti recently revealed he was 'deeply honoured' to be chosen as Jodie Whittaker's replacement after being confirmed for the titular role (pictured in May 2022)

Neil also joins newcomer Yasmin Finney, who is to take on the role of Rose. Yasmin recently gained recognition for her role of Elle Argent in Netflix hit Heartstopper.

The new cast are filming scenes that are due to air in 2023 as part of the show's 60th anniversary.

The name of Neil's character, and any further details about his new role, are yet to be confirmed.

Speaking about the sci-fi show's new arrival, Russell said: 'It's my huge honour to open our studio doors for the mighty Neil Patrick Harris... but who, why, what is he playing?

Who will it be? It remains unclear whether Neil will appear alongside returning Time Lord David Tennant or Ncuti's new incarnation - with Tennant currently filming scenes for the 60th anniversary special (pictured Tennant with Billie Piper as Rose)

'You'll just have to wait. But I promise you, the stuff we're shooting now is off the scale. Doctor beware!'

Queer As Folk and It's A Sin writer Russell is returning as the programme's showrunner after departing in 2009.

Russell, who was responsible for Doctor Who's revival in 2005, will be back to celebrate the show's 60th anniversary in 2023, the BBC previously said.

He worked with Neil on hit Channel 4 mini-drama It's A Sin, in which the American star portrayed Savile Row tailor Henry Coltrane.
Dakota Johnson looked every inch chic while heading to a photoshoot at Sunset Plaza in West Hollywood on Friday.

The Lost Daughter actress, 32, slipped her svelte figure into a black summer dress with a pink ice-cream print, and donned classy vintage white heels for the occasion.

Melanie Griffith, 64, and Don Johnson's, 72, daughter paired the stylish outfit with a green $2400 Jackie 1961 Gucci mini shoulder bag.

Chic: Dakota Johnson looked every inch chic while heading to a photoshoot at Sunset Plaza in West Hollywood on Friday

The Fifty Shades of Grey star wore her luscious brunette tresses in a straight style, cascading down her back.

Dakota allowed her natural beauty to shine through, sporting just a tad of pink blush and mascara for the outing.

She opted for no accessories for the day, letting her dress and designer bag take center stage.

Summer dress: The Lost Daughter actress, 32, slipped her svelte figure into a black summer dress with a pink ice-cream print, and donned classy vintage white heels for the occasion

Gucci bag: Melanie Griffith's, 64, daughter paired the stylish outfit with a green $2400 Jackie 1961 Gucci mini shoulder bag

Chris Martin's girlfriend was seen chatting away on a flip phone as she strutted down the street.

The starlet was later seen donning a cozy white bathrobe and white sneakers, as she relaxed in-between shooting.

A crew of people were spotted around her, working to ensure that the photos would be picture-perfect.

Brunette beauty: The Fifty Shades of Grey star wore her luscious brunette tresses in a straight style, cascading down her back

Chatting: Chris Martin's girlfriend was seen chatting away on a flip phone as she strutted down the street

The Cha Cha Real Smooth star also held a large Starbucks cup in her hand, as she stood on a street corner.

The beauty has been busy promoting the upcoming comedy-drama, which is the first film by her production company TeaTime Picture.

'My blood, sweat and tears are all over it,' Dakota said while being interviewed on the Today show on NBC.

Dakota credited director Cooper Raiff, 25, who wrote, co-produces and stars in the movie as the top reason she chose to make Cha Cha Real Smooth.

A cup of joe: The Cha Cha Real Smooth star also held a large Starbucks cup in her hand, as she stood on a street corner

Cozy: The starlet was later seen donning a cozy white bathrobe and white sneakers, as she relaxed in-between shooting

Effortless: She effortlessly navigated the street in her high heels

The film premiered in January at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and won the Audience Award from the US Dramatic Competition.

Cha Cha Real Smooth will be released in selected theaters and on Apple TV+ on Friday.

Dakota also has a film adaptation of Persuasion coming out on July 15 on Netflix.

She portrays protagonist Anne Elliot in the film based on the novel of the same name by Jane Austen.
MasterChef judge Melissa Leong debuted her romance with boyfriend Rob Mason in October.

And on Saturday, the couple looked to be going strong as they packed on the PDA upon arriving back at their Gold Coast hotel ahead of Sunday night's Logie Awards.

Melissa, 40, showed off her flair for fashion in a chic ensemble as she wrapped her arms around her beau for a steamy kiss.

MasterChef judge Melissa Leong, 40, packed on the PDA with her boyfriend Rob Mason outside of their Gold Coast hotel on Saturday (both pictured) ahead of Sunday's Logie Awards

The food critic and fashionista donned an olive green crop top that showed off her toned tummy, teamed with patterned sarong pants and black strappy sandals.

She accessorised with trendy narrow-frame sunglasses and a black designer clutch.

Melissa's cropped brunette locks were styled to perfection and she opted for elegant makeup that enhanced her striking facial features.

The fashionista and food critic wrapped her arms around her beau for a steamy kiss

Melissa donned an olive green crop top that showed off her toned tummy, teamed with patterned sarong pants and black strappy sandals

The Channel Ten star, who has been nominated for the Gold Logie, leaned up to meet the gaze of her taller beau, who was dressed smart casual for the occasion.

Rob donned a crisp white shirt, rolled to the elbows to show off his arm tattoo, black trousers and black leather boots.

Not shy in packing on the PDA, the businessman wrapped one arm around his girlfriend's waist.

The Channel Ten star, who has been nominated for the Gold Logie, leaned up to meet the gaze of her taller beau, who was dressed smart casual for the occasion

Melissa accessorised with trendy narrow-frame sunglasses and a black designer clutch

Her cropped brunette locks were styled to perfection and she opted for elegant makeup that enhanced her striking facial features

In February, Melissa shared a touching tribute to Rob on Instagram.

'Watching you take over the world from a front row seat is nothing short of inspiring. Thank you for having my back and being present through it all,' she wrote.

Melissa debuted her relationship with Rob in October last year, just 10 months after her split with husband Joe Jones.

She first appeared on Rob's Instagram page in August, before finally making things official two months later.

In February, Melissa shared a touching tribute to Rob on Instagram. 'Watching you take over the world from a front row seat is nothing short of inspiring. Thank you for having my back and being present through it all,' she wrote

Melissa debuted her relationship with Rob in October last year, just 10 months after her split with husband Joe Jones

Melissa revealed she feels 'content' after finding love with Rob, following her split from Joe in December 2020.

Speaking to the Emsolation with Em Rusciano podcast, the star admitted her newfound happiness had been 'very hard-earned'.

'I think every adult that reaches a certain age, if you put in the work, you will get there. But the other thing to remember with happiness is that it is fleeting,' she explained.

She first appeared on Rob's Instagram page in August, before finally making things official two months later

Melissa revealed she feels 'content' after finding love with Rob, following her split from Joe in December 2020. Speaking to the Emsolation with Em Rusciano podcast, the star admitted her newfound happiness had been 'very hard-earned'

'So, if you just work on being content... contentment is far more sustainable. That can take into account being really happy and being less happy, but being okay with who you are. That's with you for life,' Melissa added.

'The best investment I've ever made in myself is getting good with who I am. Ugly bits, weird bits, funny bits, you know, all of it.'

Melissa also said she tries 'not to share... the private life stuff', but admitted it can be difficult when you're in the public eye.

'I think every adult that reaches a certain age, if you put in the work, you will get there,' she said

'Sometimes that gets forced out into the public. I don't know how I feel about that yet. Actually, I highly detest it. I highly detest it. I don't like being forced into having to talk about things,' she said.

Melissa announced her split from bar owner Joe after almost four years of marriage.

'It has brought us such happiness to walk together, but the time has come for Joe and I to part ways and walk on, apart,' she wrote on Instagram at the time. 

'We ask for your kindness and consideration for our privacy, we will not be making any further comment as our private lives have, and will always remain exactly that.'
Kath & Kim will return to television, according to a report on Saturday.

The Daily Telegraph claims that the beloved Australian sitcom is planning a special 'celebrating the much loved characters' and 'memorable moments'.

The special, which does not yet have an airdate, is a different project to the reboot of the series that was rumoured earlier this year.

Kath & Kim will return to television, according to a report on Saturday. The Daily Telegraph claims that the beloved Australian sitcom is planning a special 'celebrating the much loved characters' and 'memorable moments'. Pictured stars Jane Turner and Gina Riley

The show, which aired from 2002 to 2007 and starred Jane Turner and Gina Riley, will make a return next year, according to Woman's Day.

The Melbourne home that was used as the central location for the series has been visited by crew members in recent weeks, neighbours say.

'It was unimaginable neighbours could keep TV's biggest secret under wraps much longer,' a source told the magazine.

The special, which does not yet have an airdate, is a different project to the reboot of the series that was rumoured earlier this year

The Kath & Kim reboot is already in pre-production and is expected to air on a streaming platform, not a free-to-air TV channel.

Kath & Kim aired on the ABC from 2002 to 2005, and on Channel Seven in 2007.

The series also spawned the television movie Da Kath & Kim Code in 2005 and the feature film Kath & Kimderella in 2012.

Popular: Kath & Kim aired on the ABC from 2002 to 2005, and on Channel Seven in 2007

It comes after actress Magda Szubanski, who played Sharon Strzelecki, said in May last year a reboot was off the table.

'I think it should be off the table... It holds such a special place in people's memories,' the comedian told The Kyle and Jackie O Show.

'If we did a live show, which was a "best of" or something like that, that's different.

'But to actually try and do a whole new series, I think you can never capture that magic again.'
Rebel Wilson looked absolutely smitten with girlfriend Ramona Agruma in loved-up snaps shared to her Instagram on Saturday.

The 42-year-old Australian actress and her partner are enjoying a vacation in Italy to celebrate their mutual friends' birthdays.

It comes after Rebel addressed huge criticism aimed at an Australian newspaper who attempted to 'out' her, before she publicly revealed her sexuality.

Rebel Wilson (right), 42, shared this loved-up snap with girlfriend Ramona Agruma (left) to her Instagram while on vacation in Italy on Saturday - after she addressed an Australian newspaper's attempt to 'out' her

In one gorgeous photo shared to her official page, Rebel showed off her cleavage and slim waist in a yellow floral sun dress as she walked hand-in-hand with Ramona.

Her beauty look included wavy blonde tresses and glamorous makeup, and she simply couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

Meanwhile, Ramona cut a chic figure in a white crop top with a black Prada blazer and matching pants, paired with metallic sandals and a Christian Dior book tote bag.

In this near-identical snap, this time shared to her Stories, Ramona was seen gazing adoringly at the Pitch Perfect star who showed off her cleavage and trim waist in a yellow floral sun dress

The Australian actress and her partner are enjoying a vacation in Italy to celebrate their mutual friends' birthdays

'Ciao bellas,' Rebel simply captioned the post.

In a near-identical snap, this time shared to her Stories, Ramona was seen gazing adoringly at the Pitch Perfect star.

Rebel also captured fun moments to her Stories of the group dancing and drinking wine while celebrating their friends' birthdays at an idyllic outdoor venue.

The Bridesmaids star looked sensational in a red and blue striped two-piece, which she accessorised with a chic beige sun hat and designer sunglasses.

Rebel also captured fun moments to her Stories of the group dancing and drinking wine while celebrating their friends' birthdays at an idyllic outdoor venue. Pictured: Ramona

The Bridesmaids star looked sensational in a red and blue striped two-piece, which she accessorised with a chic beige sun hat and designer sunglasses

Just a day prior, Rebel was pictured with Ramona on social media for the first time after she broke her silence about a newspaper's attempt to 'out' her. Pictured also with their friends Nic Roldan (left) and Sterling Jones (right)

Just a day prior, Rebel was pictured with Ramona on social media for the first time after she broke her silence about a newspaper's attempt to 'out' her.

In the Instagram post on Friday, Rebel donned a chic Gucci ensemble and posed for a snap alongside Ramona, Sterling and their pal Nic Roldan on board a boat.

The actress opted for glamorous hair and makeup and couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she kept close to Ramona, who cut a cool and casual figure.

'Happy birthday you legend,' Rebel captioned the snap while tagging her friend and including the hashtag 'hot to trot'.

The Pitch Perfect star recently addressed huge criticism aimed at an Australian newspaper who attempted to 'out' her, before she publicly revealed her sexuality

Rebel publicly announced her romance with Ramona in an Instagram post on June 10, sharing a photo of the pair cosying up to one another.

'I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince... but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess,' she wrote.

The pair have been seen together since early this year, and they even walked the red carpet together at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in March.

Rebel still hasn't shared many details about her new love, who is an LA-based fashion designer and the owner of the sustainable fashion brand Lemon Ve Limon.

Rebel publicly announced her romance with Ramona in an Instagram post on June 10, sharing this photo of the pair cosying up to one another. 'I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince... but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess,' she wrote

Shortly after her Instagram post, it was revealed that Rebel went public about her relationship and her sexuality in order to get ahead of a story from the Sydney Morning Herald after the Australian paper threatened to 'out' her.

Shortly after she posted her photo, the paper's gossip columnist Andrew Hornery accused the actress of 'gazumping' his scoop by speaking out on her own terms.

'Thanks for your comments, it was a very hard situation but trying to handle it with grace,' she later wrote in a reply to a Twitter post by Channel 10's Kate Doak.

In his original piece, Hornery wrote that he gave the Bridesmaids star two days to respond to questioning, effectively forcing the actress' hand, yet became angry when the star chose to take control of the narrative herself.

The pair have been spotted together since early this year, and they even walked the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in March together (pictured)

'It was with an abundance of caution and respect that this media outlet emailed Rebel Wilson's representatives on Thursday morning, giving her two days to comment on her new relationship with LA leisure wear designer Ramona Agruma, before publishing a single word,' he wrote.

'Big mistake. Wilson opted to gazump the story, posting about her new 'Disney Princess' on Instagram early Friday morning, the same platform she had previously used to brag about her handsome ex-boyfriend, wealthy American beer baron Jacob Busch.

'Considering how bitterly Wilson had complained about poor journalism standards... her choice ignore our discreet genuine and honest queries was underwhelming.'

Shortly after her Instagram post, it was revealed that Rebel went public about her relationship and her sexuality in order to get ahead of a story from the Sydney Morning Herald after the Australian paper threatened to 'out' her

The article prompted a major backlash on social media with users bowled over by the newspaper's insensitivity, prompting editor Bevan Shields to pen a lengthy statement denying any wrongdoing and wishing the couple well.

Hornery subsequently apologised for his 'tone' in the article, and he claimed he never meant to 'inflict pain' when he approached the star about her relationship.

'I genuinely regret that Rebel has found this hard,' Hornery said in a column that replaced Sunday's article. 'That was never my intention. But I see she has handled it all with extraordinary grace.'

He added that, 'As a gay man I'm well aware of how deeply discrimination hurts. The last thing I would ever want to do is inflict that pain on someone else.'

In his original piece, gossip columnist Andrew Hornery wrote that he gave the Bridesmaids star two days to respond to questioning, effectively forcing the actress' hand, yet became angry when the star chose to take control of the narrative herself

Rebel did reveal last month that she was dating someone, although she kept their identity under wraps, telling People that she had been set up with her partner - thought to be Ramona - 'through a friend', before spending weeks 'getting to know each other' on the phone.

'We spoke on the phone for weeks before meeting,' she revealed at the time. 'And that was a really good way to get to know each other. It was a bit old-school in that sense  very romantic.'

She also shared how 'the process of finding more self-worth' had 'elevated' her standards in terms of what she was looking for in a partner, describing her romance with her new girlfriend as 'equal' and 'healthy'.

As well as their under-the-radar public appearances together, Ramona has also been a fixture on Rebel's Instagram in recent months, though she wasn't presented as anything other than a friend.
MasterChef judge Melissa Leong has admitted that she would be 'lying' if she said she didn't want to win the Gold Logie at Sunday night's awards ceremony.

In her column for The Daily Telegraph's Stellar magazine this weekend, the food critic, who is of Chinese-Singaporean ethnicity, took pride in knowing that she would be 'the first woman of colour in the award's 62-year history to do so'.

The 40-year-old has been nominated for the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality as well as the Silver Logie for Most Popular Presenter.

MasterChef judge Melissa Leong (pictured), 40, admitted in her column for The Daily Telegraph's Stellar magazine this weekend, that she would be 'lying' if she said she didn't want to win the Gold Logie at Sunday's awards ceremony

'I never really considered TV roles to be legitimate job options because I saw so few people like me in this country doing them,' Melissa wrote in her Stellar column.

'So here I am, a first-time nominee for Best Presenter and the coveted Gold Logie. If (and I do say IF) I win the gold, I'll be the first woman of colour in the award's 62-year history to do so. Isn't that crazy?'

Melissa continued to explain the cultural importance of her Gold Logie nomination.

'And while I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to win for myself, I think now I really want to win for anyone who might see something of themselves  or who they could be  in me,' she said.

The food critic, who is of Chinese-Singaporean ethnicity, took pride in knowing that she would be 'the first woman of colour in the award's 62-year history to do so'. Melissa is also up for a Silver Logie for Most Popular Presenter

Melissa reiterated the same sentiments in her interview with Monday's TV Week magazine, saying that her Gold Logie nomination is a 'huge step in the right direction' for diversity.

'While there's a tremendous sense of achievement in the Gold Logie, what's more meaningful is that no woman of colour has won,' she told the magazine.

'Just to be nominated is a massive achievement.'

Melissa also noted the importance of her nomination in Australia's multicultural society, adding that it's a 'distinct honour' and huge 'symbol' to people who haven't seen people like themselves be portrayed in the media.

'And while I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to win for myself, I think now I really want to win for anyone who might see something of themselves  or who they could be  in me,' she wrote. Pictured with MasterChef co-stars Andy Allen (left) and Jock Zonfrillo (right)

'Had it been someone else, I'd be applauding the loudest, because we need this as a nation,' she continued.

The cookbook editor also penned a heartfelt Instagram post about her nomination on Monday, while also sending her best wishes to her fellow nominees.

'I probably haven't said enough about what it means to be grouped together with such wonderfully talented, beloved and hard working people as these,' she wrote.

'Well, it means a lot. Each story to get here is hard earned and well worth the gold.

Melissa's competitors for the Gold Logie are TV stars (L-R) Karl Stefanovic, Julia Morris, Hamish Blake, Tom Gleeson, Sonia Kruger and Ray Meagher

'And if the sentiment of 'surround yourself with brilliant people because you are the company you keep' is true, then right here is exactly where I want to be.

'Wishing you all the best and thanks for having me in the squad! See you on the Goldie this weekend!'

Melissa is up for the Gold Logie alongside Karl Stefanovic, Tom Gleeson, Ray Meagher, Julia Morris, Sonia Kruger and Hamish Blake.

She has also been nominated for a Silver Logie for Most Popular Presenter; against Carrie Bickmore, Leigh Sales and again Tom, Sonia and Hamish.

In an Instagram post last month, Melissa said she never believed she would receive a nomination when she found out she'd been shortlisted

The TV star said she never believed she would receive a nomination when she found out she'd been shortlisted last month.

'Ten year old Mel would never have dreamed a weird, late bloomer outcast migrant kid like me would be nominated for a bloody GOLD LOGIE and a silver for most popular presenter,' she wrote to Instagram on May 15.

'Let alone the show I am on to be nominated for most popular and most outstanding reality shows! That's 4 NOMINATIONS FOR @masterchefau!!

'I am beyond blown away, we did it, team!'

Melissa is being recognised for her recent work on Network 10's Masterchef Australia

Several of her fans and followers congratulated Melissa in the comments and said her recognition is well-deserved.

'Congrats Melissa and why wouldn't you be nominated!' MasterChef Singapore judge Audra Morrice wrote.

'You my dear represent diversity in so many ways... And to have the strength of character to be authentic and to wear your heart on your sleeve, I take my hat off to you gorgeous!'
Rebel Wilson and her girlfriend Ramona Agruma are enjoying an idyllic European getaway.

The loved-up pair were spotted enjoying a boat ride in Cannes, France, on Friday, before celebrating a friend's birthday at an idyllic outdoor venue.

The 42-year-old Australian actress opted for a chic ensemble consisting of a matching top and skirt in a candy striped design.

Rebel Wilson and her girlfriend Ramona Agruma are enjoying an idyllic European getaway. The loved-up pair were spotted enjoying a boat ride in Cannes, France, on Friday, before celebrating a friend's birthday at an idyllic outdoor venue. Pictured together

The red, white and blue outfit was tied at the waist with a sash, and Rebel kept sun safe with a white hat a pair of shades.

She carried a designer tote bag and appeared to have on a natural makeup palette while wearing her blonde locks down around her face.

Rebel stayed close to Ramona, 38, who looked ethereal in a floaty white dress worn under a beige cardigan.

The 42-year-old Australian actress opted for a chic ensemble consisting of a matching top and skirt in a candy striped design. Rebel stayed close to Ramona, who looked ethereal in a floaty white dress worn under a beige cardigan

The women boarded a boat before enjoying celebrations with friends

She too opted for sunglasses and had her blonde locks pulled back off her face in a bun.

The Pitch Perfect star shared shared a series of images of the pair enjoying their vacation to her Instagram on Saturday.

The actress and her partner had moved on to Italy, and in one gorgeous photo shared to her official page, Rebel showed off her cleavage and slim waist in a yellow floral sun dress as she walked hand-in-hand with Ramona.

The Pitch Perfect star shared shared a series of images of the pair enjoying their vacation to her Instagram on Saturday

The actress and her partner had moved on to Italy , and in one gorgeous photo shared to her official page, Rebel showed off her cleavage and slim waist in a yellow floral sun dress as she walked hand-in-hand with Ramona

The Australian actress and her partner are enjoying a vacation to celebrate their mutual friends' birthdays

Her beauty look included wavy blonde tresses and glamorous makeup, and she simply couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

Meanwhile, Ramona cut a chic figure in a white crop top with a black Prada blazer and matching pants, paired with metallic sandals and a Christian Dior book tote bag.

'Ciao bellas,' Rebel simply captioned the post.

Rebel also captured fun moments to her Stories of the group dancing and drinking wine

The Bridesmaids star looked sensational in the red and blue striped two-piece

In a near-identical snap, this time shared to her Stories, Ramona was seen gazing adoringly at the Bridesmaids star.

Rebel also captured fun moments to her Stories of the group dancing and drinking wine while celebrating their friends' birthdays at an outdoor venue.

Just a day prior, Rebel was pictured with Ramona on social media for the first time after she broke her silence about a newspaper's attempt to 'out' her.

Just a day prior, Rebel was pictured with Ramona on social media for the first time after she broke her silence about a newspaper's attempt to 'out' her. Pictured also with their friends Nic Roldan (left) and Sterling Jones (right)

In the Instagram post on Friday, Rebel donned a chic Gucci ensemble and posed for a snap alongside Ramona, Sterling and their pal Nic Roldan on board a boat.

The actress opted for glamorous hair and makeup and couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she kept close to Ramona, who cut a cool and casual figure.

'Happy birthday you legend,' Rebel captioned the snap while tagging her friend and including the hashtag 'hot to trot'.

The Bridesmaids star recently addressed huge criticism aimed at an Australian newspaper who attempted to 'out' her, before she publicly revealed her sexuality

Rebel publicly announced her romance with Ramona in an Instagram post on June 10, sharing a photo of the pair cosying up to one another.

'I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince... but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess,' she wrote.

The pair have been seen together since early this year, and they even walked the red carpet together at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in March.

Rebel still hasn't shared many details about her new love, who is an LA-based fashion designer and the owner of the sustainable fashion brand Lemon Ve Limon.

Rebel publicly announced her romance with Ramona in an Instagram post on June 10, sharing this photo of the pair cosying up to one another. 'I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince... but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess,' she wrote

Shortly after her Instagram post, it was revealed that Rebel went public about her relationship and her sexuality in order to get ahead of a story from the Sydney Morning Herald after the Australian paper threatened to 'out' her.

Shortly after she posted her photo, the paper's gossip columnist Andrew Hornery accused the actress of 'gazumping' his scoop by speaking out on her own terms.

'Thanks for your comments, it was a very hard situation but trying to handle it with grace,' she later wrote in a reply to a Twitter post by Channel 10's Kate Doak.

In his original piece, Hornery wrote that he gave the Bridesmaids star two days to respond to questioning, effectively forcing the actress' hand, yet became angry when the star chose to take control of the narrative herself.

The pair have been spotted together since early this year, and they even walked the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in March together (pictured)

'It was with an abundance of caution and respect that this media outlet emailed Rebel Wilson's representatives on Thursday morning, giving her two days to comment on her new relationship with LA leisure wear designer Ramona Agruma, before publishing a single word,' he wrote.

'Big mistake. Wilson opted to gazump the story, posting about her new 'Disney Princess' on Instagram early Friday morning, the same platform she had previously used to brag about her handsome ex-boyfriend, wealthy American beer baron Jacob Busch.

'Considering how bitterly Wilson had complained about poor journalism standards... her choice ignore our discreet genuine and honest queries was underwhelming.'

Shortly after her Instagram post, it was revealed that Rebel went public about her relationship and her sexuality in order to get ahead of a story from the Sydney Morning Herald after the Australian paper threatened to 'out' her

The article prompted a major backlash on social media with users bowled over by the newspaper's insensitivity, prompting editor Bevan Shields to pen a lengthy statement denying any wrongdoing and wishing the couple well.

Hornery subsequently apologised for his 'tone' in the article, and he claimed he never meant to 'inflict pain' when he approached the star about her relationship.

'I genuinely regret that Rebel has found this hard,' Hornery said in a column that replaced Sunday's article. 'That was never my intention. But I see she has handled it all with extraordinary grace.'

He added that, 'As a gay man I'm well aware of how deeply discrimination hurts. The last thing I would ever want to do is inflict that pain on someone else.'

In his original piece, gossip columnist Andrew Hornery wrote that he gave the Bridesmaids star two days to respond to questioning, effectively forcing the actress' hand, yet became angry when the star chose to take control of the narrative herself

Rebel did reveal last month that she was dating someone, although she kept their identity under wraps, telling People that she had been set up with her partner - thought to be Ramona - 'through a friend', before spending weeks 'getting to know each other' on the phone.

'We spoke on the phone for weeks before meeting,' she revealed at the time. 'And that was a really good way to get to know each other. It was a bit old-school in that sense  very romantic.'

She also shared how 'the process of finding more self-worth' had 'elevated' her standards in terms of what she was looking for in a partner, describing her romance with her new girlfriend as 'equal' and 'healthy'.

As well as their under-the-radar public appearances together, Ramona has also been a fixture on Rebel's Instagram in recent months, though she wasn't presented as anything other than a friend.
Demi Rose attended the Brilliant Minds conference in Sweden on Friday, which was formed 'to make the world more sustainable, creative, and inclusive'.

The influencer, 27, flashed a hint of her underboob in a skimpy black bra top with multiple cutouts which she teamed up with jeans and a gold bomber jacket.

Meanwhile Emma Watson, 32, oozed sophistication in a green floral polo neck top and black leather trousers, which she contrasted with a crisp white blazer.

Good cause: Demi Rose attended the Brilliant Minds conference in Sweden on Friday, which was formed 'to make the world more sustainable, creative, and inclusive'

Storing her essentials in a black handbag, she was joined by a pal as they travelled to the event via boat.

Jared Leto put on a stylish display in a white T-shirt and trousers, which he accessorised with a blue knitted cardigan.

Gerard Pique looked casual in a black hoodie with a white 'Goals' motif while Famke Janssen put on a leggy display in a blue minidress as she arrived on her bike.

Stunning: Meanwhile Emma Watson, 32, cut a stylish figure in a green floral polo neck top

Wow! Influencer Demi, 27, flashed a hint of her underboob in a skimpy black bra top with multiple cutouts which she teamed up with jeans and an unmissable gold bomber jacket

Emma's outing comes after she appeared to slam Harry Potter author JK Rowling as she took to the stage at this year's BAFTA Film Awards earlier this year.

Best known for her role as Hermione Grainger in the film adaptations of Rowling's books, she took to the stage to present the award of Best Outstanding British Film, when she was introduced by host Rebel Wilson.

Rebel said: 'Here to present the next award is Emma Watson. She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she's a witch.'

Emma then emphasised: 'I'm here for ALL the witches!'

Trendy: The Harry Potter star continued her look with black leather trousers, which she contrasted with a crisp white blazer

Company: Storing her essentials in a black handbag, she was joined by a pal as they travelled to the event via boat

Pals: Emma appeared to be in deep conversation with her companion

Rebel took aim at JK earlier in the night, as she joked about her recent weight loss.

Referring to a picture of her at the 2020 ceremony that appeared on screen, she quipped: 'That was me two years ago and since then I've done quite a transformation  I hope JK Rowling still approves.'

The jabs come after JK's statements on transgender issues were branded transphobic by some fans.

The controversy surrounding her began after she tweeted about biological sex leading to backlash and a subsequent 'cancellation' from the trans community.

Fashion forward: Jared Leto (left) put on a stylish display in a white T-shirt and trousers while Gerard Pique (right) looked casual in a black hoodie with a white 'Goals' motif

Hot stuff: Famke Janssen put on a leggy display in a blue minidress as she arrived on her bike

In June 2020, she took to Twitter to criticise an opinion piece that used the term 'people who menstruate' instead of women. She then continued with a thread discussing biological sex.

She later clarified that she respects 'every trans person's rights to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them,' and went on to say she would march 'if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans.

'At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female,' she said, the Associated Press reported at the time. 'I do not believe it's hateful to say so.'

Then, in September 2020, she faced renewed calls of transphobia after it was revealed the the villain in her latest book, Troubled Blood - written under Rowling's pseudonym Robert Galbraith - is a male serial killer who dresses as a woman to slay his victims.

In the wake of these remarks, Harry Potter actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma and Eddie Redmayne, who stars in her Fantastic Beasts films, criticised the author.

In December, Rowling was once again forced to deny that she is transphobic as she argued for sex, not gender identity, to be the 'basis of decisions on safeguarding'.
EU citizens, according to a poll, want peace to stop Russian sanctions, which include convincing Kyiv to accept conditions to enable peace.

The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) last Wednesday stated there is less interest in supporting Ukraine and continuing economic sanctions against Moscow.

Conflict Could End If Kyiv Concedes

The bloc's thrust in pushing against Russia and propping up Volodymyr Zelensky's regime is no longer a priority; in the poll, it should be the Ukrainians giving up concessions.

Acting tough on Russia and the trade-offs are less attractive because it will be bloc nations paying for it, even justice for Ukraine no much of a concern as well, RT reported.

The survey was done in the middle of May in 10 European countries in which the respondents were classified into four specific groups; on how the end would be for the crisis there.

Most respondents wanted peace and an end; it was 35%, with those seeking justice at 22%, wanting to see Vladimir Putin lose. Another 20% of swing voters want to revenge but are wary of risks, and 23% were in the rest category, cited the Press United.

Many EU citizens are getting tired of Kyiv's relentless rants as the fight seems to get bigger, this drives high food and energy costs as a direct cause of Russian sanctions. More wanting peace will increase and divide Europeans further.

Read Also: Emmanuel Macron Facts: Interesting Info You May Not Know About The French President

Brussels Follows the US Despite Incoming Problems

To combat this, it is suggested that leaders in Europe should use swing voters to ease out peace seekers.

One strategy to keeping unity to support Ukraine is to use escalatory fears and reinterpret it as a defensive struggle against Russian aggression instead of referencing victory and beating Russia.

More dominant are those who want a ceasefire in all countries by Poland and want to beat Russia. In Italy, more than 50% wanted peace, the only nation. The UK had peace and justice at a stalemate (22% and 21%) with swing votes at 32%, dominantly in Britain, noted Fars News.

A fact in the poll is that Europeans point at Russia, who started it, and it blocks attempts at a ceasefire, that is not the case. Still, all three groups want to help Ukraine with aid, NATO, and EU memberships.

A no-fly zone is unacceptable to the peace group, which included sending more NATO forces to Eastern Europe and a big no to Ukraine joining NATO, also stopping sending more arms to the Ukrainians by spending. Slow Zelensky is starting to be a bitter pill for many bloc citizens.

This issue of supporting Ukraine has divided the EU; Poland, Romania, Germany, and Italy are a confused mess; although the Poles are against Moscow.

Yet it seems the authors of support Ukraine are intent on supporting their proxy war against Moscow, instead of accepting that Ukraine is unwanted by a majority of bloc citizens, their governments have tunnel vision.

There is too much going on as the two many opinions about the Ukraine conflict abound, but many realize the EU bloc will suffer just like Moscow and Kyiv. There are many concerns, from using nukes to immigrants, that the bloc brought on itself by listening to the Biden administration.

EU citizens favor peace, by the war hawks in NATO and Brussels have other ideas while hurting themselves with Russian sanctions even more.

Related Article: Joe Biden Authorized $1 Billion Arms Package for Kyiv After Massive Losses Suffered in Donbas Inflicted by Russian Army

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Peter Andre and Katie Price's son Junior was in a celebratory mood this weekend as his debut single Slide hit the No1 spot on the UK ITunes pop chart.

The 17-year-old took to Instagram to share snaps of himself celebrating with fans and rapper Big Narstie as he marked his successful foray into the music industry.

He ensured to put on a trendy display in a two-tone pink denim jacket and coordinating jeans while accessorising with a gold chain.

Having a blast! Peter Andre and Katie Price's son Junior was in a celebratory mood this weekend as his debut single Slide hit the No1 spot on the UK ITunes pop chart

Other videos saw his devotees copy Junior's dance moves for the track, which he soon got involved with.

In his caption, the celebrity offspring penned: 'The love you guys have shown today has been crazy and you have got Slide in at Number 1 in the iTunes charts!!

'Now we just need to keep it going. Thank you for supporting new artists like me, without you none of this would be possible.

'I want to meet some of you in London tomorrow to give out merch and vibe to Slide together so keep an eye on my stories for where I'll be...'

Looking good: He ensured to put on a trendy display in a two-tone pink denim jacket and coordinating jeans while accessorising with a gold chain

Pals: The 17-year-old took to Instagram to share snaps of himself celebrating with fans and rapper Big Narstie (right) as he marked his successful foray into the music industry

Grateful: In his caption, the celebrity offspring penned: 'The love you guys have shown today has been crazy and you have got Slide in at Number 1 in the iTunes charts!!'

Junior's debut single Slide hit No1 in the UK's iTunes pop chart hours after its release on Friday.

The budding hitmaker outsold stars such as Lady Gaga, Eminem and Harry Styles to make his way to the top.

He celebrated his success on Instagram by sharing a photo of the charts and thanked his fans.

Exciting: Junior's debut single Slide hit No1 in the UK's iTunes pop chart hours after its release on Friday

'Thank you to all those who have supported,' he wrote.

Then he added: 'You guys are mad can we get this to the top?' - referring to the national charts where he is currently sat at number four.

His father Peter, 49, was thrilled with the news, writing on his social media: 'What a start. Wow son,' while his mother Katie Price gushed she was 'so proud' of her boy.

It comes after Junior celebrated the release of his new single Slide on Wednesday by taking to the stage to perform it for the first time.

Well done! The budding hitmaker, 17, outsold stars such as Lady Gaga, Eminem and Harry Styles to make his way to the top

The star marked the launch of the song with a celebratory party attended by his family, though his mother Katie was noticeably absent.

Taking to Instagram Stories to share a glimpse of the party, his sister Princess gushed that she was 'so proud' of her sibling for finally launching his new song, while Junior's dad Peter also shared a clip proudly embracing his son at the party.

Princess posted a clip of Junior taking to the stage to perform Slide, along with the gushing caption: 'So proud @officialjunior_andre.'

Donning a matching red tracksuit, the teen was surrounded by thrilled fans as he performed the energetic track.

Pleased: His father Peter, 49, was thrilled with the news, writing on his social media: 'What a start. Wow son'

Meanwhile Junior's proud father Peter also shared a glimpse of the launch party, reminiscing on his own pop star past as his son signed posters for his fans.

Sharing a clip of the signing on his grid, he wrote: '30 years ago I was doing my first signings of posters.

'And now my son is hard at work. As for the girls... @officialjunior_andre @officialprincess_andre @dr_emily_official.'

Peter then shared a series of videos from Junior's launch party including a clip posing for selfies with thrilled fans.

Happy days! He celebrated his success on Instagram by sharing a photo of the charts and thanked his fans

Another video showed Junior embracing his proud dad, which was captioned: 'You have no idea how proud I am of you tonight son.'

Alongside a video of Junior performing his song, he added: 'Born to do it.'

As well as launching his music career, Junior became a global sensation after he visited Binley Mega Chippy and filmed a TikTok video outside.

The chip shop in Coventry has been inundated with tourists pouring in from as far afield as Portugal and Australia after a catchy music video was posted on TikTok.

Support: He later reposted an Instagram Story from his mother Katie Price who said she was so proud of him

And Junior was caught up in the fanfare after he filmed himself outside showing a line of customers queuing out of the shop.

Binley Mega Chippy attracts thousands of customers from around Britain and the world after a fan raved about it on social media.

Owner Kamal Gandhi, 70, has now seen profits rocket by a whopping 30 per cent, with queues of fans regularly seen outside.

Junior was seen performing his new song Slide outside the now-famous chippy.

The video then changed to Junior standing outside the fish and chip vendor as the words 'Binley Mega Chippy' played over some plinky-plonk music.

Junior is following in his father's footsteps as he is starting a career in the music industry and Peter recently revealed he was managing his son.

In April, he appeared virtually on Wednesday's Lorraine and told host Christine Lampard that he is 'proud but also scared' for his budding musician son.

Rising star! It comes after Junior celebrated the release of his new single Slide on Wednesday by taking to the stage to perform it for the first time

During the chat, Peter explained: 'I took him to the studio and he got in the booth and everyone was like "oh!". And I said "look, lets focus on him for right now."'

Peter revealed that he is his manager in a way, but wants to make sure he has freedom to do his own thing, saying: 'I am managing him in the sense I am there with him all the way. We want to give him some artistic freedom.'

The dad-of-four appeared on Australian singing contest New Faces at aged 16, rising to fame with his singles Mysterious Girl and Flava.
Jorgie Porter has said her pregnancy has been a 'rollercoaster of emotions' as it came eight months after she lost quadruplets in a devastating miscarriage.

The Hollyoaks star, 34, admitted that she initially struggled to get excited by her pregnancy because she was 'scared' after her 14-week miscarriage.

The actress announced that she is expecting a baby with fiance Oliver Piotrowski earlier this month.

Struggles: Jorgie Porter has said her pregnancy has been a 'rollercoaster of emotions' as it came eight months after she lost quadruplets in a devastating miscarriage

Jorgie revealed her baby news publicly with a video shared to social media earlier this month and she said it has helped to put her at ease about her pregnancy.

'At first it was obviously a bit scary, I was nervous to get excited,' she told the Daily Star.

'Now I'm able to talk about being pregnant, it's a relief.'

Jorgie said she was nervous about getting 'nasty comments' on social media but said she has had a very positive reaction from her fans and Hollyoaks co-stars.

Congratulations! The Hollyoaks star, 34, announced she is expecting a baby with fiance Oliver Piotrowski earlier this month

'A lot of people have thanked me for speaking about what I've gone through, too,' she added about her miscarriage.

The actress confirmed that she will be taking a break from playing Therese McQueen in the soap opera while she is on maternity leave and said she doesn't know what will happen after that.

Jorgie debuted her blossoming baby bump at on the red carpet at the British Soap Awards 2022 at the Hackney Empire in London last weekend.

She narrowly avoided disaster after forgetting her outfit following six months of planning, with her fiance Ollie rushing after her on a separate train to bring her the gown.

'It was obviously a bit scary': Jorgie admitted she struggled to get excited by her pregnancy because she was 'scared' after her 14-week miscarriage

Despite her mishap, Jorgie looked calm and collected as she arrived at the bash in the off-the-shoulder floor-length dress with her bump on full display.

Jorgie announced her pregnancy in a short clip shared to social media which was captioned 'hopeful beginnings' and captured a sweet unveiling of a baby scan.

The couple, Oliver's son from a previous relationship, and their pet pooch took it in turns to remove their hands - and paws - to uncover the scan underneath.

The post's comment section was awash with congratulatory messages, including from TOWIE's Georgia Kousoulou and Jorgie's fellow Hollyoaks star Chelsee Healey.

Hollyoaks' official Instagram profile reposted Jorgie's video with a heartfelt message: '@themissyporter #REPOST HUGE NEWS! We have a little, tiny new McQueen on the way! [sic] our beautiful @themissyporter is pregnant!  congratulations all round, this is the best news ever! '.

Her happy news comes eight months after Jorgie lost quadruplets at 14 weeks in a devastating miscarriage.

In an interview in March, Jorgie said she had no idea she'd lost her quadruplets because her body was 'still being pregnant' after enduring a missed miscarriage.

She explained she opted for surgical removal while her fiance Ollie discussed feeling 'helpless' throughout the ordeal, as the couple appeared together on Loose Women.

Jorgie first recalled learning about the pregnancy, telling the Loose Women panel: 'I was excited that we got pregnant because that's what we wanted. We went for an early scan because we've got twins in our family - on both sides.

Congratulations: The actress shared the happy news of her pregnancy in an adorable Instagram video earlier this month

'The doctor said we can see three sacks - we had no idea what that meant. They said 'we're gonna rush you into a hospital appointment.'

'With that one we were told there were four sacks. We were still not the wiser, until she said 'quadruplets.'

Ollie, who she's been dating since 2020, added: 'I fell over!' while Jorgie admitted she panicked: 'My body is too small!'

She continued: 'So we were just shocked. And throughout the pregnancy it was not really enjoyable - my hormones were just...

Tough times: It comes eight months after Jorgie revealed she had lost quadruplets at 14 weeks in a devastating miscarriage (pictured in March)

What is a missed miscarriage? A missed miscarriage, also known as a missed abortion or a silent miscarriage, occurs when a foetus dies, but the body does not recognise the pregnancy loss or expel the pregnancy tissue. As a result, the placenta may still continue to release hormones, so the woman may continue to experience signs of pregnancy. It's usually diagnosed during a routine checkup, where the doctor will fail to detect a heartbeat. A subsequent ultrasound will show an underdeveloped foetus. Advertisement

'When you are pregnant you wanna tell some people, and you don't tell many people early on. I'm not sure why. But, I don't like to keep a secret. I like to tell everyone what's going on in my life.

'Having the hormones times four was just really stressful. I was in work with costumes. Within three or four weeks my body started to change dramatically and costumes wouldn't fit.

'Before we found out it was quadruplets I thought 'this is insane what pregnant women go through'.'

Turning to her devastating miscarriage, Jorgie recalled: 'We were going for scans regularly because we were being looked after.

'And it was during our fifth or sixth scan, they said 'you've had a miscarriage, they've gone.' I was ready for girl gang.

Asked if there were any signs she'd miscarried, she explained: 'No, that was another thing. It was a missed miscarriage, so my body was still being pregnant and doing the symptoms of pregnancy.

'The next bit is really heartbreaking, the question of how they're gonna go. The hospital said... there are options where... how do we get rid of this?

'So we went through the route of surgery so I could be knocked out. I didn't wanna see and hear things...

'They've never really done this surgery before so they didn't know what the outcome could be. They said there could be a lot of blood loss.'

Ollie added: 'It was kind of just thrown on just that it was a miscarriage. As a man it was really helpless and scary.

Thankfully the couple have come out even stronger, with Georgie admitting: 'We do talk a lot. We are really good the fact that we communicate a lot.'

Ollie explained: 'I cried straight away, while you were really tough and strong. Then a few days later you had a meltdown and I had to be strong.'

Amid the couple's heartache, Jorgie shared the happy news that Ollie had popped the question three weeks before Christmas.

The actress, best known for her role as Theresa McQueen in the Channel 4 soap, got engaged to Ollie while staying at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perth and Kinross.

The former Dancing On Ice star and her fiance have been dating since 2020 and went Instagram official in October of that year.
Acting legend Dame Sian Phillips was refused entry to a trustees meeting of the Actors Benevolent Fund (ABF) as a year-long feud at the charity becomes increasingly toxic.

The Charity Commission is currently investigating claims of bullying and harassment at the 140-year-old charity, amid concerns about its governance, which has led to a number of its trustees being excluded.

Dame Sian, 89, and another actress, Rosalind Shanks, 79, were turned away by a doorman when they tried to attend last months council meeting at the charitys headquarters in Central London.

TURNED AWAY: Dame Sian Phillips in I, Claudius

Friends claim the security guard had photographs of the women along with other former trustees who have been excluded from meetings, including Dame Penelope Keith and James Bolam.

Dame Sian, best known for her performance in the 1970s BBC drama I, Claudius, and Likely Lads actor Mr Bolam, were among those reportedly ousted amid claims that trustees were bullying general secretary Jonathan Ellicott by requesting detailed information about the charitys financial activities.

Dame Sian, 89, and another actress, Rosalind Shanks, 79, were turned away when they tried to attend last months council meeting at the charitys headquarters Pictured: Welsh actress Sian Phillips poses with her insignia after being appointed a Dame Commander of the order of the British Empire (DBE)

A formal complaint and grievance about Mr Ellicott has been lodged.

The ABF has assets of about 30 million and spends 1 million a year caring for actors and stage managers who have fallen on hard times.

The ABF, whose patron is Prince Charles, said last night: Two ABF members came, without notice, hoping to attend a meeting which only ABF trustees, who have legal responsibilities, have a right to attend, thus they were politely turned away.
Warner Brothers and DC appear to be done with Ezra Miller, but they're not completely parting ways with the troubled actor.

On Saturday, Deadline reported that Miller  who identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns  had been dropped from further DC projects, though the studio is so far planning to release The Flash with them in the lead role.

The news that the studio is only partially cutting ties with the troubled 29-year-old actor comes after they were hit with a restraining order over claims that they rubbed up against a nonbinary 12 year-old and threatened the youngster's mom with a gun after accusing her of cultural appropriation.

They're out: Warner Bros. plans to still release The Flash with Ezra Miller, 29, starring in it, but they're cutting ties with the actor after it comes out, Deadline reported on Saturday; seen in October 2021 in Paris

Miller likely won't be in any future DC superhero films after the flash is released, though it's unclear if the studio will try to steer clear of that character or just recast it.

The actor was being set up to help lead the DCEU after Ben Affleck stepped down from the role of Batman and the second Wonder Woman film underperformed and got poor reviews compared to earlier entries.

Robert Pattinson scored a hit with The Batman, but that film isn't set in the main DCEU, and he's unlikely to make an appearance.

The Flash is going to feature both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck returning as different versions of Batman, so Warner Bros. is likely loathe to scrap the film due to their high-profile participation.

Too valuable: According to a source for Deadline, Warner Bros. is loathe to replace Miller because there's a '$200 million investment on the line'; still from The Flash

It's possible that there may be no more trouble allegations or revelations about Miller's conduct with children and teens, but either way, he's likely finished at DC.

According to Deadline, 'Sources said even if no more allegations surface, the studio won't likely keep Miller in the Flash role in future DC films. That would mean replacing him in the future, but there is still a $200 million investment on the line with the first film and Warner Bros execs have to be cringing at each new press report.'

A source added that the situation was dire for the film studio, which has hundreds of millions of dollars riding on The Flash.

'There is no winning in this for Warner Bros,' they said. 'This is an inherited problem for [President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery David] Zaslav. The hope is that the scandal will remain at a low level before the movie is released, and hope for the best to turn out.'

Troubled star of The Flash Ezra Miller faces yet another accusation as he's been given a restraining order against a non-binary Massachusetts 12-year-old for disturbing alleged behavior

Earlier this week, Miller was hit with a fresh restraining order over claims the star rubbed up against a non-binary 12 year-old and threatened the youngster's mom with a gun after accusing her of cultural appropriation.

Miller faces a temporary harassment prevention order from the unidentified Massachusetts child and their mother over alleged inappropriate behavior.

They are said to have turned up to see the child and their mom in a bulletproof vest, and berated the mom for using the word 'tribe' to describe her friendship group, claiming it was an example of cultural appropriation.

The actor  whose current whereabouts are unknown  also took exception to them playing the board game Parcheesi and said it was steeped in Rastafarian culture.

Grilled by a Rastafarian woman present for further information, Miller is said to have opened up a piece of clothing to reveal a weapon before issuing a chilling threat.

The actor is further said to have pressed up against the non-binary child and even offered to buy horses so the youngster could visit Miller's ranch in Vermont, spooking the child's relatives.

The 29-year-old Miller, who identifies as queer and uses they/them pronouns, faces a temporary harassment prevention order from the child and their mother over alleged inappropriate behavior

Throughout the encounter, Miller is said to have had dilated pupils, leading to suspicions that the performer was under the influence of booze or drugs.

The latest drama also comes amid accusations Miller 'groomed' and then 'brainwashed' a now 18-year-old from South Dakota. It appears they expressed at the very least odd behavior toward the 12-year-old, including a promise to buy them several horses.

The performer has also deactivated their Instagram account after a series of posts that included an image that read 'you cannot touch me I am in another universe' among several confusing posts.

The Massachusetts case stems from early February, when Miller - who owns a ranch in Stamford, Vermont about 40 miles away from the family in question's Greenfield home - was present at a neighbor's residence, according to The Daily Beast., which corroborated the story using photos and texts sent by the mother and her neighbor.

The performer has also deactivated their Instagram account after a series of posts that included an image that read 'you cannot touch me I am in another universe' among several confusing posts

The neighbor said that not only was Miller armed but also wearing a bulletproof vest at the time, also noting that they may have been 'under the influence' due to their dilated pupils.

The mother apparently set Miller off when she casually brought up that she was traveling with 'her tribe' of people, which led them to become angry and said they were culturally appropriating from Indigenous people.

Even stranger, Miller then accused them of further appropriation when they began playing the board game Parcheesi, which Miller argued has Rastafarian roots.

'At this point, Ezra explodes and started screaming directly into my face,' the visiting neighbor said. 'They said, 'You don't even know what the f**k you're talking about. What did you say to me? What did you just say to me?!'

Miller then allegedly opened up a 'big Sherpa jacket' and showed off a visible gun, allegedly saying: 'Talking like that could get you into a really serious situation.'

The Massachusetts case stems from early February, when Miller - who owns a ranch in Stamford, Vermont about 40 miles away from the family in question's Greenfield home

The DC Universe star then turned to the mother, who dresses in the 'Goth' style, of being a witch and a vampire. They repeatedly yelled: 'Do you want to drink my blood? Do you!?'

Perhaps most disturbingly, Miller spoke about the mother's 12-year-old child: 'I've talked extensively with your child, and they have a lot of power to them. At one point, you're going to realize that you don't have any control over them anymore. They're an elevated being, and they would be lucky to have someone like me guide them.'

Miller then returned to the 12-year-old and told them to pursue fashion, asking that they add Miller on Instagram.

'They automatically were just weirdly drawn to me and kept talking about how they love my outfit and love my style, and kept going on and on about how it was great,' the child said. 'It was really uncomfortable. I was really nervous. I was scared to be around them after he'd yelled at my mother and she was crying.'

Miller then apologized but continued to bother the family in the months that followed, as recently as June 4 when they showed up dressed as a cowboy.

On multiple occasions, Miller made the 12-year-old uncomfortable, including the promise to purchase a horse for them, but also by hugging and pressing their body closely against them.

They said that once they bought the horses they could visit Miller's farm and care for them.

They said they haven't seen nor heard from Miller since the incident with the 18-year-old in South Dakota.

The actor also allegedly tried to get into bed with Tokata Iron Eyes  a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe  during a trip to London when she was just 14, we can also reveal.

Anguished mother Dr. Sara Jumping Eagle said she and lawyer husband Chase Iron Eyes now have 'no idea' where 18-year-old Tokata is  after lodging legal papers for a protection order against Miller, 29, on behalf of their activist daughter.

The mom says she last saw Tokata in Santa Monica on May 29 in a harrowing street encounter after she and Chase flew from their home in North Dakota following a tip that the teen was in California with the Flash star.

Miller and Tokata jumped in a taxi after being confronted and sped off, she said.

Unable to hold back tears, Sara told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview: 'I would say to her now what I said to her then as she was going down the road away from me.

'I love you and that I want you to be safe.'

Ezra Miller, 29, has been accused of 'grooming' and 'brainwashing' Tokata Iron Eyes, 18, who is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. They are pictured together in a car

Tokata's parents Chase (right) and Sara (left) have lodged legal papers in Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court, North Dakota, against the actor. Sara told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview: 'I am fearing for her safety'

The star 'established contact with Tokata Iron Eyes under the pretense' of helping the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe during a movement to stop an underground oil pipeline. Tokata, her father and Ezra are pictured in December 2021 when the actor came to visit

Sara, a pediatrician, faltered before continuing: 'I would also say, you don't deserve to be in a toxic relationship where you are not being protected.

'You are beautiful and amazing. You are a shining light. You should just be allowed to be yourself.'

She said Tokata was like a 'zombie' and 'very, very thin' when she last saw her.

Chase, 44, and Sara have lodged legal papers in the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court in North Dakota, which contain startling allegations against the troubled star. A hearing is set for next month.

The parents claim in a lawsuit that the actor plied their underage daughter with drugs including LSD and disrupted her Massachusetts private schooling to such an extent that she dropped out from Bard College at Simon's Rock in December.

When they flew to Miller's home in Stamford, Vermont, in January to retrieve Tokata, they allegedly found bruises on her body and she no longer had a driver license, car keys or a bank card.

And when the teenager was returned to her parents' home, she fled again to New York to reunite with Miller and they have since allegedly been traveling together to Vermont, Hawaii and Los Angeles.

Mom Sara told DailyMail.com: 'During this entire time since then we have only been able to talk to Tokata three times, on the phone.

'Two of those times Ezra interrupted and I could also hear him in the background  so we weren't able to freely have a discussion.

'Ezra has control over Tokata's Instagram account, which is really the only way I have been able to send her messages. She barely replied, and sometimes I couldn't tell if it was Tokata or Ezra replying.

'Ezra was isolating Tokata from family and friends. And then brainwashing her. She is still with him. I don't know where. When I tried to talk to her they jumped in a car and took off. We have no idea of their location.

'I am fearing for her safety.'

The lawsuit is the latest legal case involving the star, who was arrested in Hawaii in April for allegedly throwing a chair at a woman's head after refusing to leave her home, weeks after another arrest for spitting in someone's face in a bar during a game of darts.

The most serious allegations over Tokata by Chase, a former Democratic House candidate for North Dakota, and his wife, can be revealed in detail for the first time by DailyMail.com.

Excerpts from the lawsuit filed in the Standing Rock Tribal Court make shocking allegations against Miller, including that they tried to climb into bed with Takota when they was 25 and she was just 14

They begin their lawsuit saying Miller is 'currently physically and emotionally abusing Tokata Iron Eyes (18), psychologically manipulating, physically intimidating and endangering' her safety and welfare.

This is 'while perpetuating intimate partner violence upon' their daughter 'after having groomed Tokata since 2016 when she was 12 years old.'

They also alleged Miller 'uses violence, intimidation, threat of violence, fear, paranoia, delusions, and drugs to hold sway over a young adolescent Tokata'.

The star 'established contact with Tokata Iron Eyes under the pretense' of helping the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe during a movement to stop an underground oil pipeline in 2016,' they say.

Miller, who identifies as non-binary and queer and uses the pronouns they/them, would likely have been filming Justice League at the time, where one of the sets was located in Illinois.

He took 'an immediate and apparently innocent liking' to Tokata and 'began to formulate relations,' the papers continue.

The star flew her with other Standing Rock tribal members to London to tour the Harry Potter movie studio in December 2017  when they 'attempted to sleep in the same bed at Tokata, who was 14 years old at the time. Miller was 25 years old at the time,' her parents' lawsuit alleges. Miller had appeared in the 2016 Potter spin-off movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

'Ezra was prevented from sleeping in the same bed with Tokata at that time by a chaperone who can attest to this as the witness lives on the Standing Rock reservation Tokata's parents learned of this episode in June 2022.

'Tokata had read all the available Harry Potter books and was/is enamored by the fantasy/celebrity of Ezra Miller at all times during her still formative years as a young adolescent. Ezra has recently and violently abused Tokata's vulnerability and trust,' Chase and Sara say.

Tokata's mother Sara tweeted about the alleged abuse her daughter is facing at the hands of Ezra Miller

Miller identifies as non-binary and queer and uses the pronouns they/them. Court papers say they used the same pronouns for Tokata

Miller, a non-binary actor, played The Flash in the DC Cinematic Universe

Tokata (pictured in 2018) met the Flash star when she was just 12 years old

The couple say in the papers that their daughter had been traveling with Miller and friends around California and Louisiana and they arrived back in the New York area in late January this year.

It was there Miller 'reportedly gave Tokata an unknown dose of LSD after drugging Tokata into an incapacitated state' she was then 'carted back to Ezra's farm' in Vermont.

'Her mental state deteriorated rapidly to the point that Ezra Miller and the houseguests at Ezra Miller's property finally decided to call Tokata's parents,' the papers allege.

'Tokata had been screaming so much after Ezra gave her LSD, that she lost her voice.'

Miller also obsessed about the KKK because they believed the hate group had burned down a friend's house in North Carolina, the papers continue.

He 'transported an unknown supply of firearms and ammunition from Vermont to North Carolina for a potential confrontation with the KKK.

'Tokata is compelled to go along and she is subjected to heightened anxiety, impending violence, firearms, drugs use and overbearing fear of this armed situation. To this day Tokata is paranoid about the KKK surveilling them, tracking them and generally being a target of the KKK.'

The pair flew to Vermont in January and got their 'incapacitated' daughter back home to North Dakota.

'Tokata did not have and did not know the whereabouts of her bank card, driver license, Standing Rock tribal identification, passport, most of her clothing, car keys and any other items needed for her to navigate life on her own,' says the filing.

Tokata spent 'the next three weeks detoxifying from whatever drugs were used with Ezra Miller during the preceding time frame, at the very least cannabis, alcohol, LSD,' the parents say.

'It wasn't until ten days went by that Tokata's parents felt Tokata would be able to function in some capacity on her own.'

Tokata's parents got her replacement ID. But in February the teenager reunited with Miller after telling them she was going to stay with a friend in Brooklyn, New York.

The pair were then spotted in Los Angeles that month before heading to Hawaii where they stayed in March and April  and Miller caused more controversy with the chair incident. 'There's evidence that Miller was the subject of 10 different calls to Hawaii law enforcement,' the papers allege.

Eventually the pair return to Miller's Vermont home, where Bennington County Sheriff's Department attempted to serve an order for substance abuse evaluation on Tokata, instigated by her father.

Deputies make three unsuccessful attempts to serve the notice in May. On the first, Miller 'lies to law enforcement and falsely states' the teenager is not at his home, the lawsuit says.

During that time, two 'former friends' of Miller saw him 'using threats of violence, extreme yelling and aggressive outbursts' at Tokata, the lawsuit alleges.

'Ezra Miller aggressively got in her face calling her a 'b****' and asking her 'what are you putting make up on for you f***ing b****; Ezra also called Tokata a 'thieving b****', 'c*** b****'.'

The papers also allege Miller told Tokata they had a sex addiction and they eventually 'convinced' her to have sex with him in January this year to help 'cure' it. They continue: 'Ezra's behavior shows a pattern of sexually predatory behavior.'

Tokata dismissed her parents concerns in a post on social media, writing: 'I'd like to make a statement to acknowledge the tragedy that is the narrative of the general public and the assumptions made on my behalf by my family and friends regarding my stability and otherwise'

Tokata was a prominent campaigner against the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline and has appeared alongside Greta Thunberg to discuss climate concerns (pictured together in 2019)

Actress Shailene Woodley, Tokata and actor Mark Ruffalo are pictured together attending Stand With Standing Rock Benefit in New York City in December 2016

Tokata is pictured standing next to Leonardo DiCaprio during the People's Climate March in 2017

Tokata is a well-known activist, pictured here with Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in September 2019

Sara told DailyMail.com: 'In January, Ezra physically assaulted our daughter. We have photos of bruises. Initially we weren't clear on what had happened because Ezra had given our daughter LSD and other drugs.

'Our daughter was out of her mind at that point.'

Recounting the couple's desperation, she continued: 'My husband filed some orders in May and tried to get them served when we heard Tokata and Ezra were in Vermont.

'Ezra lied and said Tokata wasn't there. The cops tried to serve those papers three times. And then they took off  we heard they were in New York, then we heard they were in Oklahoma.

'Then we heard through a friend of a friend of a friend they were in LA  and that Tokata had a black eye. Ezra wasn't allowing her to eat sometimes, that she was like a zombie. So we got plane tickets and went out to Santa Monica and found a location and tried to talk to Tokata.

'Ezra was actively interfering with me talking to Tokata and during that time she did have a mark above her eye and had some strange story about it. She is very, very thin.

'And then she starred rambling about the KKK, pedophiles and medicine. We tried to get the police to come to talk to her and also to serve the orders requesting her to be evaluated.'

Sara accused Miller of being a danger not only to her daughter, but other young women.

'We feel that Ezra keeps being allowed to hurt people, has no accountability. We are concerned for our daughter's safety as his behavior keeps escalating. And that our daughter is there while the behavior is escalating,' she said.

'It is clear from more people we talk to that Ezra is targeting vulnerable young women. It seems that the pattern is to move on to the next one, but some of these women keep coming back, even though they have been at least emotionally abused.'

Of their fight for Tokata, she added: 'She is going to need to heal. It's going to take some time.'

Tokata dismissed her parents concerns in a post on social media, writing: 'I'd like to make a statement to acknowledge the tragedy that is the narrative of the general public and the assumptions made on my behalf by my family and friends regarding my stability and otherwise.

'I dropped out of bard five months ago, my friend and comrade William passed shortly there after, my mind was incredibly impacted and I've needed space and time for the processing of grief.

'My comrade Ezra Miller for the entirety of the aforementioned era has only provided loving support and invaluable protection throughout this period of loss.'
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Rebel Wilson and her girlfriend Ramona Agruma looked as if they were on cloud nine as they enjoyed a luxury yacht trip off the coast of France on Friday.

The 42-year-old Pitch Perfect star and the 38-year-old LA-based fashion designer were spotted beaming ear-to-ear while snapping photos with friends and sharing some passionate kisses on the deck.

Ramona was also glimpsed stripping down to her bikini for a dip in the sea, though Rebel appeared to sit it out despite debuting a lovely pink bikini earlier this week on social media.

Loved-up vacation: Rebel Wilson and girlfriend Ramona Agruma looked as if they were on cloud nine as they enjoyed a yacht trip off the coast of France on Friday. The Pitch Perfect star, 42, and the fashion designer, 38, were spotted snapping photos with friends and sharing some passionate kisses on the deck

Rebel and Ramona were spotted on the massive yacht just as the sun was setting.

A friend took advantage of the pristine golden hour light to snap some photo of the two with another pal.

Rebel looked casual and at ease in a mauve T-shirt and bright green shorts, and she wrapped a matching green sweatshirt around her newly trim waist.

She appeared to be supporting her girlfriend Ramona's clothing brand Lemon Ve Limon, as all of the items featured the label's recognizable lemon embroidery.

The Jojo Rabbit actress wore her long blond hair in thick strands cascading down her shoulders, and she wore it with a middle part to frame her elegantly made-up face and infectious smile.

The lovebirds took some time for themselves as they embraced by a railing on the side of the deck.

Ramona could be seen with a sweet smile as she wrapped her arms around her love tightly.

All that sweet affection: Rebel and the woman she has called her 'Disney Princess' leaned into the romantic vibe of the sunset by locking lips on deck of the yacht

Immortalizing the moment: Rebel and Ramona were spotted on the massive yacht just as the sun was setting. A friend took advantage of the pristine golden hour light to snap some photo of the two with another pal

Loved up: The lovebirds took some time for themselves as they embraced by a railing on the side of the deck. Ramona could be seen with a sweet smile as she wrapped her arms around her love tightly

On the same level: Rebel appeared to be standing on a sofa, but she stepped down to return her girlfriend's kisses

Rebel appeared to be standing on a sofa, but she stepped down to return her girlfriend's kisses.

Ramona mirrored Rebel's casual holiday attire with a green-and-lavender tie-dye T-shirt, along with comfortable lavender sweatpants.

She wore her blond locks tied back in a tight ponytail, and she kept her accessories to a minimum aside from a gold bracelet.

The pair were spotted with a female friend on deck, gazing out over the railing as they soaked up the sun during their luxurious yacht.

Having a ball: The pair were spotted with a female friend on deck, gazing out over the railing as they soaked up the sun during their luxurious yacht

Wonderful: A fourth friend took a picture of the trio as Rebel and her pal threw peace signs festively up into the air and Ramona cuddled up to her girlfriend

A fourth friend took a picture of the trio as Rebel and her pal threw peace signs festively up into the air and Ramona cuddled up to her girlfriend.

Ramona herself whipped out her phone to capture a snap or two of the views they enjoyed as the glided across the Mediterranean together.

At one point Ramona could be spotted heading down towards the lower levels of the vessel with a Christian Dior tote bag slung over one shoulder.

She was clearly headed for a swim, as she wore a long boyfriend fit white t-shirt from her own line over a bikini, rounding off the ensemble with a floral robe.

Soaking it up: Ramona herself whipped out her phone to capture a snap or two of the views they enjoyed as the glided across the Mediterranean together

On the go: At one point Ramona could be spotted heading down towards the lower levels of the vessel with a Christian Dior tote bag slung over one shoulder

Wow: Ramona looked in bright spirits as she stepped off the yacht onto a smaller Yamaha craft, which she could hop off of to take a dip whenever she decided

Ramona looked in bright spirits as she stepped off the yacht onto a smaller Yamaha craft, which she could hop off of to take a dip whenever she decided.

Eventually she swept off her t-shirt, sunglasses and robe and headed into the water, after which she was spotted soaking wet as she clambered back up onto the yacht.

Rebel came out of the closet and announced her relationship to Ramona on June 10, though they had been dating in plain sight for months beforehand.

'I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince... but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess,' she wrote, referencing her short relationships with several men prior to meeting her new love.

Fun in the sun: Eventually she swept off her t-shirt, sunglasses and robe and headed into the water, after which she was spotted soaking wet as she clambered back up onto the yacht

Details: The two have been seen together since early this year, and they even walked the red carpet together at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in March

Backdrop: Rebel still hasn't shared many details about her new love, who is an LA-based fashion designer and the owner of the sustainable fashion brand Lemon Ve Limon

The two have been seen together since early this year, and they even walked the red carpet together at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in March.

Rebel still hasn't shared many details about her new love, who is an LA-based fashion designer and the owner of the sustainable fashion brand Lemon Ve Limon.

It has been revealed that Rebel went public about her relationship and her sexuality in order to get ahead of a story from the Sydney Morning Herald after the Australian paper threatened to out her.

Shortly after she posted her photo, the paper's gossip columnist Andrew Hornery accused the actress of 'gazumping' his scoop by speaking out on her own terms.

The clues were there: Rebel came out of the closet and announced her relationship to Ramona on June 10, though they had been dating in plain sight for months beforehand

The object of her affection: 'I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince... but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess,' she wrote, referencing her short relationships with several men prior to meeting her new love

Origin story: 'We spoke on the phone for weeks before meeting,' Wilson revealed at the time, adding: 'And that was a really good way to get to know each other. It was a bit old-school in that sense  very romantic'

By the way: She also shared how 'the process of finding more self-worth' had 'elevated' her standards in terms of what she was looking for in a partner, describing her romance with her new girlfriend as 'equal' and 'healthy'

'Thanks for your comments, it was a very hard situation but trying to handle it with grace,' she later wrote in a reply to a Twitter post by Channel 10's Kate Doak.

In his original piece, Hornery wrote he gave Wilson two days to respond to questioning, effectively forcing the actress' hand, yet became angry when the star chose to take control of the narrative herself.

'It was with an abundance of caution and respect that this media outlet emailed Rebel Wilson's representatives on Thursday morning, giving her two days to comment on her new relationship with LA leisure wear designer Ramona Agruma, before publishing a single word,' he wrote.

'Big mistake. Wilson opted to gazump the story, posting about her new "Disney Princess" on Instagram early Friday morning, the same platform she had previously used to brag about her handsome ex-boyfriend, wealthy American beer baron Jacob Busch.

Now the secret's out; As well as their under-the-radar public appearances together, Agruma has also been a fixture on Wilson's Instagram in recent months, though she wasn't presented as anything other than a friend

'Considering how bitterly Wilson had complained about poor journalism standards... her choice ignore our discreet genuine and honest queries was underwhelming.'

The article prompted a major backlash on social media with users bowled over by the newspaper's insensitivity, prompting editor Bevan Shields to pen a lengthy statement denying any wrongdoing and wishing the couple well.

Hornery subsequently apologised for his 'tone' in the article, and he claimed he never meant to 'inflict pain' when he approached Wilson about her relationship.

'I genuinely regret that Rebel has found this hard,' Hornery said in a column that replaced Sunday's article. 'That was never my intention. But I see she has handled it all with extraordinary grace.'

Wonderful: The duo looked to be the image of romantic bliss as they rushed together for an embrace

Trouble: It has been revealed that Rebel went public about her relationship and her sexuality in order to get ahead of a story from the Sydney Morning Herald after the Australian paper threatened to out her

Back and forth: Shortly after she posted her photo, the paper's gossip columnist Andrew Hornery accused the actress of 'gazumping' his scoop by speaking out on her own terms

He added that, 'As a gay man I'm well aware of how deeply discrimination hurts. The last thing I would ever want to do is inflict that pain on someone else.'

Rebel did reveal last month that she was dating someone, although she kept their identity under wraps, telling People that she had been set up with her partner - thought to be Agruma - 'through a friend', before spending weeks 'getting to know each other' on the phone.

'We spoke on the phone for weeks before meeting,' Wilson revealed at the time. 'And that was a really good way to get to know each other. It was a bit old-school in that sense  very romantic.'

She also shared how 'the process of finding more self-worth' had 'elevated' her standards in terms of what she was looking for in a partner, describing her romance with her new girlfriend as 'equal' and 'healthy'.

As well as their under-the-radar public appearances together, Agruma has also been a fixture on Wilson's Instagram in recent months, though she wasn't presented as anything other than a friend.
Ekin-Su Culculoglu's appearance in the villa reportedly isn't her first brush with fame as she is believed to have enjoyed a brief romance with TOWIE star James Lock.

The Love Island bombshell, 27, is said to have had a 'passionate' relationship with the reality personality, 35, last October before he was linked to Megan Barton Hanson.

The Turkish actress reportedly met James through mutual pals and enjoyed a relationship for a short time before things 'fizzled out'.

Ex-files! Ekin-Su Culculoglu's appearance in the villa reportedly isn't her first brush with fame as she is believed to have enjoyed a brief romance with TOWIE star James Lock

A source told the Sun: 'They met through friends and dated for a short time last year. It was a very passionate fling while it lasted but fizzled out. That was when James moved on to Megan.'

James and Megan had an on/off relationship which ended following an explosive row at a London hotel following a night out together.

MailOnline have reached out to representatives for comment.

Lothario: The Love Island bombshell, 27, is said to have had a 'passionate' relationship with the reality personality, 35, last October before he was linked to Megan Barton Hanson

Ekin-Su, who recently ended her short-lived romance with 'Italian snack' Davide Sanclimenti, has so far not mentioned her link to the reality personality.

The Islander has been at the centre of villa drama this week as she repeatedly snuck off for secret kisses with Jay Younger on the terrace.

On Friday Love Island viewers couldn't believe their ears as Ekin-Su told Jay she 'doesn't like liars' after repeatedly deceiving Davide over her blossoming new relationship.

Former flame: James and Megan had an on/off relationship which ended following an explosive row at a London hotel following a night out together

After their secret rendezvous was discovered during an explosive episode of the ITV2 dating show on Friday, Ekin-Su tried her best to save face.

However fans of the programme were furious after the Turkish native boldly claimed she has no time for deception, after sneaking off with Jay behind Davide's back.

It seems the other Islanders in the villa were also sick of Ekin-Su's antics, as Amber could be seen rolling her eyes while she attempted to defend herself.

Shocking: Love Island viewers couldn't believe their ears as Ekin-Su told Jay she 'doesn't like liars' after repeatedly deceiving Davide over her blossoming new relationship

Indiyah and Andrew were also quick to jump in and accuse Ekin-Su of lying about her intentions, with viewers hailing their reaction to the drama.

The sneaky terrace dates - where Ekin-Su and Jay kissed twice - came to light when Davide confronted Jay about their meet-ups and he confirmed it was true.

Later discussing the relevelation, Jay told Ekin: 'Davide just came up to me point blank and said were you on the terrace with Ekin.'

Sorry what! However fans of the programme were furious after the Turkish native boldly claimed she has no time for deception, after sneaking off with Jay behind Davide's back

Digging a hole: After their secret rendezvous was discovered during an explosive episode of the ITV2 dating show on Friday, Ekin-Su tried her best to save face

Ekin replied: 'Did you tell him? I was going to tell him as well. Just not yet'

Defending his actions, Jay said: 'Man to man, I think it's disrespectful to lie.'

Ekin quipped back: 'I'm liking the honesty, fine. We don't like liars.'

'You got caught!' Indiyah and Andrew were also quick to jump in and accuse Ekin-Su of lying about her intentions, with viewers hailing their reaction to the drama

Viewers quickly picked up on the comment and took to Twitter to share their outrage following the 'hypocritical' opinion, after deceiving Davide for days.

One person said: 'Ekin-Su saying we don't like liars as if she hasn't lied to Davide for two days, snogged another man and then demanded Davide made her food...'

Another said: 'We don't like liars... Ekin-Su you lied to him multiple times and asked him to make you food after. Oh I didn't like Davide at first but feel bad for him.'

One other quoted Ekin, and wrote: 'If you're going to lose yourself, at least have a good memory.'

A fourth wrote: 'We don't like liars... Ekin-Su you just lied you fool. You're finished.'

Reaction: Viewers quickly picked up on the comment and took to Twitter to share their outrage following the 'hypocritical' opinion, after deceiving Davide for days

Ekin-Su's fellow island's didn't hold back in their opinions as Indiyah visited the Beach Hut and revealed she didn't believe Ekin was sorry - just sorry she got caught.

Back in the villa, a tearful Ekin-Su said she felt 'terrible' about how it had gone down, but straight-talking Andrew insisted she shouldn't have lied.

Ekin replied: 'Lied? I didn't lie. I hadn't got to that bit yet.'

Andrew said: 'No offence, but that's still a lie.'

During his own confessional, Andrew said: 'If the shoe was on the other foot, Ekin-Su would 100 per cent have every right to be annoyed at Davide.
Jane Seymour cut a glamorous figure as she attended the Party photocall during the 61st Monte-Carlo TV Festival at the Fairmont Hotel in in Monte-Carlo on Saturday.

The actress, 71, wore a white dress with a bright floral print, with the garment featuring a plunging neckline.

Screen star Jane pulled the skirt of her outfit up into the air to ensure onlookers for a good look at the piece.

Stepping out: Jane Seymour, 71, looked glamorous in a floral print dress at the 61st Monte-Carlo TV Festival at the Fairmont Hotel in in Monte-Carlo, Monaco on Saturday

She opted for a pair of glitzy gold-strapped platform heels to add a few inches to her stature.

Jane opted for a palette of natural hues for her make-up to highlight her pretty facial features.

Her naked arms and shoulders were left exposed to the air as she posed on the black carpet aside from the thin straps of her dress.

In style: The actress wore a white dress with a bright floral print, with the garment featuring a plunging neckline

Jane was joined by Joanne Froggatt at the bash, with the British actress posing with a number of fellow stars.

She posed alongside fellow actors and actresses Dennie Gordon, Taylor Fay, Alyth Ross and other guests at the bash.

Joanne, 41, looked chic in a pink off-the-shoulder dress which finished above her ankles while she wore a pair of red strappy heels.

Famous friends: Jane was joined by Joanne Froggatt at the bash, with the British actress posing with a number of fellow stars and guests, including Dennie Gordon (second right)

Glamour puss: Joanne, 41, looked chic in a pink off-the-shoulder dress which finished above her ankles while she wore a pair of red strappy heels

Meanwhile, British actor Ricky Whittle, 40, looked dashing in a white suit and waistcoat which he wore over a shirt.

The former Hollyoaks star, left his shirt open at the collar and accessorised with a polka dot pocket handkerchief.

He wore a pair of three-quarter length trousers and a pair of box fresh white trainers.````

Looking good: Meanwhile, British actor Ricky Whittle, 40, looked dashing in a white suit and waistcoat which he wore over a shirt

In the detail: The former Hollyoaks star, left his shirt open at the collar and accessorised with a polka dot pocket handkerchief

Fashion focus: Kevin from Work star Paige Spara, 32, wore an icy satin gown with a plunging neckline and ruffled skirt

Meanwhile, American actress Melissa Ordway, 39, looked stylish in an icy blue sequinned mini dress with floral detail.

She carried a pink-hued sequinned bag and opted for a pair of white strappy heels.

The screen star stood with her hand on her hip as she posed on arrival at the event.

Fashion forward: Meanwhile, American actress Melissa Ordway, 39, looked stylish in an icy blue sequinned mini dress with floral detail while Vahina Giocante wore orange and white

Elsewhere, fiction jury member and model Adriana Karembeu, 50, wore a white mini dress with a puff skirt.

The garment featured cut out detail and a hem with loops of material around the edge.

She wore a pair of white heels and opted for a glamorous look with her make-up.
Chinese ambassador calls for further deepening China-New Zealand friendship

Xinhua) 14:17, June 18, 2022

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong called here Saturday for carrying forward the spirit of Rewi Alley to further deepen the friendship between China and New Zealand and their peoples.

Ambassador Wang made the call at the annual conference of the New Zealand China Friendship Society (NZCFS).

The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the NZCFS, the legacy of Rewi Alley.

Wang said developing a strong relationship between the two countries is a long-term strategic decision both rooted in shared past and eyes on future.

Both China and New Zealand believe in and advocate multilateralism, support the international system with the United Nations as its core, and both are committed to international cooperation in addressing global challenges like climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese ambassador said.

Broad-based support among the two peoples from the bottom up and the stewardship by the leadership of the two countries at the very top have coalesced to add increasing breadth and depth to the development of bilateral relations and to the benefit of both countries and peoples, contributing to regional and world peace and prosperity, the ambassador said.

"Let's work together to build upon the progress over the past 50 years and bring about further development of China-New Zealand relationship in the next 50 years and beyond, generating even greater benefits for both sides, particularly both peoples," he added.

Speaking at the same occasion, Dave Bromwich, president of the NZCFS, called for renewing and enhancing the friendship between New Zealand and China.

Bromwich, also a scholar, said the mission of the NZCFS is to promote goodwill, understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

Strongly condemning some Western media for producing fake reports on China, Bromwich encouraged young Kiwis to engage with their peers in China, to study Chinese society and the Chinese language.

Bromwich, who spent nearly 10 years in and paid around 50 visits to China, said, "My experience in China has given me a great understanding of where China is today, where she has come from and how she has developed."

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
Two American prisoners of war who fought with Kyiv's forces in Kharkov were captured, according to reports from Ukraine. The DPR sentenced three foreign mercenaries earlier to death, drawing a rebuke from the UK.

The British secretary of state for foreign affairs, Liz Truss, said the Geneva Convention covered the two Britons from the three captives, but Moscow said she was mistaken.

American Fighters Captured

According to Washington, it will exhaust all means to get the two POWs back home, said a US official, reported RT.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price remarked last Wednesday that all attempts to get their release will be done should the report be confirmed. These US militants are identified as Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh, said the Daily Telegraph last Thursday.

These are the first Americans captured fighting in Ukraine, as stated, and the outlet says it is a political powder keg for the Biden administration, noted News Max.

Although the White House has not authorized an official denial or confirmation, John Kirby, a former Pentagon spokesman who is the US National Security Council coordinator for Strategic Communications, pledged to use whatever leverage he has to secure their release if the reported capture is clarified.

Kirby added in a press conference that once everything is fully confirmed, he promises to get them back no matter what. He stresses the Biden administration is against US citizens going to Ukraine and being part of the active troops there, as the alleged American prisoners of war caught in the rout of Kyiv's forces.

Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency?

Should anybody want to support Ukraine, there's a better way than taking up arms on the frontlines that is safer for anyone interested in helping. The Telegraph reported the two men were missing during combat in the village of Izbitskoe last Thursday, where they were later apprehended. The neighborhood is only ten kilometers from the Russian border.

Report of the Capture

The story is from the account of another foreign militant who is the same unit as the Ukrainian army. An unidentified militant said they were not mercenaries to let the public know their situation.

Other outlets were contacted by the individual, including CNN, to avoid getting sentenced to execution if anyone else is caught as a prisoner of war, mentioned First Faq.

Drueke, a 39-year-old from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, joined the US Army right after 9/11 with staff sergeant rank in Iran. His mother revealed to the Telegraph the veteran has PTSD.

While Huynh, 27, from Hartselle in Alabama, did a four-year tour of duty in the Marines despite lacking combat experience when recruited to fight for Ukraine, he is engaged in March and went to Europe to join up.

Recently the Donetsk People's Republic, a Russian ally, sentenced two Britons and one Moroccan to surrendering in the battle for Mariupol. DPR court deemed them mercenaries with no privileges of regular prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention, and the western powers were angry at the decision.

The capture of two American prisoners of the war serving in Kyiv's forces will affect the Biden administration when talking to Russia, especially with Moscow's shortening patience with the US.

Related Article: Foreign Fighters Insufficiently Armed, Refuse To Fight for Ukraine, Media Claims

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Check website for important information on pricing and parking / shuttle

Hot Air Balloon Festival 2022

The Ohio Challenge is a sanctioned hot air balloon competition. This year 30 participants will race to win the coveted Ohio Challenge Trophy and a bid to attend the Nationals.

Other activities include:

Outdoor concerts

Car Show

Food vendors

Arts & craft

Carnival rides

Night Balloon Glow

Hot Air Balloon Tethered Rides

Biplane rides

Hot Air Balloon Rides

Fireworks!

PARKING WITH SHUTTLE

I-75/Exit 32: Follow the balloon signs to downtown Middletown and Middletown Regional Airport. Parking is at the airport with shuttle to Smith Park.

Please visit our website for a full schedule and parking information!
Visakhapatnam: IT and Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath on Friday announced that Chief Minister Jagan Reddy would support Infosys in setting up a unit in Vizag.

Infosys representatives Neeladi Prasad and Amol Kulkarni met the minister in Vizag on Friday.

They said the company would start operations in Visakhapatnam with 2,500 to 3,000 employees.

We have already got ready a suitable place for our venture in Vizag, they said.

Minister Amarnath said 25 per cent of the Telugus working in IT companies in the US are from this region. The International Airport at Bhogapuram near Visakhapatnam as also a six-lane road along the coast connecting Visakhapatnam with Bhogapuram would be readied soon. This would be of great benefit to the IT sector, he said.
The Army Chief, Gen. Manoj Pande, on Friday said the training of the first Agniveers will begin in December 2022 and their active service will begin in the middle of 2023. (PTI FIle Image)

New Delhi: Amid the continuing nationwide protests, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army said Friday that they would start the recruitment process under the Agnipath scheme within this month. The Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, said the Air Force recruitment will begin on June 24.

Happy to announce that the upper age limit (for recruitment) has been revised to 23 years. This will benefit the youth. The recruitment process for the Indian Air Force will begin on June 24, he said.

The Army Chief, Gen. Manoj Pande, on Friday said the training of the first Agniveers will begin in December 2022 and their active service will begin in the middle of 2023. The recruitment process will begin soon. Within the next two days, a notification will be issued on the official website. After that, our Army recruitment organisations will declare a detailed schedule of registration and rally, the Army Chief added. As far as the question of Agniveers going to recruitment training centres is concerned, the training of the first Agniveers will begin this December (in 2022) at the centres. The active service will commence in the middle of 2023, he said.

The Indian Army had stopped the recruitment process for the last two years due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

The Indian Navy is ready to welcome the first batch of Agniveers in our service, for which the recruitment process will start very soon. We call upon all young men and women of our country to join the Indian Navy as Agniveers and contribute to national security and nation building, the Navy said in a statement on Friday.

The Centre on Thursday had announced a one-time waiver for 2022 to increase the upper age limit for the recruitment of Agniveers in the armed forces to 23 years. It will facilitate the entry of those who could not join the armed forces due to the temporary stoppage of recruitment during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh said the Centres Agnipath scheme offers a golden opportunity to the countrys youth to join the defence forces and serve the country. The government has announced a one-time upper age limit relaxation for the recruitment process through the Agnipath scheme for 2022 to 23 years. The relaxation of age indicates that the government cares for our youth. The department of military affairs, ministry of defence and the services are committed to begin the recruitment process at the earliest. We invite the youth of our country to join the Indian armed forces and serve the nation through Agnipath, Mr Singh added.

The government had said the armed forces will hire 46,000 jawans in the armed forces in this year under the four-year short-term scheme. Of this, some 40,000 will be for the Army and 3,000 each for the Air Force and the Navy. In four years, the Army will recruit 1.75 lakh soldiers, the Navy 12,500 and Air Force 15,400. From the fifth year onwards, the recruitment will be on the basis of the personnel released from service.
Violence broke out during the procession as protesters started raising slogans against the Central government and rampaged at the BSNL office at Pochamma Maidan circle. They pulled out hoardings, pelted stones at glasses and broke the furniture in the front yard of the office. (DC)

Warangal: A tense atmosphere prevailed in Warangal on Saturday as the body of Damera Rakesh (21), who died in the police firing that took place at the Secunderabad Railway Station to disperse a mob protesting the Agnipath armed forces recruitment scheme, was shifted from MG Memorial to Narsampet.

Over 3,000 political party leaders, youth organisation members and relatives took part in the procession under heavy police presence, after incidents of vandalism, effigy burning, violence and property damage marred Hanamkonda over the past two days.

Around 500 police personnel were on the streets on the day, with heavy deployment witnessed at bus stands, railway stations, cinema halls and other key public locations of Warangal, Hanamkonda and Kazipet.

Violence broke out during the procession as protesters started raising slogans against the Central government and rampaged at the BSNL office at Pochamma Maidan circle. They pulled out hoardings, pelted stones at glasses and broke the furniture in the front yard of the office.

As the police tried to take control of the situation, a heated argument broke out between them and the protesters. However, the detention of protesters quelled the violence.

TRS activists and youth leaders also tried to break into the Warangal Railway Station during the procession, but the police were prepared for the eventuality and contained the mob by lathi-charging those indulging in violence.

A few tyres of vehicles parked in front of the railway station were set afire, but protesters were barred from entering the premises. Those arrested were transferred to the Mills Colony police station.
By 10.25 am Railway Special Force (RSP), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Reserve Protection Force (CRPF) reached the spot. By then the RPF had five agitators in custody while GRP took another five into custody. The investigation into the incident will be conducted jointly by the GRP and the RPF.  Representational image/DC

HYDERABAD: The violence which took place at Secunderabad Railway Station on Friday could have been averted if the police had acted early, according to sources.

Lack of coordination between the Government Protection Force (GPF) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and limited staff led to one-hour delay in reacting and alerting paramilitary forces. Apart from this, the attack was unexpected and created panic among the limited railway police personnel deployed at seven entrance gates of the station.

The GRP personnel first alerted the RPF, who in turn alerted the Gopalapuram police for support after the situation got out of control, the railway police said.

A railway constable said, "We panicked as one group entered the main gate while the other two groups from separate gates with passengers, running across tracks. We were confused about what happened." He said though the law and order police from Gopalapuram police station rushed to the spot, the number of police personnel was very few. "We didnt have a choice but to wait for paramilitary forces which came one hour late, but damages were already done. However, forces acted swiftly and avoided further devastation," the railway constable said.

By 10.25 am Railway Special Force (RSP), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Reserve Protection Force (CRPF) reached the spot. By then the RPF had five agitators in custody while GRP took another five into custody. The investigation into the incident will be conducted jointly by the GRP and the RPF.

Separate teams were formed and 46 agitators were arrested and remanded for an 18-day judicial custody. The police identified other accused and launched a manhunt, said Sandeep Shandilya, additional director general of railway police.

Lack of coordination between Government Protection Force and Railway Protection Force (RPF)

Required strength in RPF-146. Present strength-25

Required strength in GRP-170-. Present strength-40
While the students were locked inside the campus with the police maintaining a strict vigil at the gates and not allowing anyone inside, political party leaders who rushed from Hyderabad to the institution to express support to the students, were arrested by the police. (DC Image)

ADILABAD: Students of IIIT Basar on Friday continued with their agitation on the fourth day, demanding nothing less than a visit to the campus by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to solve the problems faced by them would make them end their stir.

While the students were locked inside the campus with the police maintaining a strict vigil at the gates and not allowing anyone inside, political party leaders who rushed from Hyderabad to the institution to express support to the students, were arrested by the police.

Among them were the state BJP and Congress presidents. While BJPs Bandi Sanjay Kumar was arrested near Biknoor in Kamareddy district, Congress A. Revanth Reddy, who has been building a reputation of sorts in giving the police the slip, managed to reach the campus only to be thwarted at the last minute from meeting with the students.

With the police maintaining a strict vigil on all roads leading to Basara IIIT, Revanth Reddy used multiple transport modes, including a ride on a motorcycle, a tractor, and then walked some distance well away from the roads to avoid being stopped by the police. However, he too was caught and arrested once he reached the campus.

Meanwhile, the agitating students have found additional support from the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who tweeted his support, and Jana Sena leader and actor Pavan Kalyan, even as they continued to receive support from various other students groups. The agitating students said their stir is absolutely peaceful but they would not let up until the Chief Minister, or IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao visits the campus to talk with them and solve their problems.

Meanwhile, parents, particularly of first year students, have been making a beeline to the campus to inquire about the goings on and welfare of their children.

Sanjay said had the government paid attention to IIIT Basar, the present circumstances would not have arisen and asked why the Chief Minister is not able to find time for a visit.

Revanth Reddy demanded that the state government convene a special session of the Legislative Assembly immediately to discuss the problems faced by IIIT Basara students, and unemployed youth in the state.

He also demanded that the government set up a task force to create basic amenities and to fill the teaching and non-teaching staff in all the universities and also Basara IIIT and resolve the problems faced by the students.
Several blasts tore through a gurdwara in Kabul on Saturday, killing two persons, including a Sikh, and injuring seven others, while Afghan security personnel thwarted a bigger tragedy by stopping an explosive-laden vehicle from reaching the place of worship of the minority community in the war-torn country.

In the latest targeted assault on a place of worship of the Sikh community in Afghanistan, Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul's Bagh-e Bala neighborhood was attacked early Saturday morning and a gun battle lasting several hours between the terrorists and Taliban fighters ensued, said Abdul Nafi Takor, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry.

Three attackers were killed by the Taliban forces, the Pajhwok news agency reported.

Takor confirmed that at least one member of the Islamic Emirate forces and an Afghan Sikh national were killed in the incident. Seven others were injured and hospitalised.

According to the statement from the Interior Ministry, an explosive-laden vehicle aiming to target the place was thwarted before reaching its goal.

The gurdwara was attacked early in the morning when up to 30 people were inside, the BBC reported.

Takor said a vehicle full of explosives was detonated outside of the gurdwara but that resulted in no casualties.

First the gunmen threw a hand grenade which caused a fire near the gate of the gurdwara, the Associated Press quoted the Interior Ministry spokesman as saying.

Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said the police operation ended after the last attacker was killed several hours later.

"The security forces were able to act quickly to control the attack and eliminate the attackers in a short period of time to prevent further casualties, he said.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday strongly condemned the "cowardly attack" on a gurdwara in Kabul and said the government was closely monitoring the situation following the incident.

"The cowardly attack on Gurdwara Karte Parwan should be condemned in the strongest terms by all. We have been closely monitoring developments since the news of the attack was received. Our first and foremost concern is for the welfare of the community," Jaishankar tweeted.

"We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred Gurdwara in that city. We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments," the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs also tweeted.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has strongly condemned the attack and urged the Centre to extend immediate assistance to ensure the safety of minorities in the Afghan capital.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. However, the attack is suspected to have been carried out by from ISIS Khurasan.

The Islamic State group known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province has in the past claimed responsibility for attacks on mosques and minorities across the country.

"We heard a huge blast in Kart-e-Parwan neighbourhood at around 6 am local time. The blast was followed by another explosion which occurred about half an hour after the first blast. The whole place has now been sealed off," China's state-run Xinhua news agency quoted an eyewitness as saying.

The security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures, he said.

The blast sent a column of thick smoke into the sky and triggered panic, the witness said.

There were less than 700 Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan at the time of the 2020 attack. Since then, dozens of families have left but many cannot financially afford to move and have remained in Afghanistan, mainly in Kabul, Jalalabad and Ghazni, according to AP.

Since the Taliban took power in August last year, the country has seen continuing attacks by rival Sunni Muslim militant group Islamic State.

Saturday's incident is the latest targeted attack on a place of worship of a minority community in Afghanistan.

In March 2020, at least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when a heavily armed suicide bomber stormed Har Rai Sahib, a prominent gurdwara in the heart of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the country.

The Islamic State terror group had claimed responsibility for the attack in the Shor Bazar area.
The attack on the gurdwara  a symbol of historic ties between India and Afghanistan  came just about a fortnight after India sent a delegation to Kabul for its first formal engagement with the Talibans government.

Shocked by the cowardly terrorist attack against the Karte Parwan Gurudwara in Kabul. I condemn this barbaric attack, and pray for the safety and well-being of the devotees, tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The cowardly attack on Gurdwara Karte Parwan should be condemned in the strongest terms by all, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar posted on Twitter. We have been closely monitoring developments since the news of the attack was received. Our first and foremost concern is for the welfare of the community.

The cowardly attack on Gurudwara Karte Parwan should be condemned in the strongest terms by all. We have been closely monitoring developments since the news of the attack was received. Our first and foremost concern is for the welfare of the community. https://t.co/ocfuY0RBhN  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 18, 2022

The role of the Islamic State is being speculated, but New Delhi is also trying to ascertain if the state or non-state actors based in Pakistan were involved in the attack on the gurdwara in the capital of Afghanistan.

After a senior diplomat of the Government of India met the Foreign Minister of the Talibans government in Kabul on June 2, Pakistan tacitly hit out at India, stating that it would not want to see any spoiler in Afghanistan.

The Islamic State Khorasan Province  an affiliate of the Islamic State  had in 2020 carried out an attack on another gurdwara in Kabul, killing 20 Sikhs.

Also Read: Shocked by cowardly terrorist attack on gurdwara in Kabul: PM Modi

India had evacuated some of the Afghan Sikhs from Afghanistan after the Taliban in August 2021 returned to power in the conflict-ravaged country after two decades, taking advantage of the withdrawal of the US-led NATO forces.

New Delhi had evacuated its envoy to Afghanistan, Rudrendra Tandon, and 175 other officials posted in the Embassy of India in Kabul on August 17, 2021  two days after the government led by President Ashraf Ghani collapsed in the wake of a swift military campaign by the Taliban.

India did not recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan, but sent humanitarian aid for the people of the country.

New Delhi has been having back-channel contacts with the Taliban over the past few years as it had anticipated that the militia could eventually return to the governance structure in Kabul after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, thus giving its mentor Pakistan a strategic edge against India.
The United States Air Force (USAF) will be training an F-35 squadron to familiarize pilots with the J-20 Mighty Dragon of China as more contact between these forces is expected.

Both stealth craft is in service now, with the Russian Su-57 not that prominent yet; overall, a 4th and 4++ generation fighter is less capable.

US-Chinese Stealth Craft Competes Since 2010

Both aircraft were in service during the middle 2010s, for now, it's only them in enough numbers to field for possible combat at the squadron level, reported View60s.

Mighty Dragon was upgraded by the PLAAF when it was commissioned in 2016, these improvements added to its capabilities.

It is one of the few assets of China's increasing military power, including more stealth planes to challenge the US. However, it has other 4++ capable fighters to back it up.

In a hypothetic combat situation, the newest J-20, launched in 2021, has supercruise that the F-35 Lightning II does not have. Flying at Mach 1+ with no afterburners longer than its US counterpart lacks.

The advanced Mighty dragons prompt the USAF to train its own in fighting this threat, with US stealth fighters taking the spearhead role to engage them.

On June 9, 2022, the formation of the 65th F-35 aggressor squadron flew with the US stealth fighter. This unit is tasked with teaching tactics to deal with them in the Indo-Pacific.

Read Also: Chinese Fighter Pilots Engages US Allies in Risky Maneuvers Over Indo-Pacific

F-35 Lightning II Relevance to Aggressor Training

According to Air Combat Command Chief General Mark Kelly, the aggressor units are essential, stressing that the PRC has a fifth-generation and sixth-generation in development that needs an aggressor unit with advanced jets to teach counter-tactics, cited Defense Blog.

Commander of the 57th Operations Group Colonel Scott Mills added that the Aggressors are experts on matters like China and Russia.

The 65th Aggressor Squadron focuses on China and its doctrine, training, and capabilities so that when the unit is flying, it is close to replicating the pacing challenging task as possible, as cited by Military Watch.

US stealth fighters are the only plane that can teach how to survive a J-20 or defeat it. Aggressor squadrons at Nellis Air Force Base are important to air force aviation, said Mills. Chinese development of its 5th and 6th gen craft should not be ignored, as only the US and China have them.

If the Chinese have their 6th gen fighter online, it would be a significant concern for the US. The J-20 is equipped with the PL-10 and PL-15 air-to-air missiles in its internal weapons bay.

One drawback is the model used by the 65th is early, not a recent and more expensive model, with many problems. It might also be said they cannot fully replicate J-20 tactics.

The J-20 and the JSF stealth fighter are not the same, and the Mighty Dragon has two engines for air superiority, while the American stealth fighter has one engine and is used for ground attack missions.

Can an F-35 squadron acting as aggressors that lack the speed and power of a dedicated J-20 air superiority fight be replicated successfully like in the Indo-Pacific? It might not be so, and an older F-35 version could be lacking.

Related Article: LCA Tejas Vs. Saab Gripen: Better Fighter Stands a Good Chance of Winning the Indian Defense Contract

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National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah Saturday withdrew his name for consideration as the joint Opposition candidate for the Presidential polls, saying he would like to contribute in navigating of Jammu and Kashmir which is "passing through a critical juncture".

He, however, thanked the Opposition leaders for proposing his name as their candidate for the polls next month.

In a statement released by his party, the Lok Sabha member said he was honoured that his name was proposed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a possible joint Opposition candidate for the office of President of India.

"Subsequent to Mamata didi proposing my name, I have received a number of calls from Opposition leaders offering their support for my candidature," Abdullah said in a statement.

Read | TMC hopes to emerge as nucleus of opposition unity in Presidential polls

He said he had discussions with senior colleagues of his party and family about this "unexpected" development.

"I am deeply touched by the support that I've received and honoured to have been considered for the highest office in the country. I believe that Jammu and Kashmir is passing through a critical juncture and my efforts are required to help navigate these uncertain times," he said.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said he believed he has a "lot more active politics ahead of me and look forward to making a positive contribution in the service of JK and the country".

"Therefore, I would like to respectfully withdraw my name from consideration and I look forward to supporting the joint Opposition consensus candidate," the NC statement said, conveying his gratitude to Banerjee and all the senior leaders who offered their support.
Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday offered voters an account of eight years of his tenure in his constituencyDiamond Harbourand the voters' outreach programme.

The partys national general secretary launched Ek Daake AbhishekAbhishek at one calla direct number that will help residents connect and raise their concerns.

Together, we will build a model constituency for the rest of India! Banerjee tweeted.

Banerjee said the direct-call idea was inspired by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees flagship initiative, 'Didi Ke Bolo', which offered citizens an opportunity to reach out to her directly.

There are two important points made at the launch of the outreach. Taunting the BJP, he said the Trinamools politics would focus on development and not religion. Second, in the party, theres only one leaderMamata Banerjee. The rest, including him, are all workers. Theres no number-two, number-three.

Incidentally, as the BJP is putting forth eight years of the Modi government, Banerjee also put forward his own report card in the form of a book called Nishobdo Biplaba silent revolution.

In January this year, over 50,000 Covid-19 tests were conducted in Banerjees constituency on a single day. Several other arrangements were made to contain the spread of the infection. The effort that led to a steep dip in positivity rate in the constituency was hailed as the Diamond Harbour model, named after his constituency.

Six months after the Diamond Harbour model left Trinamool debating over whats the way forward, Banerjee yet again announced the mega outreach programme for the party workers and leaders to reach out to voters.

Banerjees political career started with the Trinamool coming to power in West Bengal in 2011. In political circles, Banerjee has been closely observed and often considered the number-2 in the party.

In February, the party supremo (Mamata Banerjee) dissolved the old working committee and announced a fresh one. Banerjee was reinstated as national general secretary.

The young leader, discarding the notions of opponents, is apparently engaging more with his traditional voters as Mamata attempts to knit together a national opposition to the ruling BJP.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired a consultative committee meeting on the situation in Sri Lanka on Saturday and said there was "unanimous support" on the need to stand with the neighbouring country in this difficult time.

He also posted pictures on Twitter with MPs who attended the meeting of the Consultative Committee on External Affairs. Ministers of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, Meenakshi Lekhi and Rajkumar Ranjan Singh also attended the meeting.

"Chaired a Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting on the situation in Sri Lanka. A good discussion held in a positive atmosphere on various issues and India's role" Jaishankar tweeted.

"Unanimous support on the need to stand with our neighbour in this difficult time," he said.

Sources said in the wake of the economic crisis, the refugee issue was also discussed. The committee was informed that the government is keeping a close watch on the situation and so far, only a few refugees have arrived in the country from Sri Lanka after the crisis unfolded in the island nation.

During the meeting, it was also conveyed that India gives financial credit to other nations on terms that do not put these countries in trouble in the future.

Opposition leaders such as Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK) Tiruchi Siva, among others, attended the meeting.

Taking to Twitter, Chaturvedi said the meeting was briefed by Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on the situation in Sri Lanka.

"All of us agreed that at the time of crisis we should stand firmly with Sri Lanka and support their recovery," she said.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Sujeet Kumar and the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Rajdeep Roy and G V L Narasimha Rao also attended the meeting.

Sri Lanka has been facing an economic crisis, which has led to an acute shortage of essential items like food, medicines, cooking gas and fuel across the island nation.

The nearly-bankrupt country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, had announced in April that it was suspending nearly $7 billion foreign debt repayment due for the year out of about $25 billion due through 2026. Sri Lanka's total foreign debt stands at $51 billion.

The Indian credit lines since January this year have provided a lifeline to the neighbouring country amid a growing public dissent over the worsening economic conditions.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu was on a tour to Doha on June 4, when Qatars Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, summoned New Delhis envoy to the Persian Gulf nation, Deepak Mittal, to lodge protest against the comments made by the two leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of India about Prophet Mohammed.

Though Dohas demand for an apology from New Delhi overshadowed the visit, Naidu did meet Qatars former ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who is referred to as Father Amir since he had abdicated the throne and handed over power to his son, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in 2013. India sought more investments from Qatar in infrastructure, physical and digital connectivity, energy, defence and hospitality sectors. Qatar, on the other hand, asked India to explore opportunities for investments in education, pharmaceuticals and healthcare sectors in the West Asian nation.

Naidu assured the Father Amir of New Delhis support to food security of Qatar, which requested India to ease restrictions on export of wheat. Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India. The Father Amir reassured the vice president of Qatars commitment to energy partnership with India.

So, even as Qatar formally conveyed its displeasure over the remarks of the BJP leaders, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, on Prophet Muhammad, it showed no intent to allow the issue to escalate and derail its long-term relations with India.

Not only Qatar, none of the West Asian nations, which condemned the remarks by Sharma and Jindal, is keen to let it turn into an irritant in its relations with India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning to visit Abu Dhabi soon for a meeting with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who of late formally took over as the leader of the United Arab Emirates after his half-brother Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyans death following prolonged illness. Modi and Mohammed bin Zayed have developed a personal rapport with each other over the past few years and played key roles in finalizing the India-UAE Free Trade Agreement, which was signed early this year with the objective of expanding bilateral trade from $ 60 billion to $ 100 billion over the next five years. The UAE did protest the remarks by the BJP leaders on Prophet Muhammad, but it also noted that they were quickly expelled from the ruling party of India. So did Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

New Delhi is also expecting an early visit by Qatars Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra directed the police to take action against persons who assaulted the representative of a media outlet during the Freedom Park protest over the new school textbooks on Saturday.

I condemn the inhuman attack on a journalist who was covering the protest at Freedom Park. The incident was perpetrated by a mindset that is against democracy and press freedom. I have asked officials to take this seriously and initiate proper legal action," Jnanendra said in a statement.

"A case has been filed and Ive issued instructions to identify and act against those responsible for this as soon as possible, he said.

The attack caught on video showed pro-Kannada activists beating and tearing the clothes of reporter-videographer Teja Thimmappa of Samvada (Vishwa Samvad Kendra), which is linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Samvadas YouTube channel has over three lakh subscribers. The mob accused Thimmappa of disrupting their protest against the saffronisation of textbooks.
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Anniversary of Staines Air Disaster

Press release

On 18 June 1972, 118 people  among them 12 prominent Irish businessmen - tragically lost their lives in an air crash shortly after they took off from Heathrow airport on their way to Brussels, in what became known as the Staines Air Disaster. The crash remains the worst air accident in British aviation history.

The business delegation was travelling to Brussels for discussions with the European Commission in the aftermath of the successful referendum to approve the Treaty of Accession, which was approved by 83% of the Irish public.

Reflecting on the 50 year anniversary of the tragedy, Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne T.D. said:

I want to offer my deepest condolences to the families of all the victims of the 1972 Staines Air Disaster on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the tragedy.

It is particularly sad that those Irish business leaders who lost their lives in the Staines Air disaster did so when Ireland was on the cusp of the sweeping change that we have witnessed over the last 50 years. The victims of the crash carried with them to Brussels the best of that new Irish and European dual identity- an identity that was courageous, generous and forward-looking.

In the context of our 50-year anniversary of joining the European Communities, I want to pay particular tribute to these men, who played a crucial role in the successful ratification of the Treaty of Accession in 1972 and in so doing helped steer Ireland into a new era.

ENDS

Press Office

18 June 2022

Notes to editors Among those who lost their lives included 12 leaders of Irish industry:  Mr Melville Miller, managing director of Rowntree-Mackintosh;  Mr C.A. Smith, president of the Confederation of Irish Industry;  Mr E.J. Gray, director-general of the CII;  Mr Hugh Kilfeather, Coras Trachtala;  Mr Michael Rigby-Jones, Irish Ropes Ltd;  Mr Michael Sweetman, Irish Council for the European Movement;  Mr Guy Jackson, Arthur Guinness; Mr E.A. Coleman, Irish Steel Holdings;  Mr M.W. O'Reilly, Dublin Chamber of Commerce;  Mr O.M. Lochrin, vice-president of the Association of Chambers of Commerce of Ireland;  Mr F.M. Mooney;  Mr Ivan Webb, chairman of the Council of the Federated Union of Employers and managing director of G.T. Crampton.

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The United States declared on Friday its support for the recent Philippines protest calling on China "to end its provocative actions and respect international law in the South China Sea," according to the State Department.

Last week, the Philippines filed further diplomatic protests over Chinese marine activity within Manila's exclusive economic zone of 200 miles (321 kilometers).

It accused China of "illegal fishing" while Chinese coast guard vessels followed Philippine boats on a resupply operation, adding to more than 300 complaints about Beijing's actions in the South China Sea.

US Shares Philippines' Concerns on China's Provocative Acts

According to the State Department, the US shares the Philippines' concerns.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price stated: "We share the Philippines' concerns regarding the PRC's provocative actions interfering with Philippine sovereign rights within the Philippine exclusive economic zone near Second Thomas Shoal and massing vessels near Whitsun Reef.

"These actions are part of a broader trend of PRC (People's Republic of China) provocations against South China Sea claimants and other states lawfully operating in the region," Price added, as per the US Department of State website.

In closing, the State Department noted, "The United States stands with our ally, the Philippines, in upholding the rules-based international order and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, as guaranteed under international law."

The Philippines has lodged a new diplomatic protest against China's maritime activities within Manila's 200-mile exclusive economic zone, the foreign ministry one week ago, according to Reuters.

It was the second diplomatic protest by the ministry in June, adding to more than 300 complaints filed against Beijing's "illegal" activities in the South China Sea.

Read Also: US Sanctions 3 US Firms for Sending Technical Rocket Data to China

China engaged in "illegal fishing" while Chinese coast guard vessels shadowed Philippine boats on a resupply mission around its shoal, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"China has no right to fish, monitor, or interfere with the Philippines' legitimate activities therein," the ministry added.

The Chinese operations, according to the ministry, occurred at the Second Thomas Shoal, which is claimed by both Beijing and Manila and is located 105 nautical miles (195 kilometers) off the coast of the Philippines' Palawan region.

Three Chinese coast guard ships obstructed and used water cannons on resupply boats in November, forcing the Philippines to abandon a supply mission in the atoll.

Despite an arbitration verdict in 2016 rejecting Beijing's claim to broad swaths of the South China Sea, China continues to assert its position in the key waterway.

Challenge for Philippines' President-Elect

The protest highlights the difficulties that President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. faces in forging stronger economic connections with China while avoiding appearing to cave over what the military perceives as Beijing's unlawful maritime provocations.

Last week, Marcos described China as the Philippines' "strongest partner" during an award ceremony on promoting Philippines-China understanding.

Marcos added that the Philippines needs to collaborate with other countries that would help the country's economic recovery in a post-pandemic world.

Natural resources and human trade have long been abundant in the South China Sea per China-US Focus. More than $5 trillion in global trade is estimated to transit through the region each year, and explorations have uncovered significant natural gas and hydrocarbon deposits.

China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, and Taiwan all claim territory in the enormous expanse of islands, rocks, and archipelagos composing the South China Sea, causing tensions in the region.

Related Article: China: New Advanced Aircraft Carrier on Par With United States', Can Launch Fighter Jets With More Ammo

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Nursing Lecturers from Dundalk Institute of Technology say they were proud to be part of a recent Meitheal Project focusing on strengthening Palliative and End of Life Care in Nursing Homes. The Meitheal programme is an inspiring collaborative nurse led initiative, developed, delivered, and evaluated by nurses that supports and enables the delivery of good quality person centred care.

The aim of the programme is to improve the quality and experience of palliative and end of life care for older people living with life -limiting illness in long term care settings by supporting and working in collaboration with staff, a further purpose of this project is to also reduce unnecessary admission to acute hospitals. This programme received support from the National Director for Primary Care, Winter Initiative Funding which enabled the appointment of 3 Meitheal Clinical Nurse Specialists in Louth, Meath, Cavan & Monaghan in 2016.

Meitheal is an old Irish term that describes how people come together to help one another out. This concept describes helping your neighbour, who in turn helped you. It inherently refers to a group of people working together to provide support, assistance where and when needed. A strong Meitheal ethos can ensure that each and every one in our communities are included, succeeds and has the ability to flourish.

An evaluation of the Meitheal programme delivered in three Nursing Homes in Cavan & Monaghan was conducted by A. Reynolds and M. Colwell (Nursing lecturers from DkIT). Their findings demonstrated that a creative collaborative approach to Palliative Care and End of Life education and clinical support demonstrated significant positive outcomes for residents, their families and staff.

A Director of Nursing from one of the nursing homes explains the powerful outcomes and feedback as a result of involvement in this programme, I had long believed that the care we provide in nursing homes is palliative care. The Meitheal programme gave me as the Director of Nursing the opportunity to develop this belief with the staff and the ability to change our care culture. This project supported us to update our documentation to reflect the Holistic care we provide and to acknowledge the things we do well and potentially identify what we needed to improve on. The overarching aim of this project is to enhance the residents experience of care in our Nursing Home

Regional Specialist Palliative Care Services of Louth Meath Cavan Monaghan spokesperson said We believe that everyone living and dying in Nursing Homes who requires a palliative care approach should have their needs met by competent staff at the appropriate level. This requires that we support staff in their delivery of Palliative Care through education, advice and formal and informal support. We knew before we started the Meitheal Programme, that education alone was not sufficient to change practice and that we needed to think differently, supporting and enabling the application of learning into practice, changing the culture of how Palliative Care is lived and experienced within the Nursing Home

The difference the Meitheal Programme offers is the presence of the Meitheal Clinical Nurse Specialist who collaboratively works alongside nursing homes teams to develop healthful relationships that enables and supports them to improve the quality and experience of Palliative Care and end of life care for all their residents, families and staff. This approach enables the supportive integration of Palliative Care specialism with the specialism of gerontology.

The Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected older people and has had a profound impact on the nursing home and residential care sector in Ireland. There is a need for healing and agreeing a plan forward. The future of the Meitheal programme is safely in the collective hands of those that can deliver- and will continue to build Coalitions of Success.

For further information please contact Eileen Carruthers, Director of Nursing, Regional Specialist Palliative Care Services. Email: eileen.carruthers@hse.ie
Dundalk Library will host an event with Ardee historian Dr Siobhra Aiken in conversation with Louth County Council Historian in Residence Dr. Thomas Tormey entitled Spiritual Wounds: Trauma, Testimony and the Irish Civil War'.

It will be held in Dundalk Library on Tuesday, June 28th at 6pm as part of the Louth County Council Decade of Centenaries Programme 2022.

Everyone is welcome, with no booking required. The public may contact 042-9353190 for further information.

The event is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative.

The event follows the recent publication by Dr Aiken of a book by the Irish Academic Press.

As part of her doctrinal research she uncovered an archive of previously overlooked testimonies by pro- and anti-treaty men and women.

In their light she re-evaluates the emphasis on silence and amnesia in the perception of the Civil War and its aftermath.

Dr Aiken has a close connection to County Louth and is the great-granddaughter of Frank Aiken, one of the leading figures from the War of Independence and Civil War in County Louth.
A former British Army officer found in possession of 250,000 worth of cocaine told gardai that he is up there with the dumbest drug dealers, a court heard.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that gardai told Darragh Dodrill (26) that his involvement in the drug dealing operation in February 2021 was like something out of Father Ted.

A garda witness told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that around this time gardai became suspicious of a car belonging to Dodrill of Yewlands Terrace, Terenure Rd North, Terenure, and a warrant was issued to search the car.

During a surveillance operation Dodrill was observed in a private car park parked alongside a van which were both searched. Gardai found 250g of cocaine and 500g of cannabis in his car and 242,000 worth of cocaine in the van.

Dodrill told gardai about the cocaine when confronted and was seen to be unwell during their search. He was then arrested and questioned.

The court heard Dodrill was 8,000 in debt and began drug dealing to pay this off, but this increased to 50,000 by the time he was arrested in 2021. The accused was paid in cocaine for supplying drugs, most of which he said were used by himself.

Cathleen Noctor BL, defending, told the court he would spend between 1,000 and 1,500 a week on cocaine usage. The court heard he also suffers from a gambling addiction which further increased his debt.

During his interview gardai put it to Dodrill that the entire situation was like an episode of Father Ted.

The accused told Gardai he was living in a head above water situation due to the large debt he owed and barely had enough money to get by. He admitted during a Garda interview to selling small quantities of cocaine and transporting larger amounts to other dealers.

Dodrill pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at Kilwarden Court, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 on February 26, 2021.

Ms Noctor told the court the accused was formerly in the British army and said in a gardai interview he quit a good job due to drug demands and the debt he owed.

She told the court that Dodrill acted as an amateur compared to other dealers and that he admitted to being up there with the dumbest drug dealers during a garda interview.

Judge Melanie Greally noted this was not the most sophisticated role but was done over a long duration, and a significant amount of cocaine was found in his possession.

Judge Greally adjourned the case to November 7 and ordered a probation report for that date.
Two people familiar with the situation reveal that SpaceX fired at least five workers after it was discovered that they had created and shared a letter criticizing founder Elon Musk and encouraging officials to make the company's culture more inclusive.

According to three individuals with knowledge of the matter, SpaceX dismissed personnel linked to the letter. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell wrote an email indicating the company has investigated and "removed a number of personnel engaged" with the letter.

Employees Letter Reveals Elon Musk's Behavior

Employees are involved in the distribution of the letter were dismissed, according to Shotwell's email, for making other employees feel "uncomfortable, intimidated, and harassed, and/or furious since the letter encouraged them to sign onto something that did not reflect their views."

Per Reuters, the letter was sent in the wake of the billionaire's acrimonious $44 billion purchase of Twitter. Musk had his first video chat with Twitter staff on Thursday to outline his vision for the firm after completing the transaction, which he has expressed qualms about.

During a flight to London in 2016, a flight attendant said Musk offered her a sexual massage. According to the post, the flight attendant allegedly exposed himself to her and promised her a horse. The contents of the incident were not independently confirmed by The New York Times.

Musk responded to the claim by calling it "totally untrue" and making jokes about horses and his genitalia on Twitter. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president and chief operating officer, addressed an email to staff last month claiming she "personally" felt Musk's sexual harassment complaints were untrue.

Read Also: Satellite Images Raise Alarm on North Korea Nuclear Test: Full Details

SpaceX Staff Enraged Over Elon Musk's Metting with Twitter Employees

It's unknown how many individuals at SpaceX have signed the open letter. The letter makes many requests, including public condemnation of "Elon Musk's detrimental Twitter conduct" and specific definitions of all sorts of prohibited behavior at the rocket maker.

The sexual misconduct claim did not come up in the investigation, according to a former NASA top official, and NASA leadership was unaware of it. According to The Washington Post, Musk met with Twitter employees for the first time on Thursday, an event that enraged the company's employees once again.

Musk came late for the meeting and dialed in on what seemed to be a cellphone from afar. When the merger is finalized, he voiced a desire to introduce the more harsh workplace settings of Tesla and SpaceX to Twitter. Hotwell has stated several times that the company does not allow discrimination or harassment, and that she personally investigates complaints that workers are urged to submit anonymously.

However, SpaceX has always been a tough workplace, and many employees believe the firm might do more to promote a healthy culture. Before the letter was published this week, a former SpaceX employee told The Washington Post that the company doesn't do enough to prevent improper conduct, which is often driven by Musk's activities.

At least one space industry figure saw an opportunity in the firings of SpaceX employees. A prominent engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Allen Chen, retweeted a news report about the layoffs and included a link to the JPL's job openings page.

Related Article: Elon Musk Could Beat Jeff Bezos to Trillionaire Status by 6 Years Earlier: Report

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According to the latest numbers from the Platinum Jubilee weekend of partying, COVID-19 infections are on the rise across the UK.

The virus has infected an estimated 1.4 million people, or one in 45, up from one in 65 the week before. That's a 43 percent increase. Some of the new infections are thought to be caused by two additional fast-spreading Omicron subvariants known as BA.4 and BA.5. Even if they have recently had other types of COVID-19, they can catch them, as per BBC.

Platinum Jubilee Parties Blamed For Rapid Surge in COVID-19 Cases

It is too early to determine if this is the start of a new wave, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which produces the statistics. Between the 2nd and 5th of June, millions of people gathered around the UK to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, enabling COVID-19 with several possibilities to disseminate its story.

People normally start developing symptoms or testing positive after getting it after a few days, thus the most recent data covers some of the Jubilee minglings. Thousands of people from UK households were tested, whether or not they had symptoms, to assess how much virus was there. COVID-19 ratings for the week ending June 11 are as follows:

In England, one in 50 people have died, up from one in 70 the week before.

One in 45 people in Wales died, up from one in 75 before.

Northern Ireland now has one in 45 people, up from one in 65 before.

Scotland now has one in every thirty people, up from one in every 40.

Following a period of low case rates, the UK is currently experiencing a surge in COVID-19 outbreaks among persons aged 80 and up in care homes and hospitals.

"It is good that we are not seeing a spike in critical care unit admissions," said Dr. Mary Ramsay of the UK Health Security Agency, "but we are closely monitoring statistics and examining the likely impact of sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5."

Read Also: Prince Charles Might Be Hesitant To Call Himself King Charles III; Here Are 2 Battles He Will Face When He Ascend the Throne

Omicron BA.4, BA.5 Prevalent in UK

The virus is thought to be most widespread in Scotland, where 176,900 people, or one in every 30, tested positive last week, up from 124,100 the week before (one in 40). COVID-19 infections have increased to an estimated 42,900 patients in Northern Ireland, or one in every 45. (one in 65).

The new ONS dataset is anticipated to include the repercussions of the Queen's 75th year on the throne, which saw millions of people congregate nearby around the country to honor her, The Independent reported.

In the days after the holiday weekend, those infected with the virus will have begun to show symptoms or test positive. While the "jubilee festivities may have brought people together," Professor Irene Petersen, an epidemiologist at UCL, pointed out that "many of these activities were outside."

Because of the circulation of BA.4 and BA.5, she stated the increase in infections was "anticipated for some time." Infection rates are highest among 50- to 69-year-olds, with 2.7 percent - one in 35 - expected to have had the virus in the week ending June 11th. "We should keep a watch" on this age group, according to Prof Petersen, "since there are still quite a few who haven't been triple-vaxed."

The statistics are the most recent in a string of data that suggests the virus is spreading faster than previously thought. In the United Kingdom, the number of persons admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 has begun to rise, albeit the trend is not uniform throughout the country.

Per Mirror, the virus is thought to be most widespread in Scotland, where 176,900 persons, or one in 30, tested positive last week, up from 124,100, or one in 40, the week before. COVID-19 infections have increased in Northern Ireland to an estimated 42,900 patients, or one in 45, up from 27,700, or one in 65. The increase in cases comes after the UK Health Security Agency said on Thursday that COVID-19 outbreaks and hospitalizations had increased in the previous week.

Related Article: Omicron COVID-19 Variant Bypasses Fully Vaccinated Individuals Without Boosters, Study Finds

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ONE day hell be a great man. Hell do great work for Ireland.

Those words were spoken by Michael Collinss father about his then-six-year-old son, but they could just as easily apply to Cllr Noel Collins  one of the Big Fellas most ardent admirers.

On Monday June 13, 2022, Cllr Collins went to his eternal reward and, in so doing, left us all the poorer for his passing.

He was a gentleman, and a gentle man; a tireless crusader for justice; a man of the people, and for the people.

As Cork County Councils longest-standing councillor, he gave voice to the voiceless for over half a century, his carefully thought-out remarks echoing through County Hall and at the meetings of Midleton Town Council. He could rain fire and brimstone better than anyone  especially when it came to social injustice and those who perpetuate it.

Those lucky enough to be the recipient of correspondence from Cllr Collins were met by his inimitable handwriting on an envelope which contained carefully typed pages from his trusty typewriter.

On more than one occasion he lamented the fact that he had a wonky R  but a blue biro and some trusty Tippex ensured the occasional slip-up was rectified.

Cllr Noel Collins with Ballyannon wood in background. Picture: Maurice O'Mahony

His role as councillor was not one that this Dubliner-by-birth took lightly. He was elected by the people of his adopted home, Cork; was honoured to do their bidding and, on several occasions, their bedding (well into his 80s he received a request from one auld fella in the town who needed help to have his mattress flipped. Noel duly obliged).

A phone call from Noel (who apocryphally had neither landline nor mobile phone of his own) was always a treat. His sonorous tones could rouse one to storm the barricades at a moments notice  his impassioned pleas for justice ringing in your ears. Moments later, you were giggling hysterically as he recounted a certain trip to Knock and the wonderful use one can make of a horse box (if needs must). And, if you could make him chuckle in turn, it was a joy to hear: a booming, belly laugh that tickled the soul.

Longest serving county councillors Frank OFlynn, Noel Collins and Michael Hegarty at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the opening of the County Hall, on the Carrigrohane Road in 2018. Picture: Eddie OHare

From criminal rehabilitation to slum landlords, ghost estates to housing lists, and youth hostels to flood defences, there was no issue that Cllr Collins would not tackle. While not always victorious, his successes well outnumbered the occasions when the powers that be were not on Noels side.

THE LOW WALL CLINICS

One would often see Noel perched on the low wall at the end of Midletons Church Lane each Saturday morning for his weekly clinics (a cushion provided by a friend made chillier days more bearable on the behind  Noels own words). There he could be found dispensing information, offering advice and fastidiously recording the grievances of the electorate. His incredible dedication to Cork Simon and his generosity to those in need was without parallel.

Councillor Noel Collins.

His home  aptly named St Judes  on Midletons St Marys Road was filled with mementoes, thank-you cards and, in his kitchen, a full wall of memorial cards, ensuring those who were gone were never forgotten.

The kitchen also played host to an obstreperous cuckoo clock, which would break into full-throated song at the most inopportune of moments  usually when attempting to take a swig of MiWadi (a bottle of which was always readily available) without spilling it, midway through a story about the Knock Marriage Bureau.

Councillor Noel Collins.

There are no words that do Cllr Noel Collins justice. The superlatives simply do not exist. Fearless, passionate, compassionate, fierce, fiercely independent, empathetic, gracious, resolute, kind, devoted, charming, and brave dont even come close.

Perhaps the best word to describe Noel was simply selfless.

Putting himself first was never a consideration. He fought for those in need; it was second nature to him. The number of lives he improved we shall never know in full. In death, he continues to help his fellow man: he has willed his body to UCC for medical research selfless to the end.

Noel Collins in 1988 in Midleton.

He was one-of-a-kind, an enigma, a friend, a councillor, a counsellor, and  above all else  a humanitarian.

In his memory, let us continue to fight the good fight.

Cllr Collins  with our thanks for everything  rest in peace.
By Andrea Germanos

Nearly 10 years after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil catastrophe began in the Gulf of Mexico, a leading ocean conservation group warned Tuesday that the threat of another similar disaster looms large and that the fossil fuel industry and U.S. government have learned practically nothing from the worlds worst ever such disaster.

Oceanas new publicationtitled Hindsight 2020: Lessons We Cannot Ignore from the BP Disasterprovides a broad look at what led up to the preventable tragedy, the ongoing ecological and economic consequences of the disaster, and how the spill failed to act as a wake-up call on the inherent dangers of offshore drilling. Offshore drilling is still as dirty and dangerous as it was 10 years ago, said Diane Hoskins, Oceana campaign director. If anything, another disaster is more likely today as the oil industry drills deeper and farther offshore. Instead of learning lessons from the BP disaster, President Trump is proposing to radically expand offshore drilling, while dismantling the few protections put in place as a result of the catastrophic blowout. By pulling together information from a number of sourcesincluding government documents, scientific studies, and interviews with Gulf Coast residents and policy expertsthe report conveys a chilling reality: Its not a question of another offshore oil spill happening, but simply when. What we found was disturbing, says the report.

#BREAKING: New Oceana report examines BP #DeepwaterHorizon disasters cause and impacts 10 years later. 200+ million gallons of oil spilled, killing 11 people and tens of thousands of birds, sea turtles, dolphins & fish. Learn more: https://t.co/rEb4kaIjG9 #ProtectOurCoast pic.twitter.com/v3f9TjKVYa  Oceana (@oceana) April 14, 2020

While the date of the disasterApril 20, 2010is well in the rear view mirror, the consequences are not. Nobody was ready for this scale of pollution, Nova Southeastern University Professor Tracey Sutton told Oceana. As far as we know, the actual impact of the spill is not over yet. Among the impacts that are known are that as many as 800,000 birds died in the midst of and following the disaster. The oil gushing from the ocean floor also devastated bottlenose dolphinsover 75% of all dolphin pregnancies failed in the oiled area. The spill also ravaged frontline communities.

They failed our people, Clarice Friloux, who worked as outreach coordinator for the United Houma Nation during the spill recovery, told Oceana. At one point, I remember thinking, Wow, this could kill off a whole generation of Native Americans living off the coast of Louisiana.' Contributing to the threat of another Deepwater Horizon-like spill is that the fossil fuel industry has pushed for riskier drillingfurther out and in deeper waters. Yet safety measures matching those riskier moves have not been rolled out. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has done nothing to dampen the industrys appetite for more drilling. Instead of strengthening safety regulations, the industry and the Trump administration are dismantling the few protections put in place after the BP catastrophe. Without effective oversight and a more robust safety culture, another disaster at the level of Deepwater Horizon may be just as likely today as it was 10 years ago.

The report also points to the weak approach taken by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)a panel tasked with oversight of offshore drilling safety and was created in the year after Deepwater Horizon. The only significant thing that happened was that BSEE did issue a regulation around blowout preventer devices, Cyn Sarthou, executive director of the New Orleans-based environmental policy organization Healthy Gulf, says in the report. Under the new administration, they have rolled that back. Even that one regulation, which was very little  has now been rolled back. Simply put, the report states, A decade later, the safety culture has not improved, and oversight of the industry remains deficient.

Oceanas report also points to Trumps move to greatly expand offshore drilling which further paved the path for another disaster. To prevent a similar tragedy, the new report outlines a number of recommendations and called on Congress and the White House to: Halt all efforts to expand offshore drilling to new areas;

Direct BSEE to seek transformative changes to the industrys safety culture and reverse efforts to weaken safety regulations;

Direct BOEM to deny all pending geological and geophysical seismic permits for oil and gas in the Atlantic Ocean; and

Enact a moratorium on expanded offshore drilling. Congress should incentivize investments in clean, renewable energy. When they drill, they spill, said Hoskins. The BP disaster devastated the Gulf, and we cannot afford to repeat it. Protecting our environment has never been more important than it is today.

Reposted with permission from Common Dreams.
The heat wave that broke records across the South and Central U.S. this week had a devastating impact on cattle in Kansas.

The combination of high heat, high humidity and low wind proved too much for thousands of the animals to handle, AP News reported.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is aware of at least 2,000 cattle deaths that occurred in the southwest part of Kansas, department communications director Matt Lara told NPR Thursday.

A video widely shared on social media shows the dead bodies of cattle lying on the side of a field.

The problem, officials said, was that the animals were not prepared for the triple threat of heat, humidity and low wind, CNN reported. Temperatures rose 10 to 14 degrees over the weekend in southwestern Kansas, Scarlett Hagins of the Kansas Livestock Association told CNN. For example, temperatures in Haskell County, Kansas, reached a high of 79.9 degrees Fahrenheit June 9 and then climbed to 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit on June 11, according to NPR. They stayed in the triple digits for three days, reaching as high as 104 degrees.

At the same time, humidity increased rapidly between Friday and Saturday and nighttime lows only reached around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, CNN reported.

Yes, temperatures rose, but the more important reason why it was injurious was that we had a huge spike in humidity  and at the same time wind speeds actually dropped substantially, which is rare for western Kansas, Kansas State University cattle veterinarian A.J. Tarpoff told AP News.

Another factor was the timing of the heat wave, which occurred relatively early in the year. This meant that many of the cattle still had their winter coats.

This is a one in 10-year, 20-year type event. This is not a normal event, Brandon Depenbusch, who operates the Innovative Livestock Services feedlot in Great Bend, Kansas, told AP News. It is extremely abnormal, but it does happen.

It isnt exactly clear how many cattle were impacted by the Kansas heat wave because the official figures are based on the farms that asked for state assistance in disposing of the dead bodies, meaning the actual death toll could be higher, NPR pointed out. For the impacted farmers, the deaths represent a major economic loss.

Its a significant impact. Of course, these cattle would be around, have a value of around $2,000 per head, as their market-ready animals, Hagins told KAKE. Any kind of animal loss is significant to a producer, to cattle feeder, to a rancher. No one wants to see any kind of loss like this.

She added that federal disaster programs exist that could help the farmers. However, the risk of similar incidents may increase in the future.

The climate crisis is making heat waves more frequent and more intense. In the last 10 years, the continental U.S. has recorded record highs twice as often as record lows.

What is clear is that the livestock (and human, for that matter) heat stress issue will become increasingly challenging for livestock farmers to deal with, as the world warms, climate researcher Philip Thornton told The Guardian.

Thornton wrote a paper on the impacts of global warming on livestock with agriculture economist and professor emeritus at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Gerald C. Nelson. Nelson told The Guardian that farmers could help their animals cope by increasing ventilation and cooling systems indoors and, in some instances, supplementing their feed outdoors. However, the best long term solution is reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Factoring farming, including of beef, is also a major contributor to the climate crisis in its own right.
A methane leak traced to a Russias largest coal mine may be the biggest leak ever of the potent greenhouse gas coming from a single source.

The leak was spotted by GHGSat, a company founded in 2011 that describes itself as the global leader in high-resolution remote-sensing of greenhouse gas from space. In a Wednesday announcement, the Montreal-based company said it had detected nearly 90 metric tons (approximately 99 U.S. tons) being spewed from the Raspadskaya Mine in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia, every hour on January 14, 2022.

This is the biggest source weve ever seen, GHGSat director of energy, landfills and mines Brody Wight said, as The New York Times reported.

Our satellites measured 13 distinct methane plumes during a single pass, ranging in size from 658 to 17,994 kg/h  If the total rate of release were sustained over a year, the mine would emit 764,319 tonnes of CH4  enough to power 2.4m homes https://t.co/KimDwaUSJ4 pic.twitter.com/rVmBNdbjBi  GHGSAT (@ghgsat) June 15, 2022

GHGSat said that it detected 13 methane plumes from the site in a single satellite pass. Each plume emitted 658 to 17,994 kilograms per hour. If the mine emitted at the same rate for an entire year, it would release 764,319 metric tons (approximately 842,517 U.S. tons) of methane into the atmosphere, or enough to power 24 million homes.

Methane is a concern because it has a warming potential 84 times stronger than carbon dioxide, even though it only persists in the atmosphere for about 20 years. Recent studies have shown that significantly reducing methane emissions could prevent around a quarter of a degree of global warming by 2050, The Guardian reported. More than 100 world leaders pledged at COP26 in Glasgow last November to reduce global methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030, but Russia was not among them.

Deeply cutting methane is the only sure way to limit near-term temperatures and prevent runaway climate change, yet every month brings new evidence that Russia is hiding the worlds most massive and destructive methane leaks, Paul Bledsoe of the Progressive Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., told The Guardian. Putin is desperately hiding these enormous emissions so he can continue to profit from sales of Russian coal, oil and gas and fund his war-making regime. But those nations like China who continue to buy Putins oil and gas are equally abetting his climate and war criminality.

GHGSat also said that the mining company did not respond when informed of the leak.

We did reach out to Raspadskaya about their emissions, but so far weve not had a response, Wight told BBC News.

The methane release may be related to safety, since Raspadskaya was the site of a mining disaster in 2010 that saw 66 people killed when methane emissions from coal mining built up and exploded, according to GHGSat.

The mine was still leaking at about a third of the January rate according to the companys most recent data, The Guardian reported. GHGSat also believed the leak began at least six months before the January incident.

The company said it believed this was the largest methane leak ever traced to one source. It was also around 50 percent larger than any other leak it had recorded itself. For comparison, the largest U.S. methane leak took place in October, 2015 in Aliso Canyon, near Porter Ranch, Los Angeles, GHGSat said. It spewed methane at a rate as high as 58 tons per hour, lasted four months and had a larger carbon footprint than the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

This is a really big fish, Environment and Climate Change Canada research scientist Felix Vogel, who is not associated with GHGSat, told The New York Times of the Russian leak.
Russia made an ominous warning from its state-backed energy plant Gazprom that could potentially limit gas exports to European countries, stoking fears of potentially limited supplies coming into the winter season.

The situation comes as a pre-summer heatwave hits Western Europe this week, forcing policymakers in the region to scramble to fill underground storage with natural gas supplies. These would be used to provide households with enough fuel to keep the lights on and homes warm before the return of the cold temperatures.

Gas Supplies in Europe

The fears of a severe winter gas shortage are driven by the risk of a full supply disruption to the EU, which receives roughly 40% of its gas via Russian pipelines. The bloc is now trying to rapidly reduce its reliance on Russian hydrocarbons in response to the Kremlin's continued war against Ukraine which is now in its fourth month.

What many are worried about is just how dependable Russian gas flows are to Europe as the conflict continues and as economic sanctions take effect. Moscow has already opted to cut gas supplies to various countries, including Finland, Poland, Bulgaria, Denmark's Orsted, Dutch firms GasTerra, and energy giant Shell for its German contracts, as per CNBC.

Read Also: Ukraine Aims To End War by Adding Thousands of Weapons Including 300 Rocket Artillery, 500 Tanks as European Leaders Set to Visit Kyiv

Russia's Gazprom most recently opted to further limit supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea while also reducing flows to Italy. On Wednesday, the company cited a technical problem for the supply cut, saying that the issue stemmed from the delayed return of equipment serviced by Germany's Siemens Energy in Canada.

Two other countries, Austria and Slovakia, have also reported gas supply reductions from Russia. Furthermore, in fiery comments likely to have sent alarm bells ringing throughout the bloc, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said on Thursday that Russia will play by its own rules after the firm halved supplies to Germany.

Russia's Influence

According to Politico, the situation comes as Gazprom also cut supplies to France and Italy only days after the two nations' leaders traveled to Kyiv to formally express their support of Ukraine's bid to join the EU. The slowdown of deliveries could derail EU efforts to build up supplies and protect the bloc from Russian energy blackmail.

On Friday, France's gas network operator GRTgaz said that it has not received any Russian gas via Germany since Wednesday. On the other hand, Italy's state energy company Eni said that it would only receive half of its requested shipments on Friday, the third day of a shortfall in deliveries.

Germany also reported a sharp reduction in supply through the undersea Nord Stream pipeline on Wednesday. Authorities from Gazprom said that there were only 67 million cubic meters per day of flows instead of 167 million cubic meters.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who was among international leaders that visited Ukraine recently, accused Moscow of using gas supplies for political reasons. On the other hand, Canadian authorities said that they were previously in talks with Germany to resolve issues of lower gas supplies, Reuters reported.



Related Article: Russia's Political Pundit Brags About Capturing US Troops as Captors Claim UK "Doesn't Care" About British Soldiers on Death Row

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NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft are set to be decommissioned after 44 years in service as the power supplies of both are starting to decay beyond what is capable of keeping them functional in outer space.

Some experts estimate that the earliest the spacecraft could power down would be 2025 while others have more hopeful estimations. The two man-made objects have traveled farther from Earth than any other as they enter their very final phases.

Decommissioning of Voyager Spacecraft

The two spacecraft were launched from Cape Canaveral in 1977, with Voyager 2 actually being the first to take off. The two took advantage of a rare alignment of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, which occurs once every 176 years, to shoot into interstellar space.

Scientists designed the two Voyagers to last five years and were tasked with studying Jupiter and Saturn. However, in a fortunate turn of events, both spacecraft are still functioning despite escaping beyond the hot plasma bubble known as the heliopause that defines the beginning of the edge of our solar system, as per Sky News.

NASA physicist Ralph McNutt said in an interview with the magazine Scientific American that the agency was powering down the probes after 44 and a half years of service, which is nearly 10 times their warranty. The two spacecraft are powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs).

Read Also: NASA Mars Rover Image Shows Trash on Red Planet | Here's the Truth About It

These are powered by the heat from decaying spheres of plutonium, although the output of these RTGs is decreasing by about four watts every year. This continuous loss of power means that instruments are being turned off one by one due to the limited amount of energy resources.

According to The Sun, since their launch, the two Voyager spacecraft have traveled a remarkable 14.46 billion miles from our planet. NASA has been eliminating features to keep the machines operating until the estimated time of decommissioning.

In a post on its Voyager webpage, NASA said that because of the diminishing electrical power, the Voyager team was forced to prioritize which instruments to keep on. They said that heaters and other spacecraft systems have also been turned off one by one as part of power management.

Man-Made Marvels

The Voyager team, after careful assessment, has chosen to keep operating the instruments that are "most likely to send back key data about the heliosphere and interstellar space." Linda Spilker, who started working on the Voyager missions before they were launched, said that if everything went smoothly, the mission could be extended into the 2030s.

During their mission, the Voyager spacecraft gave astonished researchers the first close-up views of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. They revealed the existence of active volcanoes and fissured ice fields on worlds astronomers had thought would be as inert and crater-pocked as our own moon.

In 1986, Voyager 2 also became the first spacecraft to fly past Uranus and three years later, it passed Neptune. So far, it is the only spacecraft to have made such a long and arduous journey in the vast expanse of space, Scientific American reported.

Related Article: Scientists Have Detected a Rogue Black Hole in the Milky Way Galaxy as a Terrifying Object in the Universe

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A Seattle jury has found Paige Thompson, a former Amazon software engineer accused of stealing data from Capital One in 2019, guilty of wire fraud and five counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer. The Capital One hack was one of the biggest security breaches in the US and compromised the data of 100 million people in the country, along with 6 million people in Canada. Thompson was arrested in July that year after a GitHub user saw her post on the website sharing information about stealing data from servers storing Capital One information.

According to the Department of Justice, Thompson used a tool she built herself to scan Amazon Web Services for misconfigured accounts. She then allegedly used those accounts to infiltrate Capital One's servers and download over 100 million people's data. The jury has decided that Thompson violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act by doing so, but her lawyers argued that she used the same tools and method also used by ethical hackers.

The Justice Department recently amended the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to protect ethical or white hat hackers. As long as researchers are investigating or fixing vulnerabilities in "good faith" and aren't using the security holes they discover for extortion or other malicious purposes, they can no longer be charged under the law.

US authorities, however, disagreed with the assertion that she was only trying to expose Capital One's vulnerabilities. The Justice Department said she planted cryptocurrency mining software onto the bank's servers and sent the earnings straight to her digital wallet. She also allegedly bragged about the hack on online forums.

"Far from being an ethical hacker trying to help companies with their computer security, she exploited mistakes to steal valuable data and sought to enrich herself," US Attorney Nick Brown said. Thompson could be sentenced with up to 20 years of prison time for wire fraud and up to five years for each charge of illegally accessing a protected computer. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 15th.
TikTok announced that it has finished transferring data on its US users to Oracle Corp. servers, potentially addressing US regulatory worries about data integrity on the popular short video app.

A US national security panel ordered parent firm ByteDance to sell TikTok nearly two years ago, citing concerns that US user data may be transferred to China's communist government.

TikTok Company Repeatedly Accessed US-Based Data

According to stolen audio from over 80 internal TikTok meetings released by BuzzFeed News on Friday, such material has been frequently accessed by China-based ByteDance personnel.

A TikTok spokeswoman stated in a brief statement, "We realize we're among the most scrutinized platforms in terms of security, and we seek to erase any question regarding the protection of US user data."

TikTok is one of the most popular social media applications in the world, with over 1 billion active users worldwide, and the United States is its largest market. The United States has been more concerned about app developers' personal information, as per South China Morning Post.

According to the injunction, TikTok's data-collecting poses a risk of giving the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans' personal and private information. Last year, President Joe Biden overturned Trump's executive orders and issued a new executive order that repealed the unimplemented TikTok ban and asked for an evidence-based examination to address the hazards posed by internet services owned by foreign organizations.

TikTok has admitted that access to its user data has been an issue. Although Project Texas would eventually prevent huge volumes of user data from traveling to China, the recordings indicate that locating these pathways has been challenging.

Read Also: China's First Supercarrier Held in Drydock Waiting To Be Launched by the PLA Navy Anytime

Employees Are Unable To Find Loopholes in US Data

Employees explain how data passes through internal TikTok and ByteDance platforms, including those used for content moderation and revenue, during one of the sessions in the recordings.

Furthermore, some of the recordings show that people in control of these systems are unable to discover the gaps via which data is transferred to China. TikTok's announcement to store data on Oracle, however, adds that the app will continue to utilize its data centers in Virginia and Singapore to backup information as it works to fully transition to depending on Oracle in the United States, TikTok stated in a post, according to Daily Mail.

According to a TikTok spokesman, the company hired world-class internal and external security specialists to help boost data protection operations. Given the complexity of the data security situation, this is normal business practice. TikTok attempted to address user security concerns in a blog post just before BuzzFeed's piece was published. The blog post disclosed that TikTok has moved data on its US users to Oracle-hosted servers.

Former President Donald Trump's administration regularly expressed worry that the Chinese Community Party may inappropriately get access to American consumers' personal information. Trump administration officials claimed that ByteDance's parent business had direct links to Chinese officials and presented a national security concern.

Trump attempted to persuade ByteDance to sell TikTok and also sought an outright ban on TikTok downloads by executive order. A federal court stopped the latter endeavor. Later, President Biden rescinded the Trump administration's attempt to prohibit TikTok and instead directed Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to conduct an assessment of applications that potentially represent a security concern, New York Post reported.

Related Article: E-Learning Solutions For Corporate Culture

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Tyler Sanders, a young actor who famously appeared in "9-1-1: Lone Star," has died. He was only 18.

Sanders' death was confirmed by his representatives to several news outlets, including Us Weekly and Fox News.

"Tyler was a talented actor with a bright future. He comes from a wonderful family and we ask that you respect their privacy at this time," representative Pedro Tapia said.

The actor's dead body was found inside his Los Angeles home on Thursday.

Tyler Sanders' cause of death remains unknown as of press time. But the rep disclosed that it is currently being investigated. An autopsy is also expected to determine what truly happened to the actor.

But buzzes question whether he was potentially murdered or died of suicide.

Before his mysterious death, Sanders was still able to share photos of him during his travels and appearances on his sets.

Most recently, Sanders posed for photos while wearing a suit during his recent travel to Vail, Colorado.

Family, Fans Devastated After Tyler Sanders' Death

Following the confirmation of his passing, Sanders' family, friends, and fans expressed how broken they felt about the recent loss.

A relative said, "This is a fine young man full of talents. I have always been proud to call him my nephew and he will truly be missed by many in this world. I regret to have not publicly announced how truly proud I was of this young man. He is what I call a 5 star individual."

That's what they say about all white kids, "He or she comes from a good family" yet the basement is full drugs or firearms.

"I can't believe my child was participating in these negative behaviors" Right!



'9-1-1: Lone Star' Actor Tyler Sanders Dead at 18 https://t.co/4Cx9Iy7mKj  Stevie B.E.Z (@Wakeup56) June 17, 2022

READ ALSO: Ezra Miller Leaves Instagram After THIS Shocking Allegation Came Out

Sanders started his career at the young age of 10. He initially appeared in several short films before famously playing the role of young Jake Otto in an episode of "Fear the Walking Dead."

In 2019, he scored Leo's role in "Just Add Magic." His performance in the Amazon flick led him to land another starring role in the spinoff of the series in 2020, "Just Add Magic: Mystery City."

The young actor added more titles under his belt before his death, including "What About Barb?," "The Rookie," and "The Reliant."

Details about his funeral remain undisclosed to the public, as well.

READ MORE: Amber Heard Disastrous Post-Trial Interview a Major Failure, Experts Say
An alternative historical research must be critical of the fixation with imperial histories.

Kumkum Roy writes:

In a recent speech, the Union Minister of Home Affairs shared his understanding of historical events and recommended certain goals for historians to pursue. Before drawing attention to the alternative historical possibilities that have emerged and attracted considerable scholarly attention in recent decades, it is important to emphasise that this historical understanding and objectives are interconnected.

The home minister informed historians that there were several empires apart from that of the Mughals, and it was necessary to concentrate on these, providing a list of as many as seven imperial powers, including the Mauryas and the Guptas. About the Mauryas, he announced that they ruled for 500 years and governed the entire country from Afghanistan to Sri Lanka. Both the statements are, unfortunately, wrong. The Mauryas ruled for about 136 years, and areas like the present-day Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, and the North East were not part of the empire.

About the Guptas, we were informed that Samudragupta envisioned a united India for the first time. It may be worth considering how this unity was achieved. In his famous inscription, the Prayag Prashasti, Samudragupta is described as the exterminator of kings of Aryavarta. His policy towards the rulers of the south (Dakshinapatha) was differenthe captured them, but reinstated them once they accepted his authority. He also reduced the kings of the forest, the atavi rajas, to servitude. Further, he compelled the rulers of parts of Bengal, Assam, Nepal, the north west, and other areas to offer tribute and pay homage at his court. While these strategies may have been successful for empire-building, what it meant for the ordinary people and the rulers of these diverse parts of the subcontinent can only be imagined. Warfare, whatever its objectives, almost invariably takes a heavy toll, disrupting the lives of the people who may have little or no say in the matter, and who end up paying a heavy price for the ambitious exploits of rulers.

The ministers anxieties about the absence of scholarship on Indian empires are also somewhat misplaced. There has been abundant and diverse scholarship on virtually all the ruling lineages that he has named. To cite just one example, a massive volume (State, Power and Legitimacy: The Gupta Kingdom, New Delhi, Primus, 2019), running into over 900 pages, containing 49 articles, has been compiled by Kunal Chakrabarti and Kanad Sinha. Further, hitherto ignored rulers such as the Ahoms have now found space even in school textbooks (for example, Our Pasts, NCERT Class VII, pp 99100). Also worth keeping in mind is that scholarship on the Mughal Empire has not necessarily been hagiographical. There have been critical discussions on a whole range of policies adopted by the Mughal emperors. To reduce this rich tradition of scholarship and debate into a narrow focus on inclusion or exclusion of specific empires in scholarly discourse is unfortunate, to say the least.

Perhaps, more important, even while dynastic histories remain significant, recent decades have witnessed a broadening of the focus on history. As a result, instead of concentrating oprimarily on ruling lineages and battles, with their inevitable victories and defeats, other themes have received more attention. These include economic histories, where historians have painstakingly reconstructed several structures and processes. Many of these histories discuss the questions of access to resources, such as land, water, forests, and technologies, and explore how such access changed over time in different parts of the subcontinent. There have also been discussions on the development of trade networksboth within the subcontinent as well as beyondand craft production, among other things.

Other areas that have been investigated pertain to social histories. These include gender relations and the emergence as well as occasional transformation of caste hierarchies. Scholars have also focused on regions with alternative, less stratified social structures. Religious traditions and cultural practices, including literary traditions, sculpture, painting, and architecture, etc, have also been examined, leading to stimulating discussions and debates.

Equally significant are environmental histories that have received increasing attention and are likely to become even more important and relevant as we face the crisis of climate change. In other words, historical research has moved beyond a focus on dynastic histories in many directions, and it is to be hoped that this trend continues in the future.

It is also perhaps somewhat ironical that, in the midst of celebrating 75 years of independence, which is being commemorated through Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) programmes in institutions and organisations throughout the country, we seem to be obsessed with empires. Surely, the freedom achieved in 1947 was significant because it marked a break from the British Empire and the end of colonial rule. It would be a pity if the opportunity to celebrate this event is reduced to one where we simply recall the existence of earlier empires in the subcontinent. It is time that we move beyond this preoccupation with empirespast and presentand focus more centrally on reconstructing the pasts of ordinary people, the vast majority, whose lives, struggles, and achievements are often lost and ignored if we remain fixated on kings and conquests. The challenge and excitement of reconstructing these pasts await all those who wish to both celebrate and safeguard the history of our democracy, and strengthen our understanding of those who have made it possible.
One of the challenging tasks before feminist academicians in India is to build a strong research tradition grounded in a robust feminist methodology. The discourse on research methodology in the social sciences generally revolves around quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods, and these variants of methodologies are quite popular among research scholars in universities in India. The feminist research methodology with its distinct ontological, epistemological, and theoretical underpinnings stands as an alternative research methodology for research scholars in general and feminist research scholars in particular. However, there is not much clarity on what constitutes the essence of a feminist methodology. Quite often, research scholars (especially those doing doctoral research) subsume feminist methodology under the qualitative methodology. It is true that most of the epistemological premises of qualitative research such as reality being subjective, participants as knowers, and minimised distance between the researcher and the researched are quite similar to the philosophy of feminist methodology.

However, the kind of questions that the feminist researchers ask, differ significantly from those social scientists who follow a qualitative research paradigm. It is important to note that all research on women is not feminist research, since research about women (in its social science version) is quite different from research for women (the feminist version of research). The research methods, which are basically tools and techniques of data collection, happen to be quite common across different methodologiesquantitative, qualitative, mixed, and feminist. But feminist methodology or, for that matter, any variant of methodology cannot be reduced just to its research methods, techniques, and tools. There is a need for efforts to establish feminist methodology as an independent and distinct research methodology. It is in this context that Maithreyi Krishnarajs article The Feminist Methodology (EPW, 25 December 2021) acquires significance as it tries to address certain fundamental issues about research methodology in general and feminist methodology in particular.

Methodological Challenges

Feminist methodology has to deal with certain challengesforemost of these challenges is the one posed about its inclusivity. Can feminist research speak for all women? How are differences of caste, class, race, and ethnicity dealt with in the feminist methodology? Krishnaraj contemplates a way forward for feminist methodology through a critical engagement with standpoint theory and suggests how a feminist researchers interpretations of womens experiences could be grounded in the totality of the social system. Another challenge that is being posed in feminist methodology is from the scholars of other social sciences who undermine the rigour of feminist methodology by saying that it is full of anecdotes and storytelling. For feminist researchers, tools and techniques of data collection, which are generally known as research methods, become less important as compared to an epistemological and a theoretical position. Scholars from the social sciences who are mostly rooted in positivist philosophy look at feminist research as devoid of methodological rigour as it emphasises theories more than tools and techniques. For most of the scholars of social sciences, the research methods, tools, techniques, and standardised scales become quite sacrosanct. Positivist social scientists fascination with the so-called value neutrality and their aversion to the ideas of transformation and change make them see feminism as a mere political ideology and not as an approach to interrogate social reality.

Krishnaraj rebuts some of the propositions of dominant methodologies of the social sciences by invoking the primacy of theory in the entire process of researchfrom raising research questions to the framework of data analysis. There is nothing such as objectivity in research as research itself is heavily influenced by different theoretical positions. The assumptions of theoretical framework guide the researchers in terms of what kind of topics they select for their research, where they have to look for the data and how to analyse the same, and ultimately in identifying relevant themes or facts. Krishnaraj cautions feminist researchers about the possibility of subsuming research methods under research methodology by pinpointing that those methods are just tools and techniques for data collection that are common to most of the social sciences. But the distinctiveness of feminist research can be established by embarking upon a feminist methodology that is much more than tools and techniques. The feminist methodology has its own philosophical and theoretical propositions and epistemological assumptions that govern fundamental questions about feminist researchhow feminist research needs to be conducted, that is, what are its strategies and goals, and how does it use its research findings?

A Distinctive Methodology

What constitutes the distinctiveness of feminist methodology? While deliberating on the nature of this distinctiveness, there is often a tendency to place an undue emphasis on certain research methods that appear to be more appropriate for the collection of data in feminist research. There have been arguments and viewpoints that look at new methods of data collection as having an empowering effect on research participants (women) and hence it is grounded in a feminist epistemology. Fonow and Cook (2005) argue that an important feature of feminist research is its emphasis on the empowerment of women and transformation of a patriarchal social order through research and research results. Empowerment and transformation happen to be the guiding spirit of feminist research; hence, research methods that give agency to women are better suited to the epistemological position of feminist methodology. Similarly, Montell (1999) praises focus group interviews for their more egalitarian and less exploitative nature compared with other research methods. Focus groups act as tools for raising consciousness and are empowering for not only the research subjects (participants) but also for the researcher of the study. There are also studies that have reported the therapeutic value of feminist research methods. Lee et al (1999) in their study of healthcare delivery among poor women found that feminist interviewing and storytelling methods have an immense therapeutic value to the study participants. The focus group interviews used as a tool for data collection for the study in turn helped the research participants to form their own support groups. Thus, feminist research methods tend to possess a higher level of catalytic validity where the research process, techniques, and tools of research are appropriated by the research participants to empower themselves. They argue that it is these methods of data collection that give a distinctive identity to feminist research and advocate that there is a wider scope to build a range of methods that are specific to feminist research. In fact, Fonow and Cook (2005) provide quite an exhaustive list of as many as 37 research methodsparticipatory action, autoethnography, conversational analysis, focus groups, oral history, personal narrative, thick description, historiography, etc that are either grounded in feminist epistemology or quite relevant for feminist research.

However, borrowing research methods that are antithetical to the positivist epistemology will not serve the purpose of feminist research. As Sandra Harding (1986) rightly points out, challenging methods of science is one thing and challenging the intellectual and social orders at their foundations is another thing. The emphasis on the new and alternative research methods that suit the process of data collection in feminist research in no way makes it stand as distinct vis-a-vis the research based on conventional methodologies. Harding (1986: 10) further says that an end to androcentrism will require far-reaching transformations in the cultural meanings and practices of that [scientific] inquiry. Departing from traditional positivist methods of data gathering and analysis is a good thing, but it is not going to resolve the fundamental issues that feminist researchers are dealing with. As Harding (1987: 34) cautions one needs to recognise the limitations of the most obvious ways one could try to rectify the androcentrism of traditional analysis.

Thus, relying on certain methods as the markers of distinctiveness of feminist research turns out as not only cosmetic but also illusive. Krishnaraj has rightly placed due importance on methodology vis-a-vis methods. The emphasis on methodology makes sense when research methods have wrongfully assumed undue importance. As Harding (1987) rightly puts it, the deliberation about a distinctive feminist method is quite important. But the problem arises when the method is used to denote all the three aspects of research(i) techniques and tools of data collection, (ii) the methodology that guides the research process and strategies, and (iii) the epistemology that provides philosophical bases to feminist theories of knowledge. The important task before feminist researchers then is to sort out these components of research and explain how the development of all these streams would strengthen a feminist methodology.

Harding (1987) brings forth two erroneous practices among social scientists. First, when social scientists deliberate about methodological issues, they usually talk in terms of the techniques and tools of data collection and tend to subsume the methods of research under the rubric of methodology. Second, even when the social scientists think about methods of science, they tend to focus on methods of inquiry instead of philosophical and theoretical issues. It is true that there are important connections between epistemologies, methodologies, and research methods and that each has an implication for the other. However, research methods are not sacrosanct to feminist research and hence the distinctiveness of feminist methodology cannot be arrived at by understanding the basis of research methods. One needs to dissect the fundamental philosophical and theoretical propositions to understand the distinctiveness of feminist methodology. Relying on new tools and techniques of data collection and analysis, adding womens issues to the mainstream social inquiry without addressing the fundamental epistemological and theoretical positions underlying the practice of science would be meaningless.

Conclusions

Harding (1987) arrives at three important properties of the feminist methodology that make it quite distinct from the rest of the methodologies. First, the very fundamental epistemological question of what constitutes valid evidence material in research is deconstructed by feminist researchers. Androcentric research would always emphasise on mens experiences and logic as the foundation for scientific inquiry. Feminist research negates such an epistemology and calls for womens experience and perspective as the foundation of scientific inquiry. Feminist research also departs from the notion of objectivity that traditional methodologies so proudly proclaim and uphold. Feminist epistemology asserts that it is not possible to disassociate the research problem from the persons studied and examine them in isolation from each other. The distinctive feature of feminist research is that it relies on womens perspective and experiences to generate its problematics and also that it uses womens experiences as a valid indicator against which hypotheses can be tested.

Second, while dealing the question for what? feminist research reiterates that the goal of scientific inquiry is to provide explanations for issues that concern women. The distinctiveness of feminist research is that it takes a shift from research about women to research for women. Third, the position of feminist research on the important epistemological and ethical issue of the location of the researcher in the entire process of research makes it stand apart from the traditional methodologies. Feminist research requires that the inquirer/researcher be placed in the same critical plane as that of the overt subject matter.

In other words, the class-, race-, culture-, and gender-based assumptions, beliefs, and behaviours of the researchers themselves must be placed within the frame of the picture that they attempt to paint. Bringing this subjective aspect within the ambit of a scientific inquiry in fact enhances its objectivity. Thus, reflexivity emerges as a distinct feature of feminist research.

References

Fonow, Mary Margaret and Judith A Cook (2005): Feminist Methodology: New Applications in the Academy and Public Policy, Signs, Vol 30, No 4, pp 221136.

Harding, Sandra (1986): The Science Question in Feminism, New York: Cornell University Press.

 (1987): Introduction: Is There a Feminist Method? Feminism and Methodology, Sandra Harding (ed), Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Lee, Renee Gravois, Julie L Ozanne, and Ronald Paul Hill (1999): Improving Service Encounters through Resource Sensitivity: The Case of Health Care Delivery in an Appalachian Community, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Vol 18, No 2, pp 23048.

Montell, Frances (1999): Focus Group Interviews: A New Feminist Method, NWSA Journal, Vol 11, No 1, pp 4471.
The fund allocations of the Union Budget 202223 to education are analysed in the context of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education sector and the implementation of the National Education Policy, 2020.

The Union Budget for 202223 was presented in Parliament with a total outlay of `39.45 lakh crore on 1 February 2022. The budget outlay for education was `1.04 lakh crore, which is 2.6% of the total budget. The union government has increased the total allocation on education for 202223 by `16,000 crore than the budget estimate of 202122, which was `93,224 crore. There is a general rapture that the budget for education has gone up significantly, which would help the sector meet its challenges. Is this the case? What does the increased outlay on education signify? In which level and components have more money been allocated, and why? How should we interpret the budget figures for education when the state is geared towards implementing the targets set in the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020? More importantly, is the current outlay in education going to meet the new crisis the education sector is facing amid the COVID-19 pandemic? These are some of the questions that are still not clear to many, if not all. This article aims to address some of these concerns using the information from the Union Budget 202223 for education and the latest secondary data on public funding for education using economic surveys and other secondary data sources.

For a long time, the argument has been to increase the public funding for education, producing a wide set of externalities for the economy and society. Education, widely considered as a public good, contributes significantly to economic growth, reducing poverty and inequalities, cultural advancement, political maturity, strengthening civil society, social progress and human development (Tilak 2018). Recognising the critical role of education for Indias socio-economic progress, the education commission (196466) recommended allocating 6% of the national income to education. However, this target has not been achieved so far as India currently spends less than 4% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on education, the NEP 2020 terms it as unfortunate and unequivocally endorses and envisions a substantial increase in public investment in education to reach the target of 6% of GDP at the earliest. The policy considers the public investment in education as extremely critical for achieving the high-quality and equitable public education system that is truly needed for Indias future economic, social, cultural, intellectual, and technological progress and growth. Moreover, the NEP 2020 has taken several bold moves that need huge public investment in education. Some of the targets are: universalisation of school education, that is, achieving 100% gross enrolment ratio (GER) in preschool to secondary level by 2030, achieving 50% GER in higher education by 2035, provide vocational education to 50% of learners by 2025, to name a few. In short, we keep emphasising allocation of more public money for education since independence, but in practice, it is far from reality.

The education budget for many countries, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income economies, has been declining since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic1 (Al-Samarrai et al 2021). And this is the case when the disruption to education caused by the pandemic inflicted the worst education crisis on record, globally. India, like many other countries, closed its schools and higher education institutions as part of its strategies to compact the pandemic. For the last two years, starting from March 2020, almost all educational institutions have been closed. The costs of closing educational institutions have been immense; even the magnitude of the shock is still not fully understood. The only alternative used to minimise the learning disruptions for school and college-going students is remote learning. Several studies have discussed the issues and challenges of remote learning in India, including the digital divide, effectiveness and quality of remote learning, competencies of the teachers to teach in digital mode, etc (Rahman 2021; Tilak 2021). Prolonged school closures are going to result in a significant learning loss for students. A study by the Azim Premji University in January 2021, covering 16,067 children in five states, reveals that the learning loss in language is as high as 82% in primary education and 92% in mathematics. India is already facing a huge learning crisis (in fact, the NEP 2020 acknowledges this and mentions that currently about 50 million schoolgoing children have not attained foundational literacy and numeracy), and the COVID-19-related school closures are forcing it even further off-track to achieving the learning goals. Tilak (2021) argues that there is an urgent need for making heavy investments in education to overcome the education crisis caused due to the pandemic. Several newer forms of necessities, like the provisioning of digital devices, remedial education, and addressing specific educational needs of the disadvantaged children have come to the fore as a result of the pandemic, and addressing these needs need additional investment in education. In this context, it is important to look at the union budgets focus on education and how it addresses the ongoing crisis in the sector.

Table 1 exhibits that public investment in education (union and states taken together) increased from `3.54 lakh crore in 201415 to `6.21 lakh crore in 202021 (RE), an increase by 1.75 times in nominal prices. Allocations to education in 202122 were `6.97 lakh crore, which is 3.1% of the GDPhalf of the target of 6% of GDP, a target made 55 years ago, that is, in 1966. Likewise, the priority accorded to education by the union and the state governments out of the general budget and social sector expenditure provides gloomy pictures. Public expenditure on education as a percentage of social sector expenditure has declined from 46.1% in 201415 to 36.6% 202122. The share of expenditure on education to the total public expenditure has also reduced from 10.8% to 9.7% in this period. In the following section, we have discussed the union budget for education in detail.

While there is an increase in the total budget outlay by the union government in the last decade (and it has crossed `1 lakh crore for the first time in 202223 budget), the share of allocations of the education sector to the total budget outlay has reduced between 201516 and 202223.

It has reduced from 3.75% in 201516 (actual) to 2.64% in 202223 (budget estimates). Likewise, there has been a decline in the allocations to education as a proportion of GDPfrom 0.49% in 201516 to 0.40% in 202223. Both of these figures clearly show the decline in the relative importance given to the education sector in the overall budget of the union government in recent years. Also, an increased outlay of `16,000 crore in the recent budget (the budget estimate of `1,04,277 crore in 202223 union budget as compared to the revised estimate of `88,002 crore in 202122 union budget) may not be a cause for celebration. With such a low-level of public funding, how the education sector is going to recover the learning losses that it has suffered due to the pandemic remains a big question. Due to prolonged school closures, the learning loss among children is paramount, and this loss is estimated to be the highest among socio-economically disadvantaged groups (SEDGs) who largely access government schools (World Bank 2021). Similarly, increased public funding is critical to implement several policy goals set in the NEP 2020, which was adopted in July 2020. In the discussion, we relate the current level of public funding on education with two important and contemporary issues: (i) the devastating impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the education sector, and (ii) implementation of the targets made in the NEP 2020.

Expenditure by Education Levels

School education: The closing down of schools and replacement of the physical classrooms with online education has widened the existing inequality in educational opportunities, since the students belonging to the underprivileged sections, who are mainly enrolled in government schools, suffered the most (Narwana and Gill 2021; Tilak 2021; World Bank 2021). The digital divide is glaringly evident in India, with millions of children left behind during the shift to remote learning amid the pandemic. The recently released Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) data shows that while smartphone ownership for enrolled children has increased, it varies significantly with households socio-economic status. For instance, 52% of families where both parents have completed Class 5 (low parental education) have at least one smartphone at home, while this figure is 82% in families where both parents have completed at least Class 12 (high parental education) (Pratham 2021). Furthermore, the phase-wise reopening of schools in the country has brought several new challenges, both for schools and parents. For instance, the schools might find difficulty in addressing the specific needs of the disadvantaged groups who have suffered the most due to pandemic-led school closures. Teachers might need to arrange for remedial classes to minimise students learning gap, which needs extra public investment in government schools. Similarly, government schools may need additional funding to bring the newer health and safety regulations into practice.

On comparing the budgetary provisions for school education in 202223 (BE) with the figure for 202122 (RE), it is found that there is a rise in these allocations to `63,449 crore from `51,970 crorean increase of `11,479 crore (Table 3). There is a marginal increase in the share (out of the total budget) of union government expenditure on school education, from 59.1% to 60.8%. Of the total budget allocations to school education in 202223 (BE), `50,694 crore is allocated for transfer to state/union territories which comes around 80%. This figure was `40,577 crore in 202122 (RE). The proportionate share of states/union territories vis-a-vis that of the union has increased from 78.1% in 202122 (RE) to 79.9% 202223 (BE). Given the declining revenue generation in many states, specifically due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the extra transfer of resources to states would certainly help to improve their education sector.

The union budget allocation to school education is done under two major headingsschemes and non-schemes. Further, the budget for schemes is allocated under centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) and central sector schemes; and the non-schemes allocations are made under autonomous bodies and establishment. Interestingly, there is a substantial increase in the allocations on schemes in 202223 budgetfrom `40,863 crore in 202122 (RE) to `51,052 crore in 202223 (BE). The budget share on schemes to the total budget on school education increased from 78.6% to 80.5% (Table 5). Moreover, the increase in the budget for schemes is largely for CSS vis-a-vis central sector schemes. Overall, the relative priority to these schemes has been increased in the current union budget, and it is expected that this increased allocation would bring qualitative improvements in the implementation of CSSs. For instance, midday meal (MDM) scheme has been disrupted since the school closure in March 2020 amid the pandemic, and this scheme should be normalised with the additional funding.

Higher Education

In 202223, the budgetary allocation for higher education has gone up by `4,796 crore as compared to the revised estimates of 202122. The total budget for higher education is `40,828 crore in 202223 budget, while it was `36,032 crore in 202122 (RE). The budget share for higher education to overall education budget is 39.2% in 202223, which is less than the previous years share of 40.9% (Table 3). Table 6 provides a detailed break-up of the 202223 union budget for higher education.

In 202223 (BE), `2,043 crore is earmarked for transfer to states/union territories, accounting for 5% of the overall budget allocations to higher education. There is a significant increase on this head in this years budget as compared to 202122 (RE)from `800 crore to `2,043 crore. However, the difference between BE and RE is huge in 202122 on this head. The budgetary allocations for states/union territories in 202122 were `3,010 crore, but only about `800 crore was spent on it. The spending share on states/union territories to the total higher education budget was merely 2.2%. However, more funds must be provided to the states for improving the quality and equity in higher education as a majority of the universities and colleges in India are managed by state governments. The union government initiated CSS like the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) in 2013. The major objective is to provide strategic funding to ensure physical infrastructural and human resources to enhance the quality of education in universities and colleges. However, the decline in the resources, as noted above, would delay the attainment of desirable results, more particularly amid the pandemic-related disruptions in higher education.

The allocations for the union sector schemes/projects in 202223 budget are `5,412 crore, which constitute 13.3% of the total allocations for higher education. Allocations to this head in 202122 (BE) were `6,069 crore. But as per the revised estimates of 202122, `4,411 crore was spent on central sector schemes/projects. Budgetary allocations for its sub-sectors, such as higher education schemes, student aid programmes (like post-metric fellowships) and research and innovations provide some interesting insights. For instance, only `219 crore is allocated for research and innovation component, which is 0.5% of the total budget for higher education. This is the case when the NEP 2020 targets explicitly to create a robust ecosystem of research in higher education institutions. Likewise, there is a decline in the budgetary allocations on student financial aid in 202223 as compared to the revised estimates of 202122, that is, from `2,089 crore to `2,078 crore. Overall, the union budgets largest priority in the higher education sector is the other central sector expenditure (81.1%). Within this head, the allocation went mainly to autonomous bodies (68%), followed by statutory and regulatory bodies (13%), and these are largely capital expenditures. Thus, to overcome the pandemic-led crisis and the implementation of the NEP 2020, the central government should increase its allocations to higher education significantly.

Financial Aid for Students

The student financial aid programme in higher education has been a game changer, providing enrolments to socially underprivileged sections in various tertiary-level educational degrees and diplomas in government and private institutions. Some studies show that the probability of enrolling and continuing in higher education increases with financial assistance to the students (Monks 2009; Glocker 2011). However, the budgetary allocation for this important component has seen a decline in the recent years budget, compared to the previous yearfrom `2,089.3 crore in 202122 (RE) to `2,077.9 crore in 202223 (BE) (Table 7). The subcategory-wise patterns in the budgetary allocations exhibit that the allocations have been increased in two headsPrime Minister research fellowship and scholarships for college/university students. Budget allocated to these two heads are `200 crore and `253 crore, respectively. Currently, less than 1% of the total expenditure on higher education is spent on scholarships, and this is the case when there is stark inequality in access to higher education among different socioeconomic groups. For instance, inequalities in participation in higher education between the rich and the poor are considerable in India, and more importantly, it has widened over the years (Tilak and Choudhury 2019). Intriguingly, the policy aims to earmark a suitable government funding for the higher education of SEDGs, emphasising the merit of students belonging to socially and economically disadvantaged groups. Thus, an earmarked share of money should be kept for scholarships in higher education to make the system egalitarian and inclusive, a target made in the NEP 2020. Also, given the challenges students face in accessing quality education amid the COVID-19 pandemic, provisioning of more scholarships would enable several students to access and retain their work in higher education. The government should allocate more funds on scholarships for the students, even at the undergraduate level, as a majority of the students do not access higher education after Class 12 due to financial constraints.

Budget for Digital Education

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need to apply technology in education worldwide, and India is not an exception to this. Due to the closure of educational institutions amid the pandemic, a range of remote-learning modalities such as online platforms, television and radio programming, and take-home print packages are being used to support students learning. However, the public provisioning of educational technology is limited in India. Of the total schools in the country, only about 41.25% have the availability of computer facility, and 39.88% have functional computers. Quite surprisingly, only about 24.51% of schools have access to the internet (MOE 2021). Furthermore, we find a clear gap in the access to computers and the internet between government and private schools. For instance, close to 10% of government schools have access to the internet, while this figure is 30% for privately managed schools in India. Access to digital technology at the household level also varies significantly. The ASER 2021 shows that 63.7% of enrolled children have a smartphone at homeit is 63.7% for government schoolgoing children and 79% for private schoolgoing children. The analysis of the latest National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) education round data (201718) reveals that a significant portion of the students accessing higher education in India do not have access to digital devices. Of the total students enrolled in higher education, only about 30% have access to computers (including desktops, laptops, palmtops, tablets, etc), at homewith stark socio-economic and regional variations. For instance, the availability of computers at home is 17.1% for rural students and 45.2% for urban students. Likewise, students from rich households have 4.9 times higher access to computers than their poor counterparts. It is argued that the inequality in access to educational technology for the students from socially and economically disadvantaged groups will leave them behind in terms of educational and professional opportunities.

In this context, it is important to analyse budgetary allocations for imparting digital education. There is a considerable increase in the budgetary allocations for digital education as compared to 202122 budget`400 crore in 202223 (BE), a whopping hike of 4.78 times compared to `84 crore in 202122 (RE) (Table 8). Nevertheless, budget allocation for 202122 (that is, `150 crore) and the revised estimates (`84 crore) indicate a failure to utilise 44% of the funds allocated. The previous trends underscore the apprehensions as to whether the `400 crore allocated for 202223 would be utilised fully or not. The major focus of the budget speech on education was about digital learning, and it ranges from establishing a digital university providing quality education through digital teachers, perhaps a terminology used for the first time in the context of the Indian education system. Given the pandemic, increasing access to digital education is a welcome step, but we should think about the long-term strategies. The state is grossly mistaken that learning gaps can be bridged with remote learning such as teaching through television channels. Students from low-income families and first-generation learners consider classrooms and informal spaces in educational institutions as a unique learning space, particularly in building their social and cultural capital that improves their wellbeing. While the recent policy focus on digital learning may provide short-term solutions to the ongoing teachinglearning crisis, in the long term, the focus should be on teacher recruitment, teacher training, building school infrastructure, provisioning of remedial coaching, etc. And, bringing improvement in these areas need significant public funding. However, budgetary allocation for teacher training is reduced significantly in 202223 compared to 202122 from `250 crore to `127 crore.

Conclusions

Although the union government has increased its educational budgetary outlay for 202223 (BE) by `16,000 crore in nominal prices vis-a-vis the revised estimates, its share to the overall budget is only about 2.64%. Likewise, the expenditure on education as a share to GDP is around 3%, and we are far from the target of spending 6% of GDP on education. And, this is the picture when the country is geared for implementing the NEP 2020 that has made several promises that need huge public investment in education. Also, the education sector is currently facing the worst crisis, and to recover from this, it needs additional funding. For instance, given that schools are now reopening, it was extremely crucial that additional funding be provided to government schools, particularly to implement newer health and safety regulations and to implement remedial teachinglearning initiatives to address the learning gaps and losses that the countrys underprivileged schoolchildren are experiencing. The pandemic has highlighted the need for more teachers, training for teachers, and better infrastructure so that learning in the areas where digital resources are scarce is not disrupted even if a pandemic hits us again.

However, the budget has not outlined any specific plan for addressing the pandemic-led losses in the education sector that occurred in the last two years. Specific allocations to the education sector for minimising the disruptions due to the pandemic would have been a welcome step. Now, at the global level, there is an attempt to find a path to recovery from this crisis, and India should also join this initiative, else it would be a huge and irreversible loss to our economy and society. Also, India is geared towards implementing the NEP 2020 that aims to create a new system that is aligned with the aspirational goal of 21st-century education. And, it is well argued that to achieve the targets made in the NEP 2020, huge public investment in education is needed. Overall, there is an urgent need to increase public investment in education, which is critical for promoting national development.

Note

1 The World Bank and UNESCO undertook a study in order to understand the short-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education budgets in 2021, and the information was collected from a sample of 29 countries across all regions, including India.

References

Al-Samarrai, S, P Cerdan-Infantes, A Bigarinova, JBodmer, M Vital, M Antoninis, B Barakat and Y Murakami (2021): Education Finance Watch 2021, World Bank, Washington, DC.

Azim Premji University (2021): Loss of Learning during the Pandemic, Bengaluru.

CABE (2005): Financing of Higher and Technical Education, Report of the CABE Committee, NIEPA, Central Advisory Board of Education, New Delhi.

Glocker, D (2011): The Effect of Student Aid on the duration of Study, Economics of Education Review, Vol 30, No 1, pp 17790.

MoE (2021): Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 202021, Ministry of Education, Government of India.

Monks, J (2009): The Impact of Merit-based Financial Aid on College Enrollment: A Field Experiment, Economics of Education Review, Vol 28, No 1, pp 99106.

Narwana, Kamlesh and Angrej Singh Gill (2021): Making Quality Education Accessible to All: Policy Perspective on School Education in Punjab, COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Development, S Singh, L Singh and K Vatta (eds), Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore, pp 18193.

Pratham (2021): Annual Status of Education Report 2021, Pratham, New Delhi.

Rahman, A (2021): Using Students Experience to Derive Effectiveness of COVID-19-Lockdown-Induced Emergency Online Learning at Undergraduate Level: Evidence from Assam, India, Higher Education for the Future, Vol 8, No 1, pp 7189.

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Tilak, J B G and Pradeep Kumar Choudhury (2018): Inequality in Access to Higher Education in India Between the Poor and the Rich, India Social Development Report 2018: Rising Inequalities in India, T Haque and D N Reddy (eds), New Delhi: Oxford University Press, pp 187202.

World Bank (2021): The State of Global Education Crisis: A Path to Recovery, A Joint UNESCO, UNICEF and World Bank Report, Washington, DC.
The conventional belief indicates that the gradual success of an incumbent party lies in the economic progression of the state and the well-being of the majority of voters. However, the recent growth of the incumbent party in West Bengal does not support the belief entirely. A marginal improvement of agriculture and rural people, relying on the delivery of welfare schemes at the cost of overall growth (including industrial and service sectors), reveals a redistribute strategy employed by the state in the federal setting. This compels the dependency of low-income people on minuscule resources in the absence of modern sector growth along with building an organisation of cadres, mushroomed under the shadow of welfare schemes, to deliver those services among the networks against the agency fees and commission, worked effectively to engineer the popularity and helped to extinguish the unrest among the non-beneficiaries. This paper unfolds evidence in support of such a strategy that helped maintain incumbency.

In the 2021 state assembly elections held in West Bengal, the incumbent political party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), came into power with an absolute majority for the third consecutive ocassion. Out of the 294 seats in the state assembly, TMC won 213 seats with a commendable rise in the vote share at an all-time high of 47.9%. This is not the first time that the TMCs vote share has increased. Since the party came to power in 2011, its vote share has increased in all the elections (state assembly elections and general elections), except in the 2019 general elections, when the partys vote share declined marginally (Figure 1, p 122). Some of the scholars (Ghatak 2021) believed that the rise of rural consumption, a measure of welfare improvement of the poor, helped to gain votes for the ruling party. But, this happened despite an extremely poor political image created by the incumbent party due to the alleged involvement of TMC leaders in several corruption cases (for example, Saradha chit fund scam and Narada bribery case).

For example, the Narada bribery case came out just before the 2016 assembly elections. It is currently being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the direction of the Kolkata High Court. Many leaders of the incumbent party have been seen taking bribes on camera in exchange for providing benefits to businesspersons. Ghataks argument relies on the median voter theory. According to the theory, such gradual progress of political strength of the incumbent party seems to indicate that the economic conditions of the state and the well-being of the majority of voters must have been continuously rising. But, if the state economy does not reveal the signs of such economic progress for the entire decade, this conjecture can be contested. What then are the reasons behind the progress of the vote share? Against this stunning political performance, one is curious to investigate the reasons behind such a political upsurge.

On the contrary, it has been reported earlier that the presence of political violence in West Bengal is the highest among all the Indian states (Phadnis 2020), and it only escalates every election.1 A report of the Ministry of Home Affairs submitted to the Election Commission of India suggests that as many as 693 cases of political violence occurred during the 2019 general elections. It also highlighted the continuation and escalation of violence even after the election. Between 1 June 2019 and 31 December 2019, as many as 852 cases of political violence were reported with 61 casualties (Singh 2021). Similar incidents of post-poll violence have also been reported after the 2021 assembly elections. Considering the seriousness of the incidents, the Kolkata High Court (vide order dated 18 June 2021) has requested the National Human Rights Commission to constitute a committee to examine all the cases of post-poll violence and submit a report to the court (New Indian Express 2021). While the exact number of incidents of political violence in the state during the entire TMC regime has not been properly documented, the anecdote evidences and reports seem to indicate that it has increased and reached astonishingly high levels with the rising trend of lumpenisation of public life in the state (Mukherjee 2021). These facts highlight two critical puzzles: (i) how does the TMC regime persist when the aggregate economy is not performing well? and (ii) if citizens of the state are satisfied with the performance of the government, as reflected by the high vote share of the incumbent TMC, then why are we seeing so many incidents of political violence during each and every election? This paper finds out the plausible reasons behind the puzzles of regime persistence and political violence under the TMC rule.

In the context of a long-persisting Left Front rule in West Bengal, Sarkar (2006) describes how informalisation of the economy and a strong political organisation helped the incumbent Left Front to stay in power for 34 years even when the economy was dwindling and the impact of the initial land distribution had faded away. In the case of the TMC regime, the tightness of political organisation in the form of ideology and structure is nowhere close to the left. The question that then arises is how does TMC win elections after elections without having a strong base of political organisation? We argue that, in the absence of a strong political organisation and a high degree of informalisation of the economy, TMC has created a source of new incentive structure for rent-sharing by improvising two existing instruments of rent-seeking (namely, syndicate and cut money) to attach workers with the party.2 This incentive structure helps them to form a centralised political organisation by successfully replacing the multilayer hierarchical political organisation of the Left Front.

In the following sections, we first demonstrate a few performance indicators of the economy under the TMC rule. Then, we discuss how the instruments of rent-seeking activities have flourished and how they have created a new incentive structure to pursue such activities during the last 10 years. Finally, we present a political economy framework of extraction and sharing of rent in West Bengal under the TMC rule to answer the puzzles described above.

Did the State Economy Prosper?

The existing information reveals a mixed story. As far as the low-income people are concerned, there is a sign of prosperity under the rule of the current TMC government. It is argued that between 2011 and 2021, the growth rates of agriculture and rural per capita consumption expenditure in West Bengal have increased more than the national averages. Since more than 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the income of a large section of the population has increased (Ghatak 2021). Moreover, the welfare schemes like Sabooj Sathi and Krishak Bandhu, introduced by the state government to cater to the needs of the rural and semi-urban people have been quite popular (Nath 2017; Bhattacharya 2021; Ghatak 2021). A group of scholars have also praised that there is no evidence of discrimination along the party line in the delivery of these schemes (Nath 2017; Bhattacharya 2021). The evidence further suggests that the level of informalisation of labour has slightly declined under TMC (Figure 2).3 All these convey sufficient reasons to believe a fair amount of popularity of the ruling party among the low-income people. However, it does not ascertain the prosperity of the entire economy. If the amount of spending on social welfare schemes by the West Bengal government is compared to the all-India average, it does not reveal an encouraging picture.

To evaluate the economic performance of West Bengal under the TMC rule, we have taken two different criteria: (i) performance of the economy during this period compared to their history and (ii) performance of the economy compared to the entire country. The average annual growth rate of per capita gross state domestic product (PCGSDP) of West Bengal and the average annual growth rate of per capita gross domestic product (PCGDP) of India for three consecutive periods of 19912000, 200110, and 201119 have been presented in Table 1. The trends reveal at least three crucial observations about the performance of the economy. First, while the per capita income of West Bengal was growing faster than the national economy during the last two decades of the Left Front rule, the growth rate has declined below the national average during the TMC regime. Second, not only has the economy of West Bengal grown slower than the rest of the Indian economy during 201119 (before the pandemic), but the per capita income growth rate of the state remained lower than the rate at which it was growing during the last two decades (19912010) of the Left Front regime. Finally, while Indias per capita income growth rate has declined during 201119, it is much sharper in the case of West Bengal. While the world economy was passing through a recessionary phase after the financial crisis of 2008, the depth of depression in West Bengal was much deeper than the national economy.

To identify the sources of this decline in terms of production sectors, the average annual growth rates of the three broad sectors, namely agriculture, industry, and service, have been presented in Table 2. Although the agricultural sector has performed much better in West Bengal, growing at a rate of 3.3%relative to 1.6% growth for the national economy, the two largest sectors (industry and service) have registered a slowdown. The growth rate of the industrial sector in the entire country improved from 7.4% to 8.6% between 200010 and 201220. However, the growth rate of the industrial sector in West Bengal has declined from 7.1% to 6.6%. Moreover, the decline in the growth rate of the service sector is much deeper in West Bengal as compared to the national trend. The growth rate of the service sector for West Bengal has declined by a massive 3.5% in comparison to only a 0.6% decline for the country between 200010 and 201220. So, the industrial and service sectors, serving as the engines of growth of the modern economy, faced severe crises during this period. Therefore, one can argue that there must be factors other than the global recession contributing to the slowdown of the state economy.

Nevertheless, there are some areas where the state has performed better. The growth rate of per capita consumption expenditure in urban West Bengal is less than the corresponding national growth rate. However, in the rural areas, it has registered a staggering 5% increase. This is much higher than the 3% increase documented for the entire country. Due to this rapid improvement in the rural per capita consumption expenditure driven by the agricultural growth and expenditures on the social welfare schemes, the level of poverty in the state has declined sharply, making it the highest decline among any Indian state between 201112 and 201718 (Bhattacharya and Devulapalli 2019).4 Though the higher growth rate of agriculture and the expenditures on the social welfare schemes is one of the most probable reasons for the increase in rural per capita consumption expenditure (Ghatak 2021), it is unclear how a minuscule amount spent on rural welfare schemes can significantly increase the rural per capita consumption expenditure (Figures 4a and 4b). Hence, there may be other factors at work that may not be related to the expenditure rise on social welfare schemes. For example, the remittance by the huge number of migrant workers going to other states for work in recent years is one of the factors contributing to the increase.5 Such evidence confirms that the strategy of state development was designed to benefit the rural or agriculture sector at the cost of urban and industry/service sector development.

Similar improvement has been observed in the labour market also. Although the unemployment rate has increased under the TMC rule (between 201112 and 201718), it remained lower than the entire country (Figure 2). According to the latest available data, in 201819, the unemployment rate in the urban and rural areas was 4.9% and 3.5%, respectively. Similar figures for the entire nation were 7.7% and 5%, respectively. Moreover, the share of formal sector workers has increased from 18% in 201112 to 22% in 201718 (Figure 3, p 123). Nevertheless, the share of the informal sector workers is still quite high.

This suggests that the aggregate economy did not perform well under the TMC regime. However, a significant improvement has been observed in some areas like the rural per capita consumption expenditure, poverty rate, and formal sector employment. It indicates that the economic conditions of the low-income people have improved through redistributive strategies deployed by the state, although at the cost of economic growth of the urban and industrial/service sectors. This is not a bad strategy of a benevolent state who wants to ensure incumbency. In a federal setting, if a state bargains a greater share of tax revenue collected from the entire country, the burden of redistribute strategy can be reduced in the specific state, thereby ensuring greater popularity. While the redistributive strategies may be sufficient explanations for the persistence of the political incumbency, the success of these policies is heavily dependent on the effective delivery of welfare schemes and the formation of cadre organisation under the shadow of such schemes to deal with the grievances arising out of the minuscule amount of state resource allocation.

Formation of Political Society

An incumbent political party cannot be criticised if it wishes to ensure its re-election by favouring low-income and rural people who constitute a large part of the legitimate voters in the state. The current state governments welfare schemes for the rural and marginalised people (for example, Krishak Bandhu, West Bengal Accelerated Development of Minor Irrigation Projects, Geetanjali, Amar Thikana, Matir Srishti, and Pathashree Abhijan) to subsidise the loss from agricultural uncertainty and marketing the crops to a greater extent has marginally improved the economic condition in the rural areas. However, whether these expenditures are sufficient to ensure incumbency is not clear. Two questions become important to clarify the matter: (i) is the amount of spending sufficient to make a significant difference in peoples lives? and (ii) how are they financed?

Although it is difficult to find an exact figure for the benefits received from the social welfare programmes from the available data, if one looks at the real per capita social sector spending, a large share of which is devoted to the delivery of social welfare schemes, it has registered a rising trend during the current regime in West Bengal. Despite the rising trend, the average per capita social sector spending disbursed by the state government (measured in 201112 base price) remained lower than the national average (Figure 4a). Moreover, the real per capita social sector spending relative to the all-India average has declined in recent years (Figure 4b). Thus, the welfare programmes targeted at the rural people may have benefited them marginally; the argument that this is the reason for the rising popularity of the incumbent party falls short of being convincing. In fact, the state has failed to mobilise resources because of the declining contribution of the industrial and other sectors that pay a large share of tax revenue. As a result, the state bargained for a greater share from the centre. Moreover, while the centre and the state governments have competing interests to derive the credits from the delivery of welfare schemes. It is immensely difficult to separate the actual impact of the states contribution.

Despite the success of state service delivery of the welfare schemes for the rural people, it is still a mystery how a minuscule amount spent on these programmes can result in the huge progress of popularity for the incumbent? In the past, there have been many examples of the political failure of states that had successfully delivered welfare programmes. Therefore, we need to focus on the shaping and mobilising of political society towards incumbency under political regimes to understand the continuing popularity of the incumbent party in West Bengal. Though the size of the informal sector declined, it still remains one of the largest in the country. A large informal sector has contributed to the formation of what Chaterjee (2004) calls a political society. The most important feature of a political society is peoples dependence on the incumbent political party in everyday life. This definitely arises with the heavy reliance on the development strategy based on the welfare schemes and subsidies.

Sarkar (2006) provides a detailed description of people of urban and semi-urban areas in the political society of West Bengal. He divides them into two groups based on their access to the formal legal system under the regime of the Left Front government. First category consists of a group of people who live beyond the formal legal framework and are living or earning a livelihood in the illegally occupied city space. For example, the people engaged as daily wage earners, street vendors, small manufacturing units, small shopkeepers, rickshaw pullers, etc, would be the obvious candidates. There are two common features among them: (i) almost all of them are economically vulnerable; and (ii) they do not have a clearly defined property right. The economic vulnerability and missing property rights make them depend on the incumbent political party for their everyday livelihood and informal settlement of disputes.6 The second group of people in the urban areas living and earning a livelihood within the formal legal framework are not so economically vulnerable. However, individually they cannot protect themselves from the local musclemen, extortionists, goons, etc. This vulnerability is enhanced in the presence of a costly legal system.7 This group depends on the ruling political party for protection. Petty shopkeepers, small- to medium-sized entrepreneurs, traders, etc, fall in this category. In exchange for the benefits received from the political party, people remain loyal to them by casting vote in their favour during elections. This right to vote makes them attractive to the political parties.

The above description of the formation of a political society based on the informalisation of the economy is primarily focused on the urban and semi-urban areas. Our understanding of political society will remain incomplete unless we describe why people in rural areas depend on political parties since more than 70% of the population live in rural areas. The rural population in West Bengal are mostly small and marginal farmers (almost 96% of the total farmers in the state [GoWB 2017]) who survive with very low and uncertain incomes. Their vulnerability comes from low farm income (one of the lowest in the country according to NSSO [70th Round]), declining or low farm profit, the unpredictability of weather, etc. Assistance in subsidised seeds, fertilisers, farm insurance, etc, is provided by the government and implemented through the panchayats. Thus, people in the rural areas depend on the ruling political party and the local political leaders running the panchayats. This is particularly the case when the drivers of growth do not offer much income opportunities.

Mobilisation in Political Society: Syndicates and Cut Money

A minuscule amount for welfare programmes cannot satisfy the majority of voters from rural and semi-urban areas or from the informal sectors, which host more than 70% of citizens from the state. The incumbent political party banks on this segment of voters. Thus, the failure to include all the voters under the welfare programme may generate anti-incumbency. For example, an aspirant denied service by the state may feel deprived and go against the incumbent party or may even raise voice against the deprivation. The party can try to resolve this crisis in two ways: (i) the party can involve political cadres to ensure effective delivery of the welfare schemes to the voters at the political level; or (ii) the party can hire an external consultant to manage the crisis. In the first case, incentives can be given to the political cadres. However, what can be these incentives? No doubt, they find a scope to earn agency fees (or rents/commission) for the delivery of state services. Such a system invites agency and moral hazard problems that essentially generate chaos in the organisation. Therefore, the party had to hire an outside consultant to overcome the crisis in the absence of any strong political ideology. In both cases, the party needs to generate rent from the voters to pay the agency fee. Therefore, an incumbent party needs an efficient system that generates rent and/or agency fees from the beneficiaries of the welfare schemes.

Let us now see how this kind of rent-seeking activity has flourished under the TMC rule in both rural and urban areas. The two instruments that have been used to extract rent are popularly known as syndicate and cut money. While syndicates operate mainly in the urban and semi-urban areas, cut money functions in the rural areas. The available evidence suggests that this rent is shared between the local and central leaders of the incumbent political party.

Syndicate is a term popularly used for organised corruption and extortion rackets mainly operating in the manufacturing and construction sectors of West Bengal (Chaudhary 2018). It is a small group of unemployed youth connected to the ruling political party who control a geographical area and charge a substantial share of any significant transaction, including the construction of buildings, raw materials, and land transfers. During the Left Front government in the early 2000, syndicates had been formed primarily to provide employment to the unemployed youths of the families displaced and affected by the land acquisition for the infrastructure project in the RajarhatNewtown area near Kolkata. Initially, cooperatives were formed and registered under local bodies to supply construction material to the infrastructure project. However, after the 2008 panchayat elections, when TMC got hold of the RajarhatNewtown area after winning the local body election, syndicates metamorphosed into corruption and extortion rackets. In 2011, when TMC came to power, the party controlled as many as 175 syndicates in the RajarhatNewtown area (Das 2021). Thereafter, syndicates have spread to the entire state and entered into activities involving land dealings, labour hiring, finding rented accommodations, and even college admissions. The evidence suggests that the extorted money by the syndicates is shared between the syndicate members and the political leaders controlling the syndicates (Chaudhary 2018).

One crucial question needs to be addressed here. Why are syndicates found to be associated with political parties? The answer to this is that since the members of the syndicates are involved in extortion and other unlawful activities, they need protection from the law and order and police. It is the incumbent political party that can provide that. On the contrary, the political parties also require them. The requirement comes at least for two reasons. To receive a share of the extorted money of the syndicates is definitely a strong incentive (Ghosh 2015). However, more importantly, the political parties use the muscle power of the syndicate members to intimidate and oppress voters of the opposition parties, especially during elections (Hindustan Times 2016).

In West Bengal, the instrument to extract rent from the rural economy is popularly known as cut money. This is the term used in the state to represent the unofficial commissions charged from the beneficiaries of government schemes by local TMC leaders (Financial Express 2019). For example, people need to pay `10,000`15,000 to entitle themselves for Indira Awaas Yojana (Nath 2017). Similar evidence of cut money extraction by local TMC leaders is in abundance in popular media. A Google news search of the term cut money in Bengal provides around 1,57,000 news items. The cut money collected by local leaders is shared among the leaders from the grassroot levels to the topmost political hierarchy of TMC (Times of India 2019). In 2019, after the party workers were dictated to return cut money, one of the members of Parliament affiliated to TMC responded by saying, a person who has taken cut money directly is only the frontman. There are others who are behind him. They have also taken their shares, so money has to be returned according to this chain (Times of India 2019). While the direction provides evidence of extraction of rent by the local TMC leaders, the statement of the member of Parliament clearly suggests that this rent is shared by a large number of people in the political chain of the party.

There are two important reasons why people pay cut money to the incumbent party leaders: (i) information asymmetry and (ii) take or leave it offers. Poor people in the rural areas do not have all the information on the government schemes available to them (maybe due to poor education). While local political leaders associated with the panchayats have this information, the information asymmetry makes it difficult for people to verify whether they have to pay money to receive the benefit of a government scheme. For example, a village woman in Hooghly district paid `550 to a local TMC leader to get a cooking gas connection under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, a central government scheme for providing free cooking gas connection to poor village women, thinking it is the installation charge (Financial Express 2019). Similarly, a poor person in the rural areas often faces the take it or leave it offers by the TMC leaders. Those who do not agree to pay may not be considered for the entitlement.

Unfolding the Puzzles

Based on the above discussion, we present a political economy framework of rent extraction and sharing among the political agents in West Bengal. There are two political agents in this framework: central and local political elites along with their associates. The central political elites include members of legislative assembly, members of Parliament, and the state-level leaders of TMC. The local political elites and their associates include syndicate members in the urban and semi-urban areas and local leaders of TMC running the panchayats in the rural areas. While the central political elites are the same in both rural and urban areas, the local political elites and their associates are different. In the rural areas, the instrument used to extract rent is cut money, while in the urban and semi-urban areas the instrument is the syndicate.

In the rural economy, rent is generated from the money rural people receive through government schemes (both central and state government schemes) and extracted by the local political elites and their associates controlling the panchayats. This rent is shared between political agents, central political elites, and local political elites and their associates in rural areas (Times of India 2019). Similarly, in the urban and semi-urban economy, rent is generated and extracted from people involved in different economic activities like real estate business, manufacturing, and land dealings, by the syndicate members. This rent is also shared between political agents, central political elites, and local political elites and their associates in urban areas (Chaudhary 2018).

In the absence of any ideological bonding, the rent-sharing strategy between the political agents helps political parties to attach agents strongly. During the Left Front rule, this role was played by their strong political organisation driven by an ideology. However, in the absence of a strong political ideology, TMC needed to involve political agents and hire a consultant to mitigate the conflicts within the organisation and peoples unrest, which they successfully did by creating the monetary incentive structure discussed above and hiring a consultant (Kundu 2021).

Now, let us discuss how this model provides an answer to the question of regime persistence, political violence, and economic stagnation during the TMC regime in West Bengal. In majority cases, the local political elites and their associates in TMC are mostly the whole-time party workers or syndicate members (in urban and semi-urban areas). Thus, their livelihood is entirely dependent on this rent.8 Since the rent generation is linked with the persistence of the political regime that allows them to extract rent, their livelihood is dependent on the persistence of the regime itself. Thus, during elections, in order to protect their livelihood, they do not hesitate to apply violent methods to intimidate and oppress opposition political party voters or anyone who they consider a threat to the survival of the political regime. This explains why there are so many incidents of intimidation and oppression of the voters during each and every election and why we observe regime persistence of TMC (or increasing vote share) during the last three state assembly elections despite a poor economic performance by the government.

Let us look at the decline in economic growth? The framework predicts that the impacts of rent extraction in the rural and the urban economies are going to be different. In the urban and semi-urban areas, where syndicates extract rent, there will be a decline in economic activity. Extortion of businesspersons and investors discourages investment in the non-farm sector of the economy. However, rent extraction in the rural areas will be different. In these areas, rent is generated from the government schemes. The amount of rent generated depends on how many government schemes are being implemented and how much funds are being spent. In order to increase the amount of money political agents receive through rent-seeking, they have to spend more money through government schemes.

Hence, there is a clear incentive for both the local and central political agents to implement more government schemes and spend more money in the rural areas. This is going to increase the speed of public service delivery and increase economic activity in the rural areas (Nath 2017). Table 2 shows that during the TMC regime, the aggregate economic growth in West Bengal has declined more than the decline of the national gross domestic product (GDP) growth; the agriculture sector in the state performed much better than the performance of the agriculture sector in the entire nation (Ghatak 2021). Moreover, the non-farm sector has registered a massive decline under TMC. Since more than 80% of the GSDP in West Bengal comes from the non-farm sectors, the spectacular performance of agriculture is overshadowed by the massive decline in the non-farm sectors of the economy. This is the reason for the decline in the overall economic growth during the TMC regime.

In Conclusion

It is conventionally believed that if the political parties in a democratic setting are engaged in a competition to serve the majority of the population, it may ensure the economys prosperity. This seems to suggest a positive correlation between political competition and economic growth. Thus, the political stability of a state is the outcome of economic prosperity brought about by the party. This may not always be true. The recent election outcome in West Bengal seems to be one such example. While economic agents can have mutually conflicting interests in an unequal society, the incumbent party prefers to better serve the people at the bottom of the income distribution. To gain popularity among the people of the lower income distribution, it demands resources to be mobilised to subsidise them. This can be achieved in two alternative ways. First, the people on the top of the income distribution need to be taxed. This would essentially discourage some of their economic activities. But lower taxation reduces the amount to be distributed among the low-income people. The available resources collected from taxation to be distributed among the poor tend to be lower, making the incumbent unpopular among the poor who are the majority of voters in a typical developing society.

Second, a trade-off in which a state can bargain for a significant share of grants from the union government in a federal setting can be avoided. However, in both the cases, the resource mobilisation from government schemes and their distribution must mushroom rent-seeking activities and fuel leakages in the economy. Interestingly, such leakages essentially feed and encourage a group of individuals or cadres who worked for the incumbent political interests and popularity. Since the resources are not directly collected by the state in the second case, the direct conflict between the poor and the rich is bypassed to some extent. However, they can definitely raise dissatisfaction due to insufficient benefit, favouritism, deprivation, poor governance, and a lack of transparency. If anyone tries to revolt for these reasons, this group of individuals nurturing the leakage funds helps the incumbent politicians by spreading fear among the people. So, the dependence on welfare grants (more so from the centre) serves to gain popularity to survive a group of cadres, helping to ease out the unrest among the deprived individuals. Such a model offers a negative correlation between growth and political competition. The persistence of the incumbent political party in power in West Bengal seems to suggest that the state has taken the second route. Though mobilisation of social welfare schemes for the poor and rural individuals has marginally improved their economic condition, the benefits are so small that they do not attract the majority in favour of incumbency unless the cadre networks work. The cadre who grew up under the shadow of welfare schemes favoured the incumbent party for their self-interests. The severe exposition of violence around the elections confirms their presence, functions, and effectiveness.

Notes

1 According to Daxecker (2020), political violence during elections is a strategy to manipulate election outcomes. In most of the cases, the intention is to influence the electoral competition by trimming down voter turnout of the opponents (Bratton 2008; Collier and Vicente 2012). Electoral violence is levied by political actors to purposefully influence the process and outcome of elections, and it involves coercive acts against humans, property, and infrastructure (Bekoe 2012; Harish and Toha 2019; Hoglund 2009).

2 Both these instruments were present during the Left Front regime; these were in fact developed by the leftists only. However, they were less known, most probably due to strong political organisation the rent-seeking was less prevalent.

3 This may be due to the growth of labour intensive micro, small and medium enterprises.

4 Poverty rate for 201718 has been calculated based on a report that the government had initially published and then withdrawn.

5 West Bengal has become one of the most out-migrating states in the country in recent times.

6 This is due to the fact that the formal legal system is costly and inaccessible to them.

7 The legal system is costly both in terms of time and money.

8 This kind of dependence of political agents on political rent was present during the time of Left Front rule as well. However, due to strong political organisation, there were some checks and balances.

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High school student performance is starting to rebound after dramatic declines amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to test results issued by the Texas Education Agency this week.

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness end-of-course exams are taken by high school students and students in third through eighth grades to evaluate they learned throughout the school year in algebra I, biology, U.S. history, and English I and II.

And although the full STAAR results for grades 3-8 wont be released until June 24, the initial results are an early indication of how educators fared with students back in the classrooms.

Preliminarily, it looks very good for us, said Patti Salzmann, deputy superintendent at San Antonio Independent School District. Weve been very concerned with high school because, during the pandemic, the two student groups that were the hardest to get back in school were the early childhood and then, of course, the high school. So we are paying a lot of attention to how our high school students perform.

SAISD has focused on two things: making sure students are attending regularly and benefiting from the instruction, Salzmann said.

On ExpressNews.com: Clock ticking, San Antonio high schools trying to get absent seniors across the finish line

For end-of-course tests, content knowledge is rated at the state level as approaching, meeting or mastering the state standard, with the latter being the highest scores.

Algebra scores were among the most impacted across grade levels amid the pandemic. For high school students, they went from 39 percent of all Texas students mastering the content in the spring of 2019 to only 23 percent in the spring of 2020. This year, 30 percent of Texas high schoolers reached the masters level.

In the same subject, 46 percent of students were listed as meeting the standard. Thats slightly up from 2020, when 41 percent met the standard, but still down from the 62 percent reported in 2019.

These results provide encouraging evidence that the academic recovery plans adopted by the Texas Legislature and implemented by our states 370,000 dedicated teachers are working for our students, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said.

Performance in biology and U.S. history also slightly increased by a couple of percentage points across grade levels. But these subjects had a less dramatic decrease over the last few years, dropping by less than 10 percent across grade levels.

And in English I and II, students were able to maintain and, in some cases, improve their scores throughout the last three years in most cases.

In Texas, the test scores help determine if the students are ready to move on to the next grade or graduate. But in the last few years, as learning was dramatically impacted by the pandemic, the state removed STAAR-related requirements for grades 3-8.

For the students themselves, the performance on the end-of-course exams indicate that they are on track for college readiness, Salzmann said. It doesnt mean that they are college-ready because there are other factors that we take into account for college readiness. But because three of those four assessments are given in the eighth grade or freshman year, they are early indicators toward college readiness.

On ExpressNews.com: Substantial hit  San Antonios missing students force high-growth ISDs into unprecedented retreat

In 2021, the Texas legislature passed House Bill 4545, which calls for 30 hours of targeted tutoring per failed subject area or for the student to be placed in a classroom overseen by a state a certified master, exemplary or recognized teacher.

These changes came at a time when education was affected by lower attendance rates, continued COVID-related interruptions  such as quarantines and long-term absences of both teachers and students  and fewer substitute teachers.

For educators, this also meant more high school students showing enough proficiency to graduate without alternative tests or individual graduation committees, which consider other assessments to determine if the student is ready to graduate.

Salzmann said the goal is to graduate the least number of students through these committees, and while there is still a higher-than-usual number of students graduating this way, the scores are an indication of a shift in a more normal direction.

We still have students that are graduating through the alternative plan, she said. But this school year is definitely looking more normal, and students are getting back on track. We still have a long way to go ... but we do have some strong indicators that we are on track to get back to pre-pandemic status.

danya.perez@express-news.net | @DanyaPH
BRAZORIA  The Texas Historical Commission is hoping people will dig the Levi Jordan Plantation.

With a focus on archaeology, the site will be reopened not just to inform people who want to learn about the history of Texas, but also to provide opportunities for those who want to get in the mix and take to the field.

The idea behind the facility was to provide a museum atmosphere thats not traditional, in a sense. Most museums you go into, you read a lot. Theres no tangible parts to the museum, or they do have small parts of tangible items, site manager Chris Elliott said. This is kind of flipping the script a little bit, to where this is the permanent behind-the-scenes tour.

From archaeology, to curation, to museum studies, our historic sites encompass such a large array of different specialties, but normal museum visitors never get to see that, Elliott said.

To help pull back the curtain, the visitor center of the site is set up to allow people a clear view of the archeologists, lab technicians and historians as they clean and catalogue artifacts.

More than that, they are allowed to stroll on in and talk to them.

Its going to be a completely open facility, Elliott said.

Jeremy Hill / The (Brazoria County) Facts

The only closed part of the visitor center is the storage room for the museums collection, which will house artifacts collected since work began on the site in the mid-1980s.

Locating these items includes a lot of old-fashioned digging and work, but technology does tend to help, like ground-penetrating radar. Before we dig the hole, it kind of gives us a glimpse of whats there, said Shannon Smith, assistant site director.

The Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site held a reopening event last weekend.

In addition to the new visitor center, an education center has been built and will be available for rent. The site is looking to attract businesses, schools and tourists.

Were going to be hosting workshops in there, and the great thing about this is its designed so its not just a local facility. We have two transit vans that we can use to shuttle people from Houston Hobby (Airport) in. It has eight full bedrooms and ensuites, Elliott said. We want our program to be a national program.

Along with the rooms, the center boasts a combination kitchen/dining area/classroom and a laundry room that visitors can use, as well as a fenced-in porch to discourage mosquitoes.

Elliott says part of the purpose of what theyre building is to educate educators  giving teachers information on how to instruct students in what can be difficult topics. Theyre wanting to bring classes to the site as a way to facilitate engagement.

Jeremy Hill / The (Brazoria County) Facts

We have Southwest Airlines thats looking at being a sponsor to be able to fly the teachers in at real low cost. The reason why we decided to do the bedrooms is to drive that cost of that program down, to get more people involved with it, Elliott said.

Its a good program to teach one-on-one and 101 archaeology, Smith said. He said that includes what archeologists do and the differences between archaeology and fields like paleontology and geology.

On the tourist end, Elliott calls what they want to provide an Eduvacation. His hope is that people will book time at the site in order to get a clean, comfortable room and participate in the research.

Frankly, I feel like archaeology can be a long process. You have your days in the field, and what a lot of people dont realize is the artifacts come out of the ground, are cleaned, cataloged, washed, weighed, labeled  all of that. So what this shows is all of those processes. Also as researchers at the site try to expand the story, we can have the public help us expand that story, Smith said. So you can come get your hands actually dirty with us and help.

The idea behind the revamp of the historical site is to focus not as much on Levi Jordan, himself, but on the slaves who, according to a 1860 census, numbered 134 at the time.

The idea is to be active archaeology on the historic site. Were trying to learn more about the enslaved who lived here, not necessarily more about the planter. Weve got a lot of records on him, but we dont know much about the enslaved, Elliott said. So were going to be doing a lot more archaeology on the site to gain more information into their everyday life.

Jeremy Hill / The (Brazoria County) Facts

They hope this also will serve to make the Levi Jordan Plantation distinctive from other historic sites in the area that focus largely on former land owners or major figures in Texas past.

This site is more pure, in the sense that it came from the descendants of the planters straight to the states hands, Elliott said, in comparing the site to the Varner Hogg Plantation.

Smith explained that most of the ground had never been cultivated agriculturally, especially where the main structures had stood, though one was disturbed when a pipeline had gone through.

The site also will be working with families in the area, trying to find more information for the purposes of genealogy and ancestry. Elliott says that while researching your family tree may come easy for some, it does not work well for the descendants of the enslaved.

African Americans dont have that luxury because theres a big gap in there, Elliot said. What we want to do is help find those connections.

We want to learn more about the individuals and their individual stories, Smith said. We might have a name, but we dont have much more than that.

They hope they can add the material to existing documents like the oral histories the Works Progress Association collected in the 1930s in order to deepen the understanding of how enslaved people lived in Texas and who they were.

The next planned phase of the site is to continue stabilizing the main house. They plan to eventually open it up, using Jordans granddaughters writings as a springboard for their exhibits.

The potential for a larger museum at the site with a focus on African American history in the region is there, Elliot said, but it is still in the design phase and unfunded. He is currently focusing on getting the site up and doing the work to uncover the past.
Ive most enjoyed the articles on the Peacock (Military) Academy and others. Just thought you might like to see this beautiful depiction of the school. Unfortunately, I cant find an indication as to who the artist was, only a small notation on the left side that says Maverick-Clarke, S A Tex, which is a firm attached to a number of old drawings like this. Maybe they had an artist on staff who did the work. Im quite amazed at the details and time (this illustration) must have taken for (the artist) to remain anonymous.

 Jim Crain

From the mid-19th century, as printing processes improved, pictorial letterheads became an important promotional strategy, creating an often idealized image of attractive premises in a prosperous setting. Drawn free-hand or from photographs, the pictures were engraved and printed on paper for correspondence, as most business was done by letter until use of the telephone became common. They served as a logo, creating a favorable first impression of the business and its surrounding community, with a more-or-less literal, if enhanced, visual of the companys premises and the place where it was located.

One of the best-known San Antonio pictorial letterheads was drawn by German-born artist Erhard Pentenrieder, whose vignettes of Main Plaza and other landmarks are arranged along the top and both sides of stationery first published in the 1850s and reprinted until well into the 20th century.

The scenes of San Fernando Cathedral, the Alamo and other Spanish colonial missions, interspersed with depictions of frontiersmen and Native Americans, gave the city a romantic charm when new. The design, drawn free-hand, aged well because once the vaqueros and wagon trains were gone, their presence on paper cast the city in the mellow light of history. A local business using this letterhead was seen to be writing from a place tied to a colorful Western heritage, yet up-to-date enough to have access to trained artists and luxury boutiques like Pentenrieder & Blersch, whose shop was on Main Plaza at Commerce Street.

At the time of the 1910 letter by Wesley Peacock Sr., owner-operator of the Peacock Military School (later Academy), the institution was 16 years old. The campus itself was front and center in the letterhead, representing it as well integrated in its suburban West End (later Woodlawn) neighborhood, with a spacious campus, lots of buildings, uniformed cadets on the parade ground, a tall flagpole and a convenient church right across the street.

More from Paula Allen: Private school followed trend, added military program

Donna Peacock, granddaughter of Professor Peacock, as he was known, and author of Parade Rest, a two-volume history of the school, doesnt have information about the letterhead but identified the buildings that would have been there at the time the note was written. These were The Brick (later Johnston Hall), the main building; a canteen known as The Exchange, run by student salesmen; the residences of Professor Peacock and his family; mess hall, infirmary and armory; and East Barracks (later McKinnon Hall). In context, they look trim and right-size for their surroundings  substantial but not too crowded. Peacock was head of school, but the other names on the letterhead show hes no longer going it alone as he was in the schools 1894 founding announcement (I give all the instructions myself).

This was the letterhead that would have been received by prospective families, vendors, bankers and anyone else who might draw a positive impression from its representation of the school. Here, its used for a condolence letter to an acquaintance  probably Benjamin Wyshe (also occasionally spelled Wysche), who was the first librarian of San Antonios first real public library, the Carnegie Library (1903-1929) completed in 1903 with funds donated by industrialist Andrew Carnegie.

More from Paula Allen: Early library buildings occupied site of present-day cultural institution

Wyshe was a professional librarian who earned a bachelors degree from the University of North Carolina and took library training at Amherst College, according to the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. He came to San Antonio after serving as librarian at the University of Texas from 1897 to 1903. He married his first wife, Zoa Knowlton Woodward (who went by Knowlton) in 1898; the couple had no children, and she died Nov. 17, 1910, of surgical shock (excessive blood loss and low blood pressure) a few days after a hysterectomy to treat fibroid tumors (the typical treatment of the time).

Peacock, who acknowledges that he also has experienced the shadow of death, is inviting Wyshe to dinner at his home. The school founder had lost his first wife, Seline, mother of his first son, Wesley Jr., in 1898; several years later, he married Edith Wing, with whom he had three more children. Perhaps he wanted to give hope to the librarian by his own example. It may have worked, since Wyshe remarried in 1914 to Ethel Cheshire Deaver, and they had two children together.

Wyshe was a popular guest speaker at clubs and conferences, so he and Peacock may have known each other through educational circles, but they were also both members and officers of the Methodist Epworth League for younger adults. (That church across the street from Peacocks school is West End Methodist.)

More from Paula Allen: Family-operated school closed instead of changing

The Maverick-Clarke Litho Co.  referring to lithography, a print-making process  was a leading local printer founded in 1874 by, yes, one of those Mavericks, Samuel Maverick Jr., who was also a farmer, storekeeper and banker. It became Maverick-Clarke in 1895, renamed to reflect a partnership with relocated Galveston printer Robert Clarke, according to Clarkes entry in the Handbook of Texas.

In 1929, a Maverick-Clarke newspaper advertisement included a clip from a Joske Bros. letterhead that featured a picture of the department store and extolled the printers design quality and over 30 years of supplying companies with letterhead in keeping with their businesses.

That indicates an emphasis on this part of the printing business as far back as the turn of the last century, around the time Maverick-Clarke announced, We have it  the only copper-plate press in this city, in a series of 1901 ads in the San Antonio Light. Do not have your copper-plate work sent away, for we have the best engraver in the South and can fill your orders promptly and in the very latest styles. (It wasnt unusual for San Antonio businesses to send work to out-of-town printers and publishers, as C.H. Guenther flour mills and the Menger Hotel did, working with John Gast of St. Louis to develop their letterheads.)

The best engraver may have been Fred (also Frederick or Friedrich) F. Weiss, a native of Germany who apprenticed at the printing firm at age 17 in 1894. By the time he turned 21, the popular engraver was congratulated on his milestone birthday in the Light, Dec. 4, 1897. From San Antonio city directory listings, it appears that he may have later changed professions but could have still been with Maverick-Clarke when Peacock ordered his stationery  which may have been yeaErs before the date of the Wyshe letter.

Anyone with more information about the identity of Maverick-Clarke artists may contact this column.

historycolumn@yahoo.com | Twitter: @sahistorycolumn | Facebook: SanAntoniohistorycolumn
Dallas officials have recommended a new city ordinance that bans residents from feeding wildlife, and carries a fine, as part of a plan to manage coyotes.

Dallas Animal Services and the Dallas Park and Recreation Department presented a draft of their coyote management plan this week to residents at the Lake Highlands Recreational Center. The plan also calls for a public database that tracks coyote sightings and a public education campaign about keeping the animals at bay.

Im thankful for the progress that has been made. Hopefully, we will have something that keeps all the kids and residents safe, said council member Adam McGough, who represents Lake Highlands.

After a 2-year-old boy was hospitalized in critical condition from a coyote attack in Lake Highlands in early May, community members called for more comprehensive regulation and a response plan.

The toddler was sitting on his porch in the 9200 block of Royalpine Drive, near White Rock Trail, on May 3 when he was attacked by a coyote.

Ann Barnes, assistant general manager of field services, said the animal services agency has received no follow-up on the boys condition since the previous community meeting on May 9, when he was reported to be recovering.

Three coyotes were killed in the area shortly after the attack, but its difficult to know if the animal responsible for the attack was killed. Brett Johnson, city of Dallas urban biologist, said no other coyotes have been killed since those three.

A total of four coyotes have been tested for rabies since the incident in early May, and none was positive.

Residents expressed frustration with the city after the incident in May and what they said was a delayed response to coyotes in the area. Some residents said the city had placed blame on them for feeding wildlife.

Dallas Animal Services said they never intended to blame residents for aggressive coyote behavior.

The meeting marked the near finalization of the coyote management plan as the animal services agency sought input from area residents. Whitney Bollinger, the agencys assistant director, expects the plan to be finalized in the coming weeks, including making a comprehensive education plan packet available online and rolling out a publicly available tracking data set and online reporting system for various levels of coyote interaction.

Since May, the department has implemented a coyote reporting hotline service. Residents call 469-676-9813 to report sightings of coyotes and signs of coyotes. Bollinger said the hotline has received 275 calls from within the city and 45 from outside of the city.

Bollinger said his agency also has been in contact with the citys code department to develop responses to code violations that result in attractive places for coyotes to make their dens.

She said its now pup season for coyotes. A lot of people will think there is an infestation during these times, but they are just on the move, she said.

Officials said if residents see a coyote, they should not turn and walk away, but rather make themselves large and loud so the animal does not become accustomed to human behavior.
June 14, 2022: Information Clearing House -- 57068\ The House Select Committee on Jan. 6 has detailed what at some level we already knew. Trump lost the election. He knew it. His advisers knew it. His Justice Department knew it. The courts confirmed it. There was no evidence of voter fraud. Trump liedand continues lying to this day.

No one likes a sore loser, but Trump would not accept that he lost. He railed about fraud so often that he convinced his followers that the election must have been stolen. He used the false claims to raise a stunning amount of money$250 millionfor an election defense fund that was a fiction. He used the money for his political and personal purposes. He not only misled those who believed in him, he ripped them off. So it goes.

That's not the real scandal. We have had a sense about Trump for a long time. Even his supporters understood he was a scoundrel, they just mistakenly thought he was their scoundrel.

Those who got misled and fooled aren't really the problem. The problem is the cynical politicians who echoed the liesand knew better. They not only re-enforced the lies, they acted on them.

Across the country, Republicans used Trump's lies not just to demand recounts of ballots in various states, they used them to change the law in very specific ways. They made voting more difficult, particularly for working and poor people who live in urban areas. They reduced early voting days, ended voting on Sunday, limited voting places in urban areas, made vote-by-mail more difficult, demanded new forms of ID that discriminated against students and minorities, and more.

Second, they made the possibility of distorting the vote more likely. They got rid of non-partisan election officials and replaced them with partisans. They gave state legislatures greater power to overturn elections simply because they don't like the results, regardless of how the majority voted. By 2024, as many as 20 of the 50 states will run under election orders that are much more exposed to partisan manipulation.

Third, at the national level, they blocked every effort to reform the process. They blocked revival of the Voting Rights Act, which used to enjoy bipartisan support. They blocked efforts to perfect the electoral system and protect it from partisan meddling. They blocked reforms that would make it easier to register, harder to gerrymander districts, and set national standards for the country.

The cynicism of these politicians is clear. They assume that Americans won't let issues of democracy define their vote. They assume that not only will they pay no political cost for undermining democracy, they will be rewarded for it. The Trump lies fuel the anger of the Republican baseand dismay those who oppose those lies. The former are more likely to vote; the latter more likely to be turned off.

Are these Republican cynics right? Pollsters suggest they are. Voters are concerned about the price of food and gas, jobs and the economy, crime, and other concerns that impact their daily lives. They assume the existence of democracy. They assume that the debates over reforms are questions of partisanship, not patriotism.

A likely result is that Trump's Big Lie may end up discrediting him, but not the Republican politicians who joined in echoing it and cowered before Trump's wrath. To date in the Republican primaries, those who stood up to Trump have not fared well, while those who kowtowed to him have done better.

That is where we are. The Jan. 6 Committee will prove its case: Trump lied and tried to overturn an election he knew he lost. Now voters have to decide. Will they reward those who spread the lie or hold their representatives accountable?

Many commentators say that the committee has put Trump in the dock. In fact, it is our democracy that is in the dock. Will it be defended or deformed? Will it end strengthened or undermined? We need a new surge from idealists and reformers to overcome the cynics that put democracy at risk.
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A San Antonio man who was convicted of indecency of a child and sentenced to 20 years in prison after his young son said his father molested him as part of a twisted Satanic ritual may soon be exonerated.

In 1991, Melvin George Quinney Jr. was 43 when he was arrested and charged with indecency with a child after his then-10-year-old son, John Quinney, accused his father of sexually abusing him. The boy believed stories told to him that his father led a Satanic cult that abused and tortured children and animals, and kidnapped and killed hitchhikers.

Melvin Quinney pleaded not guilty and watched his son testify against him. A Bexar County jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was released for good behavior in 1999 after serving eight years, and he completed his parole in 2011.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio Four exonerated by Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

The son, now known as John Parker, 41, has recanted what he said as a 10-year-old. He said his original statements became a web of confusion that followed him the rest of his life. The allegations came at a time when Satanic panic conspiracies abounded that scores of children across the country were being sexually abused, tortured and killed at the hands of devil worshipers.

Therapists testifying Friday said Quinney and his children fell into that trap.

I thought I was testifying truthfully, but that was not the case, Parker said Friday at a hearing for Quinney, now 74, whom officials said has a very good chance at winning an actual innocence claim.

Parker and his siblings are working with Mike Ware and Jessi Freud of The Innocence Project of Texas, who argued in San Antonio on Friday to have Quinneys conviction overturned.

Bexar County prosecutors Matthew Howard and Hank Wilkins are working the case as part of the District Attorneys Conviction Integrity Unit.

Criminal Magistrate Judge Andrew Carruthers presided over the six-hour hearing Friday.

Are all the allegations completely false? Ware asked Parker, who replied, Yes.

Sam Owens, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

Parker said the allegations of abuse and stories of Satanic rituals were planted by his mother and her evangelical friends, therapists, Child Protective Services caseworkers, members of law enforcement and the people who prosecuted his father.

I couldnt believe anything good could happen to me, Parker said, his voice breaking. They took all of that.

As he got older and was no longer on medications prescribed by therapists, Parker said he began to remember some things  specifically that the allegations were not true and that the abuse never occurred.

On ExpressNews.com: Last vestiges of criminal past erased for wrongly convicted San Antonio Four

Parker spent the good part of the morning testifying about his childhood and three siblings, Sarah, Tammy and Matthew. They were all under 10 when their parents divorced for the second time, and they were taken away by their mother around the time that she alleged Quinney had abused their daughter. He was never charged with that.

Sarah Parker testified briefly Friday, stating that her father never abused her.

Ive always known my father was innocent, she said.

Eventually, the four siblings were split up and sent to foster care, but three returned to their mother.

Parker told the court of many times he met with his mothers church friends, investigators, CPS workers and therapists, whom he said would ask him questions until he gave them the answers they wanted to hear.

If I told them stories, the crazier, the darker the story, the more they liked it, Parker said.

One by one, three psychologists who studied the case said Parker never had a narrative of how the alleged abuse occurred. He just seemed to answer questions posed to him.

John never really gave a narrative, a story, to anything, Dallas psychologist Alexandria Doyle told the court. You have to get children to give you a narrative of the situation, describing the event that actually happened.

Doyle said that in reviewing original trial testimony by Parker, she found that he really could not talk about abuse in a coherent way.

Sam Owens, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

Ware, in a brief closing statement, urged Carruthers to correct a terrible injustice that happened in 1991 and find that Quinney is innocent.

Howard stated that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which will review this case, has held that recantation holds up.

We believe what has been said has been credible, Howard told the court.

Carruthers said he would make appropriate findings as soon as possible.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
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An officer who fatally shot a 13-year-old boy this month fatally shot a man who family members say was having a mental health crisis in March last year.

On March 26, 2021, Officer Stephen Ramos responded alongside two officers to a 911 call reporting that a man with a knife broke into a home in the 1300 block of Brighton Avenue, according to a San Antonio police report. John Pena Montez, 57, appeared intoxicated and threatened to kill himself during an argument with his common-law wife, according to the report. Officer Douglas Meynig attempted to use a stun gun on Montez twice as he was inside the house, but it had no effect.

According to the report, Montez was lunging at the officers when Ramos shot him several times, but family members say he wasnt.

On June 3, police say Ramos and another officer drove up on either side of Andre AJ Hernandez, 13, as he was driving a stolen, red Toyota Corolla in the 5100 block of War Cloud Street. Police say Andre was attempting to ram the drivers-side door of a police Chevrolet Tahoe, threatening the life of the officer, who was stepping out. The officer pulled his leg back in as the car hit the SUV, and Ramos fired a single shot through the drivers-side door, fatally wounding Andre.

In both cases, family members differ with police on how events unfolded and whether Montez or Andre intended to harm the officers.

But for Montezs case, police already have cleared Ramos of wrongdoing.

Lt. Michelle Ramos, with San Antonio police, said Stephen Ramos was placed on administrative duty after the March 2021 incident  standard practice following officer-involved shootings.

Ramos returned to full duty in September after an investigation by Internal Affairs and an Officer Involved Shooting Review Committee found no administrative violations, the lieutenant said. The San Antonio Police Department since forwarded the case to the Bexar County District Attorneys Office for an independent review, she said.

But Montezs killing still haunts his family, including his widow, Melissa Sanchez, and his sister, Debra Montez-Felder.

Sanchez and Montez were married for 11 years. He was a U.S. Army veteran who struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. In the two weeks leading up to his death, Montez was staying at a hotel as the two worked through problems with their marriage.

A few hours before the shooting, about 10 p.m., he approached her at their home on Brighton appearing to be drunk, she said. Montez was jealous of a man who reached out to her via Facebook, though she assured Montez she was not talking to him. In anger, Montez brought up the fact that Sanchez had miscarried earlier that year and questioned whether the child was his, Sanchez said. Before leaving, he made threats to kill himself with a knife.

Sanchez said she called the Veterans Affairs office for help.

Anyone who has dealt with PTSD or depression would know there are times when things get difficult, Sanchez said. My goal that night was trying to get my husband help so we wouldnt have to be without him.

Sanchez said the VA recommended that she call police to do a welfare check on Montez, but she never heard back after requesting one.

Montez had threatened that if the cops were to be called, he would go at them, a police report states and Sanchez confirms.

But Sanchez said it was an empty threat that Montez made in the heat of the crisis. She said he could be verbally abusive, but he had never gotten physical with either her or their children, and that he had great respect for law enforcement. Hed been a security guard himself at USAA for at least 17 years, his family said.

Sanchez said Montez returned about 1 a.m., threatening to hurt himself and pressing the knife against himself.

At one point, he slapped Sanchez across the face, she said. She ran inside, closed the door and called police. Thats when he shoulder-checked the door and got inside.

But Sanchez said she was not concerned for her own safety. Instead, she said she asked 911 for an ambulance to help her with Montez, who had kept the knife pressed against himself.

When the officers arrived, Montez was inside the house by the back door.

The report states that Montez concealed himself from police, then moved toward his wife. But she said that he had been shifting his body to address her, asking whether this confrontation with police was what she wanted.

I was more scared for my husband because they already had their guns drawn, she said.

Both Montez and Felder have reviewed body cam footage with help from the District Attorneys Offices civil rights division. Felder described Montez as being matter-of-fact toward the officers, and said he was not lunging when he was shot. Sanchez said Montez had diabetes and high blood pressure, and he might have been about to fall.

She said he had his left hand up and his palm down, signaling for the officers to wait. She said he asked them whether they were going to shoot at a house with people inside.

Sanchez said he grabbed at the door in an attempt to close it after he was hit by the stun gun, but police pushed the door open.

Sanchez and Felder said the shooting happened quickly after the stun gun was used.

Montez was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:46 a.m.

Montez leaves behind seven children as well as two grandchildren, Sanchez said, describing their family as blended. Family members said Montez loved to crack jokes and make others laugh. He was a suit-and-tie guy who only recently started wearing jeans, his widow said.

Both Sanchez and Felder said that officers could have de-escalated the situation, and they were quick to use force. Sanchez said the whole encounter lasted 90 seconds.

The police report, released Thursday in response to questions about the incident, states that Montez lunged in a striking motion with a knife. His sister said that the body cam footage does not support the report, and she has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justices civil rights division.

The narrative they want to convey to the public is not true, Felder said.

Felder is pushing for police to release the video. She said they havent because they say it relates to domestic violence, but she sees that as an excuse to hide the footage.

Montez enjoyed putting on joke and magic shows for family and friends. He even had a stint as a Ronald McDonald clown for a time.

Kids gravitated toward him because he was a big kid, his sister said. He had us all laughing.

But Felder said his depression worsened as he got older.

Sanchez said she had to give him an ultimatum. He could come home only if he sought help and got back on his medication.

Now I have so many regrets because look what happened, she said. I regret calling the cops at all. I wasnt afraid of my husband, I was afraid for my husband.

jbeltran@express-news.net
On June 19, 1865, freedom came to Texas. Nearly 2 years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Gen. Gordon Granger, accompanied by thousands of union troops, arrived at the Port of Galveston.

At that time, because of the amount of human cargo that funneled through it, Galveston was the wealthiest city in Texas and also the capital of what was then called the Republic of Texas. When Granger and his troops arrived, joined by thousands of soldiers from Black regiments, they came to enforce a freedom that inhabitants of Texas were already aware of.

The history books we read in school tell us that the troops came to spread the news of freedom, but the news was already widespread, whispered about on plantations, talked about in social clubs, known across the state. Texas stance was not only to keep their slaves, who were the economic engine of the region, but also to invite those from other states who wanted to keep their slaves in bondage to relocate to Texas. The historical record shows that Texas so supported slavery that it instigated and won the Texas Revolution, which allowed it to secede from Mexico and continue the enslavement of Black people. American chattel slavery  which was the stealing of a people  forced passage of a people, forced labor and physical exploitation of a people, physical brutality of a people, torture, rape, forced separation and death of a people. America should be ashamed of this ugly history, but you cant be ashamed of what you refuse to fully acknowledge.

Imagine this scene: the sound of a whip tearing through flesh, the sight of thorn-pricked hands, the cries of mothers torn from babies, the anguished moans of fathers sold off, knowing theyd never see their families again. Only if you can feel, hear, taste, smell and touch this trauma can you understand the significance of Juneteenth. That on this day, although the path to absolute freedom is still being journeyed on, those who had suffered under hellish bondage now had ownership over their own bodies and finally felt the freedom they so desired.

For as long as I can remember, weve celebrated Juneteenth. Observing the day was our way of honoring our ancestors. Barbecues. Parades. Singing. Dancing. We celebrated with tears, laughter, joy, sometimes sadness remembering what those who came before us endured. We honored them because we knew that if they hadnt survived, hadnt harnessed their God-given power to overcome, we would have never walked into the promised land of freedom.

We could feel them with us, speaking to us, rejoicing alongside us, moving through us at the cookout as we Stanky Legged, wobbled, Cupid Shuffled, did the Cha Cha Slide, twerked, jerked, dougied. We harnessed the electrical current of liberation in church as we shouted, spoke in tongues, fell out in the spirit. As Baby Suggs, the holy woman in Toni Morrisons Beloved, urged, on that day we loved our flesh and our heart, for loving those parts as we saw fit was the true prize of freedom. This God-given right was what they truly desired, and its what we had inherited.

June 19, 1865. Juneteenth. Jubilee day. Emancipation Day. Freedom Day. Black Independence Day. Americas newest federal holiday is a day to commemorate liberation, freedom and new beginnings for all those who suffered through the trauma of slavery. Its also a day to remember so we dont repeat. For those who descended from the enslaved, the slaveholder or both, this is a day for us all to collectively strategize a liberation where everyone, regardless of race, is truly free.

YaKe Smiths films have received worldwide acclaim. He is an associate professor of film and the associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion in the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin.
In 1963, the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, James Baldwin published his searing classic The Fire Next Time. In the first of the two essays in the book, a letter to his nephew, Baldwin writes, You know, and I know, that the country is celebrating one hundred years of freedom one hundred years too soon.

Today, Juneteenth, is the day we commemorate Texas enslaved celebrating their emancipation two years, five months, and 18 days too late. Thats how long it took for word to reach them on June 19, 1865, in Galveston Bay by way of Gen. Gordon Granger.

But long before Juneteenth would be recognized as a federal holiday, word of their new freedom was like every holiday rolled into one.

It was New Years Eve because of the celebration it ignited.

It was New Years Day because it signaled a new beginning.

It was Mothers Day and Fathers Day because newly freed parents began looking for their children whod been taken from them and sold, and children began searching for the parents from whom theyd been stolen.

It was the Fourth of July because Frederick Douglass was right when he said the original Fourth of July meant nothing to Americas enslaved because they werent declared free. For Texas enslaved, the Emancipation Proclamation was their Declaration of Independence, and Juneteenth was the first day they began to see new meaning and the possibility of inclusion in the Fourth of July.

It was Thanksgiving because the God of their weary years, the God of their silent tears, had finally delivered them along this stony road to freedom.

And it delivered the United States a little further up the stony road of democracy because the first Juneteenth was in the era of Reconstruction and this nations first attempt at a multiracial democracy. However, this fledgling endeavor was short-lived and violently ended by the white supremacy of Black Codes, Jim Crow, the convict-lease system, and all the legal and extralegal ways in which slaverys brutality and oppression could be duplicated and inflicted on future generations of Black Americans.

The United States would not become a true democracy until 100 years after the first Juneteenth, 102 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, with passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Yet this crowning achievement of the civil rights movement has been eviscerated by the U.S. Supreme Court as state legislatures across the nation have made it more difficult to vote.

There are politicians who will, today, offer platitudes about honoring Juneteenth even as they betray the spirit of Juneteenth.

When Granger sailed away from Galveston Bay, he left behind no back wages for the labor of the formerly enslaved Texans who helped create the states wealth. Nor were they compensated for the barbarity they endured for generations.

Like emancipated people across the country, they were merely left with dreams of full citizenship and opportunity often denied and delayed.

The heart of Juneteenth beats to the rhythm of family and freedom. Black family reunions are held this weekend because the first thing Black people did when freed was try to find their people.

This weekend, Black families will reunite in San Antonio and small towns such as Nixon, Schulenburg, Luling, Gonzales, Seguin and Victoria, just as they will gather throughout the nation where, over generations, Texans have carried the traditions of Juneteenth with them.

It is a time to celebrate a freedom once won but also to contemplate a democracy still not fully secured.
Enrollment at the University of Montana Alexander Blewett III School of Law is about 248 students, which is roughly half female. (Keila Szpaller/Daily Montanan)

An interim dean will steer the University of Montana law school this fall after a recruitment failed to bring a new leader to the campus and two of three interim co-leaders plan to leave UM.

This spring, UM had touted the credentials and experiences of four finalists for dean, and the provost confirmed Friday the university made offers. However, the position will be re-advertised in the summer, according to a letter from Provost Pardis Mahdavi.

We were not successful in identifying the right leader for the School of Law at this moment, despite the search committees excellent efforts over the course of the past several months, said the letter sent to the law school.

In an email to the Daily Montanan, Mahdavi said the outpouring of interest in the position underscores the strong reputation of the Alexander Blewett III School of Law, Montanas only law school: Some offers were made during this process, and because of the strong pool of applicants who initially applied for this position, we are very optimistic that this summer and fall we will again identify more dynamic leaders.

The reason UM couldnt seal a deal this time wasnt clear, but the provosts note said Elaine Gagliardi will serve as interim dean starting July 1. On faculty since 2001, Gagliardi has served in a range of administrative capacities and is a respected teacher and scholar in estate and business planning, the letter said.

UM spokesperson Dave Kuntz told the Missoulian that the cost of living in Missoula has affected nearly all of the universitys recruitments. For example, the median cost of a house in the county has jumped to $530,000 this year so far compared to $452,000 in 2021, according to data from the Missoula Organization of Realtors.

Former UM dean Paul Kirgis stepped down in the fall semester, as did associate dean Sally Weaver, following student reports the two discouraged women from taking sexual assault allegations to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX. Kirgis remains on the faculty and Weavers contract ended in spring semester.

After the step down, UM appointed three faculty members to lead the law school, Monte Mills, Sara Rinfret, and Cathay Y.N. Smith. The letter from the provost noted that both Mills and Rinfret would be pursuing exciting opportunities beyond UM next year, and Smith will be on sabbatical next year.

The letter noted the provost would be working with the search committee in the coming months to continue the search for the permanent dean: We have learned important lessons from this search that we will use to revise the position advertisement and re-advertise later in the summer in hopes of finding a permanent dean to begin in this role in January 2023. The letter did not provide details about changes to the position advertisement.

The School of Law has earned high rankings nationally, and finalists for the dean position noted its high marks in their public presentations this spring. According to UM, it jumped 31 spots in the U.S. News and World Reports Best Law Schools list this year, ranked No. 7 in National Jurists PreLaw Magazines 2021 list of Best Value Law Schools and No. 5 for clerkship placement, and landed 4th in Best Value Schools 20 Most Affordable Law Schools.

The post University of Montana appoints interim law school dean, plans to launch another recruitment appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Nestle Cereals has launched a new initiative to help its UK wheat growers support the adoption of sustainable and regenerative practices.

The Nestle Wheat Plan aims to help drive sustainable wheat sourcing in the UK while boosting the environment where the crop is grown.

A number of farmers are already taking part, with the breakfast cereal manufacturer saying it has aspirations to grow this number in the coming years.

As part of the plan, farmers are supported in making their practices more sustainable, such as undertaking regenerative methods to reduce pesticide use and cut emissions.

The firm says regenerative farming methods also help improve organic soil matter and biodiversity.

Farmers taking part undertake practices such as cover cropping, which protects water quality and ensures the soil isnt left bare and vulnerable to erosion.

Wheat growers are also planting hedgerows to create new habitats for biodiversity, which also captures carbon from the atmosphere.

The Nestle Wheat Plan supports the manufacturer's wider commitment to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Robin Sundaram, of Nestle UK & Ireland said: We know that production of crops depends on the state of the natural environment, which can be uncertain due to changing weather conditions.

"We also know that this will only get worse due to climate change. By supporting our wheat farmers to transition to more regenerative farming practices they will become more resilient in the long term."

Northamptonshire farmer Ian Matts, who is taking part, added: Weve been using regenerative farming methods for six years and have begun to see the positive effects it has made on the farm. We are pleased to be part of the Nestle Wheat Plan.

To support the launch, Nestle Cereals has included the Nestle Wheat Plan on its Shredded Wheat packaging across all major retailers.
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The UK's Decision to Extradite Assange Shows Why The US/UK's Freedom Lectures Are a Farce

June 17, 2022: Information Clearing House --The Assange persecution is the greatest threat to Western press freedoms in years. It is also a shining monument to the fraud of American and British self-depictions.



By Glenn Greenwald

The eleven-year persecution of Julian Assange was extended and escalated on Friday morning. The British Home Secretary, Priti Patel, approved the U.S.'s extradition request to send Julian Assange to Virginia to stand trial on eighteen felony charges under the 1917 Espionage Act and other statutes in connection with the 2010 publication by WikiLeaks of thousands of documents showing widespread corruption, deceit, and war crimes by American and British authorities along with their close dictatorial allies in the Middle East.

This decision is unsurprising  it has been obvious for years that the U.S. and UK are determined to destroy Assange as punishment for his journalism exposing their crimes  yet it nonetheless further highlights the utter sham of American and British sermons about freedom, democracy and a free press. Those performative self-glorifying spectacles are constantly deployed to justify these two countries interference in and attacks on other nations, and to allow their citizens to feel a sense of superiority about the nature of their governments. After all, if the U.S. and UK stand for freedom and against tyranny, who could possibly oppose their wars and interventions in the name of advancing such lofty goals and noble values?

Having reported on the Assange case for years, on countless occasions I've laid out the detailed background that led Assange and the U.S. to this point. There is thus no need to recount all of that again; those interested can read the granular trajectory of this persecution here or here. Suffice to say, Assange  without having been convicted of any crime other than bail jumping, for which he long ago served out his fifty-week sentence  has been in effective imprisonment for more than a decade.

In 2012, Ecuador granted Assange legal asylum from political persecution. It did so after the Swedish government refused to pledge that it would not exploit the WikiLeaks founder's travel to Sweden to answer sex assault accusations as a pretext to turn him over to the U.S. Fearing what of course ended up happening  that the U.S. was determined to do everything possible to drag Assange back to U.S. soil despite his not being a U.S. citizen and never having spent more than a few days on U.S. soil, and intending to pressure their long-time-submissive Swedish allies to turn him over once he was on Swedish soil  the government of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa concluded Assange's core civic rights were being denied and thus gave him refuge in the tiny Ecuadorian Embassy in London: the classic reason political asylum exists.

When Trump officials led by CIA Director Mike Pompeo bullied Correa's meek successor, ex-President Lenin Moreno, to withdraw that asylum in 2019, the London Police entered the embassy, arrested Assange, and put him in the high-security Belmarsh prison (which the BBC in 2004 dubbed the British Guantanamo), where he has remained ever since.

After the lowest-level British court in early 2021 rejected the U.S. extradition request on the ground that Assange's physical and mental health could not endure the U.S. prison system, Assange has lost every subsequent appeal. Last year, he was permitted to marry his long-time girlfriend, the British human rights lawyer Stella Morris Assange, who is also the mother of their two young children. An extremely unusual unanimity among press freedom and civil liberties groups was formed in early 2021 to urge the Biden administration to cease its prosecution of Assange, but Biden officials  despite spending the Trump years masquerading as press freedom advocates  ignored them (an interview conducted last week with Stella Assange by my husband, the Brazilian Congressman David Miranda, on Brazil's Press Freedom Day, regarding the latest developments and toll this has taken on the Assange family, can be seen here).

The Home Secretary's decision this morning  characteristically subservient and obedient of the British when it comes to the demands of the U.S.  does not mean that Assange's presence on U.S. soil is imminent. Under British law, Assange has the right to pursue a series of appeals contesting the Home Secretary's decision, and will likely do so. Given that the British judiciary has more or less announced in advance their determination to follow the orders of their American masters, it is difficult to see how these further proceedings will have any effect other than to delay the inevitable.

But putting oneself in Assange's position, it is easy to see why he is so eager to avoid extradition to the U.S. for as long as possible. The Espionage Act of 1917 is a nasty and repressive piece of legislation. It was designed by Woodrow Wilson and his band of authoritarian progressives to criminalize dissent against Wilson's decision to involve the U.S. in World War I. It was used primarily to imprison anti-war leftists such as Eugene Debs, as well as anti-war religious leaders such as Joseph Franklin Rutherford for the crime of publishing a book condemning Wilson's foreign policy.

One of the most insidious despotic innovations of the Obama administration was to repurpose and revitalize the Wilson-era Espionage Act as an all-purpose weapon to punish whistleblowers who denounced Obama's policies. The Obama Justice Department under Attorney General Eric Holder prosecuted more whistleblowers under the Espionage Act of 1917 than all previous administrations combined  in fact, three times as many as all prior presidents combined. One whistleblower charged by Obama officials under that law is NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, who in 2013 revealed mass domestic spying of precisely the kind that Obama's Director of National Intelligence James Clapper (now of CNN) falsely denied conducting when testifying to the Senate, which led to legislative curbs enacted by the U.S. Congress, and which courts have ruled unconstitutional and illegal.

What makes this law so insidious is that, by design, it is almost impossible for the government to lose. As I detailed in a Washington Post op-ed when the indictment was first revealed  arguing why it poses the greatest threat to press freedoms in the West in years  this 1917 law is written as a strict liability statute, meaning that the defendant is not only guilty as soon as there is proof that they disclosed classified information without authorization, but they are also barred from raising a "justification defense  meaning they cannot argue to the jury of their peers that it was not only permissible but morally necessary to disclose that information because of the serious wrongdoing and criminality it revealed on the part of the nation's most powerful political officials. That 1917 law, in other words, is written to offer only show trials but not fair trials. No person in their right mind would willingly submit to prosecution and life imprisonment in the harshest American penitentiaries under an indictment brought under this fundamentally corrupted law.

Whatever else one might think of Assange, there is simply no question that he is one of the most consequential, pioneering, and accomplished journalists of his time. One could easily make the case that he occupies the top spot by himself. And that, of course, is precisely why he is in prison: because, just like free speech, free press guarantees in the U.S. and UK exist only on a piece of parchment and in theory. Citizens are free to do journalism" as long as it does not disturb or anger or impede real power centers. Employees of The Washington Post and CNN are free to say what they want as long as what they are saying is approved and directed by the CIA or the content of their reporting advances the interests of the Pentagon's sprawling war machine.

Real journalists often face threats of prosecution, imprisonment or even murder, and sometimes even mean tweets. Much of the American corporate media class has ignored Assanges persecution or even cheered it precisely because he shames them, serving as a vivid mirror to show them what real journalism is and how they are completely bereft of it. And the American and British governments have successfully exploited the petty jealousies and insecurities of their failed, vapid and pointless media servants to get away with imposing the single greatest threat to press freedom in the West without much protest at all.

Free speech and press freedoms do not exist in reality in the U.S. or the UK. They are merely rhetorical instruments to propagandize their domestic population and justify and ennoble the various wars and other forms of subversion they constantly wage in other countries in the name of upholding values they themselves do not support. The Julian Assange persecution is a great personal tragedy, a political travesty and a grave danger to basic civic freedoms. But it is also a bright and enduring monument to the fraud and deceit that lies at the heart of these two governments' depictions of who and what they are.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Reader financed- No Advertising - No Government Grants - No Algorithm - This Is Independent Get Our Free Newsletter

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There is a new makeup brand on the block, and it checks all the boxes. BlushBee Beauty is an environmentally conscious makeup line catering to what women want. The makeup line uses all-natural ingredients and is non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free, all at a very affordable price. The brand was founded by the husband-and-wife duo of Navaneethan C and Shobana Navaneethan, who built the makeup line from scratch.

The newfound brand is a haven for clean beauty enthusiasts. BlushBee thoroughly conducts tests for unusual plant ingredients that are immensely beneficial for the skin. The ingredients are organically grown and naturally derived. Another sustainability initiative that the brand implements is that they use recyclable, sustainable packaging materials. The up-and-coming, luxurious makeup brand allows its customers to indulge in guilt-free makeup.

The past few years have seen global trends shift to a more sustainable lifestyle. This has also created a demand for sustainable products in different spheres of life. The makeup industry is no different. To combat the increasing carbon output, toxic pollutants, and plastic usage, more and more brands are coming up with sustainable alternatives. As more and more celebrities come out in support of sustainable products, customers have started making informed purchase decisions. BlushBee bridges the gap between high-quality and sustainable makeup products.

One of BlushBees bestsellers is their Lip Nourishing Organic Vegan Lipstick. The longwear lipstick range comes in twelve beautiful shades. They feature intense pigmentation and have a comfortable matte finish. To keep the lips hydrated for longer, BlushBee lipsticks have Vitamin E and almond oil. However, the personal favourite products of the founders are the Natural Glow Blush and the Vegan Nailpolish range. The blush helps you achieve luminous, glowy skin, and the skin-friendly ingredients include Shea Butter and Avena Sativa. The nail polishes are available in over 20 shades, while their blush is available in 5 shades. Their innovative formulas have made the products a big hit.

BlushBees makeup products cater to enriching the skin as well. The hydrating formula focuses on the skin first. The daily wear makeup range comes in vibrant colours that wear for hours. Head over to BlushBees website to add these luxurious products to your cart. Alternatively, these products can also be found in Myntra Beauty, Amazon, Flipkart, One Green, Vanity Wagon, Sublime Life, Root Naturals, and Soch. Happy Shopping!










Panchen Rinpoche visits Tibet Buddhism Academy

Xinhua) 14:52, June 18, 2022

Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po visits the Tibet Buddhism Academy in Nyethang Township under Chushur County in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, June 17, 2022. Panchen Rinpoche on Thursday and Friday visited the Tibet Buddhism Academy. (Xinhua/Chogo)

LHASA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po on Thursday and Friday visited the Tibet Buddhism Academy, where he gave lectures and performed head-touching rituals for students.

Panchen Rinpoche arrived at the academy in Nyethang Township under Chushur County in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region around 10 a.m. Thursday.

In the main hall that houses Buddha statues of the main sects of Tibetan Buddhism, Panchen Rinpoche chanted prayers with the monks, gave lectures, and distributed alms to all the students.

After lecturing for more than one hour, Panchen Rinpoche had a discussion with student representatives.

On Friday morning, Panchen Rinpoche performed head-touching rituals for all the monks and nuns at the academy.

It was Panchen Rinpoche's fourth visit to the academy to give lectures and have exchanges with students.

The Tibet Buddhism Academy was established in October 2011. So far, China has invested nearly 400 million yuan (about 59.8 million U.S. dollars) in the building of the largest Buddhist academy in Tibet, and it has trained thousands of outstanding monks and nuns for the Tibetan Buddhist community.

Gaesang Wangdue, vice president of the academy, said currently there are 906 students from 469 temples across Tibet, including more than 800 monks, 132 nuns, and 14 young Living Buddhas.

Panchen Erdeni is one of the most influential Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism. Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po was born on Feb. 13, 1990 in Lhari County of Nagqu in Tibet Autonomous Region. On Nov. 29, 1995, he was approved and confirmed by the State Council as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen after lot-drawing from a golden urn. He was then enthroned as the 11th Panchen Erdeni. 

Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po performs head-touching rituals at the Tibet Buddhism Academy in Nyethang Township under Chushur County in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, June 17, 2022. Panchen Rinpoche on Thursday and Friday visited the Tibet Buddhism Academy. (Xinhua/Chogo)

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
The Power of the Jewish Lobby

Israelis killing Americans is okay In Washington

By Philip Giraldi

June 17, 2022: Information Clearing House -- "UNZ" -- Anyone who has spent any time in Washington and who has been reasonably engaged in watching the fiasco playing out there might agree that the most powerful foreign lobby is that of Israel, backed up as it is by a vast domestic network that exists to protect and nourish the Jewish state. Indeed, it is the domestic element of the lobby that gives it strength, supported as it is by extravagantly well-funded think tanks and a media that is Jewish dominated when it comes to developments in the Middle East. The power of what I prefer to call the Jewish lobby is also manifest down to state and local levels, where efforts to peacefully boycott Israel due to its war crimes and crimes against humanity have been punished and even criminalized in more than thirty states. In several states, including Virginia, special trade arrangements are designed to benefit Israeli companies at the expense of local residents and taxpayers.

Given all of that, it should be no surprise that Israel consistently gets a pass on its aberrant behavior, even when it acts directly against US interests or kills Americans. Recall, for example, how when General David Petraeus rashly observed in 2010 that Israeli intransigence in advancing its own interests complicated relations with Arab states and could cost American lives in the Middle East, he was quickly forced to recant. And more recently an Israeli sniper murdered Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh without any consequences coming from the Joe Biden White House or from the Tony Blinken-led State Department. Biden has declared himself a Zionist and Blinken is Jewish.

But one of the most horrific Israeli outrages directed against Americans remains little known and hidden from view by the media and the political elite. Last week, on Wednesday June 8th there was a commemorative gathering at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia that was unreported in the mainstream media. It was the annual day of remembrance for the dwindling group of survivors of the USS Liberty, which was attacked by Israel fifty-five years ago. The moving service included the ringing of a ships bell for each one of the thirty-four American sailors, Marines and civilians that were killed in the deliberate false flag attack that sought to sink the intelligence gathering ship and kill all its crew. The surviving crewmembers as well as friends and supporters come together annually, bound by their commitment to keeping alive the story of the Liberty in hopes that someday the United States government will have the courage to acknowledge what actually happened on that fateful day.

In truth the attack more than half a century ago on the USS Liberty by Israeli warplanes and torpedo boats on June 8, 1967, has virtually faded from memory, with a younger generation completely unaware that a United States naval vessel was once deliberately attacked and nearly sunk by Americas greatest friend and ally Israel. The attack was followed by a cover-up that demonstrated clearly that at least one president of the United States even back fifty-five years ago valued his relationship with the state of Israel above his loyalty to his own country.

It was in truth the worst attack ever carried out on a US Naval vessel in peace time. In addition to the death toll, 171 more of the crew were wounded in the two-hour assault, which was clearly intended to destroy the intelligence gathering ship operating in international waters collecting information on the ongoing Six Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The Israelis, whose planes had their Star of David markings covered up, attacked the ship repeatedly from the air and with gunboats from the sea. They sought to sink the ship, blaming Egypt, so the United States would respond by attacking Israels Arab enemies.

A Liberty survivor Joe Meadors recalls how No Member of Congress has ever attended our annual memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery on the anniversary of the attack. We are condemned as anti-Semitic and bigots simply because we have been asking that the attack on the USS Liberty be treated the same as every other attack on a US Navy ship since the end of WWII. All we have is ourselves. Not Congress. Not the Navy. Not the DoD. Just ourselves. We need a place where we are welcome. We need our reunions.

Indeed, the incredible courage and determination of the surviving crew was the only thing that kept the Liberty from sinking. The ships commanding officer Captain William McGonagle was awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic role in keeping the ship afloat, though a cowardly and venal President Lyndon Baines Johnson, who may have connived with the Israelis to attack the ship, broke with tradition and refused to hold the medal ceremony in the White House, also declining to award it personally, delegating that task to the Secretary of the Navy in a closed to the public presentation held only reluctantly at the Washington Navy Yard. The additional medals given to other crew members in the aftermath of the attack made the USS Liberty the most decorated ship in the history of the United States Navy.

The cover-up of the attack began immediately, to include concealing the White Houses actual recall of fighter planes launched by the Sixth Fleet to assist the under-attack Liberty. The Liberty crew was subsequently sworn to secrecy over the incident, as were the Naval dockyard workers in Malta and even the men of the USS Davis, which had assisted the badly damaged Liberty to port. A hastily convened and conducted court of inquiry headed by Admiral John McCain acted under orders from Washington to declare the attack a case of mistaken identity. The inquirys senior legal counsel Captain Ward Boston, who subsequently declared the attack to be a deliberate effort to sink an American ship and murder its entire crew, also described how President Lyndon Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered him to conclude that the attack was a case of mistaken identity despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The courts findings were rewritten and sections relating to Israeli war crimes, to include the machine gunning of life rafts, were excised. Following in his fathers footsteps, Senator John McCain of Arizona subsequently used his position on the Senate Armed Services Committee to effectively block any reconvening of a board of inquiry to reexamine the evidence. Most of the documents relating to the Liberty incident have never been released to the public in spite of the 55 years that have passed since the attack took place.

There has been one independent investigation into the Liberty affair headed by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Thomas Moorer, but it had no legal standing. Its report was headed Findings of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Israeli Attack on the USS Liberty, the Recall of Military Rescue Support Aircraft while the Ship was Under Attack, and the Subsequent Cover-up by the United States Government, CAPITOL HILL, WASHINGTON, D.C., OCTOBER 22, 2003. It concluded that That there is compelling evidence that Israels attack was a deliberate attempt to destroy an American ship and kill her entire crew; evidence of such intent is supported by statements from Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Undersecretary of State George Ball, former CIA director Richard Helms, former NSA directors Lieutenant General William Odom, USA (Ret.), Admiral Bobby Ray Inman, USN (Ret.), and Marshal Carter; former NSA deputy directors Oliver Kirby and Major General John Morrison, USAF (Ret.); and former Ambassador Dwight Porter, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon in 1967

More recently, the claim by apologists for the Jewish state that Israel acted in error or due to the fog of war, has been debunked by previously suppressed National Security Agency intercepts that included an Israeli pilot calling his flight controller and stating, in alarm, that they were about to attack what was clearly an American ship. The controller ordered him to continue his attack.

The faux court of inquiry and the medals awarded in secret were only the first steps in the cover-up, which has persisted to this day, orchestrated by politicians and a media that seem to place Israels interests ahead of those of the United States. Liberty survivors have been finding it difficult even to make their case in public. In early April 2016 a billboard that read Help the USS Liberty Survivors  Attacked by Israel was taken down in New Bedford Massachusetts. The billboard had been placed by the Honor Liberty Vets Organization and, as is normal practice, was paid for through a contractual arrangement that would require the billboard company to post the image for a fixed length of time. It was one of a number of billboards placed in different states. Inevitably, Israels well connected friends began to complain. One Jewish businessman threatened to take his business elsewhere, so the advertising company obligingly removed the billboard two weeks early.

After fifty-five years, the dwindling number of survivors of the Liberty are not looking for punishment or revenge. When asked, they will tell you that they only ask for accountability, that an impartial inquiry into the attack be convened and that the true story of what took place finally be revealed to the public.

That Congress is deaf to the pleas of the Liberty crew should surprise no one as the nations legislative body has been for years, as Pat Buchanan once put it, Israeli occupied territory. The Jewish Lobbys ability to force Congress and even the presidency to submit to its will has been spelled out in some detail by critics, first by Paul Findley in They Dare to Speak Out, later by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt in The Israel Lobby and in Alison Weirs Against Our Better Judgment and most recently in Kirk Beatties excellent Congress and the Shaping of the Middle East.

Congressional willingness to protect Israel even when it is killing Americans is remarkable, but it is symptom of the legislative bodys inclination to go to bat for Israel reflexively, even when it is damaging to US interests and to the rights that American citizens are supposed to enjoy. To cite only one example of how ambitious politicians rally around to protect Israel, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is a former Navy officer who once served as a congressman for a district in Florida where several Liberty survivors were living. They recount how repeated attempts to meet with DeSantis to discuss a possible official inquiry were rejected, with the Congressman refusing to meet them. Even the veterans organization the American Legion walks in fear of Israel. It has refused to allow the USS Liberty Veterans Association to have a table or booth at its annual convention and has even banned any participation by the group at its meetings in perpetuity!

So, the treatment of the USS Liberty should surprise no one in a country whose governing class has been for decades doing the bidding of the powerful lobby of a tiny client state that has been nothing but trouble and expense for the United States of America. Will it ever end? As the Israel/Jewish Lobby currently controls the relevant parts of the federal government and much of the media, change is not likely to happen overnight, but there are some positive signs that the public is regarding Israel less favorably. As Israel is countering that trend by supporting legislation at federal and state levels declaring any group that criticizes Israel to be anti-Semitic, recounting the USS Liberty story could fall under that description and be declared a hate crime complete with civil and criminal penalties. One has to hope that the American people will finally wake up to realize that they are tired of the entire farce and decide to wash their hands of the Israel contrived narrative relating to the Middle East. Just imagine picking up the morning newspaper and not reading a front-page story about the warnings and threats coming from an Israeli Prime Minister or from Israeli mouthpieces named Biden, Schumer and Pelosi. That would be a quite remarkable development.

Philip M. Giraldi, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest, a 501(c)3 tax deductible educational foundation (Federal ID Number #52-1739023) that seeks a more interests-based U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Website is councilforthenationalinterest.org, address is P.O. Box 2157, Purcellville VA 20134 and its email is inform@cnionline.org.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Employees at SpaceX have written an internal letter to SpaceX executives, expressing worry about CEO Elon Musk's behavior and seeking for changes to the company's culture, according to a report by The Verge on June 16.

What Does the Letter Say

An open letter to company executives, which was posted in an internal SpaceX Microsoft Teams channel with more than 2,600 employees, asks the founder of SpaceX and Tesla to change his ways, as reported by Space.com.

"Elon's behavior in the public sphere is a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us, particularly in recent weeks," reads the letter. "It is critical to make clear to our teams and to our potential talent pool that his messaging does not reflect our work, our mission, or our values."

CNET, meanwhile, said that employees want the company to hold leadership accountable for creating an inclusive environment and for clearly defining and enforcing workplace culture standards. They particularly requested that leadership condemn the CEO's behavior on Twitter.

Although the document states that employees of many genders, ethnicities, seniorities, and technical roles participated on the letter's creation, it is unclear who wrote it.

What Is Musk's 'Behavior' in Twitter

The billionaire, who has over 98 million followers, is a frequent user of the platform, occasionally making nasty jokes or insulting others.

Every tweet from Musk is apparently considered as a "de facto public statement by the company," according to the letter from SpaceX employees.

"As our CEO and most prominent spokesperson, Elon is seen as the face of SpaceX - every tweet that Elon sends is a de facto public statement by the company," the letter adds. "It is critical to make clear to our teams and to our potential talent pool that his messaging does not reflect our work, our mission or our values."

Read More: iOS 16 Updates: SMS Filtering and LiDAR Scanning To Create 3D Floor Plans

Action Terms That Should Be Done

As per Space.com raport, the document proposes three possible "action items" to address the problem, which are as follows: (1) SpaceX leadership to denounce "Elon's harmful Twitter behavior," (2) condemning other senior company leaders for similar conduct, and (3) defining "what exactly is intended by SpaceX's 'no-asshole' and 'zero tolerance' policies and enforce them consistently."

Sexual Harassment Claims Against Musk

The letter comes about a month after news broke that the company had paid a $250,000 settlement to a flight attendant who claimed Musk had sexually harassed her. On Twitter, Musk refuted the charges, calling them completely false, as per a report by CNET.

The publication also noted that in an email to staff, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell also backed Musk, saying she'd worked "closely with him for 20 years and never seen nor heard anything resembling these allegations."

Tesla, according to the CNET report, has also been sued for sexual harassment at one of its plants, and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing sued the company in February for claimed racial discrimination and harassment.

Related Article: Elon Musk, Tesla, SpaceX Sued For Alleged Dogecoin Pyramid Scheme - $86 Billion Lost?
Vast Resources plc / Ticker: VAST / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining

24 May 2022

Vast Resources plc

(Vast or the Company)

Company Update  Tajikistan

Vast Resources plc, the AIM-listed mining company, is pleased to announce that further to the announcement made on 3 May 2022 regarding its acquired interest in a joint venture company which provides exposure to a near term revenue opportunity from the Takob Mine processing facility in Tajikistan (Takob), the Company has executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) linked to processing the tailings produced at Takob. The MoU, agreed between the Companys Tajikistan focused Joint Venture subsidiary, and Open Joint Stock Company Talco is a separate and additional project to the Takob Joint Venture Project announced on 3 May 2022.

The Company can announce that as part of this project, its joint venture partner, Formin TJK (Formin), has commenced surveying, soil sampling and preliminary drilling on site at the tailings facility and the results will be announced upon receipt from ALS Romania. Formin reported visible signs of lead, zinc and precious metals, including gold, silver & platinum group metals, in the tailings facility. Initial surface survey results compiled by Formin show that there is a minimum of 1 million tonnes and up to 3.3 million tonnes of tailings. The depth of the tailings is to be determined once drilling is completed.



The funding for this project, which may be up to U$20 million, will be provided by Central Asia Minerals and Metals Ore Trading FZCO (CAMM) on the same or similar terms as the Companys existing Takob Joint Venture Project announced on 3 May 2022.

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

On behalf of the Company I wish to again thank the Minister of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Tajikistan, together with the Chairman and Executive Team of Open Joint Stock Company TALCO for providing us with a further joint venture opportunity.

I would also like to thank our strategic joint venture partners in Central Asia Minerals and Metals Ore Trading FZCO, namely Formin TJK and Mr Abdul Jabbar Gargash, for their continued support and giving the opportunity to further grow our strategic partnership in Tajikistan.

**ENDS**

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

Vast Resources plc

Andrew Prelea (CEO)

Andrew Hall (CCO)



www.vastplc.com

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

Roland Cornish

James Biddle



www.beaumontcornish.com



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



Toby Gibbs / James Thomas (Corporate Advisory)



www.shorecapmarkets.co.uk

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

Kamran Hussain



www.axcap247.com

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



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



+44 (0) 20 7236 1177

ABOUT VAST RESOURCES PLC

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

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

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

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

The Company has also acquired an interest in a joint venture company which provides expsoure to a near term revenue opportunity from the Takob Mine processing facility in Tajikistan. The Takob Mine opportunity, which is 100% financed, will provide Vast with a 12.25 percent royalty over all sales of non-ferrous concentrate and any other metals produced. Processing of stockpiled ore on site is expected to commence in Q2 2022.

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

Incap Corporation Press release 31 May 2022 at 3:30 p.m. EEST



Incap Estonia invests in new production lines

Incap Estonia is upgrading its two current SMT production lines and adding a third SMT line to its factory in Kuressaare. The new investment will increase the overall SMT production capacity by more than 50% and will be opened in the third quarter of this year.

According to Greg Grace, Managing Director of Incap Estonia, the investment in two existing and one new SMT (surface-mount technology) line will help the company to support its growth and customer demands. Incap Estonia is investing EUR 1.35 million in a long-term lease agreement of six years by renting new production equipment from SMT Renting.

Technology is changing rapidly and therefore we have seen and experienced that the renting model suits our factory as a concept very well, as it allows us flexibility and guarantees us the latest technology in the field, Grace explained.

The contract for investments was signed with SMT Renting which has also provided the SMT lines for Incap in 2017 as well as in 2020. Our plan is to upgrade our two existing production lines to make them faster and to add a third line in order to be able to increase the production capacity by more than 50%, Grace stated.

To maintain a well-functioning, agile and flexible modern manufacturing facility in Incaps Kuressaare factory, the upgrades on the lines will be completed in the third quarter of this year.

Incap Estonia is part of Incap Corporation, which is an international contract manufacturer. Electronics manufactured by Incap Estonia can be found for example in smart meters, in light electric vehicles on the streets, in smart led lights in different regions in Estonia as well as in the machinery of the worlds most famous marine company.

Photos of Incap Estonia: https://incapcorp.com/media/#1627833268534-6871c5d8-fc05

INCAP CORPORATION



For additional information, please contact:

Greg Grace, Managing Director of Incap Estonia, tel. +372 516 3643

Otto Pukk, President and CEO, tel. +372 508 0798

Distribution:

Principal media

www.incapcorp.com

INCAP IN BRIEF

Incap Corporation is a trusted partner and full service provider in Electronics Manufacturing Services. As a global EMS company Incap supports customers ranging from large multinationals and mid-sized companies to small start-ups in their complete manufacturing value chain. Incap offers state-of-the-art technology backed up by an entrepreneurial culture and highly qualified personnel. The company has operations in Finland, Estonia, India, Slovakia, the UK and Hong Kong and employs approximately 2,500 people. Incaps share has been listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd stock exchange since 1997.
Sydney, May 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets. - https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Gabon-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW





The government has in the past demonstrated effective husbandry of the resources at its disposal.



Having previously failed to sell most of its remaining interest in Moov Gabon in a bid to attract the financial support and skills of foreign players, the 2021 Finance Law included provisions for the government again to whittle down its holdings in several companies, including Moov Gabon. Some share will be retained in the company, enabling the state to retain some influence on its management decisions.



The country has sufficient international internet bandwidth on submarine cables, while progressive work on the CAB cable has also increased backhaul capacity supporting mobile data traffic. The governments universal service strategy since 2016 has aimed to eliminate mobile coverage white spots increase the reach of broadband services, and improve internet and mobile connectivity. Eventually the entire country will be covered by networks under the universal service. The fund was provided for by the Telecommunications Law and is financed through contributions made by telcos. The government continues to invest in national and international fibre connectivity in a bid to increase the contribution of digital services to GDP, in line with the objectives of the Gabonese Emerging Strategic Plan.



These measures are being supported by private sector operators. Moov Gabon in mid-2021 began investing XAF10 billion in network infrastructure to provide national 3G and LTE coverage, supporting mobile data rates of up to 10Mb/s.Group Vivendi Africa (GVA) has also expanded the reach of its fibre network since having been awarded a telecoms license in January 2017. Its fibre-based CanalBox service has been available in Libreville since mid-2017, and is to be extended to Port-Gentil and other urban centres later in 2022.



Key developments:





Gabon Telecom to trial 5G in Libreville;

Airtel Africa to complete sale of its telecom tower business in Gabon to Helios Towers by end-2022;

GVA to launch CanalBox FttP service in Port-Gentil later in 2022;

Moov Gabon and Airtel Gabon renew mobile licences for ten years;

Government commits XAF150 billion in backbone infrastructure work;

Gabon and Congo end mobile roaming charges;

Universal Service project gets underway, aiming to deliver telecom services to 2,700 villages;

Report update includes the regulators market data to December 2021, operator data to Q1 2022, assessment of the pandemic on the telecoms sector, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.



Companies mentioned in this report:





Moov Gabon (Maroc Telecom, Libertis, Gabon Telecom, Telecel Gabon), Airtel Gabon (Zain), Bintel (USAN, Azur), Internet Gabon, Solsi, IBN Corporate







Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Gabon-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW
Sydney, June 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets. - https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Namibia-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW





The policy has continuing objectives though to 2029, while the associated Implementation Action Plan includes programs through to 2024.



These various measures are intended to reduce the digital divide by facilitating investment in IP-based services, and encouraging the take-up of services.



Mobile network coverage has increased sharply in recent years. By the beginning of 2021, 3G infrastructure provided 89% population coverage while LTE infrastructure provided 79% coverage (compared to only 40% a year earlier). Developments with 5G were set back by unsubstantiated public concerns over the health implications of the technology, though the government has requested the regulator to speed up its 5G development strategy.



The increase in the number of mobile broadband subscribers seen since 2018 has partly been attributed to MTCs 081Every1 campaign which is intended to provide national coverage and to improve data rates over its 3G and LTE networks. Phase 1 of the project was completed by June 2020, while Phase 2 was essentially complete by early 2022. Phase 3 is due to be completed by September 2022.



The work undertaken by MTC contributed to the 8.5% increase in the number of mobile broadband subscribers in the year to June 2021, reaching 1.877 million. The regulator noted that continuing growth in the sector has also been supported by the popularity of prepaid internet-enabled SIM cards compared to the use of PCs and laptops.



Key developments:





Paratus and MTN Namibia sign national roaming agreement aimed at quickening the pace of LTE rollouts;

MTN Namibia engages NuRAN Wireless for the deployment of at least 150 GSM and 4G sites across the country;

Regulator suspends the issuing of new telecoms and broadcasting licences between October 2022 and September 2023, also intends to review the current frequency band plan;

Namibia to be connected to Googles Equiano cable system; Paratus completes works on Namibian landing station;

New SIM card registration rules are put in place;

MTC completes its IPO;

Paratus to launch a N$123 million data centre facility in August 2022;

Telecom Namibia upgrades its VSAT hub to provide more reliable connectivity for users in remote areas;

Government calls for the regulator to speed up 5G development strategy;

Government launches the National Broadband Policy and Implementation Action Plan, aiming to provide a universal 2Mb/s services by 2024;

MTC nears completion of Phase 2 of its N$1 billion 081Every1 network expansion project;

Report update includes the regulators market report for 2020, market data to end-2021, operator data for fiscal 2021, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, and recent market developments.



Companies mentioned in this report:





Telecom Namibia; Mobile Telecommunications (MTC); Cell One (Leo, Orascom); Powercom; MTN Business Namibia; MWEB Namibia; Africa Online Namibia; Internet Technologies Namibia; iWay







Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Namibia-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW
In total, 34 entities have pledged to fight disinformation online in accordance with the European Commission's current Code of Practice guidelines, which were released on Thursday. These entities include Meta, Twitter, Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants and publishers.

Why Did the EU Tighten Its Anti-Disinformation Rules?

When amending the Code of Practice, the European Commission said it took into account the lessons learned from the COVID19 pandemic and Russia's aggression in Ukraine.

Vera Jourova, Vice-President for Values and Transparency, said:

This new anti-disinformation Code comes at a time when Russia is weaponizing disinformation as part of its military aggression against Ukraine, but also when we see attacks on democracy more broadly. We now have very significant commitments to reduce the impact of disinformation online and much more robust tools to measure how these are implemented across the EU in all countries and in all its languages.

Read More: Twitch Bans Streamers Who Share Misinformation

What Does the Code Say?

The code, in general, lays forth a wide range of commitments that signatories can choose to follow in the battle against digital disinformation.

According to European Commission, the new Code contains commitments to following:

The Code does not only apply to large platforms; it also applies to a wide range of players who have a role in preventing the spread of misinformation.

Ensure that purveyors of falsehood do not profit from advertising revenues.

Cover new manipulative tactics such bogus accounts, bots, and malicious deep fakes that disseminate misinformation.

Give users better tools to spot, understand, and report fake information.

Expand fact-checking across the EU and in all languages, while ensuring that fact-checkers are adequately compensated for their efforts.

Ensure that political advertising is transparent by making it easier for people to recognize political ads with improved labeling and information on sponsors, spend, and display period.

Researchers will be better supported by giving better access to platform data.

Evaluate its own impact using a robust monitoring methodology and regular platform reporting on how they're following through on their commitments.

Establish a Transparency Center and Task Force to provide a clear and transparent picture of the Code's implementation, ensuring that it is future-proof and fit for purpose.

The European Commission noted that the latest Code of Practice, along with the recently passed Digital Services Act and future legislation on transparency and targeting of political advertising, is an important tool in the Commission's arsenal for combating disinformation in the EU.

What Are EU's Next Steps After Publishing Latest Code of Practice Rules

According to the European Commission, the signatories will have six months to put their commitments and policies which they have signed up into action. They will submit their first implementation reports to the Commission in 2023. The Commission will then assess progress in implementing the Code on a regular basis, based on the granular qualitative and quantitative data that signatories are expected to provide.

Related Article: Surgeon General Cracks Down on COVID Misinformation: Google, Facebook and Other Big Tech Players Urged To Provide Data
Pune India, June 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The market has been studied for the below mentioned-segmentation and regional analysis for North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Middle East and Africa. These are the key regions where the Biocomposites market is operating currently and is predicted to expand in the near future. The manufacturers and suppliers involved in the Biocomposites market is present across various countries in the above-mentioned regions.

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The report provides detailed understanding of the market segments which have been formed by combining different prospects such as the fiber type, polymer type, product, end-use industries, and others. Apart from this, the key driving factors, restraints, potential growth opportunities and market challenges are also discussed in the below paragraphs.

The significant players operating in the global Biocomposites market are UPM, Trex Company, Fiberon LLC, FlexForm Technologies, Universal Forest Products, Inc., Nanjing Jufeng Advanced Materials Co., Ltd., Meshlin Composites ZRT, Tecnaro GmbH, SAPPI, and GREEN BAY DECKING LLC among others. To achieve a substantial market share in the worldwide Biocomposites market and strengthen their position, manufacturers are pursuing expansion methods such as current developments, mergers and acquisitions, product innovations, collaborations, and partnerships, joint ventures. Among these, Trex Company is one of the most significant manufacturers and distributors present in the global Biocomposites market.

Biocomposites are biodegradable, natural, and renewable composites with least impact on the environment along with considerably lower carbon emissions. They are formed by a matrix and a reinforcement of natural fibers. Such materials have attained huge traction across different end-use industries due to their attractive features such as biodegradable nature, lightweight, low cost, and better thermal stability.

Continuous demand for lightweight materials in extensive range of applications across the industries such as construction, aerospace, and automotive has led to the development of biocomposites. The different industry players have constantly been innovating bio based composites to meet the requirement for lightweight materials. For instance, in July 2019, Porsche, the automaker leveraged benefits of organic materials in automotive manufacturing applications. The company has introduced new 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport that features body parts made of natural-fiber composite materials to reduce weight of the vehicle.

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Scope of Biocomposites Market Report

Report Metric Information Study Period 2021-2029 Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2029 Market Share Unit USD Billion Segments Covered fiber type, polymer type, product, end-use industries, and region Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle-East and Africa Major Players UPM, Trex Company, Fiberon LLC, FlexForm Technologies, Universal Forest Products, Inc., Nanjing Jufeng Advanced Materials Co., Ltd., Meshlin Composites ZRT, Tecnaro GmbH, SAPPI, and GREEN BAY DECKING LLC among others

Segmentation Analysis

Non-wood fiber composites segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in 2021.

The fiber type offering segment includes wood fiber composites and non-wood fiber composites. Non-wood fiber composites is expected to witness highest growth rate during the forecast period. In past few years, non-wood fiber have observed considerably high attention, especially for composite material applications, due to their low cost, high specific strength, low density, good mechanical properties, eco-friendliness, biodegradability, and nonabrasiveness. This factor has primarily driven growth of the non-wood fiber composites segment.

Natural Polymer Composites segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in 2021.

The polymer type segment includes Natural Polymer Composites and Synthetic Polymer Composites. Natural Polymer Composites is expected to witness highest growth rate during the forecast period. Significant rise in demand for biodegradable products by consumers has primarily driven growth of this segment. The various natural polymers such as wool, rubber, cellulose, silk, and proteins are rapidly seeing applications in automotive and consumer products.

Green biocomposites segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in 2021.

The product segment includes hybrid biocomposites and green biocomposites. Green biocomposites segment is expected to witness highest growth rate during the forecast period. This type of biocomposites are 100% biodegradable and have no harmful effects on the environment. Hence, demand for environmentally friendly composites in developed regions such as North America and Europe fuels growth of this segment.

Transportation segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in 2021.

The end-use Industries segment includes building & construction, transportation, consumer goods, and others. Transportation segment is expected to witness highest growth rate during the forecast period. Rising usage of biocomposites in automobiles such as trucks and cars has driven growth of this segment. In addition, the biocomposites are being used in cars for nonstructural components such as interior panels to help automotive manufactures achieve weight reduction and cost reduction in vehicles.

Regional Analysis

The regional analysis provides a detailed perception about the key regions and the countries. Some of the key countries analyzed for the Biocomposites include US, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Russia, China, Japan India, Brazil, Peru, UAE, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.

Asia-Pacific region witnessed a major share. Rising disposable income and increased population in Asia-Pacific has driven demand for automotive and affordable houses, which is, fueling growth of the biocomposites market. However, Europe is expected to witness considerable growth rate during the forecast period. The increased adoption of biocomposites in building and construction industry along with favorable government initiatives in the region has driven growth of the biocomposites market.

Country Analysis

Germany

Germany Biocomposites market size was valued at USD 2.63 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 8.65 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 16.4% from 2022 to 2029.

Germany is one of the leading nations in the mechanical engineering, manufacturing, automotive, and electrical industries. Growth of the market in this country is mainly driven by increasing environmental awareness coupled with European Union initiatives that supports usage of biocomposites. In addition, the flourishing automotive sector in this country has driven demand for biocomposites.

China

China Biocomposites market size was valued at USD 4.30 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 13.95 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 16.2% from 2022 to 2029. China is the largest consuming as well as exporting country. In addition, rapid expansion of global composites industry players in the country has created lucrative growth opportunities for the market. For instance, in February 2022, Teijin Automotive Technologies and the core company of Teijin Groups automotive composites business began commercial operation of a new 39,000-square-meter composites manufacturing facility in the Wujin National Hi-Tech Industrial Zone, China.

India

India Biocomposites market size was valued at USD 1.91 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 6.54 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 17.0% from 2022 to 2029. India is one of the strongest growing economies in Asia. Significant demand for biocomposites from mass transportation, electrical & electronics, building and construction, and renewable sector has primarily driven growth of the market in this country.

Further, MIDHANI, a metals and metal alloys manufacturing company in India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. for development and production of composite raw materials. Such developments in India are opportunistic for growth of the India biocomposites market.

Covid-19 Impact

Covid-19 had a major impact on almost all of the industries such as construction, maritime, transport, manufacturing, oil and gas, automobile, etc. The demand for Biocomposites systems has decreased during the period owing to the regulations on social distancing and supply chain disruptions. In most of the regions, the manufacturing facilities of Biocomposites systems were closed in the second and third quarters of fiscal year 2020. The major end-users were also temporarily closed during this period and thus the demand for Biocomposites significantly decreased.

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QNAP has suffered another DeadBolt ransomware attack. Today, June 17, QNAP released a blog post addressed to all of its users.

The company is encouraging its users to check that their network attached storage (NAS) devices have the most recent firmware version installed to secure their data and ensure that they are not vulnerable to remote access over the internet.

On Friday, QNAP reminded customers of the need to maintain device security in the face of a fresh wave of attacks that are spreading the DeadBolt ransomware.

QNAP's DeadBolt Ransomware

QNAP has just lately discovered a new campaign of the DeadBolt ransomware. At least according to the victim reports that have been collected so far, the attack appears to target QNAP NAS machines that are running QTS 4.x.

The organization has claimed that they are conducting a comprehensive investigation into the matter and will offer additional details as soon as they are available. Since the beginning of 2022, the company has already put out several other warnings, all of which told people to keep their devices up-to-date and not let them connect to the internet.

According to Bleeping Computer, when DeadBolt is executed on a NAS device that has been compromised, it utilizes AES128 to encrypt files and adds the extension ".deadbolt" to the names of the encrypted files. Also, it changes the file at /home/httpd/index.html so that the ransom letter is shown when the victim opens the encrypted device.

The threat actors behind the malware force its victims to pay through the cryptocurrency bitcoin. After the victims have paid the 0.03 bitcoin ransom, the threat actors will create a bitcoin transaction to the same bitcoin address that will contain the decryption key within the OP RETURN output of the transaction.

In January, QNAP issued a warning to its clients regarding the DeadBolt exploit, recommending they immediately update the QTS operating system to the most recent version and minimize the exposure their devices had to the outside world.

In February, it was discovered that the Deadbolt ransomware had also been targeting NAS devices that were manufactured by Asustor.

According to a March report from SecurityWeek, back then, the threat actors behind the malware would provide a master key that could be used to recover the files of the victims in exchange for a payment of 50 bitcoins. The malware's operators are also hoping to obtain information related to the vulnerabilities they have exploited from QNAP in exchange for 5 bitcoins.

Read Also: Krafton, the Company Behind PUBG, Teases Its Virtual Human Named Ana

QNAP's Recommendation

In order to ensure the safety of your network-attached storage (NAS), the company highly recommends that users immediately update QTS or QuTS hero to the most recent version.

QNAP also recommends the same process to those users who have already been attacked by the malware. The company stated, "Upgrade to the latest firmware version and the built-in Malware Remover application will automatically quarantine the ransom note which hijacks the login page."

According to QNAP, to update the QTS or QuTS hero:

First, connect as an administrator to QTS or QuTS hero through a web browser using any one of the following URLs: http://nas_ip:8080/cgi-bin/index.cgi https://nas_ip/cgi-bin/index.cgi



Second, to update the firmware, navigate to Control Panel > System > Update Firmware.

Lastly, click the "Check for Update" button located under Live Update.

Users can also update by going to the website of QNAP. Users only need to head over to Support, then click Download Center, and carry out a manual update for their particular device.

Related Article: Hello XD Ransomware Increases Activity, Has a New Encryptor That will Help Avoid Detection
If you're not a fan of mainstream media, you're in the right place!

We've compiled a list of the most underrated Netflix movies to help you get a head start on discovering some of the best movies you may not have heard of yet.

While Collider and Digitaltrends highlighted some titles, we have handpicked the best underrated Netflix movies that may not have been well-received when they were first released, but are still worth watching.

Here's 7 hidden gems you can watch on Netflix in 2022!

'6 Balloons' (2018)

In "6 Balloons," a woman named Katie is forced to be her brother's caretaker against her will. Seth is hopelessly addicted to heroin, and Katie's only hope for his recovery is to find a facility that would admit him. However, this turned out to be far more difficult than she anticipated.

Watch 6 Balloons on Netflix

'Barry' (2016)

"Barry" is not your typical biopic of Barack Obama, the former President of the U.S. Rather of focusing on Barack's early political career or successes as commander-in-chief, this coming-of-age story concentrates on his college years, during which he develops the abilities and charisma that would later propel him to success.

Watch Barry on Netflix

'Hold the Dark' (2018)

"Hold the Dark" is a suspense thriller about Russell Core, a wolf specialist who is summoned to a remote Alaskan village where children have gone missing. Medora Slone claims that her kid was abducted by wolves along with the others, but Russell is doubtful.

Watch Hold the Dark on Netflix

Read More: 7 Best Horror Movies on Netflix You Can Watch in 2022

'Mindhorn' (2017)

"Mindhorn" is a great enjoyable blend of action and Hollywood satire. Julian Barratt gives a strong performance as the titular character, a washed-up former star of a cult action television series. When Mindhorn becomes involved in a real murder mystery involving some of his show's top supporters, he has turned into a true hero.

Watch Mindhorn on Netflix

'Okja' (2017)

"Okja" is an imaginative film that simultaneously excites and invigorates while also tugging at the heartstrings. The film follows Mija, a young girl, on her quest to safeguard Okja, a genetically modified pig she has raised since piglethood and who has been shipped to the U.S. to be processed for food. The film challenges public perceptions of the meat industry and major corporations. This movie, however, has a fantastic combination of action, mystery, and drama.

Watch Okja on Netflix

'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' (2018)

"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" is a vignette-style tale set in the post-Civil War era, in which a sharp-shooting songster, an ambitious bank robber, two traveling performers, a gold prospector, and a pioneering woman all watch their fates steadily careen towards one another.

Watch The Ballad of Buster Scruggs on Netflix

'The Polka King' (2018)

"The Polka King" is based on the true story of Jan Lewan, the leader of a polka band who became a legend not for his musical abilities, but for his charisma. Instead, Jan's skill is in persuading gullible individuals to invest in his band - so many people that it quickly becomes a massive Ponzi scam that encircles all aspects of his life.

Watch The Polka King on Netflix



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The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that liquid fuels production in Brazil, Canada, and China will increase this year and next, contributing to growth in overall non-OPEC petroleum production. According to EIAs June 2022 Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), petroleum production in the combined non-OPEC countries, excluding the Unites States and Russia, will increase by 3% (0.9 million barrels per day [b/d]) in 2022 and by 2% (0.8 million b/d) in 2023, compared with an increase of less than 1% (0.2 million b/d) in 2021.





Data source: US Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), June 2022

The United States will account for about 60% of the growth in combined liquid fuels production in all non-OPEC countries. After the United States, EIA expects liquid fuels production to increase the most in the non-OPEC countries of Brazil and Canada. By the end of 2023, Brazils liquid fuels production will increase by 400,000 b/d, and Canadas will increase by nearly 400,000 b/d to 5.9 million b/d, according to the forecast.

For Brazil, the forecast assumes that production from six new floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units will ramp up through 2023 and continue to drive growth, notably at the Sepia, Mero, and Buzios fields. Once they reach full capacity, these FPSOs will each produce between 70,000 b/d and 180,000 b/d of liquid fuels.

EIA expects Brazils production to increase from 3.7 million b/d in 2021 to 3.9 million b/d in 2022 and to 4.1 million b/d in 2023.

Canadas growth in crude oil and natural gas production during 2022 and 2023 is driven primarily by expanding oil sands and debottlenecking projects. Canadas growth is due in part to the Enbridge Line 3 crude oil pipeline expansion (760,000 b/d capacity), which became operational in October 2021. The TransMountain pipeline expansion project (890,000 b/d capacity) is slated to enter service at the end of 2022. Additional Enbridge expansions and optimizations to its existing pipeline system, if completed, will add more than 400,000 b/d of export capacity through 2023.

Due to this new pipeline capacity from Enbridge and other planned pipeline expansions, current constraints on oil exports from Canada are expected to lessen by the end of 2023 and drive increased production.

EIA forecasts that liquid fuels production in China, which increased by 130,000 b/d in 2021, will grow by an additional 170,000 b/d in 2022 and 80,000 b/d in 2023 in response to government calls for increased exploration and production. The remaining key sources of forecast non-OPEC production growth come from Norway, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Oman, and Guyana.

US refinery utilization averages 94% in 3Q22 in the forecast, as a result of high wholesale product margins. Despite the expectation that refinery utilization will be at or near the highest levels in the past five years, operable refinery capacity is about 900,000 b/d less than at the end of 2019. As a result, EIA does not expect total refinery output of products to reach its highest level in the past five years.

Global macroeconomic assumptions in STEO are from Oxford Economics and include global GDP growth of 3.1% in 2022 and 3.4% in 2023, compared with growth of 6.0% in 2021.
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (AP)  President Joe Biden fell when he tried to get off his bike at the end of a ride Saturday at Cape Henlopen State Park near his beach home in Delaware, but wasn't hurt in the tumble.

I'm good, he told reporters after U.S. Secret Service agents quickly helped him up. I got my foot caught in the toe cages.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  A building caught fire and later collapsed in Philadelphia, killing one firefighter and injuring five other people, two critically, after all became trapped early Saturday, authorities said.

The fire was reported just before 2 a.m. Saturday in the building in north Philadelphia, eight occupants were safely evacuated and the fire had been declared under control, officials said. At 3:24 a.m., the building collapsed, Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy said.

Lt. Sean Williamson, 51, was pronounced dead at the scene after he and another firefighter were freed from the rubble hours after the collapse. Three other firefighters and an inspector with the citys Department of Licenses and Inspections had been freed quickly. One firefighter jumped from the second story to avoid being caught in the collapse, Murphy said. Two firefighters were listed in critical but stable condition at Temple University Hospital while the other three victims were treated and released, officials said.

Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel told reporters Saturday evening that rescuers were able to communicate with" Williamson and another firefighter for most of the several hours they remained trapped, but because of the degree of the collapse and where Williamson was located within the structure we were not able to save him."

The former Marine was highly respected throughout our department" and had trained countless" cadets, Thiel said. Williamson is to have a full honors fire department funeral and given the outpouring of support that Ive seen and weve seen as a department, you can expect this to be a pretty large event.

We're absolutely grieving, we're mourning," Thiel said. We have a lot more crying and a lot more processing to do this unfolds as we move forward with properly honoring Lt. Williamson," he said. Murphy had told reporters at a briefing at about 8 a.m. Saturday that: Its going to be a rough few weeks coming up.

Mayor Jim Kenney called it a heartbreaking day for our city."

For more than 27 years, he dedicated his life to serving and protecting the people of Philadelphia, and sacrificed his life protecting others," Kenney's statement said. Early this morning, like every day, he exemplified heroism by doing what our first responders do every day: put on their uniform, leave their loved ones, and carry out their sworn duty to protect and serve the residents of this city."

The fire marshals office is investigating the cause of the fire with assistance from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Thiel said an engineering investigation into the collapse is also ongoing and the federal National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health is also expected to do an investigation, and that and the department's own after-action report are expected to take one to two years.

Numerous firefighters were standing nearby as the rescue effort unfolded, and some were seen hugging or wiping tears from their eyes, multiple news outlets reported.

Patricia Sermarini told The Philadelphia Inquirer that she rushed to the site when she saw the alert about the collapse because her son-in-law, a firefighter, was on the morning shift. She said he had been one of the firefighters on scene but had made it out of the building just before it collapsed.

But moments later, Sermarini said, she saw firefighters pull a body out from the rubble.

Its so terrible, she said. This is so hard for them. They just want to get home to their families.
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GREENWICH  Former First Selectman Rebecca Breed, who began a second career post government service as a leading attorney in juvenile justice, has died at the age of 85.

The family said that Breed died on June 13 from complications of Alzheimers Disease.

A Republican, Breed was first elected as a selectman in 1979 and won her race for Greenwichs top office in 1981, defeating Democrat Frank Mazza.

But it wasnt her career in politics that the mother of four and grandmother of 13 will be remembered most for, her son Michael Breed said on Friday.

My mother was simply the most unique individual I have ever met in my life, he said.

Breed ran for a second term in 1983 and lost a close race to Democrat Roger Pearson after a bitter contest, in part because the last year of her tenure was marred by the collapse of a portion of Interstate 95 in Cos Cob.

The repairs to the highway forced traffic, including heavy trucks, to be diverted through Cos Cob and Riverside, which became a major election issue.

Then-Republican Town Committee Chair John Becker attributed her narrow defeat in her re-election campaign to the disaster, telling the New York Times in 1983 that Breed had handed the crisis admirably but voters took it out on her.

Michael Breed recalled the challenges his mother faced in the crisis.

There were people who, when its really difficult, run away from tough moments and she was one who ran to the tough moments, he said, recalling how the family got death threats from angry residents but she understood the frustration and embraced the challenge by appealing to every person she could appeal to.

Despite losing to Pearson, Breed had enough votes to remain on as a selectman. She stayed on the board until 1985.

After she left the selectman board, she went back to school for a law degree and spent decades advocating for children who were in dangerous domestic situations, her family said.

It was that service to people at times of need and her love of family that set an example for her children and grandchildren, Michael Breed said.

She was one of those people who was so rich with passion and intelligence and humor and confidence, he said. She was one of those people who was never afraid to risk, never afraid to fail. She took advantage of every minute of every hour of every day of her life. Thats something she has instilled in all of us. We were all remarkably fortunate to have an amazing mother who had priorities correct.

The walls in her house were lined with pictures of her children, grandchildren, friends and her late husband, William, Michael Breed said. He recalled how he recently went looking for a picture of his parents wedding and had to hunt to find where she had put it while the pictures of all of her childrens weddings were on prominent display.

First Selectman Fred Camillo remembered Breed with a message on his Facebook page, saying town residents owed her a debt of gratitude.

Her love for her hometown of Greenwich never abated as she continued to volunteer long after her tenure in Town Hall ended almost 40 years ago, Camillo said.

The Greenwich Republican Town Committee also marked Breeds death on Friday; Chair Beth MacGillivray said they learned of her passing with great sadness.

Rebecca was a pillar of the community, a prominent Republican and a dedicated community member in our town, MacGillivray said. She was known for her tireless work on behalf of our party and her dedication serving all levels of government, including First Selectwoman. She leaves a legacy of service to our community. Rebecca was a kind and caring person that always had a smile on her face. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this difficult time.

Breed was a close mentor to former First Selectman Peter Tesei during his 12 years in office and swore him in five of the six times he took the oath as first selectman.

She and I were very close and I thought she had a wonderfully positive personality and gave rise to civility despite having to confront many challenges, giving what happened with the bridge, Tesei said. She always stayed positive and looked to the future.

Tesei first met Breed when he interviewed her as a 14-year-old student for a school project about government. He said she helped inspire his own interest in government service.

He said he had a scrapbook of clippings from her re-election campaign in 1983, recalling her slogan of tough problems call for strong leadership.

I will always be grateful to Rebecca for that support, encouragement and friendship, Tesei said. She cared passionately about Greenwich. She believed in helping those who were less fortunate and put that into action. And she chose to go into an area of the law that isnt about making money but rather about helping a vulnerable population. That speaks to her lifes passion for helping others.

Breed was well known in town for her support of the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, where she was a board member for more than 25 years.

She was a major supporter of the clubs after-school programs, working as a tutor providing homework help, and for years hosted an ice cream social for the kids on Valentines Day.

In 2019, she was honored with the clubs award as a Champion of Youth.

At that time, the Breed family announced a $1 million pledge for the Boys and Girls Clubs college scholarship fund. The Rebecca S. Breed Scholarship was established to give $100,000 worth of scholarships for college and vocational school a year for 10 years.

Rebecca was an incredible friend to our staff, a mentor to our kids and a stalwart of our mission, club CEO Cristina Vittoria said on Friday. She will be deeply missed, and we will be forever grateful for the impact that she has had on our club. We know that her legacy will live on through the many teens who have received, and will receive, college scholarships made possible by the generosity of the Rebecca S. Breed Scholarship.

The family said that a celebration of Breeds life will be held at 11 a.m. June 22 at Christ Church. In lieu of flowers, the family said it would greatly appreciate contributions to the Rebecca Breed Scholarship Foundation, Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, 4 Horseneck Lane, Greenwich, CT 06831

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
GREENWICH  The Rev. Shannon White, pastor of Round Hill Community Church, claps along as Robert Genna sings spirituals at Greenwichs Juneteenth commemoration, held Friday on the steps of Town Hall in Greenwich.

It was the first celebration of Juneteenth held in Greenwich. First Selectman Fred Camillo, the Rev. Thomas Nins of First Baptist Church and Mary Lee Kiernan, CEO of the YWCA Greenwich, took part in the program.
WhatsApp is updating its privacy controls as the company releases more options for its users. Meta's owned messaging platform is giving more power to their users to tailor and give options to their privacy settings.

Recently, WhatsApp has introduced a number of new features, many of which focus on enhancing users' privacy while also enhancing the app's convenience.

WhatsApp initially stated that it would restrict the number of accounts available to users who did not agree to its updated privacy policy, but it then backtracked that statement last year. This week, the messaging software made available a new feature that simplifies the process of transitioning from Android to iOS devices.

WhatsApp Privacy Control

On WhatsApp, greater privacy options are being rolled out for the status, about, profile photo, and last seen settings. The functionality was first previewed in test form in April of last year.

Before this update in the messaging app, users could only restrict those settings for Everyone, My Contacts, or Nobody. However, the new version provides an option called "My Contacts Except," which offers a much more detailed level of control over the settings.

According to WhatsApp, users can now manage who has access to their information by adjusting the privacy settings on their accounts. Users have the ability to select one of the following alternatives for their last seen, profile photo, about, or status:

Everyone: When users choose the "Everyone" setting, this means that everyone who uses WhatsApp will be able to see the user's most recent appearance, profile photo, about, and status updates.

My Contacts Except: This new setting means that a user's contacts from their address book will be able to view their last seen, profile photo, about, or status, with the exception of those contacts they want to exclude.

My Contacts: When users choose this option, this would only permit their contacts from their address book to be the only ones who can view the most recent appearance, profile photo, about, and status updates.

Nobody: For this privacy setting, nobody will be able to view their last seen, profile photo, about, or status updates.

Read Also: Instagram is Testing a Full Screen Feed - Here's What You Have to Know

WhatApp's Last Seen Feature

According to Engadget, WhatsApp's "Last Seen" status poses a unique risk to users' privacy because it reveals the time and date that the app was most recently used.

Even if a contact has read receipts turned off, there is still a way to determine whether or not they have viewed the message you sent them by using this method. As WhatsApp stated, "You can also turn off read receipts. If you turn off read receipts, you won't send or receive read receipts."

However, the app added a reminder to users who choose to disable this feature in group chats. The app added, "Keep in mind, read receipts are always sent for group chats, even if you turn off the option in your privacy settings."

With the new feature, users can block other people's profile pictures, status updates, and "about me" sections. They can also turn off the feature itself for certain people.

However, users need to be reminded that they will not be able to view other people's Last Seen statuses if they want to limit who may see theirs to a certain group of individuals by restricting it to them. Users can access the new features by selecting the menu with the three dots in the upper right-hand corner, then going to Account > Privacy.

Related Article: Hackers Can Now Steal Whatsapp Accounts Using Call Forwarding-How Does It Work?
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Scene Boston Celtics majority owner Wyc Grousbeck, a Greenwich resident, was seen having dinner at Terra Ristorante Italiano on Greenwich Avenue last Sunday evening.

On the calendar A reunion of former Knights of Columbus athletes  honoring Greenwich native John Kavanagh for his 30 years of coaching in town  takes place from noon to 3 p.m. July 24 at the Knights of Columbus in Greenwich. Some of Kavanaghs star athletes include former New York Mets second baseman and current coach Timmy Teufel; former San Francisco 49er quarterback and ESPN analyst Steve Young; and Dave Ledecky, father of Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Katie Ledecky. To attend, RSVP to Ken Kavanagh at kavanagh@fgcu.edu.

Scene Actress, comedian, author and producer Alexandra Ali Wentworth appeared at a book signing Tuesday evening at The Village in Stamford. Wentworth, who is married to George Stephanopoulos, an ABC News anchor and former political adviser in the Clinton administration, talked about and signed copies of her latest book, Alis Well That Ends Well.

Out there The annual Make Music Stamford Downtown event takes place on Tuesday, June 21, as part of Make Music Day, a free celebration of music held around the world on the same date. Stamford Downtown will host musicians at various locations, including Mill River Park, Ferguson Library, Old Town Hall, Kiwanis Park and URBY Stamford. The free event is open to every kind of musician  amateur or professional  who wants to share their music with the public. Stamford Downtown will host a Street Studio from noon to 4 p.m. at 1 Library Plaza, where the public can record a song that will be produced as a mash-up by music producers Nandi Rose and Ana Lopez-Reyes. Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons will also add her musical talent to the mix. For more info, go to stamford-downtown.com/events/make-music-day-4/. For a full list of locations, visit www.makemusicday.org/stamford.

Out there... The Summer Outdoor Shopping Days take place in Westport this weekend through Monday, June 20.

Scene Actor/producer Chazz Palminteri and his wife, Gianna, of Bedford, N.Y., were seen sitting behind home plate at Yankee Stadium as the New York Yankees beat the Chicago Cubs, 8-0, on June 11.

On the menu Cugines Italian opened June 10 at 121 Towne St. in Stamfords Harbor Point neighborhood. The 80+ seat restaurant is owned by John and Morgan Nealon, who own Taco Daddy next door, and Cugines executive chef Rick OConner and will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. For more info and reservations, visit OpenTable or call 203-276-9266.

Scene Darryl DMC McDaniels, founding member of Run-D.M.C., delivered the commencement address to the 90 graduates of the Class of 2022 at Greens Farms Academy in Westport on June 9.

Out thereChrist Church Greenwich is hosting an Ice Cream Social for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies at 4 p.m. Sunday, June 26. The social is open to all and takes place behind the Tomes-Higgins House next to Christ Church at 216 E. Putnam Ave. in Greenwich. For more info, go to www.christchurchgreenwich.org.

Happy birthday... Best wishes to John Margenot, former five-term first selectman of Greenwich, as he celebrates his 94th birthday, and his wife, Dolly, who turned 90 last week. The beloved Greenwich natives celebrated their special day with their children and grandchildren.

When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it  always.

 Mahatma Gandhi

And thats all for now.

Later

Got a tip? Seen a celebrity? Email Susie Costaregni at thedish2@yahoo.com.
Microsoft has launched its Microsoft Defender app for all four major platforms. Available as part of the Microsoft 365 service, it is designed to offer protection against online threats as well as local ones.

Not to be confused with Windows Defender (now Windows Security), the new Microsoft Defender app is designed to provide a one-stop solution for your security needs. On Windows and macOS, Microsoft Defender will work alongside the built-in or third-party antivirus, while also providing protection against phishing attacks on the internet. The app will also show the security status of your other devices where the app is installed and provide security alerts.

On Android, Microsoft Defender includes its own antivirus along with malware scanning for currently installed and newly downloaded apps. It also provides web protection like the desktop apps. The iOS app is the least useful, as it only includes web protection but like the other apps you can see the security status of your other devices where the app is installed.

The app is a free download on all platforms but requires a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Source  Download
PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Guahan Academy Charter School

June and July schedule:

Monday-Friday: Summer school.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Daniel L. Perez Elementary School

Summer school 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday to Friday. contact 671-635-2177/0404.

Orientation at 10 a.m. at the cafeteria:

Aug. 2: Kindergarten students.

Aug. 3: second- and third-grade students.

Aug. 4: fourth- and fifth-grade students.

Faneyakan Sinipok program

CHamoru Immersion Program is open to all kindergarten students 5 years old by July 31, 8:30 a.m.-2:45 p.m. at P.C. Lujan Elementary. Transportation must be provided by parent or guardian.

Fill out an application and provide all necessary documents at rb.gy/8uubxk, followed by interview. Families will need to commit to:

Active participation.

Parents and family members must take CHamoru immersion classes.

Provide eight hours of in-kind service to the program per month.

Contact GDOE CHamoru Studies division at 671-300-2498 or 671-300-1367 or email jsteria@gdoe.net.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Dave J. Santos scholarship

The Guam Chamber of Commerces Dave J. Santos scholarship is open to full-time juniors or seniors at the UOG School of Business and Public Administration. Must have a 3.0 GPA, be a graduate of a Guam high school or resident of Guam for at least two years and have a genuine interest in promoting entrepreneurship.

Awardee gets $1,000 per semester, paid internship with Chamber. Apply until Aug. 12. Contact UOG Financial Aid office at 671-735-2288 or Guam Chamber at 671-472-6311/8001 or email info@GuamChamber.com.gu.

COLLEGES

University of Guam

Applications for fanuchanan semester accepted until Aug. 8. Classes begin Aug. 17; most classes are in person.

Residents ages 50 and older eligible tuition waiver program. Contact the Office of Admissions and Records at 671-735-2210/1 by Aug. 12.

For more information, contact the Office of Admissions and Records at 671-735-2202 or email admitme@trition.uog.edu.

Guam Community College

Apply for fall semester until Aug. 12. Classes begin Aug. 17.

Register in person or online at www.guamcc.edu/apply. Call 671-735-5531 or email gcc.registrar@guamcc.edu. Students are encouraged to complete and submit a Free Application for Student Aid form. Call 671-735-5543/5544 or email financialaid@guamcc.edu.

GCC is seeking a mascot design to define the colleges brand. GCC students, former students, alumni who attended GCC for at least 1 year and employees can join. Submissions will be accepted until Friday. Multiple designs are accepted if submitted individually. Designs must be submitted at guamcc.edu/gccmascot. The winner will receive $500 and an official print of the mascot. Contact gcc.mascot@guamcc.edu or visit www.guamcc.edu/gccmascot.

WORKSHOPS

Environmental Education

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Center for Learning with Nature and other partners will host Fanihi & Friends: Place-based Environmental Education for upper elementary to secondary science teachers 9 a.m.-3 p.m. June 29-July 2. Contact Marybelle Quinata at 671-355-5096 or email marybelle_quinata@fws.gov.
After years of wanting to set a world record, twin brothers Brandon and Landon Aydlett are making their official build for the Tallest Timber Log Tower while helping raise funds for a local nonprofit.

The current world record is 18 feet. The tower stood at 15 feet, 11-1/2 inches as of Saturday afternoon. The brothers tower, modeled after Chicagos Willis Tower, is planned to be higher than 20 feet.

Landon Aydlett said they will continue building through Sunday, even after the record is broken.

The build was to start on Thursday, but the twins started early because of Guinness guidelines.

Past record attempts have shown many people putting the blocks on at the same time, just one block at a time per person, so we just didnt want to take any chances, said Brandon Aydlett. Were doing one block at a time, one person at a time. So Ill put up blocks, then my brother will put up blocks.

The brothers beat one world record Wednesday by having 20,000 blocks in their build. They exceeded the number of blocks on Saturday by having 57,778 blocks used, according to grounds operation officer Joanne Matanane. The previous record was 17,005 blocks.

The project is being undertaken to raise money for Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit that helps build and improve homes for people in need.

The organization has two homes in Malojloj under construction and, with the help of the Aydlett twins, is hoping to raise at least $50,000 to finish the project.

If we would raise $44,000, we would be thrilled so that we could complete the payment for that most recent increments, said Peggy Denney, acting director of Habitat for Humanity. We extend our gratitude to Brandon and Landon for this amazing idea, that is something truly unique and impressive for Guam.

Leaders

On Thursday, village mayors and other officials were invited to check out the project.

As mayors and vice mayors, were always looking for the most unique activity for fundraising because we know how difficult it is to fundraise and definitely were supportive of every charity that we can support, said Piti Mayor Jesse Alig.

Alig said mayors support the project because they deal with one of the islands most vulnerable populations, the homeless.

Were hoping to support Habitat for Humanity more so that they can continue to help our people and hopefully this type of fundraiser will continue not only for Habitat for Humanity, but for every other charity that helps our people, Alig said.

Denney said mayors are helping raise money through a match challenge.

Mayor (Jesse) Alig donated $50 and said, I challenge all the mayors to do that and if (the mayors) pay more, (Alig) will match it, Denney said. Weve had several mayors, theyre not identified, but weve had several payments that are probably coming from the mayors, so I think thats pretty wonderful.

Call to community

Thes are encouraging community participation by having peple purchase or sponsor a timber log, starting at $2, at the Agana Shopping Center center court. People can write a personal or company name on the log and it will be placed on the structure.

The twins said its important for residents to find ways to support nonprofits.

Consider your favorite charity and how you can assist and support other groups in the community, especially because we are still in recovery mode right now for the pandemic and the economy, Landon Aydlett said.
The Legislature has approved the Gas Tax Relief Act, which would lower the price of regular gasoline by 23 cents a gallon.

The bill would suspend the excise tax, automotive surcharge and mass transit automotive surcharge on liquid fuel for six months.

During Fridays emergency session, the Legislature passed Sen. Joe San Agustins Bill 295. The measure is among several being considered by the Legislature to address record-high gas prices. According to its fiscal note, Bill 295 would reduce revenue by $4.5 million for the Guam Highway Fund and $157,000 for the Public Transit Fund.

San Agustins bill is similar to Speaker Therese Terlajes Bill 261, which would repeal the excise tax and the additional surcharges, rather than suspend the taxes for six months. Bill 261 would cost the government between $9.6 million and $10.5 million a year, according to fiscal notes.

Other gas relief bills, such as Sen. Clynt Ridgells Bill 320, the Guahan Fuel Price Control Act of 2022, will be discussed during Mondays session.

Bill 320 was introduced Thursday and would cap the cost of fuel at the landed price of a gallon plus 20%. The bill was added to Fridays emergency session.

Ridgells bill notes that the price of regular gas on Guam has increased by $1.44 a gallon in the last six months. Last week, the price of regular gas jumped 15 cents a gallon, from $6.34 to $6.49.

Gas companies IP&E and South Pacific Petroleum Company, which operates 76 Gas Stations, previously submitted testimony saying that lower gas prices would result from a reduction of Guams liquid fuel taxes.

Sen. Jim Moylans Bill 290 still awaits a public hearing. Moylan estimates Bill 290 would save consumers about 32 cents a gallon, but it also would be the costliest measure for the government. Its fiscal note shows that it would reduce revenue by between $19.9 million and $25 million a year by the second year, assuming that gas prices continue to rise.
NASA will soon celebrate the contributions and achievements of its African American astronauts on the big screen.

The space agency recently announced that its new documentary that features the achievement of African American astronauts, "The Color of Space," would premiere on the newly-made holiday, June 19.

The date was chosen as it marks the end of slavery in Texas and the US almost 157 years ago.

The 'Color of Space' Documentary Details

NASA mentioned in its announcement that "The Color of Space" is an inspirational NASA-original documentary that tells the stories, contributions, and achievements of African Americans astronauts who are determined to reach the stars.

The documentary will also feature a "powerful and thought-provoking conversation" between seven current and former African American astronauts that NASA selected to become part of its astronaut corps and train for missions in space.

The seven current astronauts include Stephanie Wilson, Victor Glover, and Jeannette Epps. Meanwhile, the retired astronauts' group has Leland Melvin, Bernard Harris, Robert Curbeam, and Bobby Satcher.

NASA said these astronauts would speak about their journeys and motivations in a panel hosted by Vanessa Wyche, NASA's Johnson Space Center's director and the first African American woman to lead a NASA center.

The panel was originally held at Space Center Houston on March 25, with it being the astronauts' first time to be assembled for an official NASA event.

Read More: Final Fantasy VII Remake's 2nd Chapter is Coming in Late 2023

Aside from the panel between the 14 African American astronauts, the documentary will also showcase recordings of a conversation between the astronauts and middle school students, particularly those enrolled in historically African American colleges and universities.

During these conversations, the astronauts talked to the students about the "unique path" achieved by African American explorers within NASA, personal stories of hope and resilience, and advice to the future generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers.

Additionally, the documentary will show rare archival footage and interviews with Guion "Guy" Bluford, Charlie Bolden, former astronauts Alvin Drew and Joan Higginbotham, and Ed Dwight.

Bluford is the first African American in space, while Bolden is the first African American NASA administrator. Dwight, meanwhile, is America's first African American astronaut candidate. Furthermore, Drew is the last African American to fly on board a Space Shuttle, and Higginbotham is the third African American woman to go into space.

NASA mentioned that the contributions made by African Americans could be traced back to even before the agency's founding, such as those from the Hidden Figures. Despite their contributions, it took the first African American, Bluford, to break the "color barrier" to hold the title of astronaut.

Wyche hopes the documentary will inspire all of NASA's future engineers, scientists, and explorers to "reach the stars" as it works to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon under the Artemis missions.

'The Color of Space' Availability And Viewing

NASA's "The Color of Space" with be a 50-minute documentary and will premiere on June 19, more commonly known as Juneteenth. The date was proclaimed a federal holiday by President Joe Biden on June 17, 2021.

The documentary is available to watch at noon EDT on NASA TV, the NASA app, NASA social media channels, and NASA's official website.

Related Article: NASA Shares Perseverance Rover Photo of the Martian Landscape
FBI warned the public of the fraudsters who exploit LinkedIn. The fraudsters lure users into cryptocurrency investment schemes, according to CNBC.

According to Sean Ragan, the FBI's special agent in charge of the San Francisco and Sacramento, California, field offices, the schemes pose a "significant threat" to the platform and consumers.

Ragan said in an interview that: "It's a significant threat. This type of fraudulent activity is significant, and there are many potential victims, and there are many past and current victims."

How Does the Scheme Work?

The scheme involves "a fraudster posing as a professional creating a fake profile and reaching out to a LinkedIn user," as per CNBC. Using LinkedIn messaging, the scammer starts with small talk with the platform's user. Afterwards, the scammer would offer to help the victim make money through a crypto investment.

According to the victims interviewed by CNBC, they are opted to believe that the investment are legitimate since LinkedIn is a trusted platform for business networking.

Initially, the fraudster will refer the user to a legitimate investment platform for crypto. However, after several months of gaining their trust, the scammer will tell the user "to move the investment to another site controlled by the fraudster." Eventually, the money will be removed from the account.

"So the criminals, that's how they make money, that's what they focus their time and attention on. And they are always thinking about different ways to victimize people, victimize companies. And they spend their time doing their homework, defining their goals and their strategies, and their tools and tactics that they use," Ragan stated.

According to Ragan, an increase in this particular investment fraud has been observed by the FBI. This is not the same with a long-running scam wherein to persuade the subject to give money to the scammer, the criminal pretends to show a romantic interest.

The FBI could not comment yet since it is still an open case but the agency confirmed that it is already conducting active investigations.

Read Also: Crypto Scam: Elon Musk Deep Fake Promoting Fraud Trading Platform - Promises 30% Returns?

LinkedIn Acts to Prevent Further Scams

There has been a recent uptick of fraud in its platform, according to LinkedIn.

In a statement, it told CNBC that: "we enforce our policies, which are very clear: fraudulent activity, including financial scams, are not allowed on LinkedIn. We work every day to keep our members safe, and this includes investing in automated and manual defenses to detect and address fake accounts, false information, and suspected fraud."

Furthermore, LinkedIn said that to keep the platform's users safe from bad actors, they are working with peer companies and government agencies from across the world. They encouraged members who encountered a scam to report it to them and to local law enforcement.

According to the company, in 2021, they had removed more than 32 million fake accounts from its platform. Its automated defenses stopped 96% of all fake accounts from July to December 2021. The semiannual report of fraud said that it "includes 11.9 million that were stopped at registration and 4.4 million that were proactively restricted," according to CNBC. Around 127,000 fake profiles reported by members were also removed.

On a Thursday night blog post, LinkedIn cautioned users against sending money to people they don't know. They also warned users not to respond to accounts with a questionable work history.

Related Article: Crypto Scams: How to Spot Fraud Cryptocurrencies Like SQUID, Tsuzuki Inu




Haiti - FLASH : Belize bans charter flights from Haiti





Eamon Courtenay, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belize announced that his country will no longer allow charter flights from Haiti to land in Belize adding that he is also ready if necessary, to cancel the provisions allowing Haitians to come in the country without a visa.



Minister Eamon Courtenay clarified that this decision follows information that "corrupt and abusive mafia... using chartered flights out of Haiti to smuggle Haitians".



He recalls that in recent times, there have been several charter flights carrying Haitian passengers to Belize, but that these planes will no longer be allowed to land at Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (PGIA) because many of the Haitian passengers were arriving in the country with one-way tickets, do not have a Hotel or a place to stay, and end up smuggling the country out to the United States.



"We have taken a decision this week and I informed Cabinet on June 16, that we have requests over the next six weeks for a number of flights to come as charter (from) Haiti [to] Belize," said the Minister Courtenay. "In collaboration with the Department of Civil Aviation, we are not going to allow them to land and if we have to reverse the provision of Haitians coming into Belize without a visa, we are going to do so" explaining that this decision aims to prevent Haitians from falling into the hands of mafia networks of crooks, smugglers and migrant traffickers, from being mistreated and exploited concluding "[...] we will not allow it to happen through Belize as long as we can stop it."



S/ HaitiLibre


















A WOMAN who fled Ukraine with her mother and daughter is now living in Sonning Common.

Anna Ovchynnikova, 33, left her home in Kyiv with her daughter Kseniia, six, after hearing rockets falling on the city following the Russian invasion.

They travelled to her parents house near Vyshhorod, a city closer to the Russian border, where they stayed for a week.

When the Ukrainian military began to implode bridges near the city to halt the advancing Russian troops, Ms Ovchynnikova fled with her daughter and mother Nataliia, 62, to avoid being trapped.

They were able to leave across the last remaining bridge and drove to Romania. From there, they travelled through Hungary and Austria into Germany, where they stayed for two months. Ms Ovchynnikova said: We went to western Germany as it was less overloaded and there was a chance to find somewhere to stay as we didnt know how long we would be there.

We were quite lucky because we found a place to stay at a social property. We were lucky to avoid a refugee camp.

There was no Homes for Ukraine scheme at that point but I wanted to get to the UK as I had visited there before and I spoke the language.

Before the war, Ms Ovchynnikova had worked for a British IT start-up company and had visited the UK more than 20 times.

She worked on projects in London, Newcastle and Edinburgh and on one of these she worked with Andrew Saoulis, who lives with his wife Kathy in Sonning Common.

The former colleagues got in contact following the Russian invasion and they were able to arrange for Ms Ovchynnikova and her family to come to the UK.

The family arrived at the start of May and are living with Mr and Mrs Saoulis at their house in Grove Road.

Ms Ovchynnikova said: It has been perfect so far. I hope it is not difficult for Kathy and Andy as they have been very kind to us and they are trying to create a community here for Ukrainians.

Kathy didnt know us at all and I know it is very difficult to have strangers living in your home.

Mrs Saoulis said: I had never met Anna but I had heard about her. Andrew has worked in Ukraine for many years and got to know lovely people such as Anna.

When this awful war started, it was breaking our hearts to watch the news. At that point we asked Anna to please come and stay with us.

It is really lovely to be able to have her and her family here to stay. They are a lovely family and they fitted in so well as soon as they arrived. The little one is very shy but is adorable.

When we knew that Anna and her family were coming, I came across this lovely group run by Rachel. I gave her a call and she invited me along to a meeting.

It was just people from Gallowstree Common and Kidmore End at that point, so I gate-crashed that meeting. I didnt know of anyone else at that time doing this.

When I met them, they were all so lovely and kind. There were those who could host and those who would love to but werent able to.

After I left that meeting, I thought that everyone was doing different things and I wanted to do more to help. Thats when I had the idea for a sale.

Mrs Saoulis held a sale of clothes, toys and books donated by members of the group, as well as a tombola, raffle and cake stalls.

The sale took more than 2,000, which was used to fund the arrival of refugees. Mrs Saoulis said: It then just got bigger and bigger and bigger and people were coming with carloads of stuff that all went into my lounge.

Rails of clothes, childrens toys and books. It was so much that my neighbour Shelly offered to put a lot of the stuff on her driveway.

It just kept growing and I couldnt turn anybody down. When Anna arrived, there was no room in the lounge.

Its been absolutely amazing. Weve got this lovely group and they really are amazing.

Ms Ovchynnikova will resume working for the IT company later this month, while Kseniia has begun attending Thameside Primary School in Caversham.

Her father Viacheslav is in Germany still waiting to come over and her husband Oleksandr has remained in Ukraine to help with humanitarian aid.
Three years after Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) instructed companies to inspect user comments on news content, according to an article by SCMP, the CAC has proposed a regulation requiring social media services and video platforms to hire content moderators to review their users' comments before getting to the public.

In 2017, the Chinese government implemented a stern policy mandating Weibo and Weixin (the mainland's version of WeChat) users to use relevant identification documents like their national ID and phone number to certify their accounts under the country's real-name registration system.

Using human commenters and bots in the said registration system was also prohibited as China's way of preventing the spread of information that could mislead public opinion and disturb social order.

Earlier in 2022, social services like Weibo, Quora, Zhihu, and Douyin, the country's version of Tiktok, enabled a feature that displays user locations based on internet protocol (IP) addresses. It is a regulation that seeks to control the spread of rumors by netizens pretending to be locals.

This week, the CAC asked app providers and distributors to foster "core socialist values" and cling to the country's proper direction of politics, public opinions, and values.

The censorship activities mentioned above and the newly drafted rule are part of China's increasingly strict approach to censoring its online environment.

In the previous regulation, relevant authorities were mandated to act on service providers violating the rules under relevant laws and regulations.

Currently, the newly drafted regulation specifies not only the use of real identities before leaving comments as it also sets specific sanctions for violators. According to the provision, individuals who breach the rule will be warned, blocked from commenting, asked to delete their comments, or have their accounts suspended or deactivated.

The said rule that outlaws bots or human commenters remain similar to the previous rules, whereas the regulation which says users should be blacklisted for serious infringements and prohibited from accessing the service or opening new accounts is under the new provisions.

This revised provision by the CAC seeks to promote the "healthy development" of its industry, mandating app developers not to put national security and public interest in danger when processing data.

Following the announcement of the said rule provision, the Chinese authorities are soliciting the public's feedback on the proposal until July 1.

On the public's earliest feedback, several Chinese netizens reacted negatively to the newly drafted provision. Some users believe that the real-name registration is enough. Thus, their freedom of speech should not be overly limited. They think that with the proposed amendment of the stipulation, people will be deprived of channels to speak up.

The said new rule is a modified version of the Provisions on the Administration of Mobile Internet Applications Information Services and will be carried out this Aug. 1.

With China's heightened cybersecurity and censorship practices, the country was left with 2.31 million available apps in April 2020, half of the 4.49 million apps it had back in 2018. Despite this, they are still left with 5 million enthusiastic app developers whom Apple's CEO Tim Crook praised during the Worldwide Developers Conference.




The foreign ministry said Saturday it was ascertaining the veracity of the Russian defense ministry's data that showed four Korean nationals who volunteered to fight alongside Ukrainian forces have been killed.







"We are aware of Russia's defense ministry data," an official with the foreign ministry said. "We have ordered the South Korean embassy in Russia to identify the facts."







Earlier, Russia's defense ministry revealed data on foreign military volunteers in its war against Ukraine.







The data claimed 13 South Koreans entered Ukraine to help Ukrainians' fight against the Russian invasion and that, among them, four died during the fighting, with eight having left Ukraine and one still in the country.







Besides the figures, Russia did not disclose other information, such as their names.







In April, the foreign ministry said it obtained intelligence from relevant countries that there were deaths among its nationals participating as volunteer soldiers in the Ukraine war and tried to confirm its veracity.







Since mid-February, South Korea has prohibited its citizens from traveling to the country without authorization from the government. (Yonhap)


By Xin Ping

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

The Five Eyes are fixed on China again. It is learned recently that the alliance has decided to collect and fabricate evidence that could show China is infiltrating politically into Western countries, with the aim of tarnishing China's image in the world.

This is not the first time that the Five Eyes have conspired to target China and other countries. As an alliance designed for intelligence sharing, it has been conducting covert or overt operations like theft, interference, infiltration, subversion and coercion.

Under the auspices of the US, the Five Eyes have created the "Clean Network," an irony to its "dirty schemes." The US National Security Agency (NSA) devised Dirtbox, a wiretapping program, to steal data from phones by impersonating signals of base stations. At least 62.5 million phones have fallen prey as a result. PRISM, another infamous NSA program, harvested huge reserves of data from social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Skype. The UK's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and the NSA have also reached their hands into the Cloud, where servers of Google and Yahoo were compromised and hundreds of millions of personal information records were raked in. The Five Eyes have not spared game apps that are vulnerable to intelligence operations either. Irritant Horn, jointly initiated by the NSA and the intelligence authorities of other Eyes, has turned apps for fun to vaults of personal data.

Knowingly violating basic norms in the virtual and the real world, the Five Eyes have been going out of their way to undermine the growth of certain foreign companies. In the name of protecting national security, the US has been tightening its grip on the export of chips and other high technologies to China. It also abetted Canada to detain the CFO of Huawei, a leading Chinese provider of smart devices in ICT, for about three years for no legitimate reasons at all. The Five Eyes also arbitrarily add foreign competitors onto the blacklists of technological blockade and exclusion. Indeed, all the five countries have decided to ban China's Huawei and ZTE from their 5G networks.

And the Five Eyes alliance is not so much as an intelligence-sharing group as an anti-China club. The alliance has been obsessed with making up cases of China's "espionage" and "infiltration" merely based on shoddy intelligence. In 2020, Australian spy authorities raided New South Wales state legislator Shaoquett Moselmane's home for alleged links with China. But the cited political influence in Australia on behalf of China was never proven by evidence. Intelligence agencies in other Eyes willfully interrogate and harass Chinese students and scholars on questionable or no grounds at all. Some even approach Chinese communities and pressure them to become agents for the Eyes. Although the Eyes are not so sharp at telling the truth from falsehood, they are adept at meddling in the internal affairs of China, among other countries in the world. In Hong Kong, the consulates of these countries have become the headquarters and command of interference and subversion where their consular officials reached out to anti-China forces and separatists to incite violence by providing financial support and training.

Apart from taking relatively secret means to achieve its political agenda, the Five Eyes also resort to brutal and bloody wars to overthrow regimes of other countries, showing no respect to international law, sovereignty and human life. Take the 20-year-long war in Afghanistan as an example, where hardly any participating country pulled out with their hands untainted with blood. Back in 2019, 11 British detectives told an investigation team from the BBC and Sunday Times that there was credible evidence of war crimes and ensuing cover-ups in Afghanistan. In 2020, Australia released the Brereton Report on its troops' misconduct in Afghanistan. It found evidence linking 25 Australian Defence Force personnel in the killings of 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners of war. Scandals like this are nothing new. In 2009, Australian troops were shown in some photos drinking beer out of an Afghan's prosthetic leg in Uruzgan province. Before the hasty withdrawal, the US killed 10 civilians including two-year-olds in a drone strike, only to find the target were civilians like so many times before.

Turning their eyes and dirty hands to other countries, the five countries have shown no interest in getting their own house in order. Most of the countries have not addressed their dark legacy of mistreating indigenous population by slaughter, expulsion and forced assimilation. They are yet to pay the historical debt and make compensations as the indigenous communities are deprived of the right to life and other basic rights on economic, cultural and political fronts.

The script for the Five Eyes' underhand moves may keep changing, but the end result would remain the same. The scheme to discredit and disrupt the development of other countries would only be met with disdain, and eventually lead to outright failure.

Xin Ping is a commentator on international affairs. He can be reached at xinping604@gmail.com
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, right, shakes hands with former President Moon Jae-in at his retirement residence in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, Thursday. Captured from Facebook



By Kwon Mee-yoo



Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's visit to former President Moon Jae-in's retirement residence in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province could serve as a breakthrough in putting an end to escalating rallies in front of the homes of incumbent and former presidents and a feud between the conservative and liberal blocs.



Han paid a courtesy visit to Moon in his new home city, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Thursday. He said visiting former presidents is a ritual for many prime ministers.



The two exchanged their views on current economic conditions and international issues as well as Moon's life after retirement.



"As a prime minister, I paid a visit to the former president to receive advice on state affairs and Moon responded positively," Han wrote on his Facebook after the visit.



Han, who was prime minister from 2007 to 2008, worked with Moon under the Roh Moo-hyun administration when Moon was Roh's senior presidential secretary.



The prime minister weighed in on the situation following Moon's retirement where conservative activists and demonstrators have been holding rallies in front of the former president's house that are said to have affected Moon and the local residents due to excessive noise and use of abusive language.



Han issued stern words directed at bringing an end to the turbulent rallies.



"Pyeongsan Village has a great view, but the village is suffering from these rallies. I respect legitimate rallies and demonstrations, but intemperate insults and illegal protests should be dealt with by the law," Han wrote.



Han told reporters after a COVID-19 response meeting, Friday, that the government will take action against illegal elements of the rallies both in front of Yoon's residence and Moon's residence.



"We cannot ban the rallies as long as they are legal, but if the protestors cross the line and behave unlawfully, the judicial authorities will handle matters in accordance with the law," Han said.





Liberal activists hold a rally in front of President Yoon Suk-yeol's residence in southern Seoul, Wednesday, to protest against loud rallies outside former President Moon Jae-in's home in the southeastern city of Yangsan. Yonhap
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, June 17, in this photo provided by his oOffice. Yonhap





Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has said Korea will actively use nuclear energy to meet its target of carbon neutrality and as a tool for the nation's energy security.







Han made the remarks in a video address to a global climate meeting hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden, Friday.







Korea "will actively utilize nuclear power plants as a means of energy security and carbon neutrality," Han told the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, according to a statement provided by his office.







Korea has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from the 2018 levels by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.







Han said Korea will draw up a plan for the right mix of nuclear power and renewable energy to achieve carbon neutrality.







In addition, Korea will expand its investment in small nuclear power projects called small modular reactors (SMR) and renewable energy, Han said.







By 2030, Korea will supply more than 4.5 million zero-emission vehicles, Han said.







Last year, Korea signed a global pact to cut releases of methane by 30 percent by 2030. (Yonhap)


Port Houston commissioners on Friday awarded two contracts totaling $429 million to two dredging companies as part of the $1 billion expansion of the Houston Ship Channel that officially kicked off last month.

This is believed to be the largest dredging contract awarded in the ports history, said Ric Campo, chairman of the port commission, at the meeting.

From my perspective this is a win-win-win-win-win, said Dean Corgey, vice president of the Seafarers International Unions Gulf Coast Region and a commissioner who represents the city of Houston.

Project Eleven so called because its the eleventh major construction project involving the ship channel in its hundred-year plus historyinvolves a lot of dredging, which is to be expected as the Port of Houston isnt a natural deep-water port.

The 52-mile-long ship channel, which winds from Galveston Bay to the Turning Basin just east of downtown Houston, requires continuous dredging even when the channel isnt being expanded.

The companies awarded the contracts, Weeks Marine and Curtin Maritime Corp, will tackle upstream segments. Port officials explained that port staff evaluated bids based on value, environmental impacts and opportunities for small, minority- and woman-owned businesses.

Another segment of the channel, along the Galveston Bay reach, is being dredged by Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp., under a $92 million contract awarded in November.

FIGHTING BACKLOG: Port Houston works overtime to get consumer goods on the road

The bottom line is that Project 11 makes the Houston Ship Channel safer and more efficient for everybody to use, Campo said. All the problems get solved when you deepen and widen the channel.

Project Eleven was planned before the pandemic and has nothing to do with the supply chain disruptions that have, among other things, led to congestion at most of the nations ports and presented President Joe Biden with a daunting political challenge.

Port authorities are taking measures in response to those disruptions, even as work on Project Eleven gets underway. Port Houston has already expanded its truck gate operating hours, to include an extra hour on weekdays and, as of this month, a permanent Saturday shift.

Also, the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday announced a new partnership with the Port of Houston, under which the federal government will kick in some funds to help obtain more than a thousand additional wheeled chassis, which are used to move refrigerated shipping containers, also called reefers.

The chassis have been hard to come by of late, because of supply chain disruptions. In the absence of enough chassis, the Ports ability to handle chilled or frozen agricultural products - think meat and poultry - has been constrained.

erica.grieder@chron.com
Seventeen-year old ZaMaya Graham had never heard of Juneteenth until this week even though she grew up just 67 miles from the birthplace of the historic holiday.

I should have known about it by now, said Graham. It should be talked about more to let people know that we celebrate Black history, and we are being recognized.

The Davis High School senior got a dose of history Thursday along with 100 Houston-area students who took a Juneteenth history tour from the air with an all-Black crew operating a charter flight for United Airlines. Thursday was also a first for Graham, who like many other low-income students at the event, had never stepped foot on a plane before. When the plane lurched into the skies, the first-time flyers let out gasp, then broke into applause.

The 90-minute-long flight, part career fair, part Juneteenth celebration, took off as airlines try to diversify workforces in an industry historically dominated by white men, particularly among pilots and technicians. About 78 percent of Uniteds senior leaders were white and 66 percent male last year, according to the companys corporate responsibility report. Among its 12,000 pilots, only 7 percent were women and 13 percent were people of color, a spokesperson confirmed.

Industrywide, about 93 percent of professional pilots are white and 95 percent are male, according to 2021 data from the Labor Department.

On Uniteds Juneteenth flight, the airline aimed to both introduce more students of color to careers in aviation and to recognize Juneteenth, the anniversary of Union troops arriving in Galveston in 1865 to enforce the end of slavery, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Although Juneteenth was established as a state holiday in Texas more than 40 years ago, it took decades of activism before it was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.

In recent months, companies have sought to commemorate the day with celebrations, events and special products. But some well-meaning efforts have backfired, such as Walmarts now infamous Juneteenth special-edition ice-cream, which critics said trivialized an important piece of African American history, or the Childrens Museum of Indianapolis selling a Juneteenth-themed watermelon salad that sparked outcry as an offensive stereotype of African American culture.

The problem with Walmarts Juneteenth ice-cream and one-off products or events is they fail to realize and support the broader significance of the holiday, said Ryan Pintado-Vertner, an activist and founder of branding consultancy Smoketown.

It is a celebration of a commitment to Emancipation, Pintado-Vertner said, but it also inherently acknowledges that the project of justice and equity for all is incomplete.

For brands to recognize Juneteenth in a meaningful way, the celebration should be linked to advancing racial equity through initiatives such as investing in Black-owned businesses, donating to nonprofits addressing racial equity, and supporting diversity initiatives that relate to the companies business, Pintado-Vertner said. For example, he pointed to Target, which made Juneteenth a company holiday in 2020, but also launched efforts to increase Black employment by 20 percent, invest more than $2 billion in Black-owned businesses by 2025, and place more than 500 products by Black-owned businesses on its shelves.

Since the national uproar over the murder of George Floyd in 2020, more airlines have taken steps to advance racial equity, including Delta Airlines and United joining OneTen, a coalition of companies aiming to hire, train and promote 1 million Black Americans by 2025. Last year, United Airlines unveiled its goal to train 5,000 new pilots by 2030, with at least half of them women and people of color.

Dana Donati is the CEO of the training school, United Aviate Academy in Goodyear, Ariz. She recalled beginning her career as a pilot nearly 20 years, with only two women and a few people of color in her class, and feeling left out of study groups and social gatherings by her white male peers. Her goal is to create an environment where all feel welcome.

Everybody should feel like they have an equal part in this and as long as theyre willing to put in the work, she said. They shouldnt feel like they have to prove themselves because of their gender, the color of their skin or their socioeconomic status.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Sterling Aviation High School flying high with aviation program

Efforts to recruit more minorities come amid a severe shortage of pilots forcing some airlines to ground planes. Since opening in December, the Aviate Academy has grown to 160 students, Donati said. So far about 73 percent are people of color and 44 percent are females, she said. The goal is to have 500 students next year, she said.

Obtaining the training to become a commercial pilot can cost tens of thousands of dollars, a barrier to entry for many people of color. Tuition for the flight training program at Aviate Academy is $71,250. United partnered JP Morgan to donate $2.4 million to scholarships for Aviate students, but that money will dry up quickly unless United pours millions more into the program, which so far it has not committed to doing.

If the academy is successful in turning students into United pilots, it could potentially double Uniteds pool of diverse pilots in the next decade. On the Juneteenth flight. Diana Baires Moreno, a recent graduate of Blanson Career & Technical Education High School in North Houston, swapped contact info with pilot James Batson who promised to give her advice on becoming a pilot.

This makes me feel welcomed, Baires said.

Flying free

The significance of Juneteenth played a prominent role as students took to the air. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who spoke before the flight, told students that once freed, the formerly enslaved people made their way to Houston, settling it what is now Third Ward and Fourth Ward neighborhoods. A group of freed individuals raised $1,000 to purchase 10 acres to establish Emancipation Park, the oldest park in the city turning 150 years old this year. It was designated as a space to celebrate Juneteenth.

On the flight over Galveston, Houston Majic 102.1 radio host K.G. Smooth explained how freed men and women throughout the state purchased land or emancipation grounds to host Juneteenth gatherings. Students were shown a special video message United taped with activist Opal Lee, considered the grandmother of Juneteenth, who at the age of 89 walked from Fort Worth to Washington D.C. in 2016 to get Juneteenth designated a national holiday.

On HoustonChronicle.com: See Houston Chronicles earlier Juneteenth coverage

If people can be taught to hate they can be taught to love, Lee said.

The solemn origin of the holiday wasnt lost on students.

Its a day when black people became freer  but we still got bondage, said Damien Terry II, a senior at Sterling Aviation High School, a Houston Independent School District high school offering an aviation program. His friend Cordarion Robinson chimed in. Yeah, we still got cuffs. (Our freedom) isnt all the way there.

marissa.luck@chron.com
DONALDSONVILLE, La. (AP)  A former Episcopal church in Donaldsonville, built in 1873 on land donated by a slave owner and Louisiana governor, is now home to a new, permanent exhibit that pays tribute to enslaved people who worked Louisianas sugarcane fields

It will open on the weekend of Juneteenth, the celebration of the end of slavery in the U.S.

Its dedicated to the enslaved people who were brought here and their descendants, said Kathe Hambrick, curator of the exhibit.

Hambrick is also the founder of the River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville; the former Episcopal church on Nicholls Street is now a campus of the museum.

The name of the exhibit is GU272 and Ascension Parish: The Jesuit and Episcopal Connection to Slavery. That references 272 enslaved people who Georgetown Universitys Jesuit founders sold to two Louisiana sugarcane planters in 1838 to pay off the universitys debts.

The Jesuit order formally apologized in 2017 to the descendants of the enslaved.

One of the planters was Henry Johnson, who was Louisiana governor from 1824 to 1828. Johnson co-founded the Episcopal Church of Ascension in Donaldsonville and donated the property where the church was built.

Its that connection that inspired Hambrick to choose the church as the site of the exhibit.

A formal opening was held Saturday. Viewing of the exhibit, which includes permanent panels of information and virtual links to information from the Georgetown Slavery Archives, followed a program that included a reception. In the future, the exhibit will be available to see by appointment, by calling the River Road African American Museum at 225-474-5553.

Hambrick said the Georgetown archives include plenty of information about the 272 enslaved people, but local residents wouldnt necessarily know where to find it.

I thought, Were going to make an exhibit she said.

The project is funded by a grant from American Slaverys Legacy Across Space and Time, a project of the nonprofit Social Science Research Council. It also got a grant from the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park of the National Park Service.

The former church thats home to the exhibit was sold several years ago after it was decommissioned by the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana due to lack of members.

The building, which still has its original pews and pulpit, was purchased in 2017 by historic preservationist Darryl Gissel, a former chairman of the board of the River Road African American Museum.

We had great concern that somebody would attempt to purchase it and move it. It needed to be preserved, said Gissel, who is the chief administrative officer for Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.

Historian and genealogist Karran Royal of New Orleans was the historian for the new exhibit. She and others founded the GU272 Descendants Association, and Royal served for several years as its executive director.

For the new permanent exhibit in Donaldsonville, Royal said she went more deeply into family lines in Ascension Parish.

Working on the project helped me uncover so many details about these families, she said.

Royal learned, for example, that the descendants of Henrietta Hill, a woman sold by the Jesuits and brought to Louisiana, include a founding dean of Southern University, a president of Grambling University and a Reconstruction-Era sheriff.

There is also an art component to the new Jesuit and Episcopal Connection to Slavery exhibit.

Before the old church building in Donaldsonville was sold, its original stained glass windows were removed and replaced with frosted glass.

But the brilliant colors are returning.

Louisiana artist Malaika Favorite, who is the resident artist of the River Road African American Museum, was commissioned to create art that has been printed onto acrylic panels and set into the frosted-glass windows, creating a beautiful stained-glass effect.

Theyre dedicated to the enslaved, Hambrick said.
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One by one, several of Donald Trump's former top advisers have told a special House committee investigating his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection that they didn't believe his lies about the 2020 election, and that the former president knew he lost to Joe Biden.

But instead of convincing Trump's most stalwart supporters, testimony from former attorney general Bill Barr and Trump's daughter Ivanka about the election and the attack on the U.S. Capitol is prompting many of them to simply reassert their views that the former president was correct in his false claim of victory.

Barr's testimony that Trump was repeatedly told there was no election fraud? He was paid off by a voting machine company, according to one false claim that went viral this week. Ivanka Trump saying she didn't believe Trump either? It's all part of Trump's grand plan to confuse his enemies and save America.

The claims again demonstrate how deeply rooted Trump's false narrative about the election has become.

It's cognitive dissonance, said Jennifer Stromer-Galley, a Syracuse University professor who has studied how Trump used social media and advertising to mobilize his base. If you believe what Trump says, and now Bill Barr and Trump's own daughter are saying these other things, it creates a crack, and people have to fill it."

The lawmakers leading the hearings into the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol said one of their goals is to show how Trump repeatedly lied to his supporters in an effort to hold onto power and subvert American democracy.

President Trump invested millions of dollars of campaign funds purposely spreading false information, running ads he knew were false, and convincing millions of Americans that the election was corrupt and he was the true president, said Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the panel's vice chair. As you will see, this misinformation campaign provoked the violence on January 6th.

For those who accept Trumps baseless claims, Barrs testimony was especially jarring. In his interview with investigators, he detailed Trumps many absurd allegations about the election 2020, calling them bogus and idiotic.

Barr told the committee when he talked with Trump, there was never an indication of interest in what the actual facts were.

Hes become detached from reality if he really believes this stuff, Barr said.

Following his testimony, many Trump supporters using sites like Reddit, GETTR and Telegram blasted Barr as a turncoat and noted that hes disputed Trump's election claims before.

But many others began grasping for alternative explanations for this testimony.

Im still hoping Barr is playing a role, one poster said on a Telegram channel popular with Trump supporters.

One post that spread widely this week suggested Barr was paid by Dominion Voting Systems, a company targeted by Trump and his supporters with baseless claims of vote rigging. From 2009 to 2018, DOMINION PAID BARR $1.2 million in cash and granted him another $1.1 million in stock awards, according to SEC filings. (No wonder Barr cant find any voter fraud!), the post read.

Wrong Dominion. Barr was paid by Dominion Energy, a publicly traded company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, that provides power and heat to customers in several mid-Atlantic states.

Unlike Barr, Ivanka Trump has remained intensely popular with many Trump supporters and is seen by many as her father's potential successor. That may be why so many had to find an an alternative explanation for why she told Congress she didn't accept her father's claims.

Jordan Sather, a leading proponent of the QAnon theory, claims both Barr and Ivanka Trump lied during their testimony on Trumps orders, part of an elaborate scheme to defeat Trumps enemies by confusing Congress and the American public.

I can just imagine Donald Trump telling Ivanka: Hey, go to this hearing, say these things. Screw with their heads,' Sather said last week on his online show.

Some Trump supporters dismissed Ivanka Trump's testimony entirely by questioning whether any of it was real. That's another common refrain seen on far-right message boards. Many posters say they don't even believe the hearings are happening, but are a Hollywood production starring stand-ins for the former president's daughter and others.

She looks different in a big way," one poster asked on Telegram. "CGI?
MIDLAND  Residents have been feeling the weight of surging gas prices.

As of Thursday afternoon, AAA Auto Club has reported a Tri-Cities average of $5.127 for regular gas.

The Midland Daily News spoke with agencies and organizations in Midland County on how business is faring amid record-high fuel costs.

City of Midland Dial-A-Ride

"We are definitely feeling the effects of the fuel price increases," said Dial-A-Ride Manager Amy Bidwell. "Luckily, we are not at our full pre-pandemic ridership yet."

Services have been operating at about 90% of pre-pandemic levels. Bidwell said this has helped offset fuel costs, for now.

Next year, she said Dial-A-Ride is likely going to readjust its budget, mid-year, to accommodate for the increase in gasoline costs. She said an increase in one area of the general operating costs is likely to affect the three funding sources from federal to state to local governments. As of Wednesday, Bidwell said the shares go as follows:

50% of funds are federal

34-36% from the state

Remainder comes from the City of Midland's general fund

She estimated the annual fuel costs could range from $150,000 to $200,000 in the next year.

In terms of the local share, Bidwell said costs are being monitored and the transportation service is incorporating increases into future planning and budgeting.

"We are definitely talking with the city and looking at what do we need to adjust or do differently as a result of these increased costs," she said.

However, rider fares have yet to be adjusted, and Bidwell said she does not foresee adjustments relating to the services that Dial-A-Ride provides. Overall ridership consists of more than 70% seniors and persons with disabilities.

"Fares actually account for a very small part of our revenue," she said. "People that use Dial-A-Ride (services) are typically people that may already be part of a disadvantaged community. We try to safeguard those cost increases as much as possible, because we know it'll impact those folks the most."

Bidwell said Dial-A-Ride has applied for funding with the hopes of obtaining two electric transit vans with the help of a federal grant program. By the end of summer, the local transportation service should have a better understanding of the potential low-emission vehicles.

"We're looking ahead to the future and thinking that being able to diversify our fuel sources could help to alleviate the cost fluctuations we're seeing in the industry," she said.

Midland County Road Commission

Fuel costs are estimated to be up by about $50,000 for the last month, in comparison to a typical month of services provided by the Midland County Road Commission (MCRC).

When comparing the first six months of 2021 to the current prices, Road Commission Director Donna Lowe said diesel fuel costs have risen 42% and unleaded fuel costs have risen 36% for the first six months of 2022.

"Right now, we're doing OK for the year, because we did anticipate the rise in costs," Lowe said on Wednesday.

The State of Michigan supports maintenance, and locally, there is a road millage supported by taxpayers. Lowe said the commission does not currently plan to adjust its budget in the immediate future.

"Our hope is that the community wouldn't even see an impact," she said. "We just try to use our funds as wisely as possible."

Nonprofit Senior Services

Senior Services of Midland says it is the only organization in Midland County providing the wide array of services needed to help people age "where they want to be: in their home."

The nonprofit is able to do this by having drivers, both volunteer and paid, travel to Midland residents' given location. In general, Executive Director Charlie Schwedler said Senior Services is "always short of drivers," and not necessarily due to the fuel hikes.

While driver numbers are down in general, the gas prices have made an impact on how many drivers show up each day. Some drivers are driving more routes than preferred, just to ensure that those receiving services are well supported.

"Our volunteers are so incredible that frankly, they're just keeping on keeping on," he said.

"It's a burden on a lot of our employees as well," Schwedler later added. "We're nonprofit, so it's not like people are making a fortune working here. I worry about gas prices for our employees, getting to and from work."

The only recent budget reductions at Senior Services have been made due to COVID-19, he said. Senior Services briefly closed during the pandemic.

In terms of external support, Schwedler said the federal government just increased the gas reimbursement cost to 62.5 cents per mile. Locally, Midland County residents contribute just under 60% of the Senior Services budget.

"There are specific dollars that are used to defray those costs, either through state and federal grants, through the United Way or through millage dollars," he said.

One of the Senior Services programs, Meals On Wheels, serves around 700 eligible clients year-round. In terms of this service, Schwedler said if a client is participating in Meals On Wheels, "they're going to be checked, because they're checked on every single day."

Midland County Sheriff's Office

While other sheriff's offices in the region have been navigating challenges with the fuel prices, the Midland County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that it is able to continue operations per usual.

In terms of facing the fuel hikes, Mark Bone, chair of the County of Midland board of commissioners, told the Daily News last week that the county would help the Sheriff's Office with fuel costs as needed.

County Connection did not return calls from the Midland Daily News in time for publication.

General look at costs: What is happening?

Some blame President Joe Biden for the high gas prices. Others say it's because Russian President Vladimir Putin recklessly invaded Ukraine. It's not hard to find people, including Democrats in Congress, who accuse the oil companies of price gouging.

Gasoline prices have been surging since April 2020, after the initial shock of the pandemic drove prices down to below $1.80 a gallon, according to government figures. They hit $3.00 a gallon in May 2021 and cruised past $4.00 in March 2022.

State averages ranged from $6.43 a gallon in California to $4.52 in Mississippi as of June 11.

National overview of fuel hikes Who is hurting? Higher energy prices hit lower-income families the hardest. Workers in retail and the fast-food industry can't work from home - they must commute by car or public transportation. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association estimates that the 20% of families with the lowest income could be spending 38% of their income on energy including gasoline this year, up from 27% in 2020. When will it end? It could be up to motorists themselves - by driving less, they would reduce demand and put downward pressure on prices. "There has got to be some point where people start cutting back, I just don't know what the magic point is," said Patrick De Haan, an analyst for the gas-shopping app GasBuddy. "Is it going to be $5? Is it going to be $6, or $7? That's the million-dollar question that nobody knows." See More Collapse

Why is this happening?

Several factors are coming together to push gasoline prices higher.

Global oil prices have been rising  unevenly, but sharply overall  since December. The price of international crude oil has roughly doubled in that time, with the U.S. benchmark rising nearly as much, closing Friday at more than $120 a barrel.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions by the United States and its allies have contributed to the rise in gas prices. Russia is a leading oil producer. The United States is the world's largest oil producer, but U.S. capacity to turn oil into gasoline is down 900,000 barrels of oil per day since the end of 2019, according to the Energy Department.

Tighter oil and gasoline supplies are hitting as energy consumption rises because of the economic recovery.

Finally, Americans typically drive more starting around Memorial Day, adding to the current high demand for gasoline.

Julie Walker in Brooklyn, New York, contributed to this report.
The beauty of Unhyeongung in April 2022. Robert Neff Collection



By Robert Neff



On the morning of June 15, 1892, the residents of Seoul awoke to the booming of thunder. It was a very welcomed sound. One elderly American wrote in her diary, the sky had "every appearance of rain, we all hope it may come." Indeed, many of the farmers were probably praying fervently knowing that a bountiful rain would help ensure a successful harvest, but others, before the end of the evening, would rue the rain  perhaps curse it  for it dampened their Machiavellian plans.



Heungson Daewon'gun, the father of the king, had long been a thorn in his son's side. In the recent past, he had been notorious for his plots to undermine his son's authority and was especially nefarious to the queen's whom he considered to be his mortal enemy. However, age had mellowed the elderly man  he was about 71 years old  and in recent years he "had remained apparently aloof from the politics, though rumor, in view of his antecedents, often connected his name with suggestive canards."



Throughout the day it rained heavily and many people sought the sanctuaries of their homes. The Daewon'gun was no exception. He invited several of his friends to Unhyeongung (his palace/residence) for a small dinner party, and "all of the household partook freely of wine." It was a very enjoyable evening but it taxed heavily upon the elderly Daewon'gun, who, "being somewhat fatigued, went to bed a little after nine."



It was at about 9:30 when a loud explosion coming from the Daewon'gun's residence shattered the peacefulness of the evening rain. Several officials proceeded thither to make inquiries, but being assured by the gate-porter that nothing had happened, they withdrew." Little could they have imagined of what had transpired behind the closed gate.





A gate of Unhyeongung in April 2022. Robert Neff Collection



According to the Seoul-based correspondent of the Fiji Shimpo (newspaper):



"Shortly after the Prince had retired a loud noise was heard in or near his room, and the servants, rushing thither, found that a part of the building had been completely wrecked. Unable at first to see the Prince, they supposed that he had been killed, but presently he emerged unhurt from the ruins, and gave orders that the rest of the house should be searched. Examination revealed that boxes containing about 13 or 14 lbs. of gunpowder each had been placed in the heating flues under the Prince's bedroom, study, and reception-chamber. These rooms practically constitute the Prince's regular dwelling-place, so it is plain that by exploding the three boxes simultaneously, the plotters expected to kill the [Daewon'gun] without fail. The boxes under the bedroom and reception room did actually explode, but that under the study failed, the fuse having been damped by rain which was falling heavily."





A ground-level view of Unhyeongung in April 2022. Robert Neff Collection

It was surmised that "during the guests' departure someone carried in the powder" and placed it in the flues. It is a very interesting account but, as usual, there are discrepancies  to begin with, the dates. The Japan Weekly Mail claimed it took place on the 16th but wondered why the news of the assassination attempt did not reach Tokyo until the 23rd  even though the Japanese representative in Seoul had supposedly sent a telegraph on the 17th, informing his government of what had transpired. Most accounts, however, give the date of the assassination attempts as June 18.



Horace N. Allen, the temporary charge d'affaires at the American legation, sent a confidential report to the State Department  nearly two weeks after the attempt  in which he wrote:



"I have the honor, privately to report that for some days a rumor has been current here to the effect that on the night of the 18th June and unsuccessful attempt was made to assassinate the [Daewon'gun]  father of the king, by means of a package of gunpowder placed under his sleeping room, but which was discovered in time to prevent an explosion."





An inner gate of Unhyeongung in April 2022. Robert Neff Collection



According to Allen, the Japanese minister in Seoul, upon learning of the attempt, had immediately telegraphed his government and requested two warships to be sent to Korea. The Korean king, learning of the Japanese minister's actions, sent a messenger to Allen (and presumably the other Western diplomats) informing him that the report of the assassination attempt "was not credited in the Palace" and the king "feared unpleasant notices might appear in the papers."



The palace was insisting nothing had happened, as if they were trying to brush the failure away. This seems to be supported by the Fiji Shimpo's account which claims that almost immediately after the assassination attempt, the Daewon'gun "reported the particulars to the King, but that neither the latter nor the Queen-Dowager took any notice or sent any massage of condolence."



At the end of his report, Allen wrote"I may add that the rumor is believed to [illegible] by all the representative and the people." I am guessing the missing words are "be true."





Inside Unhyeongung in April 2022. Robert Neff Collection



Allen wasn't the only one talking about the attempt. Walter Hillier, the British representative to Seoul, paid a visit to Chinese Resident (representative to Seoul) and was informed:



"in confidence that the story was perfectly true, a dastardly attempt having been made on the night of the 18th instant to blow up the King's father, an old man of 70 years of age, and his wife, who is [the] mother to the King. A quantity of gunpowder was placed under the floor of the old man's sleeping room, the floors of all rooms in this country being heated by flues running underneath them, and it was merely by an accident that he and his wife escaped. They had fortunately moved into another room at the last moment, and though the floor was blown out, the powder was of so poor a description that the damage was confined to the empty chamber."



When Hillier asked what steps had been taken to "discover the perpetrators," the Chinese Resident whispered to him "that the King did not care to enquire, and gave me [Hillier] to understand that the Queen knew what was going to happen and that the plot had been concocted by some members of her family, who are deadly enemies of the King's father and of the party, which he represents."



Not everyone agreed that it was the palace responsible for the failed attempt. The Japan Daily Mail noted that Korea had "opened her gates to the outer world only a dozen years ago, and already her agitators have recourse to dynamite to accomplish their nefarious purposes." The paper suggested that the attempt was assisted by outsiders:



"It is scarcely probable that any Korean laboratory is yet capable of manufacturing bombs and infernal machines, and the evident interference will be that the plotters were in collusion with outsiders."





The courtyard of Unhyeongung in April 2022. Robert Neff Collection



The Fiji Shimpo, however, reported that some of the wild rumors on the street accused the Chinese Resident of having some degree of culpability.



Allen dismissed these claims. He denied dynamite was used and declared "the idea of foreigners being connected with the plot is absurd."



Many people suspected it was the Min family. They enjoyed powerful positions in the government and were despised by a large portion of the population  they also had a great hatred towards the Daewon'gun. The Fiji Shimpo pointed out that the Min family alleged the assassination attempt "was a plot designed to injure their reputation."



The reputation of the Min family was not that good  even in the eyes of the Chinese Resident who historically supported it. He denigrated the king for his weak character and extravagant habits and accused him of being "completely in the hand hands of the Queen and her adherents; he was under the influence of the most superstitious fears, which were worked upon by the Queen, at whose suggestion he was moving into another palace; and he was perfectly reckless in his expenditure."



The kingdom's impecuniosity was to blame for this surge of violence. Government officials and soldiers had not received their salaries for several months  even a year  even though the king "was selling offices right and left to raise money for his extravagances, which offices [were] invariably secured by members of the Queen's clan or party."



He speculated that if the queen  whose health was precarious  died, it would be "the signal for the wholesale murder of the members of her clan."





A closer look at some of the buildings of Unhyeongung in April 2022. Robert Neff Collection
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  The Marion County Coroners Office has released the names of two girls who died at hospitals after being pulled from a suburban Indianapolis retention pond.

The girls were Rosia Mang, 13, and Paw Lin, 11, the coroners office said.
A 24-year-old Richmond man has been charged with conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS, the U.S. Attorney's office announced Friday.

Abdulrahman Mohammed Hafedh Al Qaysi was arrested Thursday and made his first appearance in federal court Friday. Also charged are his 26-year-old cousin Mohammed Amer Faisal Al Qaysi from Houston and Hami Jamshid, a 32-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who lives in Sugar Land.

On HoustonChronicle: NCIS agent accused of helping suspected terrorist ex-lover found guilty in Houston federal court

Along with the conspiracy charge, Hafedh Al Qaysi is also accused of making a false statement in a naturalization application. The indictment alleges that he falsely answered no when asked if he had in any way ever been associated with a terrorist organization or if he ever helped any group that used a weapon against any person or threatened to do so.

The indictment alleges the three men falsely answered no to a question on the naturalization application that asked whether they had ever committed, assisted with or attempted to commit a crime for which they were not arrested. Jamshid is also accused of procuring citizenship unlawfully.

The three men face additional charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and Hafedh Al Qaysi is accused of committing aggravated identity theft.

If convicted, Hafedh Al Qaysi faces up to 20 years in federal prison for allegedly conspiring to help ISIS, along with a mandatory two years for the identity theft charge, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence.

Making a false statement in a naturalization application and attaining citizenship unlawfully carry possible sentences of five and 10 years, respectively. The three men, if found guilty, are also facing up to 20 years for allegedly conspiring to commit wire fraud.
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GALVESTON  Clemente Jimenez left Mexico City in 1998 for this island city, looking for a dream in a country long affiliated with them.

One such dream came to fruition Saturday when the 66-year-old, who has lived in Galveston since, became a naturalized American citizen alongside 19 other people from 15 countries.

Im very happy. I cant explain what Im feeling, Jimenez, wearing a blue suit with a white shirt and red tie, holding a tiny American flag in one hand, said after getting his certificate. My face just says everything.

The smile refused to leave his face.

Nearly two dozen new citizens were welcomed with a special ceremony that coincided with Juneteenth, marking the day when Union soldiers arrived to Galveston armed with the emancipation proclamation and the news slavery had been abolished. Those who were naturalized Saturday came to the U.S. from Algeria, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Honduras, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.

Today we reflect that the past no matter how dark can lead to something brighter and more hopeful, Amanda Baran, of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, told the people gathered at the Rosenberg Library. That a journey, no matter its starting point, can end in a place full of promise.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Galveston, the birthplace of Juneteenth, has been losing Black residents for decades

The oath of allegiance was administered by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown, whose court presided over the ceremony.

I know its not been an easy road, Brown said. We ask a lot of those who want to become American citizens but we do so because of the deep significance of the rights that you acquire and the duties that you assume as citizens of the greatest nation the world has ever known. So congratulations and welcome to the club.

Dale Wainwright, a former justice of the Texas Supreme Court, told the newly naturalized citizens they were now endowed with all the rights and responsibilities of a citizen.

You can express yourself and are protected by the constitution, worship as you desire, vote in elections, travel with a United States passport and obtain citizenship for your children who are minors, Wainwright said. The commitment, the diligence, the desire to achieve your dreams and accomplish this objective shows how impressive you are. Nothing matters more to accomplishing your dreams than the size of your heart, the strength of your desire, the dedication to your goals and the depth of your faith.

Read more about Juneteenth: In the heart of Houston, storied Emancipation Park celebrates Juneteenth for the 150th time

Jimenez knows well it was not easy road. He said the hardest part of the process was learning everything needed to demonstrate an understanding of the country and its history.

And, obviously, dealing with nervousness.

I always tell students, said Magdalena Alvarado, who taught Jimenez through Ser y Hacer Galveston, an organization that offers citizenship prep, when this ceremony occurs, think of it as a movie about how you got to the United States and what you can accomplish.

The courses consisted of two semesters of about 12 weeks each, practicing and learning American history. In 11 years helping migrants, Alvarado estimated she had met about 3,000 people who became citizens from Galveston and Harris counties.

The naturalization of one person can help the rest of a family, Alvarado said.

On HoustonChronicle.com: United Airlines wants more pilots of color. Its Juneteenth event for students aims to find them.

Despite the nerves, Jimenez said his interview about a month ago went well  and he felt prepared. He said he has asked some of the history questions he was studying to his American-born friends. He knew more than some of them.

Its like a beginning, Alvarado told him Saturday. If you can accomplish this, you can accomplish other things in your life.

Mary Longoria, another teacher who helped him prep, joked he can be a sheriff.

No, he said, smiling again. I can become a judge.

alejandro.serrano@chron.com
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As Trey Legall danced down West Montgomery Road in Acres Homes during the 9th annual Juneteenth parade and community celebration, he did so holding up a sign calling for the abolition of the death penalty in Texas.

Displaying signs calling for gun control, Christopher Robinson  a member of the Black Heritage Society  marched alongside other members of his organization.

Various social issues were among the themes for parade participants Saturday, as hundreds lined the 1-mile stretch to catch candy and wave at the floats.

I just think its a great opportunity for us to bring the community together, Robinson said. Things start to change when community comes together.

Mayor Sylvester Turner attended the event and said Saturdays celebration of the now federal holiday should be a remembrance of the past struggles of Black people. This years parade was the first one since the holiday was made officially made a federal holiday last summer and one of the many events planned around Houston this weekend.

Its just good to remember your history, pay tribute to it and make sure that we celebrate it in a way that pays homage to those who sacrificed so much, Turner said shortly before the event.

Turner also took time during his ride through Acres Homes to recognize former Houston legislator and Civil Rights Activist Al Edwards, who helped Texas become the first state in the country to make the abolition of slavery an official holiday. Edwards died in April 2020 due to natural causes.

This parade was started primarily because of State Rep. Al Edwards so on this day as we celebrate this national holiday lets give proper tribute to him.

Legall, an activist with the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, said that although Juneteenth is a historic Texan day of Black celebration, it is also a day to discuss issues affecting the Black community  like the criminal justice system.

I love Juneteenth. Like, you see me dancing. I believe celebration is important but also we need a sense of moving toward something, he said. I think that bringing issues to a celebration gives us that. It gives us community because what other day do we have?

joel.umanzor@chron.com
Police on Friday afternoon released body camera footage showing an encounter on a residential street in north Houston in which two officers fatally shot a man who fired shots at them.

The shooting happened around 7:45 p.m. May 18 near the intersection of Cheeves Drive and Heath Street in the East Little York neighborhood, according to the Houston Police Department. Police identified the man who was killed by officers as Deven Nnawuchi.

Officer K. Donohue was responding to a call from a woman on Lera Street who said Nnawuchi, her boyfriend, had stolen her SUV and pointed a gun at her daughters. He was behaving erratically, she said.

As the officer was taking the report, Nnawuchi drove down the street in his girlfriends vehicle and sped away.

Thats him, thats him, the woman said, according to body camera footage. She ducked behind the police cruiser and the officer told her to go inside.

Donohue, who was sworn in as an officer more than five years ago, climbed into his vehicle and sped after the SUV for several blocks.

Im gonna try and catch back up with him, the officer said.

Meanwhile, Nnawuchi crashed his SUV into the front of another responding officers marked patrol car and came to a stop at the edge of someones front yard.

Officer J. Salinas, who was sworn in as an officer less than a year ago, backed up and climbed out of the cruiser after his airbag deployed and windshield cracked, according to the footage.

Salinas walked toward Nnawuchis vehicle and said, Hey, get down, according to the video.

The video shows a burst of gunfire erupt as Salinas scrambles to take cover behind a house while Donohue climbs out his patrol vehicle across the street. Gunshots ring out for roughly twenty seconds, according to the video, although the source of each shot is difficult to distinguish in the footage.

Police said Nnawuchi fired the first shots at Salinas and pointed his gun at Donohue. Both officers returned gunfire because they feared for their lives, according to the police department.

After Nnawuchi fell to the ground, the officers pointed their firearms at him and slowly moved toward him. They commanded him to stop moving, show his hands and drop his weapon, according to video footage.

The officers then moved the wounded man onto his stomach, wrestled his arms behind his back and placed him in handcuffs, according to video. Nnawuchi yelled, groaned and struggled as officers placed him in custody, the video shows.

Nnawuchi was transported to a hospital where he died from his injuries.

Salinas was transported to a hospital where he was treated for minor injuries sustained in the head-on collision, police said. Neither officer was struck by gunfire.

Footage from the body-worn cameras was released within 30 days of the shooting, per department policy. The incident remains under investigation by the police departments special investigations unit and internal affairs division, as well as the Harris County District Attorneys Office.

anna.bauman@chron.com
A Uvalde police officer armed with an AR-15-style rifle who responded to initial reports of a shooting at Robb Elementary School saw the gunman approaching the building but did not shoot him because he feared the gunfire would hit children, according to a Friday report from the New York Times.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Ricardo Rios of Zavala County told the Times that two officers from the city police department who responded quickly to the scene thought the gunman was shooting at them and took cover behind a patrol car.

One of the officers told Rios that he wanted to return fire but did not engage because they were scared of hitting the kids, according to the exclusive report from the Times.

The shooter then entered the school and killed two teachers and 19 children inside adjoining fourth-grade classrooms.

The response by law enforcement to the May 24 massacre  along with the lack of transparency and discrepancies in information about what happened  has come under intense scrutiny and triggered investigations by several entities, including a Texas House committee.

The report from the Times came in the wake of news that Uvalde police officers will appear before the states legislative committee as part of the investigation. The department initially refused to cooperate.

We had several conversations today with the city of Uvalde, the city of Uvalde Police Department, said state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, the committee chairman. We are going to actually have witnesses testify to us from their department. They have agreed to that.

A day earlier, Burrows had questioned whether the Uvalde police officers would testify voluntarily. The committee met with several witnesses Friday and will convene again in Uvalde on Monday, but it is unclear when the officers will testify.

It took a little bit longer than we initially had expected, Burrows said, but those conversations did develop through the day, so they are going to be cooperating with that.

Uvalde police were the first to enter the school during the May 24 massacre, pursuing the gunman, Salvador Ramos, two minutes after he entered through an unlocked back door toting an assault-style rifle.

Ramos, 18, entered adjoining classrooms 111 and 112, locking a door behind him. After he shot through the door and grazed two officers, they decided to fall back and not force entry.

Despite 911 calls from survivors inside the classrooms, it took police from various agencies more than an hour from the time Ramos entered the school to breach the door and kill him.

Rios told the Times that the Uvalde police officer who saw the gunman before he entered the school had only seconds to make a decision, and that the chance passed really quick, the newspaper reported.

Im not bashing him or anything. I get it, he reportedly said.

A jailer at the Zavala County Sheriffs Office who answered the phone Friday night said Rios was not available to comment. A spokeswoman for the Uvalde Police Department did not immediately respond to an inquiry.

One of the young victims of the massacre was Uziyah Garcia, 10.

Uziyahs uncle, Brett Cross, attended all of the committees meetings this week in Uvalde. On Thursday morning, he sat across from its members  Burrows; state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso; and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman  as they started the hearing. They then closed the session to media and observers as they interviewed witnesses.

Cross was seeking more information about the mass shooting that took his nephews life. Uziyah had moved from San Angelo to live with Cross in Uvalde not long before the massacre.

The grieving uncle was visibly frustrated by the hearings closed doors.

On Friday morning, the committee members visited Robb Elementary to lay a wreath at the front of the school and tour the site of the massacre. Cross stood outside, waiting for them to emerge. When they did, he spoke to the members for about 10 minutes out of earshot of reporters.

Back at City Hall, Cross returned to the hearing, and Burrows shared with reporters his conversation with Cross.

I think theres been some concerns and confusion about how this process is working, Burrows said. And I had an opportunity to visit with (Cross) and explain why were doing some of this in closed-door session.

The aim, he said, was to elicit truthful testimony to reach an accurate understanding of what occurred on May 24.

One persons truth may be different than another persons truth than another persons truth, Burrows said. I think we know this from all sorts of investigative processes and judicial processes. And before this committee is willing to announce what we believe to be factual, accurate information, we want to hear from all sides and all different viewpoints.

Im not telling you this is the perfect way to go about doing it by any stretch of the imagination, but its the way we know that we feel works. We believe in it. Its only to try to get to the bottom of it so I can look you in the eye and tell you, sir, this is what I believe to be true, this is what I dont know to be true, and give you that to the best of my ability.

Cross nodded as Burrows spoke.

Later, he told a reporter that his concerns had mostly been assuaged.

I understand it, he said.

On Friday, the committee again interviewed witnesses behind closed doors in another daylong meeting. Reporters again were sent outside to wait.

The committee heard testimony from two Robb Elementary teachers, Yvette Silva and Mercedes Salas; both declined to speak to reporters. Two officers with the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department  Officer Ruby Gonzalez and Lt. Mike Hernandez  also testified.

After the session, Guzman called the two-day run of testimony very productive. She declined to discuss any facts until the committees report is final.

Visiting Robb Elementary earlier that morning, Guzman had grown visibly distraught.

We, as you know, as a committee, were able to go and look at the school today and to honor the memories of the children in some small way by leaving a wreath, she said. And I am certain that every person that visits the memorial is deeply, deeply moved by the tragedy of the situation.
Santa Elena Canyon, arguably the most spectacular natural feature in a Big Bend National Park full of wonders, owes its existence to a river that for eons has been carving a path through sheer limestone walls that soar some 1,500 feet above the river bed. We call the inexorable carver the Rio Grande, the fifth-longest river in North America.

These days at Santa Elena, the Rio Grande is the Rio Pequeno. The iconic stream that serves as an international boundary is but a sandy hop, skip, and jump between Texas and Mexico. The Rio Grande is running dry.

In the national park and elsewhere along its 1,900-mile length from southern Colorados San Juan Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico, the river has been reduced in places to shallow pools separated by sand. Fish die in small puddles bounded by gray tiles of dried mud. Bird species have lost critical habitats. Native vegetation along the banks is dying.

Farmers in southern Colorado, central New Mexico and northern Mexico can no longer depend on the rivers reliable sustenance. Crops wither; orchards die. Towns and cities in two nations scramble for water. In the Big Bend, wilderness-adventure outfits are having to substitute hiking and four-wheel-drive treks for float trips. (Clients, and their guides, prefer paddling a canoe to dragging one.) A river that has sustained life in an arid land for millennia is in crisis - perhaps for a long time to come.

Its astonishing. Its sad. Its no longer a river, retired Big Bend National Park wildlife biologist Raymond Skiles told Marfa Public Radio recently.

Michael Ciaglo, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle

Whats happening to the Rio Grande, a designated Wild and Scenic River, is happening throughout the American West and, as Skiles reminded the Chronicle editorial board last week, its been an ongoing process for decades. Its getting worse.

Throughout the vast area, the first two decades of the 21st century have been drier than at any time in the past 1,200 years. The Rio Grande, the Colorado, the Gila and other southwestern rivers, already in trouble because of the so-called mega-drought, are in even more trouble because we over-use them.

And then theres a third problem: More and more people are discovering the American Southwest as a desirable place not only to visit but also to relocate. Urban Texans desperate to get out of Dodge during the pandemic, seemed to rediscover Big Bend and the Rio Grande. The national park experienced a record number of visitors in 2021. (A wilderness outfitter based in Terlingua, the old mining village west of the park, told us that Houstonians make up by far the highest percentage of her clients.)

Newcomers are arriving just in time to recognize, we hope, that reviving the Rio Grande is a devilishly difficult problem. It involves somehow harnessing the cooperation of agricultural interests (which siphon off 75 percent of the water), the tourism industry, municipalities, environmentalists, Indigenous people, energy providers and elected officials at local, state and national levels. The Rio Grande supports a vast ecosystem, providing water for more than 6 million people and 2 million acres of farm land.

To make it even more complicated, the Rio Grande is an international challenge. Mexico is as invested in El Rio Bravo del Norte (Mexicos name for the river) as we are.

Treaties are the dominant factor here, Skiles said. The wildlife biologist grew up in far West Texas and worked for his favorite park in the world for 30 years before retiring in 2018. Hes watched the river deteriorate over the years. To him its distressingly obvious that the current water allocation system, based on international treaties and usage agreements going back to the 1930s and 40s, is unsustainable. Things have changed drastically in eight decades.

Old agreements designed primarily to meet agricultural needs at a time when water was relatively plentiful mean that Rio Grande water is owed to someone long before it gets to the national park, much less to the Gulf of Mexico. More water is being used than is being replenished. As the Colorado publication High Country News noted a few years ago, the original allotment agreements almost totally ignored the ecology, recreational economy and quality of life for the people who live in the Rio Grande Basin.

Responding to the river crisis at its most basic level means acknowledging the stark reality of climate change. In the past century, the average temperature in some areas of the Southwest has risen more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Rivers and lakes all through the Southwest are threatened, and water shortages and mandatory use restrictions are more and more common, from New Mexico to California. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the warm temperatures that helped to make this drought so intense and widespread will continue (and increase) until stringent climate mitigation is pursued and regional warming trends are reversed. For the Rio Grande, the combination of heat and drought means that winter snowfall in the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo mountains is diminishing. Without snow, there is no Rio Grande.

So, who takes the lead in the massive effort to revive the river? Given the welter of entities and interests, the answer to that question is not immediately obvious.

Most likely, its the U.S. Department of the Interior imposing a moratorium on growth and development along the river. Dam-building, channeling, irrigation, crop choices and construction need to be reassessed before serious restoration can begin, a process that could take decades. Quoting High Country News again, A moratorium on further development would allow the Interior Department to undertake a comprehensive analysis to determine the flows and environmental restoration required to support a healthy river from its headwaters in Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico.

Moratorium by definition means temporary, but even a temporary halt to development would be drastic. Any such move must be carefully tailored. But the death of a river is no less drastic. On the other hand, a revived and healthy Rio Grande, with water flowing the way its supposed to through Santa Elena Canyon, would benefit millions of people, the economies of two nations and a vast, irreplaceable ecosystem.

Melissa Aguilar / Staff

Biologist Skiles suggests that restoration also might be an object lesson for those of us who only observe from afar, including Houstonians. What were seeing out here is moving from west to east, he warns. Reductions are coming. If we can learn to adapt and manage, perhaps the rest of the country can learn from us.

The Rio Grande is as much a part of our Texas heritage as the Alamo, the Panhandle or the Hill Country, a central part of what makes Texas, well, Texas. It needs our help.
When Katia Escobars family members reminisce about their previous life in Mexico, they might as well be talking about a different planet. Escobar, whose parents carried her across the border as an infant and eventually settled in Houston, has always considered herself American.

America, however, isnt so sure.

For Escobar, 18, being an undocumented immigrant was mostly an abstract notion. It never impacted her her education nor stunted her dreams. When she read a research paper in high school about the lack of diversity in the medical field and the higher mortality rate of Black women during childbirth, she set her sights on one day becoming a doctor to help remedy those stark inequities.

But once Escobar began filling out college applications she realized how far out of reach that goal might be.

I remember asking my mom, By any chance, do you know what my Social Security number is? Escobar told the editorial board recently. And she said, Oh, you don't have one, because youre undocumented. I didn't realize just how crucial this one number was.

Escobar is among an estimated 1.1 million immigrants who graduate from high school or college into an unconscionable purgatory, legally unable to use their skills and talents to contribute to a nation theyve called home nearly their entire lives.

Escobar, like many undocumented residents brought to this nation as minors, sought refuge in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and put her trust in political leaders who talked of compassion but never delivered any real, permanent action. Yet owing in part to a Texas-led lawsuit to kill DACA, Escobar as well as the nearly 100,000 young people graduating from high school this year, are no longer eligible for the program.

Created by a 2012 executive order from President Obama, DACA offered so-called Dreamers the chance to qualify for in-state college tuition and to work here legally. Texas is home to some 210,600 DACA-eligible individuals, including more than 60,000 people in Houston, according to the American Immigration Council.

Roughly 800,000 people have taken advantage of DACA since it launched. Yet 10 years later, its weaknesses are more apparent than ever. President Bidens failure so far to fulfill a campaign pledge to secure a path to citizenship for Dreamers continues a disheartening track record of unkept promises from both Democratic and Republican presidents and lawmakers.

And all of those so-called Dreamers, those DACA kids, Biden said at one 2020 presidential debate with President Trump, theyre going to be immediately certified again to be able to stay in this country and put on a path to citizenship.

Didnt happen.

Despite DACAs limited but critical success and overwhelming, bipartisan public support for permanent protections  74 percent of Americans support a pathway to citizenship for those brought to America as children  Congress has always found a convenient excuse for inaction.

Lawmakers have either used the Dreamers plight as a bargaining chip to pass supposedly more urgent legislation  be it building a border wall or raising the debt ceiling  or have resisted a stand-alone DACA bill in order to reach a seemingly impossible grand bargain on comprehensive immigration reform.

Over the past decade, DACA has become even more limited. For low-income residents such as Escobar, the onerous application and renewal fees are themselves a barrier to protected status. With the help of United We Dream, an immigrant advocacy group, Escobar took a course on DACA and they provided funds to submit an application. She waited and waited, praying she would be accepted.

Alas, a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and six other states challenging the programs legality scuttled her hopes. Despite the vast economic contributions undocumented immigrants make to Texas every year and a state law allowing some undocumented students to pay in-state college tuition, Paxton has worked for years to end DACA for good. In July 2021, a federal judge in South Texas ruled in his favor. The decision barred new applications to the program. The majority of undocumented immigrants graduating from high schools across the nation would no longer be protected. While the Biden administration has appealed the ruling, and the legal saga continues in federal court next month, no new applicants are eligible for the program.

The ruling left Escobar wracked with anxiety. She had been accepted to the University of Houston, one step closer to her dream of becoming a doctor. The threat of deportation to a country she never knew suddenly seemed more real than ever.

It was sheer panic, Escobar said. How will I pay my rent? How will I pay my living expenses? How will I continue to live and reside in the U.S. if I cannot earn any income?

Escobar found a lifeline in the form of a national scholarship from Dream.US, a nonprofit advocacy group, allowing her to continue her studies. Yet while she is one year closer to a bachelors degree, the prospects of someday attending medical school remain, well, a dream.

Thats in large part because the supposed Dreamer advocates in Congress have gone conspicuously quiet, including Texas senior Sen. John Cornyn. Despite telling this board in 2020 he no longer felt comfortable using Dreamers as leverage to get the wall and other border-related Republican priorities, his recent statements suggest he lacks the courage to stand up to his own party on the issue. During a hearing Tuesday designed to build support for a permanent DACA solution, Cornyn stated what he believes to be the political reality: It is difficult to pass any immigration measures so long as lawmakers are concerned about migrants at the southern border.

Its unclear what those migrants have to do with Dreamers who have grown up here. Still, Cornyn may be right about the political will of his colleagues who apparently cant tell a cartel member from an asylum seeker and are probably just as content to paint every American-raised, English-speaking, law-abiding Dreamer with the same broad brush.

For Bidens part, he made good on sending a comprehensive immigration reform bill to Congress, which would allow more legal immigration and give nearly 11 million unauthorized immigrants, including Dreamers, a pathway to legal status. Pushing forward a bill that stands no chance of passing is no substitute for genuine advocacy. Biden should instead use every opportunity to call attention to Republicans standing in the way of helping Dreamers.

When young people across the nation applied for DACA, they did so with hope and trust that making themselves visible and vulnerable to a system that only promised temporary protection would be honored. Our government has failed them.

Katia Escobar is one of tens of thousands of DACA recipients who took that risk. She is ready and willing to contribute to making this nation better. Only Congress can secure her future. Get it done already.
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Thumbs down: We wish we could say that the most repulsive comments reported this week on the Uvalde school shooting came from the group of QAnon followers who harassed March For Our Lives participants in Dallas, shouting that the massacre of 19 students and two teachers was all an act perpetrated by the federal government. But given that the same people were assembled to await - yet again - the prophesied return of JFK Jr., whom they believe will restore Donald Trump to the White House and conquer a cult of Satan-worshipping, blood-drinking, pedophilic Democrats, we find it hard to take them seriously enough to take offense at their delusions. Comments unearthed this week by Salon from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are another matter. In a May 29 interview with conservative radio host Pastor Trey Graham, Paxton demurred on offering words of comfort for Uvalde victims families, opting for cold resignation: theres a purpose in what God does, he said, going on to say God always has a plan and life is short. The comments drew swift rebuke, with Fred Guttenberg, father of Parkland, Fla. school shooting victim Jaime Guttenberg, tweeting, How dare you justify your failures by saying god has a plan  People like you are the reason, not any godly plan. Paxton was right, though, that life is short. We only wish the same were true for political careers of feckless elected officials who would rather promote reckless gun policies than laws that could save lives.

Thumbs down: Of course, Paxton would probably have us believe its Gods plan that hes stayed in office despite criminal indictment and never-ending accusations of corruption. Would God be that vengeful? See the Old Testament  and also the weather forecasts lately that read like something out of the Book of Revelations. If its not a deadly pandemic threatening mankind, its Saharan dust sweeping through Houston, aggravating allergies and asthma and threatening to land vulnerable populations in the hospital. Were told to keep the small kids indoors and to wear a mask if we have to go outside. Just like old pandemic times. But hey, God works in mysterious ways. Perhaps he also nudged the Fed to raise the interest rates this week to stop you from buying that new convertible.
Regarding Opinion: Teachers arent being trusted to teach. Now you want to arm them?, (June 13): The morning after the Uvalde school shooting, my husband and I waved our 6- and 10-year-old grandchildren off to their last day of school before summer vacation. They had no idea of the carnage in our home state miles away.

Our feelings of helplessness paralleled Kathleen Parkers. How can we not reach her conclusion that any action is better than no action? Lets add a pistol to the list of tools at a teachers disposal. Maybe the PTA can do a special fundraiser. And while were at it, I suppose well customize a holster. One a curious child cannot easily access, but equipped with a quick-release lock, the better to combat the barrage of bullets flying from an AR-15 some teen boy chose as his birthday gift to himself.

When the so-called responsible leaders of a society fail to take the obvious steps necessary to protect our babies, it seems we grandparents are left to grasp at anything to combat this desperate feeling of impotence. Perhaps even something as senseless and irrational as the murderous act itself.

Carol Godell, Spring

So now when studying to be a teacher, will the Texas Education Agency require a Special Weapons and Tactics course as part of the core curriculum?

John C. Lopez, Houston

There is no good time to arm teachers. They should not be armed at all. This idea is nothing more than a cheap fix for a state that does not want to pay for real security or curb access to guns. The schools need professional security  police, deputies, etc. Security at this level is not and never will be a reasonable responsibility for teachers. A teachers responsibility is to teach. That is their field of expertise, not gun-based security.

Augusta Era Golian, Spring

Gun laws

Regarding In a boost, McConnell backs Senate bipartisan gun deal, (June 14): Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. warned against the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. We should heed his warning. The Senates proposed new gun laws will have little impact on mass shootings. The proposed legislation does not outlaw the sale of military weapons to the public. Assault rifle sales and possession will go on unabated.

So long as these military weapons are sold to the public, we will continue to have mass shootings. With children being slaughtered, no one should be satisfied by these half measures that stop nothing but the cry for action.

Robert J. Fickman, Houston

There can be little doubt that throughout history, in every culture, there are mentally ill people who, in moments of rage, want to inflict as much harm as possible to those around them. The difference between the United States and the rest of the world is that we have made it so easy for them to succeed.

Chris Alba, Spring

The Chronicle has been posting Coronavirus At A Glance data at the bottom of the City/State section for some time, as an ongoing reminder of the impacts of this deadly and widespread disease. How about posting a new data set  Gun Violence At A Glance  to track and remind viewers of the ongoing significance of this deadly, and widespread phenomena? It might make a difference in how we address the problem that is killing us.

Michael Grogan, Cypress

Mental health funds

Regarding Texas legislative leaders want to spend millions on mental health, school safety by end of summer, (June 13): I read this morning that Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan wants $170 million for safety and mental health. If he gets it (and thats not certain), it would almost make up for the more than $200 million that Governor Abbott cut from mental health services, in order to fund his over-$2-billion-a-year border security stunt. If Republicans really cared, they would use some of that $2 billion for mental health, instead of political theater.

They might even use some of it to counter the devastating effects of global warming, one of the main reasons for the current tides of mass migration by people who can choose to starve, or migrate.

Frank Ohrt, Houston
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomws Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, before talks in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, in this handout picture taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press-Service, June 17. AFP-Yonhap





The European Union's executive arm recommended putting Ukraine on a path to membership Friday, a symbolic boost for a country fending off a Russian onslaught that is killing civilians, flattening cities and threatening its very survival.







In another show of Western support, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv to offer continued aid and military training.







The European allies' latest embrace of Ukraine marked another setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched his war nearly four months ago, hoping to pull his ex-Soviet neighbor away from the West and back into Russia's sphere of influence.







At Russia's showpiece economic forum in St. , on Friday, Putin said Moscow ''has nothing against'' Ukraine joining the EU, because it ''isn't a military organization, a political organization like NATO.'' He also reprised his usual defense of the war, alleging it was necessary to protect people in parts of eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed rebels and to ensure Russia's own security.







Johnson's trip to Kyiv followed one Thursday by the leaders of Germany, France, Italy and Romania, who pledged to support Ukraine without asking it to make any territorial concessions to Russia.







''We are with you to give you the strategic endurance that you will need,'' Johnson said on his second visit to the country since the Feb. 24 start of the war. Although he did not detail the aid, he said Britain would lead a program that could train up to 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers every 120 days in an unspecified location outside the country.







European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a media conference after a meeting of the College of Commissioners at EU headquarters in Brussels, June 17. AP-Yonhap





The training program could ''change the equation of this war,'' he said. Ukraine has been taking heavy casualties in fighting in the east.







''I completely understand why you and your people can make no compromise with Putin because if Ukraine is suffering, if the Ukrainian troops are suffering, then I have to tell you that all the evidence is that Putin's troops are under acute pressure themselves and they are taking heavy casualties,'' Johnson said. ''Their expenditure of munitions, of shells and other weaponry, is colossal.''







Since his April visit, ''the Ukrainian grit, determination and resilience is stronger than ever, and I know that unbreakable resolve will long outlive the vain ambitions of President Putin,'' he added.







Johnson said the U.K. will work to intensify the sanctions on Russia. He praised the resilience of Ukrainians and how ''life is coming back to the streets'' of Kyiv, but noted that ''only a couple of hours away, a barbaric assault continues. Towns and villages are being reduced to rubble.''







Zelenskyy gave Johnson a tour of a monastery where they lit candles and the British leader received an icon. They placed flowers at an outdoor memorial wall displaying photos of soldiers who fell in fighting in 2014, viewed an exhibit of damaged, rusting Russian weapons, and greeted cheering crowds.







''We have a common view of the movement toward Ukraine's victory. I'm grateful for the powerful support!'' Zelenskyy said on Telegram.







The possibility of membership in the EU, created to safeguard peace on the continent and serve as a model for the rule of law and prosperity, fulfills a wish of Zelenskyy and his Western-looking citizens.







The European Commission's recommendation that Ukraine become a candidate for membership will be discussed by leaders of the 27-nation bloc next week in Brussels. The war has increased pressure on EU governments to fast-track Ukraine's candidacy, but the process is expected to take years, and EU members remain divided over how quickly and fully to welcome new members.







Political and military support from Western countries has been key to Ukraine's surprising success against larger and better-equipped Russian forces. Zelenskyy has also clamored for additional immediate support in the form of more and better weapons to turn the tide in the industrial east, known as the Donbas.







In St. Petersburg, Putin decried the sanctions imposed on Russia by the U.S. and its allies as ''insane and, I would say, reckless.''







''The calculation was understandable: to impudently, with a swoop, crush the Russian economy by destroying business chains, forcing the withdrawal of Western companies from the Russian market, freezing domestic assets, hitting industry, finance, and the people's standard of living. It didn't work,'' he said.







Russia has pressed its offensive in the east, leaving desperate residents worried about their future.







''We are old people, we do not have a place to go. Where will I go?'' asked Vira Miedientseva, an elderly resident grappling with the aftermath of an attack Thursday in Lysychansk, just across the river from Sievierodonetsk, where a key battle is raging. (AP)


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The political winds are at the backs of Texas Republicans as they head to the midterm elections later this year, but some of the biggest names in GOP politics are warning that trouble is looming on the horizon if they cannot iron out their internal divisions.

For most of the six-day state Republican Party convention that closed in Houston on Saturday, the GOP faithful heard pep rally-like optimism in speeches from politicians about how, thanks to President Joe Bidens poor approval ratings, they are going to take back the majorities in the U.S. House and Senate and send liberal politicians packing.

While Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had some of the same feel in his speech, the Houston Republican spent a large portion of his address to the more than 8,000 delegates imploring them to get over past political divisions  particularly in the governors race  because infighting could hand a win to Democrat Beto ORourke.

We cannot take November for granted in Texas, he said.

RELATED: With gun talks wavering, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn returns home to boos from Texas GOP

More specifically, Patrick addressed a pervasive concern in the party that some of the base, upset with the primary results, might skip the election or not vote at all, giving ORourke a chance to capitalize in the governors race.

We have to beat the Democrats and we cant stay home because our candidate that we voted for didnt win, Patrick said. We can not have Beto ORourke win.

Although Abbott won his primary with 66 percent of the vote, hes had trouble with some of the leadership within the GOP for how hes handled the pandemic and other legislative issues. Allen West, the former chairman of the party, ran against him in the Republican primary in March. Matt Rinaldi, the current chair who was elected to a two-year term during the convention this week, had endorsed former state Sen. Don Huffines over Abbott in the primary initially before later rescinding that to appear neutral in the race.

It led to an odd dynamic this week, with Abbott skipping out on speaking at the official convention meetings for the first time during his two terms as governor. The governor held an informal reception nearby and hasnt had advertising around the convention like he did at past conventions.

Huffines, who was more of a presence at the convention, is adding to the concern among Republicans that some could skip the race. In an interview, he refused to say hes voting for Abbott in the fall.

Were tired of having to hold our nose to vote for people who dont do what we want, Huffines said.

In the Republican primary, Huffines and West each got about 12 percent of the vote.

During his speech, Patrick warned that if ORourke wins, it has a down-ballot effect that could knock out other statewide Republicans on the ballot.

If he were to win, every statewide Republican would lose, Patrick predicted. Every (Texas) Supreme Court justice would lose.

That fear is based on recent election data. In 2018, when ORourke came within 3 percentage points of defeating U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, nearly every statewide Republican had the closest re-election of their career, even against dramatically underfunded Democratic opponents with little name recognition.

Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller all won their re-elections with just 51 percent of the vote in 2018, when four years earlier without ORourke at the top of the ticket they were all near 60 percent.

State Comptroller Glenn Hegar and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn also used portions of their convention speeches to push the party faithful to unify to assure victory in November.

If were going to build on President (Donald) Trumps momentum and continue to make inroads in places like the Rio Grande Valley and all across Texas, we need to work together in November, Cornyn said.

Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

But in some ways, Cornyn, who has been a senator for 20 years, illustrates the division in the party better than anyone. He was heavily booed during his appearance for his work on gun safety legislation in Congress, even as he called for unity. Many delegates are convinced Cornyn is compromising too much with Democrats, even though he said he would do nothing to infringe on their Second Amendment rights.

But booing and frustration with fellow Republicans doesnt mean the rank-and-file members for the GOP want to see it lead to Democrats getting elected, said Michael Walton, a delegate from Spring. He said if Cornyn is the nominee again in 2026  the next time hes on the ballot  hed vote for him to ensure Democrats dont take the seat.

If hes the nominee, were voting for him, Walton said. But he needed to hear what he heard yesterday.

Walton said the delegates at conventions always fight among themselves over differing issues in such a big state.

Sometimes you want to send a message, but not voting at his point is not an option, Walton said. When you dont vote, you end up getting a Democrat.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com
Williamstown ZBA Continues Vote on Chemical Dependency Center

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The Zoning Board of Appeals has more questions before it OKs the conversion of a former nursing home to a behavioral health-care facility.

The panel on Thursday continued a special permit to operate an inpatient behavioral health-care facility at 1561 Cold Spring Road (Route 7), at the site of the former Sweet Brook Care Centers. It will gather questions for the applicant by next week and resume the conversation on July 21.



"Our hope is to provide services to a massively underserved population that obviously needs these types of treatment services," said the applicant's representative Megan Weaver of Complete Compliance Consulting.



Owner Williamstown Recovery Realty LLC intends to use the building as an inpatient chemical dependency/co-occurring disorder treatment facility with Williamstown Recovery LLC as the operator. The facility aims to provide medical supervision, assessment, and clinical services for adult men and women.



It will fall under the same use as the previous nursing home and will not require any change to the current utilities.



The property falls under RR3 for institutional use and its use as an inpatient behavioral health-care facility required a special permit from the ZBA. Only superficial interior improvements are proposed to transform it to the new use.



Weaver explained that based on need, the treatment facility expects to have an average of 35 patients in year 1, 94 in year 2, 110 in year 3, 138 in year 4, and 147 in its fifth year. At no point do the owners want to operate over 80 percent capacity and plan to have a minimum 1 to 12 client-to-staff ratio.



The former nursing home had around 180 beds across 89 units.



Weaver later highlighted that the facility would be voluntary and would not accept people who are a risk to others.



The aim is to provide treatment to those who are insurance dependent and would otherwise not be able to access the care The minimum stay is 30 days.



"The cost for a 30-day inpatient treatment stay varies greatly, but the average cost is around $20,000. According to 2019 data, 97 percent of the population in Massachusetts has some form of insurance," the project narrative reads.



"With the average insurance plan deductible ranging from $4K for an individual plan and $8K for a family plan, a patient who chooses our facility would have a much more affordable option for treatment whether they're covered by a state-funded Medicaid plan or an employer/self-funded plan through a commercial carrier like Blue Cross Blue Shield. This would allow us to serve not just the Williamstown community, but Massachusetts as a whole."



The continuance was prefaced by more than two hours of hearing concerns from community members and questions from the board.



The abutting independent living facility Sweetwood of Williamstown sent correspondence through an attorney to object to the special permit. Representatives of the retirement community argued that the applicant has not provided sufficient documentation and that the proposal is not in harmony with the purpose and intent of the bylaw, causing disturbances to abutters.



A speaker representing a group of Sweetwood residents said they believe the idea of a drug rehab facility is a worthy goal but that this is not the location because there are too many unknowns. The residents had security concerns for themselves, concerns about lighting and students at Mount Greylock Regional School down the road, and fears of soiling the facility's name.



The facility will also have 24-hour staff.



"The intent is to hire fully credentialed staff, we're talking to medical doctors and licensed nurses and Master's level clinicians, and they've hired myself and my team, all who have worked in this industry running facilities from anywhere from 15 to 30 years respectively, across the group of people that I work with," she said.



"And so, our intention here is they have reached out to us people who are experts in running, licensing, accrediting and operating these facilities to make sure that the proper staff and everything is put in place so that we will not have these types of issues. So I don't believe that they should be faulted for not having actually worked in one of these facilities. They're on the business side of it and their intention is to provide much-needed services in the area and make sure that these facilities have adequate staff and support they need to support the people they serve."



When the facility's security became a recurring question, Weaver and Wendy Penner, a Williamstown resident who has long worked in drug prevention and recovery and is currently Drug Addiction and Recovery Team coordinator for the city of Northampton, came to the defense of individuals seeking treatment for addiction.



"I just want to say that this ongoing conversation about there are special security concerns, because people who use drugs are receiving treatment there is very stigmatized," Penner said. "And that is one of the biggest barriers to recovery and the shame that people feel because they're seen as immoral criminals."



She pointed out that North Adams had a syringe access program and shared that there are often concerns of increased crime around such services but in many cases, there is a reduction in crime.



"I just encourage everyone who's concerned about this, to try to relax a little bit about it and to come from a place of compassion and facts and not come from a place of fear," Penner added.



"I think these are good questions to raise and I think we should look at what the research shows and I think people will feel very reassured by the results."


Lock Upp season one contestant Mandana Karimi has grabbed the attention for a controversial video on social media. The actress, who enjoys a massive fan following on social media shared a fun video on June 17 wherein she can be seen dancing and twerking while wearing a Burqa. The video was from a special shoot.

However, her twerking video seems to have landed her in some deep trouble as netizens are fuming over the same.

Instagram

Mandana Karimi Shares Controversial Video

Sharing the 'twerking in Hijab' video the Iranian beauty who last featured in Alt Balajis controversial show Lock Upp hosted by none other than Bollywood's QUEEN actress Kangana Ranaut wrote "I wish shooting with hijab was as easy as this BTS  NO HATES just bunch of people making a film."

Soon after, netizens flocked to the comment section of her twerking video post and slammed her for allegedly disrespecting Burqa/Hijab.

Social Media Reacts To Mandana Karimi's 'Twerking in Hijab' Video

Taking to Instagram, a user slammed her saying, "Don't make fun of hijab."

Another wrote, "You should be ashamed of yourself.. being a muslim you are making fun of hijab shame on you i think you know that how disrespectful act you did."

Instagram

A third user criticised her saying, "I you wanna do such things do f##kn things without wearing burkha. Respect it no body stoping you for such things but have some sense."

Instagram

"Shame! Do not disrespect hijab like this. Atleast, think once before doing such actions!" one more netizen commented on Mandana Karimi's latest Instagram video post.

Mandana Karimi On Girls Wearing Hijab In Karnataka

In one of her previous Instagram posts, Mandana Karimi had spoken out regarding girls wearing hijab in Karnataka in a video which she captioned, "Found the way to explain whats happening to girls wearing hijab in Karnataka."

In the video, the actress can be heard saying, "When you die you don't know you are dead. It's only difficult for everyone else. It's the same when you are stupid."



Watch:

(For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.)
The drama between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp is far from over. While the high-profile case reached a verdict in Fairfax Court, Virginia, it looks like Amber Heard is relentlessly proving she was abused by her ex-husband, Johnny Depp.



Twitter

Following the verdict, which was evidently in favor of Johnny Depp, Amber Heard is now trying to prove her side of the story.

Twitter

While Depp has moved on, Heard is carrying on her battle against him by unveiling various proofs in the court of public opinion.



Amber Heard has shared a trove of documents with the press to prove that her 'abuse' story was not made up, as claimed by Depp supporters.

Pinterest

Right before her highly anticipated interview with Savannah Guthrie that will air on NBC's Dateline, Amber has shared a file of her therapist's notes with the network.



#AmberHeardDoesNOTSpeakForMe Amber Heard reveals years of therapy notes, alleges it proves Johnny Depp abusehttps://t.co/ZKbn17xcO6 pic.twitter.com/BpjRCX5pz4  Brightly (@BrightlyAgain) June 17, 2022

The highly-confidential binder contains notes from her therapist that portray "years of real-time explanations of what was going on" dating back to 2011, which she claims corroborates her abuse allegations against Depp.

Suspicious similarities between Amber Heards handwriting and her therapist notes pay particular attention to the way the e, f and th is written  pic.twitter.com/4UUYXXBVgF  Arwen sparrow (@An_elf_pirate) June 16, 2022

"Theres a binder worth of years of notes dating back to 2011 from the very beginning of my relationship that was taken by my doctor, to whom I was reporting the abuse," she explained in a preview clip.

AFP

In her own words, the documents contain Heard's side of the story.

Evidently Amber Heard has been writing her own therapist notes(which she's given to GMA) Comparison with her diary notes in trial. This is one step up from "Gone Girl." Someone plz arrest her. #AmberHeardlsApsychopath #AmberHeardIsANarcissist #AmberIsALiar #Johnnydepp pic.twitter.com/enUGMMkOrF  MenToo (@VogueBoss) June 17, 2022

Reacting to the clip, Johnny Depp's legal team condemned the freshly reported notes as "reimagining and relitigating" matters a jury had already considered in a response statement to NBC.

It occurs to me that Amber Heard is putting whichever therapist she claims those notes are from at risk, as California is a mandated reporting state.

She will ruin anyone to try to save herself.  Femme (@FemCondition) June 17, 2022

The statement by Depp's team to NBC reads:

Reuters

"Its unfortunate that while Johnny is looking to move forward with his life, the defendant and her team are back to repeating, reimagining, and re-litigating matters that have already been decided by the court and a verdict that was unanimously and unequivocally decided by a jury in Johnnys favor."



The highly-anticipated interview with Guthrie will air on Friday. Despite all trial, Amber Heard has maintained that she has 'love' for Depp. "I loved him with all my heart," Heard declared.

Agencies

"I tried my best to make a deeply broken relationship work, but I couldnt. I have no bad feelings or ill will toward him at all. "



The Depp-Heard saga continues:

The juror claimed Heards emotional testimony during the trial was not realistic.

Instagram

A juror from the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial spoke exclusively to Good Morning America about the trial verdict, which ruled the verdict in favor of Depp. As per Variety, the juror said,



Web Screen Grab

The crying, the facial expressions, the staring at the jury. All of us were very uncomfortable. She would answer one question, and she would be crying, and two seconds later, she would turn ice cold. Some of us used the expression crocodile tears.



Heards team has repeatedly stated that social media and all the elements opposing Heard on platforms like TikTok have turned the jury in Depps favor.

Reuters

I think even the most well-intentioned juror  it would have been impossible to avoid this, Heard told NBC News this week. Heard has been ordered to pay USD 10.35 million in damages to Depp due to the trial.



(With PTI inputs)

(To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.)


The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent countrywide lockdown measures have impacted all aspects of our social and economic lives. It has also had far reaching effects on adolescents and young people across the country.

Although higher levels of COVID-related mortality and morbidity have been experienced by older generations and those with comorbidities, there is clear evidence that adolescents have faced multiple challenges, fuelled by prolonged school closures and widespread national lockdowns.

Unsplash

School closures, combined with financial stress, heightened vulnerability to age- and gender-based violence and social isolation have placed unprecedented pressure on young people, taking a toll on their physical and mental health. Furthermore existing inequalities and vulnerabilities have been exacerbated by the pandemic - making the most vulnerable adolescents - such as refugees, adolescents with disabilities, girls at risk for early and forced marriages and tribal and poor adolescents - worst affected.

Access to essential services - including for sexual and reproducitve health (SRH) care - have been disrupted. The Guttmacher Institute estimates that adolescents will experience a 12% reduction in access to modern contraceptives and adolescents will experience a 25% reduction in access to maternity care due to covid. Raising concerns around increasing adolescent pregnancies.

Given the numbers and scale of the crisis in India, the implications of interrupted reproductive healthcare and on mental health have to be critically explored among young people in India.

Unsplash

Constituting almost one-fifth of the countrys population, for over two years, adolescents faced education uncertainties, restrictions on their mobility, freedom and socialization, an increase in domestic chores and household conflict and anxieties around their employment prospects. While the pandemic seems to be abating and young people are slowly returning to their pre-pandemic lives, the full ramifications of the lockdown measures will take some time to be understood. It is critical to recognize the role that young people themselves can play in ensuring that they have access to effective SRHR programmes and services, thereby improving health outcomes.

Global evidence shows the importance that meaningful youth participation has on SRHR. Highlighting that young people must be engaged in the design and implementation of SRHR programmes. Young people and adolescents are best able to voice their needs, realities and opinions and it is critical that policymakers, development programmes and youth trainers and advocates provide them the platforms and tools to do that.

By making SRHR an integral part of daily conversations and dialogues and engaging young people with SRHR related topics from the beginning they are able to increase their knowledge. This knowledge in turn enables young people to make more informed decisions regarding their own sexual health and rights. When SRHR programmes and policies are relevant to young peoples experiences we are able to greatly enhance the reach, relevance and efficacy of those programmes.

savethechildren.org

Campaigns such as Baatein Unlocked, which aims to build a youth led movement to enable young populations to realize their full potential by making informed and responsible decisions for their health and wellbeing. The goal of such a movement is to enable young people to have the interest, agency and capacity to advocate for, demand and access sexual and reproductive health products and services that respond to their needs.

This movement will focus on building youth participation and shared narratives and platforms for meaningful youth engagement. Baatein Unlocked will unlock and open conversations on diverse issues related to youth and the secual and reproductive health and rights, by creating safe spaces for young people to talk, explore, express and share their experiences and insights on those issues often hidden or stigmatized. Thereby breaking barriers and challenging social norms around their SRHR needs and desires.

scopeimpact.fi

By creating opportunities for youth leadership and for youth perspectives to be part of the policy and advocacy process we are paving the way for empowering our adolescents and young people and leading to better SRHR outcomes. By engaging meaningfully with young people especially those that are vulnerable and otherwise disenfranchised we can enhance their confidence and teach them important life skills.

Research shows that when young people participate as peer educators or youth champions they become more confident, which enables them to talk in meetings and discuss issues around sexuality with their peers and gatekeepers. Involving young people in development by creating safe spaces for them and listening to them, empowers them, encouraging them to continue to engage thereby setting the stage for youth-centered and youth-led policies and programmes.

About the author: Mandira Kalra Kalaan is the Project Lead for Baatein Unlocked, a movement for youth across Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand. All views/opinions expressed in the article are of the author.


Police in Hyderabad, Telangana have arrested a contractual employee of Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) for allegedly sharing sensitive information with a suspected ISI agent.

The accused, identified as Dukka Mallikarjuna Reddy alias Arjun Bittu was arrested on Friday in a joint operation by the sleuths of the Special Operations Team, LB Nagar Zone, Rachakonda, Hyderabad and Balapur police.

Linkedin

The police have also seized two mobile phones, a SIM card and a laptop from him.

Was working on a classified advanced naval system

On June 17, 2022, on credible information, the Sleuths of Special Operations Team, LB Nagar Zone, Rachakonda in a joint operation with Balapur Police, arrested the contractual employee of Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) who has shared the highly secured and confidential information of DRDL-RCI Complex through social media to a suspected ISI female handler which is prone to create harm to national integrity and security, the police said in a statement.

According to the police, the 29-year-old had joined the Patancheru branch of a Bengaluru-headquartered company and worked on a project from DRDL till January 2020.

After the project, he directly approached DRDL authorities and got enrolled as a contract employee with RCI Balapur.

He was working on a classified advanced naval system programme at the facility.

Reddy had mentioned on his Facebook profile that he was working with DRDL.

Friendship request from an employee of UK Defence Journal

Reddy's troubles started with befriending an unknown user on Facebook in March 2020.

AFP

The user who went by the name Natasha Rao told Reddy that she was an employee of the UK Defence Journal and that her father worked in the Indian Air Force before shifting to the UK.

The two became 'close friends on Facebook and Natasha even agreed to marry Reddy.

In the meantime, Reddy had started sharing photos and text on the development of missiles at DRDL with his 'lover'.

Natasha suddenly becomes Simran

Reddy had also shared details of his bank account with Natasha, but Police is yet to confirm if there was any monetary transaction between them.

Reddy was in touch with Natasha until December 2021, when suddenly the profile changed its name to Simran Chopra and stopped communicating with him.

Following his arrest, Reddy has been booked under sections 409 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 3 (1) (C), 5 (3), 5 (1) (A) of Official Secret Act-1923.

ANI

Honey trap on social media

Honey-trapping is a widely used technique by Pakistan's ISI to leak sensitive information from unsuspecting Defence personnel in India.



In most cases, they are befriended by ISI agents pretending to be women on social media who then use 'friendship' to get the details about their work, troops movement, etc.

The army has repeatedly warned its personnel against befriending unknown persons on social media.

For more on news, sports and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
If youre an artist and wish to get the exact colour of a sunset during monsoon -- the vivid pink and blue tones -- on your colour palette, its a difficult affair. One has to be extremely skilled to get the right colour using the paints.

Representational Image: Unsplash

Also Read: Hear Val Kilmer Once Again: AI Recreates His Voice After Throat Cancer Took It Away

But what if I told you in the future, you could simply get the exact shade, exact tone of the colour that you want, by simply using your voice?



Sounds rather odd, but thats what Sherwin-Williams -- a popular paint brand -- has done.

Reported first by FastCompany, it calls it Speaking in Colour where one can talk about certain places, objects, shades etc. to grasp the colour they visualised.

Say something like the green from fresh grapes, or the red tone from a Cabernet Sauvignon. If the shade isnt as perfect, a user can simply use their voice to make it darker or club it with other examples until the perfect shade is achieved.

Sherwin Williams Speaking in Color from Wunderman Thompson on Vimeo.

The AI app is essentially a React web app that makes use of natural language to find your preferred colour using both third-party and proprietary code. The tools unique algorithm essentially converts tweaking statements like making it brighter or darker in the form of mathematical adjustments.

For now, the tool is only being offered to architects and Sherwin-Williams high-performance coil coating paint business. They hope to create one of the largest colour libraries in the world. So its not quite ready for consumer use yet.

Unsplash

Also Read: AI Tool Can Detect Deepfakes With 94% Accuracy By Scanning The Eyes

Christian Zimprich, marketing manager for Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings, said in a statement, Investing in new tools and technology to make something thats never been done before requires time, trust, and the ability to be agile. The final result isnt always easy to seeyou have to be in it for the long haul and have faith. For us, the biggest challenge was keeping everyone on board throughout the prototype and testing phases to get to the end product.



For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com


North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other senior officials are set to extend aid to 800 families reportedly suffering from an unidentified intestinal epidemic, state media reported on Friday.



Amid the outbreak of the new epidemic, the country continues to battle its first COVID-19 outbreak.

Reuters

On Thursday, North Korea had already reported an unidentified intestine epidemic while the country is already dealing with a wave of COVID infections and food scarcity.



AP

Leader Kim Jong Un reportedly dispatched his family's reserve medicine to the western port city of Haeju on Wednesday to treat patients suffering from an "acute enteric outbreak," according to the state news agency. The gastrointestinal tract is referred to as enteric.

Intestinal diseases such as typhoid and shigellosis are not particularly new in North Korea but whats troubling is that it comes at a time when the country is already struggling from COVID-19, said professor Shin Young-jeon at Hanyang Universitys College of Medicine in Seoul.



AP

The Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) said: "The officials gathered medicines, foodstuffs, and daily necessities needed for the treatment of the epidemic and stable life to render aid to the people in Haeju City and Kangryong County (of South Hwanghae Province)."



The agency has not provided any information regarding the disease or the number of impacted people.

KCNA claimed over 4.5 million out of the countrys 26 million people have fallen ill due to an unidentified fever but only 73 died. The country has identified only a fraction of those as confirmed coronavirus cases. Aljazeera has confirmed the claims.

Unsplash

According to KCNA, "Kim stressed the need to contain the epidemic at the earliest date possible by taking a well-knit measure to quarantine the suspected cases to thoroughly curb its spread, confirming cases through epidemiological examination and scientific tests."



Haeju is located in South Hwanghae Province, North Korea's important agricultural region.

Unsplash

The country could identify only a fraction of confirmed coronavirus cases because of the scarcity of testing kits.



While Pyongyang claimed the COVID-19 wave had shown signs of subsiding, World Health Organization questioned these claims earlier this month, saying that the situation is worsening.

Last month, North Korea declared a state of emergency in response to the country's first COVID outbreak. Vaccines and medical supplies are in short supply in the isolated nation.

Representational Image

While the danger of infection spreading through crops is minimal, Eom Joong-sik, an infectious disease expert at Gachon University Gil Medical Center, told Reuters that disinfecting water supply sources is essential because the disease is likely waterborne.



According to the Associated Press, the outbreak will likely damage Kim's image as a leader worried about people's health.

(With agency inputs)

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Cork Penny Dinners leader Caitriona Twomey has urged people to let the government know that they are hurting because of the cost of living crisis.

In a passionate speech at the Cork cost of living rally on Saturday, Ms Twomey asked those in government if they aware of just how much suffering is being felt by ordinary people, with thousands homeless, hungry, and struggling to pay the bills.

She asked if they were aware that families are scared of so many things because of increasingly scarce resources, and if they were aware that some elderly people are afraid to turn on the lights, the heat, to buy coal or even turn on the cooker because of rising costs.

Are you aware that we fed over 500 people today? she asked.

I can get through everything else but when children are hungry and their parents are crying, that gets me.

Are you aware? And if you are aware, then shame on you for what you are doing to us, the people that have votes and who can get out there and change things.

We need to be looked after, you need to listen to us about whats happening.

Cost of Living protest march, part of a national series of protests, at St Patrick's Street, Cork City. Picture: Larry Cummins

She told the Irish Examiner afterwards that she felt compelled to speak out at the rally because people are dying, because people are going hungry and because people are scared.

We hear the government say they are ploughing billions into x, y, and z, but where is it going? Because nobody sees it," she said.

Our numbers are rising, all charitys numbers are rising. We are saying the same thing. Why arent they listening to us? And why arent they doing something about it.

She was one of several speakers who addressed the Cork rally, one of several such demonstrations which were organised by the Cost of Living Coalition, with similar rallies taking place in Dublin, Limerick, Galway, and Sligo.

The coalition is made up of trade unionists, student and pensioner organisations and opposition political parties, who have all called on the government to take immediate action on the cost of living.

Carol Anne Bridgeman, one of the former Debenhams workers who spent 406 days picketing the stores after they lost their jobs at the start of the pandemic, told the Cork rally that they fought at the time not just for their rights, but for the rights of all workers.

What we learned from the Debenhams protest was that it takes a lot of people, a lot of voices to achieve what we need, she said.

"In order to get the cost of living dealt with we need the power of solidarity from people across the nation."

UCC student union leader, Maeve Richardson, reminded those at the rally that the UCC food bank served around 130 meals a week to students in need earlier this year.

Cost of Living protest march, part of a national series of protests, at St Patrick's Street, Cork City. Picture: Larry Cummins

Solidarity TD Mick Barry said people who saved money during the pandemic are seeing their savings run out and are dreading the back to school costs in August and heating bills next winter.

The low paid and poorest are facing the terrible choice of heating or eating, he said.

FF, FG, and the Green party have failed to properly protect people in this crisis. Workers will not be the ones who pay for this crisis.

Sinn Fein TD Thomas Gould told the rally about a working father who was in tears this week because he had to rely on Cork Penny Dinners for help.

He felt as a parent he was leaving his children down. But I say it was the government who was leaving him and his family down, he said.

"People know the government cant do everything but we want the government to show leadership, to listen to the people, to understand.

The Cork demonstration was one of several which took place across the country. Others took place in Limerick, Galway, Sligo and Dublin.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald with the party's spokesperson on workers' rights Louise O'Reilly and protesters with placards during the cost of living protests on O'Connell Street, Dublin. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Several hundred people took part in the Dublin protest, which started at Parnell Square and made its way to Leinster House.

Among the speakers were Fr Peter McVerry, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, chief executive of the Senior Citizens Parliament Sue Shaw, TD Joan Collins, Beth O'Reilly from the Union of Students in Ireland, and People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett.

Ms McDonald said: "It's clear that we have a government that is absolutely out of touch, that has no real appreciation, no real understanding of this cost-of-living crisis.

"People are suffering now, we need a response from government now, we need an emergency budget now."

Mr Boyd Barrett called for an increase in people's wages and pensions to meet the "spiralling cost of living".

Fr Peter McVerry told the crowd that young people do not want to stay in Ireland because of the excessive cost of living and rent.

"I am in despair. We have had a housing crisis for several decades and it's simply getting worse," he said.

What disturbs me is the lack of any urgency, the lack of any sense of crisis in addressing this problem.

The Government has so far however resisted calls for a mini budget with emergency cost of living measures ahead of the autumn.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin told the Irish Examiner this week that people will have to wait until the autumn budget to see specific and targetted measures, insisting it will be a cost of living budget.

He said the government has engaged in exploratory discussions with the social partners about what's the best and the most strategic way to deal with the cost of living issue.

We accept that those on those incomes are suffering the most  of that there is no question, he said.

We want to do a comprehensive package in terms of the budget and the budget will be a cost of living budget, but we want to look at areas that would dovetail with our policies in terms of climate change for example.

So we want to do this as comprehensively as we possibly can. And we want to do it in the context of the budget.
The work of Ireland's many great writers has been the country's "revenge for colonisation", John Banville has said.

Speaking on Saturday afternoon on a panel alongside fellow Irish Book of the Year nominees Sally Rooney, Kevin Power, and Nuala O'Connor at the Dalkey Book Festival, the influential Wexford writer spoke of how it is that Ireland has been able to consistently produce literary greats.

"We never tire of telling ourselves our own story, or, our own lies," he said.

"I think it has to do with the fact that we lost our own beautiful language in the 19th century, and we were imposed upon by basic English, which was  the same as the Latin of the Roman empire  the language of command, of direct statement, of clarity."

In contrast, he described the Irish language as "a mode of evasion rather than a mode of communication".

"We had basic English imposed on this essentially dreamy linguistic sense, and out of that came wonders. I mean look what we did with it.

"They imposed it on us, and look what happened. This was our real rebellion."

He said Ireland and its writes had taken the English language and "made wonders out of it".

"This was our revenge for colonisation," he said.

"If you look at what has been done with the English language in Ireland, from Swift down to Shaw, Wilde, Joyce, Beckett, to the present moment that Ireland is having, it's an extraordinary thing.

We seem never to run out of steam, we seem never to run out of this garrulous desire to keep telling ourselves our own stories.

Later in the discussion, Mr Banville was asked about creating and writing characters that seem to embody specific time periods and places with experiences that are so far removed from his own.

He recalled how one person, in the wake of the release of one of his early novels, had asked him how it was he was able to write so accurately about the life of an individual living in the 16th century.

The Irish revenge has been Irish writers response to colonialism. They have crafted the English language imposed upon us. John Banville .@FaberBooks @frederick65 pic.twitter.com/Chpm4UFo7u  Dalkey Book Festival (@dalkeybookfest) June 18, 2022

"I said: 'thank you very much' but I wanted to say: 'how do you know?'."

"What the person was giving me was a very wonderful comment, I think.

"When I published a book about a murderer, a woman came to me after a reading and she said, 'I work in a prison. You got it so well, you must have been in prison'.

"I said 'no, I wasn't in prison, I've never been a murderer, and I've never been a woman'."

Mr Banville said in his profession he writes all the time about things he doesn't know anything about "in the same way we dream about things we don't know anything about".

"As Nietzsche said, every man and every woman is an artist when he or she sleeps  we make up worlds.

Obviously, we have a deep need to go to these places we don't know about. And that is the whole point of fiction, to discover things we don't know about.

He went on to describe the view that he could not write from the perspective of a black person or a woman as "utter nonsense" adding that he hoped the notion "would pass quickly".

"I can hear the Twitter storm gathering around me," he said, to laughter from the audience.

"Luckily, I'm not on Twitter so it may pass over my head without my noticing," he added.
Heritage campaigners say their hearts are broken after a historic mill was gutted in a suspected arson attack.

Gardai have launched an investigation after the old mill structure in the regional park in Ballincollig, on the outskirts of Cork city, was gutted in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Crime-scene investigators were on site early on Saturday, examining the site for evidence.

It is the second suspected arson attack in the park in recent months.

Arson damage in Ballincollig regional park on Friday night.

Lord Mayor Cllr Colm Kelleher, who represents the town, said will plans to raise the matter with senior gardai before Mondays meeting of the Cork City Joint Policing Committee.

Its is clear now that this is a serious spate of arson in the town," he said.

"They are progressing from benches to buildings and it has to be tackled.

I am sick to death of waking up on almost monthly basis and watching parts of our town and village being destroyed by gurriers.

My ward councillors and I have called for CCTV cameras to be installed in the park. There will be a substantial cost but we need to put a stop to this.

Red watch crews were busy

overnight with a number of 999/112 calls including this well developed structural fire to Ballincollig Regional

Park, a house fire and a number of outdoor fires.



In an Emergency diall 999/112  pic.twitter.com/y9Ui8iSHGh  Cork City Fire Brigade (@CorkCityFire) June 18, 2022

Last year, several of the park's benches and picnic tables were torched in what was described then as an act of skullduggery and as an attack on the community.

An empty bench space, where one of the 15 benches in Ballincollig Regional Park was set alight and destroyed last year. File Picture.

Mr Kelleher branded this latest incident as an attack on our history and heritage.

Its absolutely disgraceful. Im just lost for words really, he said.

Gardai confirmed that members of Cork City Fire Brigade responded to reports of a fire in the early hours of this morning in the park which is home to Irelands largest industrial archaeological complex, with several buildings and ruins associated with its former use as a gunpowder mills.

Firefighters found an old incorporating mill structure ablaze and managed to bring the fire under control quickly.

The mill wheel at the gunpowder mills in Ballincollig, before it was damaged in a suspected arson attack.

At peak production, the gunpowder mills had 24 such mills to produce crude gunpowder.

The building torched on Saturday is a modern reconstruction built in 1993.

It features in an immersive Powdermills app which won a Digital Tourism award at the Digital Town Awards recently.

The team behind the app said their hearts are broken after the fire.

This building was a beautiful reconstruction of an original mill building, commissioned by Cork County Council in 1992 and opened to the public in 1993, they said.

Months of tireless work by skilled craftspeople and a decade of planning  all burned down in a matter of minutes.

This blaze was set in a building located right beside private residential buildings, a care home for the elderly and a secondary school.

If the temperatures here had been anything like mainland Europe is seeing right now, the canopy of trees would have easily set alight and spread the flames to these surrounding buildings.

Yes, history was destroyed. Yes, years of work was destroyed. Yes, unimaginable damage was done. But when will these people stop?

Do we have to witness a terrible tragedy before corrective action is taken?
The calls for help began in early June. They cropped up in WhatsApp groups, in idle chat with neighbours and while queuing for coffee.

The help was needed, at latest, by the end of June.

The help needed to last the duration of the summer.

Minder needed for three-year-old and seven-year-old from 8am to 5pm five days a week for July and August.

Does anyone have a teenage daughter who could mind eight-year-old twin boys for the summer?

Are there any camps for four-year-olds?

As approximately half a million children finish up in primary school this week, and some of the five thousand preschools close their doors for summer, I hope the parents got the help they needed. Im sure their employers and the exchequer would be hopeful too.

If Covid shone a solar-sized light on the absolutely fundamental infrastructure that childcare is to our economy and society, and if we then went back to relying on our patchy and cost-prohibitive care system, then the return of the summer-induced care gap is a timely reminder of that patchwork, pricey system. And maybe a nudge to do something about it.

Why?

For many years, organisations such as the National Womens Council of Ireland and experts including Professor Ursula Barry have been calling for a publicly-funded childcare system in Ireland.

It is not novel, it is not a reinvention of the wheel  publicly-funded childcare standard in many European countries.

It is a model that sees parents being able to access affordable and well-regulated care.

It is a model that sees childcare workers receive above-poverty-line pay, and not have to sign on come June.

In Ireland right now, our childcare system looks something like this: grandparents, expensive creches, booked-up preschools, small set-ups in peoples homes, parents juggling paid work and unpaid work, one parent leaving the workforce altogether, and bits of parental leave added on here with some afterschool care over there. Its a smorgasbord of a system.

And at the centre of it are small, impressionable and precious humans who will greatly benefit from the quality of early care they get, especially those who do not have the privilege of standing on a level playing field.

University College Dublins Prof Barry talks about placing the care economy at the centre of Irish society. Because lets face it, care is the invisible centre of our society and economy, from a day-to-day point of view and from a very long-term point of view too.

Workers are, as the lockdowns highlighted, greatly prohibited from being economically productive if they cannot source care for those whose lives are dependent on them.

No care, no work. No workers, no economy.

Care is crucial. But mostly unpaid, in the form of a stay-at-home parent, or low-paid in the case of childcare workers, nannies, and minders.

Long-term then, if everyone stopped reproducing because the consequences of it were just too expensive, then where would our future taxpayers come from?

Behind every office or mine there is the hidden work of millions of women who have consumed their life, their labour, producing the labour power that works in those factories, schools, offices, and mines, says Italian-American scholar Silvia Federici.

In a newly published book, Essential Labour, which is very much informed by the care chasm that Covid caused and exposed, Angela Garbes spells out in black and white the absolutely fundamental, and invaluable, nature of care work.

Placing reproductive labour outside the capitalist sphere is what upholds the entire system, writes Garbes.

If those who do professional work had to commensurately pay the care workers who made their work possible, there would be less profit to be made. Without us, the system falls apart.

Weve experienced that.

Which brings us back to Ireland.

Right now, the State helps out with childcare in two ways: through ECCE (the Early Childhood Care and Education) and the National Childcare Scheme (NCS).

ECCE gives you 15 free hours of care a week, three hours a day across five days  most people dont live beside preschools, so you can factor the commute to and from into those three hours.

And it kicks in from the September of the year the child will turn three. January, it turns out, is not a great time to have a baby, if you need childcare support in Ireland.

The National Childcare Scheme kicks in from when the child is six months, but its contribution to the cost of care is nominal next to the price of creches.

Bringing the two schemes together  it means the State is sending all this money into the hands of private childcare providers, as opposed to, say, funnelling it into that publicly-funded model of childcare.

Imagine if we got to reinvest just some of that money into the State and into a State service, all in the service of our most impressionable citizens  our children.

Earlier this month, childrens minister Roderic OGorman told this newspaper that he was finalising proposals to significantly reduce creche fees and to increase pay rates for those working in the sector.

Our aim in this years budget is to substantially cut the cost of childcare for all parents, Mr OGorman said.

But in cutting costs, are we really boxing clever?

Will a move be made to a public model of care, as is standard in many of our neighbouring countries, one that will provide sustainability in the system and security for workers?

Will a move be made to recognise the invaluable work of childcare, and the economy of workers it upholds?

Will those who provide care work, be it in the home or outside of it, have their contribution to the economy recognised and remunerated?

If its cost youre thinking about, how could we ever move towards such a model?, turn the clock back to 1970, to when women in Ireland on average earned 55% of the hourly rate of men. Change was activated. It didnt bankrupt the nation; the opposite, in fact.

Budget 2023 will be announced this October. Right now, Government departments and ministers are drawing up what that will look like.

Right now, many parents and carers are the experts in what balancing paid work and care work looks and feels like, how it impacts their familys balance sheet and, most importantly, the quality of their life and the wellbeing of their children.

This summer, as you are reminded of what a care gap feels like in your life, perhaps we can use the experience to ask the people we have elected to run our State, to build systems that serve our lives and reflect our society. An email to your local TD might go a long way.
Guest Column Thailand's Bankrupt Myanmar Policy

Pornpimol Kanchanalak at the Shangari-La Dialogue Summit on June 11, 2022 / Flickr

Few signboards foretell the global issues of our time better than what is addressed at the annual meetings of the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in Singapore. After a pandemic-induced two-year hiatus, the most recent SLD covered the gamut on the main stage, from the United States-China geostrategic competition and military modernization to security cooperation and climate change. The only anomalous single- and small-country focus in a special session was Myanmar.

The main reason Myanmar commands its own show is because so much is going wrong with the country. Myanmar is a four-layered conundrum.

First, the country is beset by a raging civil war after its military seized power and unplugged a decade of political liberalization, economic reform and development progress. Myanmars military used to be known with dignity and respect as the Tatmadaw but lately locals are referring to it as Sit-tat, just an ordinary armed force oppressing and killing its own people at will.

Second, Myanmar, apart from its internal turmoil, has become ASEANs sick and contested member. Myanmars representation in regional and international meetings is problematic because it effectively has two parallel governments, the junta-led one under the State Administration Council (SAC) reporting to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and the civilian-directed one under the National Unity Government, an umbrella for the anti-military opposition alliance, which includes the Peoples Defense Force, the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Ethnic Armed Organizations. Since the coup on Feb. 1 last year, ASEANs grouping has virtually been reduced from 10 to nine, as major partners have boycotted or threatened to do so if the SAC represents the country. As international sanctions have piled on Myanmars ruling generals and their families, ASEANs five-point consensus aimed at navigating a way out of the morass has floundered.

Third, Myanmar is a thorn in the side of the international community. The United Nations and major countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and European Union nations, have demanded a return to the pre-coup democratic process and the release of political prisoners, including former leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Finally, its not just states and governments that are stakeholders; the international society has also tuned in to the Myanmar drama. News headlines, and even Hollywood movies about Myanmars plight and long journey to freedom and openness, have captured worldwide audiences.

With so much at stake and so little progress on the ground, there is desperation to find a way forward, as the SLD session was titled. Apart from ASEAN officials, UN types and representatives of other major players, Thailand has long been looked at as the key mover on Myanmar. Yet under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, himself a former general and coup maker, the government appears to be out for a long lunch on its next-door neighbor with which it shares the longest of four country borders and common issues and challenges, such as migrant labor and human and drug trafficking.

So when Thailands Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai recently appointed Pornpimol Kanchanalak as special envoy for Myanmar, the move raised antennae among Myanmar watchers, with expectations that perhaps Thailands Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a plan to make a difference. Never mind that Pornpimol is cited on Google as having been charged by the US government and convicted in the late 1990s over her involvement in illegal campaign donations.

This does not seem like a big deal when Prayuts former cabinet member was found to have been convicted and jailed in Australia for drug trafficking. Thailands Constitutional Court ruled that such a criminal offense is not a disqualification because it did not take place on Thai soil. Lets just say it would all be acceptable if Pornpimols envoyship can make a splash and somehow break the deadly impasse we are seeing in Myanmar.

An official and explicit envoy for any policy issue is uncommon in the Thai foreign policy-making system because usually, lead movers and contact points are implicit. Thai ministers are notoriously prickly and protective of their turf. Appointing an outright envoy could outshine and undermine the ministers own stature and standing. But Foreign Affairs Minister Don must have had his own good reasons.

In her SLD remarks, it became clear there was nothing new from Thailand on Myanmar. In fact, the Thai position can be likened to the old constructive engagement of the 1990s, appeasing and allowing the Myanmar military regime to call the shots and take its pledges at face value. In fact, the Thai envoy conceded as much by recognizing the SACs promise to hold elections by August 2023. If held, such a poll would be deeply flawed and roundly illegitimate because the Myanmar military is facing a nationwide revolt from its own people. The big difference between now and back in the 1990s and 2000s is that the Myanmar people are standing up and gradually winning their guerrilla-style fight against uniformed soldiers in ubiquitous townships.

What is needed from Thailand is both more pressure and accommodation. Thailand needs to engage the NUG, as some ASEAN members, such as Malaysia, have done. As more governments beyond the EU, the US and UK acknowledge the NUGs role, Thailand risks being caught out and left behind. At the same time, the SACnot Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing per seshould be reassured that it is part of the equation at any negotiating table. Thailand can facilitate more border relief agencies for humanitarian assistance and safe havens for displaced persons coming out of Myanmar.

The Thai envoy was right that the Myanmar coup cannot be undone but returning to pre-coup conditions of democratic process and fluid civil-military power-sharing can be achieved and should be the goal. Appeasement needs no envoy. If Pornpimol is going to be the Thai governments mouthpiece on Myanmar, we already have spokespersons for that. There is no need for a special envoy if no messaging is being done to broker a compromise and chart a forward movement.

Perhaps it was telling that Pornpimol began her SLD remarks with a false analogy using a quote from the late Sir Winston S Churchill. To be sure, Churchill was a quintessential British imperialist with unrivaled talents who received a call from history that a dark fascist tyranny was looming and answered it with gusto in his finest performance during his countrys finest hour. In March 1944, Churchill in front of the Royal College of Physicians said the longer you can look back, the farther you can look forward, a case for his instrumental role in the creation of the UKs famed National Health Service. Yet Pornpimol cited this quote to justify the Myanmar militarys roadmap.

For his timeless words, wit and wisdom, Churchill, possibly the greatest statesman of the 20th century, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953. He surely had at least a thousand catchy lines against the kind of tyranny and dictatorship we are seeing in Myanmar. When one gets a Churchillian quip and quote wrong, everything else is unlikely to be right.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak is a professor and director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn Universitys Faculty of Political Science.

This article first appeared in The Bangkok Post.

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Junta Watch Junta Watch: Regime Shrugs Off Outcry on Executions; Claims Troops Uphold Human Rights, and More

Deputy junta chief Soe Win visits family members of military personnel in Rakhine States Buthidaung Township on June 13, 2022.

Junta again vows executions will proceed

Despite the international and local outcry over its execution orders against democracy activists Ko Jimmy and Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw, the Myanmar junta affirmed on Thursday that the executions would be carried out, saying the death sentences were appropriate and irreversible.

It was the first official confirmation since the regimes initial announcement of the execution order early this month. It also raised concerns that hanging the men would fuel an even greater bloodbath in Myanmar, pushing the country, already ravaged by post-coup social and political upheaval, into a new level of violence. Several resistance organizations, especially urban guerrilla groups, have already vowed to take revenge if the executions are carried out.

Many ordinary citizens believe the executions are intended to instill fear among opponents of military rule in the country, but it appears the move will only backfire by shoring up support for the ongoing revolution and becoming another push factor driving the population to seek to topple the regime, whatever it takes.

In one arena at least, Myanmar military a world beater

Even as junta troops perpetrate terrible atrocities including torching houses, killing local residents and taking civilians hostage in villages in Sagaing in central Myanmar, deputy junta chief Soe Win said military personnel had received instruction in human rights and protecting civilians.

Soe Win met military personnel and their families in Rakhine States Buthidaung Township on Monday. At the meeting, he said that in addition to military matters, Myanmars armed forces had educated their personnel about rights and providing humanitarian assistance in line with standard practice for armies around the world.

Well, there can be little debate about the state of the Myanmar militarys capabilities when it comes to fighting. In the field, junta soldiers have been struggling against resistance fighters who only learned to shoot months after the coup, and are mostly armed with rudimentary hunting rifles, homemade guns and improvised explosives. Despite its arsenal of artillery, tanks, gunships and even jet fighters, however, the military is far from containing the resistance.

On the human rights front, it appears the textbook being used at the militarys schools approves of extrajudicial killings, burning people alive, conducting deadly interrogations, raping women, burning houses, stealing and looting, extortion, locking up the parents and children of wanted dissidents, and cutting off internet services to whole communities.

In that regard at least, the Myanmar army under the leadership of Min Aung Hlaing and Soe Win has surpassed itself. It neednt worry about keeping abreast of international armiesit far exceeds them all in its ability to persecute its own civilians.

Opening a door with one hand, brandishing a gun with the other

Since June 12, junta media have been urging members of Peoples Defense Force groups (PDFs) to surrender, amid daily clashes that have inflicted heavy casualties on the regime and hampered its efforts to assert its authority.

Of the estimated 50,000 and 100,000 PDF members across the country, only around 30 had surrendered by Thursday, according to the juntas own reports. And many believe even this number was fabricated by the regime. Local resistance groups said those who have surrendered are not PDF members.

Two days after junta newspapers said that organizations including PDFs are welcomed if they enter the legal fold of their normal civilian lives by surrendering their weapons, they repeated the regimes offer of a reward for information leading to the arrest of members of PDFs, which the regime has labeled as terrorist organizations. Informers will be provided with proper protection, it said.

At the same time, its threats against family members of PDFs and continued detention of them as hostages shows it does not keep its word, and says one thing while doing another.

A message the regime doesnt want to hear

The junta, which continues to struggle to assert control over Myanmar more than 15 months since its coup in February last year, has been given a frank outside assessments of its efforts. Theyre not winning. Theyre losing territory. Their military is taking serious losses, said US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet.

As he told this to The Irrawaddy last Friday, the regimes troops continued to face unwavering popular armed resistance in the countrys heartland, northwest, southeast and south. The counselors remarks reflect the reality on the ground; the juntas troops have suffered heavy casualties at the hands of local resistance fighters and its administration barely functions in places. In some anti-regime strongholds, meanwhile, schools run by the shadow National Unity Government have been flooded with children.

Reflecting its frustration, the regime has launched a scorched earth policy in some areas, torching whole villages to crush resistance there. However, the effort seems to have been fruitless so far. Not a single day has gone by since it was launched in April without fighting between local resistance forces and junta soldiers, and without regime troops suffering casualties.

You may also like these stories:

Junta Chief to Preside Over Myanmars First Grand Military Review in Seven Years

Resistance Fighters and KIA Clash With Junta Forces in Northern Myanmar

Myanmar Junta Raises SIM and Internet Taxes to Silence Opposition
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The heart of Cooper Raiff's sophomore feature Cha Cha Real Smooth," available now on Apple TV+, isn't his post-grad character who is living back at his mother's suburban home, working a dead end job and wondering what to do with his life
FILE - A woman presents her identification to vote through a plexiglass barrier, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, on election day at the Matin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans on Nov. 3, 2020. Louisianas secretary of state and attorney general asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, June 17, 2022, to put a hold on a federal judges order for the state to create a second majority Black congressional district by Monday.
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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.
THE Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has accused Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands and Agriculture chairperson Justice Mayor Wadyajena of abusing his position to grab its grain and inputs transportation deal.

GMAZ made the claims in its application filed at the Harare High Court on Tuesday seeking a review of the committees inquiry proceedings.

The association said they were ambushed by the committee, adding their chairperson Tafadzwa Musarara was being bullied by Wadyajena, a Zanu PF legislator.

The applicants apply in terms of the provisions of the High Court Act Chapter 7:06 as read with the provisions of the Administrative Justice Act Chapter 10:28 and the common law for the review of the proceedings relating to the funds distributed by the 6th respondent (RBZ) to the 1st applicant (GMAZ) for procurement of wheat the application read in part.

In the application, GMAZ, Drotsky (Pvt) Limited and Musarara were the applicants.

They cited the parliamentary committee, its chairperson Wadyajena, Parliament of Zimbabwe, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda, Clerk of Parliament, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube as respondents, respectively.

GMAZ noted that while the law allows the committee to order any person to appear before it, the same law does not permit its chair to prepare and adopt reports.

Second respondent (Wadyajena) is an interested party in the proceedings in that he operates a fleet of trucks which he owns under the company called Mayor Logistics. This company was awarded contracts to ferry agricultural inputs, grain, cotton and other crops on behalf of the government, GMAZ submitted.

The association indicated that Wadyajena failed to declare his interests in the matter, but went on to preside over the inquiry despite him being conflicted.

The result of the failure by 2nd respondent to declare that he is conflicted is that he presided over a committee that has oversight over the grain value chain business in which he is an interested party benefiting through his company Mayor Logistics, which is a clear breach of the Administrative Justice, GMAZ submitted.

The 2nd respondent displayed he had nefarious motives calculated to harass, embarrass and portray 1st applicant (GMAZ) in bad light by passing gratuitous and sarcastic comments against the applicant on social media at the time when the proceedings were pending or ongoing under his chairmanship.

GMAZ appealed to the court to set aside the committees findings.

In his founding affidavit, Musarara said Wadyajenas conduct during the proceedings were reckless and unprofessional

The reckless and unprofessional conduct of 2nd respondent manifested itself in relation to a separate enquiry in respect of funding by the 1st applicant (GIMAZ) to the Grain Marketing Board. 1st applicant wrote a letter of complaint against 2nd respondent to 5th respondent on the conduct of (Wadyajena) that he was on witch hunt against 1st applicant, he submitted.Newsday
FILE - a SpaceX logo is displayed on a building on May 26, 2020, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. SpaceX, the rocket ship company run by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has fired several employees involved in an open letter that blasted the colorful billionaire for his behavior, according to media reports Friday, June 17, 2022.
At least a half-dozen GOP presidential prospects are planning Iowa visits this summer now that the state's June primary has come and gone
GOVERNMENTS Gold Incentives Scheme (GIS) has come under scrutiny amid indications it is largely benefitting politically connected persons, mainly President Emmerson Mnangagwas close ally Pedzisayi Scott Sakupwanya  a Zanu PF councillor  and his Better Brands Jewellery (BBJ) company which pocked US$460 million in revenues last year at the expense of artisanal and small-scale miners.

While Sakupwanya is minting money through gold, artisanal and small-scale miners are struggling to survive. They say they are not reaping the rewards of the governments much-hyped gold incentives.

Gold is central to Zimbabwes economic fortunes and politics. Those who know the sectors ins and outs  its labyrinth of structures and dynamics  say whoever controls that industry runs the country.

It is not just a source of livelihood for thousands, but also a feeding trough for the politically connected and a centre of crony political patronage for Zanu PF and its shadowy economic networks.

The incentive scheme, which was introduced early last year to boost gold deliveries to Zimbabwes sole authorised gold buyer, Fidelity Printers and Refiners (FPR), has left artisanal and small-scale operators at the mercy of big gold buyers who are making a killing at their expense.

This comes against reports that Zimbabwe continues to lose US$100 million a month through gold smuggling.

Development experts say if the country was well-run and managed, the abundant gold alone could form the basis of an economic rise, while its valued-added chains of production and cross-chain activities could become a catalyst for progress.

City states like Singapore and other Asian Tigers became economic giants without the natural resources that African countries like Zimbabwe are endowed with. They only had vision, leadership and development plans.

Last year, Zanu PF councillor Sakupwanyas Better Brands Jewellery pocketed US$460 million after delivering more than seven tonnes of gold to Fidelity, a move that saw him being named the Best Gold Buyer of the Year at the recently held mining industry awards at State House in Harare.

Sakupwanya, who is also chairperson of the National Gold Buyers Association, an affiliate of the controversial Henrietta Rushwaya-led Zimbabwe Miners Federation, has close links with Mnangagwa and his children, as well as other politically connected elites.

Rushwaya, who was arrested in October 2020 trying to smuggle 6kg of gold to Dubai, is related to Mnangagwa and is a major dealer in the gold business.

A delivery of 20kg of gold within a period of 30 days is eligible for a 5% incentive, a tonne 7% and one to three tonnes 9%.

According to Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya, Fidelity received a total of 29 629.61 tonnes of gold, 18 470 tonnes of which came from small-scale miners.

A total of 29 629.61kg of gold was delivered to Fidelity Gold Refinery in 2021. Large gold producers delivered 11 159kg, whilst small-scale producers contributed 18 470kg, Mangudya said.

Small and large gold producers have delivered a total of 29 629,61kg of gold to Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) in 2021, a 55,5% increase from the 19 052,65kg delivered in 2020.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has hailed the GIS introduced by the government for increasing the precious minerals output and deliveries by 55.5% after recent years of successive decline in production. Small-scale miners also maintained the lead in production ahead of large producers.

However, a survey by The NewsHawks revealed artisanal and small-scale miners, who constitute a bigger percentage of Zimbabwes current gold deliveries, are receiving between one to 1.5% from the current gold incentives, with some getting nothing at all.

We just hear that gold buyers are given an extra 5% when they deliver our gold to Fidelity. No one that I know is given that extra money after our gold is sold. We are usually given beer and permission to mine peacefully without hinderances from other mining gangs that control the claims as incentives, Bruce Chimbwanda, an artisanal miner based in Mazowe, said.

In Zimbabwe, the majority of the working population can be found in the informal sector. And in mineral-rich areas of the country, people are continuously risking their lives digging underground in search of gold, hoping to make enough money to take them out of poverty. NewsHawks
German police said Saturday they were investigating several hundred potential Russian war crimes in Ukraine including political and military officials suspected of being linked to the alleged offences.

"Up until now we have received a three-digit number of leads," Holger Muench, head of the BKA federal police, told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

The inquiry does not only cover suspected perpetrators of war crimes but also political and military officials, he said.

"It's the most difficult part of our inquiry, intricate puzzle work," he added.

"Our clear goal is to identify those responsible for atrocities, to prove their actions through our investigations and bring them to justice," including in Germany.

The country applies universal jurisdiction which allows a foreign country to prosecute crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, regardless of where they were committed.

However "that may take time" because investigations linked to the Ukraine conflict are only at their "very beginning", Muench said.

The BKA is being helped in its inquiries by Germany's foreign intelligence service among others which has for instance recorded the radio conversations of Russian soldiers.

German investigators could also be sent to Ukraine, Muench said, adding however that they would need an international mandate to do so.

The UN's Ukraine commission on Wednesday confirmed receiving multiple allegations of rights abuses by Russian forces, but said it was too early to say whether they constituted war crimes.
Kim Young Dae flaunts his heart-sniping visuals in the actor's recent pictorial with Marie Claire Korea!

Marie Claire Korea Highlights Kim Young Dae's Swoon Worthy Visuals

After the conclusion of "Shooting Stars," Kim Young Dae now shoots hearts as he boasts his gorgeous, swoon worthy visuals in his recent pictorial with Marie Claire Korea!

On Friday, June 17, Marie Claire Korea released exclusive photos of Kim Young Dae, leaving fans in awe.

The "Shooting Stars" actor decorates the magazine's July 2022 issue with his unrivaled looks and charismatic aura.

In the photos, Kim Young Dae effortlessly exudes beauty against the enticing place of Hua Hin, a famous resort in Thailand.

In one photo, the "Shooting Stars" actor completed a magical and hot scenery of the blue beach as he stands next to a white horse dressed in pants and a paisley shirt.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Esom, Ong Seong Wu Share Thoughtful Gift From Yoo Ah In On Set of 'Starlight Falls'

The South Korean heartthrob also sported a chic look as he matched a pair of denim pants with a denim jacket and a statement tee, showing off his straight-out-of-a-film visage.

Kim Young Dae also donned a pair of pink pants and a paisley shirt to depict a dandy yet sexy atmosphere.

Through the pictorial, Kim Young Dae, one of the generation's hottest stars. effortlessly expressed the aspect of youth.

Don't miss Kim Young Dae's hot pictorial moment in the latest issue of Marie Claire Korea this July!

Kim Young Dae To Lead Upcoming Romance Comedy Drama With Park Ju Hyun

Kim Young Dae gears up to return to the small screen with his new rom-com drama "Golden Spirit"!

"Golden Spirit" (also referred to as "Joseon's Ban on Marriage") follows the story of the great king who forbids any marriage, consummation and other lawfully binding ceremonies after losing his beloved queen.

YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS: Park Hae Jin To Marry Soon? Actor Reveals Life Plans in His 40s

In the drama, Kim Young Dae plays the role of Lee Heon, who falls in love with a swindler (Park Ju Hyun) after years of mourning the death of his late royal queen.

Apart from Kim Young Dae, Park Ju Hyun, Kim Woo Seok, Kwon Hyun Bin, Giriboy and Kim Min Ju will also be part of the new drama.

"Golden Spirit" hasn't revealed its exact release date yet, but it is expected to air in the later part of 2022 on MBC!

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KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
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Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald speaks during a news conference ahead of a Tk'emlups te Secwepemc ceremony to honour residential school survivors and mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, in Kamloops, BC., on Thursday, September 30, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
BRISTOL  Nearly 2,900 people were served during the 2022 Kenosha County Dairy Breakfast Saturday at Elfering Farms, 15324 Horton Road, turning out to see one of the last working dairy farms in Bristol.

Those with a ticket got a big farm breakfast of ham-and-cheese scrambled eggs, pancakes, yogurt, string cheese, milk, orange juice and ice cream, as well as a look into life on a Kenosha farm.

Guests could also walk through the barns to see the cows and in some cases even pet the young calves. Tractor ferries were available for guests, bringing them to and from the parking lot.

It marked the first time Elfering has hosted the annual county event. Although it had taken plenty of work to clean up the farm for the breakfast, owner Dale Elfering was pleased with how it turned out, especially the clear weather.

Things are going pretty smooth, Dale said. Im happy to have such a nice day.

Working dairy farm

One the benefits for guests during such events was seeing a real working dairy farm, Dale said. As they enjoyed their breakfast, visitors could see how the cows were being raised and treated.

Attendee Sara Veinot was with her 2-year-old son, Ryker, doing just that. Ryker got to pet a young calf, and seemed overjoyed at the opportunity.

I like petting the cows as much as he does, Sara said, laughing.

Lynn Callovi participated in this years Dairy Air Bike Ride from Silver Lake Park Beach to the breakfast and said it was good to see the event return in full force.

Its been a couple of years because of the pandemic, so its really great to have it back, Lynn said. Its a fun event.

Tina Elfering a relative of Dale, said they had been working on Dale for several years to host the event, which cycles through locations each year.

Elfering Farms is one of the last dairy farms in Bristol, started nearly a century ago by Felix and Ruby Elfering. Today, Dale, Janet and their two sons Daniel and Dustin, make up Elfering Farms LLC, which has three farms on Horton Road milking 160 cows and farming 1,100 acres of crops.

Guest speakers

County Executive Samantha Kerkman, U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil and state Sen. Van Wangaard all spoke at the breakfast, emphasizing the importance of dairy farming for Wisconsin and the value of such community events.

June is Dairy Month; its a great chance to come out and celebrate Wisconsin dairy culture, Steil said. Its important, not just for the tradition of our state, but our agricultural economy.

Kerkman was especially happy to see the turnout after last years drive-thru event.

To see this many people out here is incredible, Kerkman said. Im so glad people have taken the opportunity to come out and see a working dairy farm.

Wangaard said he had been to plenty of dairy breakfasts in his time, both in Racine and Kenosha counties.

This is probably one of the best ones Ive seen, Wangaard said. When you see things that happen that are positive, thats what Racine and Kenosha are all about. We need more stuff like this.

Three local students were given scholarships for fields pertaining to agriculture: Carly Lois, who will be attending UW-Madison; Travis Harpster, currently attending Gateway Technical College; and Michelle Edmonds, who will be attending UW-Platteville.

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An excerpt from A Caregivers Love Story.

Dying and introspection happening at the same time were a dual reality that I found impossible to ignore when Bill was not doing well. As Bills poor prognosis and impending death began to reflect on our life, it was getting harder to respond to the living as we had in the past. Bill seemed to be pulling away from everyone he knew, except for a handful of friends and me. As a dying person, he seemed to be concentrating on only one thing  dying. The truth is that nature is selfish and dying is just part of the natural transition as someone ages. You cant avoid it, and sometimes it can even sneak up on you.

The hard reality was difficult for me, that our life was falling apart and changing dramatically when the rest of the world did not seem to notice. In the retirement community we lived in my neighbors often said, Everyone has something going on. Meaning some illness or family issue affects us all. We are all at an age where we dont seem to be able to escape the reality that life happens, and with that, so does illness and dying. The thing is nature doesnt care and doesnt stop when our world seems to be falling apart faster than we can count the minutes. Life has its own force, and there is no stopping it.

Where I may have felt that everyone elses life was moving at a different pace than ours, none of this mattered anymore because we only had one thing on our mind in our house, and that was Bill and his illness. I was often, or I should say frequently, asked by neighbors and friends, How is Bill? The emphasis was on Bills health always. My insides were screaming, again very selfish on my part, Im not doing so well, but he seems fine today. I only had one neighbor that ever asked, How are you doing? when I saw her. I wanted to hug her.

Whether you are the dying or the caregiver, living life to the fullest remains your goal, but somedays its just too darn hard. When you are so busy that it doesnt seem you have time to take a breath, where does living life to the fullest fit into your day? It may just get a minute or two of your time but knowing that your life can change in a nanosecond may help you try just a little harder to fit life into your life.

Hug your child longer, spend a moment with a sunrise or a sunset, and say, I love you. Listen to the last notes of your favorite music on the radio before turning off the car, get out for a walk, or just water your plants and take a walk outside. All will help you seize the moments as they arrive. They are fleeting, so you need to pay attention. Living in the moment takes hard work and practice.

There are many challenges for the dying patient. Some are substantial and overwhelming. A caring physician trained in treating the dying patient may be the source for the best care for the patient. Many physicians are not trained in coping with the dying patient, and this can lead to many miscommunications and discomfort for both the patient and the doctor.

An understanding of the dying patients experience should help the physician improve their care of the terminally ill. These physicians are often known as palliative care doctors. The doctors specialize in medical care for people living with a serious illness. This care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal being to improve the quality of life for the patient and the family. They can assist with the following six challenges that are common to the dying patient:

1. Pain. Pain and the fear of pain often make the patients behavior change at the end of life. Cancer patients rank freedom from pain as one of their goals for care. Even though the fear of pain is there, the elderly are often unwilling to report their pain because they believe it is a normal symptom of aging and that their pain is directly associated with the worsening of their illness.

2. Depression. The presence and severity of clinical depression often correlate with the severity of physical illness and, in some, a progressive inability to get out of bed. A decreased appetite may also suggest major depression. Anxiety commonly co-exists with depression, and it may be driven by fears of helplessness, a loss of control, abandonment, or pain.

3. Coping. Patients with advanced illness face the challenge of coping with their disease daily. While some patients demonstrate optimism, practicality, resourcefulness, awareness, and flexibility, others present with a variety of defensive styles in response to their diagnosis. These defenses can be denial and non-compliance, which can lead to a delay in treatment.

4. Dignity. For dying patients, maintaining dignity is foremost in their care, broadly defined in terms of being worthy of honor, respect, and esteem. For many patients, dignity is directly related to the level of independence retained through the course of illness.

5. The need for control. For some terminally ill patients, maintaining a sense of control is a central task of the dying process. This need for control is prominent among patients who request physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in Oregon. These patients were universally described as having strong personalities; they were determined and inflexible, and they wanted to control both the timing and the manner of their deaths.

6. Other aspects of the dying process. Dying patients and their families often must deal with complicated practical issues, such as financial problems and legal issues. These seemingly mundane concerns can cause a great deal of distress for dying patients and their families. Its a good idea to take care of the difficult things while the dying can make decisions. Wills, trusts, burial requests, and choosing a grave site can be taken care of while the person is well, so the decisions are not made after the death.

While nature is selfish, you dont need to be. You might find that your best friend is yourself. You know when you need a hug or when its time to rest or try to appreciate the moment you are in. You also know when you are at the end of your rope and need to walk away, so things dont blow up and get out of proportion.

Nancie Wiseman Attwater is the author of A Caregivers Love Story.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
A Kilkenny group is among eight charities to receive donations of 1,000 each as part of the Ecclesiasticals Movement for Good Awards 2022.

For the fourth year running, Ecclesiastical and Benefact Group are giving away over 1million to charities through its Movement for Good awards. Members of the public were invited to nominate causes close to their hearts, with 250 awards of 1,000 available now for donation.

Twilight Community Group is the Kilkenny charity set to benefit from the money, following overwhelming public support.

Across Ireland and the UK, 250 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated, with a further 250 winners being selected in August.

In Ireland, the public nominated over 200 charitable causes. Interestingly, 64% of those who nominated a charity in Ireland said they are more likely to support a local charity than a national or international one. Additionally, only 17% said they are planning to reduce the amount of money they give to charity despite of the rising cost of living.

Its quick and easy to nominate, you can vote for your favourite charity online at: www.movementforgood.com.

Thanking supporters David Lane, Managing Director for Ecclesiastical Insurance Ireland, said: We would like to thank every single person who took the time to nominate a charity as part of our Movement for Good Awards. As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do. We know that 1,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do and were looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better.

A further 120 1,000 grants will be given away in December and 500,000 will also be given in larger grants later this year. For more information about the awards visit www.movementforgood.com.

Movement for Good is funded by EIO plc, part of the Benefact Group.
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Putin lambasts the West and declares the end of 'the era of the unipolar world'
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Yoon administration's policy support in high gear



By Lee Kyung-min



Korea is accelerating efforts to export its nuclear energy systems, a new policy initiative gaining strong momentum with the full backing of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration seeking to win 10 advance orders of nuclear projects overseas, according to energy experts. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation with key countries in the European Union, the Middle East as well as the U.S. will be fortified to better utilize the once-demonized energy source, noted for its cheap and stable supply in extreme weather conditions.



Experts say Yoon's new energy policy is no longer about politically undercutting the nuclear phase-out drive that occurred under the Moon Jae-in administration, but creating a new growth driver for the country as it has limited natural resources for a sustainable, green future.



The assessment is evidenced by a number of global top nuclear technology developers and energy firms that are fortifying cooperation with Korea's state-run and private energy firms including Westinghouse Electric Company, a U.S. nuclear power firm.



How fast and well Korea's energy companies succeed in creating earnings overseas from nuclear businesses will determine the success of Yoon's administration, which is coming under growing pressure to raise electricity bill rates due to soaring global energy prices.



Westinghouse Electric



According to the nuclear industry, a group of senior executives including Patrick Fragman, the CEO of Westinghouse Electric Company, visited Seoul on June 8, for joint cooperation in the nuclear energy businesses.



The Americans came for a three-day visit to meet with CEOs of Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) and its two subsidiaries Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and KEPCO KPS as well as senior officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.



They met with KEPCO CEO Cheong Seung-il and KHNP CEO Chung Jae-hoon, and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to bolster overall cooperation in the nuclear business including efforts to win joint business projects overseas.



The closed-door meetings are a follow-up to the recent Korea-U.S. summit between Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden, whose commitment to lead the global nuclear power industry will take shape in the form of a strategic partnership to cement a strong global market presence.



The bilateral agreement is defined by the Additional Protocol, a condition of doing nuclear-related business to assist the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in regard to the use of nuclear materials solely for peaceful purposes.



Korea joining hands with the U.S. firm will create a much-needed synergistic effect, especially since the U.S. has little experience in building new nuclear power plants in recent years, hobbled by an industry-wide slowdown and a slew of mismanagement risks including overseas asset sales and bankruptcy protection filings.



Korea has the experience, know-how and technical resources and the U.S. firm had previously provided technical support for the full commercialization of Kori 1, Korea's first commercial nuclear power plant.



This is why the combination of the two companies will propel the advancement of the nuclear energy industry, according to Park Ho-jeong, a professor of resources and energy economics at Korea University.



"The two can share knowledge and experience in building, operating and maintenance of nuclear power plants, a virtuous cycle that is needed to sustain the recent growth momentum in the industry," he said.



Policy assistance



The energy ministry is accelerating moves to support nuclear energy businesses in the country and abroad, a rapid and clear shift in policy direction to identify new growth drivers.



Second Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Park Il-jun met with Mohamed Al Hammadi, managing director and CEO of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. (ENEC), a state-run nuclear energy firm of the UAE, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul on May 31.



The UAE CEO was among a dozen UAE nuclear energy authorities including officials of ENEC's maintenance subsidiary Nawah Energy Company, and Barakah One Company (BOC), the manager of sales for electricity generated at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.



The bilateral cooperation was reaffirmed after Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Lee Chang-yang met with UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the managing director and group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC Group), at Lotte Hotel Seoul, June 8.



At the ministerial-level meeting they discussed ways to cooperate further in nuclear power, as solidified by the successful implementation of key joint projects including the Barakah plant and energy infrastructure as well as oil field development.



The UAE requested that Korean firms share knowledge on digitization, e-learning and privacy protection in high-tech and biopharmaceutical industries.



The ministry seeks to strengthen the competitiveness of local nuclear power businesses to facilitate the export of Korea's exceptional nuclear power technologies to the global market.



"We will revitalize the nuclear power ecosystem, thereby promoting the overseas expansion of other new industries encompassing IT, rechargeable batteries and hydrogen businesses to create jobs and bolster economic growth," a ministry official said.


Rumors that Kim Garam may be returning to activities soon spark for THIS reason. Keep on reading for all the details.

Kim Garam Returning to LE SSERAFIM? Rumors Spark Because of THIS

On June 8, a user on Weverse, a fandom community application, shared a post about LE SSERAFIM's debut album.

On the post shared to LE SSERAFIM's Weverse profile, a user showed a photo of their signed "FEARLESS" album. All six LE SSERAFIM members' signatures were seen on the cover, including Kim Garam.

The photo included a caption calming Kim Garam fans, saying they believe the idol goes to the company to practice, and it is most likely the line-up has not changed. They also added that Kim Garam's signature was included in the signed albums.

On June 15, a Thai user shared a photo of their signed LE SSERAFIM album on Twitter. Specifically, they shared how Kim Garam signed the album for the Thai fans. In addition, the user included a short caption that read, "Garam signed (shocked emoji)."

ALSO READ: Magazine Draws Criticism for Including LE SSERAFIM Kim Garam in Latest Pictorial

This has caused internet users and fans to speculate that Kim Garam would soon be returning to LE SSERAFIM activities.

LE SSERAFIM recently wrapped up promotions for "FEARLESS" as a five-member group. On June 17, the girl group had a photoshoot with Dispatch that featured all the members except Kim Garam.

Due to psychological reasons, Kim Garam has been on hiatus since May 19, 2022. This was caused due to heightening allegations against the idol for being a perpetrator of school violence.

Background on LE SSERAFIM Kim Garam's School Bullying Scandal

After being announced as a member of LE SSERAFIM, Kim Garam was accused by past schoolmates of being a bully. They stated that she was physically violent with other students and was mean to juniors who did not greet her well.

ALSO READ: HYBE Labels Allegedly Plans to Keep Kim Garam in LE SSERAFIM

She was also accused of bullying a student so much that a hearing was heard, and the student ultimately stopped their schooling due to anxiety and depression.

Despite being a minor, Kim Garam was also accused of making crude and sexually inappropriate jokes on social media.

HYBE Labels denied the rumors and announced legal action to protect their artists. The accusor, A, hired a legal firm to speak on her behalf and released a statement detailing the bullying she suffered from Kim Garam. However, Source Music continued to deny the claims and announced Kim Garam would be going on a hiatus to "heal her wounded heart."

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KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Alexa Lewis
The idea of having murals in Downtown Lake Geneva is moving forward, but still needs city approval.

If approved, the goal would be to start the program by the end of the year, said Lake Geneva Business Improvement District board member Aletha Salgado

The side of the Christines Gift Shop building, 858 W. Main St., facing the Candle Mercantile business, could be the spot for the proposed first mural.

Its a building that could really use the paint, Salgado said. It does not look so great, so it will help improve the look. Plus, its on Highway 50 coming into town.

A second mural could be painted by on the side of the Melges Real Estate building, 233 Center St. by Starbucks. Salgado said that mural could be an interactive winged mural.

The wings idea seems to drive so much social media, because people can stand in front of it and pretend theyre wearing wings and post it on Facebook or Instagram, Salgado said. So were thinking about pushing that for that spot.

The Business Improvement District has about $15,000 budgeted to help pay for the first mural but plans to apply for grants and conduct fundraisers to help pay for additional murals.

We could get one mural done with that money, but were hoping the second one will come from grants and fundraisers, Salgado said. Hopefully next year, we can incorporate some events to try to raise money for another mural. We have enough money allocated for one.

Officials from the Business Improvement District hope the program encourages other groups and organizations in the community to establish their own murals.

It doesnt mean were going to be flipping the bill for everything, Salgado said. But were hoping this will open the door for people to be able to do their own thing if they wanted to.

Salgado and fellow BID member Janine Osborn have been meeting with award-winning, Kentucky-based artist Wylie Caudill for the city murals.

Hes extremely talented, Salgado said. He does great work.

In the future, the Business Improvement District could work with Badger High School students or students from the University of Wisconsin-Stout,who recently started a mural program in their community.

Theres a lot of people, and theyre great, Salgado said. I wanted to start with somebody who knows what theyre doing, then go from there.

Tammie Carstensen, general manager for the Harbor Shores on Lake Geneva hotel, encouraged the other Business Improvement District Board members to attend the June 20 plan commission meeting to help support Osborn and Salgado.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the council chambers of Lake Geneva City Hall, 626 Geneva St.

They have to get through this hurdle with the city before this even becomes a reality, Carstensen said. With all the work they put behind this, I think the more people they get to support them on this, it would be amazing.

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] June 18 (ANI/NewsVoir): Anglo-French Drug & Industries one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in India, donated a Vestibulator to SRCC, a children's hospital in Mumbai.

The Vestibulator will be used to aid in the recovery of children with neurological issues, especially those suffering from autism and cerebral palsy. The machine itself is unique and state-of-the-art and was custom-made by IIT for SRCC; it is only the second of its kind in Mumbai. It will help in meeting the needs of the lower economic strata parents whose children will need therapy for various medical issues.

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The machine was officially inaugurated by Abhay Kanoria, Chairman and Managing Director, Anglo-French Drugs & Industries Ltd at the official inaugural ceremony held by SRCC Centre for Child Development on June 17 at their Mumbai hospital.

The machine was donated to the hospital to expand its services to cater to the needs of children who would need physiotherapy. By using the machine the hospital aims to help children to recover faster and better and go back to leading a healthier life, which always has been the AFDIL's mission when it comes to providing the best healthcare services.

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Talking at the inaugural ceremony Abhay Kanoria, Chairman and Managing Director, Anglo-French Drugs & Industries Limited said, "As an organization, we are committed to provide whatever help possible to create a great healthcare ecosystem. The reason we chose to donate this particular machine is that we felt that there is little focus on the vestibular system and how fixing it can aid in the well-being of children with neurological disorders, the incidences of which are on the rise. Our contribution to SRCC is our first step towards it. We hope that by way of this machine the needy children will get the best in class services."

Anglo-French Drugs and industries are one of the leading names in the world of pharmaceuticals. We have a heritage of 99 years with over 300 products selling across the world. The company has market-leading brands in nutraceuticals, CNS, skin, and respiratory segments. Our family comprises nearly 1000 people, who work diligently to serve over 65,000 doctors, 50,000 chemists, and all our other affiliated parties. Our vision is to build on our strong heritage and values to deliver high-quality medication and services.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Sangrur, Jun 18 (PTI) The AAP government is committed to bring Punjab out of the financial crisis, said Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who blamed previous regimes for "anti-state" policies. Cheema on Saturday was campaigning in Dirba for his party candidate Gurmail Singh for the June 23 bypolls to the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat.

"The Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab government is committed to bring Punjab out of the financial crisis, which the state is facing today because of anti-Punjab policies of previous governments," said Cheema.

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Cheema said the Punjab government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is taking action against every single mafia and the state would soon be a mafia-free.

He said money which used to go into the pockets of corrupt leaders during previous governments was now going to the state exchequer.

Also Read | Agnipath Scheme Protests: Union Minister Anurag Thakur Urges Youths Not To Resort to Violence.

The AAP government is working tirelessly and diligently to improve the financial condition, claimed Cheema.

"The AAP government has been taking action against the mafia from day one. The people of Punjab are happy with the ongoing crackdown on land, transport and sand mafias. The Punjab government won't rest till all mafias are eradicated from the state," said Cheema.

Cheema said action against former minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and former Congress MLA Joginder Pal is a warning to all corrupt leaders that the days of the mafia and corruption are over and the AAP government will only work in the interest of the common man.

He ruled out the possibility of any political vendetta in corruption cases, saying the government acted promptly and impartially even when its own minister was accused of corruption. Dharamsot was arrested in a corruption case while Joginder Pal was held in an illegal mining case.

(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 18 (ANI): Special CBI court on Saturday dismissed the bail plea of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case noting the seriousness of the allegation. The court further said that as the investigation is still on, the possibility of the accused influencing the witnesses cannot be ruled out.

Jain was arrested on May 30, 2022, by Enforcement Directorate (ED). He was sent to judicial custody on May 13, 2022, after ED interrogation. His counsels said they will move an application for bail before Delhi High Court.

Also Read | Agnipath Scheme Protests: 'Y' Category Security Provided to 12 BJP Leaders in Bihar.

Special CBI Judge Geetanjali Goel of Rouse Avenue Court, while dismissing the bail application, said, "Considering the facts and circumstances of the case and the nature of the allegation against the accused and that the application for bail does not pass muster even on the triple test for the grant of bail at this stage, the application is dismissed without merits."

The court also rejected the medical ground for bail saying, "When no specific ground has been taken in the bail application regarding the medical condition of the accused and no medical documents have been produced to show the medical history of the accused or to show the extent of the medical condition of the accused, only on the ground that the accused suffers from sleep apnea, he cannot be enlarged on bail, by virtue of the first proviso to Section 45(1) of PMLA."

Also Read | Delhi: Water Supply To Remain Affected in Many Parts of National Capital Tomorrow, Says Delhi Jal Board.

The Court noted the contention of Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju and Special Public Prosecutor N. K. Matta for ED that the investigation is going on and there is a threat to witnesses and the accused, being a person, can influence the witnesses.

"While it is true that statements of several witnesses have already been recorded under Section 50 PMLA and ED itself has been tardy and taken considerable time, during which time, the accused, if he wanted to influence the witnesses could have already done so as was contended by the Senior Counsel for the accused, however, looking to the fact that the matter is still at the stage of investigation and the accused enjoys an influential position, it cannot be ruled out that the accused could influence the witnesses," the court observed.

The court noted that the ASG had tried to contend that the accused was non-cooperative during the investigation and gave evasive answers but it is a matter of record that he had joined the investigation on a number of occasions even before his arrest. Further, the accused is a two-time MLA and is a Minister in the present Government in Delhi.

As such the accused cannot be regarded as a flight risk, and if the ED has slept over the case from 2018 to 2021 during which period, the accused even travelled abroad and came back and join the investigation, it cannot now contend that the accused is a flight risk or he would flee away from justice, the court also noted.

ED registered the ECIR on 30 August 2017 on the basis of a case registered by the CBI on 24 August 2017 under Sections of Prevention of Corruption Act and Indin Penal Code, against Satyender Jain, his wife, and 4 other accused persons.

CBI had alleged that the accused while posted as Minister in Delhi government during the period 14 February 2015 to 31 May 2017, acquired assets to the tune of Rs 1,62,50,294 in his name and in the names of his family members, which were disproportionate to his known source of income. It was further alleged the accused's wife and other accused persons, who were his business associates, had abetted the above offence.

It was also alleged that the accused had active control over three companies namely, M/s. Akinchan Developers Pvt. Ltd., M/s Paryas Infosolutions Pvt. Ltd. and M/s Manglaytan Projects Pvt. Ltd. and the said three companies received accommodation entries from Kolkata-based shell companies. It was alleged that though the accused resigned as Director of the companies in 2013, still he maintained active control of the said companies.

It was further alleged that during the check period from February 2015 to May 2017 an amount of Rs. 4.61 crores was received from shell companies and 1/3 of the same belonged to the accused and hence a disproportionate asset (DA) of Rs. 1,47,60,497 was alleged. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI): Amid the raging protests over the Agnipath Scheme across the country, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday held a meeting with the defence service chiefs in Delhi.

Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari were present at the meeting in Defence Minister's residence.

Also Read | Agnipath Protesters Block Railway Tracks, Do Push-Ups in West Bengals North 24 Parganas District (Watch Video).

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday announced that 'Agniveers' will be absorbed into the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles at the end of their four-year term in the army.

MHA also announced three years of age relaxation, beyond the upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles.

Also Read | Agnipath Protests: Rajnath Singh Approves 10% Reservation for Agniveers in Defence Ministry Jobs.

For the first batch of Agniveers, age relaxation will be for 5 years beyond the upper age limit.

The decision comes amid the raging protests that have broken out across the country against the Centre's Agnipath Scheme.

The Union Cabinet on June 14 approved a recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the three services of the Armed Forces called Agnipath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers.

Agnipath allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years. The Agnipath Scheme has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the Armed Forces.

According to the latest announcement by the Ministry, the upper age limit for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) - inclusive of Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), National Security Guard (NSG) and Special Protection Group (SPG) - will stand at 26 years.

Meanwhile, the first batch of Agniveers will avail a further relaxation of 5 years beyond the upper age limit of 23, taking it to 28 years. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Jun 18 (PTI) The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has issued a notice to the city police in connection with an alleged attempt to murder case of a 30-year-old woman by her in-laws.

The Commission has asked the Delhi Police to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) on the matter till Monday evening.

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The DCW, in a statement, received a complaint from the family of the woman.

The woman's father informed DCW that on Friday he received a call wherein he was told that his daughter is admitted in a hospital after falling from stairs.

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He alleged that when he went to his daughter's house, neighbours told him that his daughter was pushed off the roof.

He stated that his daughter's in laws have been harassing her since she was married three years ago, said the statement.

The DCW said that she is presently admitted in a hospital in a very serious condition.

The DCW in its notice to Delhi Police has sought to register an FIR and arrest the accused immediately.

It also asked the police to record the statement of the woman before the magistrate in the hospital itself.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Noida, Jun 18 (PTI) The Noida police on Saturday said it has arrested four men, including a delivery executive for e-commerce firms, who have allegedly duped scores of people by fraudulently swapping their debit cards on the pretext of helping them with withdrawals at ATM kiosks.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Noida) Ranvijay Singh said the accused, who have been working as a gang since 2019, would also clone ATM cards of gullible people using skimmers.

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Police said it has seized 42 ATM cards, 41 Aadhaar cards and 13 mobile phones from the gang's possession and estimated that the fraud committed by them could be worth crores of rupees but exact details of finances are being ascertained.

The gang has been busted by officials of the Sector 58 police station under the supervision of ACP (Noida 2) Rajneesh Verma, Singh said, adding that the mastermind of the group has been identified but is at large.

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One person, Jai Prakash Verma, was arrested first and when checked, his bank account showed transactions of Rs 34.50 lakh over the last two years, raising suspicion about his activities. The matter was probed and his three other associated were also held, Singh told reporters.

The police said the gang had three modes of duping people.

"They would stand at an ATM kiosk and wait for some gullible person to come for withdrawal. There, on the pretext of helping the person, they would note their pin code and stealthily exchange their ATM card with theirs. Later, they would take out money using the stolen ATM card, Singh said.

The gang also had ATM cloning machines which they used to clone cards. Not only would they use the cloned cards for illegal withdrawals, but also used the details of bank accounts of targeted persons for making financial transactions, the officer said.

Elaborating on the third method, Verma said, One of the accused, Jai Prakash, worked as a delivery executive for e-commerce companies. During delivery of items, he would carry cloning machines and insisted on swiping the customers cards for payments.

The ACP also cautioned people to be cautious while conducting financial transactions with strangers or online.

Meanwhile, Singh said police have also recovered some forged Aadhaar cards from the accused which were used for opening bank accounts to facilitate fraudulent transactions.

Police have recovered 42 ATM cards which had transactions of Rs 34 to Rs 35 lakh each, suggesting a large-scale fraud by the gang whose details are under investigation.

Those arrested have been identified as Jai Prakash Verma, Armaan, Tito Das and Neeraj Kumar, the police said.

An FIR was lodged in the case under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 467, 468, and 471 (related to forgery), 120B (criminal conspiracy) while the accused have also been booked under provisions of the Information Technology Act, police added.

Police have urged people to immediately report cyber frauds at the dedicated helpline number 1930 or 112. PTI KIS

(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 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recalled sacrifices and qualities of his mother on her entering hundredth year, said she found happiness in other people's joy and is extremely large-hearted.

He recalled that Abbas, son of his father's friend, stayed with them till he finished his studies. PM Modi said in a blog that his mother Heeraben was affectionate and caring towards Abbas "just like she did for all of us siblings" and use to prepare his favourite dishes every year on Eid. PM Narendra Modi Meets Mother Heeraben Modi on Her 100th Birthday, Seeks Her Blessings.

"Mother would find happiness in other people's joys. Our house may have been small, but she was extremely large-hearted. A close friend of my father used to stay in a nearby village. After his untimely death, my father brought his friend's son, Abbas, to our home. He stayed with us and completed his studies," PM Modi wrote.

"Mother was as affectionate and caring towards Abbas just like she did for all of us siblings. Every year on Eid, she used to prepare his favourite dishes," PM Modi said in a blog dedicated to his mother. On festivals, it was commonplace for neighbourhood kids to come to our house and enjoy Mother's special preparations," he added.

The Prime Minister said that across the world, irrespective of country or region, children have a special affection for their mothers. "Mother - is not just any other word in the dictionary. It encompasses a whole range of emotions - love, patience, trust, and a lot more. Across the world, irrespective of country or region, children have a special affection for their mothers. A mother not only gives birth to her children, but also shapes their mind, their personality, and their self-confidence. And while doing so, mothers selflessly sacrifice their own personal needs and aspirations," he said.

"Today, I feel extremely happy and fortunate to share that my mother Heeraba is entering her hundredth year. This is going to be her birth centenary year. If my father had been alive, he too would have celebrated his 100th birthday last week. 2022 is a special year as my mother's centenary year is starting, and my father would have completed his," he added.

Recalling his mother's "selfless nature", the Prime Minister wrote that she would request the Sadhus who would visit the neighbourhood to bless the children rather than asking for anything for herself.

"Whenever a Sadhu visited our neighbourhood, Mother would invite them to our humble home for a meal. True to her selfless nature, she would request the Sadhus to bless us children rather than asking anything for herself. She would urge them, "Bless my children so that they are happy in others' joys and empathetic in their sorrows. Let them have bhakti (devotion for the Divine) and sevabhav (service to others)," PM Modi wrote.

"Ma, a very happy birthday to you. Best wishes as you start your birth centenary year. I have never been able to muster the courage to write at length publicly about your life until now. I pray to the Almighty for your health and wellbeing, and your blessings on all of us. I bow at your feet," PM Modi 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, Jun 18 (PTI) Foreign Minister of Bangladesh A K Abdul Momen arrived here on Saturday on a three-day visit to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and explore ways to further expand it.

Momen and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will deliberate on various aspects of the bilateral ties at the seventh meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) on Sunday.

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"Warm greetings to FM Dr. AK Abdul Momen of Bangladesh @BDMOFA on his arrival in Delhi. He will co-chair the 7th Meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission with EAM @DrSJaishankar tomorrow," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet.

The two ministers will co-chair the JCC.

Also Read | Agnipath Scheme Protests: Union Minister Anurag Thakur Urges Youths Not To Resort to Violence.

It will be the first in-person JCC meeting convened since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the previous edition held virtually in 2020.

"The JCC will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including cooperation in the wake of COVID-19, border management and security, trade and investment, connectivity, energy, water resources, development partnership and regional and multilateral issues," the MEA 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 18 (ANI): Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has proposed setting up of Innovation Bank for new ideas, research findings and technologies to focus on 'Quality' in infrastructure development.

Virtually addressing the inaugural function of the 222nd Mid-Term Council Meeting of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), he said new initiatives are expected from IRC, Innovation should be the focus area for all Engineers.

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He said IRC should develop a World-class state-of-art laboratory with the help of IITs and global institutions in the world, according to a release by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Gadkari said infrastructure development has an important role in fulfilling the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India a 5 trillion-dollar economy and road infrastructure is directly linked to the prosperity of that region.

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He said road infrastructure connects people, culture and society and brings prosperity through socio-economic development.

The minister said in the last 8 years, the length of National Highways has gone up by more than 50 per cent from 91,000 km in 2014 to about 1.47 Lakh km now. He said our government is dedicatedly working towards expanding the National Highway network to 2 lakh kilometres by 2025. In the last 8 years, our team has created multiple world records, he added.

Gadkari said that the government is very committed to the development of the North East region. He said NHIDCL is playing a vital role in developing infrastructure in this region.

"The National Highway share of the region stands at 10 per cent. Till date, 2344 km highway has been constructed at the cost of Rs 45,000 crore."

"We are ready to adopt World's best and most successful technology and new materials for construction. Use of proven technology and reduction in construction cost are the two most important driving forces for us. We need to reduce the cost of construction while maintaining quality," he added.

The minister said there should be minimum carbon footprints and exploitation of limited natural resources during the construction and operation phase. He said development at the cost of degradation of ecology and environment is not acceptable to us.

The Minister said Road safety is a high-priority area for the Government. We need to incorporate effective global practices and guidelines related to road engineering into the specification, he added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ahmedabad, Jun 18 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his mother Hiraba at her residence near Gandhinagar early on Saturday as she enters 100th year of her life, and took her blessings.

Also Read | MHA Decides to Reserve 10% Vacancies for Recruitment in CAPFs & Assam Rifles for   Latest Tweet by ANI.

Modi arrived at Raysan village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar city, where his mother stays with his younger brother Pankaj Modi, around 6.30 am and spent around half an hour there.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Meets Mother Heeraben Modi on Her 100th Birthday, Seeks Her Blessings.

According to the family members, the prime minister's mother was born on this day in 1923.

To mark the occasion, a "bhandaro" (community meal) has been organised at the city's Jagannath temple. Hatkeshwar temple at Modi's hometown Vadnagar has also planned various programmes on his mother's birthday.

PM Modi is on a day's visit to Gujarat when he will visit the Pavagadh temple and later address a rally in Vadodara.

(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 18 (ANI): Hours after explosions and gunfire were reported from Gurudwara Karte Parwan in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday morning, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) President Harmeet Singh Kalka said that the Centre has assured to help people stuck in Afghanistan with their visas to come back to India.

"A gurudwara was attacked in Kabul and people were made hostage, one Granthi was killed. Blasts and firing happened there. We appeal to Government to take care of minorities in Afghanistan. GoI assured to help people with their visa to come to India," the DSGMC president said while addressing a media conference.

Also Read | Telangana: MP, MLAs Attend Funeral of Youth Killed in Police Firing at Secunderabad Railway Station.

Condemning the attack on Gurudwara, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann urged the Central government to summon the Afghan ambassador and ensure the safety of Sikhs in the region. He also requested the Centre to take up the matter with the Afghanistan government and evacuate all the Sikhs trapped in Kabul's Gurudwara due to explosions.

Meanwhile, the President of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Harjinder Singh Dhami, also appealed to the Punjab government and the Centre to provide security to the Sikhs there.

Also Read | Agnipath Protest: Train Services Disrupted Across East Coast Railway Zone, Many Trains Cancelled and Diverted.

"I appeal to Punjab government and Central government to provide security to Sikhs who are present there or bring them here (to India)," Harjinder Singh Dhami said.

At least two civilians, including a Sikh man and a Muslim security guard, died after unidentified assailants attacked a Gurudwara in Afghanistan's Kabul city on Saturday.

Initial inputs suggested that an explosion took place outside the gate of the Gurdwara early this morning killing at least two people. Another explosion was later heard from inside the complex and some shops attached to the gurdwara caught fire. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, so far.

Taking to Twitter, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also condemned the "cowardly attack" on Gurudwara and said that India is closely monitoring developments in the Afghan capital.

"The cowardly attack on Gurudwara Karte Parwan should be condemned in the strongest terms by all. We have been closely monitoring developments since the news of the attack was received. Our first and foremost concern is for the welfare of the community," he tweeted. (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 18 (PTI) Polling to Haryana's 28 municipal committees and 18 municipal councils will be held on Sunday.

While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)alliance and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are fighting these polls on party symbols, the Congress is not fighting the election on the party symbol, but many Congress members have entered the fray as Independents.

Also Read | Telangana: MP, MLAs Attend Funeral of Youth Killed in Police Firing at Secunderabad Railway Station.

The results will be declared on June 22.

While the leaders of the ruling alliance have been wooing the voters on developmental plank and the achievements of the comnbine, the Opposition has been targeting the BJP-JJP on a host of issues including alleged corruption, unemployment and lack of civic amenities.

Also Read | Maharashtra: ED Arrests Appasaheb Ramachandra Deshmukh, Treasurer of SCSES, in Money Laundering Case.

On the eve of the polls, Haryana's BKU (Chaduni) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni, in a video message on Saturday, hit out at the Centre's Agnipath defence recruitment scheme and urged the voters in Haryana municipal polls to "teach the BJP a lesson".

According to officials, the polling will be held for the seats of President and members of all wards of 28 municipal committees and 18 municipal councils.

The voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm, Commissioner, Haryana State Election Commission, Dhanpat Singh said on Saturday.

On June 18 and 19 and on June 22, which is the day of the counting of votes, dry day has been declared in the electoral areas, meaning that liquor shops will remain closed and there will be no sale of alcohol.

Dhanpat Singh said there are a total of 456 wards of 18 municipal councils.

There are 12.60 lakh voters in 18 municipal councils, out of which 6,63,870 are male, 5,96,095 female and 35 transgender voters.

He informed that a total of 1,290 polling booths have been set up for the municipal elections, out of which 289 have been declared "sensitive" and 235 "hyper-sensitive". A total of 6,450 polling staff, 82 duty magistrates and 7,087 police officers and employees have been appointed at these polling booths.

Singh said there are 432 wards in 28 municipalities.There are a total of 5,70,208 voters, out of which 3,01,677 are male, 2,68,517 female and 14 are transgender.

A total of 671 polling booths have been set up for the municipality elections, out of which 144 are sensitive and 92 are vulnerable, while 3,355 polling staff, 69 duty magistrates and police personnel in strength have been deployed at these polling booths.

A total of 4,712 EVMs have been distributed for municipal councils and municipalities elections. The police have been directed to carry out additional patrolling and put blockades in the election areas, he said.

Adhering to COVID-19 guidelines, the provision of masks and sanitizers has also been made at each polling station.

(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 18 (ANI): Congress MP KC Venugopal on Friday urged Parliament's Standing Committee on Defence Chairman Jual Oram to convene an urgent meeting of all stakeholders and defence experts to discuss in detail the recently announced Agniveer scheme by the Central government.

Noting that violent protests are continuing across the country over the recently announced recruitment scheme, the Congress MP in his letter said, "As you are aware, violent protests are continuing across the country over the recently announced Agniveer Recruitment Scheme by the Central Government. There is widespread anger among the youth with regard to this scheme particularly due to its temporary nature, lack of pension and health care benefits."

Also Read | Agnipath Scheme Protest: Telengana Govt Announces Rs 25 Lakh for Kin of Youth Killed in Railway Police Firing at Secunderabad Station.

Pointing out the drawback of the scheme, Venugopal, a member of Parliament's Standing Committee on Defence said, "Significantly, it is also pointed out that the scheme carries multiple risks including the subversion of the long-standing traditions of the armed forces. There is also wide apprehension that the soldiers recruited under the scheme may lack required training in the proposed short span of six months. For all obvious reasons, it is evident that the scheme is poorly conceived and hastily drawn up without any wide consultations with stakeholders."

He further urged to convene an urgent meeting of the Standing Committee on Defence at the earliest to discuss and deliberate upon the Agnipath scheme in detail.

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"In this regard, I urge you to convene an urgent meeting of the Standing Committee on Defence at the earliest to discuss and deliberate upon the Agnipath scheme in detail. It is also requested to invite all major stakeholders and defence experts for their opinion and input on the same," he added.

Protests have broken out in various parts of the country against the new recruitment scheme in the Armed Forces. In some places, the protests turned violent as trains were set ablaze.

Meanwhile, one person died in Telangana's Secunderabad on Friday as protests against the newly announced military recruitment policy, Agnipath, turned violent.

Earlier, protesters torched compartments of a train in Bihar's Samastipur and those in another train at Lakhisarai station.

Notably, Agnipath Scheme was launched by the government, on June 14, in an effort to bring a change in the recruitment process of the Armed Forces. With the new military recruitment scheme facing a backlash by Opposition, the Centre has decided to bring a change in the upper age limit for recruiting Agniveers.

Granting a one-time waiver, the Centre on June 16, 2022, announced that the Agniveer upper age limit for recruitments via Agnipath Scheme has been extended to 23 years from 21 years.

The scheme is called Agnipath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers. Agnipath allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years. (ANI)

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Kolkata, Jun 18 (PTI) Rains lashed Kolkata and its neighbouring districts on Saturday as the Southwest monsoon entered southern West Bengal, weather officials said.

Intermittent showers were reported from different parts of the city since 8 am, causing traffic snarls at Ruby crossing, Tollygunge, Exide crossing, Esplanade, Vivekananda Road and Shyambazar five-point crossing, police said.

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Southwest monsoon has advanced into some parts of southern West Bengal, Regional Met Centre director Sanjib Bandyopadhyay told PTI.

"Eastern parts of Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM) passes through Haldia, Bardhaman, Dumka, Banka and Motihari. Entire North Bengal was already covered yesterday 17.06.2022," the weather office said in a statement.

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Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in parts of Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts in the next 24 hours, it added.

Under the impact of an east-west trough, heavy to very heavy rainfall was recorded in sub-Himalayan West Bengal.

In the 24 hours till 8.30 am, 35 cm rainfall was recorded in Buxa and 23 cm rainfall in Hasimara.

The weather office warned of landslides in Darjeeling and Kalimpong due to intense rains, and a rise in water levels of Teesta, Jaldhaka, Sankosh and Torsha.

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Shahdol (MP), Jun 18 (PTI) Five persons, including a teenage boy, were killed and 36 others injured after a mini-truck carrying them to a marriage function overturned in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district, police said on Saturday.

Also Read | No Under-Reporting of Crimes Against SCs/STs, Police Should Play More Proactive Role in Investigation, Says MHA.

The incident occurred around 9.30 pm on Friday in Tikahi village under Beohari police station limits, a police official said.

Also Read | Agnipath Protests: Centre Announces 10% Reservation for Agniveers in CAPFs, Assam Rifle.

"The driver of the speeding mini-truck carrying a total of 42 persons to a marriage function lost control at a turn near a dhaba (roadside eatery) at Tikahi," Beohari police station's in-charge Sudhir Soni told PTI.

These people were going to Dol village from Dholar for the wedding ceremony, he said.

"Five persons, including a 15-year-old boy, died on the spot, while 36 others were injured in the accident, 10 of them critically," he said, adding that other deceased were in the age group of 40 to 45 years.

The driver of the vehicle and the groom were safe, Soni said.

While 10 seriously injured persons are undergoing treatment at Shahdol Medical College, while others are being treated at Beohari hospital, he said.

A case under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and Motor Vehicles Act was registered against the driver, he said.

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Panchmahal (Gujarat) [India], June 18 (ANI): Highlighting the country's spiritual and cultural heritage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that New India is living its ancient identity along with its modern aspirations and is proud of its heritage.

Addressing at the inauguration of the redeveloped temple of Shree Kalika Mata at Pavagadh Hill, PM Modi said, "Today the spiritual and cultural glory of India is being restored. Today New India is proudly living its ancient identity along with its modern aspirations."

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PM Modi inaugurated the redeveloped Kalika Mata temple atop the Pavagadh hill in the Panchmahal district on Saturday. He hoisted the temple flag after performing pooja at the temple. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was also present with the Prime Minister at the occasion.

Speaking at the occasion, PM Modi said, "Today, after centuries, the flag is once again hoisted on the top of the Pavagadh temple. This flag at the top is not only a symbol of our faith and spirituality! This flag also symbolizes that despite changes in centuries and eras, the faith remains eternal. Today the spiritual and cultural glory of India is being restored. Today New India is living its ancient identity along with its modern aspirations and taking pride in its heritage."

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"In Pavagadh, there is spirituality, history, nature, art and culture. Here on one side, there is the Shaktipeeth of Maa Mahakali, and on the other side, there is a heritage of Jain temple. That is, Pavagadh has in a way been a centre of all-religion equanimity with India's historical diversity," he said.

PM Modi said Gujarat contributed to India's freedom and its development.

"At independence, we were blighted by slavery and injustice, we fought against it. India's cultural freedom was led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as he redeveloped Somnath temple and laid the foundation for India's development," he added.

According to the Gujarat information department, after the ascent of Pavagadh in the fifteenth century, the peak of the temple was dilapidated for the last five centuries. The summit has now been redesigned with a new look.

First, the foundation of a large campus was laid by widening the top of Pavagadh Hill, then ancillary facilities were erected on the first and second floors of the campus. The original sanctum has been kept intact and the entire temple has been rebuilt. The main temple and the open area have been widened.

"In the old temple of Mataji where there was a dargah in place of the 'Shikhar'. The dargah has been relocated in an amicable settlement and a new 'Shikhar' has been constructed, on which the flagpole has been restored and the flag will be unfurled there," added the official statement.

Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Modi met his mother Heeraben Modi at her residence in Gandhinagar on her 100th birthday.

Taking to Twitter he said, "Took blessings of my mother today as she enters her 100th year." (ANI)

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Jaipur, Jun 18 (PTI) The Rajasthan council of ministers on Saturday passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of the Centre's Agnipath scheme.

The resolution was passed unanimously during a meeting held at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's residence here, a release said.

Also Read | Telangana: MP, MLAs Attend Funeral of Youth Killed in Police Firing at Secunderabad Railway Station.

The Centre on Tuesday unveiled the scheme for recruitment of the youth aged between 17 and a half and 21 in the Army, Navy and the Air Force, largely on a four-year short-term contractual basis.

The scheme is being opposed by Army aspirants in parts of the country, including Rajasthan.

Also Read | Agnipath Protest: Train Services Disrupted Across East Coast Railway Zone, Many Trains Cancelled and Diverted.

The minister expressed concern over the nationwide protests against the scheme.

"There have been massive protests across the country regarding the provisions, which have created many doubts among the youth," the release said.

"Experts say that there should be regular recruitment in the military so that the future of soldiers and their families could be secured. Therefore, the state government is of the view that the central government should have had a comprehensive discussion with all the stakeholders before introducing any such scheme," the release added.

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Jaipur, Jun 18 (PTI) Former BJP ally and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party national convener Hanuman Beniwal on Saturday declared to launch a statewide agitation against the Centre's Agnipath scheme.

The stir will begin with a rally in Rajasthan's Jodhpur on June 27.

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"If required, we will move to Delhi to mount pressure on the government against the scheme," he told reporters here.

Demanding the scheme's withdrawal, Beniwal said, "The decision of PM Narendra Modi is against the youth and if not withdrawn on time, it will have a devastating impact on the country."

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The MP said earlier the Union government brought anti-farmer laws and had to bow down under the pressure of farmers.

"Now, the government has targeted 'jawans' (youth) of this country who aspire to join defence forces," the Nagaur MP said.

Beniwal said the scheme will cause corruption in the Army. He appealed to the youth not indulge in violence and hold peaceful protests.

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Hyderabad, Jun 18 (PTI) Train services at Secunderabad Railway Station, which witnessed arson and violence resulting in the death of a protester aspiring to join the armed forces, are limping back to normalcy, a senior official of the South Central Railway said on Saturday.

Also Read | No Under-Reporting of Crimes Against SCs/STs, Police Should Play More Proactive Role in Investigation, Says MHA.

D Rakesh, a 24-year-old Army aspirant from Warangal district, died and several people were injured after security personnel opened fire on hundreds of agitators at the Secunderabad railway station here on Friday as the protests against the Centre's new Agnipath military recruitment scheme escalated into large-scale violence and arson.

Also Read | Agnipath Protests: Centre Announces 10% Reservation for Agniveers in CAPFs, Assam Rifle.

Violence and protests marred the station blocking rail services causing inconvenience to passengers for several hours. Train operations originating from the station were cancelled or partially cancelled and they resumed subsequently later in the evening.

Additional Director General of Police (Railways) Sandeep Shandilya told PTI that the situation at Secunderabad station is peaceful and the police continue to deploy addition forces to thwart any untoward incident.

"Situation is normal at the station. We saw some problem at Mahbubnagar railway station. Overall, railway stations in Telangana are fine," the police officer said.

A senior South Central Railway official said train services resumed from the station at 8 pm on Friday and are normal now.

He said security was stepped up in and around the station and passengers with valid tickets are only allowed to enter the station premises.

In a late night statement on Friday, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced Rs 25 lakh as ex-gratia to the family of Rakesh and a government job based on qualification to one of the family members.

Meanwhile, TRS cadre and leaders of Narsampet gave a bandh call in the Assembly constituency limits in protest against the death of Rakesh who belonged the area.

A senior police official in Narsampet said shops and establishments are closed and the situation is peaceful.

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Kochi, Jun 18 (PTI) The 3-day Vyapar 2022 drew to a close on Saturday with the Kerala government's pioneering event in the MSME sector facilitating trade deals worth Rs 105 crore at 2,417 business-to-business meets.

Also Read | Telangana: MP, MLAs Attend Funeral of Youth Killed in Police Firing at Secunderabad Railway Station.

A total of 330 buyers clinched pacts with 324 sellers from across the country at the event organised in the city by the Kerala Department of Industries and Commerce, an official release said here.

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The June 16-18 conclave in suburban Kaloor will be followed up by an array of virtual meets next week, organisers said after the conclusion of Vyapar 2022 which sought to boost the State's pandemic-hit MSME units by providing them a platform to showcase their products and technological competence.

The meet had focused on seven key economic sectors. Of these, the most number of business deals were struck in food processing and Ayurveda, followed by handlooms and textiles, according to the organisers.

The event at JLN International Stadium Ground featured 331 stalls, which were open to the general public on the concluding day.

The B2B meets held on the first two days of the event generated a potential business of Rs 1,05,19,42,500, revealed officials with Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion (K-bip), which coordinated Vyapar 2022. Of the 324 sellers, 15 were government agencies.

The event yet again highlighted the eminence and popularity of Kerala's food items and traditional wellness system, the organisers said.

The virtual meets slated to be held towards the end of next week will further cement the business deals, they added.

Vyapar 2022, which was inaugurated by Minister for Law, Industries and Coir P Rajeeve on Thursday, saw the convergence of representatives of all-India trade and commercial organisations, business consortiums, e-commerce executives, exporters, consumers, and buyers from top commercial establishments.

The final day saw a steady rise in the crowds at the stalls, as the event was open to the public for nine hours till 8 PM.

An expo at the event exhibited the MSME products, branded and otherwise. The seven focal sectors were food processing (food and spices); handlooms, textiles and garments (fashion design and furnishing products); rubber; coir products; Ayurveda and herbal (cosmetics and nutraceuticals); electrical and electronics; and traditional sectors that include hand-carved goods, handloom textiles and bamboo-based items.

An interesting feature of the event was the impressive presence of women entrepreneurs who set up 65 out of the 331 exhibition stalls to showcase a range of products and their business acumen to attract the attention of domestic buyers and global e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Flipkart.

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New Delhi, June 18: Water supply will remain affected in many parts of Delhi on Sunday due to Haryana releasing less water in the Yamuna and two canals, the Delhi Jal Board said on Saturday. The water level in the Wazirabad pond stood at 667.3 feet as against the normal of 674.5 feet.

Also, less water is being received from Haryana through the Carrier Lined Canal (CLC) and the Delhi Sub Branch (DSB), the utility said. Operations at the Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla WTPs have been hit. Water supply will remain affected till the situation improves, it said. Delhi Jal Board Withdraws Circular on Short Leave for Muslim Employees During Ramzan.

Water will be available at low pressure in northeast Delhi, west Delhi, north Delhi, central Delhi, south Delhi, including Delhi Cantonment, and New Delhi Municipal Council areas, the DJB added.

The utility had last week written a letter to the Haryana Irrigation Department, the fifth time this summer season, asking it to release water from the Somb river, a tributary of the Yamuna.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also requested Haryana to release additional water in the Yamuna on humanitarian grounds. Delhi requires around 1,200 MGD (million gallons per day) of water, while the DJB supplies around 950 MGD.

Haryana supplies a total of 610 million gallons of water a day to Delhi through two canals -- CLC (368 MGD) and DSB (177) -- and the Yamuna (65 MGD). CLC and the DSB are supplied water from Hathni Kund via Munak canal and Bhakra Beas Management Board.

Besides, Delhi receives 253 MGD from Uttar Pradesh through the Upper Ganga Canal, and 90 MGD is drawn from ranney wells and tube wells installed across the city.

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New Delhi, Jun 18 (PTI) A 23-year-old man allegedly shot himself dead in southwest Delhi's Vasant Vihar area, police said on Saturday.

The deceased has been identified as Samarth, they said.

Also Read | Telangana: MP, MLAs Attend Funeral of Youth Killed in Police Firing at Secunderabad Railway Station.

On Saturday at 11.43 am, police received a call from a man, who said that his brother has killed himself with a gun in Vasant Vihar's A-Block, a senior police officer said.

Police reached the spot and found the man's body lying in a pool of blood with a pistol lying nearby, they said.

Also Read | Agnipath Protest: Train Services Disrupted Across East Coast Railway Zone, Many Trains Cancelled and Diverted.

It was deceased man's servant who had noticed him dead first, said police, adding that he then informed other family members.

Proceedings under section of 174 CrPC is in progress. Further investigation is underway, police added.

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Dhaka, Jun 18 (PTI) Incessant rains and gushing waters have marooned at least six million people in Bangladesh, prompting authorities to call in the Army to assist in the rescue and relief operations.

Officials estimate that six million people were marooned at their nearly inundated homes or were forced to take makeshift refuge elsewhere as water level in rivers in northeastern and northern regions continued to rise.

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Water now continued to surpass much above the danger lines in two of the country's four major river basins the situation appears to be nearly as bad as that of the 2004 flooding, a Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) spokesman said.

Many people were forced to initially take refuge on their rooftops amid gushing rising waters until rescue boats came in Sunamganj.

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No official data was available on the death toll but unofficial reports suggest that the ongoing flood has killed at least 19 people in the country.

The FFWC attributed the flooding to excessive rainfalls simultaneously in upstream Meghlaya and Bangladesh.

The incessant downpours aggravated the miseries while the deluge severed the road links of northeastern Sunamganj district from the rest of the country and forced authorities to close a major international airport in neighbouring Sylhet after water submerged its runway.

Flood water engulfed several power stations, forcing authorities to shut down the facilities, subsequently affecting internet and mobile phone communications.

Earlier, Bangladesh called in the Army to aide in the civil administration in evacuating people or reaching succours to marooned people while the Navy and the Air Force units subsequently joined them in northestern Sylhet region.

"The number of boats is inadequate to evacuate so Navy joined their hands while Air Force was called in to airlift relief materials in remote areas, a district administration official in Sylhet said.

Deltaic Bangladesh is crisscrossed by 56 major rivers and several hundred tributaries with hydrologists dividing the country in four major basins.

Floods hit the northwestern region first covered under the Meghna Basin.

The situation in Brahmaputra Basin aggravated overnight as the water level crossed the danger marks at many places in northern and some northwestern districts, an FFWC official said.

The disaster management ministry said the flood hit 17 of the country's 64 administrative districts under the purview of the two basins.

Nearly 90 per cent homes in Sunamganj is now under water while in Sylhet the figure is estimated to be 80, according to TV channels.

So far, there is no indication that the four basins will see the simultaneous rise of waters, Bangladesh's leading water expert Professor Ainun Nishat told PTI.

Bangladesh saw four major prolonged deluges since 1987 with the last one being in 2004.

Experts, however, said that unlike their previous major floods since 1987, the water level in all four basins might not surpass the danger levels simultaneously.

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New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI): Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen will arrive in India on Saturday on a 3-day official visit.

During the visit, on Sunday, he will attend the 7th Round of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) between India and Bangladesh and will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

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On Monday, Momen will meet Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and after that will emplane to Bangladesh.

Last month, Momen met Jaishankar in Guwahati, under Natural Allies in Development and Interdependence (NADI) Asian Confluence River Conclave 2022.

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The last JCC meeting was held virtually in September 2020. In that meeting, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to a peaceful and secure border.

During the meeting, both countries reviewed the expanding connectivity in the road, rail, inland waterways, and ports and agreed to expedite progress in ongoing projects besides.

India and Bangladesh will be holding the 7th Meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) in New Delhi on June 19, 2022.

The JCC will be co-chaired by S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, and Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.

This will be the first physical JCC meeting convened since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the previous edition held virtually in 2020. The JCC will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including cooperation in the wake of Covid-19, border management and security, trade and investment, connectivity, energy, water resources, development partnership, and regional and multilateral issues, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. (ANI)

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Sao Paulo, Jun 18 (AP) Before disappearing in Brazil's Amazon rainforest, Bruno Pereira was laying the groundwork for a mammoth undertaking: a 350-kilometer (217-mile) trail marking the southwestern border of the Javari Valley Indigenous territory, an area the size of Portugal.

The purpose of the trail is to prevent cattle farmers from encroaching on Javari territory  and it was just the latest effort by Pereira to help Indigenous people protect their natural resources and traditional lifestyles.

Also Read | UN Chief Antonio Guterres Warns of 'Global Mental Health Crisis'.

While Pereira had long pursued these goals as an expert at the Brazilian Indigenous affairs agency, known as FUNAI, he worked in recent years as a consultant to the Javari Valley's Indigenous organisation.

That's because after Jair Bolsonaro became Brazil's president in 2019, FUNAI began taking a more hands-off approach toward protecting Indigenous land and people  and the government unapologetically promoted development over environmental protection.

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Deeply frustrated, Pereira left the agency and embarked on a more independent -- and dangerous -- path.

He was last seen alive on June 5 on a boat in the Itaquai river, along with British freelance journalist Dom Phillips, near an area bordering Peru and Colombia. On Wednesday, a fisherman confessed to killing Pereira, 41, and Phillips, 57, and took police to a site where human remains were recovered; some remains were identified Friday as belonging to Phillips, others are believed to belong to Pereira.

Pereira spoke several times with The Associated Press over the past 18 months, and he talked about his decision to leave FUNAI, which he felt had become a hindrance to his work. After Bolsonaro came to power, the agency was stacked with loyalists and people who lacked experience in Indigenous affairs, he said.

There's no use in me being there as long as these policemen and army generals are calling the shots, he said by phone in November.

I can't do my work under them.

As a technical consultant for the Javari Valley's association of Indigenous people, or Univaja, Pereira helped the group develop a surveillance program to reduce illegal fishing and hunting in a remote region belonging to 6,300 people from seven different ethnic groups, many of whom have had little to no contact with the outside world.

He and three other non-Indigenous people trained Indigenous patrollers to use drones and other technology to spot illegal activity, photograph it and submit evidence to authorities.

When it came to helping the Indigenous peoples, he did everything he could, said Jader Marubo, former president of Univaja. He gave his life for us.

Like Pereira, Ricardo Rao was an Indigenous expert at FUNAI who, in 2019, prepared a dossier detailing illegal logging in Indigenous lands of Maranhao state. But fearful of being so outspoken under the new regime, he fled to Norway.

I asked Norway for asylum, because I knew the men I was accusing would have access to my name and would kill me, just like what happened with Bruno, Rao said.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly advocated tapping the vast riches of Indigenous lands, particularly their mineral resources, and integrating Indigenous people into society. He has pledged not to grant any further Indigenous land protections, and in April said he would defy a Supreme Court decision, if necessary. Those positions directly opposed Pereira's hopes for the Javari Valley.

Before taking leave, Pereira was removed as head of FUNAI's division for isolated and recently contacted tribes. That move came shortly after he commanded an operation that expelled hundreds of illegal gold prospectors from an Indigenous territory in Roraima state.

His position was soon filled by a former Evangelical missionary with an anthropology background.

The choice generated outcry because some missionary groups have openly tried to contact and convert tribes, whose voluntary isolation is protected by Brazilian law.

Key colleagues of Pereira's at FUNAI either followed his lead and took leave, or were shuffled to bureaucratic positions far from the demarcation of protected lands, according to a recent report from the Institute of Socioeconomic Studies think tank and the nonprofit Associated Indigenists, which includes current and former FUNAI staff.

Of FUNAI's 39 regional coordination offices, only two are headed by FUNAI staffers, the report says. Seventeen military men, three policemen, two federal policemen and six professionals with no prior connection with public administration have been named under Bolsonaro.

The 173-page report published Monday says many of the agency's experts have been fired, unfairly investigated or discredited by its leaders while trying to protect Indigenous people.

In response to AP questions about the report's allegations, FUNAI said in an emailed statement that it operates with strict obedience to current legislation and doesn't persecute its officers.

On the day they went missing, Pereira and Phillips slept at an outpost at the entrance of the main clandestine route into the territory, without passing by the Indigenous agency's permanent base at its entrance, locals told the AP.

Two Indigenous patrollers told the AP the pair had been transporting mobile phones from the surveillance project with photos of places where illegal fishermen had been.

Authorities have said that an illicit fishing network is a focus of the police investigation into the killings.

Pereira wasn't the first person connected with FUNAI to be killed in the region. In 2019, an active FUNAI agent, Maxciel Pereira dos Santos, was shot to death as he drove his motorcycle through the city of Tabatinga. He had been threatened for his work against illegal fishermen before he was gunned down. That crime remains unsolved.

Pereira's killing will not stop the Javari territory's border demarcation project from moving ahead, said Manoel Chorimpa, an Univaja member involved in the project. And in another sign that Pereira's work will endure, Indigenous patrollers' surveillance efforts have begun leading to the investigation, arrest and prosecution of law-breakers.

Before his career at FUNAI, Pereira worked as a journalist. But his passion for Indigenous affairs and languages  he spoke four  led him to switch careers. His anthropologist wife, Beatriz Matos, encouraged him in his work, even though it meant long stretches away from their home in Atalaia do Norte, and their children.

The Indigenous people of the region have mourned Pereira as a partner, and an old photo widely shared on social media in recent days shows a group of them gathered behind Pereira, shirtless, as he shows them something on his laptop. A child leans gently onto his shoulder.

In a statement on Thursday, FUNAI mourned Pereira's death and praised his work: The public servant leaves an enormous legacy for the isolated Indigenous people's protection. He became one of the country's top specialists in this issue and worked with highest commitment."

Before the bodies were found, however, FUNAI had issued a statement implying Pereira violated procedure by overstaying his authorization inside the Javari territory. It prompted FUNAI's rank-and-file to strike, claiming that the agency had libeled Pereira and demanding its president be fired. A court on Thursday ordered FUNAI to retract its statement that is incompatible with the reality of the facts and cease discrediting Pereira.

Rubens Valente, a journalist who has covered the Amazon for decades, said Pereira's work became inherently riskier once he felt it necessary to work independently.

Fish thieves saw Bruno as a fragile person, without the status and power that FUNAI gave him in the region where he was FUNAI coordinator for five years," Valente said. When the criminals noticed Bruno was weak, he became an even bigger target.(AP)

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Kabul, Jun 18 (PTI) At least two explosions hit a busy road near a Sikh Gurdwara in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday, according to media reports.

The blast occurred in the Karta Parwan area of Kabul, Tolo news tweeted along with the video of the blast.

Also Read | UN Chief Antonio Guterres Warns of 'Global Mental Health Crisis'.

Karte Parwan Gurudwara is located in the area.

The casualties in the blast were unknown.

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"We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred Gurudwara in that city. We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments," the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi tweeted.

"We heard a huge blast in Kart-e-Parwan neighbourhood at around 6 am local time. The blast was followed by another explosion which occurred about half an hour after the first blast. The whole place has now been sealed off," China's state-run Xinhua news agency quoted an eyewitness as saying.

The security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures, he said.

The blast sent a column of thick smoke into the sky and triggered panic, the witness said.

"There is fear of possible casualties. Several warning shots were also fired by the security forces," he added.

There has been no official statement about the incident so far.

Community leaders estimate just 140 Sikhs remain in the Taliban-ruled country, mostly in the eastern city of Jalalabad and the capital Kabul.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Brussels [Belgium], JUNE 18 (ANI): Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal on Friday (local time) inaugurated a "Mango Festival" organized in Brussels to create awareness among the Europeans and create a market for Indian mangoes in Europe.

India is a major exporter of mangoes to the world, but mostly the mangoes are going to Middle-East countries rather than coming to Europe.

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Santosh Jha, Indian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and European Union (EU) shared his thoughts on the event and the "immense potential" Indian mango has in the European market.

"Indian mangoes in Europe have immense potential. The idea is to bring it first here, and get them to taste it. This is the first time being held in Belgium, considered the capital of Europe, and all the organizations of the EU are here. We are also fortunate to have Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal here who inaugurated the event. I am really proud of it as most of the mangoes are from my home-state Bihar. I tasted them after so many years," said Jha in an exclusive interview with ANI.

Also Read | FATF Retains Pakistan on Grey List, Says Will Verify Countrys Compliance with On Site Visit.

Speaking over EU-India free trade negotiations (FTAs), he said that EU-India negotiations started with the mango-mania.

"If you are talking about FTA, it was paused in 2013, we have now begun to restart, and negotiations will be formally relaunched. Then we will start the formal negotiations at the technical level. I think that as India now has a new approach to FTA, there is a lot of optimism. If we negotiate well, understand each other, overall sense of mutual engagement, then we will have a really good opportunity to conclude it at an early date. We have a very fast-track approach, we want to finish it quickly. If you see, how we have finished other FTAs, it should give you an indication of how quickly we could possibly do it.

Giving an inkling about the timeline of the EU-India negotiations, he said, "It will begin with proper negotiations on each and every track. There are multiple tracks in FTA and in each track as we progress, we will take it, as it goes. It takes a while to understand each other position and see what can be the best balance. How ambitious we can be, how comprehensive we can have the agreements."

Dr Smita Sirohi, Adviser, Agriculture & Marine Products at the Embassy of India, who participated in the event said that in Europe, there are two countries which are Indian market - UK and Germany.

She said that the idea behind organizing the "Mango Festival" in Belgium is to showcase Indian mangoes in the European market.

"As far as Belgium is concerned, most of the mangoes are coming from Latin American countries. The idea behind this festival was to tell the Belgium consumers -- the hub of the European Union (EU) -- that these are the varieties of mangoes offered by India and this is the exportable surplus which we have, that is why we organized this event here," Sirohi told ANI.

"We have invited people here who are working in various countries, agriculture attaches, who are working in the European Commission from the FreshFel (the European Fresh Produce Association, is the forum for the fresh fruit and vegetables supply chain in Europe) and other organizations who are dealing in fresh fruit and vegetables," she added.

Seven varieties of mangoes were displayed at the event - Banganapalli from Andhra Pradesh, Malihabad Dasheri from Uttar Pradesh, Amrapali from Odisha, Lakshman Bhog, Himsagar, Jardalu mango, Langra mangoes, and 12 GI-tagged products.

About attracting European consumers, Sirohi said, "Our expectation is that once people get to know that this is what India is about, these are the varieties which India has to offer, this is going to create awareness and this eventually will lead to business dealings with Indian exporter of mangoes and our buyers here."

Many Europeans, including agricultural attaches, and European and Indian businessmen participated in the event, including commoners.

One of the participants, Julia said, "I was surprised at 6-7 varieties of mangoes, it tastes completely different, and some of them are very sweet. It's not the first time I had mangoes, but, it's the first time I had different kinds of mangoes. We only have one kind of mangoes in supermarkets. More and more people in Belgium are now trying different cuisines, incorporating different ingredients and elements, I can see people having a flavour for mangoes."

One of the friends of Julia also shared her experience of tasting Indian mangoes. She said, "I really enjoyed tasting the mangoes, I am a huge mango fan. I too was not familiar with different varieties of Mango like Julia. I haven't had many opportunities, living in Europe or either in the UK, where I am from. It was very interesting to taste all the mangoes from different regions of India -- very different and unique tastes. I liked Banganapalli the most. I would definitely like to see more varieties of Mango here in Belgium/Europe."

"Alphanso, Kesar, and Banganapall have a huge market in Europe due to their high demand. Events like this will create more awareness about Indian mangoes in Europe," said Manish, an online mango trader. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar condemned the "cowardly attack" on a Gurudwara in Kabul and said that India is closely monitoring developments in the Afghan capital.

Taking to Twitter, the External Affairs Minister also expressed concern over the welfare of the Sikh community in Afghanistan.

Also Read | Kabul Gurudwara Attack: 2 Civilians Dead, 3 Security Personnel Injured After 3 Consecutive Explosions Hit Gurudwara.

"The cowardly attack on Gurudwara Karte Parwan should be condemned in the strongest terms by all. We have been closely monitoring developments since the news of the attack was received. Our first and foremost concern is for the welfare of the community," Jaishankar tweeted today.

At least two civilians, including a Sikh man and a Muslim security guard, died after unidentified assailants attacked a Gurudwara in Afghanistan's Kabul city today morning.

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Afghanistan Ministry of Interior (MoI) in an earlier statement said that a number of unknown armed individuals in the early morning entered a Dharmashala. The attackers used a grenade that resulted in injuring two people.

Abdul Nafay Takor, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior Affairs said that seven people were injured in the attack.

According to sources, around 25 to 30 people were present inside the Kabul gurudwara complex for their morning prayers when the attackers entered the premises. Around 10-15 people managed to escape but the gurdwara's guard, identified as Ahmad, was killed by the assailants.

Later in the day, visuals on social media posted by onlookers showed people walking barefoot carrying the Holy Guru Granth Sahib on their heads to a different location.

The Sikhs consider the Saroop, a physical copy of the Guru Granth Sahib as a living guru. The transportation of Guru Granth Sahib is governed by a strict code of conduct and as a mark of respect, the Guru Granth Sahib is carried on the head, and the person walks barefoot.

In October, last year 15 to 20 terrorists entered a Gurdwara in the Kart-e-Parwan District of Kabul and tied up the guards.

In March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib gurudwara in Kabul's Short Bazaar area in which 27 Sikhs were killed and several were injured. Islamic State terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack. (ANI)

(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 18 (PTI) Pakistan on Saturday said it was working closely with the FATF to schedule an early on-site visit by its experts to verify the progress made by the country in countering financing of terrorism and money-laundering activities before removing Islamabad from the grey list.

Pakistan will continue to be on the "Grey List" of countries under increased monitoring of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a statement from the Paris-based global money-laundering and terror-financing watchdog said on Friday.

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It said Pakistan may be removed from the list after an on-site visit to verify the implementation of its reforms on countering terror-financing mechanisms.

"Pakistan is not being removed from the Grey List today. It will be removed if the on-site visit finds that its actions are sustainable," outgoing FATF president Marcus Pleyer said.

Also Read | China's Investment in Road, Waterway Infrastructure Up in First Five Months.

He said a formal announcement on Pakistan's removal would follow an on-site inspection, which would be conducted before October.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, who led the Pakistani delegation to the FATF plenary in Berlin, said that the government was working closely with the global watchdog to schedule the visit at mutually convenient dates so the process could be concluded prior to the FATF's plenary session in October.

Pakistan has been on the grey list of the Paris-based FATF since June 2018 for failing to check money laundering, leading to terror financing, and was given a plan of action to complete the task by October 2019.

The on-site visit marks the beginning of the end [of the] process that will eventually culminate in Pakistan's exit from the grey list, hopefully forever," Khar said.

Regarding the dates of the on-site evaluation, the minister said the authorities concerned are closely working with the FATF to arrange their team's visit at mutually convenient dates with a view to conclude the process before the October plenary.

"The 2018 action plan has been closed and no pendency of action remains on Pakistan's part," Khar said.

She said that Pakistan had submitted three progress reports to the FATF on the action plan of 2021, which was related to money laundering.

"I am pleased to announce that Pakistan has completed the entire seven-point action plan a year ahead of the given timelines," the minister asserted.

With Pakistan's continuation on the grey list, it had increasingly become difficult for Islamabad to get financial aid from the IMF, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Union, thus further enhancing problems for the country.

Pakistan has so far avoided being on the black list with the help of close allies like China, Turkey and Malaysia.

The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.

The FATF currently has 39 members including two regional organisations -- the European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council. India is a member of the FATF consultations and its Asia Pacific Group.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
London, Jun 18 (PTI) The UK government is to launch a 12-month pilot scheme that will involve some illegal migrants seeking asylum in the country being electronically tagged to keep track of their movements, it emerged on Saturday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended the plans as he said it was essential that people who arrived through dangerous routes on small boats and hidden in lorries could not simply "vanish".

Also Read | Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Decides to Shut Shops, Markets and Shopping Malls After 8 PM.

Documents linked to the UK Home Office proposals suggest that the government wants to obtain data on how frequently asylum seekers abscond.

"This is a very, very generous welcoming country. Quite right too. I am proud of it, but when people come here illegally, when they break the law, it is important that we make that distinction," Johnson told reporters on his return from Ukraine.

Also Read | China's Investment in Road, Waterway Infrastructure Up in First Five Months.

"That is what we are doing with our Rwanda policy. That is what we are doing to make sure that asylum seekers can't just vanish into the rest of the country," he said.

The Rwanda policy of flying out some migrants to the east African nation has proved contentious, with the first flight grounded by last-minute injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) earlier this week.

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel labelled the ruling as "absolutely scandalous" and opaque.

"We don't know who the judges are, we don't know who the panel are, we haven't actually had a judgment  just a press release and a letter saying we can't move this person under rule 39," Patel told The Daily Telegraph'.

The Migration Partnership with Rwanda, announced by Patel in April, intends to give some migrants who cross the English Channel to the UK a one-way ticket to Kigali to claim asylum there instead.

The government has said the scheme, which has come at an initial cost of GBP 120 million, would discourage people traffickers from facilitating dangerous crossings in unsafe boats.

Meanwhile, the Home Office electronic tagging trial began on Thursday in England and Wales to test whether it helps maintain regular contact with asylum claimants and progresses their claims more effectively. It will also collect data on how many people abscond and disappear.

People who have been tagged may be subject to a curfew, and those who fail to comply with their conditions could be taken back to detention or prosecuted.

According to reports, those tagged with such location-tracking devices will not include children or pregnant women.

While Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer accused the government of "chasing headlines", campaigners criticised the plans as draconian.

"It's appalling that this government is intent on treating men, women and children who have fled war, bloodshed and persecution as criminals, said Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council.

"This draconian and punitive approach not only shows no compassion for very vulnerable people; it will also do nothing to deter those who are desperately seeking safety in the UK," he 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, June 18: Amid nationwide protests against the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, the Centre on Saturday announced a 10 per cent reservation for 'Agniveers' in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles.

The announcement was made by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) earlier in the day on Twitter. Agnipath Scheme Protest in Secunderabad: Train Set on Fire, Railway Station Vandalised (Watch Video)

The MHA added that it has also decided to "give three years age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles".

"Further, for the first batch of Agniveer, the age relaxation will be for 5 years beyond the prescribed upper age limit," it said in a tweet.

The MHA's announcement comes as violent protests have rocked the nation against the new scheme.

On Friday, large scale violence rocked Secunderabad station as hundreds of youth went on a rampage, setting afire trains, goods and vandalizing the station.

One person was killed and four others were injured when the railway police opened fire to control the situation.

In the wake of massive violence for three consecutive days, a Bihar Bandh is underway on Saturday. But agitators in Jehanabad set fire to four vehicles earlier in the day.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2022 10:24 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Bhopal, June 18: At least five people were killed and 36 injured after a mini-truck carrying a marriage party overturned in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district.

Driver of the speedily driven mini-truck, carrying around 50 people, lost control over the vehicle at a u-turn, due to which it overturned late Friday night, police said.

"Four people died on the spot while one succumbed to his injuries during treatment at a hospital. However, the driver of the vehicle and the groom are safe," the police added. Telangana Shocker: Man Kills Newly-Wed Daughter, Wife in Mahabubnagar District.

"Of the injured, condition of six people is critical. The injured are being treated at the government hospital in Beohari area. The accident was caused due to high speed and overloading of the vehicle," said a police official.

The people were going to Dol village from Dholar for the wedding ceremony.

A case under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and Motor Vehicles Act was registered against the driver.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2022 02:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Bihar | Security forces deployed in Patna's Dak Bungalow Crossing in wake of protests against #AgnipathScheme



Security forces deployed to deal with law&order situation. No problem if protests are peaceful. We'll take action in case of violence: Ambrish Rahul, City SP Central pic.twitter.com/0fbPE5rIbl ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2022

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
Bihar: We've deployed security forces at crucial spots. We appeal to students to protest peacefully. FIR filed against 170 people, 46 arrested for vandalisation at Danapur railway station.Strict action to be taken against those involved in violence:Chandrashekhar Singh, DM, Patna pic.twitter.com/uibmIDfm3K ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2022

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
The MHA also decides to give 3 years age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs & Assam Rifles. Further, for the first batch of Agniveer, the age relaxation will be for 5 years beyond the prescribed upper age limit. Prasar Bharati News Services .... (@PBNS_India) June 18, 2022

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
US President Joe Biden on Friday fell off his bike while riding near his beach home in Delaware. US President can be seen in the video waving at the media reporters and also wishing them good morning, and the next moment he was on the ground as his bike got out of control. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill are celebrating their 45th Wedding Anniversary at their beach home in Delaware.

Biden goes down briefly  but gets right back up  on his bike in Delaware this morning pic.twitter.com/nSp9iupxAk  Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) June 18, 2022

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
Dutch national Nelson Maatman is a notorious pedophile and internationally wanted criminal. Deemed a "Danger to Children," he has fled the Netherlands and an international manhunt for him has been launched. However, Nelson Maatman would fall to an unlikely 4-legged hero in Mexico City.

Maatman openly advocated for people having sexual relationships with minors, and he was also very open about his sexual activities on the internet. Because of these activities, he became a wanted man in the Netherlands. He would then flee the country and go into hiding.

The Associated Press reported that Maatman would choose to hide in Mexico, where he thought that law enforcement would be quite lax. However, Netherlands-based anti-human trafficking group Free a Girl would tip the U.S.-based Operation Underground Railroad where he is hiding. With the help of the very Mexican law enforcement he had underestimated, as well as the adorable black police dog named Hidu, Maatman would soon be captured.

Goodest Boy Hidu Is a U.S.-trained K9 That Sniffs Out Electronic Devices

Hidu has become the hero of this story. He is a black Labrador Retriever that recently graduated from the Jordan Detection K9 Academy in Indianapolis, Indiana. The same K9 training school also trained Bear, who was instrumental in the capture of former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle, who is also infamous for pedophilia.

As for Hidu himself, he specializes in sniffing out triphenylphosphine oxide, or TPPO, which is used as a chemical coating in electronic devices such as flash drives. While the amount of TPPO used in electronic devices is small, it still has enough odor that sensitive sniffing dogs can still detect them. This is instrumental for Hidu being able to track and help capture Maatman. This is also the K9's first mission outside of the United States.

Todd Jordan, who trained Hidu at the Jordan Detection K9 Academy, started out training dogs to sniff out accelerants like gasoline, which were often used for arson cases. However, as the world gets more and more technologically advanced, he has been branching out, eventually training electronics detection dogs. According to CBS News, he has now trained 83 electronics detection dogs as of writing. Jordan himself has stated that electronics detection dogs have now surpassed accelerant canines, as the need for them has risen, with internet crime also on the rise.

READ NEXT: Mexico Authorities Discover Truck With Over 300 Migrants From 14 Countries

Operation Underground Railroad and Mexican Authorities Tracked Nelson Maatman via Chatrooms

Mexico City may not be the safest place in the world, but Nelson Maatman did choose to hide there because of the thousands of crimes that go unresolved each day. He thought that just by hiding there, he could wait it out when the heat on him has cooled down. However, he stayed in a dingy apartment in a neighborhood where he stood out like a sore thumb.

Following the tip from Free a Girl, Operation Underground Railroad would then set up a plan to capture the known pedophile. They used chatrooms and social media to get him to bite, and bite he did. Operation Underground Railroad Global Operations director Matt Osborne said that they confirmed that Maatman was indeed in Mexico City, though he used different chatrooms than usual.

Maatman was still very careful though, opting to meet in a secluded bus station last June 5. And as he showed up, Mexican authorities were quick to capture him. They also found a pistol and several doses of cocaine in his possession. He is currently imprisoned by Mexican authorities for human trafficking charges, as well as drug and illegal weapons possession charges.

After he was captured, a warrant to search his apartment was issued, and police, including Hidu and his handler, were able to search his apartment. With the help of Hidu sniffing out hidden electronics devices, police found Maatman's cellphone, hidden well with dirty laundry. They also found 4 terabytes worth of child pornography in his apartment as well. Mexican Prosecutors were quick to praise Operation Underground Railroad, as well as Hidu, for their help in Maatman's capture.

In a Facebook post, Operation Underground Railroad would also praise Hidu for his actions.

READ NEXT: El Chapo's Wife Emma Coronel Aispuro Could Be an Influencer Earning up to $10,000 per Publication Once She Gets Out of Prison

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: How Dogs Are Trained To Sniff Out Hidden Electronics




Texas Governor Greg Abbott joined the officials who blasted President Joe Biden over the treatment of the horse-riding Border Patrol agents who were falsely accused of "whipping" Haitian migrants in the Rio Grande River last year.

Abbott took blast at the issue on Friday, during a news conference at the Anzalduas International Bridge between the United States and Mexico, following a recent report that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wants to discipline the agents over the incident last year, according to New York Post.

"It's despicable that these Border Patrol agents - who were on those horses, who were using reins to control those horses - have been completely exonerated by all law enforcement agencies and yet the Biden administration, still seems intent on punishing those Border Patrol officers," Abbott underscored.

READ NEXT: Probe on Border Patrol Agents Accused of Using Whips Among Migrants Prompts a 500 Page Report - Union

Other Officials on Joe Biden Admin's Move on Punishing Border Patrol Agents

Days before the Texas governor's comment, several officials also blasted President Joe Biden.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy accused the president of targeting the Border Patrol agents and "smearing" those in the agency who were wrongly accused of hurting the migrants.

McCarthy added that the Border Patrol agents deserve a president who will support them and the move by the DHS reflects what Biden promised without knowing the facts in connection to the alleged "whipping" incident with the Haitian migrants.

Representative Tony Gonzales also tweeted that he will not stand for the "false politicized" narrative against the Border Patrol agents, contending that the agents in question were already "cleared of criminal wrongdoing."

In September, horse-mounted border patrol agents were photographed chasing Haitian migrants in the Rio Grande River in Texas. The agent was trying to stop the migrants from entering the country.

Administration officials quickly condemned the agents even before an investigation was done. President Joe Biden also noted that the border patrol agents in question "will pay" after the photos emerged.

However, witnesses as well as the photographer of the photos, Paul Ratje, claimed that they did not witness the agents "whipping" anyone.

Border Patrol Agents' Union Official Says No Termination Will Be Imposed

Border Patrol agents' union president, Brandon Judd, claimed that the proposed discipline for the Border Patrol agents in question "can range anywhere from a letter of reprimand or termination.

However, Judd claimed that he heard that no terminations are coming for the Border Patrol agents.

In case termination was served to the agents, Abbott announced on Friday that he is open to hiring them.

"As governor, I'd be more than happy - I'd be honored to have those border patrol officers be a part of the Texas team to secure the border," Abbott said.

It is not the first time the Texas governor announced his desire to hire the Border Patrol agents connected to the debunked "whipping" claims.

If any adverse action is taken against these border patrol agents who were doing their job to secure the border then Texas will offer them a job to help TX do the federal government job to secure the border



These agents should be praised not persecutedhttps://t.co/5hdau5yN4G  Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 28, 2022

In March, the Texas governor said that the lone star state will offer them a job if any adverse action is taken against them.

READ NEXT: Mexico Authorities Discover Truck With Over 300 Migrants From 14 Countries

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers
The January 6 hearings have certainly heated up as the committee investigating the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol discussed the conversation between former President Donald Trump and Mike Pence on that fateful day.

During the third day of the hearing, the committee took a detailed look at Pence's actions on that day and among the revelations was the heated conversation between Trump and Pence.

Trump reportedly wanted Pence to overturn the election, but Pence refused, as he knew the act would be illegal. During the hearing on Thursday, the committee would play video testimonies from the Trump inner circle describing the heated phone call.

According to witnesses, which includes an aide to former first daughter Ivanka Trump, the former president would call Pence a "wimp" and the "P-word." But Trump later denied it.

During a speech at the Faith and Freedom Coalition gathering in Nashville, Tennessee on Friday, Donald Trump issued his first public comments since the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 riot started to reveal the extent of his attempts to stay in power.

As expected, he called the testimonies, which also include testimonies from people within his inner circle and his lawyers, to be "a complete and total lie."

READ NEXT: January 6 Hearings: Mike Pence Chose Constitution Over Trump Despite Pressure

Donald Trump Blasts the January 6 Committee

Donald Trump told the Nashville crowd that the committee itself is a "complete and total fraud," adding that it only selectively showed edited footage from the insurrection.

He also downplayed the actions of the mob, which attacked police officers and chanted "Hang Mike Pence," calling it a simple protest that merely got out of hand.

The Tennessean reported that the former president blasted the committee for just showing short clips of the testimonies, which are several hours long.

He also denied calling Mike Pence a "wimp" regarding the testimony made by his daughter Ivanka Trump's former aide, Nicholas Luna.

Luna told the committee that Ivanka described the call between Pence and Trump on the morning of January 6 as heated and added that Trump called Pence a "wimp" and the "P-word."

But while Trump denied calling his own vice president a wimp, he still blasted Pence, saying that the former vice president had a chance to be great and could have been historic.

This is in reference to Trump pressuring Pence to overturn the elections for him. Legal scholars argued that such an act would be illegal, and Pence choosing to certify the 2020 election results was the correct legal choice.

CBS News reported that in his Friday's speech, Trump was still taking issue with the idea that the former vice president's role in presiding over the counting of the electoral votes on January 6 was a ceremonial one.

Trump asked if Pence was a robot or a conveyor belt because he said he had "no choice" in the matter, and in the end, he said Pence was "a human conveyor belt."

Donald Trump Floats Possible 2024 Run

While he is still facing legal and political issues with the January 6 Capitol insurrection, Donald Trump would once again tease that he is running in the 2024 presidential elections.

While talking about the challenges to the crowd, Trump said: "One of the most urgent tasks facing the next Republican president - I wonder who that will be." It prompted a standing ovation with the mostly-pro-Trump crowd, with them chanting "USA!"

"Would anybody like me to run for president?" the former president asked the crowd, and it unleashed more cheers.

So far, the January 6 hearings have revealed that Trump knew that trying to overturn the election was illegal and that his lawyers have advised against it.

While Donald Trump has been arguing that it was all a lie, testimonies from his inner circle and video evidence from the attempted coup itself say otherwise.

READ MORE: Mike Pence and Karen Pence's Marriage of More Than 3 Decades Is Admired by Many, Including Donald Trump

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Trump Comments On Jan. 6 Hearings At Nashville Conference - From NBC News
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has defended the state's decision to be the only state not to preorder COVID-19 vaccines for kids under five.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally approved a COVID-19 vaccination for children below five years old on Friday. Every state government in the U.S. has preordered the new vaccine for kids, except for Florida.

The move quickly drew flak from health experts and critics of DeSantis alike. However, while the state itself would not provide COVID-19 vaccines for their younger constituents, Floridians can still easily get them from state doctors who can order and distribute these vaccines themselves.

The five and under age group is so far the only age group not able to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to release the final authorization of the vaccine's distribution in the next few days.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Gets Both Criticism and Praise From the White House

The White House issued a statement on Friday regarding Ron DeSantis's decision not to preorder the vaccines, criticizing him for this.

However, with DeSantis allowing individual healthcare providers to order these vaccines for kids under five, the act also drew praise from the White House.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told the press they are now encouraged after DeSantis allowed doctors and healthcare providers access to potentially life-saving vaccines.

She added that it was critical to allow parents everywhere to have a choice to get their children vaccinated and have a conversation about it with their doctor or healthcare provider.

But while doctors and hospitals in Florida can get it, DeSantis himself has made it clear that the state will not provide these vaccines.

CBS News reported that DeSantis affirmed in a news conference on Thursday that Florida would not be giving any to its young citizens.

Federal officials criticized the Florida governor for slowing access to these shots. But Jean-Pierre said they would try to get these COVID-19 shots to pediatricians as quickly as possible.

READ NEXT: CDC Releases Bizarre Tips on How to Have Sex With People Infected With Monkeypox

Ron DeSantis Defends Florida State Decision Not to Pre-Order Vaccines for Kids Below 5

According to CNN, DeSantis continues to defend his position on the vaccines for the younger ones. The Republican governor noted that the risks of vaccinating young children would outweigh the benefits.

However, studies have shown that vaccines are safe, with health experts criticizing him with Florida's previous recommendation against vaccinating healthy children aged 5 to 17.

Florida became the first state to break with the CDC when it recommended against vaccinating children and teens earlier this year.

Critics continue to slam DeSantis on the decision, with Florida Democratic Party spokesperson Kobie Christian saying that the governor was using children's safety as a political prop.

For now, shots cannot be distributed to children aged six months to five years. CDC vaccine advisers still have to vote on whether or not to recommend them to the public. The CDC is expected to vote on the matter this Saturday.

However, the vaccine advisers from the FDA have already unanimously voted on allowing it for children below five years of age. Thus, the White House is aiming to distribute the shots as early as next week.

READ MORE: January 6 Hearings: Mike Pence Chose Constitution Over Trump Despite Pressure

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Talks Vaccine for Young Children - From WPTV News
The hard work and determination of a rural Laois community to build a new two classroom school. spearheaded by since retired principal and former GAA President Liam O'Neill, was rewarded this week.

On June 16, Minister for Education Norma Foley officially cut the ribbon at Gaelscoil Thromaire, with Bishop Denis McNulty performing a blessing.

The new school in Trumera near Mountrath, is a rarity. It is said to be the only Irish primary school to 'convert' to become a gaelscoil, back in 1998, and one of the few to get a new two classroom building in modern times despite only having 35 pupils.

The 800,000 building also has a large resource/ library room led by Special Ed teacher Colm Mc Donnacha, ensuite toilets off each class and a multi purpose pitch.

Proud retired principal Liam O'Neill told the Leinster Express that he has no doubt that establishing it's Gaelscoil status back in 1998 has saved it.

Liam spoke at the opening as Gaeilge, recalling how the previous one room school was ironically planned in Queen Victoria's era in 1837 to promote English speaking.

Sited in a community of just 150, Gaelscoil Thromaire gets pupils from as far as Portlaoise because it offers education through Irish in a rural small school setting.

Principal Aine mhic Aodha Bhui welcomed Minister Foley.

In Irish, she said that the community is proud and grateful for their new school.

Minister Foley spoke also fully in Irish about the vital role that small schools play in the community and the importance of supporting local schools.

Ta Gaelscoil Thromaire ag dul o neart go neart (going from strength to strength), she said.

School board chairperson, Mairead Bn Ui Nuallain, expressed the Board of Managements thanks to the parents of the school community, in particular John OConnor for the pivotal role in the construction.

I implore all of you here to seriously consider the choice of school for your child, and let pride of place and parish. Our school is the beating heart of the community. Let us ensure it endures into the future, she said.

Parents and past pupils attended the opening, with pupils singing Peigin Litir Mor and Oro 'se do Bheatha Bhaile, Music Generation students on tinwhistle and a virtuoso performance from Ellie Mahony on violin.

Also present were Minister of State Sean Fleming TD, Brian Stanley TD and Carol Nolan TD who was acting principal for the three years when Liam O'Neill served as the GAA President.

Ted Brophy was welcomed too, as the oldest past pupil still living in Trumera and a fluent Irish speaker.

Fr Joe Brophy is PP of Mountrath Parish who provided the school site.

It is a lovely community day, a hope filled day for the future. My wish is that anyone who comes here as a pupil has happy memorable time here, he told the Leinster Express.

Lily Bennett from Raheen parish taught for 42 years at Trumera NS.

It is a very happy school, in a lovely locality, the parents couldn't be nicer or more cooperative. I regarded the children like my own. It's marvellous to see the new school and I wish the new people every success, I hope they are as happy as I was in the old building, she said.

Also on display was the Cumann na mBuscol Hurling Trophy won by the boys and girls of 2nd to 6th classes.

All enjoyed refreshments thanks to Parents Council, staff and past pupils.
While taking a walk along an old bog road over the long weekend, I came across a tiny bright blue-purple wildflower. I could have easily missed this wildflower, only for I happened to stop to tie my shoelace and, hidden within the grasses, the colour popped out at me.

This wildflower I identified to be heath milkwort (Na deirfiurini as Gaeilge). This is a native wildflower and is typically found growing in blanket bogs and other peaty soils as it loves acidic soils.

Reading on the Wildflowers of Ireland website, I learned that heath milkwort can sometimes be mistaken for common milkwort  however, looking at the arrangement of the narrow leaves along the stem can help to tell these two wildflowers apart.

The green leaves of heath milkwort are arranged opposite each other along the stem, while the leaves of common milkwort are arranged alternatively  that is, the leaves are found growing singly along a stem and not positioned opposite each other.

The flowers of heath milkwort bloom May to September each year. Milkworts have five petals although, looking at the flower, this would not be obvious as two of the petals are large and the remaining three middle petals are fused together to form what looks like a tube.

One of these three petals forming the tube is also fringed. The flowers of heath milkwort grow in clusters of three to 10, while those of common milkwort are known to grow in clusters of up to 40.

Similar to many common names given to many of Irelands wildflowers, the name has an association to a former use.

In the case of milkwort, it was believed that cows which grazed in areas where milkwort was found growing had higher milk yields compared to those that did not feed on these wildflowers.

Watch for heath milkwort, or indeed common milkwort, in your local area this week, and use the leaves to identify which milkwort you have in your community.

Dont forget, if you come across a wildlife species that you would like help identifying I would be happy to help.

Contact me at bogs@ipcc.ie.
The days are getting longer and the sun is threatening to break through the clouds. Bloomsday (June 16) was upon us last week.

This is a festival celebrating James Joyces book Ulysses (itself set on June 16, which was the day Joyce first stepped out with the love of his life Nora Barnacle).

Originally banned in England and the USA, the Irish Free State also took a dim view of the book. In 1954, Flann OBrien, Anthony Cronin and Patrick Kavanagh went on a beer sozzled pilgrimage around the Dublin sites mentioned in the book.

At this point, Bloomsday was born.

It is 100 years since Joyces unique novel was published. Bloomsday this year should be an extra special event, then.

Highlights include Nora and Jim, a one act play by Nora Connolly and To Heaven by Water, a free walking tour along the Royal Canal. You can also catch a live reading from the book in Swenys Pharmacy (which featured in chapter five of the book and has been beautifully maintained by a team of volunteers).

If you dont have time to visit any of these events, there is a very insightful documentary on the RTE Player called 100 Years of Ulysses, which does a good job of contextualising the societal, political and literary themes of the book.

Ulysses has a remarkably simple plot, set on one day and following the peregrinations of two men around Dublin.

One character (Stephen Dedalus) leaves the Martello Tower in Sandycove and at the same time his counterpart Bloom departs his house on Eccles Street to begin his journey around the city.

At the end of the day, and near the end of the novel, the two characters meet and return to Blooms house.

The density and complexity of the language and the range of different styles, changing from chapter to chapter, has proven an obstacle to generations of would-be readers.

But worry not. Ulysses is a book that can quite reasonably be dipped in and out of, all the better if one does so while sipping a pint in one of Dublins elegant Edwardian pubs. It could be said, to use a more modern term, that Joyce was trolling his readers. One can imagine him sitting at his desk and laughing heartily at the insertion of each in-joke and oblique reference.

Joyce wrote the book in Trieste, Zurich and Paris. He had left Ireland behind, tired of what he saw as its provincialism and tribal politics, but what is evident in the book is that he never turned his back on the country. He said he wanted to make such a book that, if Dublin were destroyed, Ulysses could be used to rebuild it brick by brick.

Joyce believed in the constitutional nationalism espoused by Parnell, and felt it was a national tragedy when his hero went to an early grave, hounded by church and state.

He saw the merits of a modern, pluralist democracy. For that reason, it is no mistake that the hero of Ulysses is an Irish Jew.

Published in the same year as the establishment of the Free State, Joyce would have advocated for the unravelling of the arms of church and government, not for them to become closer.

One character in the book remarks: Our national epic has yet to be written. Ulysses has aged better than most of its contemporaries and is rightly considered by many to be Irelands national epic.

It is a love letter to Dublin, and Bloomsday is a tribute to Joyces achievement.

For more information on all the events visit bloomsdayfestival.ie.
Jo Holmwood, a writer from Kinlough has been announced as the Leitrim artist for 2022 Platform 31 scheme.



This innovative scheme has returned for 2022, showing the commitment of Local Authority Arts Offices, together with the Arts Council, to supporting the continued development of artists throughout Ireland.

PLATFORM 31 is designed to support artists to reflect on and develop their practice or make work in a new way, while being connected with and supported by peer practitioners, advisors and mentors.



Speaking about the announcement, artist Jo Holmwood said It's really exciting to be the Platform 31 recipient for Leitrim this year. I feel honoured to have my work recognised in this way and am really looking forward to developing my project through this opportunity.

Leitrim County Council has always been really supportive of me as a writer. We are so lucky to have this infrastructure of arts offices at local level and, at the same time, it's wonderful to be connected with a national network of amazing practitioners.

I will be developing new work over the coming months, and can't wait to share this more publicly at the end of the initiative.

Leitrim Arts Officer Philip Delamere adde, Platform 31 is a wonderful programme where all local authorities come together to support artists to develop their practice. I would like to congratulate this years recipient of the award, Jo Holmwood, who has contributed a huge amount to the arts in the northwest, not least though her work in recent years with Kids Own Publishing.

Its fitting therefore that through this award Jo can make the same investment in her own work.
The Further Education and Training Centre Drumshanbo, under the auspices of the Mayo Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB) celebrated their Graduation Ceremony on June 9, in Buffalo Boy, Carrick-on-Shannon.

Due to the restrictions imposed by Covid, this was the first time the centre was able to run the ceremony in 3 years. It was a welcome opportunity for learners and staff alike to enjoy a night out together and celebrate their achievements over the past number of years.

Members of the Business Administration VTOS group (l-r) Aidan McKeon, Tutor, Meadhbh McGivern, Adeola Talabi and Sean Bailey, VTOS co-ordinator. Missing from photo: Brian Cotter, Anne Cull, Ruth Maguire, Kathryn McGreevy, Stephanie McTiernan, Shanagh O'Dowd, Yvonne O'Dwyer Rudien, Kellie Thomas, Kathy Wickham

The centre itself runs QQI Level 5 courses under the VTOS and PLC programmes.

VTOS

The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is designed to provide free QQI certified courses to unemployed people, with a view to helping people upskill, retrain, gain employment or go onto further/higher education

QQI Level 5 courses for September 2023 are:

The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is designed to provide free QQI certified courses to unemployed people, with a view to helping people upskill, retrain, gain employment or go onto further/higher education QQI Level 5 courses for September 2023 are: Business & IT with Payroll & Bookkeeping

Health Nutrition and Food Science

Tourism with Business and

Traditional Irish Music

Tourism and Business group (l-r) Eric McGrath, Noel Byrne, Avril Cox, tutor and Benny McKeon. Missing from photo: Ann McGovern, Keith Scanlon, Brenda Walsh.

These courses:

Are free of charge.

Allow one to retain their social welfare benefits.

Qualify for the National Childcare Scheme (formally CETS)

Provide meal and travel allowances.

Delivers CV and interview preparation.

Provide the opportunity to progress to Institutes of Technology due to the availability of 390 CAO points.

Include relevant work experience and field trips.

Include the opportunity to travel abroad for 2 weeks work experience under the Erasmus+ Programme  accommodation, travel and living expenses are covered.

Members of the Business Administration PLC group (l-r) Aidan McKeon, tutor, Niall McNabola, Lia Craven, Linda Cassidy and Ken Moore.

For further information check out: www.fetchcourses.ie choose the Location: Leitrim and sub-location: Drumshanbo

The website www.vtosleitrim.ie or call Sean Bailey on 086-0624200 or email seanbailey@msletb.ie

PLC

This course is ideal for learners who have completed their Leaving Certificate or for those who wish to improve their IT Skills. It serves as an excellent transition to college and it also gives learners the skills needed to work in an office environment.

QQI Level 5 course for September 2023 is:

IT Skills with Payroll, Bookkeeping and Accounts#

Members of the Traditional Irish Music group at their graduation (back row, l-r) Sean Mulrooney, Sean Mulligan, Frank Fox, Sean Bailey, co-ordinator. Front (l-r) Mossie Martin, tutor, Julie Taylor, Aoife Howe, Rosy Nickels. Missing from photo: Niko Ginter, Darren Richmond.

For further information check out: www.fetchcourses.ie  course code 354601. The website www.dvs.ie or call 071-9641085 or email info@dvs.ie

The tutors in the centre would like to thank all the learners for their hard work and dedication and wish them the best of luck in their future personal, professional and educational careers. The centre would also like to thank the cleaners in the centre, Breege Spellman and Mary Healy for keeping the place clean and tidy, Buffalo Boy restaurant for their, as always, fantastic food and Willie Donnellan for his patience and excellent photography work on the night.

Members of the Health Nutrition and Food Science group (l-r) Shona Costello, Amie Keenan, Avril Cox, tutor, Fiona Hannon, food science tutor, Marge Sirle, Debbie Leonard, Marie McMorrow and Alison Donoghue. Missing from photo: Saoirse Gilmore, Faiza Afzal, Endre Borsos.
Brazils federal police said Saturday that a third suspect in the deaths of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira has been arrested. The pair went missing almost two weeks ago; Mr. Phillips killing was confirmed after forensic exams; other remains are believed to belong to Mr. Pereira.

Police said in a statement that Jefferson da Silva Lima, known as Pelado da Dinha, turned himself in at the police station in Atalaia do Norte in the Amazon. Police said the suspect will be referred to a custody hearing.

Two other men are already in prison for alleged involvement in the killings: Amarildo Oliveira, known as Pelado, and his brother, Oseney de Oliveira, known as Dos Santos.

Mr. Phillips and Mr. Pereira were last seen June 5 on their boat on the Itaquai river, near the entrance of the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, which borders Peru and Colombia. On Friday, federal police said that human remains found in Brazils remote Amazon have been identified as belonging to Mr. Phillips, 57. Additional remains found at the site near the city of Atalaia do Norte have not yet been identified but are expected to belong to Indigenous expert Mr. Pereira, 41.

"The confirmation (of Phillips remains) was made based on dental examinations and anthropological forensics," Federal Police said in a statement. "Work is ongoing for a complete identification of the remains so we can determine the cause of death, and also the dynamics of the crime and the hiding of the bodies."

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The remains were found on Wednesday, after fisherman Pelado confessed to killing the pair, and took police to the place where he would have buried the bodies. He told officers that he used a firearm to commit the crime. The remains had arrived in the capital city of Brasilia on Thursday for forensics to work on. The area where Mr. Phillips and Mr. Pereira went missing has seen violent conflicts between fishermen, poachers and government agents.

Le Monde with AP
Army troops are demobilized after helping in the search of Brazilian indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips, in the municipality of Atalaia do Norte, state of Amazonas, Brazil, on June 17, 2022. Brazil's Federal Police said Friday it had officially identified the remains of British journalist Dom Phillips, who was found buried in the Amazon after going missing on a book research trip. (Photo by Joao LAET / AFP) JOAO LAET / AFP

Federal police said Friday, June 17, that human remains found in Brazil's remote Amazon have been identified as belonging to British journalist Dom Phillips, who went missing almost two weeks ago along with a Brazilian Indigenous expert in a case that drew world attention.

Additional remains found at the site near the city of Atalaia do Norte have not yet been identified but are expected to belong to Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira. The pair were last seen June 5 on their boat on the Itaquai river, near the entrance of the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, which borders Peru and Colombia.

"The confirmation [of Phillips' remains] was made based on dental examinations and anthropological forensics," Federal Police said in a statement. "Work is ongoing for a complete identification of the remains so we can determine the cause of death, and also the dynamics of the crime and the hiding of the bodies."

Read more Brazil: Suspect confesses to killing Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira in Amazon

The remains were found Wednesday after fisherman Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, nicknamed Pelado, confessed he killed Phillips, 57, and Pereira, and led police to the site were the remains were found. He told officers he used a firearm to commit the crime. Police also arrested Pelado's brother, fisherman Oseney da Costa de Oliveira. The remains had arrived in the capital city of Brasilia on Thursday for forensics to work.

Conflicts between fishermen, poachers, and government

The area where Mr. Phillips and Mr. Pereira went missing has seen violent conflicts between fishermen, poachers, and government agents. Federal police said others may have participated in the crime but that organized criminal groups did not appear to be involved.

In this photo taken on November 16, 2019, veteran foreign correspondent Dom Phillips (center) talks to two indigenous men in Aldeia Maloca Papiu, Roraima State, Brazil. JOAO LAET / AFP

UNIVAJA, the local Indigenous association for whom Pereira was working, criticized that conclusion. It said in a statement the investigation had not considered the existence of a criminal organization financing illegal fishing and poaching in the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory. "That was why Bruno Pereira became one of the main targets of this criminal group, as well as other UNIVAJA members who received death threats," the statement said.

President Jair Bolsonaro, a frequent critic of journalists and Indigenous experts, has drawn criticism that the government didn't get involved fast enough. Earlier, he criticized Phillips in an interview, saying without evidence that locals in the area where he went missing didn't like him and that he should have been more careful in the region.

Read more Amazon rainforest: Two worrying disappearances and a catastrophe encouraged by Bolsonaro

His main adversary in October's election, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said in a statement that the killings "are directly related to the dismantling of public policies of protection to Indigenous peoples." "It is also related to the current administrations stimulus to violence," said Mr. da Silva, who leads in opinion polls.

Investigation points to international network

The efforts to find the pair were started by Indigenous peoples in the region. Indigenous people who were with Mr. Pereira and Mr. Phillips have said that Pelado brandished a rifle at them on the day before the pair disappeared. Official search teams concentrated their efforts around a spot in the Itaquai river where a tarp from the boat used by the missing men was found. Authorities began scouring the area and discovered a backpack, laptop and other personal belongings submerged underwater Sunday.

More on this topic Subscribers only Search launched for British journalist and Brazilian anthropologist missing in the Amazon

Authorities have said a main line of the police investigation into the disappearances has pointed to an international network that pays poor fishermen to fish illegally in the Javari Valley reserve, which is Brazil's second-largest Indigenous territory.

Mr. Pereira, who previously led the local bureau of the federal Indigenous agency, known as FUNAI, took part in several operations against illegal fishing. In such operations, as a rule the fishing gear is seized or destroyed, while the fishermen are fined and briefly detained. Only the Indigenous can legally fish in their territories.

'Fish mafia'

While some police, the mayor and others in the region link the pairs disappearances to the "fish mafia," federal police have not ruled out other lines of investigation, such as drug trafficking. The case has put a global magnifying glass on violence in the Amazon.

Earlier on Friday, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said Phillips and Pereira were "murdered for supporting conservation of the rainforest and native peoples there."

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"We call for accountability and justice  we must collectively strengthen efforts to protect environmental defenders and journalists," Price said.

Protests calling for justice for Phillips and Pereira are scheduled to take place in several Brazilian cities over the weekend.

Le Monde with AP
Electron microscope photograph of the monkeypox virus taken in 2001 and transmitted by the Robert Koch Institute (Germany). ANDREA MAENNEL, ANDREA SCHNARTENDORFF / RKI ROBERT KOCH INSTITUTE / AFP

French health authorities had identified 183 confirmed cases of monkeypox on French territory as of June 16. The 153 cases that were investigated by health authorities involved men between the ages of 19 and 63.

On a global level, the World Health Organization (WHO) had counted 1,285 laboratory-confirmed cases in 28 countries by June 8. This is an unprecedented increase in the history of this tropical disease, which is usually confined to certain areas of the African continent.

More on this topic Subscribers only Monkeypox: Vaccination strategies are in the works to curb the epidemic

What is monkeypox?

Monkeypox is an infectious and contagious disease caused by a virus of the orthopoxvirus genus. This is the same family as cowpox or human smallpox (declared eradicated in 1980 by the WHO following a large vaccination campaign). This virus is widespread among about 20 animal species, including some primates and rodents. It has been transmitted episodically to humans since 1970.

The disease is called monkeypox because it was discovered in 1958 in a Singaporean crab-eating macaque in Denmark. The symptoms it produces are very similar to human smallpox. However, it is much less virulent, contagious and deadly.

Monkeypox is endemic to two tropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa, meaning it circulates more or less permanently in these two areas:

Congo Basin, primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo

West Africa, primarily in Nigeria

In Africa, two varients of the virus circulate in two distinct areas Sources : Parker et al., Bunge et al.

Unlike RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, monkeypox is a double-stranded DNA virus, which means that it replicates when it enters the nucleus of infected cells. It is quite large, oval in shape and protected by two membranes. Its genome is also quite long, which complicates genomic analyses.

DNA viruses mutate less frequently than RNA viruses. Nevertheless, two variants (or "clades") exist for each of the areas where it circulates naturally: the West African clade and the Congo Basin clade.

A 2005 comparison of the genomes of these two clades by a North American team concluded that there was a difference of about 0.55%, which is enough to give them different virulence and mortality rates.

More on this topic Subscribers only 'An attempt to equate monkeypox with the homosexual community' will have long-term public health consequences

What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

Like all viruses of the orthopoxvirus genus, monkeypox virus causes a pustular disease. After an incubation period of five to 10 days, during which the infected person is not contagious, the disease first presents with a high fever, severe fatigue, headache and body aches. The vast majority of people also have pronounced swelling of the lymph nodes in certain areas (under the jaw, in the neck and in the groin).

After two days, it enters its contagious "eruption" phase, marked by the appearance of lesions on the skin in the form of pimples that progress through four distinct stages:

macules, which are flat and red (1-2 days) papules, which are solid and raised (1-2 days) vesicles, which contain clear fluid (1-2 days) pustules, which have a purulent fluid (5-7 days) and contain a large amount of live virus, which can cause contact infections if the pustules are pulled off

The number of pimples varies according to the individual, but they all evolve at the same time over a period of two to four weeks. Eventually, they dry out, which leads to the formation of a crust, before disappearing completely. They can, however, leave visible marks on the skin for some time.

In Africa, these pimples are concentrated on the face and extremities (palms, soles, genitals) and to a lesser extent on the torso. But in Europe, the skin lesions have been found more on the genital and perianal areas, without spreading to other parts of the body, according to reports from the WHO. This poses a problem because the symptoms are less obvious and diagnosis is more difficult. This clinical picture was confirmed by Benjamin Davido, an infectious diseases specialist at Hopital Raymond-Poincare in Garches (Hauts-de-Seine), whose team was recently able to examine two cases in France. Their findings do not rule out the possibility that the virus circulating in Europe might carry mutations.

Is monkeypox dangerous?

Some cases may develop into a more serious illness, such as an infection of the skin, lungs (pneumonia), brain (encephalitis), cornea (with loss of vision) or, more rarely, sepsis (secondary organ failure following a serious infection). In endemic areas, these complications mostly affect the vulnerable, such as infants, the very elderly, immunocompromised patients or those suffering from diseases that affect the immune system (e.g., certain cancers or blood diseases).

However, as of June 8, no deaths from monkeypox have been recorded in North America or Europe, according to the WHO. Very few patients have been hospitalized, apart from those admitted to treat a secondary infection or to be placed in isolation. In France, of the 153 cases investigated (out of 157 confirmed cases), nine were immunocompromised people and none died. But given the increase in new cases, "it could happen," said Dr. Davido. "I don't think we're dealing with a strain that has no virulence."

In Africa, the death rate ranges from 3.6% to 10.6%, according to a review published by a team of American researchers in February 2022. Between 1970 and 2019, monkeypox killed 78 people, 68 of them linked to the Congo Basin clade. And since the beginning of 2022, health authorities have counted an additional 72 deaths, out of 1,536 suspected cases (as of June 8).

In Europe, since the disease had not been in circulation before 2018, it is not possible to know its actual mortality rate at present. Differences in health systems between continents could explain the differences in virulence. Therefore, the WHO notes that with appropriate care, most patients recover. Still, it will take time and genomic analyses of the virus to find out more.

More on this topic Subscribers only Monkeypox: African countries call for equal access to vaccine

How is the disease transmitted?

Transmission from animals to humans can occur through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, mucous membranes or the skin of an infected animal, as well as by eating undercooked meat.

Human-to-human transmission is also possible but is not as well studied by researchers. It is well established that the pathogen is transmitted by contact with skin lesions or respiratory secretions (the sputum emitted while talking) but probably after a prolonged face-to-face interaction.

Orthopoxviruses are able to survive for a long time outside the human body and can be transmitted via surfaces. It is therefore risky to eat or drink from the same utensils or sleep in the same room as an infected person.

According to Sante publique France (France's public health authority), the majority of people with monkeypox in France are men who have sex with men, many of whom have "multiple sexual partners." However, there is no evidence to date of sexual transmission. It is more likely that the infection is due to the close and prolonged contact involved in a sexual situation. However, work is underway to determine whether the virus has been able to adapt.

Read more Subscribers only From monkeys to humans: French researcher Roger Le Grand stalks infectious diseases

Does the smallpox vaccine protect against the disease?

Orthopoxviruses have surface proteins, and therefore "signatures," that are very close to each other. They are quite sensitive to antibodies developed against other viruses of the same family; they are said to generate cross-immunity. This means the virus can be fought with existing vaccines against other viruses of the same kind. However, they cannot, at present, be specifically detected.

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The vaccinia vaccine, commonly known as cowpox and used worldwide in the 1960s and 1970s to eradicate human smallpox, is 85% effective against infection from the monkeypox virus. In France, this smallpox vaccination was mandatory until 1979, so the 34 million people over 43 years of age (half the population) are in theory well protected against monkeypox. "The bottom line is that even those that were vaccinated many decades before maintain a very, very high level of antibodies and the ability to neutralize the virus," Luigi Ferrucci, scientific director of the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Maryland, told the New York Times. Work published in 2007 in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that levels of smallpox antibodies were very slow to decline. This protective effect is seen in patient data with unvaccinated people accounting for between 79% and 96% of cases.

At present, there are no plans to vaccinate all or part of the population with this vaccine, as the number of cases is small and contagiousness low. Moreover, current stocks are limited and do not allow for large-scale vaccination, as the last case of human smallpox dates back to 1977. Instead, the current strategy is to vaccinate contacts of infected individuals, those at greatest risk of infection, in accordance with the guidance issued by the Haute Autorite de Sante (French National Authority for Health) on May 20.

Gary Dagorn Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.
A PROTEST is to take place in Bedford Row this Saturday lunchtime over the cost of living crisis.

As part of a national day of action, people are being urged to gather in the city centre from 2pm, with the event supported by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Senior Citizens Parliament, and a number of politicians.

It comes after this week there was standing room only at the Strand Hotel at a launch meeting of a new campaign for action on the housing crisis.

More than 100 people were at the event, which involved trade unions, political parties, housing charities and community groups.

They also plan to stage a demonstration at the AGM of Limerick City and Council and Mayoral election which is set to take place at the end of the month.

Local Raise the Roof organiser and former councillor Cian Prendiville said: We need to build a mass movement for a change in housing policy in this country. For too long housing policy has been dictated by landlords and cuckoo funds, the result is rents are though the roof, and first time buyers are priced out."

The former councillor added: "We should learn from the water charges revolt that when ordinary workers and young people mobilise and organise, we can win. Now we need to build a similar housing revolt. The upcoming Limerick protest is just a first step, we have more plans for big events in September, and hopefully a major national demonstration soon as well."

People or organisations interested in getting involved in the campaign can contact Cian on 0868064801.
SHANNON Airport has received a boost after Europes largest cargo airline confirmed the hub as the latest addition to its network.

Cargolux, which is headquartered in Luxembourg, provides delivery services across the globe and has 85 offices in 50 countries.

It has 2,500 staff globally.

Shannon welcomed its first Cargolux flight, which flew from Seattle, on Sunday.

It forms a route which will take in Los Angeles, Seattle and Shannon before returning to its home territory in Luxembourg.

Domenico Ceci, Cargoluxs executive vice-president, sales and marketing said: This new frequency is a welcome development for Cargolux to connect with its global customers and expand services in the area. Shannon is a thriving commercial gateway, and we look forward to building our partnerships in the region.

The chief executive of the Shannon Group, which includes the airport, Mary Considine said: Cargolux has been operating ad hoc flights into Shannon for several years and this regular service cements the airlines commitment to Shannon, on the back of growing demand in Ireland. The addition of Shannon Airport to their global network is another vote of confidence in our airport facilities.

With Cargoluxs worldwide network covering over 75 destinations on scheduled all-cargo flights, this service will provide a new option for the regions manufacturing sector exporting to the global marketplace.

Cargolux operates a fleet of 30 Boeing 747-8 and Boeing 747-400 freighters, and will join DHL, UPS and FedEx in offering scheduled cargo services from Shannon Airport.

Clare TD Joe Carey said: The arrival of the first scheduled flight by Cargolux marks another milestone in Shannon's post-Covid recovery and, even more significantly, provides access to more than 75 destinations.
PAT SHORTT has lent his considerable voice to the Disabled Artists & Disabled Academics (DADA) campaign.

It was founded by vocal jazz artist Emilie Conway. DADAs mission is to achieve greater equity for disabled people by pointing out and challenging barriers to full participation and contribution to the arts, culture, economy and whole of society in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Many do not get to develop their full potential or share their work, said Emilie. She says under the Basic Income for Artists (BIA) scheme retention of disability supports for artists with disabilities is not protected or guaranteed.

In DADA we have artists who have lost their disability allowance because they won an Arts Council award. We also have artists who did gigs and then were audited - not because the gig earned them lots of money but the visibility attracted attention. Then they were afraid to work anymore. The fear is crippling and so many disabled artists work for free.

So no matter what equality diversity inclusion policies the arts sector professes to have - until this systemic problem is fixed, disabled artists cannot engage. Not freely. Not without huge risk. And so most won't, said Emilie.

Pat Shortt said to make a living in the world of arts is extremely difficult.

I mean, even as a non-disabled person, you need all the support you can get. Very few people manage to make a living out of the arts. I can only imagine, it must be so much more challenging for people with disabilities, said the actor, comedian, writer and entertainer.

To think then, when a disabled artist makes a few bob or wins an award that they have the support for their disability cut, it is just ludicrous. To me that means a disabled person just can't win. They're up against it all the time, and the stress of that!

We all have to cope with the stresses of the precariousness of the art world, but to think disabled artists have to cope with that and then the fear of losing their disability supports if they have any bit of success, sure that's nonsensical and cruel. With that amount of stress, how can you be creative? he asked.

Pat said he wasnt even aware this is what disabled artists go through until it was brought to his attention by Emilie and DADA.

Sure no one can live like that. It's something everyone needs to be aware of and it's wrong. This needs to change, said Pat.

Limerick poet Aimee Godfrey is living it. The 23-year-old was born with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus.

Last year, I graduated with a degree in creative writing, so when the idea of a basic income for artists was being floated, I was overjoyed! Poetry has always seemed to be the only area in my life where I havent had to fight to be seen as half as good as my peers, so the idea of being paid to do just that felt like a dream come true, said Aimee.

As it stands, she says the current rate of disability allowance places her personal income far below the Government agreed line of poverty.

Yet its rules surrounding the earning of money have left me no choice. In order to retain the right to access assistance that I desperately need, such as a medical card or travel pass, I have to play their game. This is why I have never been able to enter a cash- prize writing competition or apply for a bursary, even the ones specifically set up for disabled artists. I typically cant afford the entry fees, and I cant afford to win!

A sudden influx of money, however small, could trigger a dehumanising means test that could see me lose the right to a life of any kind of quality, said Aimee.

The BIA has been lauded by some in Government as being in recognition of the intrinsic value of the arts to Irish society, she says.

But the same Government appears to be saying that there is no intrinsic value to be found in the work of disabled artists. I never in a million years thought being disabled would be less financially stable than being an artist!

Access to the BIA would change my life, but it wont stop me being disabled. I am being forced to choose between being a writer and being disabled, and at the end of the day I have to choose the thing I cant just decide not to be, said Aimee.

Another Limerick artist with a disability, who doesnt wish to be named, spoke to the Leader anonymously.

Being on receipt of a payment can be very isolating  this is not where I would like to be. Many of us are highly qualified. I often dream - wouldnt it be nice to sell some of my products in a farmers market  it would give me such a lift. Everybody loves to be recognised for what they do.

Currently people in receipt of any payment (blind / disability / invalidity) cannot gain recognition for anything they do  this option would lift one's spirit and also help their mental health and boost their self esteem, said the artist.

They told the Leader they would love to sell my wares but I would be terrified, petrified I would lose the payment and medical card and free travel and worse again, pay everything back.

Why can't I exist on the open market and the Government tax me on what I sell  that would mean that we would be contributing to society. I can't work at the same pace but let me work at my pace - I need the guaranteed supports but tax me on what I sell - have some system that supports us to grow and develop

Who wants to work for free with the cost of living on the rise? Let my talent define me and not discriminated against because I am disabled, they concluded.

DADA is calling on Limerick councillors to follow the lead of other councils who have passed motions calling for the Minister of Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, and the Arts Minister, Catherine Martin, to make changes to the BIA pilot scheme.

It is understood a number of Limerick councillors will propose a similar motion at the next full council meeting.
THE LIMERICK literary organisation the Limerick Writers Centre was invited to present at a gathering at the Ateneo de Madrid the latest book of poems, Arias of Consulation, by Limerick poet John Liddy.

The Director of the Limerick Writers Centre Dominic Taylor and ULs Professor Eoin Devereux made the trip to Madrid to participate in the event at the Ateneo, one of Spains most prestigious cultural institutions.

Speaking at the occasion Dominic Taylor explained to the invited audience the origins of the Limerick Writers Centre saying it began as a result of Barney Sheehans White House Poetry Revival reading series in 2003. What he began I continued until poetry in Limerick became an unstoppable flow.

Describing The Limerick Writers Centre, as a place to inspire and be inspired, he said their mission has always been to be a strong voice for contemporary literature, based on democracy of opportunity, the community and a participatory co-operative culture.

We encourage writers  from the serious career minded to people who write for pleasure, healing, personal growth, insight, or just to inform. And over the years we have produced a broad range of writing, including poetry, history, memoir and general prose," he continued.

He has described John Liddys Arias of Consultation as a complex act of memory which gives life to our past".

It is a commemoration of Limericks past, providing us with a new way of looking at ourselves.

"In the book Irish Poetry After Joyce, the author Dillon Johnson, says that There is a connection between the place and the language it nurtures and I believe that John Liddy has used his connections with Limerick  historical, social, cultural  and by using in many parts of this poem the vernacular of Limerick, the place names and names of people  in wonderful terza rimma  deepens this connection inviting us, using the aesthetic language of poetry, to see the place as if for the first time. Combined with the drawings of Limerick artist John Shinnors he touches on and weaves, questions of identity, belonging and home, transforming them and us in the process," he said.

He concluded by saying I believe that Liddy has captured the essential detail of Limerick in this work. We all know about Joyces Dublin, Zolas Paris, Yeatss Sligo, Heaneys MossbawnI think we can now rightly refer to Liddys Limerick.

By the end of the night, a woman, Sara Medina, arrived late with a book in hand and she explained that she was a student of John Liddy's when he first arrived in Spain.

She was sorry she could not make the event earlier but presumed that a group of Irish writers might still be found, drinking and talking in the theatre's bar.

She was right. John Liddy had inspired her with Joyce and poetry all those years ago and she presented him with a poetry book of her own, that she wrote in 2015, called Como ardera la niebla.

It turns out that even in Spain where the students speak English as a second language, there is a a community of unstoppable flow.'
SHANNON Airport and Ireland West Airport (Knock) have become the first airports in the world to be recognised as Age Friendly airports by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Both airports were officially launched as Age Friendly Airports, certified by the WHO, at a ceremony which took place at Ireland West Airport in Mayo.

Congratulating the two airports, Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State at the Department of Transport said: Ireland has taken an international lead in making the airport environment age friendly and we now look forward to sharing this learning with other airports around the world. Making sure that airport facilities are Age Friendly is an effective way to enhance their accessibility and usability for everyone. It ensures that domestic passengers feel confident in organising a trip abroad and it makes Ireland more attractive as a destination to older travellers from other countries.

Commenting on the initiative Mary Considine, CEO, Shannon of the Group said: It is wonderful to be one of two airports on Irelands west coast leading the way to being age friendly by enhancing facilities for older people and becoming as inclusive as possible. Achieving Age Friendly Airport status not only benefits our older passengers, but all of our customers and staff."

Miss Considine said the designation by the WHO, facilitates the promotion of Ireland as an Age Friendly country.

"Shannon Airport has already adopted an Age Friendly culture by striving to ensure that our customers experience, regardless of age or ability, is enjoyable, simple and stress free. Our Customer Charter demonstrates a commitment to putting our customers at the heart of all we do."

Both airports have worked closely with Age Friendly Ireland and their respective local authorities to enhance their services for older people.

This work was supported by Mayo County Council, Clare County Council, Limerick City and County Council via their Age Friendly Programmes, and Meath County Council, who spearheaded the national Age Friendly Programme.

To become recognised as Age Friendly Airports, Shannon and Ireland West Airport consulted extensively with their older customers via the Older Peoples Councils hosted by local government.

This included carrying out walkability audits of the buildings and their environs. In their report, the walkability audit teams found Shannon a very easy international airport to navigate with an excellent PRM (Persons with Reduced Mobility) service being offered free of charge.

The team also commended the airport staff for their friendly and helpful approach as well as facilities such as the airports dedicated mobility desk, sensory room, even and non-slip flooring, ample seating to rest and seating for wheelchair users.

New features installed in Shannon airport because of this process included designated age-friendly parking, better signage, and covered walkways from aircraft and car parking into the terminal.

Shannon is home to Europes first airport sensory room for passengers of all ages with sensory and neurodevelopmental needs.

Age Friendly Airport guidelines were drafted for certification by the World Health Organisation, based on the walkability studies and reports carried out at the two airports.

With these two airports now recognised as Age Friendly, Ireland is very much open for business for older people across the world to come here and sample Irelands wonderful tourism offerings, hospitality, adventure, and culture.
LIMERICK citizens turned out in force to field their views on the rising cost-of-living crisis.

The protest, which took place on Bedford Row in Limerick city, on Saturday, June 18, featured several keynote speakers including Maurice Quinlivan TD and members of Limerick's People Before Profit branch.

They stressed that "people are struggling to get by" and that bills are "through the roof."

Cian Prendeville, one of the organisers of the event, told Limerick Live that the main message of the protest was that the government can no longer delay and that an urgent plan is required to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

He also noted the views of many speakers and attendees that there is "massive profiteering" taking place.

"Ireland used to have the cheapest electricity in Europe, and since they have privatised and deregulated energy, we now have some of the most expensive," he relayed.

Mr Prendeville, a former councillor, stated that there was a lot of anger around rent, bills, fuel costs and government inaction.

Those present demanded price controls to bring costs down, the end of profiteering by big energy and oil companies and the necessity to tackle the housing crisis.

"Rents have doubled. We need price controls, rent controls, investment in retroffiting and free public transport to make housing affordable for all," he concluded.
At least two explosions hit a busy road near a Sikh Gurdwara in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on 18 June.

The blast occurred in the Karta Parwan area of Kabul, Tolo news tweeted along with the video of the blast.

Abdul Nafi Takor, a Taliban-appointed spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, confirmed the attack but did not provide further details or say whether there were casualties, the Associated Press reported.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Sources told ANI that the entire premises of Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita Sahib Ji, Karte Parwan, Kabul is set on fire.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji and main darbar hall of the gurdwara is feared to be part of explosion," it said.

#WATCH | Afghanistan | Entire premises of Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita Sahib Ji, Karte Parwan, Kabul is set on fire. Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji and main darbar hall of the gurdwara is feared to be part of explosion: Sources



(Video Sources: Locals) pic.twitter.com/F6eTET2Eyl  ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2022

Sources also said that 25-30 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs were present in the Gurudwara for morning prayers of which 10-15 managed to flee.

Rest are trapped inside or feared to be dead. Ahmad, security guard of Gurudwara has been killed and it confirmed," it said.

It further added that it is believed that at least 2 attackers are inside the Gurudwara complex and Taliban are trying to catch them alive. Exact number of fatalities is still not very clear.

Ministry of External Affairs said that they deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul and closely monitoring the situation.

"We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred Gurudwara in the city. We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments," it tweeted.

We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred Gurudwara in that city.



We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments. https://t.co/RFDRyGm6Xi  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 18, 2022

Community leaders estimate just 140 Sikhs remain in the Taliban-ruled country, mostly in the eastern city of Jalalabad and the capital Kabul.

In March 2020, at least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when a heavily armed suicide bomber stormed a prominent gurudwara in the heart of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the country.

The Islamic State terror group had claimed responsibility for the attack in the Shor Bazar area.

(With inputs from agencies)
Thailand on 17 June announced that it would lift its much-criticised pre-registration process for foreign visitors from July 1.

The Thailand Pass" system, wherein the foreign tourists had to seek prior approval from Thai authorities.

Tourism Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakan told reporters that the Thailand Pass system will be scrapped from 1 July, removing one of the countrys last remaining travel curbs.

Apart from this, all travellers will also no longer be required to purchase travel insurance to enter Thailand, CNA has cited the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) as saying.

Masks will still be recommended for the general public but will not be compulsory outdoors unless the area is crowded or not well ventilated, it said.

However, visitors will now have to only carry vaccine certificates or take COVID tests on arrival.

For social gatherings, CCSA spokesperson Taweesin Visanuyothin said rapid antigen tests will only be required for individuals showing respiratory symptoms.

"The antigen test will be only carried out with suspicious cases showing respiratory symptoms. In case of gatherings with more than 2,000 people, please notify the infectious disease committee in the provinces or in Bangkok in order to monitor and prevent transmission," he said.

On Friday, CCSA also said that there were 348,699 international arrivals in Thailand between June 1-June 15 of which most travellers came from Malaysia, India, Singapore, Vietnam and US.

In 2019, Thailand was visited by nearly 40 million people, but after COVID hit, the worlds most popular travel destinations was on a standstill.

But as the pandemic subsided, the tourism-dependent kingdom saw gradually relaxed restrictions in a bid to boost visitor numbers. Last year, the country saw less than 1 percent of tourist than that in 2019, despite easing its quarantine requirements.

There were more than 1.6 million foreign tourist arrivals during the first six months of 2022, with foreign tourist receipts logged at 99.7 billion baht, according to government data.

Thailand suffered more than 30,000 COVID-19 deaths overall, but has largely contained its outbreaks, helped by a vaccination rate of more than 80 percent.

(With Inputs from Agencies)
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Two actors working on the Netflix series The Chosen One have died in a car crash after riding in a van near the city of Mulege on the Baja California Sur peninsula. The incident left two other cast members and four crew members of the production injured. All six remain in stable condition.

A source close to the production confirmed that the accident did not occur on the set of the production. The cast members were in transit from Santa Rosalia to the local airport. The investigation into the accident remains ongoing.

Raymundo Garduno Cruz and Juan Francisco Gonzalez Aguilar were the two actors who sustained fatal injuries in the accident. Names were confirmed to the Associated Press by the Baja California Department of Culture on Friday.

Netflix declined to comment on the situation.

The Chose One comes from Redrum. The company has elected to pause production on the series for the time being. It currently remains unclear how the accident will impact progress on the show moving forward.

Local media reported that the crash occurred Thursday when the van flipped after running off the road in a desert area.

The story of The Chosen One follows a 12-year-old boy who learns he is the returned Jesus Christ, with possession of his biblical powers and a destiny to save humankind. The series, which is written to heavily feature both English and Spanish dialogue, is based on the comic book series American Jesus by writer Mark Millar and artist Peter Gross. Filming reportedly began on the series in April.

The series serves as the latest project spawned from the properties of comic book company Millarworld. Netflix acquired Millarworld in late 2017. The pair released their first television project, Jupiters Legacy, in the spring of 2021.

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UPDATED with statement from Capitol Police

A field production team for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert was detained in the Capitol on June 16 after filming comedy segments for the CBS late-night show.

CBS confirmed that an incident occured with the Capitol Police while a production team to support the foul-mouthed puppet character Triumph the Insult Comic Dog were on an authorized location shoot in Congress.

Among the seven people arrested was Robert Smigel, the writer and comedian behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

The Capitol Police said in a statement that a team was detained in the Longworth House Office Building at 8:30 p.m. on June 16 when the group was found unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway.

The statement continued, The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day. They were charged with Unlawful Entry. This is an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges after consultation with the U.S. Attorney.

CBS downplayed the severity of the incident in a matter-of-fact statement.

On Wednesday, June 15 and Thursday, June 16, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was on-site at the Capitol with a production team to record interviews for a comedy segment on behalf of The Late Show,  CBS said in a statement. Their interviews at the Capitol were authorized and pre-arranged through Congressional aides of the members interviewed. After leaving the members offices on their last interview of the day, the production team stayed to film stand-ups and other final comedy elements in the halls when they were detained by Capitol Police.

According to Fox News, the group was detained outside the offices of Republican House members Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). It is believed the group was released later that night.

6) Fox has confirmed the arrests of these nine persons through a senior House source. Jake Plunkett

Allison Martinez

Tyrone Dean

Stephen Romond

Nicoletta Green

Brendan Hurley

Robert Smigel

Josh Comers

David Feldman  Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 17, 2022

The incident comes amid heightened security and tension in the halls of Congress as hearings into the riot by former President Donald Trumps supporters that ensued in the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The U.S. Capitol Police did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Smigel and his caustic canine character gained fame starting in the late 1990s through his appearances on NBCs Saturday Night Live and Late Night With Conan OBrien.

(Pictured: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog)

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The 61st Monte-Carlo Television Festival opened Friday with a phalanx of stars and TV industry execs walking the blue carpet for the event, attended by Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife Princess Charlene.

The opening screening was the world premiere of thriller Last Light, produced by MGM Intl. TV Production. The shows cast attended, led by Matthew Fox (Lost), Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey), Tom Wlaschiha (Game of Thrones), and Amber Rose Revah (Marvels The Punisher), as well as director Dennie Gordon, and junior cast members Alyth Ross and Taylor Fay.

During the opening ceremony, Princess Charlene presented the first International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent to French actor Theo Christine (War of the Worlds, SKAM, Supremes).

In his welcoming speech, Prince Albert II said: Our festival has always showcased on the one hand creativity, quality fiction production, and on the other hand, journalistic work for a better understanding of the real challenges, the major geopolitical and economic equilibria of the world we live in.

Its content evolves constantly to integrate the technological developments which have turned the way we consume images, particularly with the development of digital platforms.

At the festival to present The Offer, the drama series about the making of The Godfather, were Nikki Toscano, the shows writer and producer, and Nicole Clemens, president of Paramount Television Studios.

Execs at the event included Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of National Geographic Society, who is the president of the festivals news and documentaries jury; Anna Marsh, CEO of Studiocanal, who is on the festivals fiction jury; Michael Hirst, the writer and executive producer of Vikings; Rola Bauer, president of international television productions at MGM; Danna Stern, the exiting boss of Israels Yes Studios; and Monika Bacardi, co-founder of AMBI Group and Iervolino Entertainement.

Acting talent who attended the opening included Taylor Kitsch from The Terminal List, Luke Kleintank from FBI: International, Camryn Manheim at Law & Order: Revival, Melissa Ordway and Jason Thompson from The Young and the Restless, Taylor Kinney of Chicago Fire, Marlyne Barrett from Chicago Med, and Hill Harper and Paige Spara from The Good Doctor.

Other actors at the event included Jason Priestley, Neal McDonough, Danny Glover, David Hasselhoff and Jane Seymour.

In his speech, Laurent Puons, CEO of the festival, said: In the golden age of content, there is no doubt that our festival has become a leading force in the celebration of all aspects of the global television business. With an incredible lineup of the very best programs and talent, both in front of and behind the camera, we are looking forward to delivering an exciting edition over the coming five days.

Shows competing at the festival include The Offer, with Miles Teller and Matthew Goode, The Tourist with Jamie Dornan, and The Terminal List with Chris Pratt. Also in the competition are A Private Affair, Made in Oslo, Trom, Martha Liebermann, Romance of Ida, and Vincenzo Malinconico, Avvocato dInsuccesso.

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Courtesy/Webb County Sheriff's Office

A man has been arrested for transporting 17 migrants in wooden boxes, according to an arrest affidavit.

A white box truck arrived at the Interstate 35 checkpoint at about 10:55 p.m. June 14. Authorities identified the driver as Rene Elizondo. During an immigration inspection, a K-9 unit alerted to possible contraband within the box trailer.
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BRASILIA, Brazil (AP)  Brazils federal police said Saturday that a third suspect in the deaths of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira has been arrested. The pair, whose remains were found after they went missing almost two weeks ago, were shot to death, according to an autopsy.

Phillips was shot in the chest and Pereira was shot in the head and the abdomen, police said in a statement. It said the autopsy indicated the use of a firearm with typical hunting ammunition.

Police said the third suspect, Jefferson da Silva Lima, known as Pelado da Dinha, turned himself at the police station in Atalaia do Norte in the Amazon.

Police said the suspect will be referred to a custody hearing.

Two other men are already in prison for alleged involvement in the killings: Amarildo Oliveira, known as Pelado, and his brother, Oseney de Oliveira, known as Dos Santos.

Phillips and Pereira were last seen June 5 on their boat on the Itaquai river, near the entrance of the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, which borders Peru and Colombia.

On Friday, federal police said that human remains found in Brazils remote Amazon have been identified as belonging to Phillips, 57.

Additional remains found at the site near the city of Atalaia do Norte were confirmed to belong to Indigenous expert Pereira, 41, according to the police statement on Saturday.

The remains were found on Wednesday, after fisherman Pelado confessed to killing the pair, and took police to the place where he would have buried the bodies. He told officers that he used a firearm to commit the crime.

The remains had arrived in the capital city of Brasilia on Thursday for forensic examinations.

The area where Phillips and Pereira went missing has seen violent conflicts between fishermen, poachers, and government agents.
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TALLINN, Estonia (AP)  A celebrated Ukrainian medic whose footage was smuggled out of the besieged city of Mariupol by an Associated Press team was freed by Russian forces on Friday, three months after she was taken captive on the streets of the city.

Yuliia Paievska is known in Ukraine as Taira, a nickname she chose in the World of Warcraft video game. Using a body camera, she recorded 256 gigabytes of her teams efforts over two weeks to save the wounded, including both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers.

She transferred the clips to an Associated Press team, the last international journalists in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, one of whom fled with it embedded in a tampon on March 15. Taira and a colleague were taken prisoner by Russian forces on March 16, the same day a Russian airstrike hit a theater in the city center, killing around 600 people, according to an Associated Press investigation.

It was such a great sense of relief. Those sound like such ordinary words, and I don't even know what to say, her husband, Vadim Puzanov, told The Associated Press late Friday, breathing deeply to contain his emotion. Puzanov said he spoke by phone with Taira, who was en route to a Kyiv hospital, and feared for her health.

Initially the family had kept quiet, hoping negotiations would take their course. But The Associated Press spoke with him before releasing the smuggled videos, which ultimately had millions of viewers around the world, including on some of the biggest networks in Europe and the United States. Puzanov expressed gratitude for the coverage, which showed Taira was trying to save Russian soldiers as well as Ukrainian civilians.

In a short video posted Saturday on Telegram, Taira thanked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his efforts to get her released. Addressing Ukrainians still held by Russia, with a catch in her voice, she said: I know that everything will work out and we will all be home as I am now.

Zelenskyy had announced Taira's release in a national address.

I'm grateful to everyone who worked for this result. Taira is already home. We will keep working to free everyone, he said.

Hundreds of prominent Ukrainians have been kidnapped or captured, including local officials, journalists, activists and human rights defenders.

Russia portrayed Taira as working for the nationalist Azov Regiment, in line with Moscows narrative that it is attempting to denazify Ukraine. But the AP found no such evidence, and friends and colleagues said she had no links to Azov, which made a last stand in a Mariupol steel plant before hundreds of its fighters were captured or killed.

The footage itself is a visceral testament to her efforts to save the wounded on both sides.

A clip recorded on March 10 shows two Russian soldiers taken roughly out of an ambulance by a Ukrainian soldier. One is in a wheelchair. The other is on his knees, hands bound behind his back, with an obvious leg injury. Their eyes are covered by winter hats, and they wear white armbands.

A Ukrainian soldier curses at one of them. Calm down, calm down, Taira tells him.

A woman asks her, Are you going to treat the Russians?

They will not be as kind to us, she replies. But I couldnt do otherwise. They are prisoners of war.

Taira was a member of the Ukraine Invictus Games for military veterans, where she was set to compete in archery and swimming. Invictus said she was a military medic from 2018 to 2020 but had since been demobilized.

She received the body camera in 2021 to film for a Netflix documentary series on inspirational figures being produced by Britains Prince Harry, who founded the Invictus Games. But when Russian forces invaded, she used it to shoot scenes of injured civilians and soldiers instead.
Authorities in Harris County believe a series of tunnels underneath the region's network of bayous could help keep floodwater out of homes and businesses during the worst of Greater Houston's storms, and a new report released this week details their plans so far.

The Harris County Flood Control District, which oversees the county's many bayous, creeks and flood channels, has been studying the feasibility of creating miles of 30-foot tunnels across Harris County since 2018. On Thursday, the agency released its second of three studies on the potential for flood tunnels in Houston, which showed that a network of tunnels underneath existing surface-level bayous could be the future of flood mitigation in the Bayou City.
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A man who tried to gouge out the eyes of a Garda during an arrest has been sentenced to four years in prison with the final year suspended for a period of five years, subject to a number of conditions.

Martin Nevin Jnr, with an address at 59 Parkmore, Tuam, Co Galway, appeared before the recent sittings of Longford Circuit Court where Judge Keenan Johnson heard details of an incident between Mr Nevin, a co-accused, Hugh Myers, of 18 Ardleigh Crescent, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, and two members of An Garda Siochana.

Mr Myers had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of assault of a police officer while acting in the course of their duties, and Mr Nevin pleaded guilty to one count of the same offence.

The case was initially heard at District Court level where Judge Seamus Hughes refused jurisdiction and requested that the DPP reconsider directions for summary disposal.

The more injuries a guard suffers, the more it will be accepted until were dealing with a very serious assault, said Judge Hughes at the time.

The case appeared before Judge Johnson in January of this year and was put back for sentencing to the May sittings of Longford Circuit Court.

On August 10, 2019, Garda Angela Keegan and Garda Shane Carr were on district patrol when they received a call to go to an address in Knockloughlin, Ballinalee, Co Longford, where the Nevin family were living.

The report detailed that Martin Nevin Jr was assaulting his pregnant wife and, when Gardai arrived at 9.15pm, they observed four females outside in an agitated state and asking them to get Martin Nevin Jr out of the house.

When they entered the house, Martin Nevin Jr and Hugh Myers were sitting on the couch and Gda Keegan told the court that Mr Myers adopted a very aggressive attitude towards her.

The court heard that, when Gardai requested that Mr Nevin leave the house, he began to leave but his co-accused, Mr Myers, encouraged him not to comply.

The two men, who were intoxicated, became verbally abusive to Gardai, with Mr Nevin calling Gda Carr a cancerous, lying bastard before lunging towards him.

When Gda Keegan attempted to restrain and arrest Mr Nevin, he continued to try and hit Gda Carr and, as a result, the two Gardai and Mr Nevin fell to the ground in a struggle.

Gda Keegan told the court how she landed on her knees and that Gda Carr was on the ground with Mr Nevin wrestling and struggling while she tried to place handcuffs on the accused.

Mr Nevin attempted to gouge Gda Carrs eye while Mr Myers and another member of the family joined in and attacked the two Gardai.

Gda Keegan told the court how she and Gda Carr were being thrown and dragged around by the three men, with Mr Myers pushing her and preventing her from freeing herself to assist Gda Carr.

She advised Mr Myers that she would be deploying her pepper sprace, to which she received a torrent of abuse from the women outside who said Mr Nevin had an eye injury which they believed could have been aggravated by the pepper spray.

The pepper spray, however, did not make contact with either of the accused and the back spray from it instead went into Gda Carrs eye.

The court then heard how Mr Myers approached Gda Keegan with a silver object, which he held up to her and said so you were going to f*cking pepper spray me, were you? You will f*cking get it for that.

He continued to threaten Gda Keegan with the silver object and only backed away when Garda reinforcements arrived.

In a victim impact statement furnished to the court, Garda Carr described how he was knocked to the ground, dragged, punched and kicked. He also said he could see Gda Keegan being assaulted and was extremely worried about her.

He said the left side of his back was in excruciating pain immediately after the assault and he was off duty from August 2019 until January 2020.

He also said the incident affected him mentally and that he now has concerns for safety when hes going to deal with incidents, often getting overwhelmed thinking about what might occur.

These thoughts result in him feeling guilty for thinking about his own safety when he should be trying to help others, the court heard.

He also feels guilty for not being able to help Gda Keegan who was also off work for a long time as a result.

In his statement, Gda Carr said he wasnt able to play with his young children for a long time, that he now spends more time in the station than the community and that his back still gives him a lot of trouble, resulting in his career being put on hold.

Gda Keegan received an injury to her eye, bruising to her face and knees and suffered stiffness in her back, arm and hip muscles as well as soft tissue injuries to her upper back and shoulders.

She had difficulty sleeping and was anxious for a time and had to seek medical intervention to deal with these issues, as well as physiotherapy to deal with the persistent pain in her back and shoulders. She also suffered an eye infection, which required medical treatment.

In her victim impact statement, Gda Keegan said she suffered flashbacks and was diagnosed with PTSD.

The assault knocked her confidence for a while and for some time she felt she was to blame for the assaults carried out on herself and Gda Carr.

This is a totally and utterly unacceptable situation, said Judge Johnson, the Gardai were acting in the course of their duties and performing one of their core functions, which is to help people who are in trouble.

It is incredible and shocking to think that, in attempting to perform their duties, they should be subjected to such violence, anger, hatred and abuse.

I often say that, as a society, we are indebted to Gardai for maintaining law and order. Every day the Gardai put their lives on the line in order to ensure a safe society for all law-abiding citizens.

They have to deal with all sorts of frightening and horrific situations such as murders, serious car accidents, assaults, robberies and sexual abuse cases.

They are at the coalface when it comes to maintaining law and order and, in that context, they deserve our wholehearted support.

I want to commend Gda Carr and Gda Keegan for the professional way in which they discharged their duties in such an adverse and difficult situation. They have both clearly suffered significant injuries both physical and psychological as a result of the assaults that were perpetrated on them.

As a society, we are indebted to them for their actions and, on behalf of society, I would like to thank them and wish them both well going forward.

Mitigating factors taken into consideration included, among others, guilty pleas and expressions of remorse.

In relation to Martin Nevin Jr, I am satisfied that his offending would have been considerably less had he not been encouraged to disobey and ignore the directions of Gardai by Mr Myers, said Judge Johnson.

However, the fact that Mr Nevin attempted to gouge the eye of Garda Carr does, in the courts opinion, render his culpability equal to that of Mr Myers.

He proceeded to sentence Mr Nevin to four years in prison with the final year suspended for a period of five years. Mr Myers will be sentenced at a later date.
A majority of practising Catholics in Ireland support the ordination of women as priests and would like to see shorter Mass sermons.

The survey across 26 dioceses of tens of thousands of believers also found that people believe priests should be allowed to marry if they want to.

Those surveyed also believe there should be greater roles in the church for couples, single parents and those who are divorced or remarried.

Garda off work for six weeks after Longford bite incident A garda was forced to take six weeks off work after a woman she was in the process of transferring to Granard garda station suddenly bit her, a court has been told.

Making migrant people welcome in Longford As part of Cruinniu na nOg 2022, the Ethnic Minority Hub, with support from Longford Green Earth, held a native tree planting event in The Mall, where two apple trees and one pear tree were planted along the Camlin River.

Respondents also wanted more respect for LGBTQI+ people.

The Irish Times said the research, which has also been carried out among Catholics across the world, will be considered by a 160-strong national assembly in Athlone this weekend in preparation for a synod in Rome next year.

The survey also found that church-goes want better prepared, shorter sermons and the removal of Old Testament readings from Mass.

It will be Irish Catholics contribution to the worldwide Synod on Synodality called by Pope Francis for the Vatican in October 2023.

Similar survey are under way across the Catholic world in preparation for a synod due to be held in Rome.
Almost 5 million passengers passed through airports in Ireland in the first three months of the year as international travel ramps up post-pandemic, latest figures show.

In the first quarter of 2022, 4.7 million passengers passed through the five main Irish airports, more than 11 times that of 2021 but a fall of 21% when compared with the same period in 2020.

Almost 4.3 million more passengers used Irish airports in the first three months of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021.

The number of flights to and from Irish airports in the first quarter of the year increased by more than 32,000 compared to the same period in 2021.

Slightly more than 41,000 flights were handled by Ireland's five main airports in the first quarter of 2022, with Dublin handling 85% of all flights (35,120), while Cork handled 7% of all flights (2,683).

Man jailed for three years for trying to "gouge" Longford garda's eyes in violent assault A man who tried to gouge out the eyes of a Garda during an arrest has been sentenced to four years in prison with the final year suspended for a period of five years, subject to a number of conditions.

Making migrant people welcome in Longford As part of Cruinniu na nOg 2022, the Ethnic Minority Hub, with support from Longford Green Earth, held a native tree planting event in The Mall, where two apple trees and one pear tree were planted along the Camlin River.

London-Heathrow, London-Gatwick and Amsterdam-Schiphol were the most popular routes for passengers travelling through Dublin airport in the first quarter of 2022.

The top route for Cork, Shannon, and Knock airports was London-Stansted, while the top route for Kerry was London-Luton.

The number of passengers arriving to or departing from Ireland in March rose by 76% compared with March 2020 but is still 25% lower than the same month in 2019.

Air freight handled by Irish airports in Q1 2022 was slightly down by 2% compared to Q1 2021.

Commenting on the information, Dr Nele van der Wielen, statistician, said: "The figures show an increase in international travel during Q1 2022. However, data shows that passengers travelling to and from Ireland are still down by 21% compared with Q1 2020 and down by 37% compared with same period in 2019".
Almost 1,600 complaints were made against solicitors and barristers in Ireland last year, a rise of 12% compared to the previous year.

The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) revealed that its complaints, resolutions and investigations department received a total of 3,356 phone calls and e-mails in the year requesting information and complaint forms.

The LSRA is the independent statutory body responsible for the regulation of legal services provision.

Its annual report shows that a total of 1,599 complaints were received about lawyers during 2021.

Of these, 1,560 related to solicitors while 39 related to barristers, though multiple complaints may be made about an individual legal practitioner.

A total of 1,343 complaints were closed during 2021.

Man jailed for three years for trying to "gouge" Longford garda's eyes in violent assault A man who tried to gouge out the eyes of a Garda during an arrest has been sentenced to four years in prison with the final year suspended for a period of five years, subject to a number of conditions.

Garda off work for six weeks after Longford bite incident A garda was forced to take six weeks off work after a woman she was in the process of transferring to Granard garda station suddenly bit her, a court has been told.

Of these, 398 were resolved and 172 were withdrawn. Just under half  615 complaints  were closed because they were deemed as inadmissible following a statutory assessment.

The largest category of complaints, at 1,090, related to alleged misconduct.

Of the 1,090 complaints of alleged misconduct, 352 involved a failure to comply with an undertaking given to a colleague or financial institution and 297 related to conduct likely to bring the profession into disrepute.

A further 108 related to a failure to handover a file or other deeds and documents, 91 related to a failure to communicate, 71 involved alleged fraud or dishonesty and 62 related to an alleged failure to account for clients money.

A total of 431 were from clients relating to alleged inadequate standards of legal services, and a further 78 were from clients who alleged they had been charged excessive costs.

Although the number of complaints received continues to rise, the breakdown in the types of complaint received shows a consistent trend.

Complaints relating to alleged misconduct continue to increase, a rise of 33% on the previous year, those relating to alleged inadequate standards of legal services and excessive costs continue to fall, down by 13% and 27% respectively.

The annual report provides a breakdown of complaints received during the year based on the office locations of the legal practitioners against whom complaints were brought.

Out of the total of 1,599 complaints received during 2021, 592 were made against legal practitioners based in Dublin city and county, while 205 were in Cork city and county, 83 were in Kildare and 82 were in Limerick.

The LSRA maintains the roll of practising barristers, a searchable online register of all barristers entitled to provide legal services in the State which was established on December 28 2018.

The roll of practising barristers is an important tool which allows members of the public to be assured that the barrister providing legal services on their behalf is lawfully entitled to do so.

A total of 2,933 barristers were on the roll on December 31 2021.

This is an increase of 110 on the previous year. Of these, 2,180 were members of the Law Library and 753 were practising outside of the Law Library.

LSRA chief executive Dr Brian Doherty said: The year under review was the LSRAs second full year operating as the independent complaints handling body for complaints about solicitors and barristers.

As this report shows, our complaints staff dealt with an increased number of both queries and complaints during this time.

Complaints are closed for several reasons; when they have been successfully resolved between the parties with the assistance of the LSRA, determined by the LSRA, or by either of the two committees established under the Act.

Complaints are also closed early in the complaints handling process if they are found to be inadmissible.

Our complaints handing during the year is based on the sustained efforts of staff to improve efficiencies and refine processes while also maintaining the highest standards of services to consumers of legal services and legal practitioners.

The fact that these outcomes were achieved within just two years of the LSRA becoming responsible for complaints handling, and against the challenging backdrop of ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, is a testament to the resilience and dedication of the complaints team.
A garda was forced to take six weeks off work after a woman she was in the process of transferring to Granard garda station suddenly bit her, a court has been told.

Sacha Hibbs (25), of Ballinturley, Ballinaheglish, Co Roscommon, pleaded guilty at last weeks sitting of Longford District Court to assaulting Garda Linda OConnell contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

That incident, it was revealed, occurred on September 28 2019 while Ms Hibbs was being transported to Longford garda station following an alleged public order incident.

Sgt Mark Mahon, for the State, said Ms Hibbs had been arrested as a result of that earlier incident when the alleged bite took place inside a garda patrol car.

(She) became violent in the rear of the car and bit Garda OConnell on her wrist, he said.

Garda OConnell attended hospital and was treated in relation to the bite. As a consequence of this bite she was off work for in excess of six weeks.

She received numerous medical appointments as a result of the bite and certain distress was caused to the garda in awaiting medical reports.

Man jailed for three years for trying to "gouge" Longford garda's eyes in violent assault A man who tried to gouge out the eyes of a Garda during an arrest has been sentenced to four years in prison with the final year suspended for a period of five years, subject to a number of conditions.

Making migrant people welcome in Longford As part of Cruinniu na nOg 2022, the Ethnic Minority Hub, with support from Longford Green Earth, held a native tree planting event in The Mall, where two apple trees and one pear tree were planted along the Camlin River.

In defence, solicitor Frank Gearty said his client had previously entered a guilty plea to the aforementioned public order incident and was under the impression no further action was to enacted by the prosecution.

This offence happened in September 2019 and she came before the court facing public order charges associated with the arrest and in good faith entered a plea of guilty and never knew there was going to be this additional charge brought, he said.

She would have appreciated if it was dealt with at the time.

Mr Gearty said Ms Gibbs in no way trying to evade justice but was slightly aggrieved that she was being made to return to court for a second time after pleading guilty to public order in December 2020.

We were aware of the allegation of the bite and very anxious naturally about it, he said. She has apologised to the garda and she is really annoyed with herself that she did this and she offered her own blood, so the process has been ongoing for quite some time and she is pleading guilty and she would have appreciated if it was all done at the one time.

Presiding Judge Bernadette Owens was told Ms Gibbs had one previous conviction to her name, dating back to January 2017 from a prosecution taken before Galway District Court.

Asked by Judge Owens if he had a chance to run his eye over Garda OConnells victim impact statement, Mr Gearty said he hadnt but was aware of its findings.

He also told of how Ms Gibbs had endured a trying upbringing having lost her father to tragic circumstances during the early part of her childhood.

She was reared in Tallaght in Dublin and she came to Roscommon with her mum and dad, he said.

Her dad died in a house fire when she was aged six and had a huge impact on her life. She still lives at home. She went to college in Galway where she studied hairdressing and then she became pregnant.

He also referred to how Ms Gibbs had been the victim of a deeply personal and traumatic episode at just 13-years-of-age, something which had impacted her in a negative fashion.

She (Ms Hibbs) reckons there is a level of anger that she has had to come to terms with and acknowledge and unfortunately after quite a sharp arrest which was referred to in the questions and answers session with gardai she was angry when Garda OConnell tried to bring Sasha into custody, added Mr Gearty.

Very regretfully Sasha bit Garda OConnell and she regrets from the word go and went in and made contact with the Gardai the next day.

Mr Gearty said Ms Hibbs was in receipt of Lone Parents Allowance and a nominal weekly sum for hairdressing, an occupation she was particularly keen on.

He said his client was willing to offer up some form of compensation in an effort to show her remorse to both Garda OConnell and the court.

She has cooperated fully with the health checks that followed the matter and in relation to compensation if required she would make a modest offer of compensation, he added.

I dont want to trespass on what the situation maybe within the Gardai but there may be a course being available that could be followed in relation to the injury that was caused.

Longford's St Joseph's frontline workers to receive 1000 Covid bonus payment by end of month, say HSE Frontline healthcare staff at St Joseph's Care Centre in Longford are to receive their 1,000 Covid bonus payment by the end of the month, HSE chiefs have revealed this morning.

In delivering her ruling, Judge Owens said the case which illustrated one of the glaring anomalies in the local judicial system.

This is a case that highlights to me that it is unfortunate in District 9 that we dont have any restorative justice scheme for here and I think there are cases that are suitable for restorative justice, she said.

Judge Owens, as a result, directed a probation report to be carried out on Ms Hibbs and said she would be seeking compensation to the tune of 750 to be handed in.

The case was ultimately adjourned to October 25 next.
Trade unions representing cabin crew of Ryanair plan a strike later in June in Belgium and elsewhere in Europe, increasing disruption for passengers to and from Belgium during a peak holiday weekend and a European Union summit.

Unions representing Ryanair workers in various European countries said on Friday that they were planning a strike in Belgium and Portugal from June 24-June 26, a strike in France from June 25-26, and a strike in Italy on June 25.

They also announced plans for a strike in Spain on June 24, June 25, June 26, June 30, and July 1-2.

Adding to the disruptions, unions at Brussels Airlines plan industrial action around the same period.

The ACV and BBTK unions said they were forced into action because Ryanair was not respecting Belgian labour law covering such issues as the minimum wage or pay of cabin staff for certain pre- and post-flight work.

They said Irish low-cost airline Ryanair operated 17 planes out of Charleroi airport and two out of Brussels.

A Ryanair spokesperson said on Friday that the unions should return to the negotiating table to deliver improvements instead of disrupting Belgian customers' travel plans.

Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary had said on Tuesday that union accusations were "complete rubbish".

"We fully comply with Belgian law, we have labour agreements here with both the pilot unions and the cabin crew unions," he told a news conference, adding that during a strike in April fewer than 40% of Ryanair's Belgian flights were affected.

More than 60% of flights to and from Belgium operate on aircraft that are not based in the country.

Separately, unions said on Thursday that pilots and cabin crew of Brussels Airlines, a unit of Lufthansa, would go on strike on June 23-25.
Spain headed for its hottest early summer temperatures in four decades on Friday, one area of France banned outdoor events, and drought stalked Italian farmers as a heatwave sent Europeans hunting for shade and fretting over climate change.

Such was the heat that England's upscale Royal Ascot Racecourse even saw a rare change of protocol: guests were allowed to shed hats and jackets once the royals had passed.

"Avoid over-exposing to the sun, hydrate and take care of the most vulnerable so they don't suffer from heat stroke," was the advice from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid during an event, fittingly, about desertification.

Temperatures were due to reach 40 to 42 degrees Celsius (104-108 Fahrenheit) in Madrid and Zaragoza, in central and eastern Spain respectively, the national weather agency AEMET said. Those would be levels not seen so early in the year since 1981. In Mallorca the maximum registered temperature was 40 degrees Centigade.

Northern Italian regions risk losing up to half their agricultural output due to a drought, a farm lobby said, as lakes and rivers start to run dangerously low, jeopardising irrigation.

The federation of Italian utility companies, Utilitalia, warned this week that the country's longest river, the Po, was experiencing its worst drought for 70 years, leaving many sections of the vast, northern waterway completely dried up.

The heatwave piled pressure on energy systems as demand for air-conditioning risks driving prices higher, adding to the challenge of building up stocks to protect against any further cuts to Russian gas supplies.

In France, the Gironde department around Bordeaux prohibited public events including concerts and those at indoor venues without air conditioning, a local official said.

"Everyone now faces a health risk," Gironde prefect Fabienne Buccio told France Bleu radio.

Temperatures in many of France's areas hit 40 C for the first time this year on Thursday and were expected to peak on Saturday, climbing to 41-42 C. A record night temperature for June, 26.8 C, was recorded in Tarascon, southern France.

Fourteen administrative departments were on red alert, with schoolchildren told to stay at home in these areas. Speed limits were lowered in several regions, including around Paris, to limit exhaust emissions and a buildup of harmful smog.

Britain's weather service said Friday was the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures above 32 C in some parts of the southeast.

Parks, pools and beaches were packed, and while many enjoyed a day of fun and freedom after two years of periodic pandemic restrictions some were also worried.

"I'm from Cyprus and now in Cyprus it's raining ... and I'm boiling here, so something must change. We need to take precautions about the climate change sooner than later because undoubtedly it's worrying for all of us," said student Charlie Uksel, visiting Brighton, south of London.

"Now we are enjoying it, but for the long-term we might sacrifice."

Mediterranean nations are more and more concerned about how climate change may affect their economies and lives.

"The Iberian peninsula is an increasingly dry area and our rivers' flow is slower and slower," Spanish leader Sanchez added.

Firefighters were battling wildfires in several parts of Spain, with Catalonia in eastern Spain and Zamora near the western border with Portugal the worst hit.

In Zamora, between 8,500 and 9,500 hectares turned to ashes.

The cloud of hot air was sparing Portugal on Friday, where temperatures were not as high as in other European nations, with Lisbon likely to reach 27 C.

However, last month was the hottest May in 92 years, Portugal's weather agency IPMA said. It warned that most of the territory is suffering from a severe drought.

Portugal's reservoirs have low water levels, with the Bravura dam of the most affected at only 15% full.
Conakry, Guinee (PANA) - The president of the transition in Mali, Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, Friday expressed regret about "the gap" between the commitments made and the achievements on the ground within the framework of the execution of the tripartite agreement of the Simandou iron ore project
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MANISTEE  As the summer months approach, the weather in Manistee, much of Michigan and the upper Midwest is expected to be quite warm.

Some cities in the Midwest have already reached over 90 degrees Fahrenheit with heat indexes over 100 degrees. Older adults, children and pets can be particularly at risk of heat-related illnesses.

Heat safety for people

Manistee Fire Chief Mark Cameron offers advice to better manage the heat that is expected to come.

The first tip from Cameron is to learn to recognize the signs of heat illness.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, "heat exhaustion and heatstroke are both forms of heat-related illness." Signs of heat-related illness vary but may include:

 Heavy sweating

 Muscle cramps

 Weakness

 Dizziness

 Headache

 Nausea

 Vomiting

 Fainting

 Extremely high body temperature (above 103F)

 Tiredness

"Heatstroke occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature and can result in death if not treated promptly. Humidity can make temperatures feel even hotter and further stress the body's ability to self-regulate. If you suspect someone has heatstroke, call 911 for immediate medical help and try to cool the person down," a press release from MDHHS reads in part.

Cameron also said that "humidity increases the feeling of heat."

"Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device. Fans create air flow and a false sense of comfort but do not reduce body temperature or prevent heat-related illnesses," Cameron said.

He also recommended that people identify places in their communities where they can go to get cool such as libraries and shopping malls or contact your local health department to find a cooling center in your area.

In addition, Cameron had advice on small things people can do to keep homes, condos, and/or apartments cool:

 Cover windows with drapes or shades.

 Weather-strip doors and windows.

 Add insulation to keep the heat out.

In addition, Cameron also said it would be a good idea to install window air conditioners and insulate around them.

Cameron said that if people are unable to afford cooling costs, weatherization or energy-related home repairs, they can contact the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for help.

He had some other suggestions for keeping heat out of homes, condos and apartments.

"Use a powered attic ventilator, or attic fan, to regulate the heat level of a buildings attic by clearing out hot air," Cameron said.

Cameron offered more general tips to be safe when the weather is hot:

 Never leave people or pets in a closed car on a warm day.

 If air conditioning is not available in your home, go to a cooling center.

 Take cool showers or baths.

 Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.

 Use your oven less to help reduce the temperature in your home.

 If youre outside, find shade. Wear a hat wide enough to protect your face.

 Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

 Avoid high-energy activities or work outdoors, during midday heat, if possible.

 Check on family members, seniors and neighbors.

 Watch for heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Cameron said that people who are still using a mask for protection from COVID-19 infection should use masks that are made of breathable fabric, such as cotton, instead of polyester.

"Dont wear a mask if you feel yourself overheating or have trouble breathing," he also said.

Cameron said for additional heat safety tips people should go to ready.gov.

Pet safety

In addition, to advice for humans, other organizations have some tips for keeping pets safe during the heat. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has some advice from a state veterinarian.

"During times of high temperatures and high humidity, animals can quickly become overheated. It is vital for animals to be kept hydrated and cool, said State Veterinarian Dr. Nora Wineland. While it is important to be able to recognize the signs of heat stress in an animal, it is even more crucial to prevent this from occurring.

Keep animals safe from the heat by following these five tips:

 Let it flow: Provide unlimited cool clean, fresh water

Just like people, animals can quickly get parched in hot temperatures. No matter the species, animals should have access to unlimited cool, clean, fresh water to prevent dehydration.

 Know their limits: An animals ability to tolerate heat varies

An animals age, breed, type of coat and health history can all play a role in its ability to tolerate the heat. Keep an eye on them for signs of heat stress  like increased panting or drooling and being more lethargic.

If they are showing these signs, it is time to immediately move them to a cooler area.

Also, consider talking to your veterinarian. They will have a greater knowledge of your animal and be able to give more specific guidance on how to best handle them in hot weather.

 Happy paws: Test surfaces to make sure they wont burn paws

Surfaces like asphalt, concrete and sand can really heat up in the sun, which can burn paws  or at least make a walk very uncomfortable for animals.

To test if a surface is too hot, touch it with the palm of your hand. If it is too hot for you, consider taking a different route that is mostly grass or waiting until the evening when everything has had a chance to cool.

 Get in gear: Parked vehicles are not places to park pets

Even when temperatures feel more moderate, vehicles can heat up very quickly, creating dangerous conditions for the animals left inside.

Leaving windows cracked open and/or parking in the shade do little to improve the situation. In these conditions, it is best to leave pets at home when you need to go out and about.

 A place to chill: Make sure animals have a place to cool down

"Animals know when they are too hot and will usually try to find a place where they can cool down. Make sure they have access to shade, fans, misters, pools, cooling mats and/or air-conditioned spaces to help them stay comfortable," a release from MDARD reads.
NASA's Perseverance rover landed on Mars in February 2021, where it is searching for signs of life on the red planet.

Now it has discovered an "unexpected" find just two kilometres from where it landed more than a year ago. Researchers are amazed at what they have found.

To give some context, the rover lifted off on July 30, 2020 from Cape Canaveral. It was sent to find signs of life on Mars and also to send samples back to Earth. These samples can be major breakthroughs for researchers who can find out if there has ever been life there. Behind this mission were thousands of NASA scientists and engineers.

A piece of thermal blanket

"My team has spotted something unexpected: It's a piece of a thermal blanket that they think may have come from my descent stage, the rocket-powered jet pack that set me down on landing day back in 2021," tweeted the Mars rover's official Twitter account.

"That shiny bit of foil is part of a thermal blanket - a material used to control temperatures. It's a surprise finding this here: My descent stage crashed about 2 km away. Did this piece land here after that, or was it blown here by the wind?" it added.
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The National Transitional Council (CNT) in Mali adopted on Friday a bill creating a single election management body, an official source told PANA here Saturday
Hong Kong: Over 1k local virus cases reported

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is looking into 1,160 additional locally acquired COVID-19 cases, of which 436 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests and 724 via rapid antigen tests which were verified.

Separately, 116 imported cases were reported.

The centre also received notifications of positive cases from two schools, adding that a total of 797 cases were recorded in schools in the previous week.

Meanwhile, the Government made a restriction-testing declaration to cover Block 2 of Aqua Marine in Cheung Sha Wan, requiring people in the restricted area to undergo compulsory testing before the specified deadline.

As there were positive sewage test results with relatively high viral loads in several housing estates in Sha Tin and Wong Tai Sin, the Housing Department and respective district offices will distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to relevant residents as well as cleaning workers and property management staff working there.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.

This story has been published on: 2022-06-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams, Saturday urged Libyans, on the occasion of the commemoration of the first World Day against Hate Speech, not to "tolerate those who spread hate speech and incite violence in Libya"
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SAO PAULO (AP)  Before disappearing in Brazils Amazon rainforest, Bruno Pereira was laying the groundwork for a mammoth undertaking: a 350-kilometer (217-mile) trail marking the southwestern border of the Javari Valley Indigenous territory, an area the size of Portugal.

The purpose of the trail is to prevent cattle farmers from encroaching on Javari territory  and it was just the latest effort by Pereira to help Indigenous people protect their natural resources and traditional lifestyles.

While Pereira had long pursued these goals as an expert at the Brazilian Indigenous affairs agency, known as FUNAI, he worked in recent years as a consultant to the Javari Valley's Indigenous organization. That's because after Jair Bolsonaro became Brazils president in 2019, FUNAI began taking a more hands-off approach toward protecting Indigenous land and people  and the government unapologetically promoted development over environmental protection.

Deeply frustrated, Pereira left the agency and embarked on a more independent -- and dangerous -- path.

He was last seen alive on June 5 on a boat in the Itaquai river, along with British freelance journalist Dom Phillips, near an area bordering Peru and Colombia. On Wednesday, a fisherman confessed to killing Pereira, 41, and Phillips, 57, and took police to a site where human remains were recovered; they have since been identified as the two men.

Pereira spoke several times with The Associated Press over the past 18 months, and he talked about his decision to leave FUNAI, which he felt had become a hindrance to his work. After Bolsonaro came to power, the agency was stacked with loyalists and people who lacked experience in Indigenous affairs, he said.

Theres no use in me being there as long as these policemen and army generals are calling the shots, he said by phone in November. I cant do my work under them.

As a technical consultant for the Javari Valleys association of Indigenous people, or Univaja, Pereira helped the group develop a surveillance program to reduce illegal fishing and hunting in a remote region belonging to 6,300 people from seven different ethnic groups, many of whom have had little to no contact with the outside world. He and three other non-Indigenous people trained Indigenous patrollers to use drones and other technology to spot illegal activity, photograph it and submit evidence to authorities.

When it came to helping the Indigenous peoples, he did everything he could, said Jader Marubo, former president of Univaja. He gave his life for us.

___

Like Pereira, Ricardo Rao was an Indigenous expert at FUNAI who, in 2019, prepared a dossier detailing illegal logging in Indigenous lands of Maranhao state. But fearful of being so outspoken under the new regime, he fled to Norway.

I asked Norway for asylum, because I knew the men I was accusing would have access to my name and would kill me, just like what happened with Bruno, Rao said.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly advocated tapping the vast riches of Indigenous lands, particularly their mineral resources, and integrating Indigenous people into society. He has pledged not to grant any further Indigenous land protections, and in April said he would defy a Supreme Court decision, if necessary. Those positions directly opposed Pereiras hopes for the Javari Valley.

Before taking leave, Pereira was removed as head of FUNAIs division for isolated and recently contacted tribes. That move came shortly after he commanded an operation that expelled hundreds of illegal gold prospectors from an Indigenous territory in Roraima state. His position was soon filled by a former Evangelical missionary with an anthropology background. The choice generated outcry because some missionary groups have openly tried to contact and convert tribes, whose voluntary isolation is protected by Brazilian law.

Key colleagues of Pereiras at FUNAI either followed his lead and took leave, or were shuffled to bureaucratic positions far from the demarcation of protected lands, according to a recent report from the Institute of Socioeconomic Studies think tank and the nonprofit Associated Indigenists, which includes current and former FUNAI staff.

Of FUNAIs 39 regional coordination offices, only two are headed by FUNAI staffers, the report says. Seventeen military men, three policemen, two federal policemen and six professionals with no prior connection with public administration have been named under Bolsonaro.

The 173-page report published Monday says many of the agencys experts have been fired, unfairly investigated or discredited by its leaders while trying to protect Indigenous people.

In response to AP questions about the reports allegations, FUNAI said in an emailed statement that it operates with strict obedience to current legislation and doesnt persecute its officers.

___

On the day they went missing, Pereira and Phillips slept at an outpost at the entrance of the main clandestine route into the territory, without passing by the Indigenous agencys permanent base at its entrance, locals told the AP.

Two Indigenous patrollers told the AP the pair had been transporting mobile phones from the surveillance project with photos of places where illegal fishermen had been. Authorities have said that an illicit fishing network is a focus of the police investigation into the killings. Police said in a statement Saturday that Pereira's death was caused by three gunshot wounds, two to the abdomen and one to the head, with ammunition typical of hunting.

Pereira wasn't the first person connected with FUNAI to be killed in the region. In 2019, an active FUNAI agent, Maxciel Pereira dos Santos, was shot to death as he drove his motorcycle through the city of Tabatinga. He had been threatened for his work against illegal fishermen before he was gunned down. That crime remains unsolved.

Pereiras killing will not stop the Javari territorys border demarcation project from moving ahead, said Manoel Chorimpa, an Univaja member involved in the project. And in another sign that Pereira's work will endure, Indigenous patrollers surveillance efforts have begun leading to the investigation, arrest and prosecution of law-breakers.

Before his career at FUNAI, Pereira worked as a journalist. But his passion for Indigenous affairs and languages  he spoke four  led him to switch careers. His anthropologist wife, Beatriz Matos, encouraged him in his work, even though it meant long stretches away from their home in Atalaia do Norte, and their children. More recently, they were living in Brazil's capital, Brasilia.

The Indigenous people of the region have mourned Pereira as a partner, and an old photo widely shared on social media in recent days shows a group of them gathered behind Pereira, shirtless, as he shows them something on his laptop. A child leans gently onto his shoulder.

In a statement on Thursday, FUNAI mourned Pereira's death and praised his work: The public servant leaves an enormous legacy for the isolated Indigenous people's protection. He became one of the country's top specialists in this issue and worked with highest commitment."

Before the bodies were found, however, FUNAI had issued a statement implying Pereira violated procedure by overstaying his authorization inside the Javari territory. It prompted FUNAI's rank-and-file to strike, claiming that the agency had libeled Pereira and demanding its president be fired. A court on Thursday ordered FUNAI to retract its statement that is incompatible with the reality of the facts and cease discrediting Pereira.

Rubens Valente, a journalist who has covered the Amazon for decades, said Pereira's work became inherently riskier once he felt it necessary to work independently.

Fish thieves saw Bruno as a fragile person, without the status and power that FUNAI gave him in the region where he was FUNAI coordinator for five years," Valente said. When the criminals noticed Bruno was weak, he became an even bigger target.

___

Maisonnave reported from Atalaia do Norte. AP writer Debora Alvares contributed from Brasilia.

___

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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MIDDLETOWN  For the first time in two years, the state Department of Veterans Affairs and Connecticut Funeral Directors Association conducted a military ceremony for four veterans unclaimed cremains Friday at the State Veterans Cemetery.

Members of the South Fire Department stood below a 60-foot American Flag flying high in the breeze held aloft by a ladder truck on the grounds. Others in attendance were members of local and area veterans organizations.

When someone dies, they actually die two deaths, DVA Commissioner Thomas J. Saadi said. One, when their last breath leaves their lungs, when their heart ceases to beat, but then a second, more permanent one, when they are forgotten, no longer carried in the hearts of others.

Saadi spoke to officials and local veterans on hallowed grounds.

Service to our veterans does not end when a veteran individual passes from their temporal existence on this Earth, but continues each day after, he said.

Those honored were veterans of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps and Navy; and one civilian spouse: Pvt. 1st Class Robert Benson, U.S. Marine Corps, serving 1951-53, who died in August 2008 in New Haven; Cpl. Loren Milton Cubbison Jr., U.S. Army serving 1953-55, who died last February New Haven; Capt. David L. Groher, U.S. Army, serving 1943-46, who died in November 2008 in Bridgeport; and Radarman 3rd Class Morris Meyer, U.S. Navy, serving 1944-46, who died in July 2004 in Bridgeport, and his civilian wife Cornelia Meyer, who died in March 2003 in Bridgeport.

These departed brothers stepped forward to fight for freedom in WWII, Korean War and during the Cold War, Saadi added.

They did so with our flag  that flag and no other flag, held high as a symbol of liberty and freedom  not just for Americans, but literally for hundreds of millions of people across the globe, he explained.

This is the eighth such ceremony since 2009, in conjunction with the Missing in America Project, when the state established new protocols to identify unclaimed remains of honorably discharged U.S. veterans in Connecticut funeral homes.

The goal is to provide these service members with a dignified burial with full military honors.

CDFA President David W. MacDonald said there are various reasons why these individuals werent buried with military honors, such as their kin and other close family members predeceasing them.

Its not very common, but it does happen, told those gathered.

Identification, verification and other procedures can take years, he added, but the outcome is well worth it.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said the observance exemplifies and epitomizes the sacred ethos of our military: Leave no one behind, leave no fallen brother or sister behind.

If not for the determination of many people, the lawmaker said, these brave men might well have been forgotten  invisible  to Connecticut.

Everyone who serves and deserves the respect for having put on the uniform, regardless of the conflict or branch of service, should be interred with honor, Blumenthal added.

The legislation was inspired by Peter Antioho, of Berlin, who died from glioblastoma after being exposed to burn pits, Blumenthal explained. The U.S. Defense Department used this method to dispose of trash and other toxic waste, the effects of which eventually sickened them with respiratory illnesses and cancers, according to federal government.

The mornings events also included a posthumous presentation of a Connecticut Wartime Service Medal to BG Ralph F. Hedenberg.

Prior to the ceremony, state police and the Connecticut Patriot Guard Riders escorted three CFDA hearses from the DVA Rocky Hill campus to the cemetery.

The U.S. Senate passed a measure Thursday to aid those who suffer from the invisible wounds of war, Blumenthal said, including from burn pits, toxic chemicals, water contamination at the Camp Lejeune military base, and the effects of radioactivity, which led to skin diseases, cancer and hypertension.

He said these cruel and brutal diseases were for too long, ignored and dismissed.
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DANBURY  Fifth graders at Great Plain Elementary School came home this past week with their own rare quarter and a reminder of the lesson from the late poet Maya Angelou  that people will never forget how you made them feel.

The students learned about coins, how to be more inclusive and the new Maya Angelou quarters, the first to depict a Black woman on U.S. quarters during a Tuesday morning assembly at Great Plain Elementary School.

The assembly was part of a multifaceted program, sponsored by the Greater Danbury NAACPs education committee and inspired by the rollout of the new quarter design honoring the late Black writer, performer and social activist.

The coin  depicting Angelou with uplifted arms in front of a flying bird and rising sun  was minted in Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco and released earlier this year as the first coin in the U.S. Mints American Women Quarters Program, through which new quarter designs, celebrating womens accomplishments and contributions, will be issued each year through 2025.

We try to have special programs for the community, and we wanted to do something after discovering that a womens series of coins was coming out and Maya Angelou was going to be featured on one of them, said Julia Horne, Greater Danbury NAACP education committee member and retired Danbury Public Schools principal.

After talking to the Great Plain Elementary School principal and agreeing to host a program in the springtime, Horne said the committee spent several months researching the Maya Angelou quarter  including where to buy some of the coins.

We couldnt get the coins through the Mint in Philadelphia, she said. We found out they had sold out within 72 hours, and the only place you could get them were from collectors.

Horne said they were able to connect with a collector in New Mexico and purchased about four dozen Maya Angelou quarters from him.

A majority of the ones they ordered were minted in Denver  but 12 of them were minted in San Francisco, where Horne said Maya Angelou quarters were selling for more than their 25-cent denomination due in part to limited availability.

It depends where you go to get them and who sells them, she said. You could probably get ones from Denver and Philadelphia like a dollar or $1.25  but the coins from San Francisco were going for about $7 each.

Horne said the education committee didnt want to just hand the coins out to students  they wanted it to be meaningful.

Maya Angelou had a quote: People may forget what you say or do, but they wont forget how you make them feel, and we thought that would be a perfect connection to the Danbury Public Schools Start with Hello Program, she said.

Danburys school district introduced the program in 2016 to create a culture of inclusion and connectedness, and teach students how to reach out to those who may feel socially isolated.

Its about making people feel wanted and valued, Horne said.

The education committee teamed up with teachers to have the fifth graders write essays on ways to help people feel accepted and valued, and how they can demonstrate those traits to make a positive difference in the world, she said.

On Tuesday, the top 12 essay-writers received the Maya Angelou quarters minted in San Francisco, and the other fifth graders received the ones minted in Denver.

There were 39 students, and we gave 39 coins, Horne said.

In addition to distributing the Maya Angelou quarters during Tuesdays assembly, Dane Bowman from Brookfield Coin and Card came to talk to students about coins and collecting.

He did a mini workshop with the kids and brought all different kinds of coins. He had one from 1,000 B.C., coins from the 1700s, and one shaped like a butterfly, Horne said.

In addition to providing a history and different perspective on coins, she said, Bowman talked about the evolution of money over the years.

There was a wealth of fascinating information that he gave out, she said. It was a very, very exciting program and so much fun.
NEW BRITAIN  The next few days are crucial in the bipartisan talks on gun safety, but even if the Independence Day holiday deadline is missed, Republicans and Democrats can resume attempts later in July to possibly reach a deal that would get the necessary 60 votes in a sharply divided U.S. Senate, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Friday.

Arguing over of what exactly is an unmarried romantic partner - and how they might appeal court rulings - has emerged as a major stumbling block surrounding so-called red flag warrants, which can allow state judges to temporarily remove guns from the possession of domestic abusers, who are almost always men.

We are confronting some tough issues and were doing it in a very bipartisan, business-like way, Blumenthal said at the Klingberg Family Centers social service agency. Ive been in touch literally this morning with several colleagues on several of the outstanding issues like red flags, or crisis-intervention emergency risk-protection orders. There is also the boyfriend loophole. There are a number of other aspects of the entire program that are unresolved, but were making progress and were doing it as quickly as we can.

Blumenthal said the framework developed by five Democrats and five Republicans remains a major improvement from even two weeks ago.

Blumenthal said that negotiations are also including specific dollar amounts in the billions, and hundreds of millions in particular to support states that may want to adopt red flag laws, which Connecticut started in 1999. Connecticuts risk warrant law allows family members, neighbors and acquaintances to contact police or state judges to report cases of people who might be in-crisis and threatening themselves or others, and take away their firearms for a year or more.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy is a key figure in the Washington talks, which earlier in the week won the public support of 10 GOP senators, enough to seemingly reach the 60 votes needed to overcome a Republican filibuster that would kill a bill. The proposal includes support for behavioral health care and crisis intervention, school safety, training and counseling kids in schools.

There is a provision for combating trafficking and straw purchases, Blumenthal said. For closing the boyfriend loophole; for extending and improving background checks; for encouraging red flag statutes in the 31 states that lack them now; and supporting with resources - real dollars and cents - the statutes that exist right now. Both sides of the aisle understand we need action and the American people have been telling us to do something. The key measure is saving lives.

The target date for a vote is sometime toward the end of next week, Blumenthal said during a noontime news conference on the hilltop complex of the Klingberg Family Centers, founded in 1903. Mental health professionals with the senator stressed the need for more funding and staff to assist troubled people before they might become dangers.

Theres nothing that says we couldnt come back after the break but our goal is to finish it before we leave for the work-at-home period with July 4th, Blumenthal said. A lot of Republicans are expressing interest if not support. We hope for even more than 10 Republicans.

Jim ODea, vice president for behavioral health at Hartford HealthCare and Steven Girelli, president and CEO of the multi-service Klingberg Family Centers, who joined Blumenthals news conference, agreed that the mental and behavorial health problems that existed before the pandemic were exacerbated by it.

We can save lives and money if we catch these problems upstream rather than allowing kids to go over the rapids and the waterfalls of crisis and possible violence, Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal, citing the sections on mental health in the pending federal legislation, stressed the need to rid the stigma of mental illness to help people address their issues before the symptoms get worse and the results impact Connecticut families further.

We have to be better at focusing our advocacy efforts, ODea said. We have an enormous opportunity now.

The two health professionals said it is too soon to see how much new funding may be coming their way in the state budget that takes effect on July 1.

Theres lot to unpack, because they did a lot, said ODea of the three bills that were the centerpiece of childrens mental and behavioral health, including further state funding for community health centers. Low-income families will be able to take part in innovative ways to support children with more primary-care opportunities, he said.

Girelli said that recruiting and retaining a workforce has been a challenge. Thats something that has really interfered with our ability to meet the growing needs of at least children and adolescents that have resulted from the pandemic, he said.

We need to do more to increase the opportunity for people to be committed to the behavioral health community, to do the work that were privileged to do, ODea said. The pending federal legislation would benefit their programs as well.

We are making progress hour-by-hour, Blumenthal said under a large outdoor tent that on Saturday will become the refreshment center of the programs annual antique car show featuring about 90 pre-World War II autos, many made in Connecticut and restored by high schoolers enrolled in the Klingberg Auto Restoration Program.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
A Florida woman was charged Friday with filing false tax returns for Connecticut residents, according to federal prosecutors.

Keyante Paul, 33, was arrested Thursday in Florida. A federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned the indictment, which charges Paul with 22 counts of tax fraud offenses, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said.

She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel Irick in Orlando and was released on bond. She is scheduled to be arraigned in Connecticut on June 30, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

The indictment alleges that Paul operated as a tax return preparer through her business Keys Tax Services. She traveled to Connecticut for part of the year to prepare returns for local clients, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

For the 2015 to 2018 tax years, Paul prepared numerous federal tax returns for clients that included false income adjustments that reduced taxpayers reported adjusted gross income, false expenses and losses in connection with sole proprietorship businesses that clients did not operate, and, in at least one instance, false charitable contributions, the U.S. Attorneys office said Friday.

The indictment charged Paul with 22 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns. She faces up to three years in prison for each count, the U.S. Attorneys office said.
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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  Kentucky gubernatorial hopeful Ryan Quarles doubled down Friday on his grassroots Republican strategy, and Kelly Craft hinted at her own continuing interest in Kentucky's top political job  undeterred after Donald Trump shook up the 2023 campaign by endorsing Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

The thunderbolt announcement o n Thursday came 11 months before the state's primary, when GOP voters will select a nominee to challenge Democratic Gov Andy Beshear.

The former president's declaration that Cameron has stood out at every level and would be a great governor was the sort of validation that every GOP hopeful had coveted. The fact that Trump did it while his former ambassador to the United Nations ponders a run of her own added a layer of intrigue.

The endorsement was seen as a clear boost for the first-term attorney general in his quest for support from a Republican base viewed as still loyal to the ex-president. It comes as U.S. House investigators are trying to make a methodical case that Trumps lies about the 2020 election led directly to his supporters insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Cameron's GOP political rivals in Kentucky  looking to downplay the biggest development in the evolving campaign  offered business-as-usual assessments of their campaigns.

Quarles, who has built connections across rural Kentucky as state agriculture commissioner, said he won't alter his grassroots strategy, which he described as a boots-on the-ground campaign. Quarles has won dozens of endorsements from state lawmakers and county judge-executives.

I appreciate their support of my campaign and I think their endorsements resonate far greater with Kentucky voters than any out-of-state voice will, Quarles told The Associated Press in a statement.

Trump's backing of Cameron comes as Craft is considering her own bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. Long seen as a potent political force in part because of her ability to fund a campaign with her own wealth, Craft served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during Trump's presidential term.

Craft made no reference to her former boss in a statement Friday. Instead she said she's spent the past year traveling the state to talk to voters.

The support and confidence I have received throughout the state has been humbling and encouraging, Craft said. My faith, family and principles will always be the compass I follow. I am enthusiastic and motivated about helping Kentucky. Stay tuned!

Scott Jennings, a Kentuckian and onetime adviser to former President George W. Bush, predicted Craft will enter the race, undeterred by what he called Trump's extremely valuable endorsement of Cameron.

In sizing up the rivals, Jennings said: Cameron is famous. Quarles is organized. Craft has resources. They all bring something to the table. And now Cameron has added the Trump endorsement to his case, which adds to the national feel of his candidacy.

Cameron, who spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, has been pegged as a rising political star since being elected as the first African American to serve as Kentucky's attorney general in 2019. He also would become the state's first Black governor if victorious.

Adding to the intrigue surrounding the endorsement is Cameron's long ties to Kentuckys most powerful Republican, U.S. Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell  the target of blistering attacks from Trump. Their relationship soured after Trumps denial of his 2020 defeat and relentless efforts to reverse the voters verdict with his baseless claims that Democrats fraudulently stole the election.

Meanwhile, Republican state Auditor Mike Harmon told the Lexington Herald-Leader that Trump's endorsement doesnt change anything for his run for governor. He added he wished he would have had the chance to get in front of the former president.

Kentucky state Rep. Savannah Maddox's gubernatorial campaign didn't immediately respond to an email regarding Trump's endorsement of Cameron. Maddox, who portrays herself as an authentic conservative in trying to outflank her rivals, has stressed her alignment with Trump.

Retired attorney Eric Deters, another Republican trying to tap into Trump's populist base, referred to the ex-president's support for Cameron as just another slap to his supporters. Deters responded by announcing he will shift course and run for governor as an independent.

Nationally, Trump has a mixed record in this years midterm elections.

As for his impact on the still-distant Kentucky primary, GOP political consultant T.J. Litafik said: I think that Trump is still very popular in this state. But Kentuckians are very independent-minded people, and I don't think that one man's endorsement  no matter who it is  is going to be the deciding factor for Kentucky Republicans.

In 2019, Beshear defeated Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, who also had Trumps support. Beshear, who has remained popular during his term in the GOP-trending state, has emphasized his stewardship of Kentuckys economy  which has included historically low unemployment rates and some of the biggest economic development successes in the states history.
Louisianas secretary of state and attorney general asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to put a hold on a federal judges order for the state to create a second majority Black congressional district by Monday.

Judge Shelly Dicks ruling throws the election process into chaos, and creates confusion statewide, said a 51-page motion filed for Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin by the attorney generals office.

The judge refused to give legislators another 10 days on Thursday, again calling the arguments by Senate President Page Cortez and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder disingenuous and insincere. She noted that with less than a week to do the work, legislators met for only 90 minutes Wednesday, the first day of a special session for redistricting.

House and Senate committees met Friday to discuss proposed maps, but lawmakers said they are not confident that Democrats and Republicans will agree new congressional boundaries.

Perhaps the most significant sign that the Legislature may be unsuccessful in adopting a new map ahead of the Monday deadline occurred when the committees rejected two Democrat-proposed bills  both of which would add a second majority-Black district  despite pleas for support from members of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus.

Black voters in Louisiana have less opportunity to elect candidates of their choice under the current congressional map because of the way the district lines are drawn," Democratic Rep. Royce Duplessis, a member of the Black Caucus, said during the House and Governmental Affairs Committee meeting.

Duplessis' map failed by an 8-7 vote in the committee. Rep. Barry Ivey was the sole Republican who voted in favor of the bill, saying that although he didn't support the boundaries, he felt the bill should reach the House to give all lawmakers the opportunity to look at, debate and discuss the map.

One bill did pass in committee and will reach the Senate floor. The map  which has two slim majority-Black districts, one with a Black voting age population of 50.08% and another with 50.136%  was passed without action," meaning lawmakers did not move the legislation favorably. The bill is being used as an instrument to continue the session and give legislators a chance to successfully pass a map.

Redistricting has divided the Republican-dominated legislature and Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, since February, when the legislature approved a congressional map with white majorities in five of six districts.

Edwards vetoed it, saying that because Louisianas population is nearly one-third Black, at least two districts should have African American majorities. The legislature overrode his veto. Dick then ordered legislators to create new districts, including two that are majority Black, ruling that the current map violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the impact of voting by Black people.

Friday's motion argued that this case presents the exact question justices will decide in an Alabama case, so the two should either be consolidated or Louisiana's case should wait until Alabama's is decided.

The Supreme Court gave the two groups of Black voters who sued the state until Thursday to respond.

Dick has ordered attorneys on both sides to provide maps that she will use to draw her own if the Legislature doesnt meet the Monday deadline.

In her original 152-page ruling on June 6, Dick noted that when the justices stayed Alabama's redistricting order, that state's primary was much closer. Louisiana holds its open congressional primary on Nov. 8, the same day as the general election. Candidates must file to run by July 22.

A stay increases the risk that Plaintiffs do not have an opportunity to vote under a nondilutive congressional map until 2024, almost halfway through this census cycle, she wrote three days later, refusing to put a hold on her order.

___

McConnaughey reported from New Orleans. AP reporter Mark Sherman contributed from Washington.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Poppies, the blood-red flowers that cover the battlefields of Europe's two world wars, were lain in mourning Saturday on the coffin of yet another dead soldier, this one killed in yet another European war, in Ukraine.

The hundreds of mourners for Roman Ratushnyi, 24, included friends who had protested with him during months of demonstrations that toppled Ukraine's pro-Russia leader in 2014 and who, like him, took up arms when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor this February.

The arc of his shortened life symbolized that of Ukraine's post-independence generations that are sacrificing their best years in the cause of freedom. First, with defiance and dozens of lives against brutal riot police during Ukraine's Maidan protests of 2013-2014 and now with weapons and even more lives against Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops.

Heroes never die! friends, family and admirers shouted in Ukrainian as Ratushnyi's coffin was loaded aboard a hearse on a square in the Ukrainian capital now decorated with destroyed Russian tanks and vehicles. Their charred hulks contrasted with the shiny gold domes of an adjacent cathedral where priests had earlier sung prayers for Ratushnyi, who was well-known in Kyiv for his civic and environmental activism.

From the square, the mourners then walked in a long silent column behind his coffin to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square. The vast plaza in central Kyiv gave its name to the three months of protests that overthrew then President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014 and which helped fuel the political and patriotic awakening of Ukrainians born after independence in 1991.

Ratushnyi had a heart full of love for Ukraine, said Misha Reva, who traveled overnight in his soldiers uniform from front lines in the east to say goodbye to the friend he met for the first time on Maidan, in the midst of the protests. Ratushnyi was then just 16; Reva was in his early 20s. It was Ratushnyi who introduced Reva to the woman who is now his wife, also on the square.

In other developments Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed concerns that a bit of Ukraine fatigue is starting to set in around the world and said Ukraine must be supported in trying to roll back the Russian invasion to make sure the Ukrainians are not encouraged to go for a bad peace, something that simply wouldnt endure.

It would be a catastrophe if Putin won. Hed love nothing more than to say, Lets freeze this conflict, lets have a ceasefire,'" Johnson said. For him that would be a tremendous victory. Youd have a situation in which Putin was able to consolidate his gains and then to launch another attack.

Johnson spoke on his return from a surprise trip Friday to Kyiv where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to offer continued aid and military training.

Western-supplied heavy weapons that Ukraine has been pushing for are reaching front lines, although not in quantities that Ukrainian officials say would be needed to push back Russian forces to positions they occupied before the invasion or beyond. The Associated Press was granted rare access Saturday to the firing of U.S.-supplied M777 howitzers on Russian positions in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. The powerful artillery pieces are helping Ukrainian forces reply in kind to Russian batteries that have been pounding towns and villages to rubble.

In Kyiv. the bells of St. Michaels cathedral tolled as four soldiers carried Ratushnyi's coffin to the memorial service Saturday morning, held outdoors in the church's sunlit courtyard. Poppies and a traditional loaf of bread were placed on the coffin covered with Ukraines blue and yellow flag.

During the Maidan protests, where riot police used batons and eventually bullets with deadly abandon, Ratushnyi and Reva had taken shelter together for one night inside the cathedral grounds, the friend recalled.

He was such a solid and big personality, Reva said. Its a great loss for Ukraine.

The friends then signed up to fight on the very first day of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24. After taking part in the defense of Kyiv in the assault's opening weeks, Ratushnyi then joined an army brigade, doing military intelligence work, Reva said. Reva said he's been fighting of late in positions away from where Ratushnyi was killed. Reva, 33, said two soldiers also were killed and another 15 injured Thursday where he's been stationed.

People get killed every day on the front line, he said.

Ratushnyi was killed on June 9 around the town of Izyum on the wars eastern front, according to the environmental campaign group that he led in Kyiv. He fought for the preservation from development of a wooded park where people ski in winter.

He was a symbol, a symbol of a new Ukraine, of freedom and a new generation that wants to fight for its rights, said Serhli Sasyn, 21.

The best people are dying now."

___

Efrem Lukatsky in the Donbas region of Ukraine, and Inna Varenytsia in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this report.
In February, U.S. Marines teamed up with Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets in Japan to train for one of the most important but least-known combat skill sets  close air support.

Conducting close air support is complicated, requiring tight coordination between troops on the ground and pilots to ensure precise targeting. In recent wars, effective close air support has been a lifeline for ground troops, saving them from certain death or captivity.

The training event highlighted the ongoing importance of close air support, particularly in near-peer warfare.

Close air support

According to the Department of Defense, close air support refers to strikes that are delivered by fixed- or rotary-wing aircraft against enemy targets that are close to friendly forces and that require detailed integration of those aircraft with those ground forces' fire and movement.

Conducting such strikes is a collaborative effort between the pilot and the joint tactical air controllers, known as JTACs. A JTAC serves as the pilot's eyes on the ground and is critical to directing munitions to targets, often making the difference between a successful strike and a friendly-fire incident.

Employing close air support "in medium- to high-threat environments" against priority targets "is extremely complex and requires extensive coordination to execute successfully," a Green Beret JTAC assigned to the 1st Special Forces Group said in a press release about the February exercise.

Only the U.S. Air Force has a dedicated joint terminal attack controller career field: the tactical air control party operator. Depending on which Air Force squadron they're assigned to, those operators can be attached to conventional or special-operations units, and in the field they support the commander on the ground by coordinating close air support.

Many special-operations units will also send their own commandos through the same courses to qualify them as JTACs, just as they would with specialties like medic, sniper, or breacher.

Close air support continues to evolve. In a recent training event in Europe, the Air Force paired JTACs with B-52 bombers and conducted "beyond line of sight" target acquisition drills, meaning that the JTAC couldn't physically see the target they were calling in an airstrike on.

B-52s can conduct precision strikes with "smart bombs," but its rare to see the strategic bomber, some of which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, tasked with close air support.

Other U.S. Air Force aircraft, like advanced fighter jets, can conduct close air support but are not well suited for it.

Only one fixed-wing aircraft, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the Warthog, was specifically designed for close air support, and after nearly 50 years in service it's still regarded as the best at what it does.

A fire support Marine with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) uses a handheld Link 16 radio to conduct simulated close air support (CAS) at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, Feb. 15, 2022. The training focused on the joint forces ability to integrate and refine tactics of CAS, which requires detailed planning and careful coordination between pilots and forces on the ground. (Brienna Tuck/U.S. Marine Corps)

The 9 line

Because close air support takes place very close to friendly forces, there is no room for mistakes. The US military has a very strict checklist  called the 9 line  that must be completed before a close air support mission can be approved.

The first three lines of the checklist cover the desired ingress point of the aircraft, the heading it should make the run on, and distance it should cover. In essence, these lines tell a pilot the direction to come from and the distance the attack should cover.

Lines four to six cover target information  namely its elevation, description, and coordinates. For coordinates, a JTAC might use the US military's grid reference system or standard longitude and latitude.

The final three lines cover the target mark, friendly troops' position, and egress. In these lines, the JTAC will inform the aircraft if the target has been marked and how  for example, with colored smoke, infrared laser, or infrared strobe  where the friendly forces are located (which is probably the most important part), and where the aircraft should go after it strikes.

The process isn't foolproof, and fatal mistakes have been made. One of the most well known took place very early in the war in Afghanistan.

At the time, U.S. Army Green Berets had linked up with future Afghan president Hamid Karzai in southern Afghanistan and were fighting the Taliban.

During one battle, an Air Force tactical air control party operator attached to the Green Beret team gave the wrong coordinates and called in an airstrike on their own position. Two Green Berets were killed and several others wounded.

Close air support is an essential component of modern warfare, and the U.S. military's experience with it makes it a highly effective fighting force, but it's also a highly dangerous skill set that requires extensive training, attention to detail, and cool under pressure.

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.
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The Twins have placed second baseman Jorge Polanco on the 10-day injured list, as Polanco is dealing with tightness in his lower back. The placement is retroactive to June 13. Former top prospect Alex Kirilloff has been called up from Triple-A to take Polancos spot on the active roster.

Polanco has missed Minnesotas last three games, though manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including MLB.coms Do-Hyoung Park) that a recent MRI didnt show anything unusual about Polancos sore back. Baldelli said that Polanco has been dealing with back issues on and off for the last two seasons, though this is the first time the problem has actually forced the infielder to the injured list. In fact, Park notes that this is the first IL placement of Polancos nine-year MLB career, and only his second trip to the injured list over 13 pro seasons.

While this doesnt look like a long-term absence for Polanco, the Twins will miss his solid bat in the lineup. Polancos power numbers are down from his career-high 33 home runs in 2021, but he is still an above-average (114 wRC+) offensive contributor this year, batting .245/.340/.389 over 250 plate appearances.

Luis Arraez was already playing second base in Polancos absence, which created more playing time for Jose Miranda at first base. Kirilloff also looks to figure into the first base and outfield mix as he looks to finally establish himself in the majors. After batting .251/.299/.423 with eight home runs over 231 PA in his 2021 rookie season, Kirilloffs first year in the Show was cut short by wrist surgery last July.

Inflammation in that same wrist sent Kirilloff back to the IL early this season, and with only a .398 OPS to show for his first 32 PA of the 2022 season, the Twins optioned Kirilloff to Triple-A to get him back on track. Judging by his .359/.465/.641 slash line over 157 PA for Triple-A St. Paul this year, Kirilloff is healthy, locked-in, and ready to start living up to his highly-touted potential. Minnesota drafted Kirilloff with the 15th overall pick of the 2016 draft, and he was a regular in top-prospect rankings during his time in the minor leagues.
Nollywood popular actor, Okon Lagos, has disclosed that he will sell his votes during the 2023 general elections.

The actor said he will sell his vote at a considerate price since Nigerian politicians visit the electorates just once every four years.

You see all these don't sell your vote, don't sell your vote e nor concern me because I have my PVC and I will sell my vote, I will sell my vote at a very considerate price (sic).

Because you know most of all these politicians that come to buy votes only appear once in your life every four years, buy your votes in the polling units and disappear and appear after another four years, he said in an Instagram post according to the Dailypost.

Okon Lagos added that he will offer an exchange rate of N500 to a dollar for every day of the year.

Political campaigns have just started in Nigeria and all the political parties are doing the most to win the presidency in the 2023 general elections. For the popular comedian, Okon Lagos, it is time to do business with the politicians.
Etilaat-e-Rooz (Translated by RAWA), June 16, 2022

As Taliban continue to restrict female students at Balkh University, female Taliban-appointed agents inspect students' handcuffs and break their cosmetics.

Some female students, who did not want to be named in the news, told the daily Etilaat-e-Rooz that female Taliban-appointed agents had broken their cosmetics after inspecting their handcuffs.

One of the female students today (Thursday, June 15) called the move a violation of women's privacy and called on the Taliban-led government to stop the abuse.

"A woman's handcuffs are her privacy and no one has the right to encroach on her," she said. "This is a clear act of Taliban aggression and must be stopped."

Meanwhile, another female student at Balkh University says she witnessed a massive collection of girls' make-up this week and its destruction by the Taliban.

This student says that if the use of makeup is against Islamic principles, why does the government does not collect it from the city level? "If the arrangement is really against Islamic values, then why is the Taliban allowed to enter?" She added. "Why don't they collect from all over the city?"

The students say that in addition to this, the Taliban are still abusing them because of the type of clothing and the color of the clothes and tents of the female students.

Earlier, students at Balkh University complained that three female students had been beaten at the entrance to the university by female agents appointed by the Taliban.
Michael Osei Boateng, affectionately called Pope has filed his nomination on the 15th of June 2022 to contest to become the National Youth Organiser for the New Patriotic Party.

Earlier this month, the party opened nominations for eligible party members to file to contest for various portfolios.

Mr. Osei Boateng has held many positions within the NPP. In his young political life, he has served as deputy regional youth organiser, regional youth organiser for then Brong Ahafo region, and regional organiser for the Bono region. He is currently the regional director of YEA.

He comes face to face with his closest contender, Salaam Mustapha whose candidacy many see as problematic for the vice president, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia's chances of becoming the party's flag-bearer.

In an article written by a party activist Alhajj Suleman, who doubles as the deputy director of communication for NPP in Germany, he argued that Salaam Mustafa's addition to a future national executive committee of the party, will not add anything to the chances of Dr Bawumia should both become national youth organiser and flag-bearer respectively.

Many other known faces within the party have equally filed to contest various positions. Amongst them is John Boadu who is seeking to be retained as the General Secretary, a position many pandits believe he is well-positioned to win.

The national delegates conference is slated for 15th - 17th July 2022.
18.06.2022 LISTEN

Access to potable drinking water, health care and accessible road network has been a major challenge fighting against the development of Aworopataa, Ebomso, Anitinfi and Akismasu communities in the Techiman south area.

The delivery of quality health care including maternal and child welfare, management of minor ailments and family planning services are absent in these communities and has worsened the plight of people living in these areas when it comes to health care.

Road and communication networks to improve the movement of people, goods and services have also become another night mare as the communities do not have accessible rood network to facilitate movement of people from the communities to access services in the town centers such as Techiman, the regional capital and other areas.

The absence of health facilities such as the Community based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds has denied them of enjoying the universal health care system across the country.

Nana Ali Kokroko II, Chief of Aworopataa community lamented the deprived state of their communities in an interview with this reporter on Thursday at his palace in Aworopataa during a community visit and said they were completely cut off from the town centers especially during the rainy seasons.

Nana Kokroko explained that due to the absence of CHPS compounds people are not able to treat minor ailments and sometimes get complicated and die as a result.

He indicated that his community alone could count about six hundred population who are basically peasant farmers and could not access the town centers to sell their farm produce because both public and private transport do not patronized the area due to the bad road network. He added that most of their farm produce are left to root on the farms since they are not able to transport them to the urban centers to sell.

Nana Kokroko pointed out that the need to consider the welfare of the people in these areas was paramount, as sick people are mostly carried on motorbikes to nearby health centers such as Bamiri or the Holy Family Hospital in Techiman for medical attention, a situation he described as very disturbing because the community continues to lose young and energetic youth in the process.

Sometimes sick people and pregnant women either lose their babies through the process or deliver on the way due to bad nature of the road and that this has become a source of worry to people living in communities in and around, he stressed.

The Chief called on government through the Techiman Municipal Assembly, philanthropists, nongovernment organizations, individuals and developmental partners to come to the aid of the communities.

Mr Dominic Atia, a community member told this reporter that provision of certain educational facilities such as the school feeding programme to improve basic quality education is missing in all the schools in the communities.

Mr Atia underscored the need to improve sanitation in the communities as none could boast of public toilets. He noted that the absence of the toilet facility has encouraged mass open defecation in the area which may lead to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and others.

He stressed that due to lack of accommodation, teachers are not encouraged to stay or most times accept postings to these communities. This, he said, has affected the quality of education in the area and called for stakeholders to drive swift attention to addressing the issues.
"Government should advise itself as what to do with Mr. John Ndebugre, secretary for Agriculture who instead of being the brain work of peace in the district is rather the brainchild of war and the destruction in the district"  Col George Minyila (Rtd)

I have come across a news item published by an online media portal www.adomonline.com on June 2nd, 2022 which quotes the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, as saying "fallen former Zebilla Member of Parliament (MP), John Ndebugre, deserves a state burial." This was after the sitting Member of Parliament for Zebilla, Cletus Avoka, had advocated same for the late John Ndebugre.

I have also sighted a funeral Programme for the late John Ndebugre in which the venue for a pre-burial service is slated for the forecourt of the state house giving it a semblance of a state burial. Ordinarily, I would not have said anything about the burial of a man who I share absolutely nothing in common with save the fact that I am a citizen with equal rights just as he was before his demise. But since anything done in the name of the state is done with our taxes which I contribute, I deem it necessary to write this piece which is grounded in factual testimonies from history.

This article is very necessary and timely particularly considering the current state of affairs in one of Ghana's once boisterous towns, Bawku, in the Upper East Region. History they say is meant to guide us and it is my belief that highlights captured here which most of the youth of Bawku were hitherto unaware of will help guide our collective behavior.

It is also necessary because Ghanaians deserve to know and be reminded that, the current predicament in which our beloved town of Bawku finds itself in has the handwriting of Ndebugre written all over it.

The Bawku chieftaincy dispute, which traces back to the unfortunate 1957/58 unholy political interference on the sanctity of the chieftaincy institutition affecting over 500 chieftains across Ghana, saw a very promising sign of ending after the restoration of chieftaincy status in 1966. Bawku, once again, became lovely and the previous inter-ethnic cohesion that existed for centuries prior to 1957 between various tribes (Mamprusis, Kusasis, Mossis, Bissas, Hausas, Bimobas, etc) was restored. The entire Bawku Traditional Area, irrespective of tribe/community was united under the new Bawku Naaba, Naaba Adam Zangbeo who had succeeded the skin of his ancestors tracing back to the 17th century. The rest of the over 17 canton chiefs, a good number of which were Kusasis lived peacefully with Mamprusis. For instance in Kusanaaba there was Naaba Akolbuni Ndeego, in Zebilla there was Naaba S. A. Akparbilla, in Binaba there was Naaba Ayadago Apiiga who were Kusasis; In Pusiga there was Naaba Mbugri Aguri ; In Bugri there was Naaba M. A. Agatoni, in Gagbiri there was Naaba Mangotiba, and in Tempane there was Naaba Abugbilla Apilu. In Bissa communities like Kulungungu there was Naaba Abugre Afobre and in Kugri which is originally Mossi there was Naaba Abdulai Asaman. In other traditional Mamprusi communities like Binduri there was Naaba Gumah Ninchema, in Werekambo there was Naaba Alhassan Mahamadu, and in Tanga there was Naaba Deborah Wuni. This is not an exhaustive list.

This was the inter-ethnic cohesion that thrived in Bawku. There were also strong intermarriages between members of all the ethnic groups. For instance, Ayariga Asumah (father of Hassan Ayariga) got married to 2 Mamprusi princesses (Hassan Ayariga's mother and Mahama's mother). There were also notable Mamprusis whose mothers were also Kusasis like Lawyer Mohammed Tahiru Nambe whose mother is a sister to Sumaila Bielbiel. My mother is a Mossi. It will be a tall list if I were to mention individuals from Bawku who are products of intermarriages contracted within the said period of peace and security. These intermarriages especially that of Ayariga Asumah marrying two Mamprusi princesses shows the extent of inter-ethnic cohesion and makes nonsense of the false claim of "colonization" by some Kusasis who will cling to any reason that makes their senseless wage of war in Bawku look good.

This peaceful coexistence continued until the late 1970's and early 80's when certain individuals, key among them, John Ndebugre, saw that the easiest way for him to rise politically was to break the inter-ethnic cohesion in Bawku and its surrounding areas. They launched the same tactic which was employed by their predecessor political godfathers in the 1950's which resulted in the first ever crisis. There was no easier way to break the inter-ethnic cohesion than to break the key things that brought the inter-ethnic cohesion (chieftaincy and the Youth).

In this regard, the 8 member "Committee to investigate the Bawku Land Disputes" constituted in 1984 which was chaired by the late distinguished Colonel George Minyila (Rtd) said in it's findings (Addendum; 5a) under the heading Activities of the Kusasi Youth Association:

"Before the establishment of this association there was the Bawku District Youth Association. It's membership comprised all the different tribes who make up the Bawku area. The Kusasi Youth Association was carved from the former to fight for the objectives of only Kusasis leaving the other tribes. The Kusasi Youth Association is spearheaded by Mr. Ndebugri, Secretary for Agriculture, Mr. C. A. Avoka, Ag.Managing Director of Upper East Regional Development Corporation, Mr. Joe Abanga, a lawyer in Bawku and few other youngsters. The Association has spread its tentacles to the rural areas to embrace literate folk who instead of interpreting the correct Government policies to the people rather misled them. This was so glaring as we went from one village to the other".

The above findings by the Minyilla committee heavily indicts John Ndebugre and the rest of the people mentioned some of whom like Cletus Avoka are still active in inciting division in the once peaceful town of Bawku.

Before I continue to show how Ndebugre and his cohorts must wholy take the blame for the recent situation and ethnic divisions in Bawku, we will need to first find out why the Committee to investigate the Bawku Land Disputes (Minyilla Committee) was set up?

In the late 1970s, the Kusasi Youth Association (indicted heavily above and as will be seen subsequently by the Minyilla Committee) incited Abugrago Azoka to illegally present himself as the Bawku Naaba as part of their renewed efforts to rekindle the inter-ethnic divisions. This led the Bawku Naaba at the time Naaba Adam Zangbeo (14th in the line of Mamprusi succession of the skin) to file a writ at the Bolgatanga High Court seeking to restrain Abugrago Azoka from presenting himself as Bawku Naaba. The High Court with Justice A. W. Dove presiding on 25th July, 1980 granted the application and ruled to restrain Abugrago Aninchema from acting as Bawku Naaba. It awarded a cost of 300 cedis against Abugrago Azoka.

Still determined to divide the town at all costs, John Ndebugre and his team pressed upon Abugrago Azoka to take the matter up at the National House of Chiefs. This action would have been very commendable if they had only stuck to such peaceful and civil ways of addressing their concerns. But even before the final determination of the matter by the Chieftaincy Tribunal of the National House of Chiefs, John Ndebugre and his cohorts actively worked to stir inter-ethnic tensions in the once peaceful and ethnic cohesive town of Bawku. They actively prevented the performance of the funeral of the 14th Bawku Naaba, Naaba Adam Zangbeo.

They then organized themselves with arms, stormed and ransacked the Traditional Council Offices then located right at the center of the town. On this issue, the Minyilla committee succinctly says that the Kusasi Youth Association which was spearheaded by the likes of John Ndebugre and Cletus Avoka "is the pivot from where disturbances are spread around the Bawku District and also the brain child of all disturbances such as the ransacking of the Bawku Traditional Council Offices".

It was after the ransacking of the offices of the Bawku traditional council under the influence of John Ndebugre that necessitated the setting up of a 3 member Eminent Committee of Chiefs by the Asantehene Otumfour Opoku Ware II, who was the the President of the National House of Chiefs to look into the matter. The Committee was chaired by Nana Akuamoah Boateng II Kwamumanhene. As usual of Ndebugre and his group, they selected Cletus Avoka and Lawyer Joe Abanga to represent the Kusasis. The committee of Eminent Chiefs found among other things that the entire Upper Region consisting of the Frafra zone and the Bawku Traditional Area was under the jurisdiction of the Nayiri of Mamprugu (then referred to as Paramount Chief of Mamprugu). They also found that; "under the prevailing customs and traditions in the Northern and Upper Regions, the Paramount Chief (Nayiri) is the sole King Maker to all Divisional and Sub-Divisional Chiefs within his traditional suzerainty". They further state that "The creation of the Upper Region did not abrogate the traditional relationship that existed between the Nayiri and the chiefs and people of the Bawku District as well as the chiefs of Frafra traditional area"

The Eminent Chiefs did not stop there but further made golden comments such as : "That by this time-honoured and hallowed custom, the Nayiri of Mamprusi enskins the Bawku Naaba as a Divisional chief and many other Sub-Divisional Chiefs in the Bawku District"

The Eminent Chiefs further took strong exception to the report of investigations by the police into the ransacking of the Traditional Council which indicated that there was no suspect even though the Kusasi Youth Association (spearheaded by John Ndebugre and Avoka) had claimed responsibility for the sacrilegious action.

Because the chieftaincy was a subject of arbitration at the chieftaincy tribunal brought by no other persons but the Kusasis, the committee of Eminent Chiefs declined to make final pronouncements of the case. Instead, they made a very wise recommendation that "the minds of the people of Bawku should be prepared to accept the verdict of the Judicial tribunal unfetted" and that "Government should enforce the decision of the Judicial tribunal".

Fortunately, not long after presenting their report to the Chairman of the PNDC Jerry Rawlings, the decision of the Judicial Tribunal was given on 20th May, 1983. The tribunal ruled against the John Ndebugre sponsored petition by Abugrago Azoka in favor of the Bawku Naaba Naaba Adam Zangbeo who had passed away and whose funeral performance was frustrated by John Ndebugre. The decision of the Chieftaincy tribunal further described Abugrago Azoka who John Ndebugre and co had sponsored as "a commoner".

Instead of accepting the ruling of the chieftaincy tribunal as recommended by the Eminent Chiefs, Ndebugre and his team set the militancy tone and beating of war drums.

This period was the peak of their war mongering and in fact the Eminent Chiefs had indicted the District secretary of the PNDC at the time by name Sulley Agholisi for war mongering. The eminent chiefs found that "the article written by the District Secretary Mr. Sulley Agholisi and published in the magazine Kpana, sometime ago before his appointment as secretary could be described as fanning anti-Mamprusi agitations and incitement of Kusasis against Mamprusis that can precipitate non-cohesion between the two main ethnic groupings in the Bawku District "

Instead of working to implement the recommendations by the committee of Eminent Chiefs to Government to implement the ruling of the 1983 Chieftaincy tribunal ruling, John Ndebugre and his group who were fortunate to be in Government worked to frustrate the implementation of the ruling. Not only that, they prepared the minds of their people to war by first attacking the Mamprusis in December 1983 as will be seen soon and subsequently influenced Government to unilaterally promulgate PNDC Law 75 which effectively was against the time tested decision of the National House of Chiefs.

It was the PNDC Law 75 which was the brain child of Ndebugre and his group that acted as the precursor to the violent confrontations in Bawku is witnessing today. John Ndebugre and his group used the PNDC Law 75 as basis to confiscate land belonging to Mamprusis and their sympathizers, forcefully evicted Mamprusis and their sympathizers from market stores and confiscated Government lands. These were the circumstances that necessitated the setting up of the Minyilla committee.

In this regard, the committee found that "The PNDC Law 75 has caused more harm in the Bawku area than good." Prior to the setting up of the committee, John Ndebugre and his group had organized for the first time in history what they called "Kusasi Cultural Display/Festival" which was later to be called the "Saman piid". They used this program as a medium to launch violent attacks at the Mamprusis and their sympathizers in Bawku. The Minyilla committee aptly captured this fact when it said; "After the actions of the Kusasis as seen above, they organized a Kusasi cultural display/festival (siman ping) scheduled for 20th-23rd December, 1983. Please refer to Appendix 'B'. The display of war weapons, the inciting speech by Mr. John Ndebugri, secretary for Agriculture and District Secretary, Mr. Sulley Agholisi, let loose the Kusasi dancers hence they attacked the Mamprusis. "

The committee further reported that following their attacks in December, the Kusasi Youth Association met on 10th February, 1984 where they agreed among other things to seize all farm lands of Mamprusis and their sympathizers, seize all market stores owned by Mamprusis and their sympathizers and to transfer all civil/public officers of Mamprusi origin from the District. And these were to be implemented by the District Secretary Sulley Agholisi who had already started implementing them at the time the report was submitted.

The committee reported that 15th July, 1984 was the D-Day Sulley Agholisi was to implement their agenda of land seizures. The committee said "Mr. John Ndebugre was in town on 15th July, 1984 when the uprising started when farmers had gone to their farms due to the rainfall of the previous night. Border guards were able to bring the situation under control. At about 3.00pm, Mr. Ndebugre, Mr. Sulley Agholisi, Ndebugre's body guard and a seargent went to the Police Station and insulted the DSP and his men as incapable of stopping the fighting and making arrest and threatened the DAO, Mr. Twum. He also threatened to shoot the DSP and the DAO. Ndebugri and his men left for the Mamprusi area of the town fully armed calling for the elimination of the Mamprusis but not a determined Mamprusis who fearlessly fought to protect their lives and properties. The Kusasis retreated, and the town was quiet at about 5.30pm."

That is not all. The report further states about the role of Ndebugre "After the escape of Ndebugre from the fighting he went to Tanga in the Tonde area and ordered the Kusasis to burn down the houses of Mamprusis. We attach a report from a neutral person who saw things for himself and wrote to the PNDC Chairman. (Appendix 'E'). "

These are the undisputed testimonies of people of high repute from history. They are not my testimonies nor that of any Mamprusi. There is still more that could be quoted from these testimonies but I believe this will suffice for now. It exposes how Ndebugri and his group have worked to undermine the inter-ethnic cohesion that existed for centuries in Bawku. It reveals how Bawku has been plunged in its current predicament by Ndebugre and his ilk. They did this by deceptively influencing Kusasis who hitherto were peacefully living with Mamprusis and other ethnic groups. The Minyilla committee summarizes their modus operandi as follows "As we went from village to village on our rounds it was so apparent that the Kusasi Youth Association had miseducated the people and were spearheading all the troubles in the towns and villages. Even in front of us when we were trying to solve a problem, they will tell Kusasis not to agree and threatened in front of us that if the Mamprusi dare step a foot on the farm he will be killed".

Sad as it may seem but that is how Ndebugre and his group polarized Bawku. Colonel Minyilla and his team members did not leave their work without recommendations. They ruled in favor of all the Mamprusis and their sympathizers who had their lands and stores confiscated by Ndebugre's men. They also recommended that the PNDC regime repeal the PNDC 75 which was the animal used by Ndebugre and his men to deepen the inter-ethnic tensions. They further recommended that Government should remove the then District Secretary Sulley Agholisi from his post and deal with John Ndebugre as it wishes. These testimonies and the current situation in Bawku should be a lesson to all of us especially those from Bawku township to work collectively for peace.

If only politicians like Mahama Ayariga and Stephen Yakubu will take lessons from these happenings. These people together with Cletus Avoka still take pride in using the same strategy of misleading their people just as the Minyilla committee reported. Just take the issue of a so-called 2003 Supreme Court ruling as an example. Avoka and Mahama who are lawyers know too well there was no decision of the Supreme Court saying Aninchema is the chief of Bawku or Kusasis are owners of Bawku. But because of their personal interest, please revisit their interviews on Citi TV and Mahama's 5 page article in response to Nayiri's letter to the President and see how they came so low to an extent that an illetrate will not even go. And just as the Minyilla Committee indicted Ndebugre as someone who "... instead of being the brain work of peace in the district is rather the brainchild of war and the destruction in the district", it is a serious shame that the likes of Stephen Yakubu and Mahama Ayariga are threading the same path. It is only wise for Government to remove Stephen Yakubu from his post as the Regional Minister and Chairman for the Regional Security Council.

A close look at all those who spearheaded these evil machinations and violence in Bawku reveals something shocking. None of them is from Bawku. John Ndebugre is from Timonde around Zebilla, Cletus Avoka from Teshie area around Zebilla and Lawyer Joe Abanga from Tempane. None of them is from Bawku. Ndebugre is dead. Not even his dead body that will be buried in his village Timonde will be hearing persistent gun shots that still ring in Bawku. Cletus Avoka is MP and he and his children who perhaps live in Accra or may have rooms in his village around Teshie will never hear persistent gun shots. Lawyer Abanga's offsprings from Tempane will be oblivious of the daily gun shots all over Bawku. But the Kusasis of Tinsungu who for several years had been allies to Mamprusis have been turned against Mamprusis and their sympathizers. Not even Mahama and Hassan Ayariga who not only because of their mothers but also because of how their grandfather Asumah lived peacefully with Mamprusis are left out. They ahave been recruited for the frontline work against Mamprusis. Gun fights almost every day between Tinsungu and the Bawku township. Not even the Kusasis of Wande and Wiidi who had strong ties with Mamprusis for several decades are left out. Gun fights everyday because of what Ndebugre and his group have done. Not the Kusasis of Baribari and Bulugu have been left out after the peaceful coexistence between them and Mamprusis. Not even the Kusasis of Zabugu have been left out. Those who had very peaceful coexistence with my great grandfather Naa Bugri who was the first chief of Zabugu. Not the Kusasis of Gozesi and Zawu have been left out. They have all been brainwashed and their main goal as captured clearly by the Minyilla report is to "drive the Mamprusis and their sympathizers out of the Bawku area". Is there no single person amongst them to tell them Allah will never let this happen?

This is no legacy anyone should be proud of and the state must definitely not make the mistake of giving a state burial or any semblance of it to a man who more than anything, sowed ethnic division and violent armed conflict in Bawku.

Ndebugre is gone and it is my prayer that the seed of hatred and division that he and his group sowed in Bawku will be buried with him forever...Aameen.

Written by:

Dr. Issah Imoro

([email protected])
The kidnap of the Prelate of Methodist Church, Archbishop Samuel Kalu Uche by Fulani herdsmen in his home zone and ransoms of N100m naira is another sign that The Glory has Departed South East and it is a troubling development.

Archbishop Kalu Uche is one of the frontliners of the gospel revival that broke out in the South East after the civil war. He is among the second generation fearless gospel warriors, who took the gospel fearlessly to many parts of the north especially Kano.

Archbishop Kalu Uche, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma and Bishop Anthony Gbuji were amongst the Orthodox Church leaders who fearlessly took the gospel to the north. Their protegees in the Pentecostal world include Bishop Arthur Nwachukwu, Paul Nwachukwu, Billy Moses Ejim, , Victor Onuigbo, Austin Nwodika, Ejim, Morah, Edward Ezenwafor, Tim Obidike, Goddy Nnaji , Rev Charles Osueke Apostle PCJ Mac-Jossy among numerous others dead or alive, while their seniors in the Pentecostal fold include Rev JMJ Emesin, Apostle Tony Mba, Daddy O Ezekiel, Pa Ezeigbo among others.

Therefore, Archbishop Kalu Uche is a spiritual colossus by all standards. This great servant of God was kidnapped in his home zone by Fulani bandits, alongside Bishops Dennis Mark, and the Prelates chaplain. When a prelate, not just an empty prelate, but a prelate who has paid the price, is kidnapped and N100 million naira given to criminals for his release, then something is wrong with the spirituality of the environment.- and the environment this time around is South East..

Ten days before the unfortunate kidnap, the secessionist group, IPOB, forced Pastor W F Kumuyi to cancel an international Crusade holden in Aba, and some stupid pastors didn't know the implications. I warned in the 2nd piece titled 'Cancelled Kumuyi's Aba Crusade and Stupidity of Igbo Pastprs' that the Men of God who allowed IPOB cancel an international crusade in Aba are stupid, and that murderous and paganististic activities of IPOB will attract curses to Ndigbp.

The next day some persons beheaded a lawmaker. The following day, a pregnant woman and her four children were murdered by same IPOB.

I wrote in the last warning ' Cancelled Kumuyi's Aba Crusade- as God's Glory Departs South East' just few days to the kidnap of the prelate, and warned that by the time the two political parties disgrace Ndigbo, we shall understand that the Glory has Departed.

Few days later Igbos were disgraced at the PDP convention, and they all, with tail behind the buttocks, clutched to Peter Obi as the new savior.

Few days later again, a foremost Archbishop and Methodist Prelate, Kalu Uche, who has paid his dues since the gospel revival in the South East and carried it to the North, was kidnapped in his homeland, and the church paid N100 million to Fulani bandits for his release.

The Glory our Fathers Received after the Civil War, The Famed Pentecostal Revival, It creeped into Orthodox Churches- has now departed.

The present crop of blind pastors has surrendered it to IPOB's brand of mixed Judaism, Paganism, Occultism and Ritualism.

Since some filthy hands manhandled an exalted Archbishop, lots have happened in the South East., and more will happen between now and November 2022, then blind pastors and their blind followers will understand the meaning of The Glory Has Departed 

When I heard from multiple sources that Archbishop Uche was kidnapped, I warned church leaders few hours after he kidnap that they should stop shouting ;Holy Ghost Fire and Raining Curses on the abductors. Rather they should do everything humanly possible to secure his release, including fishing out his abductors. I Was glad that his church members in Lagos did not wait for any Holy Ghost Fire or Ancestral Curses  of Touch not my Anointed before paying for the release of the prelate.

While we celebrate his release, the omen does not call for any celebration. The spiritual signals of impending ill wind is visible, and as a Prophet with Proven Records, I can discern Evil Omen In the Air .

I warned many church leaders in the South East, few hours after the kidnap that The Glory Has Departed South East I will not go into any argument with blind pastors and their blind followers, by November 2022, we shall take stock.

Rev Obinna Akukwe have written severally, and warned that the manner pastors, priests and prophets in Igboland are supporting the murderous hate filled activities of IPOB in the name of secession, including their paganistic, occultic and ritualistic bloodletting, will one day boomerang. When IPOB unilaterally cancelled Kumuyis Crusade at a critical point in Igbo political history, I warned that the act is dangerous, and that Stupid Igbo Pastors cheering the exercise will soon have their hand filled. ,

Rev Obinna Akukwe is reiterating again, what I have put in public domain, 'The Glory of God Has Departed South East'. Let our prophets and prayer warriors begin to get the people prepared, and plot how to bring back the Glory.

( Rev Obinna Akukwe , Director General, Igbo Mandate Congress IMC, Director of Media and Communications, General Assembly of all Igbo Christian Organizations and Ministers GAAICOM, [email protected],@obinnaakukwe)
ASA Savings and Loans Limited has treated customers of Two Streams and Mile 50 business centres in Koforidua in the Eastern Region to a free medical health screening exercise.

The kind gesture which forms part of the companys Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was executed by Providence Medical Centre located in Koforidua.

Briefing the media during the exercise, the Koforidua Area Manager for ASA Savings and Loans Ltd, Mr. Imarat Hossain noted that his outfit deems it important to look out for the good health of clients who are mostly women traders.

Most of our clients are females who are traders. So it was very prudent to organize such an exercise for the clients to know their health status in order to stay in business, he indicated.

On his part, Mr. Bernard Boateng who is the Branch Manager urged the customers to continue to do business with ASA Savings and Loans.

He assured the clients that his outfit will continue to be a friendly financial institution that will always make efforts to introduce activities that will be beneficial.

Medical practitioners of Providence Medical Center that carried out the screening advised the clients to pay more attention to their health by going for regular checkups instead of devoting all their time to their businesses.

He noted that through regular visits to the health centers, diseases could be detected earlier for treatment.

The exercise in Koforidua is just one of many that have been carried out by ASA Savings and Loans Limited in the last few months for clients and community members in areas where the company has branches.

It is an annual CSR activity that has resumed post-Covid.
A National Organiser hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Henry Osei, has lashed out on the Akufo-Addo government over the construction of the national cathedral.

Speaking on Inside Politics on Power FM, Osei-Akoto observed that the national cathedral was being built on the foundation of lies making reference to the funds that have been pushed into the project from the national purse.

Government has come under criticisms by some Ghanaians and civil society organisations following revelations that nearly GH 200 million of taxpayers money has so far been spent on the National Cathedral project.

He noted that there are many challenges confronting Ghanaians which need urgent attention but the Akufo-Addo administration has neglected the plights of the citizens and channeling the scarce resources into building a national cathedral which is his personal promise to God.

To him, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta acted illegally and must be made to face the law.

Ken Ofori-Atta must be prosecuted. The documents that have come out indicate that he has pumped tax payers monies into the project, Osei Akoto stated.

Suspicions And Resignation

The founder of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Dr Mensa Otabil, who was part of the Board of Trustees for the National Cathedral has reportedly resigned.

Reports state that the revered theologian exited the Board because some of the transactions were not made clear to them, raising eye brows.

Although the renowned preacher has not come public about exiting the board of the controversial project, however, checks on the National Cathedrals website on Wednesday, June 15, confirmed he is no longer part of the Trustees.

Dr Otabil was on the Board with the Anglican Archbishop Emeritus, Most Rev. Bishop Justice Ofei Akrofi ; Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Most Rev T. K. Awotwi Pratt, and the former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey who was a fierce critic of the erstwhile Mahama administration.

The other members are Rev Prof Cephas Omenyo, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church; Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, Presiding Archbishop and General Overseer of Action Chapel International; Rev Dr Joyce Aryee, Executive Director, Salt and Light Ministries; Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, Presiding Bishop of Lighthouse Group of Churches; Rev Eastwood Anaba, the founder and President of Eastwood Anaba Ministries; Rev Victor Kusi-Boateng, founder of Power Chapel Worldwide, and Rev Dr Frimpong Manso, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God.

The Board of Trustees is chaired by a former Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah while the Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Cape Coast, Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle is the Vice Chairman.

The Akufo-Addo government has been accused by the Minority of illegally using state funds to support the project.

The MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, earlier revealed the news of Otabils exit on Sunday, June 12 on JoyNews.

Mr Ablakwa alleged that the desertion by the theologian is due to the illegality being perpetrated by the Akufo-Addo government with respect to the project.

The whole year, he has not attended any of their meetings. It is not clear what his intention was, but he has given indication that all is not well, he told host Emefa Apawu.

Ofori-Atta

Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has said the National Cathedral project will rake in more revenue for the state upon completion.

Speaking on GTVs current affairs show Talking Point on Sunday, 12 June, 2022, Mr Ofori-Atta said once completed and fully operational, the Cathedral was projected to raise at least US$1.8 billion within the first five years of operation.

Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister

With a conservative estimate of 300,000 to 400,000 attendees per year, we expect the project to bring in at least $1.8 billion over five years, the minister said.

Ofori-Atta also said a small portion of the national purse is being to fund the project.

Government has spent about GH 30 billion in terms of our expenditure, I think this year, weve spent at least GH 25 million on the National Cathedral, which is one-thousandth [of the budget], Ofori-Atta said on GTV.

As a Finance Minister, Mr Ofori-Atta said the Akufo-Addo government is not focused on just the economic benefits of the project but is committed to building a righteous state in which the Lord promises.

But Osei Akoto, the 2020 NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Oforikrom Consituency in the Ashanti Region, contended that once the project was declared as president Akufo-Addos personal project, state funds must not be used to construct it.

Ofori-Atta did not go to Parliament for any approval of state funds to build the National Cathedral and that is unlawful, he added.

Source: Myxyzonline.com
The National Cathedral Secretariat has issued a statement to clarify that the National Cathedral is a public project and not a private one.

The issue of whether the project is public or private has been very topical in the country, following revelations of huge amount released for the project.

Amid the controversy the speculation is causing, the National Cathedral Secretariat has released a statement to set the records straight.

In a statement signed by Dr. Paulo Opoku-Mensah who is Executive Director of the secretariat, it stresses that the National Cathedral is a National Monument and Asset, and not a Private project

In his first official announcement on the project on March 6, 2017 the President underscored the nature of the project as a national cathedral for interdenominational worship services for the nation. Subsequent elaborations, led to three main reasons as the rationale for the project, namely i) gesture of thanksgiving ii) symbol of the Christian presence and contributions to the nation, and iii) a personal pledge to God. Of these three reasons, the personal pledge came to be associated with the Cathedral as a private project that needed to be developed without state support.

For the avoidance of doubt, the National Cathedral is a National Monument, and thus a public, not private, project. Legally, the National Cathedral of Ghana is a state-owned company limited by guarantee, and was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1963 (Act 179) on July 18, 2019, parts of the statement from the National Cathedral Secretariat read.

It adds, We hope this brings to a closure the seemingly vexatious issue of whether the National Cathedral is a private or public initiative. The National Cathedral is a National Monument and Asset, and not a Private project.

The secretariat further shares that despite being a national project, it is being developed in partnership between the state and the church.
18.06.2022 LISTEN

An Accra High Court has dismissed William Ato Essien, founder of the defunct Capital Bank's application for stay of proceedings, pending the determination of an appeal against one of its rulings.

The Court presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, a Judge of the Court of Appeal, sitting as an additional High Court Judge, held that the grant of a stay was a discretional exercise and that the applicant had not demonstrated any exceptional circumstance.

Mr Essien, Rev. Fitsgerald Odonkor, the then Managing Director of the Bank and Tettey Nettey of MC Management Services, are standing trial for the GHS620million offered to Capital Bank as liquidity support by the Bank of Ghana.

He said examining the nature of the application, the deposition in support of the application and the attachment would leave any serious court with only one choice that the application was nothing but frivolous.

He said the exhibits admitted as evidence had nothing in it that breached the accused person's rights and that the claim that the appeal raised a serious arguable point of law could not be correct. l dismisses the application as it does not have merit, he said.

Mr Baffuor Gyau Bonsu Ashia, Counsel for Mr Essien, moving the application, said the motion was filed on June 9, 2022, against the Court's own ruling.

He said they had attached to the motion two exhibits, which were the ruling of the Court and attached as marked exhibit B, the notice of appeal.

The Counsel said the reading of the notice of appeal would show that they had raised serious legal issues to be determined by the Court of Appeal.

He said special circumstances being demonstrated was the admission of the pen drive, which contained the audit recordings of the confrontation between the special investigations team and the accused person.

Mr Ashia prayed the Court to grant them the stay of its own ruling.

Mrs Marina Appiah-Opare, Chief State Attorney, said they were opposed to the motion because they had not demonstrated any exceptional circumstances that would warrant a stay.

Meanwhile, the cross-examination of Rev. Odonkor continues. The case was adjourned to June 23, 2022.

GNA
John Amoah, a 53-year-old Pastor, who allegedly defiled a 13-year-old girl and got her pregnant, has been denied bail by a Bolgatanga Circuit Court.

At the hearing of an application seeking bail for the accused, the court presided over by Mr Alexander Graham, denied him the bail and adjourned the case to July 4, 2022.

Amoah, who is a pastor at Redeemer Church, was accused of defiling the girl in December 2021 while the victim was staying in his home.

Prosecution Officer, Inspector Regina Ali Agong, said about five years ago, the accused, who was the administrator of the victim's former primary school, was assisting the victim to pay her school fees and offering her other social support.

The prosecution said when the victim was going to a Junior High School, the accused assisted her to gain admission into a different school because her previous school did not have a JHS.

The accused then convinced the family of the victim to allow her to live with him so that he could help improve her academic performance to which the family agreed.

The victim then moved to live with the accused and his wife at their marital home at Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga District, which made the two families have a close relationship.

In December 2021, whenever the wife of the accused went to bible school in the evening, he took advantage and had sexual intercourse with the victim, which eventually resulted in pregnancy.

The prosecution said the attention of the complainant, Mrs Yvonne Wepala Wonhua, the Assistant Director at the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, was drawn to the issue and she reported the case to the Upper East Regional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service.

An obstetric scan report after the medical examination conducted revealed that the victim was 26 weeks and two days pregnant, the Prosecution added.

The accused who admitted to having had sexual intercourse with the victim was subsequently arrested and charged under the Criminal Offences Act of 1960, Act 29.

GNA
18.06.2022 LISTEN

A release from the Secretariat of the National Cathedral has refuted allegations that Dr. Mensah Otabil resigned from the Board of Trustees of the company.

The National Cathedral was registered as a company limited by a guarantee, to be used as the instrument for the construction and management of the National Cathedral. The company was legally registered on 18th July 2019.

Earlier this week, North Tongu Member of Parliament (MP) Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa alleged that Dr. Mensah Otabil had resigned as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral in the past year.

In response, the National Cathedral Secretariat has issued a release disclosing that Dr. Mensah Otabil was never a member of the board.

It explains that while the General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church is not a member of the Board of Trustees, he is actively involved in the project.

The Board of Trustees had to be registered as the Directors of the company. A member of the Trustees, Dr Mensa Otabil, the General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church, had indicated that he couldnt give the needed attention to the project so didnt register.

So, Dr. Mensa Otabil did not resign from the Board as being alleged, but excused himself at the point of registration of the Directors in July 2019. For the avoidance of all doubt, Dr. Otabil has not been a member of the Board or Trustees since July 2019, parts of the statement from the National Cathedral Secretariat reads.

The release from the secretariat adds, Dr. Mensa Otabil, nonetheless, remains actively interested in the project and continues to share his views on strategy with the Secretariat.

The continuous use of his name and pictures on the websites and publications was an administrative lapse by the Secretariat.

Meanwhile, the secretariat has stressed that although the National Cathedral is a project being developed in partnership between the state and the church, it is a national project and not a private one.
8am (Translated by RAWA), June 17, 2022

Taliban forces in Takhar province kidnapped 30 female students at the State-owned Takhar University on Friday evening (June 17th).

Local sources in Takhar province told daily Hasht-e Subh that Taliban fighters have arrested 30 female students who were living in Takhar universitys hostels on charges of leaving the hostel without Taliban permission.

Sources in Takhar University say the students took a Friday break to go to a park for fun.

The students of Takhar University, are from Badakhshan, Baghlan, Balkh, Parwan and Faryab provinces.

The Taliban have previously barred women from traveling without a mahram -male companion  and prevented them from visiting public places and resorts.
Clashes between youths and police left one dead in Senegal's capital Dakar on Friday as officers blocked off access to the home of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko.

Three opposition figures -- Dethie Fall, Ahmet Aidara and Mame Diarra Fame -- were also arrested, spokesman for Sonko's PASTEF party, Ousseynou Ly, said.

The police action came after Sonko called for protests at a time when the country is in the grip of pre-election tension.

Roads leading to his property in an upmarket district of Dakar were closed off by barricades and police in anti-riot gear. Supporters who tried to get near the building were firmly told to turn back, AFP reporters saw.

At midday, police prevented Sonko from going to Friday prayers.

He said he did not personally blame the police officers who were ordered to block him into his home but accused authorities of giving in to "panic".

Sonko, who came third in the 2019 presidential election, had called for a protest on Friday against a decision to bar a list of candidates for Senegal's legislative elections on July 31.

The move also bans him and other opposition figures from contesting the ballot.

Police fired teargas at youths and used stun grenades to disperse them in a number of Dakar neighbourhoods.

The violence left one person dead when a projectile set fire to a depot, a Red Cross official said on condition of anonymity.

Some figures have appealed for dialogue. They pointed out that around a dozen people died when violence erupted in March last year after Sonko was accused of sexual assault.

Stalemate

Neither the authorities nor the opposition have shown a willingness to compromise. Political analysts generally describe the situation as a political stalemate.

The candidates' list, put forward by an opposition coalition called Yewwi Askan Wi, was scratched on the orders of the interior ministry on technical grounds.

One of the names on the list had been accidentally put down both as a first-choice candidate and as an alternate candidate.

The country's highest court, the Constitutional Council, confirmed the ministry's decision.

Senegal has a reputation as a beacon of stability in West Africa, where political turbulence is common.

The parliament has 165 seats. Of these, 53 are chosen on the basis of national lists and 97 on the basis of a majority vote among the country's departments. Fifteen are chosen by the Senegalese diaspora.

The ban on Yewwi Askan Wi's list applies specifically to first-choice candidates for seats contested by national lists. The coalition can still compete using alternate candidates.

Sonko says the bar is the result of political interference, a charge rejected by the government.

Two other prominent opponents of President Macky Sall -- former Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall, who is not related to the head of state, and former minister Karim Wade, the son of an ex-president -- have seen their political careers truncated by legal cases.
Chairman of the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong, has asked the Inspector General of Police to take immediate steps to train his officers in crowd control.

This, in his view, will enable the officers determine when to, or not to use excessive force to control crowd.

The Assin Central lawmaker was speaking in interview with TV3s Komla Kluste when he led a team to visit the Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi on Friday June 17, where the Police shooting incident took place on Monday June 13.

The students whether they are right or not they exceed their boundaries and overreacted . Same applies to the Police officers too, I think they also treated them like armed robbers, it was too much they also exceeded their boundaries .

We take a cue from what has happened to these students so that next time when Police are going out there, their team called crowd control ,they should know the ages of the people that they are going to deal with.

Regarding this situation, the Dean of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, also called for a review of the training methodology for persons recruited into the Police service and other security agencies.

There is the need to thoroughly assess persons being recruited into the service, he said.

He was speaking in an interview with TV3.

Dr Antwi-Danso told TV3's Judith Awortwi-Tandoh that It is rather very unfortunate that year in, year out, virtually, consistently, crowd control always turns awry.

There will be demonstrations, there will be riots but unfortunately most of our rioting end up with Police confrontation, it is bad. Recrafting the training methodologies is also important.

What kind of people are we recruiting into the Police service or any other service? What kind of training are we giving them? Because crowd control, crowd dispersal and crisis management is a science, we need to learn it.

Meanwhile, following the shooting on Monday, the Deputy Regional Commander in the Ashanti Region, DCOP Kwesi Akomea Apraku has been removed.

This was after the Inspector General of Police Dr George Akuffo Dampre led a team to the area to assess the situation.

Portions of a statement issued by the Police after the IGP's visit said It was further established that even though nobody was hit by a bullet the Police handling of the incident was poor and fell short of our standard operating procedure on crowd control.

As a result, DCOP Kwesi Akomeah-Apraku who was acting as the Regional Commander has been removed from his position and has been interdicted. Two other officers, ACP Mr George Ankomah, the Regional Operations Officer and ACP Mr Alex Cudjoe Acquah, the Suame Divisional Police Commander have also been interdicted to make way for a thorough investigations into the matter.

Over thirty students of the Islamic Senior High School were rushed to the hospital after the police allegedly fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse students who were demonstrating over incessant vehicular knockdown.

Worried parents stormed the school to demand for the release of their wards on Monday June 13.

The affected students were conveyed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and other hospitals in Kumasi.

I should be worried but some of them have been resituated . we will follow to the hospital and see how they are doing, Madam Mary Owusu Afriyie, the Regional Education Director told journalists.

3news.com
A video of employees and some members of the NPP government at the former Flagstaff House engaging in homosexual activities, has been circulating on social media for some time. That doesn't bother me whether it's true or not, but I must state unequivocally that the influence of homosexuality within the NPP government will not aid the legalization of homosexuality in Ghana.

The majority of Ghanaians will not let a small group of people's avarice and strange love bestow upon us something that our culture, tradition, and rich legacy did not introduce. Everyone has the right to select his or her own sexual orientation, but no one has the authority to force homosexuality to be legalized in a country because of a small percentage of LGBTQ+ people.

The West and the US administration have refused to acknowledge that, as the globe changes, Africans are increasingly capable of making their own choices. Slavery, Apartheid, colonialism, and man-made diseases have already torn apart the African continent. Despite the fact that these crimes occurred decades ago, Africa is still healing, albeit at a slow and painful pace.



Former African presidents such as Ghana's John Atta-Mills and Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe became the most despised African leaders by the West and the US administration simply because they opposed the legalization of homosexuality in their nations. Today, we have a different president, who is eager to do anything foreign leaders desire in exchange for a dollar.

Because of the continent's vast resources, the West and the US government can't leave it alone and will use all wicked schemes, strategies, and tactics to acquire what they want in Africa. Since African leaders run to them to beg for food and money, they refuse to accept "no" as an answer. They forget, however, that the decision is made by the majority, not the Ghanaian government.

Foreign governments can pay more bribes and continue to use money as a lure to encourage corrupt African leaders to legalize homosexuality in Ghana, but it will not succeed. Corruption is a component of the problem that causes poverty in Ghana and practically all African countries, but foreign governments' terrible policies toward Africa have also slowed Africa's development.

What type of devil do Western governments worship in order to continue to trouble Africa by legalizing homosexuality despite the fact that the majority of the population opposes it? Any African leader who opposes homosexuality attracts the wrath of the West and the US administration. They despised late President John Atta-Mills for opposing homosexuality's legalization in Ghana.

The late Zimbabwean leader, Robert Mugabe, faced the same fate and was labeled a dictator. I've said it before and I'll say it again: those that feed you are the ones who will tell you what to do. If African leaders don't want foreign countries to compel them to legalize homosexuality, then should stop begging for food and money from them.

Africa has enough resources to care of the entire world, which means it needs outstanding leaders to lead and develop the continent's riches for economic progress. This is something they hope never happens in Africa. Every successful and hardworking African leader is despised by the US government and the West. That is why they assassinated Muammar Qadaffi and overthrew Kwame Nkrumah.

Fighting for the legalization of homosexuality in Ghana does not imply that these foreign forces adore or care about the LGBTQ+ community. It's just one of several false strategies aimed at limiting Africa's population and resources. The rapid spread of HIV-Aids in Africa, according to the World Health Organization, is due to a lack of education.

When independent scientists informed the US government that HIV-Aids is a medical crime against humanity, they asked the World Health Organization, "If poverty or illiteracy is to blame for the spread of HIV-Aids in Africa, why is it that African-Americans have experienced the same HIV-Aids impact as Africans?" The World Health Organization has so far refused to respond.

This should serve as a caution to any educated African leader that if foreign powers claim to care about people and, therefore, the reason we want to legalize homosexuality for the LGBTQ+, is complete nonsense. They're only doing it for their own personal advantage. I find it very sad that many Africans have been led to believe that the West and the US government have good intentions for Africa.

Nobody cares about Africa, brothers, and sisters; they only do so because it is a wealthy continent. Ebola has only struck the affluent countries of Congo, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in the past year, yet these countries remain among Africa's poorest. Guinea had been seeing Ebola outbreaks every three months before the military took over. It's been a year since the military took over, and Ebola has now been eradicated from the country. Yet, the World Health Organization protected the US government and lied to the world that bats are responsible for the spread of Ebola, rather than a biological weapon.

Because the imposition of homosexuality in Ghana is meant to destroy the continent once again after slavery, colonialism, Apartheid, and man-made diseases, due to the continent's resources, I'm not sure when Ghanaian and African leaders in general, will be wise to stand up and make decisions for themselves.

The truth is that they don't care about LGBTQ+ people, and now that we've seen the light, we'll say no to legalizing homosexuality in our country, despite the fact that the NPP administration contains homosexuals. They can choose to be gay, but the majority of Ghanaians do not want gayism to be legalized in the country.

Since the majority of Ghanaians are uninterested in LGBTQ+ issues, billboards promoting gayism in Ghana have been removed and deconstructed, sending a powerful message to the West and the United States government. Therefore, foreign powers, allow those with ears to hear and allow the warnings to settle into your mind.
Chairman of the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong has noted that although students of the Islamic Senior High School (SHS) exceeded their boundaries during their protest, they did not deserve to be treated as armed robbers by the Police.

Some students last Monday protest the incessant knockdowns on the schools road as some reportedly peddled stones at Police personnel deployed to restore calm.

The Police fired shots and tear gas to disperse the crowd, leading to over 20 students being hospitalised after some fainted.

Speaking to the media after leading the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament to visit some of the victims on Friday, Kennedy Agyapong condemned the Police over the methods used in dealing with the students.

According to him, although students exceeded their boundaries, they shouldnt have been treated as armed robbers.

The students whether they are right or not they exceed their boundaries and overreacted. The same applies to the Police officers too, I think they also treated them like armed robbers, it was too much, and they also exceeded their boundaries.

We take a cue from what has happened to these students so that next time when Police are going out there, their team called crowd control, they should know the ages of the people that they are going to deal with. the Parliamentarian shared.

Kennedy Agyapong added, If you see the students that were injured, the Police officers, no matter the reasons went too far. A girl that I sympathize with is a girl who cant breathe properly because they hit her head with a gun, that was too much for a girl, not even a boy, and for that matter, not a man or woman.

Kennedy Agyapong charged the Ghana Police Service to take a relook at its crowd control unit and ensure things change for the best going forward.

So I will not be here to condemn anybody but I will plead with the Police High Command that next time they should take the crowd control unit to train and let them exercise patience, he added.
18.06.2022 LISTEN

A welder, John Adonu has been arrested by the Police for his suspected involvement in the murder of an 85-year-old man, Joseph Tawiah Darko in Kpetoe, in the Volta Region.

From a Police statement released on Friday, the aged man was reported missing on June 14 after he had left home the previous day and failed to return.

Subsequently, on June 15, the decapitated body was found under a tree on his farm.

Following preliminary investigations, the Police have caused the arrest of one suspect and now pursuing two others.

The Police on June 16, 2022, arrested John Adonu, a welder, for his suspected involvement in the murder of an 85-year-old man, Joseph Tawiah Darko in Kpetoe, in the Volta Region.

Investigations are ongoing and efforts are being made to arrest two others whose names have come up in the investigations and are suspected to be linked to the murder, parts of a Police statement have disclosed.

The arrested suspect, John Adonu was put before court on Friday and has been remanded to reappear on June 29, 2022.

The Police are appealing for support from the members of the Kpetoe community in particular and the public at large as investigations continue into the case.
Members of Parliaments Defence and Interior Committee say they have received shocking revelations of how police officers allegedly brutalised students and teachers at the Islamic Senior High School during a protest.

The committee which is on a fact-finding mission following the incident, expressed concern over the actions of police officers who were deployed to maintain order in the school.

About 30 students of the school were rushed to the hospital after police fired tear gas and pepper spray on them while they were demonstrating over frequent knockdowns in front of the school.

Members of the Committee met management, the student body, the injured students, and a teacher during a visit to the school.

The Committee later met with the Ashanti Regional Police Command as part of its mission.

Chairman of the Committee, Kennedy Agyapong, did not mince words and called the Roads and Highways Minister to sack the Urban Roads Director in the Ashanti Region.

Mr. Agyapong blamed the Urban Roads Directorate for failing to act in providing speed ramps on the main Abrepo -Barekese road after the school wrote several letters to draw attention to the matter.

The school had written to the Ashanti Urban Roads Director since 2010 over the issue. The last one was in September 2021 and nothing has been done and people are dying.

Mr. Agyapong was adamant that heads needed to roll because of the unresponsiveness of the Urban Roads Directorate.

I think somebody should be fired from there, honestly. If I was the minister, today, I would have fired the Urban Roads director, the MP said.

The fact-finding mission was, however, necessitated by the heavy-handed response of police to protesting students.

citinewsroom
ASA Savings and Loans Limited have made a huge donation to the Good Shepherd Child Care, an orphanage located at Kasoa Ofaakor in the Central Region.

The donation has been done by the ASA Savings and Loans Limited Business Centre at Kasoa Ofaakor.

The donation costing thousands of Ghana Cedis has seen the financial institution present food items in large quantities to the Good Shepherd Child Care.

Some of the food items handed over to the orphanage include rice, beans, cooking oil, chicken, fish, and sugar.

Besides the food, ASA Savings and Loans has also provided stationery items including exercise books, pens, and pencils.

In addition to these, provisions such as biscuits, This Way cholocate drinks, various flavours of juice, as well as toiletries including T-rolls, soaps, and washing powder have been donated to the orphanage.

The items were presented by Mr. Alam Safiul, the Area Manager for ASA Savings and Loans in Kasoa.

He was joined by Madam Atikatu Adam, Branch Manager for the ASA Savings and Loans Ofaakor branch to make the donation.

The donation which is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities of ASA Savings and Loans Limited is to keep the Good Shepherd Child Care running.

According to Mr. Alam Safiul, ASA Savings and Loans wants to see the children at the orphanage receiving good care to live well.

Officials of Good Shepherd Child Care after receiving the items expressed appreciation to ASA Savings and Loans for the kind gesture and called on other entities to follow in that regard to help cater for the children at the orphanage.
The remains of one of the two bodies found in the Amazon rainforest are those of UK journalist Dom Phillips, the Brazilian police have confirmed.

They say the identification was based on dental records.

The second body  believed to be that of indigenous expert Bruno Pereira  is still being examined.

Mr Phillips, 57, and Mr Pereira, 41, were first reported missing on 5 June. Earlier this week, a suspect confessed to burying the bodies.

The suspect was later named as Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira. The police said he had explained in detail how both men were killed before leading officers to the place where their bodies were buried.

Human remains were then dug up. The suspects brother, Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, has also been arrested in connection with the killings, but denies any involvement.

On Friday, police announced that they had issued an arrest warrant for a third suspect  Jeferson da Silva Lima, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.

After the first suspects confession, Dom Phillips family said they were heartbroken.

Speaking on Radio 4s Today programme Mr Phillips sister Sian Phillips said his family had been aware there were risks but that her brother had under played them to an extent.

I think he was a leading light in journalism, he was shining a light on an area which is a global problem, she said, adding that he had wanted to tell the stories of the indigenous people who live in the Amazon.

Her husband, Paul Sherwood, said the family wanted justice which made it possible for journalists and protectors of the rainforest to feel safe in continuing to report from and to help the indigenous people.

He said the family were almost certain that the pair were attacked by people involved in illegal fishing but said what they wanted to know was whether they were acting alone or with the involvement of other powerful people.

Mr Sherwood said that drug trafficking and organised crime was involved with illegal fishing in the region.

Brazilian police said they did not believe the suspects were acting as part of an organised criminal gang.

The investigations indicate that the killers acted alone, with no bosses or criminal organisation behind the crime, police said, according to Reuters news agency.

But local indigenous rights group Univaja, which played a central role in the search for the men, said the circumstances suggested the opposite  that a criminal gang was likely involved.

The group said: The cruelty of the crime makes clear that Pereira and Phillips crossed paths with a powerful criminal organisation that tried at all costs to cover its tracks during the investigation.

It added that it had informed the federal police about the operation of such a group in the Javari Valley on several occasions in the past few years.

The pair went missing in the valley, a remote region in Brazils far west, which is home to thousands of indigenous people from more than 20 groups. It is a refuge for these indigenous groups, who live in isolation from the outside world.

Mr Pereira had been introducing the journalist  who was writing a book on the Amazon  to contacts and acting as his guide when their boat failed to arrive at an expected point near the border with Peru.

Source: BBC
According to his lawyers, Ali El Haddad Asufi is before the court only because Belgian police investigators failed to do their job properly. Notably on the question of who supplied the weapons used by the November 2015 terrorist killers.

The penalty for providing arms to a terrorist gang is 20 years in jail. The prosecution has called for Haddad to serve 16. His lawyers on Friday asked for their man to be set free.

Maitre Jonathan de Taye launched the defence of Ali El Haddad Asufi by underlining the inconsistencies in the police report. There are many.

"Haddad was a drug dealer. He went to Holland from time to time to buy drugs, meet other dealers. And he is accused of trying to buy guns?"

Why, wondered the defence lawyer, did the police waste time in Rotterdam, refusing to continue their enquiries about arms suppliers in Belgium.

Lots of suspicions, absolutely no proof

Haddad's second counsel, Maitre Menya Arab-Tigrine, began by talking about the "movement from religious belief to crime". Then she attacked the imprecision of the concept of radicalisation. How can you know that a friend whom you visit 40 times in prison has undergone a fundamental change, has become dangerously committed to a murderous cause?

The friend in question was Ibrahim El Bakraoui, since dead in the 2016 Brussels attacks.

There are all sorts of suspicions, the lawyer continued, but absolutely no proof against my client.

He went to Greece with Bakraoui in the summer of 2015? So? Haddad also warned his friend against the personal dangers of getting involved with Islamic State.

"He doesn't deserve 16 years for having failed to see what was going on in the sick brain of Ibrahim El Bakraoui."

'Rise to the level of our client'

Maitre Marc Mechin, Haddad's third defender, evoked the complexity of the November 2015 file, with its million pages of evidence, thousands of reports, hundreds of testimonies.

"I have heard it said that the accused are not worthy of this trial... That's nonsense... First of all, because there are no 'accused,' there are individuals.

"Ali El Haddad Asufi is not a terrorist, he is not a jihadist. He's a guy from Brussels, who works at the airport, deals a bit on the side.

"Could it be that this trial is not worthy of the accused?" Because the individual acts of each of the accused have been submerged in the immensity of the evidence.

"Haddad had no idea that his friend was planning a terrorist attack.

"Let the tribunal rise to the level of Ali El Haddad Asufi. Set him free."

The trial continues.
The Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) in conjunction with the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) as well as the Ghana police service has said it is working around the clock to get the damaged Twifo-Jukwa bridge fixed.

In a press release issued on Saturday, June 18, 2022, the public has been notified about a washout that has made the Cape Coast-Twifo Praso road inaccessible following heavy rain on Friday, June 17, 2022.

Motorists and commuters heading towards Cape Coast from Twifo or otherwise are advised to use alternative routes such as Cape Coast-Yamoransa (N1)-Assin Fosu-Twifo Praso (N81) roads.

The traffic has been diverted or reversed, and no motorists are currently stranded at the site with the help of announcements made by residents in the nearby communities.

Read full statement below:

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

The Ghana Highway Authority kindly wishes to bring to the notice of the general public that a washout of bridge approaches at Jukwa has rendered the Cape Coast - Twifo Praso road inaccessible. The road has been cut off by the rains at Jukwa.

Motorists traveling between Cape Coast and Twifo Praso are therefore advised to use Cape Coast - Yamoransa (N1)- Assin Fosu - Twifo Praso (N81)road as the Authority mobilizes to solve the problem as soon as possible.

Currently, the Ghana Police Service and NADMO are on-site together with GHA personnel to manage the situation.

The washout is at a 22m span bridge at ch 20+000 at Jukwa.

We apologize sincerely for any inconvenience caused.

Note: With the aid of the public announcement and the efforts of communities between Cape Coast and Jukwa, traffic has been diverted/reversed and there are no stranded motorists at the site currently.
Jinha Agency, June 17, 2022

According to statistics obtained in April, these women were either killed or encouraged to commit suicide.

KABUL - Every time we visit social media or interact with people in different provinces, we are sadly informed of the murder and suicide of women in different parts of Afghanistan. With the takeover of the Taliban, these killings have increased more than ever. The victims range from mothers with children to girls two or three years old. The main reason for each killing, according to Taliban officials, is unknown.

It can be said that the main reasons for the killings are poverty, unemployment, violence, psychological trauma, patriarchal mentality and the domination of fundamentalist ideas.

Jinha Agency publishes statistics and figures documenting the mortalities of women in April and May 2022.

On April 21, a woman was killed by a mortar shell in Spinghar District of Nangarhar.

On April 30, three women were killed in a mine-laden car in the Dehburi area of Kabul city.

On May 5, a teacher at a school in the Siah Chashm District of Nimroz was strangled to death with her scarf.

On May 6, Fereshteh, a student at Zavol Private University in Kabul, suffered a heart attack for fear of closing the university gates after the exams.

On May 12, Madina, a 12-years-old girl in Spinghar District of Nangarhar, died after falling into a water well.

On May 12, a female teacher was killed in Nimroz province after being abducted. Her body was found in the city center.

On May 12, a 20-years-old girl was shot dead in Sang-e-Takht-wa-Bandar District of Daikundi.

A girl was killed on May 13 in Almar District of Faryab.

On May 14, a woman was killed by her husband in Faryab province.

On May 14, Gulbuddin shot and killed his sister-in-law, Shohreh Gul, in Almaar District of Faryab.

On May 14, Hatika, a woman in Samangan province, died after her husband hit a stone at her head.

On May 14, 15-years-old Shakila hanged herself in the Watas District of Bamyan.

On May 14, a mother was killed and her daughter was wounded in an armed attack in Jaghori.

On May 14, Nazifa, a young girl, hanged herself in Shirin Tagab District of Faryab province.

On May 16, Aisha Gul was killed in the city of Maimana, Faryab.

On May 19, a man killed his wife in the Herawood District of Uruzgan.

On May 19, a man shot and killed his wife in Tarinkot, Uruzgan.

On May 19, a man killed his 9-years-old fiancee in Kandahar.

On May 20, in the city of Aibak in Samangan province, a man killed his wife with a knife and wounded his two children.

The Jinha Agency has been able to document 19 cases of murder of women. But we are sure that this statistic is unfortunately higher than the number that has not been covered by the media or due to the obscene customs and traditions of the society.

On the other hand, all these murders, all their killers escaped from the murder scene, and the Taliban regime, because they are very anti-woman, did not pursue them at all. According to statistics, these murders are increasing day by day.
A security analyst believes the sanctions on some police officers following their much-criticised response to protests at the Islamic Senior High School were wrong.

Speaking on The Big Issue, the President of the Institute for Security, Disaster and Emergency Studies, Dr. Ishmael Norman, said the officers were only following due process.

Having followed the order given by their superior officers, you cannot interdict them, Dr. Norman argued.

He noted further that the failings of the police during the protest on June 13 should be laid at the feet of the Inspector General of Police.

The onus is on him [the IGP] to make sure that we have alternative approaches to public disturbances, Dr. Norman said.

The Ghana Police Service removed its Deputy Ashanti Regional Commander, DCOP Kwasi Akomeah Apraku, following the incident.

DCOP Apraku was also interdicted together with two other senior officers.

Dr. Norman argued further that police should be provided with alternative protocols for crowd control because police officers generally do what they are trained to do.

Per his assessment, the police manual doesnt differentiate between the age or gender of protestors.

So it is the duty of the IGP to change the training manual if students are in involved, the approach should be different If you read the manual, you will see that they didnt deviate from the manual, he added.

The schools students were protesting to demand speed ramps to prevent knockdowns from speeding vehicles in front of their school.

About 32 students from Islamic Senior High School were hospitalised after they were met with police action that included the use of tear gas.

Various probes are ongoing to determine the facts of what happened on the day of the protest.

citinewsroom
Wa West MP, Peter Toobu, has said the main lapse in the police response to protests at the Islamic Senior High School was not deploying a full Formed Police Unit.

They are equipped in such a way that when they appear in a crowd, there is a way to handle them without getting to the point of killing people, Mr. Toobu said on The Big Issue.

The Formed Police Unit is specially trained to deal with public disorder.

But Mr. Toobu noted that if you deploy the wrong tools to solve a problem, you will get wrong answers. If the police deploy the wrong unit to deal with crowd management, all you will get is embarrassment.

If they [the FPU] are not available, and you have to call people who are on patrol to deal with armed robbery, all they carry with them are AK-47s, and they will have to use it if it becomes necessary.

Though police may not fire on a crowd, Mr. Toobu explained that warning shots can still cause casualties.

When they [students] hear the gunshots, the sound alone can create fear and panic, and some of them can even run and hit themselves on walls and fall into gutters and get hurt.

The Ghana Police Service removed its Deputy Ashanti Regional Commander, DCOP Kwasi Akomeah Apraku, following the incident while two other officers were interdicted.

Over 30 students from the school were hospitalised after they were met with police action that included the use of tear gas and the firing of warning shots.

The students were protesting to demand speed ramps to prevent knockdowns from speeding vehicles in front of their school.

Various probes are ongoing to determine the facts of what happened on the day of the protest.

Members of Parliament's Defence and Interior Committee have also been to the school as part of a fact-finding mission.

Mr. Toobu noted that he was waiting for the full report and the reasons for the interdiction of the personnel.

citinewsroom
Senegal's main opposition leader was in a standoff with the government Saturday, a day after clashes left three people dead and heightened fears of worsening violence ahead of legislative elections in six weeks.

Ousmane Sonko urged President Macky Sall to release detained opposition members, failing which their supporters would come "to get these political hostages, whatever that will cost," he said on Facebook.

Senegalese are divided over who was responsible for the violence, and how to stop the spiral of violence in a country often considered a beacon of stability in west Africa.

There has been criticism of the government over its handling of the clashes in Dakar and Casamance in the south Friday.

The unrest came after youths defied a ban on gatherings to protest the invalidation of a list of opposition candidates for the July 31 elections.

The clashes left one person dead in the capital and two others in Casamance, at least two of whom were not part of the protests according to media reports.

Three opposition figures, Dethie Fall, Ahmet Aidara and Mame Diarra Fame, were arrested on Friday.

Another protest leader, Guy Marius Sagna, was arrested Saturday in Casamance, according to his brother.

Authorities have so far remained silent on the extent of the damage as well as the police response.

Police blocked Ousmane Sonko and another ardent critic of the president, Dakar Mayor Barthelemy Dias, from their homes on Friday to prevent them from carrying out their plan to go to the protest despite the ban.

Dias was trapped in his home by police on Saturday, a member of his entourage told AFP on condition of anonymity.

On social media, Sonko accused Sall of being "a murderous president", citing at least a dozen people killed in riots in March 2021.

He also denounced what he called the president's "obsession" with seeking a third term in 2024 although Sall has remained vague on the issue.

Sonko, who was third in the 2019 presidential election, is running for president in 2024.

'Edge of the precipice'

The opposition alleges that the government is seeking to neuter competition by using institutions such as the Constitutional Council to thwart Sall's political opponents.

After weeks of wrangling, the council on June 3 confirmed that the national list of candidates submitted the Yewwi Askan Wi coalition for legislative elections was invalid.

The decision rules out Sonko and other opponents of Sall.

The opposition held a first peaceful protest on June 8.

It then threatened to prevent the conduct of the elections if their list was not reinstated and called for a new rally on Friday.

This time, the authorities banned it, citing the risk of unrest stoking fears of violence.

"When demonstrations are banned, we have a brutal repression that causes deaths and material damage. Ban = disorder, death, damage," tweeted Alioune Tine, a prominent human rights activist.

Bamba Fall, mayor of Medina, one of Dakar's main towns, slammed the opposition for "turning the country upside down."

Neither side has given any sign of wanting a compromise.

Maurice Soudieck Dione, a professor of political science, said that "we still have ways out of the crisis if the two camps do not become radicalised".

"In Senegal, we like to play on the edge of the precipice, but the Senegalese people have shown maturity," he said, citing two past instances of political turbulence in the country.

"In the end we voted," he told AFP.
Dr John Nkrumah-Mills, President of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, has called on health professionals of the Methodist faith to be more responsible to the people they serve, especially patients.

They should also see their profession as a call to meet the health needs of patients as demonstrated by Jesus, "who went about healing the sick and showing compassion to society."

Dr Nkrumah-Mills was speaking at the fifth conference of Methodist Health Professionals in Takoradi in the Western Region.

The surgeon advised: "Know who you are: love patients, have faith in the things you do for patients and above all love your patients in order to give them the best of care especially as Christian professionals who are imitating Christ.

The conference is organised annually to reflect on the performance of the various health facilities, discuss national issues and mobilise support to assist in community health care.

Dr Kenneth Sagoe, the General Director of Social Services of the Methodist Church, Ghana, urged them to model their services after the will of Christ.

"You know as Christians, our activities and services to humanity is a must; and we must continue to serve the needs of the marginalised in society to inherit the blessings that come with that," he added.

He also advocated integrated regulatory services rather than separating services from the Regulatory Agencies that cost them time and resources.

The Conference discussed laws governing the sector, which protected the health of the population and guided them from several health risks.

They pledged to ensure compliance and delivery of safe health care services and deliver as expected of them.

Dr Peter Yeboah, from Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), said law and order should serve as enabler of effective performance rather than hindrance to service delivery.

Mr Abu Sumaila , the Regional Director of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) urged the professionals to look out for adverse drug reactions and report them to improve drug quality.

Mr Emmanuel Okyere, the Western Regional Director of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) advised providers to improve upon service delivery to meet the health care needs of the people.

GNA
Government has withdrawn the Tax Exemptions Bill 2021, which seeks to prevent a significant loss of government revenue from Parliament.

This is after Deputy Finance Minister John Kuma has sought the leave of the House to withdraw the bill and to re-laid it later in the House.

The Exemptions Bill was laid in Parliament on November 16, 2021, and referred to the Finance Committee of Parliament for consideration.

The Exemptions Bill when passed, is expected to make substantial savings for the Government of Ghana.

For years, experts have attempted to quantify the losses and the depletion to the state coffers occasioned by the unbridled grant of tax waivers.

Moreover, the government itself has estimated that the Exemptions Bill when passed, stands to save GH500 million of revenue that otherwise would be lost to tax exemptions in 2019.

This amount is more than the yield of the tax increases that was announced.

Failure to take action on exemptions is therefore costing the nation dearly and prompting the resort to tax hikes to plug revenue shortfalls, Mr Kuma said, adding that, the Government also cited for example that in 2011, tax exemptions/tax expenditures cost the nation 6.13 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), translating in US$ 2.4 billion.

In 2013, Ghana lost 5.2 percent of its GDP to tax expenditures amounting to USD$ 2.5 billion, according to the International Monetary Fund.

GNA
18.06.2022 LISTEN

A middle-aged man onboard a United Airlines flight from the Dulles International Airport Washington, US, has been reported dead after arriving at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

The man is reported to have died on Friday, 17 June 2022.

Astatement issued by the management of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) on Saturday, 18 June 2022, disclosed that the man arrived at the KIA in the company of a relative at 10.20 am.

According to the statement, the man complained of difficulty in breathing and tiredness.

The Ground Handler therefore offered the man a wheel chair.

He however became unconscious at the arrival hall and was given medical attention.

He was unresponsive and was taken to the Airport Clinic but passed on.

In line with protocols, the Airport District Police station was immediately informed.

Ghana Airport Company Limited has commenced an investigation into the incident, the statement said.

Management of the GACL also extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved family.

Source: classfmonline.com
Several communities along the Ankaful Prisons-Elmina Junction Road have been completely submerged following three days of torrential rainfall.

Some residents in the affected communities including Ankaful Fie, Ntranoa, Amissano, Nkontrodu, Peace and Bethel Avenues have been rendered homeless with others who have no alternative places stuck in their rooms.

Other terribly hit areas include Abee, Simiw and Abrem where the Agona Health Centre has been affected.

Many structures and homes, including those belonging to the Ankaful Prisons, farms, parks among other facilities have all been submerged.

The streets are completely out of site with no vehicles commuting.

As at the time of filing the story a Fire Service rescue team had arrived at Kakum Cottage, near the SSNIT Flats, with a boat to evacuate distressed people whose property have been swallowed by the high tide moving flood waters, to safety.

Roads have been rendered unmotorable while the Nkontrodu Bridge had been completely swallowed by the floods.

A prison officer (name withheld), according to internal sources, is feared dead after he fell in the water during an operation on Saturday.

At Mepeasem, cars were seen completely sunk in the floods, so were many buildings, some with their walls collapsed.

A canyon at the Jukwa portion of the Cape Coast  Twifo-Praso road has rendered the road inaccessible and left hundreds of commuters and residents stranded at both sides.

The portion of the road at the tip of the bridge just before the Jukwa barrier was deeply eroded by the high current from a nearby river, which overflowed its banks due to the rains.

The situation has left the bridge in a deplorable state and, therefore, needs urgent fixing.

The affected portion of the road has since been cordoned off by security personnel to keep residents and commuters at bay.

The residence of the Chief Executive Officer of the EXIM Bank, Mr Lawrence Kwabena Agyinsem, very close to the scene was also terribly hit as he lost, at least, two cars to the floods after his wall was pulled down by the fast-moving water.

Owing to the situation, commuters from Cape Coast to Praso have to pass through Assin Fosu, pushing the transportation fare from GH22 to GH50 consequently.

Some affected persons who thronged the scene called on authorities to attend to the road with urgency because the situation was having a devastating effect on them.

We were going for a funeral but were greeted by this situation here. We have been directed to use another town, but I understand it is also flooded. It doesn't not look like the situation can be salvaged immediately and so we are returning to Accra, a commuter, Mr Isaac Amponsah, said.

I am a bolt driver and I have to deliver some goods at Domeabra but I cannot go, which means I cannot make sales today. It is very troubling.

We need the authorities to do something about this bridge immediately, another road user, Mr Daniel Nwonsah, said.

GNA
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. Capitol Police said Friday that officers arrested seven unauthorized people in a congressional office building Thursday night and charged them with unlawful entry.

The people identified themselves as being affiliated with CBS' Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Another person familiar with the matter provided the AP with a list of nine people who had been stopped by Capitol Police. They included several producers, along with Robert Smigel, the voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

The two people who spoke with the AP could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The incident Thursday night followed the third public hearing by the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.

Capitol Police said they received a call about a disturbance in the Longworth House Office Building around 8:30 p.m. Responding officers observed seven individuals, unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway, the agency said in a statement. The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, CBS said the production team was at the Capitol Wednesday and Thursday to record a comedy segment featuring Triumph.

Their interviews at the Capitol were authorized and pre-arranged through Congressional aides of the members interviewed," the network said. "After leaving the members offices on their last interview of the day, the production team stayed to film stand-ups and other final comedy elements in the halls when they were detained by Capitol Police.

The USCP statement said the case remains an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges. Capitol Police, departing from standard practice, refused to provide the names of the people who were arrested.
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Protesters pray outside a library in New York City as Flame, a drag queen sporting a bright wig and a red gown, entertains the children inside by singing the ABCs, leading a coloring activity and reading books about how its OK to be different.

Outside Chicago, protesters harass parents attending storytime with their children and proclaim that the staff operating the event came from the devil.

And in a San Francisco suburb, men invade Panda Dulces reading at a librarys Drag Queen Story Hour, shouting homophobic and transphobic slurs.

After focusing on transgender athletes and youths, anti-LGBTQ rhetoric is now targeting drag storytimes  conceived as a way to educate and entertain children by appealing to their imaginations  with interruptions and other protests reported across the country in the past two weeks, since Pride Month began.

Organizers of the story hours say that social media accounts are fueling the backlash and that opponents claiming they want to protect children are actually scaring and endangering them. The organizers said they will enhance security but wont stop their programs.

The reading groups have faced pushback from the beginning, but the recent vitriol is new, said Jonathan Hamilt, executive director of Drag Queen Story Hour and the co-founder of the New York chapter.

Being a part of the LGBT community and a queer person in general, weve always experienced hate and slurs and homophobia and transphobia. Thats unfortunately just part of our existence, Hamilt said. All this feels different and very real, and it feels a bit scarier.

Drag Queen Story Hour, a nonprofit, was started in San Francisco in 2015 by activist and author Michelle Tea. Chapters have since opened across the U.S. and elsewhere. Other organizations with readers in drag have also formed.

As part of Drag Queen Story Hour's programming, drag queens read to children and their parents at libraries, bookstores, fairs, parks and other public spaces to celebrate reading through the glamorous art of drag.

When the library in San Lorenzo, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco, held its first Drag Queen Story Hour four years ago, people prayed across the street in protest, said Alameda County librarian Cindy Chadwick.

Last weekend, as the library hosted its second such event, at least five men  one of them wearing a T-shirt showing a rifle and the words Kill Your Local Pedophile  walked in and began hurling insults at Panda Dulce as she read to children and their parents, Chadwick said.

The horrible irony of it was they said over and over, Were here to protect the kids. And it was the kids they were terrifying. The kids were afraid of them, and the kids were there with their parents who had brought them to this event, Chadwick said.

A spokesperson for the county sheriff's office said the men, who identified themselves as members of the Proud Boys, are all residents of the Bay Area. The episode is being investigated as a hate crime.

The Alameda County Library, which continues to receive threats, now plans to host a Pride event each month for the rest of the year, Chadwick said, and the sheriffs office will provide security.

The library event was mentioned on a right-wing Twitter account that, along with other social accounts, has framed drag queens as abusive, depraved groomers, Chadwick said. The same account shared a promotion for a Kiddie Korner at a Pride event in Waukegan, Illinois, that was to include a drag storyteller and dress-up bin.

It resulted in dozens of angry calls and messages, said Nikki Michele, executive director of the nonprofit LGBTQ+ Center Lake County, which ran the event.

A lot of, youre a groomer, stop grooming children, groomer, groomer, groomer, youre a pedophile, Michele said.

The event was interrupted by protesters who tried to film children and yelled at their parents, Michele said.

In Mahwah, New Jersey, a flyer disseminated online and left on doorsteps and in condo lobbies misrepresented a drag performer as a known PORNOGRAPHER who normalizes PEDOPHILIA AND ABUSE OF CHILDREN.

Detractors called local government offices and the Mahwah Pride Coalition in attempts to shut down its storytime event, said Susan Steinberg, the nonprofits director. But Angel Lauriano, who performs in drag as Honey Marie, weathered protesters and showed up anyway Monday  in long sleeves  to talk to kids about cats, dogs and their dreams in life.

The protest campaign  as intended  is giving some parents pause about bringing their kids to a space where they could be harassed. But Michele said it's important to be visible.

That would be a bad show of faith if my own kids werent even there, Michele said. But I mean, it did scare me enough that I had that conversation with myself.

Framing LGBTQ people as endangering children builds on the same playbook anti-gay crusaders used in the 1970s, said Don Haider-Markel, a University of Kansas political science professor.

The term they used at that time was recruitment, Haider-Markel said. Now theyve just switched that to groomers. Its old wine in a new bottle.

Its a strategy conservative candidates are using to motivate white evangelical Christians to vote, according to Randall Balmer, a Dartmouth College historian of American religion.

The drag queen story hour plays right into their fears that the children are going to be led astray by evil or satanic or alien ideas, Balmer said.

Several politicians have discussed plans for legislation to ban drag shows for kids or punish parents for taking their kids to one. Among them is Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton, a Republican.

Children dont need to be focused on sex and sexualization, and we need to let them just grow up to be children and let them do that as theyre getting closer to being an adult, he said in an interview.

While many drag queens are known for risque and profane acts in nightclubs, Lauriano and others who read to children tailor these performances to be kid-friendly.

People automatically assume because we do drag, we want to become females or we want to be sexualized, he said. Its a way to make people feel happy. Its to entertain. Its to make people smile.

___

Swenson reported from New York City.
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LONDON (AP)  Russian hostilities in Ukraine are preventing grain from leaving the breadbasket of the world" and making food more expensive across the globe, threatening to worsen shortages, hunger and political instability in developing countries.

Together, Russia and Ukraine export nearly a third of the worlds wheat and barley, more than 70% of its sunflower oil and are big suppliers of corn. Russia is the top global fertilizer producer.

World food prices were already climbing, and the war made things worse, preventing some 20 million tons of Ukrainian grain from getting to the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia.

Weeks of negotiations on safe corridors to get grain out of Ukraine's Black Sea ports have made little progress, with urgency rising as the summer harvest season arrives.

This needs to happen in the next couple of months (or) its going to be horrific, said Anna Nagurney, who studies crisis management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is on the board of the Kyiv School of Economics.

She says 400 million people worldwide rely on Ukrainian food supplies. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization projects up to 181 million people in 41 countries could face food crisis or worse levels of hunger this year.

Heres a look at the global food crisis:

WHAT'S THE SITUATION?

Typically, 90% of wheat and other grain from Ukraine's fields are shipped to world markets by sea but have been held up by Russian blockades of the Black Sea coast.

Some grain is being rerouted through Europe by rail, road and river, but the amount is a drop in the bucket compared with sea routes. The shipments also are backed up because Ukraines rail gauges don't match those of its neighbors to the west.

Ukraines deputy agriculture minister, Markian Dmytrasevych, asked European Union lawmakers for help exporting more grain, including expanding the use of a Romanian port on the Black Sea, building more cargo terminals on the Danube River and cutting red tape for freight crossing at the Polish border.

But that means food is even farther from those that need it.

Now you have to go all the way around Europe to come back into the Mediterranean. It really has added an incredible amount of cost to Ukrainian grain, said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington.

Ukraine has only been able to export 1.5 million to 2 million tons of grain a month since the war, down from more than 6 million tons, said Glauber, a former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Russian grain isn't getting out, either. Moscow argues that Western sanctions on its banking and shipping industries make it impossible for Russia to export food and fertilizer and are scaring off foreign shipping companies from carrying it. Russian officials insist sanctions be lifted to get grain to global markets.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other Western leaders say, however, that sanctions don't touch food.

WHAT ARE THE SIDES SAYING?

Ukraine has accused Russia of shelling agricultural infrastructure, burning fields, stealing grain and trying to sell it to Syria after Lebanon and Egypt refused to buy it. Satellite images taken in late May by Maxar Technologies show Russian-flagged ships in a port in Crimea being loaded with grain and then days later docked in Syria with their hatches open.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia has provoked a global food crisis. The West agrees, with officials like European Council President Charles Michel and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying Russia is weaponizing food.

Russia says exports can resume once Ukraine removes mines in the Black Sea and arriving ships can be checked for weapons.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov promised that Moscow would not abuse its naval advantage and would take all necessary steps to ensure that the ships can leave there freely.

Ukrainian and Western officials doubt the pledge. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said this week that it may be possible to create secure corridors without the need to clear sea mines because the location of the explosive devices are known.

But other questions would still remain, such as whether insurers would provide coverage for ships.

Dmytrasevych told the EU agriculture ministers this week that the only solution is defeating Russia and unblocking ports: No other temporary measures, such as humanitarian corridors, will address the issue.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

Food prices were rising before the invasion, stemming from factors including bad weather and poor harvests cutting supplies, while global demand rebounded strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Glauber cited poor wheat harvests last year in the United States and Canada and a drought that hurt soybean yields in Brazil. Also exacerbated by climate change, the Horn of Africa is facing one of its worst droughts in four decades, while a record-shattering heat wave in India in March reduced wheat yields.

That, along with soaring costs for fuel and fertilizer, has prevented other big grain-producing countries from filling in the gaps.

WHOS HARDEST HIT?

Ukraine and Russia mainly export staples to developing countries that are most vulnerable to cost hikes and shortages.

Countries like Somalia, Libya, Lebanon, Egypt and Sudan are heavily reliant on wheat, corn and sunflower oil from the two warring nations.

The burden is being shouldered by the very poor," Glauber said. Thats a humanitarian crisis, no question.

Beside the threat of hunger, spiraling food prices risk political instability in such countries. They were one of the causes of the Arab Spring, and there are worries of a repeat.

The governments of developing countries must either let food prices rise or subsidize costs, Glauber said. A moderately prosperous country like Egypt, the world's top wheat importer, can afford to absorb higher food costs, he said.

For poor countries like Yemen or countries in the Horn of Africa  theyre really going to need humanitarian aid," he said.

Starvation and famine are stalking that part of Africa. Prices for staples like wheat and cooking oil in some cases are more than doubling, while millions of livestock that families use for milk and meat have died. In Sudan and Yemen, the Russia-Ukraine conflict came on top of years of domestic crises.

UNICEF warned about an explosion of child deaths if the world focuses only on the war in Ukraine and doesnt act. U.N. agencies estimated that more than 200,000 people in Somalia face catastrophic hunger and starvation, roughly 18 million Sudanese could experience acute hunger by September and 19 million Yemenis face food insecurity this year.

Wheat prices have risen in some of those countries by as much as 750%.

Generally, everything has become expensive. Be it water, be it food, its almost becoming quite impossible, Justus Liku, a food security adviser with the aid group CARE, said after visiting Somalia recently.

Liku said a vendor selling cooked food had no vegetables or animal products. No milk, no meat. The shopkeeper was telling us shes just there for the sake of being there."

In Lebanon, bakeries that used to have many types of flat bread now only sell basic white pita bread to conserve flour.

WHAT'S BEING DONE?

For weeks, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been trying to secure an agreement to unblock Russian exports of grain and fertilizer and allow Ukraine to ship commodities from the key port of Odesa. But progress has been slow.

A vast amount of grain is stuck in Ukrainian silos or on farms in the meantime. And there's more coming  Ukraines harvest of winter wheat is getting underway soon, putting more stress on storage facilities even as some fields are likely to go unharvested and because of the fighting.

Serhiy Hrebtsov cant sell the mountain of grain at his farm in the Donbas region because transport links have been cut off. Scarce buyers mean prices are so low that farming is unsustainable.

There are some options to sell, but it is like just throwing it away, he said.

U.S. President Joe Biden says hes working with European partners on a plan to build temporary silos on Ukraine's borders, including with Poland, a solution that would also address the different rail gauges between Ukraine and Europe.

The idea is that grain can be transferred into the silos, and then into cars in Europe and get it out to the ocean and get it across the world. But its taking time," he said in a speech Tuesday.

Dmytrasevych said Ukraines grain storage capacity has been reduced by 15 million to 60 million tons after Russian troops destroyed silos or occupied sites in the south and east.

WHATS COSTING MORE?

World production of wheat, rice and other grains is expected to reach 2.78 billion tons in 2022, down 16 million tons from the previous year  the first decline in four years, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said.

Wheat prices are up 45% in the first three months of the year compared with the previous year, according to the FAO's wheat price index. Vegetable oil has jumped 41%, while sugar, meat, milk and fish prices also have risen by double digits.

The increases are fueling faster inflation worldwide, making groceries more expensive and raising costs for restaurant owners, who have been forced to increase prices.

Some countries are reacting by trying to protect domestic supplies. India has restricted sugar and wheat exports, while Malaysia halted exports of live chickens, alarming Singapore, which gets a third of its poultry from its neighbor.

The International Food Policy Research Institute says if food shortages grow more acute as the war drags on, that could lead to more export restrictions that further push up prices.

Another threat is scarce and costly fertilizer, meaning fields could be less productive as farmers skimp, said Steve Mathews of Gro Intelligence, an agriculture data and analytics company.

There are especially big shortfalls of two of the main chemicals in fertilizer, of which Russia is a big supplier.

If we continue to have the shortage of potassium and phosphate that we have right now, we will see falling yields," Mathews said. No question about it in the coming years."

___

AP reporters Noha El-Hennawy in Cairo; Cara Anna and Eloge Willy Kaneza in Nairobi, Kenya; Zeina Karam in Beirut, Lebanon; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations; Lorne Cook in Brussels; Darlene Superville in Philadelphia; and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Poppies, the blood-red flowers that cover the battlefields of Europe's two world wars, were lain in mourning Saturday on the coffin of yet another dead soldier, this one killed in yet another European war, in Ukraine.

The hundreds of mourners for Roman Ratushnyi, 24, included friends who had protested with him during months of demonstrations that toppled Ukraine's pro-Russia leader in 2014 and who, like him, took up arms when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor this February.

The arc of his shortened life symbolized that of Ukraine's post-independence generations that are sacrificing their best years in the cause of freedom. First, with defiance and dozens of lives against brutal riot police during Ukraine's Maidan protests of 2013-2014 and now with weapons and even more lives against Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops.

Heroes never die! friends, family and admirers shouted in Ukrainian as Ratushnyi's coffin was loaded aboard a hearse on a square in the Ukrainian capital now decorated with destroyed Russian tanks and vehicles. Their charred hulks contrasted with the shiny gold domes of an adjacent cathedral where priests had earlier sung prayers for Ratushnyi, who was well-known in Kyiv for his civic and environmental activism.

From the square, the mourners then walked in a long silent column behind his coffin to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square. The vast plaza in central Kyiv gave its name to the three months of protests that overthrew then President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014 and which helped fuel the political and patriotic awakening of Ukrainians born after independence in 1991.

Ratushnyi had a heart full of love for Ukraine, said Misha Reva, who traveled overnight in his soldiers uniform from front lines in the east to say goodbye to the friend he met for the first time on Maidan, in the midst of the protests. Ratushnyi was then just 16; Reva was in his early 20s. It was Ratushnyi who introduced Reva to the woman who is now his wife, also on the square.

While the funeral was underway in central Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a trip south to visit troops and hospital workers in the Mykolaiv and Odesa regions along the Black Sea. He handed out awards to dozens of people at every stop, shaking their hands and thanking them again and again for their service.

Among the troops he met were many women, dressed in camouflage and bulletproof vests. At a hospital in Odesa, he awarded the rank of major general to the woman who commands the Ukrainian armys medical forces.

War is on the front line where our soldiers are, our army. But you also are on the front line, protecting our lives, helping wounded soldiers, helping the civilians who turn to you every day," Zelenskyy told the assembled civilian and military medical staff in Odesa. We are proud that we have such doctors in our country.

He also met with regional leaders in Mykolaiv and Odesa and went with them to see buildings that had been destroyed in Russian attacks that took the lives of many civilians.

In other developments Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed concerns that a bit of Ukraine fatigue is starting to set in around the world and said Ukraine must be supported in trying to roll back the Russian invasion to make sure the Ukrainians are not encouraged to go for a bad peace, something that simply wouldnt endure.

It would be a catastrophe if Putin won. Hed love nothing more than to say, Lets freeze this conflict, lets have a cease-fire,'" Johnson said. For him that would be a tremendous victory. Youd have a situation in which Putin was able to consolidate his gains and then to launch another attack.

Johnson spoke on his return from a surprise trip Friday to Kyiv where he met with Zelenskyy to offer continued aid and military training.

Western-supplied heavy weapons are reaching front lines, although not in quantities that Ukrainian officials say would be needed to push back Russian forces to positions they occupied before the invasion or beyond. The Associated Press was granted rare access Saturday to the firing of U.S.-supplied M777 howitzers on Russian positions in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. The powerful artillery pieces are helping Ukrainian forces reply in kind to Russian batteries that have been pounding towns and villages to rubble.

In Kyiv. the bells of St. Michaels cathedral tolled as four soldiers carried Ratushnyi's coffin to the memorial service Saturday morning, held outdoors in the church's sunlit courtyard. Poppies and a traditional loaf of bread were placed on the coffin covered with Ukraines blue and yellow flag.

During the Maidan protests, where riot police used batons and eventually bullets with deadly abandon, Ratushnyi and Reva had taken shelter together for one night inside the cathedral grounds, the friend recalled.

He was such a solid and big personality, Reva said. Its a great loss for Ukraine.

The friends then signed up to fight on the very first day of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24. After taking part in the defense of Kyiv in the assault's opening weeks, Ratushnyi then joined an army brigade, doing military intelligence work, Reva said. Reva said he's been fighting of late in positions away from where Ratushnyi was killed. Reva, 33, said two soldiers were killed and 15 wounded Thursday where he's been stationed.

People get killed every day on the front line, he said.

Ratushnyi was killed on June 9 around the town of Izyum on the wars eastern front, according to the environmental campaign group that he led in Kyiv. He fought for the preservation from development of a wooded park where people ski in winter.

He was a symbol, a symbol of a new Ukraine, of freedom and a new generation that wants to fight for its rights, said Serhli Sasyn, 21.

The best people are dying now."

___

Efrem Lukatsky in the Donbas region of Ukraine, and Inna Varenytsia in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this report.

___

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

This years Texas Republican Party platform will include support of the oil and gas industry and the infrastructure necessary to support domestic production.

James Beauchamp, a former Midland County Republican Party chair, told the Reporter-Telegram that Steven Villela, who served as the Senate District 31 delegate to the platform committee, sponsored the addition of plank No. 41  Midland Not Moscow.
Juneteenth Midland 2022

Saturday

Parade begins, 10 a.m., Starts at IDEA Travis, moves down Lamesa Road to East Indiana

Black Business Expo hosted by NAACP Midland Chapter, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Carver Old Gym

Opening Ceremony, noon, The Showmobile

Bookmobile and reading at the park by Tiere Strambler, 12:30-2 p.m.

Pool Party, 2-5 p.m., Washington Aquatic Center. Free. Children must be accompanied by an adult

Mental Health Matters, 4-5 p.m., The White House

Step/dance team performances and awards ceremony, 6 p.m.

Kids Zone, 7-9 p.m.

Live band performance, 8 p.m.

Sunday

Sister to Sister Melanin and Mimosas Brunch, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Pi Social

Pool Party, 2-5 p.m., Washington Aquatic Center. Free. Children must be accompanied by an adult

Gospel Celebration featuring Ty Johnson of Transform Ministries, 7 p.m.

Kids Zone, 7 p.m.

Black Business Expo hosted by NAACP Midland Chapter

When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday

Where: Carver Old Gym

Among the businesses that have committed or shown great interest: John Love Wealth Management/Paperwerks, Primerica & Legacy, Thurman Johnson  Edward Jones, Roy Nelson  State Farm Insurance, Live Pure Chiropractic, Sue Roseberry Mama Sue Enterprises, Viper Security Services, Brodney Moses  Law Office, Sweepco/Jayco Signs, Giggle Play Soft Play Rentals, MDG Party Rentals, Upscale Patio Cleaning Services, Freewill Advocates of Midland, Lisa Kelly Realty, Artorius Investment Group, Chaddis Bars Realtor, CJs Striping & Powerwash, K Childers Designs & Services, DW A/C Heating Service, Mode Communications, TOE Driving School, East Coast Framing and Construction, Cross Fit Mix, G6 Energy Service & Imperium Roots, E-Tech Services, The Promised Seed Ministries, Not Perfect Just Purposed.
Machine Gun Kelly's life will now be retold in his upcoming documentary from Hulu. The rapper, considered the "most polarizing rockstar" of this generation, is stripped down to his true emotions in the new film.

The documentary titled "Life in Pink" came months after the rapper-turned-rockstar released his sixth studio album, "mainstream sellout."

Machine Gun Kelly Documentary 'Life In Pink'

In the upcoming documentary, Hulu will be telling the origins of Colson Baker, more popularly known as Machine Gun Kelly, and how his life has been since he was playing music in his friend's basement to selling out stadiums sized-arenas.

Aside from this, Kelly returns to his hometown in Cleveland, Ohio, to recount his beginnings as a young rapper and his trek up to success.

At one point in the newly-released trailer, it featured the infamous moment between Machine Gun Kelly and UFC star Conor McGregor at the 2021 MTV VMAs. The two got into a scuffle after the latter threw a cocktail in Kelly's direction.

"It feels like the whole world hates me," Machine Gun Kelly opened up in the trailer. Montages of Kelly while in concert as audiences throwing him a tree branch and beverages were also shown in some clips.

The documentary, which will be released this Summer of 2022 via Hulu, promises to lift the lid on the star's rise from the Cleveland streets to become one of the most-talked-about musicians of the decade. (via Louder Sound)

READ ALSO: GRAMMYs 2023 Album of the Year: Here's Who We Think Will Go Head to Head

Kelly's paternal instincts were also featured in the trailer, as he recounts stories where he faced a gunman while her daughter was in the car and even flew miles away just to see her daughter's volleyball game despite coming from a late-night concert.

"People say that stuff about my dad, but they only see one side," Casie Baker, MGK's daughter, said.

MGK's good friend and frequent collaborator, Travis Barker, also appeared in the trailer, attesting to how they work together as a team in producing music.

"We make such an incredible piece of work. For me its like working on a blink album. I loved it like its my own," Barker said, possibly pertaining to Kelly's recent album, "mainstream sellout."

"mainstream sellout" is the second collaborative project that Travis and Kelly worked on, the first being "Tickets To My Downfall."

On its opening week, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Top Alternative Albums chart.

READ ALSO: 'Funny Girl' Insider Says Lea Michele Casted After Beanie Feldstein Exit [REPORT]

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)  Four non-scientific buildings at the Kitt Peak National Observatory southwest of Tucson were lost in a wildfire, but early indications show other buildings on the property didnt appear to be damaged, authorities said Saturday.

Buell T. Jannuzi, who leads the Department of Astronomy at the University of Arizona, said the fire didnt appear to have damaged the telescope and science buildings at the observatory, though a closer examination of the site hadnt yet been made due to safety concerns.

This is the most threatening fire I can remember at Kitt Peak in the last 25 years, Jannuzi said.

The fire reached the observatory early Friday. Crews were planning to assess the damage at the observatory later Saturday if conditions allowed for safe entry into the area.

Kitt Peak National Observatory is operated by NOIRLab, the National Science Foundations center for ground-based optical-infrared astronomy. The University of Arizona, which has had a telescope at the site since 1962, is a tenant of the observatory.

The lightning-caused fire, which led to an evacuation of the observatory earlier this week, had grown to 27 square miles (71 kilometers) by Saturday. There was zero containment of the fire, which started on June 11 on a remote ridge on the Tohono Oodham Indian Reservation.

In northern New Mexico, authorities who are concerned about the threat of post-wildfire floods as the state enters monsoon season have warned residents of San Miguel and Mora counties to be ready to evacuate due to flooding risks, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

The largest area facing flooding threats is where a fire that began two months ago has so far burned 533 square miles (1,381 square kilometers). The fire is 72% contained.

And in southwest Alaska officials say the immediate threat has passed to communities near St. Marys from a fire that by Saturday had reached 248 square miles (643 square kilometers) in size.
Although some groups have resumed meetings, others schedules may have changed because of pandemic restrictions. It is recommended you contact the group in advance to verify details. Any changes in meeting schedules can be emailed to JJCsocial@myjournalcourier.com.



ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

217-370-4002

Jacksonville locations:

 First Baptist Church, 1701 Mound Ave. Wheelchair-accessible.

 Club HOW, 638 S. Church St.

Monday

 Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church. Bowen Group.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

Tuesday

 Open discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Womens open meeting, 5:30 p.m., First Christian Churchs Fireside Room.

 VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 7 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, Main and Washington streets.

 ROODHOUSE: Closed discussion, 12-step/12 traditions, 8 p.m. at Grace Center, 114 W. Palm St.

Wednesday

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

Thursday

 Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Newcomers Group.

Friday

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. TGIF Group.

 Closed discussion, 5:15 p.m., Big Book Study at Club HOW.

 VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 401 E. Broadway Ave.

Saturday

 Open speaker, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

 Open meeting, noon at Club HOW.

Sunday

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. 12 & 12 Group.

 Closed discussion, 10 a.m. at Club HOW. (Second Sunday is open)

 SPRINGFIELD: AA for Women, 10 a.m. at Discovery Club, 313 W. Cook St.



AL-ANON

Meetings are nonsmoking and open to anyone. The only requirement is that there be a problem of alcohol with a loved one or friend.

217-248-6434.

Wednesday

 Al-Anon, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church, 331 E. State St. (use Morgan Street entrance).

Thursday

 Al-Anon, noon at First Presbyterian Church, 870 W. College Ave. (open meeting).



NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

All meetings are nonsmoking. Not affiliated with any religious organization.

Jacksonville locations:

 First Christian Church, 2106 S. Main St. (enter through far southeast door). 217-883-1975.

 Lutheran Church for the Deaf, 104 Finley St. (enter through back door). 217-883-1975.

Wednesday

 Open discussion group, 8 p.m. at Lutheran Church for the Deaf.

Friday

 Open discussion group, 7:30 p.m. at First Christian Church.



OTHER MEETINGS

Monday

 Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. at Faith Tabernacle, 571 Sandusky St. Use side entrance to church hall.

 PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. in the basement of Subway in Pittsfield. 1-800-323-1388.



Tuesday

 Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary, 7 a.m. Holiday Inn Express meeting room, South Jacksonville. 217-243-6895.



Wednesday

 Breastfeeding support group, 6 p.m., Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, Meeting Room 2.

 ROODHOUSE: Women with Hearts of Love (WWHOL), 6-7 p.m. at House of Restoration, 208 W. Franklin St. 217-602-1670.



Thursday

 Jacksonville Area Chess Club, 6-9 p.m. at Jacksonville Public Library. 217-370-0882.

 Jacksonville Kiwanis Club, noon at Hamiltons.

 WHITE HALL: Addicts Victorious, teens 5:30-6:30 p.m.; adults 7-8 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of New Life Church, 626 Curtis St.

 Cancer support group, 6-7:30 p.m., Winchester United Methodist Church. 217-742-3610.



Friday

 Jacksonville Rotary Club, noon at Hamiltons.

 PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 6 p.m. at Assembly of God, 575 Piper St. 800-323-1388.



Saturday

 Jacksonville Amateur Radio Societys Net, 9 p.m. Transmitted on K9JX repeater. K9JX.com.

 Scott County Alzheimers support group, 9-10:30 a.m. June 18, Winchester United Methodist Church, 20 N. Walnut St., Winchester. Free | Open to all caregivers who help care for Alzheimers- and dementia-affected persons. For more information, call 217-742-3610 or Pam Hembrough at 217-743-6427.
Farm Credit manager Metz retiring after almost 40 years Farm Credit Illinois manager Mark Metz is retiring after almost 40 years with the agency. ...

Chicago Sky, Red Stars and Fire license plates available soon... Soccer and womens professional basketball fans in Illinois can show their pride for the first...

Beardstown senior community is accepting applications BEARDSTOWN  A new Beardstown senior facility is accepting applications for its...
In a 4-3 decision with a blistering dissent from the Republican minority, the Illinois Supreme Court has declined to rule on a question of whether the Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Act is unconstitutional.

It was the second time the case of the People v. Vivian Brown came before the court and the second time the court declined to rule on the constitutionality of the state statute requiring Illinoisans to receive a permit to legally own a gun.

The majority opinion was written by Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and was procedural in nature. It contended that White County Circuit Court failed to adhere to the Supreme Courts 2020 ruling in the case, so it once again vacated the lower courts ruling that the firearms law was unconstitutional.

Burke was joined in the majority by Democrats Mary Jane Theis, P. Scott Neville Jr. and Robert Carter.

Justice Michael Burke  who is not related to the chief justice  wrote the dissent, making up 11 of the 21 pages in the order. He argued the majority decision was based on a misunderstanding of the record and a misreading of this courts precedents, and that it could keep the defendant in legal limbo for an untold period of years.

The case involves a White County resident, Vivian Claudine Brown, who was charged in March 2017 with possession of a firearm without a firearm owner's card after police responded to her estranged husbands call that she had fired a gun in her home.

Police found the rifle but no evidence that she fired it. Nonetheless, she was charged with the crime.

But a circuit judge in White County threw out the charge, ruling that the fees and forms required to receive a license imposed an unconstitutional burden on Browns Second Amendment right to keep a firearm in her own home.

But it was an alternate ruling made by the same court without prompting from Browns legal team that allowed the states high court to decline to rule on the constitutional grounds.

That alternative ruling contended that the Illinois General Assembly, when it passed the firearms act, never meant for it to apply in the home because, if it did, it would mean anybody with knowledge of a firearm and exclusive control over the area where it was kept could be construed as possessing the gun.

As a general rule, courts decline to rule on constitutional matters when a case can be decided on other grounds.

Because the circuit court ruled on an aspect of the firearms act pertaining to state law, the Supreme Courts 2020 decision vacated the order pertaining to constitutionality and sent the matter back to White County to permit the normal appellate process to run its course.

The ruling essentially was a win for Brown, but her legal team contended it wouldnt stand up to an appeal. Thus, Browns attorneys filed a motion to reconsider, arguing that the inevitable loss on appeal would delay clarity in the case.

The circuit court agreed and reinstated the charges. Browns attorneys then filed a new motion to dismiss on constitutional grounds, which the judge upheld, finding that any fee associated with exercising the core fundamental Constitutional right of armed self-defense within the confines of ones home violates the Second Amendment.

Thus, the state appealed the ruling back to the Supreme Court, leading to the ruling in which the majority decided the lower court had no authority to reconsider the case after the Supreme Courts 2020 ruling.

When a cause is remanded by the reviewing court with instructions to the circuit court to enter a specific order, the reviewing courts judgment is, with respect to the merits, the end of the case, and there is nothing which the circuit court (is) authorized to do but enter the decree'," the court wrote, quoting other case law.

If the lower court were allowed to make changes to the Supreme Courts ruling, the majority wrote, it would set a precedent upending our hierarchical judicial system.

The dissent from Michael Burke, however, argued that the majority asserted finality of its ruling while also suggesting that the proper place for review is now an appellate court, which is itself a lower court.

In reality, the judgment of the circuit court was not a judgment of this court that was final and conclusive on all the parties because this court declined to reach the merits of the statutory analysis and only vacated the circuit courts judgment on procedural grounds, Michael Burke wrote in the dissent. Accordingly, the trial court was free to reconsider the merits of that ruling, and nothing about it doing so upends our hierarchical judicial system.

Michael Burke argued that the majoritys supposition that Brown received complete relief when the circuit court vacated her charges was faulty, because the legal reasoning backing that decision is unlikely to hold up on appeal.

Thus, he predicted, the case ultimately will end up back at the Supreme Court on the constitutional basis, only after a significant delay to Browns detriment as the case moves through the appellate court.
KYIV, Ukraine  Because he'll shortly be deployed as a soldier on the battlefields of Ukraine, Serhiy Lipko and Anastasia Zukhvala chose to marry first, like a growing number of couples being torn asunder by war with Russia.

Like others, their nuptials were rushed and smaller than they would have been during peacetime, with just a few dozen close friends and family. She wore a simple crown of blue flowers in her hair. And then, because laughter can be medicinal and because Lipko was building a career as a comic before the defense of his country called, they headed to a stand-up comedy club in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

There, with his new wife watching from the wings, he took the stage in olive-green fatigues and soon had the crowd in stitches with close-to-the-bone humor about army and married life. He joked that military training with NATO instructors had been a great opportunity for him to practice his English, and how nervous he'd been about handling expensive military gear, for fear of breaking it.

The war isn't remotely funny, but Ukrainians are learning to laugh about the awfulness of it all. Not necessarily because they want to, but because they have to  to stay sane amid the brutality that has killed tens of thousands of people and is upending Ukraine, millions of lives and the world order as it rages on front lines in the east and south of the country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his troops, especially dead and wounded ones, are favorite targets of dark Ukrainian wartime humor. But there are red lines: Ukrainian dead aren't laughed about and the grimmest battles, among them the brutal siege of Mariupol and the port city's Azovstal steelworks, are far too raw for jokes. The same is true of atrocities in Bucha and elsewhere.

"Tragedies cannot and will never be the object of humor," said Zukhvala, who also works as a stand-up comic, as she and Lipko hugged with the tenderness of newlyweds after his show and scooped up armfuls of bouquets, wondering aloud how they'd find space for them at home.

"This is an absolutely crazy time, beyond ordinary experience," she said. "Our life now is made of paradoxes, and it can even be funny."

Ukraine's most famous comedian is Volodymyr Zelenskyy, now the country's president, elected in 2019. In the TV comedy series "Servant of the People," the former stand-up comic and actor played a lovable high school teacher who accidentally becomes president  before he later actually became one for real. But Zelenskyy hasn't had much cause for comedy since the Feb. 24 invasion thrust him into the role of wartime leader. His daily video addresses to the nation often are grim and forceful.

But while he works to rally international support and soldiers fight with tanks, artillery and tons of Western-supplied armaments, Ukrainians away from the front are using jokes and humor as weapons  against war-time anxiety and moroseness, against Russia and to feel as one, both laughing and crying together in their sorrow and anger.

Yuliia Shytko, 29, said she felt in far higher spirits after chortling loudly with the rest of the crowd through Lipko and other comedians' routines in the basement comedy club, the vast majority of their jokes revolving around war-related themes.

"Laughing and stuff, that's how you cope," Shytko said.

Lipko and Zelenskyy crossed paths in comedy before war utterly altered their trajectories. The future president, then still an entertainer, was a juror in 2016 on the TV game show, "Make a comedian laugh." Lipko was a contestant. He wore camouflage fatigues because he was in the midst of military service and rattled off jokes about his army experiences. He made Zelenskyy laugh by quipping that he'd buy a PlayStation if he won the top prize  which he eventually did. They spoke in Russian then; they both stick to Ukrainian in public now.

Lipko still is riffing off army life, even as he prepares within days to leave behind his bride to fight. The army gave him a day off to tie the knot, a quick in-and-out of a marriage office where their comedian friends ruffled the registrar's feathers by joking around.

"We laughed a lot," said stand-up comic Anton Tymoshenko, who attended and also performed later that night at the club.

Lipko's nickname in the army is "the comedian." During his routine, he joked that some things his fellow soldiers say and do are so funny he can't help but use them as fodder for his stand-up, despite having told them he wouldn't. Afterward, he said his comic outlook should help him endure in battle.

"I am a comedian who temporarily became a serviceman," he said. "I have plans and creative projects for after the war. There are things to live for."

Zukhvala said she tells herself that "we will win and everything will be fine." She wants a big wedding celebration when peace returns.

Tymoshenko said he and their other comedian friends will look after her while Lipko is away.

But he has worries of his own: He has been trying to persuade his parents to leave their village in the south that he feels is too close to the Russian advance. To his dismay, they're laughing off the danger. His mother quipped that, should Russian missiles churn up her potato plot, it would spare her the spade work.

"My mother never joked before the war," he said. "They use my weapons against me ... and that's unfair."
Floods in India, Bangladesh leave millions homeless, 18 dead View Photo

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  Army troops were called in to rescue thousands of people stranded by massive floods that have ravaged northeastern India and Bangladesh, leaving millions of homes underwater and severing transport links, authorities said Saturday.

In Indias Assam state, at least nine people were killed in the floods and 2 million saw their homes submerged, according to the state disaster management agency. Lightning strikes in parts of neighboring Bangladesh have left at least nine dead since Friday.

Both countries have asked their militaries for help as more flooding looms with rains expected to continue over the weekend.

In Sylhet in northeastern Bangladesh, on the banks of the Surma River, children sat on a window of an inundated house while other family members gathered on a bed inside their flooded home, some wondering how to make it through the ordeal.

How can we eat (in this condition)? said Anjuman Ara Begum, standing in the water inside her kitchen. We are living on muri (puffed rice) and chira (flattened rice) and other things given by people. What else can we do? We cant cook.

Flights at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet were suspended for three days as floodwaters almost reached the runway, according to Hafiz Ahmed, the airport manager. The Sylhet Sunamganj highway also was flooded but motorbikes were moving along.

Water levels in all major rivers across the country were rising, according to the flood forecasting and warning center in Dhaka, the capital. The country has about 130 rivers.

The center said the flood situation is likely to deteriorate in the worst-hit Sunamganj and Sylhet districts in the northeastern region as well as in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Rangpur districts in northern Bangladesh.

The Brahmaputra, one of Asias largest rivers, breached its mud embankments, inundating 3,000 villages and croplands in 28 of Assams 33 districts across the border in India.

We expect moderate to heavy rainfall in several parts of Assam till Sunday. The volume of rainfall has been unprecedented, said Sanjay ONeil, an official at the meteorological station in Gauhati, Assams capital.

Several train services were canceled in India amid the incessant downpour over the past five days. In southern Assams Haflong town, the railway station was underwater and flooded rivers deposited mud and silt along the rail tracks.

Indias army has been mobilized to assist disaster response agencies in rescuing stranded people and providing food and other essentials. Soldiers used speedboats and inflatable rafts to navigate through submerged areas.

Last month, a pre-monsoon flash flood, triggered by a rush of water from upstream in Indias northeastern states, hit Bangladeshs northern and northeastern regions, destroying crops and damaging homes and roads. The country was just starting to recover when fresh rains flooded the same areas again this week.

Bangladesh, a nation of 160 million people, is low-lying and faces threats from natural disasters such as floods and cyclones, made worse by climate change. According to the U.N.s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, about 17% of people in Bangladesh would need to be relocated over the next decade or so if global warming persists at the present rate.

___

Hussain reported from Gauhati, India.

By JULHAS ALAM and WASBIR HUSSAIN

Associated Press
Russian sanctions hurting small Italian fashion producers View Photo

BRESCIA, Italy (AP)  Fine Italian knitwear packed in boxes addressed to retailers in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kursk sit stacked in a Lombardy warehouse awaiting dispatch. Although not subject to sanctions to punish Russia for invading Ukraine, the garments are not likely to ship any time soon.

Missing payments from the Russian retailers who ordered the garments are piling up due to restrictions tied to the banking sector, putting pressure on small fashion producers like D. Exterior, a high-end knitwear company with 50 workers in the northern city of Brescia.

This is very painful. I have 2 million euros worth of merchandise in the warehouse, and if they cannot pay for it, I will be on my knees, said D. Exterior owner Nadia Zanola, surveying the warehouse for the brand she founded in 1997 from the knitwear company created by her parents in 1952.

Italy is the largest producer of global luxury goods in the world, making 40% of high-end apparel, footwear and accessories. While Russia generates just about 3% of Italian luxurys 97 billion euros ($101 billion) in annual revenue, it is a significant slice of business for some of the 80,000 small and medium companies that make up the backbone of Italian fashion, according to industry officials.

We are talking about eliminating 80% to 100% of revenues for these companies, said Fabio Pietrella, president of the Confartigianato fashion craftsman federation.

Districts producing footwear in the Marche and Veneto regions, and knitwear makers in Umbria and Emilia-Romagna have grown particularly reliant on Russia.

These are districts that connect the supply chain, and if it is interrupted, not only is the company that closes harmed, but an entire system that help make this country an economic powerhouse, Pietrella said.

The Italian fashion world is best known for luxury houses like Gucci, Versace and Armani, which unveil their menswear collections in Milan this week. And some of the biggest names appear on a list compiled by Yale University professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld of major companies doing business in Russia since the war in Ukraine began.

There are companies that kept selling to Nazi Germany after the outbreak of World War II  we dont celebrate them for that, Sonnenfeld said, labeling as greedy any enterprise that continues to do business in Russia today.

He also underlined that fashion companies dont have the grounds to make humanitarian appeals to bypass sanctions, voluntary or otherwise, as has been the case with agricultural firms and pharmaceutical companies.

Among those receiving a failing grade from Sonnenfeld is Italys Benetton, which in a statement condemned the war but said it would continue its commercial activities in Russia, including longstanding commercial and logistic partnerships and a network of stores that sustain 600 families.

French conglomerate LVMH, meanwhile, has temporarily closed 124 stores in Russia, while continuing to pay its 3,500 employees in Russia. The Spanish group Inditex, which owns the fast-fashion chain Zara, also temporarily closed 502 stores in Russia as well as its online sales, accounting for 8.5% of group pre-tax earnings.

Pietrella fears a sort of Russia-phobia is taking hold that is demonizing business owners for trying to keep up ties with a longer-term vision.

He characterized as a witch-hunt criticism of some 40 shoe producers from the Marche region on Italys Adriatic coast for traveling to Russia for a trade fair during the war.

European Union sanctions against Russia sharpened after the Ukraine invasion, setting a 300-euro wholesale maximum for each item shipped, taking super-luxury items out of circulation but still targeting the upper-middle class or wealthy Russians.

Without a doubt, we as the fashion federation have expressed our extreme concern over the aggression in Ukraine, Pietrella said. From an ethical point of view, it is out of discussion. But we have to think of our companies. Ethics are one thing. The market is another. Workers in a company are paid by the market, not by ethics.

He said the 300-euro limit on sales was a gambit by European politicians that on paper allows trade with Russia despite accompanying bureaucratic and financial hurdles, while also shielding governments from having to provide bailout funds to the industry. He also dismissed as overly facile government suggestions to find alternative markets to Russia.

If there was another market, we would be there already, Pietrella said.

At D. Exterior, exposure to Russia grew gradually over the years to now represent 35% to 40% of revenue that hit 22 million euros before the pandemic, a stream that is also under new pressure from higher energy and raw material costs.

The company was already delivering its summer collection and taking orders for winter when Russia invaded on Feb. 24. By March, Russian retailers were having trouble making payments.

Not only is Zanola stuck with some 4,000 spring and summer garments that she has little hope of shipping to Russian clients, she said she was contractually required to keep producing the winter orders, risking 100,000 euros in labor and materials costs if those are unable to ship.

Over the years, her Russian clients have proven to be ideal customers, Zanola said. Not only do they pay on time, but they are appreciative of the workmanship in D. Exteriors knitwear creations.

After working so hard to build up her Russian customer base, she is loathe to give it up and doesnt see a quick long-term replacement.

If Russia were Putin, I wouldnt go there. But since Russia is not only Putin, one hopes that the poor Russians manage to raise themselves up, she said.

____

AP reporter Ciaran Giles contributed from Madrid.

____

This story was first published on June 16, 2022. It was updated on June 17, 2022 to correct the name of a Yale professor. It is Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, not Jeffrey Sonnenberg.

By COLLEEN BARRY

AP Business Writer
Russia frees captive medic who filmed Mariupols horror View Photo

TALLINN, Estonia (AP)  A celebrated Ukrainian medic whose footage was smuggled out of the besieged city of Mariupol by an Associated Press team was freed by Russian forces on Friday, three months after she was taken captive on the streets of the city.

Yuliia Paievska is known in Ukraine as Taira, a nickname she chose in the World of Warcraft video game. Using a body camera, she recorded 256 gigabytes of her teams efforts over two weeks to save the wounded, including both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers.

She transferred the clips to an Associated Press team, the last international journalists in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, one of whom fled with it embedded in a tampon on March 15. Taira and a colleague were taken prisoner by Russian forces on March 16, the same day a Russian airstrike hit a theater in the city center, killing around 600 people, according to an Associated Press investigation.

It was such a great sense of relief. Those sound like such ordinary words, and I dont even know what to say, her husband, Vadim Puzanov, told The Associated Press late Friday, breathing deeply to contain his emotion. Puzanov said he spoke by phone with Taira, who was en route to a Kyiv hospital, and feared for her health.

Initially the family had kept quiet, hoping negotiations would take their course. But The Associated Press spoke with him before releasing the smuggled videos, which ultimately had millions of viewers around the world, including on some of the biggest networks in Europe and the United States. Puzanov expressed gratitude for the coverage, which showed Taira was trying to save Russian soldiers as well as Ukrainian civilians.

In a short video posted Saturday on Telegram, Taira thanked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his efforts to get her released. Addressing Ukrainians still held by Russia, with a catch in her voice, she said: I know that everything will work out and we will all be home as I am now.

Zelenskyy had announced Tairas release in a national address.

Im grateful to everyone who worked for this result. Taira is already home. We will keep working to free everyone, he said.

Hundreds of prominent Ukrainians have been kidnapped or captured, including local officials, journalists, activists and human rights defenders.

Russia portrayed Taira as working for the nationalist Azov Regiment, in line with Moscows narrative that it is attempting to denazify Ukraine. But the AP found no such evidence, and friends and colleagues said she had no links to Azov, which made a last stand in a Mariupol steel plant before hundreds of its fighters were captured or killed.

The footage itself is a visceral testament to her efforts to save the wounded on both sides.

A clip recorded on March 10 shows two Russian soldiers taken roughly out of an ambulance by a Ukrainian soldier. One is in a wheelchair. The other is on his knees, hands bound behind his back, with an obvious leg injury. Their eyes are covered by winter hats, and they wear white armbands.

A Ukrainian soldier curses at one of them. Calm down, calm down, Taira tells him.

A woman asks her, Are you going to treat the Russians?

They will not be as kind to us, she replies. But I couldnt do otherwise. They are prisoners of war.

Taira was a member of the Ukraine Invictus Games for military veterans, where she was set to compete in archery and swimming. Invictus said she was a military medic from 2018 to 2020 but had since been demobilized.

She received the body camera in 2021 to film for a Netflix documentary series on inspirational figures being produced by Britains Prince Harry, who founded the Invictus Games. But when Russian forces invaded, she used it to shoot scenes of injured civilians and soldiers instead.

By VASILISA STEPANENKO and LORI HINNANT

Associated Press
In Ukraine, funeral for activist killed and mourned in war View Photo

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Poppies, the blood-red flowers that cover the battlefields of Europes two world wars, were lain in mourning Saturday on the coffin of yet another dead soldier, this one killed in yet another European war, in Ukraine.

The hundreds of mourners for Roman Ratushnyi, 24, included friends who had protested with him during months of demonstrations that toppled Ukraines pro-Russia leader in 2014 and who, like him, took up arms when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor this February.

The arc of his shortened life symbolized that of Ukraines post-independence generations that are sacrificing their best years in the cause of freedom. First, with defiance and dozens of lives against brutal riot police during Ukraines Maidan protests of 2013-2014 and now with weapons and even more lives against Russian President Vladimir Putins troops.

Heroes never die! friends, family and admirers shouted in Ukrainian as Ratushnyis coffin was loaded aboard a hearse on a square in the Ukrainian capital now decorated with destroyed Russian tanks and vehicles. Their charred hulks contrasted with the shiny gold domes of an adjacent cathedral where priests had earlier sung prayers for Ratushnyi, who was well-known in Kyiv for his civic and environmental activism.

From the square, the mourners then walked in a long silent column behind his coffin to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square. The vast plaza in central Kyiv gave its name to the three months of protests that overthrew then President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014 and which helped fuel the political and patriotic awakening of Ukrainians born after independence in 1991.

Ratushnyi had a heart full of love for Ukraine, said Misha Reva, who traveled overnight in his soldiers uniform from front lines in the east to say goodbye to the friend he met for the first time on Maidan, in the midst of the protests. Ratushnyi was then just 16; Reva was in his early 20s. It was Ratushnyi who introduced Reva to the woman who is now his wife, also on the square.

While the funeral was underway in central Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a trip south to visit troops and hospital workers in the Mykolaiv and Odesa regions along the Black Sea. He handed out awards to dozens of people at every stop, shaking their hands and thanking them again and again for their service.

Among the troops he met were many women, dressed in camouflage and bulletproof vests. At a hospital in Odesa, he awarded the rank of major general to the woman who commands the Ukrainian armys medical forces.

War is on the front line where our soldiers are, our army. But you also are on the front line, protecting our lives, helping wounded soldiers, helping the civilians who turn to you every day, Zelenskyy told the assembled civilian and military medical staff in Odesa. We are proud that we have such doctors in our country.

He also met with regional leaders in Mykolaiv and Odesa and went with them to see buildings that had been destroyed in Russian attacks that took the lives of many civilians.

In other developments Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed concerns that a bit of Ukraine fatigue is starting to set in around the world and said Ukraine must be supported in trying to roll back the Russian invasion to make sure the Ukrainians are not encouraged to go for a bad peace, something that simply wouldnt endure.

It would be a catastrophe if Putin won. Hed love nothing more than to say, Lets freeze this conflict, lets have a cease-fire,' Johnson said. For him that would be a tremendous victory. Youd have a situation in which Putin was able to consolidate his gains and then to launch another attack.

Johnson spoke on his return from a surprise trip Friday to Kyiv where he met with Zelenskyy to offer continued aid and military training.

Western-supplied heavy weapons are reaching front lines, although not in quantities that Ukrainian officials say would be needed to push back Russian forces to positions they occupied before the invasion or beyond. The Associated Press was granted rare access Saturday to the firing of U.S.-supplied M777 howitzers on Russian positions in Ukraines eastern Donbas region. The powerful artillery pieces are helping Ukrainian forces reply in kind to Russian batteries that have been pounding towns and villages to rubble.

In Kyiv. the bells of St. Michaels cathedral tolled as four soldiers carried Ratushnyis coffin to the memorial service Saturday morning, held outdoors in the churchs sunlit courtyard. Poppies and a traditional loaf of bread were placed on the coffin covered with Ukraines blue and yellow flag.

During the Maidan protests, where riot police used batons and eventually bullets with deadly abandon, Ratushnyi and Reva had taken shelter together for one night inside the cathedral grounds, the friend recalled.

He was such a solid and big personality, Reva said. Its a great loss for Ukraine.

The friends then signed up to fight on the very first day of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24. After taking part in the defense of Kyiv in the assaults opening weeks, Ratushnyi then joined an army brigade, doing military intelligence work, Reva said. Reva said hes been fighting of late in positions away from where Ratushnyi was killed. Reva, 33, said two soldiers were killed and 15 wounded Thursday where hes been stationed.

People get killed every day on the front line, he said.

Ratushnyi was killed on June 9 around the town of Izyum on the wars eastern front, according to the environmental campaign group that he led in Kyiv. He fought for the preservation from development of a wooded park where people ski in winter.

He was a symbol, a symbol of a new Ukraine, of freedom and a new generation that wants to fight for its rights, said Serhli Sasyn, 21.

The best people are dying now.

___

Efrem Lukatsky in the Donbas region of Ukraine, and Inna Varenytsia in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this report.

___

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

By JOHN LEICESTER

Associated Press
Brazil police: Remains found those of British journalist View Photo

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Federal police said Friday that human remains found in Brazils remote Amazon have been identified as belonging to British journalist Dom Phillips, who went missing almost two weeks ago along with a Brazilian Indigenous expert in a case that drew world attention.

Additional remains found at the site near the city of Atalaia do Norte have not yet been identified but are expected to belong to Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, 41. The pair were last seen June 5 on their boat on the Itaquai river, near the entrance of the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, which borders Peru and Colombia.

The confirmation (of Phillips remains) was made based on dental examinations and anthropological forensics, Federal Police said in a statement. Work is ongoing for a complete identification of the remains so we can determine the cause of death, and also the dynamics of the crime and the hiding of the bodies.

The remains were found Wednesday after fisherman Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, nicknamed Pelado, confessed he killed Phillips, 57, and Pereira, and led police to the site were the remains were found. He told officers he used a firearm to commit the crime.

Police also arrested Pelados brother, fisherman Oseney da Costa de Oliveira.

The remains had arrived in the capital city of Brasilia on Thursday for forensics to work.

The area where Phillips and Pereira went missing has seen violent conflicts between fishermen, poachers, and government agents.

Federal police said others may have participated in the crime but that organized criminal groups did not appear to be involved.

UNIVAJA, the local Indigenous association for whom Pereira was working, criticized that conclusion. It said in a statement the investigation had not considered the existence of a criminal organization financing illegal fishing and poaching in the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory.

That was why Bruno Pereira became one of the main targets of this criminal group, as well as other UNIVAJA members who received death threats, the statement said.

President Jair Bolsonaro, a frequent critic of journalists and Indigenous experts, has drawn criticism that the government didnt get involved fast enough. Earlier, he criticized Phillips in an interview, saying without evidence that locals in the area where he went missing didnt like him and that he should have been more careful in the region.

His main adversary in Octobers election, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said in a statement that the killings are directly related to the dismantling of public policies of protection to Indigenous peoples. It is also related to the current administrations stimulus to violence, said da Silva, who leads in opinion polls.

The efforts to find the pair were started by Indigenous peoples in the region.

Indigenous people who were with Pereira and Phillips have said that Pelado brandished a rifle at them on the day before the pair disappeared.

Official search teams concentrated their efforts around a spot in the Itaquai river where a tarp from the boat used by the missing men was found. Authorities began scouring the area and discovered a backpack, laptop and other personal belongings submerged underwater Sunday.

Authorities have said a main line of the police investigation into the disappearances has pointed to an international network that pays poor fishermen to fish illegally in the Javari Valley reserve, which is Brazils second-largest Indigenous territory.

Pereira, who previously led the local bureau of the federal Indigenous agency, known as FUNAI, took part in several operations against illegal fishing. In such operations, as a rule the fishing gear is seized or destroyed, while the fishermen are fined and briefly detained. Only the Indigenous can legally fish in their territories.

While some police, the mayor and others in the region link the pairs disappearances to the fish mafia, federal police have not ruled out other lines of investigation, such as drug trafficking.

The case has put a global magnifying glass on violence in the Amazon.

Earlier on Friday, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said Phillips and Pereira were murdered for supporting conservation of the rainforest and native peoples there.

We call for accountability and justice  we must collectively strengthen efforts to protect environmental defenders and journalists, Price said.

Protests calling for justice for Phillips and Pereira are scheduled to take place in several Brazilian cities over the weekend.

By FABIANO MAISONNAVE

Associated Press
Yosemite, CA  Yosemite fire crews responded to a report of wildland fire on Thursday, June 16th at close to 5:45 pm. It is burning west of the Snow Creek Ranger Cabin and is estimated to be 13 acres. In addition to the resources of Yosemite, two crews have been ordered to assist with suppression efforts as well as a type 2 helicopter. A portion of the Snow Creek Trail is closed due to the proximity of the fire. The closed portion of the trail can be seen in the featured image.

Written by Nic Peterson Sign up for our Breaking News Alerts and the myMotherLode.com Daily Newsletters by clicking here. Report breaking news, traffic or weather to our News Hotline (209) 532-6397. Send Mother Lode News Story photos to news@clarkebroadcasting.com .
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The United Nations on Friday announced a new deputy special representative for Afghanistan, but its unclear how soon the world body may replace its top official there.

For now, the newly appointed political affairs deputy, German diplomat Markus Potzel, will be in charge of the U.N.s political mission in Afghanistan, U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said.

The announcement came a day after Deborah Lyons ended her tenure as the U.N.s chief representative in Afghanistan, departing with a lament for a country that was reshaped by Taliban militants takeover last year.

I could not have imagined, when I accepted this job, the Afghanistan that I am now leaving, she said in a statement Thursday, adding that my heart breaks for Afghan girls and women kept from school and work because of Taliban edicts.

It is that much more painful, as a woman, to leave my Afghan sisters in the condition they are in, she said.

Haq declined to give a timeline for naming a successor for Lyons, who took the job in 2020.

Potzel, a career diplomat, served as Germanys ambassador to Afghanistan from 2014 to 2016 and his countrys special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2017 into last year. Hes fluent in multiple languages, including Dari, one of Afghanistans official languages.

After enduring years of war and drought, Afghanistan hurtled into crisis when the Taliban gained control last August as the U.S. and NATO forces were withdrawing from the country they had invaded two decades earlier.

The Taliban quickly started enforcing strict measures, including edicts requiring women to cover their faces except for their eyes in public and banning girls from attending school past the sixth grade.

Amid international sanctions, the Afghan economy collapsed, and millions of people fell into poverty. The U.N. and other aid agencies have been struggling to raise the $4.4 billion they said was needed for humanitarian aid in Afghanistan this year.

Meanwhile, bombings and other attacks on civilians have persisted. A bitter Taliban rival  the Islamic State groups Afghanistan affiliate  has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks.

By JENNIFER PELTZ

Associated Press
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP)  A dozen of the hundreds of brown pelicans found starving on the Southern California coast were released Friday after rehabilitation at a wildlife center.

The pelicans were returned to the wild at Corona del Mar State Beach after treatment at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach. They were among about 70 that have been brought to the center since mid-May, said Dr. Elizabeth Wood, the facilitys veterinarian.

They were all brought in in a state of emaciation, Wood said. They were basically starving.

The birds were not showing any signs of obvious disease and they tested negative for disease, she said.

So basically it just seems like a mass starvation event. They were found all over the beaches  emaciated, anemic, dehydrated and with the feathers not waterproofed anymore, Wood said.

The birds, however, responded well to basic care, including fluids and large amounts of fish, she said.

We dont have a clear answer as to what caused this, Wood said.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said last month that hundreds of starving pelicans had been admitted to wildlife rehabilitation facilities since about May 13, and many died shortly after their arrival at facilities. The department similarly found no indications of disease or unusual parasites.

Its not known if the starvation event is over, but Wood said the intake of birds has declined dramatically over the last week or so.

The 12 birds released Friday will serve as a sentinel group to see how they fare before additional birds are released. All were banded so that wildlife experts can identify them if they end up on beaches in distress again.

Rehabilitating each pelican costs about $45 a day, Wood said.

Brown pelicans are an important part of the Pacific Coast ecosystem, feeding on northern anchovy, Pacific sardine and mackerel.

The impact of the pesticide DDT, which caused eggshell thinning, led to the listing of California brown pelicans as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1970. After DDT was banned, the species recovered and was removed from the U.S. endangered list in 2009. It remains protected under state law.

Wood said anyone encountering a sick pelican should call wildlife experts and not touch it.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  A Northern California pair not only smuggled drugs to five other states but repeatedly impersonated federal law enforcement officers as part of the nationwide scheme, a U.S. grand jury alleged this week.

A federal grand jury in Sacramento on Thursday indicted Quinten Giovanni Moody, also known as Christano Rossi, 37, and Myra Boleche Minks, 46, on charges of drug trafficking, impersonating federal law enforcement officials, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and obstruction of justice.

They used couriers, airline employees and a shipping company to send California-grown marijuana to Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada and Texas from 2017 into this year, prosecutors said. Pot purchased for $1,500 per pound in California in 2017 would be sold for $2,600 per pound in Georgia, according to an FBI affidavit.

And from last year until this spring, they said Minks repeatedly posed as various federal agents in attempts to learn about or disrupt the investigation. She also posed as an airline employee in an attempt to persuade other employees to let a courier complete a drug delivery, the affidavit says.

Officials are seeking to arrest Minks and did not know of an attorney who could speak on her behalf.

On six different occasions, they allege Minks variously pretended to be a Drug Enforcement Administration special agent; an assistant U.S. attorney; an FBI special agent; an employee of the U.S. Secret Service; and an employee of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The ruses included posing as the DEA agent in what the affidavit said was an attempt to get inside information from the investigation into an April 2020 shootout between two vehicles on an interstate highway in Oakland, California, that left one victim dead.

Investigators recovered nearly $375,000 in cash packed in two suitcases from the dead mans vehicle.

The pair is also alleged to have submitted fake federal search warrants to a phone company in a bid to get location information for a cellphone, and to have given two different tow truck companies fake federal court orders in repeated attempts to retrieve two of Moodys vehicles from a secure parking lot at the FBIs Atlanta Field Office.

Finally, the pair, along with a co-defendant, Jessica Tang of Sacramento, are alleged to have used identities stolen from unsuspecting individuals to file unemployment insurance claims, prompting the California Employment Development Department to disburse more than $120,000.

Ms. Tang is a 48-year-old mother without a record. And then she met Myra Minks and now shes indicted, said Tangs attorney, Thomas A. Johnson.

The multiple charges carry varying maximum sentences, including up to 20 years in prison on the conspiracy and mail fraud charges.

Moodys attorney, Adam Gasner, said his client will plead not guilty and maintains his innocence.

We ask there not be a rush to judgment and that Mr. Moody be allowed to defend himself in court and to avail himself to due process of law, Gasner said in an email.

By DON THOMPSON

Associated Press
KINGSTREE, S.C. (AP)  A coalition working to connect a dozen local, state and private parks along 70 miles (113 kilometers) of South Carolina's Black River has released a plan. Now all they need is $45 million to complete the project.

The Black River Water Trail and Park Network would start in Kingstree in Williamsburg County and wind along the dark, slow-moving river to where it meets the Pee Dee River just north of Georgetown.

The network would include South Carolina's newest state park, a spot along the river that the institute is donating to the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. It would also include the Black River Landing in Kingstree, the publicly available Black River Cypress Preserve and The Nature Conservancys Black River Preserve and Rocky Point Community Forest in Georgetown.

Supporters are seeking money from the federal government, state lawmakers, COVID-19 relief, other grants and private donations.

For centuries, the Black River was the center of travel, business and most life near South Carolina's coast. The river network could highlight all of that, said Maria Whitehead, vice president for land for the Southeast at the Open Space Institute.

The master plan taps this stunning and ecologically vital rivers potential by creating a world-class park network that will also provide recreation, tourism, and flood resilience, Whitehead said.

The network would include campsites, flood-resistant tree houses, hiking trails, boardwalks, picnic shelters and a visitor center.

A visitor can spend a few hours picnicking or hiking at one of the sites, said Gates Roll, owner of guide service Black Water Outside. Or, for the more adventurous, put a kayak in at Kingstree and spend a week paddling down to Rocky Point stopping and camping at the many park sites along the way."

The plan would also mitigate problems from catastrophic flooding. By keeping the floodplain undeveloped, the land acts as a sponge for the excess water and slows it down, allowing more of it to be absorbed over time, South Carolina Chief Resilience Officer Ben Duncan said.

By protecting the land along the river, we have the tremendous opportunity to save area residents and businesses from the devastation that results from extreme flooding events that are becoming more and more frequent, Duncan said.
With earth being turned, time is running out to visit the original Buc-ee's Travel Center in Luling before its replaced. But what better way to memorialize it and kickoff summer than by road-tripping from the OG store to the newest, making plenty of pit stops along the way  only at Buc-ee's, of course.

The 1,145-mile trip is definitely possible if you're willing to accept that challenge, but it may require some fuel-conscious driving for one long stretch. From Luling to the Baytown Buc-ee's, it's a brisk 159 miles, but from there to the Robertsdale, Alabama Buc-ee's it's a 467-mile marathon.

A Buc-ee's is planned for Pass Christian, Mississippi and will break that hike into a more manageable stretch while also giving those of us with a lead foot a break, even if gas prices won't.

From Robertsdale, it's a jaunt up to Buc-ee's in Leeds, Alabama before the final stretch through Chattanooga on the way to Buc'ee's newest location in Crossville, Tennessee.

Slated for a late June opening, the Crossville Buc-ee's will be a massive 53,400 square-foot gas station with 120 gas pumps. It will offer the same Texas BBQ, Beaver Nuggets, Buc-ee's merchandise, drinks, and snacks fans expect from other locations.

While I'll always congratulate the rest of country when it gets a taste of Texas barbecue, the Tennessee store will also create 175 jobs in the Crossville area.

"Crossville is in the heart of such a beautiful community, located just about halfway between Nashville and Knoxville," says Buc-ee's director of real estate, Stan Beard, in a news release. "Whether folks are headed to Music City, the Great Smoky Mountains or beyond, Buc-ee's Crossville will now provide a delicious, safe, and fun place to stop."

Craig Moseley/Houston Chronicle

He goes on to say, "there's never been a better time to be in Tennessee." Which, to be fair, is probably true now that they have some honest Texas barbecue sauce on their fingertips.

Another Tennessee Buc-ee's is under construction in Sevierville as well and is set to become the largest Buc-ee's in the company. That was until Buc-ee's announced last week that the "Biggest Buc-ee's" would replace the original travel center in Luling.

The current titleholder for biggest Buc-ee's is held by none other than the New Braunfels store, at least until Sevierville claims it for a bit. I guess we can learn to share, but we'll be needing that title back shortly.

Gabriel Romero

With Buc-ee's expanding, it's business now includes 35 locations across Texas, with outposts in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. This year, Kentucky and South Carolina opened their first Buc-ee's as well, with another planned for Colorado.
In his movies made over the last couple of years, actor and McAllen, Texas native Raul Castillo has played a zombie-killing sharpshooter, a military veteran-turned-thief, and an AI programmer living in the wilderness of a post-apocalyptic world. There wasnt much of an opportunity to dress up on set.

Castillos wardrobe, however, changed a bit for his latest pair of films  Cha Cha Real Smooth and Hustle.

I play a lawyer in both films coincidentally, Castillo tells MySA during a recent interview. So, I have to be clean shaven and wear suits, which is not normally the kind of characters I play.

In Cha Cha Real Smooth, which hits limited theaters and AppleTV+ on Friday, June 17, Castillo plays Joseph, an attorney who spends a lot of time out of town while his fiancee (Dakota Johnson) gets closer to a young man (Cooper Raiff) who she and her autistic daughter (Vanessa Burghardt) meet at a bar mitzvah.

In Hustle, which recently debuted on Netflix, Castillo plays Oscar Morales, an attorney for the NBAs Philadelphia 76ers, who is called in for legal counsel when a potential star player (Juancho Hernangomez) recruited by the teams scout (Adam Sandler) is flagged at the airport for an old assault charge.

Marion Curtis / StarPix for AppleTv+/Marion Curtis / StarPix for AppleTV+

When Cha Cha Real Smooth made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, it quickly caught the attention of attendees, critics, and studio executives. It ended up winning an audience award and became a festival darling before it was scooped up by AppleTV+ for $15 million.

Castillo knew it was going to be something special when he saw writer-director-actor and Dallas native Cooper Raiffs last film, the 2020 coming-of-age indie dramedy Sh--house.

When I watched [Sh--house], I was immediately ready to sign on [for Cha Cha Real Smooth], Castillo says. [Cooper] has a very special voice and a vision for his stories. I knew immediately that he was a filmmaker I wanted to work with.

If watching Raiffs past work wasnt enough to entice him, Castillo then received a copy of the script for Cha Cha Real Smooth and was even more interested in being a part of the project.

It was so moving and hilarious, he says. My character and his fiancee are on the brink of committing to each other, so that really resonated with me. Im always excited to discover new and young voices like Cooper.

Connecting with these up-and-coming talents isnt something that is new to Castillo. In 2018, he starred in director Jeremiah Zagars first feature film, We the Animals. It went on to win numerous awards that year, including the NEXT Innovator Award at Sundance.

Castillo reunited with Zagar in Hustle, the first film since his directorial debut four years ago.

Marion Curtis / StarPix for AppleTv+/Marion Curtis / StarPix for AppleTV+

Jeremiah and I got lucky in finding each other, Castillo says. I feel that we are going to be collaborators for a long time. I know that whenever he gets his hands on something, its going to be special.

To land his role in Hustle, Castillo had to read for Adam Sandler, someone he says he watched his entire career. He especially loves when Sandler plays dramatic roles like in the films Punch-Drunk Love and Uncut Gems, and now Hustle.

I love his comedies, but I really love when he does heavier stuff, Castillo says. I think he really brings a special energy to that kind of film. Working with him was such a joy. It felt like I was in my personal playground.
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Mark Shields, the longtime Washington Post political columnist who was a fixture of PBS NewsHour and a co-host of CNNs Capital Gang, died Saturday morning of kidney failure in Chevy Chase, Md. He was 85.

Shields death was confirmed through a message shared by PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff on Twitter. Woofruff praised her colleague who for decades wowed us with his encyclopedic knowledge of American politics as well as his sense of humor and mainly his big heart, she wrote.

Shields was known on-air for his tact and wit in delivering incisive analysis and commentary about U.S. politics and policy battles in Washington. He predated the shouting-heads era of cable news that came in the mid-1990s with the advent of Fox News Channel and MSNBC.

On CNNs Capital Gang, Shields and fellow host Robert Novak joined panelists and fellow columnists from the Beltway set such as the Wall Street Journals Al Hunt, Times Margaret Carlson and the National Reviews Kate OBeirne. The conversations were lively but never reached the level of vitriol that has become common in cable news. Capital Gang went through several incarnations until it ended in 2005.

Shields signed off of his regular Friday night segment of PBS NewsHour in December 2020 after more than 30 years with the show. His tenure began during the 1988 presidential election when the broadcast was known as The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour.

A native of Weymouth, Mass., Shields graduated from the University of Notre Dame. He served in the Marines before coming to Washington, D.C. Shields started out working in politics for Wisconsin Sen. William Proxmire. He also worked on Robert F. Kennedys ill-fated presidential campaign in 1968. Shields worked on three other presidential campaign efforts and he helped manage various political campaigns in 38 states over his 11 years as an operative.

Shields began writing a column for the Washington Post in 1979.

Shields survivors include his wife of many years, Anne Hudson Shields; their daughter, Amy Shields Doyle; their son-in-law Christo Doyle; and grandchildren, Jack and Frances Doyle.

I am heartbroken to share this..the @NewsHours beloved long-time Friday night analyst Mark Shields, who for decades wowed us with his encyclopedic knowledge of American politics, his sense of humor and mainly his big heart, has passed away at 85, with his wife Anne at his side. pic.twitter.com/d68SZiGQJf  Judy Woodruff (@JudyWoodruff) June 18, 2022

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With one of their former Super Bowl champions residing in Uvalde, the Las Vegas Raiders are feeling a personal connection to the recent tragedy on everyone's minds, despite being states away. After the mass shooting at Robb Elementary on May 24, the organization wanted to do something to help.

Raiders owner Mark Davis announced a donation of $1 million to Uvalde CISD in a Zoom meeting on Monday, June 13, to solidify the security of district campuses, first reported by the Uvalde Leader-News.

The deadly mass shooting happened on May 24 at Robb Elementary School, where 19 students and two teachers were killed.

Former Raider defensive back Vann McElroy lives in the small city and has a grandson that goes to school in Uvalde. His family has thought about placing his grandson in private school, but McElroy wants him to go to school in Uvalde like he did, Davis said in the report.

"He said that Uvalde was in pain and needed help," Davis said in the report. "I asked him what we would do to help ease that pain?"

The report states the $1 million will be used for security doors, cameras inside and outside of schools, and erecting fences around schools.

"We know it is going to take Uvalde a long time to heal from this horrible tragedy," Davis said. "Hopefully, this contribution today can be a model to aid others who are in need of help."

McElroy spoke to Uvalde CISD Superintendent Hal Harrell as well.

"We thank Mr. Davis and the Raiders organization for this very generous gift. Vann is a life-long friend and a huge part of Uvalde," Harrell said to the newspaper. "We will put this money to good use. This contribution should go a long way in making our schools safer."

MySA reached out to Uvalde CISD for comment but did not receive a reply.
(Natural News) A group of 26 state attorneys general (AGs) argued in a letter that President Joe Bidens edict making funding for school lunches contingent on sexual identity policies is against the law.

Led by Tennessee AG Herbert Slattery III, the Republican state AGs put down their argument against the rule in a June 14 letter addressed to Biden. They also furnished copies of the letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and two other officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) were also provided with copies.

The USDA announced the edict on May 5, which mandates entities that disburse nutritional assistance to children from low-income families to agree not to discriminate on the basis of a persons gender identity. Schools are also required to update their non-discrimination policies and signage to include prohibitions against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, as per the rule. Failure to adhere to the rule meant institutions would lose their federal funding for their respective lunch programs.

By vastly expanding the concept of discrimination on the basis of sex to include gender identity and sexual orientation, the guidance does much more than offer direction. It imposes new and unlawful regulatory measures on state agencies and operators receiving federal financial assistance from the USDA, the AGs wrote. The inevitable result is regulatory chaos that would threaten the effective provision of essential nutritional services to some of our most vulnerable citizens. (Related: Biden starving out public school children with engineered covid shortages, supply chain failures.)

Moreover, the AGs argued that the Biden administration violated the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) by not posting the edict for public comment and calling it a clarification. According to the group, the APA requires that the public be given notice and afforded the opportunity to comment when a government agency engages in substantive law- or policymaking. Thus, the top state attorneys concluded their letter by calling on Vilsack to rescind the rule.

DeSantis: Biden off his rocker for tying school lunches to LGBT support

In a May 5 press release, Vilsack said the USDA is committed to administering all of its programs with equity and fairness, and serving those in need with the highest dignity.

A key step in advancing these principles is rooting out discrimination in any form  including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We must recognize the vulnerability of the LGBT communities and provide them with an avenue to grieve any discrimination they face. We hope that by standing firm against these inequities we will help bring about much-needed change.

Stacy Dean, USDA deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, said: Whether you are grocery shopping, standing in line at the school cafeteria, or picking up food from a food bank, you should be able to do so without fear of discrimination. No one should be denied access to nutritious food simply because of who they are or how they identify.

The edict has drawn criticism from various GOP politicians, most notably Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Were prepared for what Biden throws our way  [including] intentionally destructive policies like trying to deny school lunch programs for states that dont do transgender ideology in the schools, he said during a June 2 press conference. I mean, give me a break. [Hes] totally off his rocker to be doing that.

Earlier, DeSantis signed the so-called Parental Rights in Education Bill into law in March amid a barrage of criticism. Wrongly branded by the mainstream media as the Dont Say Gay Bill, the proposal forbade discussions of sexuality or gender identity to children from kindergarten until the third grade.

We will make sure that parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination, said the Florida governor as he signed the bill.

Watch South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem below threatening to sue the Biden administration for tying LGBT support to school lunch programs.

This video is from the TruthHealthFreedom channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Students are now being expelled from schools in America for not having the correct views on transgenderism.

California now FORCING parents to surrender their children to LGBT indoctrination in public schools no right to opt out.

The LGBT mafia turns schools into cult indoctrination centers; all students who challenge transgenderism will be expelled and blocked from receiving an education.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

MyFloridaLegal.com [PDF]

FNS.USDA.gov

Twitter.com

HawkCentral.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) As the country enters its mildly cold winter season, Australia is resorting to telling its residents to turn off the heat in order to prevent rolling blackouts amid an ongoing energy crunch.

Australian energy minister Chris Bowen has asked residents of Sydney and New South Wales to turn off the lights and any other energy-intensive appliances they might have at night because running them all at the same time could kill the grid.

In a televised address, Bowen asked that from 6 to 8 p.m., Aussies go dark, essentially, in order to keep the grid online. Just like many other Western nations, Australia has several of its power plants offline right now due to maintenance and unexpected issues.

According to Reuters, some 65 percent of eastern Australias power is generated by coal, and more than 25 percent of that capacity is currently offline for various reasons.

Wholesale electricity pricing in Australia breached the countrys cap of A$300 per megawatt-hour this week, a threshold at which coal power generation plants start losing money. Some of them have had to shut down completely, resulting in lost energy capacity and even higher prices for consumers.

As with almost every other crisis as of late, this one is being blamed on Russias invasion of Ukraine, even though it has absolutely nothing to do with that situation.

Bowen pushes green energy wind turbines as solution to manufactured coal crisis

During a press conference about the issue, Bowen was asked by a journalist if simply upping coal capacity would solve this problem in an instant, to which Bowen snapped back in frustration with a suggestion about installing more wind turbines instead.

The rain doesnt always fall, either, but we manage to store the water  we can store the renewable energy if we have the investment, Bowen said when the reporter challenged the wind turbine narrative by stating that wind doesnt always blow.

So, once again, this is all about pushing so-called green energy on the West, even though wind and solar are extremely unreliable and will only make the problem worse.

There is an agenda afoot to deconstruct the strong and reliable fossil fuel infrastructure of Western countries like Australia, and convert them all to green alternatives  which is all this crisis and others like it are really about.

The situation in recent days has posed challenges to the entire energy industry, and suspending the market would simplify operations during the significant outages across the energy supply chain, said Australian Energy Market Operation (AEMO) chief executive Daniel Westerman in a statement.

It was understandable generators had held back supply in light of the price caps along with unplanned outages and supply challenges with coal and gas, but having to direct generators to provide supply had made it impossible to maintain normal market operations.

Amid the coal crisis, declining solar output and periods of low wind have created shortages even within Australias existing green energy system. So, Bowens claims that investing in more infrastructure will fix the problem are clearly false.

Also, the coldest start to a winter season in decades is boosting heating demand and worsening the problem, added Zero Hedge to the conversation.

Australia (had) better find a way to bring more coal power plants online or risk widespread blackouts amid high demand because of the winter chill.

In the comments, someone further pointed out that this all hearkens back to the chilling vision of World Economic Forum (WEF) founder Klaus Schwab for a new world order.

So you are not allowed to go out (plandemic lockdowns) and now you have to keep the lights off as well. Whats next: eating bugs?

More stories like this one can be found at EnergySupply.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Evidence proves that children who take the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines receive no benefits from the experimental medication, only serious downsides like deadly adverse effects.

The Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee  supposedly a panel of vaccine experts  recently voted unanimously to approve Pfizer and Modernas mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of six months and five years. The committee claimed that the vaccines are safe and effective for this age group. (Related: Republicans demand explanation from FDA regarding necessity of injecting children with COVID-19 vaccines.)

Approving experimental and deadly COVID-19 vaccines for children flies in the face of all scientific evidence, which even the mainstream scientific and public health organizations recognize. Data shows that children are at little to no risk of contracting the coronavirus, let alone being hospitalized by it or dying from it.

Even mainstream media outlets have argued that there is a significant risk to giving children COVID-19 vaccines, especially young men, who are significantly at risk of developing vaccine-related heart complications like myocarditis.

Before the COVID-19 vaccines get distributed to children under five, the process will have to go through several steps first, which arent expected to take longer than a week.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf has to sign off on granting emergency use authorizations to Moderna and Pfizers vaccines. Once he does this, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices votes on whether to endorse the vaccines. Once they get the committees endorsement, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky gets final approval.

COVID-19 vaccines can give kids vaccine-associated enhanced disease

Another study proving that children should not get vaccinated against COVID-19 comes from the University of Colorado.

The study, published May 31, attempted to prove that COVID-19 vaccinations protect children against multisystem inflammatory syndrome.

Instead, what the researchers found was that the children they studied went on to suffer vaccine-associated enhanced disease (VAED), which is the same thing as antibody-dependent enhancement.

Diseases that end up being modified because of the presence of the material found in vaccines end up into VAEDs. These usually affect individuals in different and sometimes deadlier ways.

Without vaccinations, the coronavirus will just go through the body in a few weeks. But with the vaccine, the body creates an enhanced response triggered by failed attempts to control the infecting virus. This results in more severe symptoms related to the target organ of the virus.

This is what the researchers found in children. Worse yet, both Pfizer and the FDA already know that vaccinated people who contract COVID-19 are more susceptible to developing VAED.

In one of Pfizers confidential documents, the Big Pharma company claimed to have received reports of 138 people with medical complications indicative of VAED. Of these, 75 people had severe diseases resulting in hospitalization, disability, life-threatening consequences or death. At least eight of these people are known to have walked away from their infections with permanent disabilities and at least 38 people died of VAED.

Despite this information, Pfizer still concluded in its report on the vaccines safety data to the FDA that VAED was still a theoretical risk and that the companys mRNA vaccine still needed to get the agencys emergency use authorization.

Learn more about how deadly the COVID-19 vaccines are at VaccineDeaths.com.

Watch this episode of The Ben Armstrong Show as host Ben Armstrong lays out the evidence proving there is no benefit giving children COVID-19 vaccines, only significant harm.

This video can be found in the channel The New American on Brighteon.com.

More related articles:

FDA committee says children as young as six need to take Modernas COVID injections.

Fully vaccinated children suffer multisystem inflammatory syndrome.

Study: COVID vaccination causes vaccine-associated enhanced disease in children.

UK data: Triple vaccinated children 303 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than unvaccinated children.

All-cause death rate 52 times higher among vaccinated children than unvaccinated children.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Expose-News.com

LifeSiteNews.com

NBCNews.com
(Natural News) Search engine giant Google is censoring conservative websites, an anonymous whistleblower told the Epoch Times.

The whistleblower said the Big Tech firm harbors an anti-conservative bias, which reflects in its handling of search results. According to the whistleblower, Google search results are reconfigured to what the establishment thinks.

We have to use whatever democracy we have left to stop this, he said.

The whistleblowers disclosure bolstered the findings of an audit conducted by the Daily Mail, which looked at the top 11 most searched terms about British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It found that news pieces from the Guardian came up 38 times in the search results, while those from the Independent was cited 14 times. Both the Guardian and the Independent lean left.

BBC News, the United Kingdoms national broadcaster, returned 24 results. Nine other results came from other BBC outlets. Incidentally, British conservatives have accused it of harboring sentiment against Johnson.

In contrast, the Mail was only cited twice in the search results. The Daily Express followed with three citations, while the Daily Telegraph was cited four times. The three aforementioned outlets espoused conservative views.

British Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries remarked that the Mails analysis has confirmed the fears of many: Google had been engaging in unfair bias and distortion.

This evidence published by the Mail is fairly conclusive and tells us what many have suspected all along. We are looking at how we can address unfair bias and distortion in the forthcoming digital competition bill, she said.

I have raised the issue of bias and algorithms distorting democratic content and opinion with Google. [It has] promised to revert to me with evidence that this is not the case  which I have yet to receive.

Big Tech using two main tools for censorship

Former Google employee turned whistleblower Zach Vorhies revealed back in 2019 that Google was indeed utilizing algorithms to censor former President Donald Trump. He downloaded 950 pages of internal documents about the search engine giants censorship to prove this claim. These documents were then turned over to both the Department of Justice and Project Veritas. (Related: Zach Vorhies: Portrait of a whistleblower.)

According to Vorhies, the Big Tech company uses two tools for its censorship of conservatives.

First, Google uses the Expertise, Authoritative and Trustworthiness (EAT) score  which judges the rank of websites based on the reputation of the website, topic or person. Sites that have a high EAT score receive a better ranking.

The EAT score is generated about what the media outlets think about you. What does Wikipedia think? What does the [mainstream media] think? Its an echo chamber because they rank which media is allowed to show up on their website, explained Vorhies. All Google has to do is that they have to base their algorithms on what the consensus of the establishment thinks and they reconfigure to what the establishment thinks.

Second, Google uses the Machine Learning Fairness (MLF) system powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Vorhies elaborated that MLF is used alongside various other blacklists and secret page rank scores to control information, making it a real censorship engine.

MLF is now taking over this page rank score because Google started to transition so fast to the left. What [it has] done is that [it has] transitioned to this AI system that can de-boost and re-rank.

Vorhies ultimately warned that if Googles censorship of conservatives is not stopped in its tracks, it will herald a highly controlled and manipulated media system akin to those seen in communist countries.

They are going to censor all the conservatives. Whats happening is that they are closing in on the spaces where they are going to get heterodox opinions and they are closing it down.

Watch Zach Vorhies talking about Googles censorship and how he found a way to bypass it on the Brighteon.TV program Thrive Time Show.

This video is from the BrighteonTV channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Five times Google was caught red handed on bias and censorship.

Google, Twitter tighten censorship noose on conservatives ahead of election.

Censorship: Google to start flagging offensive content as another form of censorship.

Google censorship transforming the Health Ranger into an almost cultural hero of the First Amendment.

Google insiders warn outright censorship of the internet is Googles top priority and everyone has been intimidated into silence.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

DailyMail.co.uk

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The war on carbon is a war on life itself. It is a war on plant health, animal health and human life. Not only is carbon dioxide necessary for photosynthesis, but it also makes plants more nutritious, multiplying their medicinal value. Numerous studies show that higher carbon dioxide levels increase the vitamin and mineral output of plants. Studies also show that higher carbon levels increase the plants output of flavonoids, phenolics, essential oils, tannins, antioxidants, amino acids and other phytochemicals.

Humans and animals depend on the vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals provided by the plant kingdom. When plants are starved of basic elements like carbon, they cannot provide the nourishment that humans need to thrive. As the worlds population surpasses eight billion people, there will be a greater global need for warmer temperatures, longer growing seasons and higher carbon dioxide levels to build up an ecosystem that supports highly medicinal crops, herbs and super foods.

CO2 enrichment significantly boosts the medicinal properties of herbs

A research team (AbdElgawad et al.) conducted a CO2 enrichment study on caraway. This herb is cultivated globally and is used to treat several human ailments, from diarrhea and cholera to asthma and hypertension. Caraway has a history of medicinal use as an antibacterial, anthelmintic, antifungal, anti-allergic and bronchodilator. Because it is a valuable medicine worldwide, scientists are looking into ways to promote its growth and increase its medicinal properties.

The researchers grew the herb in two controlled environments. One environment contained 400 ppm CO2 and the other was enriched with elevated CO2 level of 620 ppm CO2. The plants were harvested as sprouts after nine days of growth and as mature plants after 45 days of growth. The researchers quantified the differences in their medicinal value. The high CO2 environment enhanced photosynthesis, the chlorophyll content, as well as the fresh and dry weight of the plants. In the sprouts, these increases were 66%, 50%, 64% and 120%, respectively. In the mature plants, these increases were 40%, 44%, 48% and 29% respectively.

These increases were just the beginning. The CO2 enrichment also boosted the carbohydrate, protein, fat and crude fiber content of the plants. The CO2 enriched caraway also produced more minerals, vitamins, amino acids, phenolics and antioxidants, and ultimately produced more robust antibacterial activities. These increases in medicinal quality were observed in the sprout stage and in the mature plants. CO2 enrichment can turn herbs into highly effective medicine that fight infectious disease, chronic diseases and cancers.

CO2 enrichment boosts antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer properties of plants

In another study, scientists enriched Arthrospira platensis with CO2. This cyanobacterium is farmed from mineral-rich alkaline waters and is used around the world for its medicinal properties. The researchers found that higher atmospheric CO2 caused increases in the carbon to nitrogen ratio, which induces the synthesis of secondary metabolites by carbon allocation to the secondary metabolism. The substantial increase in polyphenol content boosted the medicinal properties of the plant including anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, antithrombotic, vasodilatory, and anticarcinogenic.

The CO2-enriched samples boosted the antibacterial properties against Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, and Klebisella pneumoniae. They also showed the strongest cytotoxic activities toward cancer cells, boosting the plants ability to inhibit proliferation of human colon (HCT-116), breast (MCF-7) and ovarian (OVCAR) cancers.

A trove of studies prove that CO2 enrichment causes increases in anticancer, antibacterial and antiviral bio-activities. These enhancements boost the medicinal value of thyme, Brazilian ginseng, green tea, basil, peppermint, guava, kava, hibiscus, valerian, etc.

How to thrive during the next pandemic

This is how the global population survives upcoming plagues and pandemics They must exit the paradigm of fear that has been foisted on their minds. They must end their allegiance to the germ theory and the medical dictatorship it has wrought. They must look for ways to increase biodiversity and boost the medicinal properties of plants. Its this plant nourishment that builds the human immune system. The medicines synthesized in plants are necessary to create an internal cellular terrain that thwarts disease and builds immunity in humans and animals. As the globalists ratchet up their war on carbon, the people must take back their communities and adopt the principles found in permaculture. It is of the utmost importance to restore the nutrient-quality of the soil and create the atmospheric conditions that bring forth a bio-diverse array of crops, herbs and superfoods.

Ironically, the same experts who want to prevent the next pandemic have notoriously called for the elimination of both people and carbon. These so-called philanthropists invest heavily in the glyphosate-ridden, mono-culture agricultural practices that are destroying soil quality, biodiversity and the medicinal value of plants. These philanthropists want to continue spraying toxins on the food and modifying plant genomes for their power and gain. They want to capture carbon underground and starve plant life so humans are deprived of nutrition and valuable medicines. In short, these globalists are weaponizing nature at every level, as they try to starve people and profit from human sickness and disease.

Sources include:

CO2Science.org

CO2Science.org

TheTruthAboutCancer.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Its difficult to imagine in the ever-present fog of Americas raging culture war, but it wasnt many years ago that our One Nation Under God used to care about a sexual-identity crisis in a child who may have desired to transition to a different gender.

(Article by David McQuade republished from WND.com)

A decade ago, responsible adults  including those in the medical and educational communities  didnt rush to transition children, or push them into the bathrooms and locker rooms of the opposite sex. Such acts were not at all considered brave, let alone celebrated with an entire month of flamboyant and often concupiscent Pride.

Im old enough to remember a time when there was nothing particularly hateful about counseling from loving parents, caring doctors, psychologists and clergy. That would have been the very definition of caring. Anything short of such adult responsibility would have been considered an unconscionable betrayal.

As recently as November 2016, Tia Powell, M.D., Sophia Shapiro, M.D., and Ed Stein, J.D., Ph.D., wrote in the AMA Journal of Ethics the following:

Many in the LGBT community rely on arguments that we refer to collectively as born that way arguments, namely, arguments for LGBT rights based on the idea that sexual orientation and gender identity are innate, immutable, or unassociated with choice. Two of the authors (TP and ES) have previously addressed the difficulties of using born that way arguments in relation to sexual orientation. We now extend that critique to arguments for transgender rights. We argue that born that way arguments rely on both shaky science and imperfect logic, and thus fail to provide a solid basis for transgender rights. 

Today such honest and biologically pragmatic discussions would be grounds to be run out of the medical profession on a rail by American Marxists, and by that I mean the progressive left. But six years ago these three reasoned professionals could not have possibly envisioned the limitless number of bewildering born that way gender decisions todays children would need to make on their own.

And little did these doctors know just how much lengthier the outdated LGBT acronym would become in a few short years. Without plus signs it will soon consume the entire alphabet.

Brave kids culturally rewarded for questioning their sexual identity  encouraged to do just that by adults they should be able to implicitly trust  are suddenly rushed into celebrated life-altering decisions that few grown-ups could possibly navigate in an informed way, let alone while still in cognitive development.

Its cruel and abusive. We used to call such things child abuse.

One thing has become abundantly clear, however. Such questioning children have become unfortunate political pawns in the wrong place at the wrong time in Americas history, cudgels in the hands of partisans determined to use them to bludgeon people who embrace Judeo-Christian values and to win at any cost, including at the unspeakable cost of these innocent, trusting kids.

I suppose one way of looking at the cultural tragedy uniquely befalling their generation is that they should count themselves fortunate they werent aborted by the same individuals that so vociferously advocate for their transition. Regrettably however, many are smart enough to figure out that their young life has about as much value to the party that pretends to care about them as the discarded fetus they might have been  some 70 million and counting, also sacrificed for largely partisan purposes.

Its the most morally bankrupt, cynical and culturally catastrophic worldview ever put on an unsuspecting generation who deserves better. So, in light of this tragic new normal for Americas confused children, I have a very sincere question for the political left: Are your children really worth the political win? (And please dont spend your eternity pondering this simple question.)

Im sorry to have to point out the obvious, but adults who should know better have betrayed Americas youth at the deepest possible level. Their own nation has completely broken trust with them.

And far too many of these trusting young people are paying the ultimate price for the culture war theyve innocently stumbled into in the form of difficult or impossible attempts to de-transition, attempts to deaden their mental anguish from uninformed and rushed medical decisions, or worse, as we continue to face down the highest teen suicide rate in American history.

God, please forgive us for sacrificing the national treasure of our children on the blood-stained altar of ill-gotten political gain. Our Nation Under God should at least attempt to live again like there is a just God who will one day judge each of us for betraying the most innocent among us. Please stop the madness.

Read more at: WND.com
(Natural News) USA Today removed 23 articles from its website after an internal investigation found that one of its reporters fabricated sources.

(Article by Jordan Dixon-Hamilton republished from Breitbart.com)

USA Todays breaking news reporter Gabriela Miranda fabricated sources and misappropriated quotes for stories, the news outlet confirmed on Thursday. The outlet conducted an internal audit after receiving an external correction request on one of its published stories.

USA Today removed 23 articles written by Miranda for not meeting the outlets editorial standards after the several-week investigation.

As USA Today explained:

After receiving an external correction request, USA TODAY audited the reporting work of Gabriela Miranda. The audit revealed that some individuals quoted were not affiliated with the organizations claimed and appeared to be fabricated. The existence of other individuals quoted could not be independently verified. In addition, some stories included quotes that should have been credited to others.

Although the links to the now-removed stories are still up, the text of the articles has been replaced with an editors note that says, This story has been removed from our platforms because it does not meet our standards.

USA Today pledged to reinforce and strengthen its reporting and editing diligence after removing the fabricated stories.

Mirandas removed stories include coverage of Texass six-week abortion ban, Russias invasion of Ukraine, and an anti-vaxxer coronavirus treatment.

While the internal investigation was pending, Miranda took steps to deceive investigators by producing false evidence of her news gathering, including recordings of interviews, according to the New York Times.

Miranda has since resigned from USA Today, and her final article was published on April 17.

Read more at: Breitbart.com
(Natural News) The HighWire with Del Bigtree host Del Bigtree said the recent rise in cases of the new Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) omicron subvariants is something to watch out for and possibly be worried about.

Bigtree, the producer of the controversial documentary film Vaxxed, mentioned that the amount of SARS CoV-2 infections in the United States was almost six times higher than the previous Memorial Day weekend.

Luckily omicron is mild, but we are all watching whether it will remain mild as it continues to mutate. And so some of the headlines in America are alarming; there appears to be some new variants on the way, Bigtree said.

The CEO of Informed Consent Action Network noted that omicron now has Ba.4 and Ba.5 subvariants. The subvariants are responsible for 13 percent of the total SARS-CoV-2 cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

What caught Bigtrees attention about the matter was the Substack article of independent journalist Igor Chudov titled Ba.5 is a Variant for Boosted People. South Africa vs Portugal: Same Variant, Opposite Outcomes.

Bigtree invited Chudov to appear in his show.

Chudov said Ba.5 predominated in Portugal and South Africa, but the outcomes were different. The journalist said he was struck by how different the number of deaths and cases in both countries. He pointed out that the wave of Ba.5 in South Africa has a very minor impact in terms of deaths. But in Portugal, there was a huge wave of cases followed by a large wave of deaths. (Related: South African health minister says omicron hospitalizations are relatively low and nothing to worry about)

Full vaccinated Portugal suffers more from omicron subvariant

Both countries have the Ba.5 wave, but Portugal has six times more deaths. One plausible explanation for this, according to Chudov, is because Portugal has a very high vaccination rate. Unfortunately it doesnt help, he said.

Bigtree noted that South Africa has low vaccination rate while Portugal is fully vaccinated. The fact that the latter is now having a rise in deaths is quite alarming, he said.

Chudov said the reason Ba.5 is so much worse in Portugal is because the subvariant mostly infects the vaccinated. He added that most Portuguese people already had COVID and the major wave happening is reinfection-driven. The journalist and researcher cited that Ba.5 is good at reinfecting both the vaccinated and the boosted.

Bigtree mentioned the news that the omicron subvariants have evolved and that people may start to see disease enhancement caused by COVID-19 vaccines. He also mentioned that Belgian virologist Geert Vanden Bossche believes vaccination is going to pressure the COVID-19 virus to mutate into a space where it becomes more deadly and infectious for the vaccinated.

In a May 18 interview with Australian journalist Maria Zeee, Vanden Bossche said: In the next two months, I expect an explosion [of this virulent variant] in one of these highly vaccinated countries. And then it will go very, very fast.

Vanden Bossche is a former senior officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and senior program manager for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization.

Follow Outbreak.news for more news about COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch the video below to know more about the COVID variant that is attacking the vaccinated.

This video is from the The HighWire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Pandemic of the vaccinated: CDC says 80% of omicron cases found in fully vaccinated individuals

Study: COVID vaccination causes vaccine-associated enhanced disease in children

WHO: Omicron variant could spell end of pandemic in Europe Study: Covid jabs provide virtually no protection against Omicron

States with highest covid vaccination rates also seeing highest surge in omicron cases

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

IMDb.com

IgorChudov.Substack.com

LifeSiteNews.com
(Natural News) The World Health Organization has stated that it has been planning since January, together with the United States government, to become a dictatorship of global health, as described by Peter Breggin, MD, in his show, Refounding America.

In January, the Department of Health and Human Services sent in amendments to the WHO amid ongoing fanfare about how it should empower people to come more strongly to the forefront of the next pandemic or in any other kind of health threat.

Some of the amendments stuck out in terms of control and the role of the WHO in a global health scale, where it will no longer need the permission of any of its member countries to announce a potential or existing global health crisis.

Following minor changes to the International Health Regulations, member governments are working on new, far-reaching amendments to the global rules, which will be submitted in September. At the same time, WHO leaders and governments are also going to develop a new International Pandemic Treaty, which is still being drafted but is expected to hand vast new powers to the WHO if approved.

As per the U.S. State Department, the treaty and the amendments being negotiated are aimed at empowering the WHO to fight global health crises such as pandemics.

U.S. lawmakers at the state and federal levels are also pushing back hard, with experts saying that the WHOs ultimate goal is to impose medical tyranny and not to protect health.

Francis Boyle, professor of international law at the University of Illinois, said this move is just another major totalitarian power grab by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the WHO, Bill Gates, Big Pharma, the biowarfare industry, the Peoples Republic of China and others to impose their medical tyranny upon the human race.

In a separate interview, Boyle also called the WHO a criminal organization, saying that it is completely rotten, corrupt, and despicable and he urged strongly against giving the organization any more power or money.

Boyle has worked on numerous high-profile cases in his career and argued that leading WHO officials should be considered for potential prosecution for crimes against humanity.

Among his concerns include the WHOs sponsorship of Chinas Wuhan Institute of Virology, which many believe is the source of the COVID-19 outbreak that caused the pandemic. Another is the agencys role in promoting COVID-19 vaccines, which Boyle called dangerous Frankenshots.

Killing off treaty in infancy

He is now calling on U.S. senators to join forces against the WHOs plan, urging them to create and circulate a letter that indicates they intend to reject any new WHO pandemic treaties that may come before them for ratification so that they might kill off the treaty in its infancy stage before the WHO can even begin to consider it. (Related: Twelve of Bidens sovereignty amendments to WHOs International Health Treaty tabled  but they could return.)

Without much media coverage, the WHO member states met in Geneva at the end of May to discuss major changes to the IHR.

The CDC describes the IHR to be legally binding, with the global health rules playing a major role in coordinated worldwide response to the pandemic.

Despite being focused on health issues, the world has argued that other events such as climate change, gun violence and racism all constitute public health emergencies, and critics pointed out that this means almost anything could come under the organizations arms.

However, mainstream media insist that the International Health Regulations, which are aimed to detect disease outbreaks, will only allow the WHO director-general to declare public health emergencies of international concern.

They posit that the proposed U.S. amendments only seek to strengthen these requirements for reporting such emergencies, and member countries are expected to abide by the guidelines, although the organization itself does not have full power to enforce them, nor can it interfere in other countries decision-making processes.

Lawmakers and activists spent weeks sounding the alarm about the amendments before they were considered last month, with many referring to them as dictatorial and a power grab by the organization and some of its leading members at the expense of the autonomy of nation-states.

Following public backlash, legal analysts and researchers who followed the development said that the latest bid to empower the WHO has been stopped for now. (Related: WHO Pandemic Treaty will take away government oversight in the event of another pandemic, German MEP says.)

The main change made to the IHR remains to be the time for future amendments to take effect  from two years, down to one. They also approved the creation of a working group to help draft and consider more amendments in the future.

Follow Globalism.news for more news about the WHO and its plans to abolish democracy.

Watch the video below for more information about the WHO amendments.

This video is from the Peter R. Breggin, MD channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

WHO unveils tyrannical amendments in the name of health emergency preparedness.

WHO Pandemic Treaty: A power-grabbing act to control health responses of UN member countries.

MEP Christine Anderson warns: WHO trying to seize governmental power through PANDEMIC TREATY.

Be warned: The World Health Organizations Pandemic Treaty will destroy all remaining freedoms and unleash a global MEDICAL DICTATORSHIP.

WHO calls for new global public health world order to take advantage of future plandemics.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

TheEpochTimes.com

APNews.com
(Natural News) The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating reports that the monkeypox virus is present in the semen of patients and is examining the probability that the disease could be sexually transmitted, an official of the world health body said Wednesday, June 15.

Many cases in the ongoing monkeypox outbreak are among sexual partners. During the last few days, scientists said they have discovered viral DNA in the semen of a few monkeypox patients in Italy and Germany.

However, its still not known whether the reports meant the monkeypox virus could be sexually transmitted, according to Catherine Smallwood, monkeypox incident manager at WHO Europe.

This may have been something that we were unaware of in this disease before. We really need to focus on the most frequent mode of transmission, and we clearly see that to be associated with skin-to-skin contact, Smallwood told a media briefing.

Over 1,300 cases of the viral disease have been reported by about 30 countries since the beginning of May. The majority of the cases have been reported in men who have sex with men.

The epidemic has provoked concern since the virus is seldom seen outside of Africa, where it is endemic, and the most of the European cases are not connected to travel to the continent.

As the epidemic spreads, the WHO has suggested targeted vaccination of close contacts along with healthcare workers, but has warned it is already seeing a surge to store vaccines.

Once again, a me first approach could lead to damaging consequences down the road. I beseech governments to tackle monkeypox without repeating the mistakes of the pandemic and keeping equity at the heart of all we do, said Hans Kluge, regional director for WHO Europe.

The agency has for the past few weeks warned that the present, disturbing spread of the virus to lots of new countries seemed to be related to men who have had sex with other men.

United Kingdom has highest confirmed cases of monkeypox

That was the case in 99 percent of the 152 monkeypox patients in England, according to Britains Health Security Agency. The United Kingdom has the highest confirmed cases with at least 470 overall.

The discovery of viral DNA in the semen of a small number of monkeypox patients in Italy and Germany has dramatically raised the probability that it is really sexually transmitted, according to the newest findings of experts.

The WHO, as a precaution, has told monkeypox patients to use condoms for three months after their recovery.

The agency is also reaching out to Pride event organizers and dating apps to provide clear information to raise awareness, Kluge said.

Kluge added that while the majority of cases have been among men who have sex with men, people must remember that the monkeypox virus is not in itself related to any specific group. He referred to the lessons of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, stating that denouncing certain populations weakens the public health response.

He warned that the looming summer tourism, various Pride events, music festivals and other mass gatherings were strong opportunities to interact with young, sexually active and very moving people.

Monkeypox is not a reason to cancel events, but an opportunity to leverage them to drive our engagement, Kluge stated. (Related: Pride parades should go on despite monkeypox concerns: WHO)

Organizers of Pride events in cities made up of London, Berlin, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Malta and Stockholm have said they will go ahead as planned.

The WHO on Tuesday, June 14, announced it was planning to rename the virus and disease, while also arranging a special meeting to decide if it should be treated as a top-level public health emergency of international concern.

This came after a group of scientists signed a petition paper expressing an urgent need for a non-discriminatory and non-stigmatizing moniker used to recognize the virus.

The group of 29 experts is currently calling it hMPXV and push for a speedy decision and adoption of a new name.

The disease was first called monkeypox as it was detected in the lab monkeys in 1958. Although it has been identified in wild monkeys in Africa, rodents are believed to be the cause of infection in humans in endemic regions.

Follow Infections.news for more news about monkeypox outbreak.

Watch the video below to know why the WHO wants to rename monkeypox.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

WHO: Monkeypox outbreak traced to homosexual men who attended rave events in Europe.

WHO says monkeypox outbreak unlikely to turn into next global pandemic.

Monkeypox transmission could accelerate this summer, warns WHO but is it just more fearmongering?

More than half of all new monkeypox cases detected in homosexual men: data.

Monkeypox outbreak could be used to justify expansion of medical surveillance.

Sources include:

News.Yahoo.com

NYPost.com

Yahoo.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Dr. Harvey Risch, a professor of epidemiology at Yale University, scoffed at the idea that mask mandates are based on science.

To understand science, you have to go back to the evidential studies that bear on your theories about how things work, Risch said on the June 15 episode of Refounding America with Dr. Peter Breggin.

He explained that being told masks work is not a science.

Reading original studies on whether or not masks work  whether by reducing the spread to other people or protecting those that wear them  allows people to decide whether or not theyre done validly and whether the conclusions are appropriate, he said. Weve been told what science was without actually being told the science itself. Thats not science, thats plausibility. (Related: Public health expert reveals the FDA and Faucis shocking plot to bury hydroxychloroquine as potential COVID-19 cure.)

We need science to address COVID, not plausibility

Risch continued: So when you think that if you put a mask over your face, its going to block what goes in  thats plausibility. The science is going and testing it in conditions that it would be normally used by the people who would normally use it at the risks they normally face, with the particles that are the ones in question and then doing all the relevant measurements.

He also explained that testing masks in specific conditions of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) have not been done, so nothing amounts to much. Even when considering studies about influenza and other viruses and particles around the size of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, they are not usually waterborne and the droplets dont allow masks to do very much. (Related: Vaccine-pimping US Surgeon General proclaims Americans have no right to spread disinformation, which means anything the regime doesnt like.)

They dont reduce the spread, and they dont much protect the wearer in the masks that are normally worn.

Risch explained that there is a plausibility of masks protecting individuals because they are worn over the nose and mouth. However, this plausibility may be overwritten by actual empirical data that scientists and researchers have to study and draw conclusions from.

He went on to explain that social distancing and lockdowns, in the same way, are empirical observations and are merely plausible.

It is plausible that locking people down can limit the spread of the virus inside the house. However, once lockdowns end, those who didnt gain immunity have become sponges that are waiting to receive the virus that then began rotating when homes and businesses open once more. This means that lockdowns dont really solve the problems of viral spreading in a population.

Early treatment with hydroxychloroquine effective against COVID-19

Another issue that Risch brought up is the use of hydroxychloroquine.

Early treatments for COVID-19, around March and April 2020, involved hydroxychloroquine. And there had been a very clear association between the use of hydroxychloroquine in the first few days of interaction with the virus to a reduced risk of hospitalization and death.

There had been a 75 percent reduced mortality in people who got hydroxychloroquine and a 50 percent reduction in hospitalizations, as per studies.

In his study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, Risch asserted that there is a stronger benefit for hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin when started earlier, compared to the then-standard of care. He also cited data from COVID protocol innovator Vladimir Zelenko, who made headlines during the pandemic.

Risch cited data from Zelenko on 405 outpatients who were treated with hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and zinc. Of these patients, six were hospitalized and only two died.

On the topic of vaccines, Risch admitted to not being an expert on the matter. But he said that the vaccine benefit, as people have learned, is relatively short-lived.

The efficacy in reducing severe disease, hospitalization, mortality may last longer. So theres still some potential benefit. But weve also seen a very large amount of adverse events and mortality with these vaccines that have to be reckoned with in the decisions to use them.

Follow Pandemic.news for news related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch the video below to learn more about Harvey Rischs research on COVID-19.

This video is from the Peter R. Breggin, MD channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

At least half of new coronavirus infections now happening in vaccinated people as vaccine failure phenomenon worsens.

Its dangerous to ignore proof that hydroxychloroquine can save high-risk patients lives, doctor warns.

Yale doctor calls out CDC for committing large scale medical fraud and hiding covid cases among the vaccinated.

Newsweek op-ed written by Yale professor blasts fake news media, leftist politicians for rejecting hydroxychloroquine.

Harvard professor urges parents not to give children coronavirus vaccines because risks outweigh any benefit.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Academic.OUP.com

MedPageToday.com
(Natural News) Last week, American military families lost five more service members, but not to force of arms in battle on a distant battlefield  to yet another military aircraft accident.

Five U.S. Marines  two aviators and three crew members  were killed when their MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, which can take off, land and hover like a helicopter but fly like a plane  crashed during a training flight in Imperial County, Calif. They were assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 364, under the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, according to a statement issued Friday night by Maj. Mason Englehart of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, but it is just the latest in a series of crashes that, over the past six years, have killed 198 service members and civilians, destroyed 157 aircraft, and cost taxpayers $9.41 billion, according to a 2020 congressional report.

As reported by Responsible Statecraft:

Two years after the congressional report, crashes are still happening with alarming frequency, leading many to wonder why this seemingly simple issue still plagues the worlds best-funded military. Experts who spoke with Responsible Statecraft had a simple answer: The epidemic of accidents is the result of a military budget geared more towards shiny, cutting-edge tech than the nuts and bolts of pilot safety.

??Theres big lobbies for big-ticket systems, and theres not the same kind of lobby for aviation safety, said Bill Hartung of the Quincy Institute, according to the outlet.

The outlet noted that the 2020 congressional report provides a great deal of insight as to why the deadly crashes continue to occur.

While investigators recommended several common-sense measures to address the problem including more money for maintenance and spare parts as well as establishing a safety board within the Pentagon, they also said that at least some of the crashes are likely occurring because pilots were not flying enough hours. So they recommended spending more to allow for more flight time.

Yet Dan Grazier, a defense expert at the Project on Government Oversight, says the Pentagon is largely at the same place as it was when the report came out, Responsible Statecraft noted. According to Defense One, an oversight board has still not been established. And Grazier notes that in some cases, theres been an effort to double down on some of the problems.'

Take increased flight hours, for instance. Last year, active-duty Air Force pilots managed to get an average of 10.1 flight hours per month, which was a decrease from the 10.9 hours per month they averaged the year before. Also, Heritage Foundation senior defense fellow John Venable, a former F-16 pilot himself, said recently that pilots are really only getting about 4. 1 flight hours per month. As the congressional report noted, the Pentagon has attempted to substitute real flight time with hours spent in flight simulators. Not exactly the same thing, as Grazier pointed out.

He noted an incident in 2020 in which an F-35 crashed during a landing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. According to the defense expert, the pilot had trained extensively on the simulator, but his training did not at all prepare him for a glitch during landing.

The simulator acted in one way as the aircraft was landing, but then the real aircraft acted in a different way, Grazier said.

That pilot ejected and no one on the ground was hurt. But with increasingly sophisticated aircraft in Americas inventories that cant get in the air as often as their simpler ancestors and are more likely to malfunction, crashes are mounting and are more than just a passing problem, the outlet noted.

That brings the situation back to the V-22 Osprey, an incredibly complex flying machine that many defense experts said should never have been purchased.

When that program was started, I was in the building, as they say, in the 80s, said Lawrence Korb of the Center for American Progress. It was so expensive and [had] so many problems that the Army dropped out of it, and basically the Marines stayed in.

Sources include:

ResponsibleStatecraft.org

DefenseOne.com
The appearance of rare birds is an 'undeniable sign' that a climate emergency has reached Britain. Birds like the European bee-eater found in Norfolk are projected to become permanent visitors due to global warming.

Rainbow-Hued Bee Eater Sighting

According to environmentalists, rainbow-hued bee-eaters breeding on the Norfolk coast this summer and three rare black-winged stilt fledglings in Yorkshire are an "unmissable warning" that the nature and climate emergency has reached Britain.

Birdwatchers are going to north-east Norfolk to view European bee-eaters, a colorful uncommon visitor from Africa and southern Europe, after a local birder sighted seven birds near Cromer.

Several bee-eaters have been digging nest tunnels in a tiny sand quarry near Trimingham, boosting hopes that they may breed successfully.

Also Read: After Over a Century, Critically Endangered California Condors Finally Returns to Redwood

Not Local Breeds

Bee-eaters did not breed in Britain between 1956 and 2001, but this is the sixth attempt this century, with birds breeding in County Durham in 2002, Herefordshire in 2002, the Isle of Wight in 2014, Cumbria in 2015, and Nottinghamshire in 2017, when quarry nests failed due to adverse weather.

"These seven bee-eaters are undoubtedly the most colorful and fascinating birds you can see in the UK right now," RSPB's Mark Thomas remarked. "While this is a beautiful sight, we must remember that the appearance of these birds on our coasts is due to changes in our climate and the resulting stresses on wildlife both here and throughout the world."

"Pulled north by climate change, these exotic birds will most likely become established summer visitors in the future, having provided an early and unmistakable indicator in the last two decades that the environment and climate emergency has reached our shores."

The starling-sized bee-eaters have red backs, blue bellies, and yellow throats and may be observed catching bees, dragonflies, and other flying insects in mid-air.

An Unexpected Sight

Three black-winged stilts fledged this week from what is thought to be the most northerly nest in Britain for a wading species that is rare in this country and does not breed here every year at Potteric Carr nature reserve in Doncaster.

"It's been an anxious wait, but we're thrilled," said Andy Dalton, operations manager at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Potteric Carr is a green sanctuary on Doncaster's outskirts, surrounded by busy motorways and industrial expansion - the conservation work we perform here has a big influence on wildlife, particularly endangered species like black-winged stilts."

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Danny Heptinstall, head of strategy and partnerships, stressed that nature-rich areas must be safeguarded and restored on a wide enough scale to allow species driven north by global warming to find sanctuary in Britain.

"The only reason we have black-winged stilts reproducing at Potteric Carr is that we have a wonderful landscape-scale nature reserve of a few hundred hectares with plans to expand it." "These animals will have nowhere to go if we don't provide habitat for them in the UK," said Heptinstall.

Giving Hope?

"It's encouraging, thrilling, and a fantastic validation of the work we've been doing at Potteric Carr, but it's also a wake-up call." The other side of the coin is what we are losing simultaneously. Yorkshire is concerned about its seabird populations, including kittiwakes, fulmars, and puffins."

24 of the UK's 25 breeding seabird species have red or amber classification on the birds of conservation concern list, indicating that they are threatened with local extinction. As sea temperatures increase, fish populations migrate north or vanish, lowering the nesting success of seabirds further south and forcing species to migrate to where there is food.

The RSPB and the North-East Norfolk Bird Club have built a car park and viewing facility in a big grass field off Gimingham Road near Trimingham so that visitors do not interrupt the bee-eaters' nesting efforts.

Related Article: Are Renewable Power Sources Hurting Bird Populations in California?

For more animal news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Baby Swifts 'cooked' alive as they leave nests in 100-degree heat. Swifts, in particular, frequently build their nests in buildings made of materials such as concrete or sheet metal. These circumstances and the current Spanish heat wave can turn their nests into furnaces.

Hundreds of juvenile birds have been discovered spread over streets in southern Spain after falling from their nests in a frantic bid to escape the excessive summer heat.

"They're actually being fried," said Elena Moreno Portillo, an animal activist with the Seville-based conservation group Ecourbe, according to The Guardian.

Collecting Newborns

People have been collecting boxes full of newborn birds, according to the group's Facebook page. As many as 100 swifts have been gathered in a single day in Seville and Cordoba, where there are significant urban colonies of swifts.

Hundreds of birds have been taken to rehabilitation clinics hoping that any survivors might be nursed back to health. Many others have not been so fortunate.

Diego, a volunteer, told the Seville daily Diario de Sevilla that he has been traveling to the city's airport every day to collect live young that have been found in need of aid since there is a colony that lives there.

Diego stated that during the last week or two, he had gathered around 80 individuals, who were subsequently sent to the Center for the Recovery of Endangered Birds (CREA) in San Jeronimo. However, he stated that the number of dead significantly outnumbers the number of survivors.

Also Read: Sighting of a Rare Bird in Britain may be the "Undeniable Sign" of Climate Change's Severity

Early Onset of Heat Wave

This is happening this year because of how early the Spanish heat wave began. Temperatures like these are more frequent in July and August but seldom in June.

Interestingly, June is also a rapid breeding season. According to Moreno Portillo, if the heat wave had occurred later in the year, as it usually does, many of the birds would have been able to fly.

According to Spain's AEMET meteorological organization, the current heat wave is the first recorded since 1981-more than 40 years ago. According to The Local, Spain's minister for environmental transition, Teresa Ribera, termed it "extraordinarily frightening."

Advised to Hydrate

People around the country have been encouraged to drink plenty of water and remain as cool as possible. Meanwhile, rising temperatures are impacting the United States and have been blamed for the deaths of thousands of cows.

Scientists have consistently warned that global temperatures have risen since the Industrial Revolution and that human activities are mostly to blame for global warming, one facet of climate change.

Impact of Climate Change on Birds

According to NASA, nine of the ten warmest years have happened in the last decade.

Climate change impacts birds both directly and indirectly, according to bird research. Bird distributions are strongly related to both winter and summer temperatures. Rising temperatures due to climate change may directly impact birds by pushing them to use more energy for thermoregulation.

Related Article: Are Renewable Power Sources Hurting Bird Populations in California?

For more animal news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Two massive tornadoes ripped across China, all captured on video. Tornadoes, one of which ripped through a Chinese megacity, are part of a bigger wave of extreme weather sweeping the country.

Giant Twisters

Two stunningly breathtaking tornadoes hit China this week, joining a slew of natural disasters in the vast country of over 1.4 billion people.

On June 16, a terrifyingly enormous twister ripped through buildings in the Chinese megacity of Guangzhou, located in the southeastern province of Guangdong. Several tiny explosions are observed when the tornado smashes a downtown railway station, with sparks being pushed into the sky by the quickly revolving storm.

The tornado, highlighted by city lights and transformer explosions, can be seen from different angles in the darkness as it smashes through the crowded urban core. According to witnesses, the twister was on the ground for almost three minutes.

One individual taking a video offered his colorful commentary as the tornado ripped across the city.

"There is a power outage." The massive tornado is traveling down Line 14's path. Wow, the sparks are flying everywhere! The metro station on Line 14 has been hit! " he stated, according to Newsflare's translation.

Also Read: Tornado Left Behind a Trail of Destruction in Wisconsin, One Hospital Severely Damaged

The aftermath of the Disaster

Guangzhou people flocked to the streets in the storm's aftermath to examine the damage and begin cleaning up. Trees and scaffolding had fallen into the roadway, and the storm's tornado and powerful winds had knocked out power in the region. Surprisingly, no storm-related deaths were reported.

This week, two incredibly beautiful tornadoes slammed China, joining a string of natural disasters in the massive country of over 1.4 billion people.

On June 16, a terrifyingly large twister smashed through buildings in Guangzhou, China, located in the southeastern province of Guangdong. When the tornado hits a downtown train station, several small explosions are seen, with sparks thrown into the sky by the rapidly rotating storm.

The tornado, illuminated by city lights and transformer explosions, can be seen from various perspectives in the darkness as it rips through the densely populated metropolitan center. According to witnesses, the twister was on the ground for about three minutes.

The twister damaged several houses as it swept towards the village, with sections of their roofs thrown onto the street. Trees were torn out of the ground and left on their sides, giving the place the appearance of a battle zone rather than a charming town. There were no injuries recorded as a result of the storm.

Most Recent Extreme Weather Events

According to Reuters, the two twisters are the most recent in a string of extreme weather occurrences in China. Torrential rain has fallen in southern China, while temperatures in northern China are expected to rise over 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Weather conditions in China would likely be adverse this summer," a country's aviation authority official said during a news conference on Friday.

Related Article: Exposure to Major Disasters Can Cause Long-Term Mental Health Problems

For more climate and weather updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Reporter

Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey).
Ethan Simmons is a reporter at The News-Gazette covering the University of Illinois. His email is esimmons@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@ethancsimmons).
Introduction

Telehealth and telemedicine

Telehealth technologies

Scope and limitations

Looking forward

References

Further reading

Telehealth refers to the delivery of health care over the internet using a range of telecommunications methods. Telehealth technologies include live video conferencing, mobile health apps, save and forward electronic transmission, and remote patient monitoring (RPM).

Telehealth is quickly expanding and has the potential to change the way millions of people receive health care. Telehealth technologies, tools, and services are quickly becoming a critical part of the healthcare system.

Telehealth is described as the application of telecommunications and digital technologies to offer and facilitate health and health-related services such as medical care, health information services, and provider and patient education.

Image Credit: ST.art/Shutterstock

Telehealth and telemedicine

Although the terms telehealth and telemedicine are sometimes interchanged, telehealth now encompasses a broader range of digital healthcare activities and services. To comprehend the relationship between telehealth and telemedicine, it is necessary to first define telemedicine.

Telemedicine is the application of technology and telecommunication networks to provide healthcare to patients who are geographically distant from their doctors. A radiologist, for example, might analyze and interpret imaging results for a patient in a distant county whose hospital currently lacks a radiologist. For a non-life-threatening health condition, a physician may provide urgent care to the patient through video. Telemedicine is a term for the practice of medicine through the internet and electronic applications.

Telemedicine refers to the practice of medicine through the internet. Telehealth is a broad word that encompasses all aspects and activities of healthcare and the healthcare system that apply telecommunications technology. Telehealth activities and uses that go beyond remote clinical treatment include healthcare education, wearable devices that record and transmit vital signs, and provider-to-provider remote communication.

Telehomecare, or more recently, home telehealth or home-based eHealth, is the term used to describe the application of telemedicine and/or telehealth to the home setting.

A Telehomecare visit is defined as,

two-way interactive audiovisual communication between a healthcare provider and a patient at their home."

This virtual home visit entails a physical examination of the patient's heart, lungs, and bowel sounds, as well as the collection of vital indicators including blood pressure and pulse.

Telehealth technologies

The use of smartphones is exponentially increasing with every passing year. mHealth (or mobile health), remote patient monitoring (RPM), video and audio technology, digital photography, and store and forward technologies are all being used for telehealth. These and other mobile devices can be used to improve health outcomes and provide more access to care.

Patients employ mHealth, or mobile health, applications and services on their smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Patients can use these apps to track their health, set medication and appointment reminders, and communicate information with their doctors. Users can choose from hundreds of mHealth apps, including aids for managing asthma and diabetes, as well as weight loss and smoking cessation apps. Users can also plan appointments and connect with providers via video conference and text messaging on their mobile devices.

Wyoming Medicaid sponsored research to assess patient participation and post-birth outcomes for those who utilized the "Due Date Plus" mobile health app. The app, which allowed women to track pregnancy milestones, contact medical services, and look up symptom-related information, was linked to better prenatal care compliance and fewer babies born with low birth weights.

The reporting, gathering, transmission, and evaluation of patient health data via electronic devices such as wearables, mobile devices, smartphone apps, and internet-enabled computers is known as remote patient monitoring. Patients are reminded to weigh themselves via RPM technologies, which then send the information to their doctors. Blood pressure, cardiac stats, oxygen levels, and respiration rates are all collected and transferred using wearables and other electronic monitoring equipment.

Image Credit: insta_photos/Shutterstock

Scope and limitations

There are three major goals that telehealth aims to achieve in healthcare. The first is the shift in telehealth's application from boosting access to health care to delivering convenience and, ultimately, cost reduction. The second is the development of telehealth beyond acute diseases to include episodic and chronic conditions. The spread of telemedicine from hospitals and satellite clinics to the home and mobile devices is the third aim.

Telehealth has the potential to improve the quality and cost of health care delivery in a variety of ways, including accessibility, effectiveness, affordability, safety, and equity. Telehealth can assist access and reduce the need for in-person appointments in many regions where "stay-at-home" laws exist.

The limitations on reimbursement and the variable payer landscape are significant barriers to more widespread telehealth use. The broad adoption of telemedicine is hampered by limited reimbursement. Telehealth insurance coverage is patchy, but it's becoming more prevalent. The more widely used and successful telehealth programs become, the more likely these payment concerns will be resolved.

Read Next: What is Telepsychiatry?

Some consultations need physical examinations that are difficult to perform remotely, as well as diagnostics (such as imaging and cultures) that are not possible to perform remotely. Clinician training should emphasize the limitations of telehealth and provide information on other information-gathering strategies that can be employed in these situations.

Looking forward

Telehealth provides great chances to improve the healthcare delivery process, potentially leading to better health outcomes. The study of rare illnesses and comparisons of diverse locations and techniques for delivering treatments via telehealth necessitate a measurement strategy that permits data to be aggregated across multiple health systems. Data-driven reimbursement and policy changes that encourage proper telehealth use can be informed by findings from rigorous telehealth program evaluations in these areas.

References

Chuo, J., Macy, M. L., & Lorch, S. A. (2020). Strategies for Evaluating Telehealth. Pediatrics, 146(5), e20201781. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-1781 Smith, A. C., Thomas, E., Snoswell, C. L., Haydon, H., Mehrotra, A., Clemensen, J., & Caffery, L. J. (2020). Telehealth for global emergencies: Implications for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Journal of telemedicine and telecare, 26(5), 309313. https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X20916567 Catalyst, N. E. J. M. (2018). What is telehealth? NEJM Catalyst, 4(1). Available at: https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/CAT.18.0268 Tuckson, R. V., Edmunds, M., & Hodgkins, M. L. (2017). Telehealth. New England Journal of Medicine, 377(16), 1585-1592. 10.1056/NEJMsr1503323 Dorsey, E. R., & Topol, E. J. (2016). State of telehealth. New England Journal of Medicine, 375(2), 154-161. 10.1056/NEJMra1601705 Koch S. (2006). Home telehealth--current state and future trends. International journal of medical informatics, 75(8), 565576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2005.09.002

Further Reading
A study analyzing prescription claims for a drug used to treat opioid addictions found that adolescents and young adults were less likely than usual to get treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially if they were covered by private, commercial health insurance.

The findings of the study, conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and elsewhere, were published May 17 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

The new research shows that young adults in their 20s were hardest hit by the economic disruptions of the pandemic, says Children's Center adolescent and addiction medicine specialist Rachel Alinsky, M.D., M.P.H., who is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Over the last two decades, while older adult addiction treatment rates increased, Alinsky says, treatment rates decreased for younger age groups. Meanwhile, she adds, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study shows there was a 49% rise in overdose rates among adolescents and young adults in 2019 and 2020 -; early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a bid to learn how the COVID-19 pandemic affected access to addiction treatment for adolescents and young adults, the investigators focused on prescription claims for buprenorphine (often called Suboxone or Zubsolv), a medication prescribed to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). Among people in treatment for OUD, buprenorphine is considered the standard of care. Johns Hopkins Children's Center experts note that adolescents and young adults with OUD are less likely than older adults with OUD to be prescribed buprenorphine  in part due to the stigma about OUD and its treatment, and the lack of treatment facilities geared toward these younger age groups.

Pulling information from a database of outpatient prescription claims in the U.S., managed by a company specializing in health information technology (IQVIA), the researchers identified prescription use changes among people age 12 to 29 during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 413,152 of these adolescent and young adults filled at least one buprenorphine prescription between January 2018 and August 2020. Monthly prescriptions during this time frame ranged from 90,932 to 120,740.

The team found that the monthly buprenorphine prescription rate increased 8.3% among people age 12 to 17, but it decreased 7.5% among people age 18 to 24 and 5.1% among those age 25 to 29. While further breaking down the data based on health insurance coverage, the team discovered that most of the reduction in the number of young adult prescriptions was due to sharp declines in prescriptions filled with commercial insurance or cash. Prescriptions filled through commercial insurance decreased 19.9% among people age 18 to 24 and 11.8% among those age 25 to 29. Prescriptions filled through cash decreased 18.7% among people age 18 to 24 and 19.9% for those age 25 to 29.

By contrast, the number of prescriptions covered by Medicaid, a federal and state supported program for people with limited income, did not significantly change.

These findings highlight Medicaid as a safety net program that enabled these young people to continue their life-saving medication treatment, even during this time of financial crisis." Rachel Alinsky, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

The economic disruptions due to COVID-19, such as job loss, are what likely led to decreases in treatment among those with commercial insurance, as well as a decrease in the number of people receiving treatment for the first time, she adds. Job losses during the pandemic likely caused many people to lose their private employee-sponsored health insurance, to not be able to afford their private insurance premiums or to not be able to afford medication copays. Young adults in their 20s have been found to be the age group hardest hit by these COVID-19 economic disruptions.

The researchers say the U.S. government put some helpful policies in place  such as relaxing telemedicine restrictions  that made prescribing addiction treatments easier. However, "these government changes weren't enough," Alinsky says. The new study, she says, shows that such efforts failed young adults disproportionately, because they were more susceptible to job loss and economic impacts that affected their ability to maintain commercial insurance and to continue treatment.

Alinsky cautions that the study did not include data on buprenorphine dispensed through opioid treatment programs, but the number of people under age 18 who participate in such programs is generally small. The researchers also did not have data identifying whether a young adult was a primary subscriber or a dependent in a commercial insurance plan, or whether buprenorphine was prescribed by a provider in person or through telemedicine.

The researchers say their study highlights the importance of protecting this vulnerable population, particularly during a pandemic or national emergency. Alinsky says the health care community needs to more broadly do all it can "to educate young adults on what their options are if they lose their insurance or have difficulty paying for their medications." She also encourages adolescents and young adults to seek help for addiction and to make sure they have naloxone on hand to reverse the effects of an overdose.

"Anyone who uses opioids or is worried about a family member that is using substances can obtain naloxone from a pharmacy," Alinsky says.

Regarding next steps, Alinsky and her research team plan to study the potential effects of Medicaid policies on treatment access for young adults and adolescents.

Those seeking help can schedule an appointment at the Center for Adolescent/Family Addiction Management Recovery Support and Early Intervention at Johns Hopkins Children's Center. A behavioral health treatment services locator is available on the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website.

Along with Alinsky, study authors from Johns Hopkins are Laura Prichett, Hsien-Yen Chang, G. Caleb Alexander and senior author Brendan Saloner. Bradley Stein from the RAND Corporation also contributed to the study.

Alinsky, Stein and Saloner were supported by the RAND-USC Schaeffer Opioid Policy Tools and Information Center (P50DA046351). Data acquisition was supported by the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science Research Collaborative.
Mathematical modeling-; which combines math, statistics, computing and data-; is a critical tool for public health professionals, who use it to study how diseases spread, predict the future course of outbreaks and evaluate strategies for controlling epidemics.

As the COVID-19 pandemic drove public health decision-making nationwide, a wide range of disease models proliferated. Across the country, city, county and state officials worked with academic modeling teams to develop custom models to predict what would happen in their jurisdictions. Municipalities that did not have the resources to develop models specific to their locations were forced to extrapolate data from other models and make decisions based on less-than-ideal information. Since there was no cyber infrastructure for executing these models in a standardized way, the confusion caused by the cacophony of inconsistent models very likely eroded public trust in modeling as a powerful tool.

Assistant professor Joe Mihaljevic of Northern Arizona University's School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems (SICCS) has been working with public health partners across the state and the country to share computer models mapping the spread of the coronavirus. Mihaljevic, a disease ecologist who applies epidemiological modeling techniques to wildlife and, more recently, to human diseases, was awarded more than $3.5 million by the National Institutes for Health to take modeling to the next level with EpiMoRPH (Epidemiological Modeling Resources for Public Health), which will substantially automate and expedite the development of epidemiological models.

"Throughout the pandemic, we realized we needed models that were at spatial scales relevant to the needs of specific public health partners," Mihaljevic said. "Across the country smaller municipalities, like cities, were often forced to inform their decisions based on models that were developed at larger spatial scales, like county scales or even statewide scales, when what they really needed was a customized model for their location. As we thought about the complex challenges we faced and the things we learned modeling the coronavirus, we posed this question: if a new epidemic or pandemic were to emerge, could we envision a system that would make things much easier for modelers to get up and running and to collaborate across groups? And could we use this to develop locally customized models that are better for decision-making?"

"As we developed the proposal for EpiMoRPH, we tried to define a manageable piece of that answer that we could accomplish in a five-year timeframe, to develop a good proof of concept modeling system for what we envision as the 'next generation' of epidemiological modeling that increases automation, promotes sharing and collaboration, accelerates discovery and rapidly advances our understanding of epidemics," he said.

The project will use two different virus-based diseases as case studies: COVID-19 and SLEV (St. Louis Encephalitis Virus), but EpiMoRPH will work with any transmissible pathogen affecting humans, animals, or even plants.

"EpiMoRPH will provide a framework for characterizing meta-population disease models," Mihaljevic said, "supporting rapid model development and uniform evaluation of models against data benchmarks. Beyond that, however, EpiMoRPH will provide an accessible interface for public health professionals to identify models relevant to their locale and to then use these models to generate municipality-specific forecasts."

Multi-institutional collaboration to include Public Health Advisory Council

Mihaljevic's co-investigators on the project are SICCS professor Eck Doerry, who will lead software development and cloud-based computing; SICCS associate professor Crystal Hepp, also with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), who will lead the procurement and management of surveillance data on viral cases; and Samantha Sabo, associate professor from NAU's Center for Health Equity Research, who will assist with mobilizing and liaising with public health partners and lead the efforts in formal assessment.

NAU investigators will work with researchers from several other institutions, including Esma Gel from University of Nebraska, who will assist with optimization theory and algorithm developments; Sanjay Mehrotra from Northwestern University, who will lead the overall work on optimization theory development; and Timothy Lant from Arizona State University, who will assist with mobilizing and coordinating a Public Health Advisory Council.

The team will form a Public Health Advisory Council (PHAC) consisting of 15 local, regional and national stakeholders in public health and epidemiological modeling who will provide critical input and evaluation on the system as it is being developed. Collaborators from the Arizona Department of Health Services, with whom Mihaljevic and his team have worked extensively during the COVID-19 pandemic, will be part of this effort.

"The PHAC will help us better understand the logistical constraints and drive the development of the user interface so that it reflects the level of detail required by the intended users," Mihaljevic said. "We will work closely with the advisory council to evaluate and refine our technologies, ensuring that our innovations meet the evolving needs of public health partners, while also appealing to the community of epidemiological modelers."

In addition, many graduate and undergraduate students in informatics and computer science will assist with efforts to develop the web-based cyberinfrastructures, coding automation scripts and writing technical documentation. Two undergraduate researchers in public health will assist the team's efforts to conduct formal evaluations of the technology and develop outreach methods with the PHAC.

Could EpiMoRPH help make forecasting epidemics as reliable as forecasting the weather?

"Once EpiMoRPH is built, a typical user could be someone who represents public health in Flagstaff, for instance. During the pandemic, this user might have wanted to understand what they should expect with COVID-19 in terms of hospitalizations in the next 30 days. Because our model at that time was at the scale of Coconino County, we could tell them what was happening at the county level, but not specifically for Flagstaff," Mihaljevic said.

"And so, once EpiMoRPH is in place, if a model hasn't been built for Flagstaff, a public health official could enter some characteristics of this particular location, such as population density, geography, etc., and immediately see which models are currently most accurate. And then the EpiMoRPH system would use those models to develop a customized forecast for Flagstaff.

"In the ideal scenario, the modelers in the community could contribute models and public health professionals could contribute data, too. Our system would pair the models and the data and run them against each other and try to figure out which models are best for specific locations.

"Eventually, as models become more and more accurate, forecasting outbreaks could become as routine, and as reliable, as forecasting the weather," Mihaljevic said.

Revolutionizing how modeling is done

"This is a whole new way of thinking about developing models on a mass scale," co-investigator Doerry said, "so that next time we have a pandemic, we are ready and can produce coherent, intelligible and consistent models from the very start.

"Our ultimate aim is to revolutionize how modeling is done by defining a uniform conceptual standard that all current and existing models can be characterized with. This will allow for massive automation of model validation and parameter refinement and will support automatically testing them across thousands of different locales to discover what model is best given any set of local conditions. Finally, we will add an infinitely scalable cloud computing infrastructure that can bring to bear massive computing power to do all this heavy lifting. EpiMoRPH is so powerful precisely because it explores what you could achieve if you took cutting-edge infectious pathogen modeling and combined it with the cutting edge in cloud-based big data computation."

EpiMoRPH to contribute to national modeling community

With an increased emphasis on disease modeling, the EpiMoRPH platform could potentially be adopted as a national hub. Academic labs and national organizations across the country are racing to make epidemic modeling more accessible, more useful and more accurate. For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently launched its Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA), which will enhance the nation's ability to use data, models and analytics to enable timely, effective decision-making in response to public health threats for CDC and its public health partners. Mihaljevic hopes that EpiMoRPH could make a strong contribution to national efforts towards standardizing and automating epidemic modeling, with the goal of creating reliable forecasts for local decision-makers.
Aimed at improving patient care, the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) is launching the First 5 Minutes, an empathetic health care initiative, on June 18 in Bexar County, Texas.

The First 5 Minutes focuses on:

Enhancing cultural competency by building an understanding of barriers to care

Strengthening rapport and trust between clinician and patient

Meaningfully encouraging patients to be active participants in their health care and treatment

Up to 24 practicing Texas-based clinicians will participate in this in-person pilot training program at the University of Texas Health Science Center.

The First 5 Minutes program grew from a five-city Listening Tour in the Fall of 2020. CHEST hosted virtual calls in areas of the United States, including Bexar County, experiencing disproportionately high incidents of and mortality from COVID-19. The goal of the patient-focused tour was to gain insight and identify solutions to combat health inequities among marginalized communities.

What we heard was an overwhelming lack of access to health care, inequity in treatment and a dishearteningly low level of trust between patients and their health care teams. There are no quick fixes for these deep-rooted issues. However, doing nothing to change this situation and improve patient care is not an option. The First 5 Minutes program is a way we can impact change on a person-to-person level." Robert Musacchio, PhD, CEO of the American College of Chest Physicians

Disparities within health care continue to increase as 28 million people in the US live without health care coverage, and 13.4 million people don't have internet access to health resources.1 Small but intentional changes in the interaction between patients and their clinicians can significantly improve patient care and the patient experience, leading to better outcomes.

Barriers to the establishment of trust as expressed by patient participants during the Listening Tour are related to:

Perceived dismissive attitudes among physicians

Lack of understanding and/or appreciation of social determinants of health

Overuse of highly technical/medical terminology that can be intimidating to patients

General cultural and philosophical differences that may contribute to implicit biases

The interactive training model of the First 5 Minutes, led by relationship-centered communication trainers, has the goal of being a nationwide in-person and e-learning program. To improve the participant's empathetic listening, trust-building communication skills are part of the core curriculum, which includes:

Understanding one's implicit bias and its impact on patient care through small group discussion and activities

Relationship-centered interviewing and how it positively correlates to patient and clinician outcomes

Role-playing exercises demonstrating how rapport is established

Exercises covering the steps of patient- and clinician-centered interviewing

To strengthen the patient-clinician relationship and, ultimately, the patient experience, the First 5 Minutes program will provide physicians the tools needed to establish trust and rapport with their patients, even under time constraints.

"Every 15 minutes, a medical provider is expected to see another patient. It can be challenging to demonstrate compassion and care in this brief window. Still, it is essential," says Past President of the American College of Chest Physicians, Stephanie Levine, MD, FCCP, who serves on the program's steering committee. "The actions and words of the clinician have a tremendous impact on patient care. I'm proud to learn alongside my Texas colleagues. Together, we can serve as an example of how to improve the way we care for our patients to ensure every patient we treat feels welcomed, respected and included in the decision-making process."
(Newser)  This week marks the 50th anniversary of the origins of the Watergate scandal that brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon, and the newspaper that did the heavy lifting has a fitting commemoration. The Washington Post has reprinted its very first story in the sagaan account of a break-in at the Watergate hotel that appeared in the newspaper on June 18, 1972. Trivia buffs, take note: This story (based on the burglary the day before) was written by police reporter Alfred E. Lewis. The first story on the matter by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein appeared on the 19th.

The start: The first paragraph, under the headline "5 Held in Plot to Bug Democrats Office Here," reads as follows: "Five men, one of whom said he is a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency, were arrested at 2:30 a.m. yesterday in what authorities described as an elaborate plot to bug the offices of the Democratic National Committee here." Read it in full. The Post has a wide range of other stories to mark the anniversary here.

The book: Publisher Simon & Schuster has put out a 50th anniversary edition of Woodward and Bernstein's book, All the President's Men, on which the movie is based. NPR takes a look, noting that the authors draw a parallel between Nixon and former President Trump in a new foreword.

Publisher Simon & Schuster has put out a 50th anniversary edition of Woodward and Bernstein's book, All the President's Men, on which the movie is based. NPR takes a look, noting that the authors draw a parallel between Nixon and former President Trump in a new foreword. A guide: For those who want to catch up without reading the book, CNN has a guide to current and older movies and TV series based on the political scandal. That includes a six-part series on the History Channel being re-run.

For those who want to catch up without reading the book, CNN has a guide to current and older movies and TV series based on the political scandal. That includes a six-part series on the History Channel being re-run. A quiz: The AP has a fill-in-the-blank quiz to test your knowledge. For example: "Six days after the burglary, the Republican president agreed with a plan to cover up White House involvement. Seven men pleaded guilty or were convicted of the burglary and one of them, (blank) made demands of the White House for hush money." Hint: His initials are EHH.

The AP has a fill-in-the-blank quiz to test your knowledge. For example: "Six days after the burglary, the Republican president agreed with a plan to cover up White House involvement. Seven men pleaded guilty or were convicted of the burglary and one of them, (blank) made demands of the White House for hush money." Hint: His initials are EHH. Comparisons: Woodward and Bernstein are not the only ones drawing a Nixon-Trump comparison. The AP takes a deeper look, seeing a "thirst for power" as a unifying theme of the two presidents. In a New York Times essay, journalist and historian Garrett M. Graff also sees a parallel unfolding in the Jan. 6 hearings.

Woodward and Bernstein are not the only ones drawing a Nixon-Trump comparison. The AP takes a deeper look, seeing a "thirst for power" as a unifying theme of the two presidents. In a New York Times essay, journalist and historian Garrett M. Graff also sees a parallel unfolding in the Jan. 6 hearings. Media today: In a piece on the anniversary at Politico Magazine, John F. Harris writes that journalism's top editors today are weaker than those 50 years ago.

(Read more Watergate stories.)
(Newser)  In early 2021, Cecilia Lewis was looking forward to pulling up roots from her Maryland home and starting a new job as a Georgia school district's first administrator for diversity, equity, and inclusion. What Lewis had seen as an exciting opportunity, however, never panned out, thanks to white parents who pushed back against her hiring and accused the district of trying to teach "radical ideologies." Writing for ProPublica, Nicole Carr lays out Lewis' story, which started when she accepted the DEI position with the Cherokee County School District, a job she thought would allow her to support the "whole child" and address district disparities tied to race, disabilities, socioeconomics, and other factors. However, as the time drew nearer for the Black educator to head to Georgia, word started getting to her that white parents from one of the district's wealthier neighborhoods weren't happy she was coming.

Their main complaint, drawn from conservative talking points circulating nationwide: that Lewis was coming to force critical race theory, or CRT, and a "woke" liberal agenda upon the students and community. Lewis says she wasn't even familiar with CRT, which she thought referred to "culturally responsive teaching." But things got worse as her first day approached, with the parents against her hiringmotivated by national anti-CRT groups intent on stopping "indoctrination" and ousting school board members who didn't align with their beliefsbecoming increasingly hostile to her arrival.

A flood of emails soon demanded Lewis' firing, but the last straw was when she virtually watched a chaotic May 20, 2021, board meeting, where the superintendent nixed the district's DEI plan she'd been hired to oversee. "[The] foundations of everything that I was asked to do ... just shifted, and I was not a part of the conversation," she says. "That's it," her disgusted husband told her. "We're not doing this. You are not going there." She quit the next day, before she'd even started. Read more of Lewis' story here, including what happened when she accepted a job as a social studies supervisor in another Georgia school district after the drama in Cherokee. (Read more Longform stories.)
(Newser)  It's been some time since Triumph the Insult Comic Dog has made headlines, but he's now back in the spotlight. The AP reports that seven staffers from Stephen Colbert's Late Show were arrested on Capitol Hill Thursday night, and among those detained, per a list seen by the news outlet, was Robert Smigel, the comedian who voices the acerbic canine puppet. The Hollywood Reporter confirms the arrest of Smigel, who became known for the characters he played on Saturday Night Live and Conan O'Brien's late-night show. Capitol Police tell the AP that around 8:30pm on Thursday they received a call about a disturbance in the Longworth House Office Building, a building south of the Capitol proper that's used by the House of Representatives.

When responding officers arrived on the scene, they say they found "seven individuals, unescorted and without congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway." Although it's not clear which offices the production crew was near when they were arrested, reports indicate they'd at one point been filming around the offices of two congressional Republicans, Rep. Lauren Boebert and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, per Deadline. The police note at the time of the arrests, the building was closed, and that those arrested had been asked to leave the building earlier in the day. CBS News shows one of the photos taken Thursday of Smigel and Triumph in the hallways outside the hearings being held by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

A statement from CBS, which airs Colbert's program, notes that on Wednesday and Thursday, "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was on-site at the Capitol with a production team to record interviews for a comedy segment on behalf of The Late Show. Their interviews at the Capitol were authorized and prearranged through Congressional aides of the members interviewed." The statement goes on to say that, "after leaving the members' offices on their last interview of the day, the production team stayed to film standups and other final comedy elements in the halls," which is apparently when they were arrested. The staffers were charged with unlawful entry, and police say more charges could be forthcoming. (Read more Stephen Colbert stories.)
(Newser)  Three people were injured Friday evening at San Francisco International Airport after police say a man with an "edged weapon" attacked them. Authorities say the suspect, whom they haven't named, drove to the airport around 6pm, parked, and then walked into the departure terminal, reports NBC News. In an area of the airport still open to the public before the security checkpoints, the man then proceeded to attack multiple travelers, making contact with three male victims, police say.

The suspect was arrested. An airport spokesperson says the injured were treated at the scene for minor cuts and scrapes and were able to continue on to their travels, per KTVU, which reports "a large knife" was recovered at the scene. Witnesses tell KRON the weapon resembled a machete. Police haven't offered further details on the weapon, or on a motive, other than to say that their preliminary investigation has found the suspect didn't seem to know the victims, and that this was a random, isolated incident. (Read more San Francisco stories.)
(Newser)  Mark Shields, who affably debated fellow political pundits on TV for decadesslipping in cutting jabs along the wayhas died. He was 85 and died at home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, of kidney failure, the New York Times reports. Shields, who labeled himself a New Deal liberal, was a fixture on CNN and PBS as a counterpart to commentators including William Safire, Paul Gigot, and David Brooks. PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff tweeted, per NPR, that Shields "wowed us with his encyclopedic knowledge of American politics, his sense of humor and mainly his big heart."

After serving in the Marines, Shields started in politics as an aide to Wisconsin Sen. William Proxmire. He then became a consultant to Democratic candidates in local races, going national as an organizer for Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign. "I'll go to my grave believing Robert Kennedy would have been the best president of my lifetime," he once told the Times. He worked for winning candidates, but he also worked for a series of presidential also-rans, including Edmund Muskie, Sargent Shriver, and Morris Udall. "At one point, I held the NCAA indoor record for concession speeches written and delivered," Shields said.

He appeared on CNN's weekly Capital Gang and Inside Washington, which ran on CNN and ABC. Shields also was a columnist. His NewsHour run lasted 33 years, until 2020, 19 of them with Brooks. Although he considered politics "a contact sport," the Times wrote in 1993 that Shields comes across as "just a guy who likes to argue about current events at the barbershopthe pundit next door." Allegheny College honored him and Brooks with an award for "civility in public life," per the Washington Post. In his acceptance speech, Shields said he tried to remember "in every discussion that the person on the other side probably loves their country as much as you love our country." (Read more obituary stories.)
(Newser)  Poppies, the blood-red flowers that cover the battlefields of Europe's two world wars, were lain in mourning Saturday on the coffin of yet another dead soldier, this one killed in yet another European war, in Ukraine. The hundreds of mourners for Roman Ratushnyi, 24, included friends who had protested with him during months of demonstrations that toppled Ukraine's pro-Russia leader in 2014 and who, like him, took up arms when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor this February. Ratushnyi was known in Kyiv for his civic and environmental activism, the AP reports. "He was such a solid and big personality," a friend said. "It's a great loss for Ukraine."

The arc of his shortened life symbolized that of Ukraine's post-independence generations that are sacrificing their best years in the cause of freedomfirst with defiance and dozens of lives against brutal riot police during Ukraine's Maidan protests of 2013-14, and now with weapons and more lives against Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops. "Heroes never die!" friends, family and admirers shouted in Ukrainian as Ratushnyi's coffin was loaded aboard a hearse on a square in the Ukrainian capital. From the square, the mourners walked in a long, silent column behind his coffin to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square. The vast plaza in central Kyiv gave its name to the three months of protests that overthrew then-President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014 and that helped fuel the political and patriotic awakening of Ukrainians born after independence in 1991.

Ratushnyi had a heart full of love for Ukraine, said Misha Reva, who traveled overnight in his soldier's uniform from front lines in the east to say goodbye to the friend he met for the first time on Maidan during the protests. Ratushnyi was 16; Reva was in his early 20s. It was Ratushnyi who introduced Reva to the woman who is now his wife, also on the square. Ratushnyi was killed on June 9 near the town of Izyum on the eastern front, according to the environmental campaign group that he led in Kyiv. He fought for the preservation from development of a wooded park where people ski in winter, per the AP. "He was a symbol, a symbol of a new Ukraine, of freedom and a new generation that wants to fight for its rights, said Serhli Sasyn, 21, adding that the "best people are dying now."

(Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
Omans only indigenous Islamic insurer, Takaful Oman has announced the successful completion of its OMR6 million ($15.58 million) rights issue.

The rights issue raises the companys capital from OMR10 million to OMR16 million.

Keen to leverage opportunities in the growing Islamic finance industry, Takaful Oman will use the new capital to further strengthen its operations, develop innovative and embedded products, and focus on the evolving needs of its growing customer base of 200,000.

Earlier, the company had offered 150 million additional shares at a price of baizas 41 per share (with a share price of baiza 40 plus issue expenses of baiza 1 per share).

Bell-ringing ceremony

A bell-ringing ceremony was held at the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) to mark the occasion of listing of additional capital on MSX which was attended by senior officials of the CMA, MSX and the company.

Speaking on the occasion, Mohamed Abdulla Al Khonji, Chairman of Takaful Oman said: This marks an important milestone in the journey of Takaful Oman which is still a relatively young player in the Omani insurance and takaful sector. The rights issue is in line with Takaful Omans long-term growth strategy and will meet the companys solvency requirements. Through the proceeds of its rights issue, the company also seeks to positively impact the Islamic insurance industry, aid in wealth creation, and drive sustainable economic growth.

Continue to perform

Sulaiman Al Harthi, deputy chairman of Takaful Oman said: It is not only a time to celebrate but also to commit ourselves to continue to perform and deliver strong results and create value for all our stakeholders including the policyholders and the shareholders.

Neelmani Bhardwaj, acting CEO of Takaful Oman further added: I would like to specially thank our regulators the CMA for their continued guidance and support throughout this process. I would also like to express our gratitude to all the subscribers and shareholders for their unfaltering support, faith, and confidence in the future of this company and we will do our utmost to live up to their expectations. The team at Takaful Oman is also grateful to all its customers for their continued faith in the company.

Takaful Oman offers an entire bouquet of Shariah compliant insurance products which includes General, Health, and Family Takaful, and has a well-unified network of branches and agencies across the sultanate.-- TradeArabia News Service
Agencies | Jeddah

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain is eager to actively contribute to the global rebuilding of the tourism sector following many challenges resulting from Covid-19. This was emphasised by Industry, Commerce, and Tourism Minister Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, who is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA).

Al Zayani was speaking during his participation in the opening of the 116th session of World Tourism Organizations Executive Board meetings held in Jeddah.

The minister, who was accompanied by BTEA Chief Executive Officer Dr Nasser Qaedi, pointed out that global cooperation accelerates the tourism sectors recovery by leveraging shared experiences and implementing global efforts to ensure a brighter and more prosperous future.

Al Zayani said that Saudi Arabias hosting for the first time the meetings of the WTOs Executive Council boosts tourism in the region, enhances its countries participation in the global tourism industry, and contributes to the achievement of national tourism goals.

He pointed out that tourism progress has a great impact on the region, including the Kingdom in improving its presence on the world tourism map and achieving its desired goals in this significant sector.

Successful ending The event, where top officials of international organisations from more than 35 countries took part, concluded yesterday. The session reviewed the changing trends in global tourism in a post-pandemic world, the future of the tourism sector as a fundamental pillar of sustainable development, and international cooperation to overcome the negative effects of Covid-19 on the tourism and travel sectors and highlighted positive changes that ensure tourism focuses on health, sustainability, and technology.

The participants discussed ways to improve international cooperation and joint governance models, analysing the new view of the tourism sector, utilising technology to facilitate travel procedures, and the tourism sectors global commitment to sustainable practices.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Visa-free travel to Saudi Arabia might soon become a reality for the residents of Gulf Cooperation Council nations. The new scheme, not yet officially declared, will be for citizens visiting Saudi for business, tourism and Umrah, reports say.

Business news portal Trends, quoting unnamed Tourism Ministry sources, said that a draft law is ready for the new scheme, and people could expect an official declaration in a few days, Gulf News reports.

The report further says that visa-free travel will be for all GCC residents with a valid resident and work visa issued by the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatari immigration authorities. The scheme reportedly allows expatriates with residency and work visas to enter Saudi Arabia for business, tourism and Umrah, except for Hajj.

It, however, also hints at exceptions for maid or construction workers' visas. Those who are professionals, white-collar workers, and other residents with regular income are likely to get visa-free entry to Saudi Arabia, adds Gulf News.

The news also comes on the heels of an announcement last week by Saudi Arabias Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb during a TV interview that Saudi Arabia will soon introduce a new visa scheme for GCC residents.

He stressed that the tourist visas launched by the Kingdom in 2019 still exist and there were no specific restrictions for those coming for tourism.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain welcomed yesterday the verdict passed unanimously by the Special Tribunal of Lebanon, sentencing two agents of the Hezbollah militia for their role in the attack that took the life of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri and 21 others in 2005 and injured 226 others.

Bahrain also called on the international community to assume its responsibilities in supporting the Lebanese people and implementing international resolutions to arrest the perpetrators.

The statement also called on to end the threats of the Iranian-backed terrorist Hezbollah, its control of the political scene and exploitation of state lands in supporting and training terrorist militias that destabilise security and stability in Arab countries.

Bahrain also stressed the importance of strengthening the role of the Lebanese army in maintaining its security, stability and sovereignty and restoring its vital role in its Arab and international environment.

On Thursday, appeals judges at the STL sentenced two Hezbollah members to life imprisonment. The tribunal, set up in 2009 for those responsible for the bombing that killed Hariri and 21 others, tried and convicted the men in absentia.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Garbage disposal is a big problem for major cities around the globe. There are similar concerns to handle in Bahrain too. Since waste generated can go nowhere other than landfills, yet another headache, city planners have been looking for fruitful and productive solutions.

Experts say that most solid waste goes to landfills/water bodies, causing pollution with methane and CO. Finding new landfill sites is no solution. It is at this juncture that waste-to-energy conversion gains more attention. Bahrain, on the constant lookout for getting rid of piling waste, has already set its eyes on this opportunity.

The latest news is that authorities here are planning to generate electricity from garbage. The idea, according to a tender launched by the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, is to create a treatment plan that could handle 1,306,510 tonnes of waste per annum.

Not to mention the intended output, which is electricity. Electricity generated will be fed to the national grid through a power purchase agreement. Works Ministry tender says the plant thus designed will have a minimum operating period of 25 years.

The bidders will be required to develop a solution for managing the output materials, including incinerator bottom ash, flue gas and recyclable materials. The prequalification questionnaire launched on Thursday calls for applicants interested in acting as a developer for the project.

The tender also allows forming a developer consortium to participate in the Waste Treatment Project with incineration in Bahrain. A recent Tribune report has drawn the attention of authorities to a study by EcoMena pointing fingers at the immense water crisis the country is facing, where only 13% of the waste generated is recyclable.

The study has ranked Bahrain as one of the highest per capita waste generators, where a per person per day created an estimated 1.67 to 1.80 kg of waste. This means the Kingdom produces more than 1.3 million tonnes of waste yearly, while daily garbage production exceeds 4,500 tonnes.

The study further highlights that food waste accounts for around 60pc of municipal solid waste. Meanwhile, a World Bank report had warned that global waste would grow to 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050, more than double population growth over the same period.

Daily per capita waste generation in high-income countries will increase by 19% by 2050, compared to low- and middle-income countries, where the increase will be around 40% or more.

The report further points out that the East Asia and Pacific region is generating most of the worlds waste, at 23%, and the Middle East and North Africa region is producing the least in absolute terms, at 6%.

However, the fastest-growing regions are Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, where, by 2050, total waste generation is expected to more than triple, double, and double, respectively.

So, the issue at hand is more concerning than most people believe. Acting wisely and timely is the only solution. So, if you have an idea for Bahrain, file it before the 3rd of August 2022, with a BD50 tender fee.

The project stages include the development, financing, engineering, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning and warranty of the plant. From and after commissioning, the project also covers the insurance, operation and maintenance of the plant, says the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Business Associates from Bahrain have expressed interest in clearing the external debts of South Sudan by investing in the country, reports eyeradio.org. The announcement came during a visit of Bahraini business delegates to President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

Fawzi Al Aradi, the Managing Director for Capital Impact and Dariusz Cichocki, Chief Executive Officer for Getka, lead the delegation. President Salva Kiir, the report said, discussed plans to strengthen the business relations between South Sudan and Bahrain.

The delegation expressed interest to reduce Countrys outstanding debt by consolidating and paying down loans with energy resources, while strengthening energy stability with additional focus on planning initiatives to improve public health and other areas of mutual importance to South Sudan, the report said.

Meanwhile, the state-owned television SSBC, quoting the Minister of Finance and Planning, Agak Chuil Lual, said, The visiting team expressed interest to reduce the countrys outstanding debt by consolidating and paying down loans with energy resources.

They going to help us in issues concerning economics because they going to invest some of their capital, the money into our economy in South Sudan in different fields, so this understanding is a very good and will lead to an agreement between us and kingdom of Bahrain. A Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation wouldcome after deliberations.
Congress wants Agnipath axed

New Delhi, June 18 (UNI) Amid the ongoing protests across the country against the Agnipath scheme for armed forces, the Congress on Saturday reiterated its demand to immediately rollback the recruitment scheme and warned the government not to play with the country's security.

The party also called upon the youth to use peaceful means to express their democratic right and not to damage public property.

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of insulting the values of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' since it rode to power at the Centre.
The party nominations for five statewide offices including secretary of state on the Republican side and governor on the Democratic ticket are on the ballot in Tuesday's primary runoff election in Alabama. The GOP nomination for a lone congressional seat also will be decided. Here is a look at the races:

SECRETARY OF STATE

With many Republican voters embracing former President Donald Trumps false claims that fraud cost him the 2020 presidential election, the two remaining GOP candidates to become Alabamas top elections official, secretary of state, campaigned on themes of tightening election security.

Jim Zeigler, who was barred from seeking another four years as state auditor because of term limits, dubbed himself a watchman against ballot fraud, so-called ballot harvesting and voting by mail. Trump has blamed all those and more for his loss to Democratic President Joe Biden, and many GOP voters believe him despite a lack of evidence.

Rep. Wes Allen is a state representative from Troy who previously served as probate judge in Pike County. Citing the potential for fraud, he opposes early voting and no-excuse absentee balloting and sponsored a law that barred curbside voting meant in part to make it easier for people with disabilities to cast a ballot.

The Republican nominee will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte, an Air Force veteran and corrections supervisor in Mobile County, in November.

The current secretary of state, Republican John Merrill, couldnt run again because of term limits.

GOVERNOR

Either Yolanda Rochelle Flowers or state Sen. Malika Sanders Fortier will become the first Black person to win a major party's gubernatorial nomination in Alabama in the Democratic runoff for governor.

Flowers, a career educator from Birmingham, narrowly led a six-person field in the May primary. She ran on a platform of reconstructing Alabama by rebuilding its economy and systems for education, health care and criminal justice. Among other things, she has advocated for a state lottery and a state minimum wage of $15.

Fortier, a state lawmaker from Selma, campaigned on the theme of building the biblical beloved community promoted by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. by improving the state's economy, schools and health care. She is the daughter of former state Sen. Hank Sanders and attorney Faya Rose Toure.

The eventual winner face Gov. Kay Ivey, who vanquished eight challengers to win the GOP primary without a runoff. Nearly four times as many people voted in the Republican primary as the Democratic primary in May, and Republicans hold every statewide office.

STATE AUDITOR

Stan Cooke and Andrew Sorrell are vying for the Republican nomination to succeed Zeigler as state auditor.

Cooke, a pastor from the Jefferson County town of Kimberly, claims Alabama is at a crossroads where it could remain a conservative state or come under the control of liberal Democrats. Echoing former President Donald Trump's false claims of election theft, he is highlighting the auditor's role in appointing county election officials who can prevent Democrats from stealing elections.

Sorrell, a state representative from Colbert County who led balloting in the May primary, also tried to make election security a prime issue, saying a strong auditor is needed to appoint county registrars who will keep voter rolls clean.

The eventual nominee will not have a Democratic opponent in the fall.

U.S. HOUSE

North Alabama's 5th District features the only runoff for one of the state's seven U.S. House seats.

In the Tennessee Valley region, Madison County Commission chair Dale Strong and Casey Wardynski, a former Huntsville school superintendent, advanced to a runoff from a field of six candidates in May. Strong led easily with about 45% of the vote but couldn't avoid a runoff.

The winner will face Democrat Kathy Warner-Stanton of Decatur.

The 5th District seat is being given up by U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who is in a runoff with former business lobby leader Katie Britt for the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby.

ALABAMA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

Two Republican incumbents on the Alabama Public Service Commission face runoff challenges to keep their jobs on the utility-regulating board.

Jeremy Oden, a former state legislator from Cullman seeking his third term on the three-member commission, cast himself as a conservative bulwark against liberal environmental policies. He received the most votes in May in a four-way race for the Place 1 seat that saw attorney Brent Woodall, a PSC staffer and Republican activist, come in second.

First elected to the PSC in 2014, former Greene County Commissioner Chip Beeker also portrayed himself as an opponent of Democratic environmental policies in his campaign to retain the Place 2 seat. Beeker, who led the primary vote, is opposed by Robert L. McCollum, a small business owner from Tallapoosa County who contends the commission is too close to Alabama Power Co.

No Democrat qualified for either position, making a victory in the Republican runoff tantamount to election.
BROOKFIELD  The Board of Education wont make any hard and fast decision on armed security in the schools until it can see a detailed plan, despite some members pushing to act swiftly.

A motion to authorize hiring four armed security officers to work across the schools failed because the majority of board members felt the proposal was ambiguous.

The one thing weve done well as a board is say, write it down, define it and then well approve it, Chairman Bob Belden said. I feel like were inventing things on the fly.

Belden asked for Superintendent John Barile and Chief of Police John Puglisi to present in detail how much it would cost, what the training protocols and standards would be, and what best practices for school security in Brookfield look like.

These are all questions people have raised and we havent defined our proposal, Belden said. Before I can vote on it, Id like to have that fleshed out.

The discussion on armed security officers came out of a prior Board of Selectmen meeting and a failed proposal to earmark $600,000 for the officers using funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The first selectwomans proposal came before the school board had discussed such a move.

Brookfield police stepped up patrols at the schools for the rest of the academic year after the shooting of 19 elementary school children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, last month.

Members of the Board of Education reestablished the on-and-off security task force initiated to take a more comprehensive look at the school districts security protocols over the years.

I have reservations about waiting, because the pool of candidates lessens as we wait, board member Joy Greenstein said. I dont see it as a reactive move. I see it as proactive.

Time is a factor and there needs to be urgency around this topic, board member Michael Murphy echoed.

During the discussion, Puglisi said he supports using armed school security but the department will support whatever the Board decides.

A few considerations he highlighted were the standards the town would need to set in hiring and the pool of candidates available as neighboring towns consider hiring for the same positions.

Barile said armed security officers have become increasingly popular, but there isnt the same national standards for training required in Connecticut as there is with school resources officers. He said if the board decided to hire armed school security officers instead of school resource officers for the district, they would want the security officers trained up to the same level.

The vision if we went in that direction would be an armed security officer in all schools, like the Newtown model, sign people in and become part of the fabric of the community, be someone who would deter or delay someone should there be a tragic situation, Barile said.

He added that school resource officers dont function as security guards for the school, checking every door and doing security sweeps.

A few residents weighed in on the idea of armed school officers, landing both for and against it.

Its not a guarantee that an active shooter would be stopped but it gives our children a layer of protection they dont currently have, Brookfield parent Elena Lopez said. When it comes to local government, this is something you can do for our kids.

Even if the school board approved the armed security officers, the process for hiring and training would not allow for enough time to have them in place before the start of the next school year, Barile said. In that case, the district may want to explore placing a full-time police officer at the schools for a time.

Board member Rosa Fernandes voted against the motion to approve the officers until the security task force could develop a thorough recommendation.

Let me be clear, its not because I'm against armed people in our schools, but we have not decided what is best for Brookfield, Fernandes said. Were not New Milford. Were not Newtown. Were going to go through our process which has worked for us, which involves parents, involves our police chief. Weve never voted on something that wasnt completely fleshed out.

mdignan@hearstmediact.com
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BEVERLY, Mass. (AP)  An enslaved Black man, the tall tale he inspired and the beach that now bears his name are the focus of new efforts to recognize the role of slavery along Massachusetts' picturesque North Shore.

As the story goes, Robin Mingo was promised freedom by his white master if the tide ever receded enough for him to walk out onto a rocky outcropping off what is now known as Mingo Beach. Depending on the telling, Mingo either completed the challenge and was emancipated, drowned tragically or lived out his days in bondage without ever seeing the rare tidal event.

It shows how much power slave owners had over their slaves, said Katerina Pintone, a 19-year-old rising sophomore at Endicott College, where Mingo Beach is located. That one man could have this much control over another mans life.

This past semester, Pintone and other Endicott students researched the local legend as part of a public history course and suggested ways to memorialize Mingo and his namesake beach. Their ideas ranged from a heritage trail to a smartphone app and even a boat tour highlighting Mingos story and the popular tourist regions slave ties.

Professor Elizabeth Matelski, who taught the course, is also doing research for a book on Mingo and working with other historians on a project mapping North Shore locations like Mingo Beach that are historically significant to people of color. Meanwhile Endicott, a private coed school, says it's in discussions with city officials to formally register the beach as a historic landmark.

Matelski hopes the efforts spark broader discussions about the often overlooked role of slavery in New England.

Most people who walk by that particular stretch of beach have absolutely no idea about this history, she said.

Abby Battis, an associate director at Historic Beverly, the citys historical society, agreed. Battis said she never heard Mingos story growing up in the seaside city, which is often overshadowed by its more famous neighbors  Salem, site of the infamous witch trials, and Gloucester, the historic fishing port.

We need to stop telling the old, dead white guy stories, she said. Theres so much more to Beverlys history.

The historical society is doing its part to create a fuller picture of the citys role in slavery, Battis added. The organization launched a virtual exhibit in 2019 featuring the stories of those enslaved in Beverly, a coastal city about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Boston that dates to the 1600s.

Mingo is not among those highlighted in  Set at Liberty, but the society has identified at least 100 enslaved people and more than 200 local ships involved in the slave trade as part of its ongoing work.

Its a common myth that slavery either never existed or was inherently different in New England than other places, says Beth Bower, a local historian on the board of Historic Beverly.

Historical records show New Englanders clearly imported enslaved Africans for all the tasks that made the young colony possible, from farming and fishing to building ships, she said.

And while history credits Massachusetts with being among the first states to abolish slavery in 1783, there is growing evidence that slavery persisted in the state into the early 1800s before gradually disappearing, Bower said.

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but it took more than two years for Black slaves in Galveston, Texas to receive word of their freedom. That day, June 19, 1865, is now known as Juneteenth, which is being celebrated as an official federal holiday for the first time Sunday.

Matelski said she first heard of Mingos tale in the summer of 2020, during the height of the protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

A Michigan native, she said she was immediately struck by the story's potential to speak to the present as the nation reckons with its racist past.

Mingos tale is all the more significant considering he was married to a free Indigenous woman, and his enslaver descended from the original founders of Beverly, Matelski said.

Its so deeply rooted in Beverly history and in the New England experience, she said. Theres just a lot of different threads happening there.

Part of Matelskis focus going forward will be separating myth from fact.

In the most popular telling, for example, Mingo achieves his feat and earns his emancipation, only to die later that year.

But local records suggest the real-life Mingo lived into his 80s, was baptized, raised a daughter and even acquired land in town before dying in 1748.

Matelski believes the Mingo legend has its roots in the stories abolitionists popularized in order to underscore the casual cruelty of the slave industry they fiercely opposed.

Such slave narratives typically centered on the harsh reality of southern plantation life and the extraordinary perils some slaves endured to escape to freedom, making Mingos tale a uniquely New England take on the genre, she said.

What we know right now is a puzzle piece, Matelski said. As a historian, youre like a cold case detective, trying to create as complete a picture as you can of this really important story that hasnt been told.
Kabul/New Delhi, June 18 (UNI) Terrorists belonging to the ISIS Khorasan faction on Saturday morning launched an attack on the revered Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul, with multiple explosions heard and sounds of gunfire, and reports that at least one person was killed. Sikh leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa later reported that all the terrorists were neutralised by Afghan soldiers and the Gurdwara is now under Afghan police control.

He said in tweets that all the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus trapped inside were evacuated from the Gurdwara while two persons were injured. They have been sent to hospital, while one guard is reported dead.

In tweets, he said: All the terrorists that attacked Gurdwara Karte Parwan Sahib neutralised by Afghan soldiers.

Gurdwara Sahib now under Afghanistan Police control.

According to social media, initial inputs suggest that explosions took place outside the gate of the Gurdwara killing at least two Afghans.

Habib Khan, an Afghan, tweeted: A complex terrorist attack targeted a Gurdwara in Baghebala area of Kabul city. The neighborhood is home to Afghan Hindu and Sikh communities. So far, three blasts are heard in the area and heavy gunshots continue. No word on casualties at this stage.

The Indian government said it is deeply concerned at the reports and is closely monitoring the situation.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a statement said: We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred Gurudwara in that city.



We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments.



Earlier, Puneet Singh Chandhok, president Indian World Forum, said that alarming reports were coming from Kabul and unknown armed assailants have entered Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul.



I just spoke to Gurnam Singh, President, Gurdwara Karte Parwan. He was weeping and alleged that the assailants have killed all residing inside the Gurdwara. As per him the militants belong to ISIS," he said.



Chandhok requested the Government of India to immediately repatriate the Afghan minorities from there without any further delay.



They are waiting for e-visa since six months.





Earlier, Sikh leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa in a tweet said that approximately 10-15 Sikhs are stuck inside Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul which was attacked by terrorists this morning. One person has been reported dead in this attack, he added.

Several Sikh families currently live within the gurdwara complex.

UNI RN
Bullet-riddled body of a Police Sub Inspector was discovered in Pulwama district

A bullet-riddled body of a Police Sub Inspector was discovered in the Pampore area of South Kashmirs Pulwama district under strange circumstances today.

Farooq Ah Mir of Samboora Si(M) of IRP 23 BN was discovered dead in paddy fields near his home. According to preliminary investigations, he left his home for work in his paddy fields last evening, where he was fatally murdered by terrorists with a pistol Kashmir Zone Police reported.

Previously, terrorists shot and killed a bank manager, Vijay Kumar, outside his workplace in the Kulgam area of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

Terrorists also shot and killed Rajni Bala, a 36-year-old Hindu woman teacher from Jammus Samba area, at a government school in Gopalpora, Kulgam.

Earlier, they also killed two civilians and three off-duty cops in Kashmir last month, including Kashmiri Pandit employee Rahul Bhat.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that a combined protest against the Central Government's recently announced Agnipath Recruitment Scheme will be conducted at Jantar Mantar in the national capital

During the Friday protests, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that a combined protest against the Central Governments recently announced Agnipath Recruitment Scheme will be conducted at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on June 20.

A unified movement against the Agnipath scheme will be organised at Jantar Mantar in Delhi at 11 a.m. on June 20, he said in a tweet. He has also urged all of the Syukt Rojgar Andolan Samiti organisations to visit Jantar Mantar.

Protests against the new Armed Forces recruitment process have erupted in several parts of the country. Protests got violent in several areas, with trains being set ablaze.

Meanwhile, protests against the newly announced military recruitment programme, Agnipath, in Telanganas Secunderabad became violent on Friday, killing one person.

Protesters had already set fire to compartments of a train in Samastipur, Bihar, and those of another train at Lakhisarai station.

The government, for example, introduced the Agnipath Scheme on June 14 in an effort to alter the Armed Forces recruitment procedure. The Centre has decided to change the upper age limit for recruiting Agniveers in response to the Oppositions criticism of the new military recruitment plan.

The Agniveer upper age restriction for recruitment under Agnipath Scheme has been extended to 23 years from 21 years, thanks to a one-time waiver granted by the Centre on June 16, 2022.

Agnipath is the name of the programme, and the youth that are chosen will be known as Agniveers. Agnipath is a programme that permits patriotic and determined young people to serve in the Armed Forces for four years.
Authoritarians hate public schools. Having a public school system means opening the doors to everyone in a society and providing a common education that builds skills, breeds curiosity, increases civic engagement, and challenges children to learn from the past while building for the future. Done right, it instills a sense of citizenship while developing compassion and empathy for all. It should come as no surprise that the recent century commonly referred to as The American Century, coincided with a century of coast-to-coast public education for all children.

The American public school system is supposed to be the foundation of an egalitarian society where children of all races, creeds, colors and backgrounds come together to understand what it means to be an American. Unless thats not the goal. Unless what you really want is to create castes, walling off some children from having to interact with others, and creating targeted and customized learning tailored only toward what your caste believes your children should know, facts be damned. If thats the case, you will take the position of authoritarians. Youll attempt to minimize access to education that might contradict or compromise your positions of power. And youll say youre doing this for the good of the children.

Thats why one of the key tenets of the race to fascism and autocracy in America today is the demonization of public schools and its teachers, and the embrace of charter schools. Greenwich/Stamford state Sen. Ryan Fazio gushed over charter schools at a recent speaking engagement, wondering aloud why more schools couldnt be more like Stamfords successful Charter School for Excellence.

Fair question, but why glorify only charter schools? Arent charters still in large part publicly financed? And if so, why not simply do a better job of making all public schools better? Well, mostly because charter schools help conservatives maintain a veneer of looking like they support public schools, when in reality theyre too cowardly to agitate for scrapping publics entirely in favor of an all private school community. They want a private education they can control, but they still want everyone in the community to pay for it.

It should come as no surprise then that the desire for at least some privatization has led to the parents always know whats best for their kids movement both in Greenwich and around the country. This has begat the banning of books, parents wanting cameras in classrooms, meddling in curriculum and stagnating teacher pay. And while anyone can become a parent, no training required, somehow just having kids makes some believe theyre now magically qualified to always know whats best for my child. Heres a news flash: you dont.

If parents really knew, and acted upon, what was best for their children, we wouldnt be a nation of smartphone and video game addicts. Television wouldnt be saturated with ads for Type 2 diabetes medicines, which is likely a direct result of all the junk food kids grow up with. Our children would know the difference between the national debt and national deficit because right now more than half of American adults dont. Many parents still believe the George Washington cherry tree story and that dinosaur bones were buried by Satan but sure, lets let the Its wine-oclock somewhere crowd make school decisions instead of the teachers and administrators who go through a lifetime of learning and training designed to help your children be the best they can be.

Meanwhile, contrary to the shouts and protestations of the mob, research from Gallup shows American parents with kids in public schools are overwhelmingly happy and satisfied with their childs school. Mysteriously though, when you ask people without kids in school how they feel, thats where you see the satisfaction numbers drop. Almost as if there was some political motivation at work, rather than empirical evidence.

Sen. Fazio is right to applaud the success of Stamfords Charter School for Excellence, but there are many other public schools in Connecticut just as excellent. How about we analyze what they have in common that makes them so good, and implement those strategies across both charter and non-charter public schools to make them all better. Unless making public school better isnt really the goal.

David Rafferty is a Greenwich resident.
Kent Mawhinney  charged in the death and disappearance of Jennifer Dulos  was given a five-year suspended prison sentence and three years of probation on a domestic violence charge following an emotional court proceeding Friday afternoon.

Mawhinney is also required to have no contact with his ex-wife for five years, seek mental health and substance abuse evaluations and attend domestic violence counseling.

Mawhinney, who has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in the Jennifer Dulos case, was accused of sexually assaulting his then-estranged wife while the two were living together in South Windsor months before the disappearance.

That charge was nolled, meaning it was dropped as long as he remains out of trouble for the next 13 months. But under an agreement forged between his attorneys and Hartford States Attorney Sharmese Walcott, Mawhinney pleaded guilty under the Alford Doctrine to one count of violating a protective order. Under the plea, Mawhinney does not admit guilt, but agrees there is sufficient evidence to potentially be convicted.

His former wife spoke for nearly an hour during Fridays sentencing, detailing episodes of financial and sexual abuse she claimed Mawhinney committed during their five-year marriage.

The once kind man I fell in love with was slipping away, the woman said while crying. I found myself making excuses more and more for his poor choices.

The woman used graphic language to describe their intimate life and the abuse she contends she suffered in hopes of getting Hartford Superior Court Judge Kevin Doyle to issue a standing protective order, barring Mawhinney, a suspended attorney, from having any contact with her for life.

But Walcott intervened as the woman was speaking to explain the sexual assault allegations couldnt be proven and were deemed not credible by a family judge during the couples divorce and by a civil judge who heard the womans request for a restraining order in July 2020.

These were events that occurred over a five-year marriage, Walcott told Doyle. I just want to make sure the court understands all of the facts.

The woman said she met Mawhinney when she hired him to deal with her immigration status. Within a few months, he began pursuing her with flowers and gifts, but she refused to date him until he filed for divorce from his previous wife, she said.

When the two finally dated in 2012, Mawhinney treated her three children as if they were his own, she said.

He made me feel special and loved, she said. The woman agreed to quit her job so she could be a full-time mother to her own children and his three kids, she said.

They eloped in 2013 and continued an idyllic lifestyle until Mawhinney began drinking frequently and often frightened the children with his behavior, the woman said in court.

When they fought, the woman said Mawhinney would force himself on her and she would submit to keep the peace. Mawhinney filed for divorce in early 2019 without her knowing, the woman said.

I was heartbroken, she said. I felt the kids lives were being shattered.

In the days after Mawhinney filed for divorce, she accused him of forcing her to have sex in exchange for rent, court documents said.

A court issued a protective order, barring Mawhinney from contacting his estranged wife after his arrest in January 2019 on sexual assault charges. Mawhinney allegedly violated the order months later by asking his friend Fotis Dulos, the prime suspect in the Jennifer Dulos disappearance, to reach out to his ex-wife to see if they could reconcile, Walcott said during an earlier court appearance.

After Jennifer Dulos vanished, Mawhinney drove by his estranged wifes house after she rejected his attempt at reconciliation through Fotis Dulos, court documents said. Mawhinney pleaded guilty to violating a protective order in February.

However, the deal is not connected with any potential help Mawhinney is providing prosecutors in the Dulos case,Walcott said at the time.

Mawhinneys attorney Jeffrey Kestenband told Doyle he wasnt going to dignify what his clients ex-wife had to say during her prolonged statement. Kestenband pointed out that up until the South Windsor arrests, his client had successfully practiced law for nearly 30 years.

He also asked the judge not to require Mawhinney to attend domestic violence counseling.

He is presently in a relationship, which is going well, Kestenband said. There are no claims of domestic violence.

Doyle agreed with Walcott that based on the facts, a five-year protective order, barring Mawhinney from having any contact with his ex-wife was an appropriate resolution.

I cant change the terms of the sentence without allowing the defendant to change his plea, Doyle said.

The two cases charging Mawhinney with spousal sexual assault and violating a protective order had been repeatedly continued for three years without a resolution. Evidence from the cases were also the subject of court documents filed by the attorney representing Michelle Troconis, who also faces a conspiracy to commit murder and other charges in the Dulos case.

Attorney Jon Schoenhorn, representing Troconis, wanted all the evidence from the Hartford cases to determine if Mawhinney was offered a deal to testify against his client.

Mawhinney, whose divorce was finalized in December 2020, was a longtime friend and former attorney of Fotis Dulos.

Fotis Dulos was embroiled in a contentious two-year divorce and child custody dispute when his estranged wife vanished in May 2019. He died by suicide in January 2020 while he was facing murder, kidnapping and other charges the death and disappearance.

Mawhinney has been accused of trying to provide an alibi for Fotis Dulos the morning of the disappearance on May 24, 2019, according to a warrant for his arrest.

Mawhinney was arrested in the Dulos case in January 2020 and held on $2 million bond until he was released in October that year on a reduced amount of $246,000. The release came weeks after Mawhinney was interviewed by state police about Jennifer Dulos, Schoenhorn said in court filings.

A prosecutor has said Mawhinney will be one of the states witnesses if the Troconis case goes to trial.

Troconis, the former live-in girlfriend of Fotis Dulos, has also pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and other charges in the Jennifer Dulos case. She has been free on $2 million bond.
HAMDEN  If elementary school starts at 9 a.m., how will parents get to work on time?

Thats a question some Hamden families are asking after the Board of Education approved a new busing plan for the district, one that puts its youngest students on track to start the day up to 45 minutes later.

The people that are more vulnerable are taking the hit, and will be taking the hit, said Andrea Gloria-Soria, who founded the Church Street Alliance for Family Engagement, Church Street Elementary Schoolss Parent Teacher Association.

Church Street school currently starts at 8:15 a.m., as does Dunbar Hill, Helen Street and Shepherd Glen elementary schools. Hamdens four other elementary schools start at 8:45 a.m.

While the news about a later start time is still new, Gloria-Soria says some parents have told her they are worried about getting to work on time.

Sarah Morrill, president of the Dunbar Hill PTA, currently starts work at 8:30 a.m., she said, and she usually leaves right after her kids get on the bus. Now, she is going to have to ask her employer about starting at 9:30 a.m. on some days, she said.

That is not an option all families have, as Morrill pointed out parents who work set shifts such as nurses and firefighters may not have flexibility and end up having to pay for before-school care.

Thats an added expense, she said. And as were on the brink of an economic recession ... the cost of literally everything has skyrocketed.

I just think that economic hardship is going to be too much for our families to take on, she said.

Though not set in stone, a 9 a.m. start time for Hamden elementary school students is part of a broader plan to address a deficit in the budget and inefficiences in the current bus system.

Transportation costs are expected to go up 16 percent in the coming fiscal year, according to Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler. Meanwhile, the Legislative Council flat-funded the school district, leaving the Board of Education with what members said was a tough decision about how to reduce expenses by roughly $600,000.

The district asked its bus company to formulate a more efficient and less costly transportation plan, according to Goeler, who said the company then proposed changing Hamdens four-tier system to a three-tier system.

Historically, the district has had four bus runs, Goeler said: one for the high school, one for the middle school and two for the elementary schools, whose start times vary.

The three-tier system will be more reliable, he said, noting that the district struggled with delays during the last school year. At times, students were forced to wait for long periods at bus stops and even stay late after school, he said.

We know thats going to require families to adjust  we understand that  but it wasnt as though families didnt need to adjust on a dime last year, Goeler said.

Given the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the superintendent was reluctant to cut other areas of the budget.

I want to keep staffing and programs at (their) current levels because were still recovering. said Goeler. I cant cut programming. I cant cut staffing. I need all the staffing I can muster.

Melissa Kaplan, who chairs the board, said she never wanted to have to make the decision to cut the transportation budget in the first place.

She is planning to speak with Legislative Council members about getting additional funding, which she hopes will enable the board to reverse the decision.

The decision on budget cuts was painful and will likely cause harm to many families, especially in our Title I schools, she said.

The board explored alternatives such as having a later high school start time and consolidating bus stops, according to Kaplan, who said members worried those changes would cause separate problems.

For example, a later end time could cut into the income of high schoolers who work after-school jobs to help support their families, said Kaplan.

Consolidating bus stops causes a safety concern ... for students that live on extremely busy streets that dont have sidewalks, she said.

Ultimately, the board went with what it saw as the best option. Still, Kaplan hopes there may be a way out of it.

Cutting back buses and changing (school) start and end times is an option that addresses the 16 percent increase in transportation, but it also goes back to the fact that we were denied that $600,000 dollars, said Kaplan. ($600,000) is a small price to pay to invest in students and education during an unprecedented public health crisis that has really turned education on its head.

Board of Education member Walter L. Morton IV expressed frustration with the Legislative Councils decision to level-fund the district.

These are the consequences of electing people to Legislative Council who dont seem to care or recognize the importance of funding our school district, he said.

The budgeting decision left board members in a difficult position, according to Morton. On top of that, he said, the district is heading for a fiscal cliff after having to use grant funds to fill in other gaps.

Going into next budget season, everythings going to be on the table, he said.

This year weve maximized all the possible grant monies that we could, and we were left with how do we pay for transportation, said Morton. For $600,000, we could have laid staff off, tried to have larger classroom sizes or cut programming.

Ultimately, the board decided changing school start times would cause the least harm, he said.

If the district were to get the extra $600,000, it could return to last years status quo and avoid changing start times, said Tom Ariola, the districts chief financial officer. But he warned it would not fix the inefficiencies of the current bus system.

As it stands, the district is looking at having elementary schools start at 9 a.m. or slightly earlier, according to Ariola, who said the middle school would start 10 or 15 minutes later than last year.

Legislative Council President Dominique Baez confirmed officials will meet to discuss the concerns around start times.

The circumstances that were in arent the best, she said. We are broke as a town, and we are finding ways to try to fill gaps.

Addressing the funding challenge may not be simple. The council will have to explore what it can legally do given state statutes governing school boards, according to Baez, who also pointed out council members will need to vote to approve any budget amendments.

There are too many steps between here and the problem being solved for me to say how the problem will be solved, but I can tell you we want to solve it, Baez said. Were not deaf to it.

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com
Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media

NEW HAVEN  Scarpellinos Restaurant, damaged in a crash earlier this week, is expected to re-open on Monday.

Owner Danny Scarpellino said Saturday that the restaruant had suffered interior damage, but a carpenter had been able to build some temporary walls, allowing them to re-open.
Kabul/New Delhi, June 18 (UNI) Terrorists belonging to the Islamic State Khorasan faction on Saturday morning attacked the revered Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul with bombs and gunfire, leaving an elderly Sikh gentleman and an Afghan guard dead. Sikh leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that all the terrorists were neutralised by Afghan soldiers and the Gurdwara is now under Afghan police control.

He said in tweets that all the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus trapped inside were evacuated from the Gurdwara. Two persons who were injured have been sent to hospital, while one Afghan guard, Ahmad, was also killed.

Savinder Singh, a 60-year-old Afghan Sikh, was killed in the attack. He was a native of Ghazni province, while his family resides in Delhi.

In tweets, Sirsa said: All the terrorists that attacked Gurdwara Karte Parwan Sahib neutralised by Afghan soldiers.

Gurdwara Sahib now under Afghanistan Police control.

Later, he tweeted that one Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, was brought out.

S. Gurnam Singh, President of Gurdwara Karte Parwan, Kabul rescued one saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji Maharaj. Two saroop are still there inside Gurdwara premises.

Visuals of the attack scene showed debris and gaping holes in the gurdwara due to the bombings.

Heartwrenching visuals of Gurdwara Karte Parwan Sahib post terror attack.

The damage done is beyond repair. One person Savinder Singh lost his life! A feeling of helplessness among minority Sikhs, Sirsa said.

Sirsa said: My heart goes out to the family of Savinder Singh; a Sikh who was killed today in Gurdwara Karte Parwan terror attack. Minority Sikhs have been facing multiple problems in Afghanistan & this terror attack has shattered their hopes of peace and harmony for Sikhs in Kabul.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar condemned the Kabul gurdwara attack in the strongest terms.

The cowardly attack on Gurudwara Karte Parwan should be condemned in the strongest terms by all.

We have been closely monitoring developments since the news of the attack was received. Our first and foremost concern is for the welfare of the community.

Afghan leader Amrullah Saleh who is living outside the country said in a tweet that the attack is by the Haqqani network of terrorists: Can't find lethal enough words to express condemnation of the heinous terrorist attack against the Gurdwara in Kabul targetting preaceful Sikh citizens of Afghanistan. With ISI backed Haqqani ruling Kabul and LeT/Jaish roaming free a fair investigation can't be expected. Attack has all halmarks of Haqqani..

The Indian government said it is deeply concerned at the reports and is closely monitoring the situation.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a statement said: We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred Gurudwara in that city.



We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments.

Former Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh voiced deep concern over the attack.

Deeply concerned to hear about the news of an attack at a Gurdwara Sahib in Kabul, Afganistan. Praying to Waheguru Ji for the safety of all the devotees & citizens stuck inside the premises.

Urge the MEA to look into this matter & ensure the safety of all devotees.

Activist and president of the Indian World Forum, Puneet Singh Chandhok in a tweet said Sawinder Singh #Sikh aged around 60 Yrs S/o late Kishan Singh and native of Ghazni has been killed during the brutal attack in #Kabul earlier today at gurdwara. His cremation will take place later there today and his family resides in New Delhi. God bless #afghan #minorities.

Harjinder Singh, president Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Amritsar  the premier body of the Sikhs  strongly condemned the attack. He has written a mail to the Prime Ministers Office to ensure the safety and security of Sikhs /Hindus in Afghanistan.

According to social media, the attack took place at 8.30 am.

The terrorists detonated a bomb near the gated entrance of the Gurdwara and then stormed the building, with more bomb attacks. Black smoke was seen billowing in the air, and the gurdwara premises was on fire.

Habib Khan, an Afghan, tweeted: A complex terrorist attack targeted a Gurdwara in Baghebala area of Kabul city. The neighborhood is home to Afghan Hindu and Sikh communities. So far, three blasts are heard in the area and heavy gunshots continue. No word on casualties at this stage.



Earlier, Chandhok said that alarming reports were coming from Kabul and unknown armed assailants have entered Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul.



I just spoke to Gurnam Singh, President, Gurdwara Karte Parwan. He was weeping and alleged that the assailants have killed all residing inside the Gurdwara. As per him the militants belong to ISIS," he said.



Chandhok requested the Government of India to immediately repatriate the Afghan minorities from there without any further delay.



They are waiting for e-visa since six months.





UNI RN
Enugu Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has complied with the order of the Bishop of the Diocese banning his Adoration Ministry. It was ...





Enugu Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has complied with the order of the Bishop of the Diocese banning his Adoration Ministry.





It was reported that following Mbakas utterances against Mr. Peter Obi, his Adoration Ministry, Enugu, was shut down by Bishop Callistus Onaga of the Enugu Catholic Diocese.





Mbaka has now issued a statement to his followers, informing them that programmes would no longer hold in the Ministry.





The statement posted on the official Facebook page of the Ministry reads:





Dear Adorers, There will be no program starting from tomorrow being 19th June 2022 at Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria Amen, Umuchigbo Emene, Enugu State.





Sunday Mass, Wednesday (E No Dey) And Night Programs will not hold till further notice.





God bless Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria Amen and God Bless Our Spiritual Director, Rev Fr, Ejike Mbaka.





Keep praying for Our Daddy and may God Bless you all.
The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Bishop Calistus Onaga has imposed a ban on Rev. Fr. Mbakas Adoration Ministry. This is coming on the ...





The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Bishop Calistus Onaga has imposed a ban on Rev. Fr. Mbakas Adoration Ministry.





This is coming on the heels of Mbakas outburst against a Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party.





The priest had declared that Obi, who he described as a stingy man, would never rule Nigeria.





This did not go down well with many Nigerians, who demanded that appropriate sanctions should be meted on him.





In a letter he personally signed, addressed to All the Clery, Religious and Lay Faithful in the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Bishop Onaga has now banned them from having anything to do with the Adoration Ministry.





He said in the letter that, in the light of the happenings in the Catholic Adoration Ministry Chaplaincy Enugu, capable of undermining the Catholic faith and teachings and after several fraternal corrections and admonitions to Fr. Camillus Ejike Mbaka, the Chaplain of the Ministry and after having given him pastoral directives and guidelines for the Ministry Chaplaincy, which he persistently violated and in fulfilment of my pastoral duties as the Chief Shepherd with the obligation to promote and safeguard the Catholic faith and morals in Enugu Diocese, I hereby prohibit all Catholics (clergy, religious and lay faithful) henceforth from attending all religious and liturgical activities of the Catholic Adoration Ministry until the due canonical process initiated by the Diocese is concluded.





My decision is based on the fact that some of the teachings and utterances of Fr. Camillus Ejike Mbaka at the Catholic Adoration Ministry are not consistent with the teachings and faith of the Catholic Church.





Bishop Onaga enjoined all Christian faithful to keep praying for Fr. Mbaka.





It was reported that this is not the first time Fr. Mbaka is facing sanctions in recent times.





The Diocesan authority had last year, after placing his activities on hold for a month, also converted the adoration ministry to chaplaincy. He was then asked to keep off politics.





But he quickly maintained that no one could stop him from speaking.





Those who think Mbaka will be quiet, you are wasting your time, he had said last year in reaction to the ban placed on him from commenting on political activities.








The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said its members are not beggars and the stoppage of their salaries by the government wont for...





The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said its members are not beggars and the stoppage of their salaries by the government wont force them to call off their strike.





The leadership of the union also commended the members for keeping faith with the union despite the hardship imposed on their families as a result of the No-Work-No-Pay directive of the Federal Government.





Following the failure of the government to meet some lingering demands of the union, ASUU on February 14, 2022 announced a one-month warning strike, followed by another eight-week strike before it eventually commenced its indefinite strike.





The continued strike led to the imposition of No-Work-No-Pay by the Federal Government. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said the directive was in compliance with Section 43 of the Labour Law.





Though some of the demands by the union are still undergoing negotiations, the ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed optimism that the union was on the threshold of victory.





He however noted that the resolve of the union forced the government to engage in negotiations.





He said, As the struggle continues, our members are commended for their commitment and steadfastness in the patriotic struggle for the survival of the university system in our country.





Our members are particularly applauded for keeping faith with the union in spite of the hardship imposed on our families as a result of the stoppage of salaries. They have made the statement loud and clear that we are not beggars and, as a result, hunger is an impotent instrument to break our resolve.





Our cast-iron resolve has forced the government to sit down and negotiate with us. We have had five meetings with the Federal Government team and two meetings with the Minister of Education. The renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement is progressing smoothly and has reached an advanced stage.





However, we must remain focused to the end of this struggle. UTAS (University Transparency and Accountability Solution) has been tested for the third time. So far, NITDA (National Information Technology Development Agency) has tested UTAS and UPS and will start testing IPPIS next week. We are undeterred by the antics of some government officials in this respect.





We are on the threshold of victory. Let us keep faith with the union. A people united can never be defeated.





It was reported that lecturers in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education have embarked on no fewer than 719 days of strike during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.





Education rights groups such as Reform Education Nigeria, Education Rights Campaign among others have continued to call for a total reform of the tertiary education sector.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) says talks with the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to form a possible c...

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) says talks with the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to form a possible coalition are still in progress.

The NNPP disclosed this in a tweet on Saturday.

According to the party, a committee was set up to lead the discussion.

We wish to inform Nigerians that, our discussions with Peter Obi and the Labour Party are still ongoing. Special committee was set to discuss arrangements. We hope for good results that will give Nigeria a chance to be alive, once again, the tweet reads.

We wish to inform Nigerians that, our discussions with @PeterObi and the #LabourParty are still ongoing. Special committee was set to discuss arrangements.



We hope for good results that will give Nigeria a chance to be alive, once again.



#NNPP #NigeriaDecides2023 #Kwankwaso pic.twitter.com/EGuMFjO8A7  Official NNPPng (@OfficialNNPPng) June 18, 2022





Rabiu Kwankwaso, NNPP presidential candidate, also confirmed the development in an interview with BBC Hausa.

We are really talking to Peter Obi, or at least saying that the committee is working to look into the matter (and cooperate with him), and friends and family are coming to talk to us about it, he said.

The former governor of Kano said both parties collaboration is vital because the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have not fielded an Igbo vice-presidential candidate.

Doyin Okupe, who is standing in as the vice-presidential candidate of LP, had on Friday, said the party is discussing with some political parties to form a coalition for the 2023 elections.

According to him, LP is working towards creating the largest political coalition in the country to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low around 55F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low around 55F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
New Delhi, June 18 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Culture Meenakshi Lekhi on Saturday said that Yoga was the key to a healthy and active life.

Lekhi, who attended the 'Yoga Mahotsav,' organised as part of the International Day of Yoga 2022 celebrations at Purana Qila here, said that with the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Yoga has spread far and wide, even at the global level.

She also emphasised on how yoga leads to the flexibility of body, mind, ethos and thoughts. She also discussed the importance of practising Yoga and connecting with nature, in order to be flexible.
Just off Bourbon Street, a tiny new French Quarter bar is stepping into some very big shoes of New Orleans cocktail history.

Peychaud's debuts this weekend at 727 Toulouse St. as part of the Hotel Maison De Ville, extending into the lush courtyard of the small hotel. Its the latest from Neal Bodenheimer and his partners at Cure Co., which runs the Uptown bar Cure and the restaurants Cane & Table and Vals.

The name Peychauds should be familiar to anyone whos attempted to mix classic New Orleans cocktails or even just gazed over a properly stocked bar. Peychaud's Bitters is a foundational ingredient in countless drinks, including the most famous with New Orleans lineage, the Sazerac.

Its creator Antoine Amedee Peychaud was a 19th-century apothecary known to history as one of the most influential people in the realm of New Orleans cocktails and, therefore, the world of cocktails at large. He once lived at the address the new bar Peychauds now calls home. For a time, the property was known as Peychaud House.

I consider Peychaud the most important figure in New Orleans cocktails; his product is in everything, said Bodenhiemer. "For me, that connection was enough to want to do this."

The bartender he tapped to lead Peychauds made his own name in the ranks of the modern New Orleans cocktail world  Nicholas Jarrett, a longtime bartender at Cure, the Saint and other bars.

His drinks list proceeds with straight-up classics: a Sazerac, a Vieux Carre, an Ojen cocktail, a French 75 (here, made with aged gin) and some specialties like the gunshop fizz, a cult favorite at Cure made with an eye-popping amount of (wait for it) Peychauds Bitters.

Cafe brulot and Irish coffee and a large format version of the Ramos gin fizz will also be in rotation in the future.

The bar serves no food, focusing instead purely on the drinks. Bodenheimer sees it becoming a place that's an adjunct to dinner in the French Quarter or maybe a spot to go after a long lunch.

It's real simple, it's just a good French Quarter bar, he said. There's nothing here that's all that modern or different, we just want to add to the landscape of places for a great drink in the Quarter.

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Peychauds has a small bar, occupying a parlor-sized chamber in its historic building. At least to begin, the bar has no stools. Its a walk-up bar, with a collection of tables and banquette seating inside.

The courtyard in back is much larger, and stepping into it counts as one of the sweeping reveals of the French Quarter.

Entering from the street, you proceed down a narrow alley which opens to a flagstone square centered on a fountain and rising through a vista of low rooftops, the catwalk-like galleries of surrounding buildings and flowering trees stretching all the way through the block, including the wisteria-draped patio of the Court of Two Sisters next door.

The rumble of Bourbon Street is steps away but insulated by centuries of history.

The Sazerac Co., the New Orleans-based spirits giant, produces Peychauds Bitters now (including some at its grand, interactive Sazerac House museum on Canal Street). The new bar is using the Peychauds name under a licensing agreement with the Sazerac Co., Bodenheimer said.

Peychauds

727 Toulousse St.

Opens April 30, initial hours 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday

+21 Sazerac House opens its doors, and a new portal for New Orleans cocktail culture Wine aficionados can pursue their passion at vineyards and tasting rooms around the world. Breweries will draw beer hounds wherever they set up shop.

+4 New bar at Four Seasons Hotel will have caviar, Champagne, cocktails from French 75 alum When the Four Seasons Hotel opens, visitors will have much to explore inside the landmark building, the former World Trade Center at the foot 
Ayu, which rhymes with bayou, is an Indonesian word that conjures beauty and joy. Step into Ayu Bakehouse and thats clearly the end game, a place where crusty ovals of fragrant sourdough keep company with strawberry tartlets jagged with Ponchatoula fruit and pavlova rounds of meringue scattered with blueberries.

Tucked into an historic building at 801 Frenchmen St., Ayu Bakehouse opened June 7 just catty-corner from Washington Square Park. Despite the money location, the building has sat empty for years, since the days when it housed the original Santa Fe restaurant.

The bakery is the realized vision of two friends, Kelly Jacques, 34, who has family roots in Sumatra by way of Annapolis, and Samantha Weiss, 37, a New Yorker who has lived in New Orleans for the past year. The duo met in 2012 when they were both going to the International Culinary Center in New York City, which has since merged into the Institute of Culinary Education.

Ayu Bakehouse Where 801 Frenchmen St., (504) 302-7985; ayubakehouse.com When Breakfast and lunch daily How Dine-in and takeout Check It Out A Marigny bakery serving fresh breads, pastries and savory bites

At the time, Weiss was thinking about switching up a 15-year career in finance at Cantor Fitzgerald and Jacques, who had attended Tulane class of 2010 for pre-med, had worked in bakeries since she was 15, always as a side hustle. She took a real baking job at Breads Bakery in New York, working her way up to COO in nine years. But I always wanted to come back to New Orleans, she says.

The friends both left Manhattan in 2019, with Weiss heading to California and Jacques back to New Orleans, where she settled in Bywater. Shelter in place started a few weeks after I got to California, so the timing didnt work out, Weiss recalled. When Kelly called me and said, Im thinking of opening a bakery, I knew I wanted to be involved.

Weiss came to New Orleans last year and found a home in the CBD. The partners signed the lease on the Frenchmen Street building almost a year ago, but when Hurricane Ida hit, their build out was delayed  and then delayed some more.

The neighborhood has been so supportive of us during the construction process, Weiss says. We really want this to be a respite for locals, a place to unplug, have coffee and talk to your friend. We dont have Wi-Fi or music playing outside. Frenchmen Street is so full of action, we wanted our place to be a calm space.

Ayu Bakehouse is currently open every day from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and offers a lovely array of sweet treats, including chocolate croissants, pecan knots and cinnamon rolls. There are savory morsels as well.

Our idea was to take some of the flavors we love in New Orleans and express them through the lens of a baker, Jacques says, which is how she came up with a roll stuffed with sweet red beans. Theres also a savory muffuletta bread stick, one fine edible handle, studded with olives, cheese and pepperoni. Theres a boudin-stuffed croissant called a boudin boy and a square chive flecked biscuit that disappears in a few hungry bites.

Although this isnt the place for birthday cakes, there are pretty tarts that will dress up any celebration table. A grab-and-go case offers overnight oats and yogurt parfaits for breakfast and a rotating menu of salads for lunch. The shiny La Marzocco espresso machine gleams on the coffee bar, with all kinds of caffeine-fueled goodness available. Prices for all of the baked goods are reasonable, even below market.

Scrambled eggs on a whole grain bun are $5.50. A blistered loaf of sourdough is $6.

We know, we just didnt want to out-price locals with tourist prices, Jacques says. We may raise them a little, but for now, were good.

The pair works well together. When I first saw Kelly baking, I knew I wanted to work with her, says Weiss. She was able to work so fast, yet still maintain high quality at that pace.

As for Weiss, Jacques appreciates her attention to the finest detail. Shes meticulous. Sam will say, No, stop, we have to do it again. And shes right. We have similarities in our work ethic that keep us on the same page."
The American Elder Abuse Conference will host a free Slidell workshop for seniors on July 12 so they can learn how to better protect themselves from financial scams, but attendees must register on or before July 8, and the audience will be limited to 300 people.

The event is entitled "It's Your Money  Keep It!" and is open to all southeast Louisiana residents. The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Harbor Center in Slidell and will feature elderly advocate expert Paul Greenwood, who spent 22 years as supervising deputy district attorney of the Elder Abuse prosecution unit at the San Diego District Attorneys Office.

The conference will provide a light breakfast snack when the doors open at 9 a.m., and there will be a catered lunch buffet at 12:15 p.m., followed by a brief presentation from conference director Ralph Oneal, then the presentation of door prizes.

Attendees must preregister by 5 p.m. on July 8. Online registration on the conference website at www.elderabuseconference.org/events is preferred, but phone registration is available by calling (985) 809-5455. Registration will be confirmed by a return call from a conference volunteer.
A man seen on social media video burning donuts on the pavement during an illegal car stunt show on St. Claude Avenue in New Orleans been arrested, according to court records.

Authorities booked Eduardo A. Gomez, 26, on Thursday with rioting and disturbing the peace, both misdemeanors, and aggravated obstruction of a highway, a felony.

Video recordings show multiple people watching cars doing stunts and blocking the intersection of St. Claude and St. Roch avenues on June 5. One of the cars was a dark gray Lexus with a missing hood and fender. Police wrote in court records that they soon linked it to Gomez, from a Crimestoppers Inc. tip that named him as a driver.'

SouthSlidin'

Gomez's Facebook page showed he was a car stunt enthusiast who promotes a local car club called SouthSlidin, the police wrote. Detectives said they obtained a photo showing Gomez behind the wheel of the car at June 5 show.

On that day, when police went investigate the disturbance, the first officer to arrive tried to clear the intersection, but people in the crowd began jumping on and hitting his marked patrol vehicle, authorities said. The officer said some surrounding his car were armed, and that he feared for his safety. He called for backup, and the stunt show continued to hold up traffic until police cleared it out.

Other suspects remain at large. Police said that anyone with information on the show call Crimestoppers of Greatern New Orleans at (504) 822-1111. Tipsters might be eligible for a cash reward.
Amid a surge in New Orleans killings and a decline in police officers that have left three quarters of residents feeling unsafe, officials on Friday touted the second annual effort to keep unsupervised youths off the streets and officers on them.

In partnership with Louisiana State Police and federal agencies, the New Orleans Police Department launched Operation Golden Eagle II early this month, the sequel to a 2021 summer crime prevention program that city officials lauded as a triumph.

"We had huge success with that," New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said. "Crime went down throughout those months. Homicides went down throughout those months. And we know without a doubt we can continue that same success this year."

Curfew, 12-hour shifts

Operation Golden Eagle II runs through August, extending New Orleans police officers' shifts to 12 hours, enforcing a curfew for juveniles starting on weekdays at 8 p.m. and on weekends at 9 p.m., deploying state troopers to crime hot spots and enhancing sthe Violent Crime Abatement Investigation Team with local, state and federal law enforcement agents to improve investigations.

When the original Golden Eagle program launched last year, police responded to 82 crimes per week. By the end of the effort, it was 53 per week, and the program netted seven federal indictments.

Ferguson said this year's edition is already generating positive results. But authorities said they would not won't release data to prove it until the operation is completed. They wouldn't provide many other program specifics either.

Details withheld

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Officials didn't identify the city's crime hot spots or specify how they would define success at the operation's end.

"Well, the safety of our community," Ferguson said, adding that getting guns off the streets, better communicating with residents, decreasing response times and increasing law enforcement visibility would all be beneficial outcomes.

When asked how many state troopers are working in New Orleans through the program, Col. Lamar Davis, the agency's superintendent, said officials don't release those details because "we don't want any other type of expectations."

"Just know that we have a certain amount of personnel down here to help, and we're fulfilling our commitment and we're doing our very best to keep our community safe," Davis said.

CORRECTION: Earlier versions of this story carried a headline that stated police will not release data.
A motorist was shot on the West Bank Expressway in Algiers, New Orleans police said Saturday.

The woman was eastbound on the highway when an unknown person began firing shots, wounding her. She drove herself to a hospital.

The Police Department said officers learned of the shooting Friday at 8:56 p.m. The agency did not release more details.
A man was booked with second-degree murder Friday in a French Quarter bludgeoning death, New Orleans police said.

Kyle Luptak, 31, had already been jailed on an aggravated battery complaint, and was rebooked after the victim, Brett Burger, 62, died.

Officers found Burger on Monday at the intersection Ursulines Avenue and Decatur Street with injuries to his head. He told police a man hit him in the head with what he thought was a pipe, and police arrested Luptak that evening.

Paramedics took Burger to a hospital, where he died Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Orleans Parish coroner's office determined he died of blunt force injuries.

Luptak is being held at the Orleans Justice Center. Police said he matched the description of Burger's attacker, but they did not disclose other evidence linking him to the crime or describe a motive for it.
Once a week for a year, $50 was deposited into Jalen Hyde's banking account.

Hyde, currently studying engineering at Tuskegee University in Alabama, would typically put it into a savings account for a rainy day. But occasionally he used it to buy food or go bowling with friends. When he got to college, some he had saved went toward laundry. He used the last of it on a college textbook that cost $107.52.

Hyde and nine of his classmates at the Rooted School, a New Orleans charter school, were part of a guaranteed income study by the school, New Orleans education incubator 4.0 Schools, and the Center for Guaranteed Income at the University of Pennsylvania. For a year beginning in October 2020, 10 students were given $50 per week, with no strings attached and no spending stipulations.

Shelly Ronen, a research scientist at the Center of Guaranteed Income, said the study was the first of its kind to focus exclusively on high school students and participants were among the youngest of any guaranteed income study.

It hasnt really been documented before, she said. We can solve poverty and we can solve it directly at the source by giving people guaranteed income.

A 'necessary buffer'

Over the course of the study, students were surveyed about their household finances, mental health and financial attitudes.

Vernell Cheneau, another participant, said he used the money to invest in equipment for his T-shirt printing business, including a small printer and a printing press.

I was allowed to do such things because I had extra income that was stored away, he said. During a period of unemployment after graduation, he said, he was grateful to have a buffer of savings.

Jonathan Johnson, founder and CEO of the Rooted School, said the study aligns with the school's mission of eliminating the racial wealth gap.

We must trust that students experiencing poverty lack cash but not character and that young people experiencing economic insecurity know best how to use cash in ways that improve their life outcomes, Johnson said.

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Researchers found that the cash transfers lessened financial hardship of participants. At the beginning of the study, 40% of participants said their families had not paid the full amount of rent or mortgage at some point in the last year and 50% said their families had trouble paying for gas or utilities. That number shrunk to 0% for both categories at the end of the study, though Johnson noted that families may have benefitted from stimulus payments or other incentives offered during the pandemic.

Generally speaking, the narrative around young people experiencing poverty is that they're going to use the money on things like drugs  and essentially waste the money, Johnson said.

But the study showed otherwise. Some students saved for college, others invested in stocks or cryptocurrency, others started businesses.

When given the power to make decisions about what to spend their money on, students ultimately spent money on what they needed and those needs ranged from snacks to stocks, Johnson said.

Hyde has since started a podcast to advocate for universal basic income.

Money is such a basic common factor in life but when you get down to it so many people dont know what to do with it because they dont have it, Hyde said. If you give them that opportunity to learn from it they will.

A broader movement

New Orleans was one of 60 cities selected for a pilot guaranteed income program by the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, which gave 125 people between the ages of 16 and 24, $350 per month for 10 months. A separate program funded by Mastercard and Mobility Capital Finance gave 125 young people $200 per month for four months.

Though the study had a small sample size, Johnson said the group hopes to launch another study with 200 plus students over the 2022-2023 school year.

Were hoping this study allows the public to look beyond the black and white political implications that often get twisted into this ... and ask questions about whats possible, Johnson said.
Jesus' earthly dad, St. Joseph  often overlooked  is honored by Father's Day in many Catholic nations
South Kordofan  Three armed raped a nurse at gunpoint and assaulted teachers, after storming a clinic in the Abbasiya locality in South Kordofan last week.

Multiple witnesses reported to Radio Dabanga, that three other incidents of rape had occurred since December 2021, including one in the same district in Abbasiya last December, and another in Tab El Zarafa village this January.

Local witnesses attributed the renewed lawlessness to the lack of security infrastructure in preventing such incidents. Sources also noted that the spread of weapons in the area is of significant concern and has allowed violence in the region to go unabated.
LAKE STATION  A driver was injured after being ejected in an interstate crash, police said.

First responders were called around 3 p.m. Saturday to a single-vehicle crash in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 by the Ripley Street exit in Lake Station, said Indiana State Police Cpl. Bobbie Crowder.

One person was ejected from the vehicle and was taken by ambulance from the scene in unknown condition. No other injuries were reported.

The cause of the crash is under continued investigation by ISP troopers.

There were no major closures and traffic was able to move slowly though the area.

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GARY  On Thursday morning, Mayor Jerome Prince stood before the stadium where, less than two weeks prior, a shooting broke out after the West Side Leadership Academy graduation. He and about 20 other city employees gathered outside the stadium to announce the start of a new public safety initiative called "Operation Safe Zone."

Prince gestured toward a blue light that blinked near the RailCats entrance of the U.S. Steel Yard stadium.

"That signifies that this area is a protected safe zone," Prince said. "What that really means is that all the entities who buy into the program (Operation Safe Zone) will have a direct feed going to the Gary Police Department and our officers will have the capability to monitor activity in real-time."

Operation Safe Zone is a partnership between the Gary Police Department and Fusus, a Georgia-based company that helps law enforcement agencies access security camera livestreams. Under the new partnership, businesses, apartment buildings and even residents who have Ring security systems can register their security cameras with Fusus, allowing Gary police to access a livestream of the cameras, making emergency response time faster.

Those who choose to register will receive the blue light and signage, showing the area is a "Safe Zone." Gary police Cpl. Larry McKinley explained that footage is sent to an offsite location where it is monitored. McKinley said the feed is "constant," adding that officers across the city can log in to the livestream. Footage is held for two to 30 days, but officers can choose to save specific clips that are relevant to an investigation, explained Rick Butsko, a public safety advisor with Fusus.

Fusus systems can also stream live audio, though most security cameras do not record audio.

The cost of registering for the program "right now is very minimal," McKinley said. The price of the program varies depending on the square footage of the space and the needed number of cameras. For some businesses the only costs will be the light and the signage, which are about $400, said Joy Holliday, executive director of the city's Office of Violence Prevention.

Prince said that Operation Safe Zone is currently a pilot program and that "ultimately, in order to expand the program and offer it to every resident or business that wants to participate, the city will incur some expense," though the exact price the city will have to pay is unknown.

"It is our desire that every business owner, every apartment building, every entity that has a public interface will buy into this project," Prince said.

A total of five locations have registered, including the U.S. Steel Yard stadium and a number of day cares. Individuals and businesses can also sponsor Safe Zones by funding specific locations they would like to see registered. Holliday said that when multiple, nearby locations are registered, the area becomes a "Safe Zone Corridor."

The city began working with Fusus about four months ago. The company was started in 2019 and has partnerships with a number of other municipalities, including Atlanta and Minneapolis.

"The recent tragedies and past trauma we have experienced as a community due to gun violence only highlights the need to strengthen our public and private partnerships to assist law enforcement with deterring and solving crimes, Prince said in a news release announcing the initiative.

The city has been working to create a public-private partnership to address violence at local businesses for some time. In December 2021, about 40 Gary gas station owners went before the Public Safety Committee to discuss crime. The Common Council has also considered an ordinance that would require all gas stations to hire armed guards, though the measure has never been approved.

Councilman Ronald Brewer, D-at-large, the chairman of the Public Safety Committee, said the Safe Zone initiative provides a good alternative to armed guards.

Just seeing the blue light will make those considering illegal activity "think twice," McKinley said, adding that investigations will also be quicker as officers will not have to go door-to-door to find security footage after a crime.

Those interested in registering their cameras can contact Holliday at jholliday@gary.gov.

"This will not only augment the efforts of our police officers, ... it will give our residents and our guests the assurance that Gary, Indiana, is in fact, a safe place," Prince said.

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HOBART  Dangerous flooding has hampered the search for a Hobart man in a Wyoming county that is home to a majority of Yellowstone National Park.

The Park County Sheriffs Office Search and Rescue has been searching for Lance Daghy since June 9.

Daghy, who lives in Hobart, was previously reported missing to Region law enforcement, and his red 2018 Jeep Wrangler was found in the area of Sunlight Creek Bridge, which is the highest bridge in Wyoming, located in Park County.

Since at least June 5, the Jeep was noticed sitting in the parking area with no one observed around it.

"It is unknown as to whether he had the appropriate equipment and supplies for a multiple day stay in the wilderness, and it has been reported that he has no real backpacking or camping experience," the Park County Sheriff's Office said. "Daghy has no known ties to the area."

Daghy is described as a white male who is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. He has blue eyes and sandy blonde hair.

The search and rescue team suspended the search as of June 11 for safety concerns due to high water levels in the suspected search area.

"The situation will be monitored and reevaluated until the area is again safe for search attempts to continue," the Park County Sheriff's Office said.

Water levels are predicted to rise this weekend, officials said.

The Park County Sheriff's Office and rescue team are still asking that anyone who has seen Daghy, has had contact with him in the last week or who may have knowledge of his whereabouts to call 307-527-8700 or 307-754-8700.

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A huge fire broke out Saturday at the headquarters of a petrochemical facility in southeast Shanghai and at least one person died.

The fire started around at 4 a.m. at an ethylene glycol processing unit owned by Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical, a state-owned oil company whose headquarters are in an industrial park in the suburban Jinshan district.

Firefighters were able to put the blaze under control, the company said in a statement posted to its Chinese social media account. Sinopec said a third-party driver had died in the disaster and that one of its employees was injured.
Black women represented just under 10 percent of the 208,587 uterine cancer cases diagnosed in the United States between 2000 and 2017, but they made up almost 18 percent of the nearly 16,797 uterine cancer deaths during that period, Dr. Clarkes study found.

The uterine cancer death rate for Black women is 31.4 per 100,000 women ages 40 and up, compared with 15.2 per 100,000 for white women in the same age group, Dr. Clarke reported. (Comparable death rates for Asian American women were nine per 100,000, and for Hispanic Americans, 12.3 per 100,000.)

That makes uterine cancer an outlier, since progress has been made toward narrowing the racial gap in death rates from most cancers over the past two decades. Another National Cancer Institute report, published in JAMA Oncology in May, found that overall, death rates from cancer have declined steadily among Black Americans between 1999 and 2019, though they continue to be higher than those of other racial and ethnic groups.

The reasons for the increase in uterine cancer cases are not well understood. The most common form, endometrioid cancer, is associated with estrogen exposure, which is higher when obesity is present, and obesity rates have been rising in the United States.

But non-endometrioid cancer has increased in prevalence, too, and it is not linked to excess weight. Dr. Clarkes study found that Black women are more likely to have this aggressive form of uterine cancer. They are less likely to be diagnosed early in the course of the illness, and their survival rates are worse no matter when they are diagnosed and what subtype of the cancer they have.

At every stage of diagnosis, there are different outcomes, said Dr. Karen Knudsen, chief executive of the American Cancer Society. Are they getting access to the same quality of cancer care? She has called for more research into the factors driving the trends.
A group of peers and I had traveled to Myanmar, ostensibly to create a musical to promote and preserve the Wa peoples artistic culture. The fact that none of us had any background in anthropology, musicology or production was strangely irrelevant. Hi! Im here to protect your heritage by publicizing your customs to the world, I announced shamelessly to the Wa chief.

Welcome to the rapidly growing industry of voluntourism, which markets itself as a seamless blend of charity and leisure. Organizing trips for over 10 million people annually, voluntourism agencies reap billions from their clients good intentions. The seemingly benevolent nature of the activity has made it a top choice extracurricular for students who can afford it.

Unfortunately, most participants (including my past self) are blind to its disturbing consequences. In the words of a New York Times article, voluntourists assume that simply by being privileged enough to travel the world they are somehow qualified to help ease the worlds ills.

The idea that voluntourism is based in egotism, not altruism, may be a tough pill to swallow. But voluntourists actions are often fruitless due to the volunteers limited involvement and expertise. Put bluntly, many of these trips serve no purpose other than to pad resumes and fuel social media posts. It is up to universities, at whom much of this business is aimed, to point out explicitly how superficial  or downright detrimental  these efforts can be.
Zubayda Muksinova, 68, who lives in Coney Island but travels to Linden, N.J., every Friday night to spend the weekends with her son, had to wait at Penn Station for about two hours for her son to drive in and pick her up.

We found a way through a difficult situation, she said, sighing heavily. Its no good, but what can you do?

But I hope this doesnt go on, she added, saying that she was already worried about getting back to the city on Monday. I have no idea what I would do.

Mr. Smith said the agency had been made aware on Thursday of a rumor that the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, a rail union, had planned what he called an illegal job action.

Of the 15 rail unions at New Jersey Transit, BLET is the only one that had not reached a contract agreement with the agency. Each of the other unions had recently agreed upon their contracts, which included Juneteenth as a paid holiday. But for workers under BLET, it is not. The holiday, which falls on Sunday this year, was observed on Friday in New Jersey.

A union official did not immediately respond to phone or email messages.

We intend to explore all legal remedies in response to this illegal and irresponsible action, Mr. Smith said. Well be monitoring the situation and well be alerting customers as to the resumption of service tomorrow.
Former presidential aide and Director-General of Peter Obi Campaign Organisation, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has been named as the running mate to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

Okupe's name was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He confirmed this in an interview on Channels TV Politics monitored by our correspondent.

Asked if Obi met the INEC's deadline for the submission of candidates, he answered in affirmative.

"As I am speaking with you, I am the Vice-Presidential candidate of the Labour Party," he said.

"My name has been submitted to INEC and that's the situation as at today."

He clarified that he was standing in as the running mate for Obi as discussions are still ongoing on getting the right person to be the substantive running mate to Obi.

"It's important for us to ensure that all the stakeholders are carried along from the beginning to the end. Because of this, I, Dr. Doyin Okupe is standing as the Vice-Presidential candidate," he added.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had picked a placeholder as running mate to beat INEC deadline.
Growing up in a small Tennessee town, Lane Martin looked every day at the photo of his uncle hanging in the kitchen but knew only a few things about him: He had left Harvard Law School at the start of World War II to join the Marine Corps; he was killed in 1943 storming a Pacific atoll called Tarawa; and his body came home in a gray steel coffin after the war and was buried in a clover-covered family plot.

But in 2020, Mr. Martin got a phone call from the Marine Corps. There had been a mistake, he was told: His uncle  Capt. Edward Glen Walker Jr.  wasnt in that gray steel coffin after all. Instead, he had been found in an anonymous grave in a military cemetery in Hawaii.

Improved forensic techniques and DNA testing can now reliably identify war dead that the military once thought would remain forever anonymous. But the advance comes with a twist: The same technology that can name the nameless can also reveal mix-ups and blunders that caused service members to be buried in the wrong graves.
A former Amazon engineer who was accused of stealing customers personal information from Capital One in one of the largest breaches in the United States was found guilty of wire fraud and hacking charges on Friday.

A Seattle jury found that Paige Thompson, 36, had violated an anti-hacking law known as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which forbids access to a computer without authorization. The jury found her not guilty of identity theft and access device fraud.

Ms. Thompson had worked as a software engineer and ran an online community for other workers in her industry. In 2019, she downloaded personal information belonging to more than 100 million Capital One customers. Her legal team argued that she had used the same tools and methods as ethical hackers who hunt for software vulnerabilities and report them to companies so they can be fixed.
The biggest surprise has been that John Eastman, a lawyer who advised Trump on his strategy for overturning the 2020 election results, put in an email that he was interested in a presidential pardon.

What was striking was that Eastman apparently asked for it after two White House aides, the Trump adviser Eric Herschmann and the Pence adviser Greg Jacob, warned him that he was proposing things in violation of the law. So I think the hearings have adjusted the aperture on what we might expect about possible criminality involved here.

What is your read on how a certain former president is reacting to the hearings so far?

My understanding from multiple people is that hes been unhappy watching them. Hes frustrated in particular seeing the clips of his family  Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner  being used against him.

Does Trump fear a possible federal indictment?

He has always feared a possible indictment, since long before he became president, according to many people whove known him. Whether he does specifically here is an open question. Some of his aides are adamant that he doesnt think these hearings will lead to anything that touches him.
The police at the United States Capitol have arrested members of a production team for the CBS show The Late Show With Stephen Colbert who were filming a segment featuring a salty canine puppet voiced by the comedian Robert Smigel.

The Capitol Police said on Friday that they had arrested seven people in a hallway of the Longworth House Office Building on Thursday night, at a time when the building was closed to visitors. The people had been told to leave the building earlier in the day, the police said.

CBS said that Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the puppet that Mr. Smigel has voiced for years, had been at the Capitol on Thursday with the production team when they were detained by the police. At the time of the arrest, the team had finished prearranged interviews with members of Congress and were filming final comedy elements in the buildings hallways for an upcoming segment on The Late Show.
Despite the efforts of my grandfather and his investigators, and those of the media and Watergate committees, basic questions about the scandal remain unanswered. It is still unclear what, if any, advance knowledge Nixon had of the break-in. Though the president is on tape approving hush money payments to the defendants, it remains unknown whether he personally played a role in raising the funds. For that matter, the degree to which H.R. Haldeman, the White House chief of staff, and Attorney General John Mitchell directed illegal activities on a day-to-day basis has not come to light.

Such questions, of course, are analogous to those currently faced by the Jan. 6 committee.

Richard Ben-Veniste, one of my grandfathers top deputies who was at the reunion, said he was asked by the Jan. 6 committee to offer advice. Jan. 6 was the Saturday Night Massacre on steroids, he said. It was far more dangerous than what we thought was unthinkable: the appearance of a coup detat when raw power replaced the rule of law. Nixon, for all his criminality and authoritarian sensibilities, possessed a sense of shame.

The continuum that stretches from Watergate to the present features a few ironies. During and after the Nixon scandals, congressional checks on executive power were enacted, including the War Powers Act of 1973 and modifications to the Federal Election Campaign Act. Those legislative initiatives led to charges of overreach and a counter-movement by some Republicans who wanted to restore power to the executive branch.

One of them, a former Nixon White House aide named Dick Cheney, was elected to Congress four years after Nixons resignation. Mr. Cheney, of course, was vice president during the George W. Bush administration and his daughter, Liz Cheney, is the vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee who has sharply criticized Mr. Trump as an abuser of executive power.

An additional irony following Nixons secretive presidency was the push for greater transparency in government: more sunlight, less smoke-filled rooms. But that effort has not necessarily translated into more efficient governance. To take a recent example, House conservatives led by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the far-right Georgia freshman who was born three months before Nixons resignation, have used the virtue of legislative transparency as an argument for slowing the House Democrats agenda by insisting on roll call votes for everything on the legislative calendar.

At the reunion, Representative Deborah Ross, a North Carolina Democrat, was mingling among the guests as she recalled listening to the Senate Watergate hearings at the age of 10 while driving cross-country in her familys station wagon. Noting the coincidence of the Watergate anniversary taking place in the middle of the Jan. 6 committee hearings, Ms. Ross said that the obvious thing the two scandals had in common was that were talking about two men who wanted to hang onto power no matter what. The irony is that Nixon would have won in 1972 anyway, if he hadnt been so paranoid about the Democrats.
LONDON  Britains prime minister, Boris Johnson, on Friday paid a second, surprise, visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, offering a training program for the countrys military in a fresh show of support for Ukraines government just a day after key European leaders made a similar trip.

During the visit, Mr. Johnson promised a new package of help with the potential to train up to 10,000 soldiers every 120 days and to provide the strategic endurance required to drive out Russian forces.

Britain has already provided extensive military support to Ukraine. At a news conference, Mr. Johnson said that Britain would help the Ukrainian military to do what I believe Ukrainians yearn to do and that is to expel the aggressor from Ukraine.
LONDON  It sounded like real-life science fiction  a 3-D printed organ, a groundbreaking artificial windpipe, built in a laboratory and made to order. The charismatic Italian surgeon who designed it foresaw a future where hearts and lungs could be made from plastic, and organ donations became a thing of the past. Almost overnight, he became a superstar.

But on Thursday, the surgeon, Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, was found criminally liable by a Swedish court for causing felony bodily injury to a patient he had fitted with one of the windpipes at a medical university in Sweden.

Dr. Macchiarini received a conditional, or suspended, sentence, and was acquitted of assault charges related to two other patients who had also received the artificial organs from him at the Swedish facility. Although all three patients eventually died, Dr. Macchiarini was not directly accused of killing them.
Mark Shields, a piercing analyst of Americas political virtues and failings, first as a Democratic campaign strategist and then as a television commentator who both delighted and rankled audiences for four decades with his bluntly liberal views and sharply honed wit, died on Saturday at his home in Chevy Chase, Md. He was 85.

His daughter, Amy Shields Doyle, said the cause was complications of kidney failure.

Politics loomed large for Mr. Shields even when he was a boy. In 1948, when he was 11, his parents roused him at 5 a.m. so he could glimpse President Harry S. Truman as he was passing through Weymouth, the Massachusetts town south of Boston where they lived. He recalled that the first time I ever saw my mother cry was the night that Adlai Stevenson lost in 1952.

A life immersed in politics began in earnest for him in the 1960s, not long after he had finished two years in the Marines. He started as a legislative assistant to Senator William Proxmire of Wisconsin.
The virus, a type of bird flu known as Eurasian H5N1, has been spreading rapidly in the United States this spring, infecting flocks of farmed poultry in 36 states and prompting mass culls of domestic birds.

But this version of the virus appears to be taking a much greater toll on wild birds than previous lineages have, finding its way into ducks, geese, gulls and terns, among many others. That, in turn, means that the virus poses an elevated danger to mammals that prey on those birds, including wild red foxes.

At least seven U.S. states have detected the virus in red fox kits, to which the pathogen appeared to be particularly lethal. Two bobcats in Wisconsin, a coyote pup in Michigan and skunks in Canada have also tested positive for the virus, as have foxes, otters, a lynx, a polecat and a badger in Europe. (Two human cases, one in the United States and one in Britain, have been reported as well, both of which were in people who had close contact with birds.)

There is no evidence that mammals play a significant role in spreading the virus, and the risk to humans remains low, experts said. This is very much still an avian virus, said Richard Webby, an influenza virologist at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis.
Yes, yes, yes! We would love to be first in line, she said.

But Ms. Baker may very well be in the minority: A recent Kaiser Health poll found that only one in five parents will get their young children vaccinated immediately. Many plan to hold off for now.

As the pandemic stretches into a third year and Americans weigh the risks they are willing to live with, the C.D.C.s decision puts parents of young children on the spot.

Vaccines have lost some of their potency against infection with new variants, though they continue to offer protection against severe illness and death. And huge numbers of Americans were infected during the Omicron surge, contributing to a mistaken sense among many that the battle was over.

Shifting advice has also contributed to a lack of enthusiasm. Daryl Richardson, 37, of Baltimore, said he had no plans to vaccinate his three children, in part because of the constant changes to the number of doses recommended.
SUB: Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), says he has submitted the name of his running mate for the...

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), says he has submitted the name of his running mate for the 2023 Presidential election to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Tinubu stated this in a statement issued on Friday.

Although the APC Presidential Candidate did not disclose the name of his running mate, he said he had submitted "duly completed nomination forms to INEC".

The forms are incomplete without the name of the running mate of a presidential candidate.

Daily Trust had reported how Tinubu picked Alhaji Kabir Ibrahim Masari, a Katsina politician, as a placeholder for his running mate so as to meet up with INEC deadline.

Masari, a former National Welfare Secretary of the APC during the era of the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole- led NWC, was nominated pending the conclusion of the consultation on the issue of running of mate by various APC groups.

Sources in the camps of Tinubu and around Masari told this paper that he was nominated as "a dummy running mate."

One of them said, "He was picked as a dummy pending the resolution of some issues on the running mate."

It was further gathered that Masari would withdraw from the race in line with section 31 of the electoral act.

"An agreement has been reached to this effect," another source said.

In the statement his media office issued on his behalf on Friday, Tinubu said, "As stipulated by the electoral law and Independent National Electoral Commission guidelines and timetable, the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress, HE Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has returned his duly completed nomination nomination forms to INEC. The forms were returned on Wednesday June 15, two days ahead of schedule.

"We wish to reiterate that HE Asiwaju Tinubu stands ready to contest the February 25, 2023 presidential election to deliver progressive good governance to our people."
That location matters, by the way. Pennsylvania is a purple state with complicated abortion politics. Recently, anti-abortion lawmakers there have been considering a state constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters, could ban abortion and threaten I.V.F. procedures in the state. If that amendment were to pass, the decision about what to do with our embryos could be made for us.

Theres a part of me that feels a twinge of relief at the idea of someone else making this decision for me; at least then I could stop the pendulum swing of indecision. But theres a much larger part of me that feels enraged that the state would get to decide something tied to how I identify as a person, and how we identify as a family.

Rob and I have discussed moving our embryos to New York, long considered a haven for abortion rights. But that could be pricey and logistically complicated  and clearly, being decisive about our embryos is not our strong suit. So for now we are waiting and seeing.

For the next year or so, people will need to make decisions in an ambiguous environment, Sean B. Tipton of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine said when we spoke recently. Its a very uncomfortable place to be for everybody concerned.

Eventually, if Roe is overturned, whats permitted in terms of moving, storing or discarding embryos could depend on which state you live in or where your embryos are stored. Each state effectively would be left to decide when life begins  something that is not medically definable. I joke with my patients and say, I missed the day in medical school when they taught us about when life begins, Dr. Sasson told me. Is it at implantation? Is it just when sperm meets an egg? No one knows.

No one knows  not my doctor, not a state lawmaker and certainly not me.

Sometimes I imagine our frozen embryos like the soldiers in The Nutcracker  an inert stack of toys that, if Rob and I were to wave our magic wands, would suddenly open their eyes, their rickety bodies jerking to and fro. That fantasy obscures a more complicated reality. But it also gets at something that is so precious to me: For now, we still get to decide whether our embryos will have the chance to become children someday, stretching out their limbs to come alive in our arms.
It is clear that one of the political objectives of the Jan. 6 hearings is to strengthen the anti-insurrection wing of the Republican Party. The vice chair and leading member of the House select committee is Liz Cheney, a Republican. The leading witnesses, like the retired judge J. Michael Luttig and Greg Jacob, are Republicans. And the heroes of the narrative, like the former vice president Mike Pence, are Republicans.

It is Pence, specifically, who has been the subject of a good deal of praise.

Thanks in part to Mike Pence, our democracy withstood Donald Trumps scheme and the violence of Jan. 6, said Representative Bennie Thompson, a Democrat who chairs the select committee. Vice President Pence understood his oath of office was more important than his loyalty to President Trump. He did his duty, said Cheney.

Yes, the vice president ultimately refused to take part in Donald Trumps power grab. But this isnt heroic. He did not go above and beyond his constitutional obligations. He simply chose not to break the law. He did close to the absolute minimum of what we should expect from a person in his position. To borrow a phrase from President George W. Bush, it is the soft bigotry of low expectations to act as if Pence did anything exceptional.
They were going to hand-squeeze lemonade but soon realized that was going to take too long. We ended up buying out the whole supermarket, like 10 cartons, she said, adding that it was organic.

The children decided they wanted the money go to a GoFundMe for families affected by the tragedy in Uvalde, so they asked for a $10 suggested donation for all-you-can-drink lemonade. (Ms. Park also put out goodies for the adults, like hydration powder and hard seltzers. I wanted people to leave with something more than a $10 cup of lemonade, she said.)

Ms. Park texted parents about the lemonade stand on multiple group chats. Forty people showed up, and about half stayed until 6:30 p.m. We brought out whatever we had in the house: shrimp, cocktails, potato chips. We also ordered pizza, she said. It turned into a big party with the kids playing and the adults hanging out.

I felt a little shy at the beginning, but then my friends came and I had some courage, because I wanted to play with them, Madeleine said.

It was a lot more planning and running around than I thought it would be. Who knew lemonade stands were this involved? Ms. Park said. From now on I will be supporting every single lemonade stand I see.
In many cases, travel companies refunded their clients speedily; others never did. But while it is worth noting that the massive wave of cancellations that pummeled the travel industry in early 2020 caused vexing problems for all, third parties like travel agencies that serve as middlemen were hurt especially. These companies were waiting on refunds from railways, airlines, hotels and car rental agencies, and were thus faced with the challenge  as Mr. Cunha lamented to me  of getting repaid to be able to refund their own customers. Cash flow issues could become overwhelming, and sometimes its even more complicated than that, as agencies must follow the widely varying cancellation, credit and refund policies of the companies they buy from, and interpret those for the consumer.

Many smaller agencies, like Euro Railways, succumbed to the financial pressure and closed. Mr. Cunha told me that his staff had honored 68 percent of refund requests from customers despite rail companies  like Spains Renfe and Germanys DB, he said  only honoring 23 percent of refund requests from Euro Railways. Mr. Cunha noted that in many cases he had received credit from the companies for future train travel but reimbursed customers in cash. (When I separately contacted these rail companies, a Renfe representative said all tickets had been refunded regardless of conditions and DB did not respond to a request for comment.) That left Euro Railways with a negative cash flow, Mr. Cunha said, even as it still owes $128,000 to people like you.

If that is true, you had particularly bad luck. Age-Christoffer Lundeby, the communication manager for Vy, the Norwegian rail company that runs the Bergen to Oslo trains, sent me documentation showing Vy had refunded Euro Railways for the value of your tickets, money that obviously never made it to you.

Unfortunately, you are not the first person to have problems with Euro Railways. The company has a history of complaints online, from this TripAdvisor thread that began 10 years ago to those registered with the Better Business Bureau. The state of Florida administratively dissolved Euro Railways in 2018 for failing to provide an annual report, and never reinstated it in the two years or so before Mr. Cunha stopped operating.
For many parents across the United States, the long-awaited news that young children would soon become eligible for a coronavirus vaccine was met with a rush of relief.

I just got goose bumps! Brendan Kennealy, a father of two daughters, ages 1 and 4, in Richfield, Minn., said on Friday. He added that he would take his girls in for shots promptly, once he spoke to their pediatrician.

For many others, the development came with deep reservations. I feel like its way too soon, said Megan ODonnell of York, Pa., who was visiting the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore with her husband and three children, ages 8, 3 and 1. She said she worried about the effect the vaccine would have on her youngest.
One firefighter had jumped from the building to escape, Mr. Murphy said. Four people  three firefighters and Mr. Rybakowski  were initially trapped but quickly rescued, the mayors office said.

Two other firefighters, Lieutenant Williamson and Mr. Brennan, were trapped under debris, and firefighters began a search and rescue operation. At about 7 a.m., they were removed from the rubble, the mayors office said. Lieutenant Williamson was pronounced dead at the scene, and Mr. Brennan was rushed to Temple Hospital.

Lieutenant Williamson, a former Marine, is survived by his mother and son, the mayors office said.

Im not done crying, Mr. Thiel said at the news conference.

Earlier on Saturday, after everyone had been removed from the building, the scene was busy with police officers, firefighters and officials from Philadelphia Gas Works and the Department of Licenses and Inspections. Workers were beginning to load debris into trucks, but the intersection of Third Street and West Indiana Avenue remained blocked by rubble.
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del.  President Biden fell off his bike on Saturday while trying to dismount in front of a small crowd of reporters and onlookers.

The president said his foot had gotten caught in a toe clip, which caused him to tip over after coming to a stop. He quickly collected himself and stood up, saying Im good before answering a handful of questions from reporters.

Mr. Biden, 79, often takes bike rides during visits to his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, where he and the first lady, Jill Biden, were spending the weekend. On Friday, they celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary.
Biden administration officials have explained that is not possible, given the nature of Americas democratic system. (Nuclear negotiations between world powers and Iran began under President George W. Bush and were finalized in the 2015 deal in a commitment made by President Barack Obama. The agreement was not ratified as a treaty by the U.S. Senate.)

The Iranians have a related concern: Foreign companies may be reluctant to invest in Iran if they believe that Americas sanctions hammer might fall again after the next presidential election.

Mr. Trump created a second major hurdle for restoring the deal by heaping around 1,500 new sanctions designations on Iran. Iran has insisted that those sanctions be reversed  none more so than Mr. Trumps 2019 designation of Irans elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist group. Previous administrations have condemned the Revolutionary Guards, which oversee Iranian military proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen and have aided insurgents in Iraq who killed Americans. But they were wary of identifying an arm of a foreign government as a terrorist group.

Iranian negotiators have said that, to clinch a renewed nuclear agreement, Mr. Biden must drop the Revolutionary Guards terrorist label. But Mr. Biden has refused without Iran first giving other concessions  and Mr. Blinken described the group as a terror organization as recently as April.

Some analysts call the matter largely symbolic, but potently so. The United States had already heavily sanctioned the Revolutionary Guards and the groups commanders, and the impact of the penalties was expected to have long-term consequences for Irans economy. Yet the U.S. Senate approved a nonbinding resolution by a 62-to-33 vote in May prohibiting Mr. Biden from removing the designation. Some key Democrats supported the measure, including Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of Israel wrote a message of approval on Twitter after Mr. Biden informed him that the designation would stay.
His statement, while unfounded, carried a particular significance given the intensifying focus on whether he could face criminal charges. If the Justice Department were to bring a case against him, prosecutors would face the challenge of showing that he knew  or should have known  that his position was based on assertions about widespread election fraud that were false or that his attempt to block the congressional certification of the outcome was illegal.

As a potential defense, the tactic suggested by Mr. Trumps statement is far from a guarantee against prosecution, and it presents obvious problems of credibility. Mr. Trump has a long history of saying whatever suits his purposes without regard for the truth. And some of the actions he took after the 2020 election, like pressing officials in Georgia to flip enough votes to swing the outcome in that state to his column, speak to a determined effort to hold on to power rather than to address some broader perceived vulnerability in the election system.

But his continued stream of falsehoods highlights some of the complexities of pursuing any criminal case against him, despite how well established the key facts are at this point.

And the statement also reflected steps Mr. Trump is taking behind the scenes to build a new legal team to deal with an array of investigations, including into his pressure campaign to change the outcome of the election in Georgia and his taking classified documents with him when he left office.
Geneva  The U.N. refugee agency says thousands of survivors of a recent massacre in Burkina Faso are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

The deadly attack by armed men on June 12 in the town of Seytenga sent nearly 16,000 people, mostly women and children, fleeing for their lives.

The U.N. refugee agency reports they have arrived in Dori, a town in eastern Burkina Faso on the border with Niger and Mali. It adds more survivors of this attack are expected to arrive in the coming days.

UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh says the brutal attack by unknown assailants killed at least 79 people. He notes it is the deadliest single incident since more than 130 people were killed in a massacre in a nearby town a year ago. He says it marks a further escalation of violence against civilians in Burkina Faso.

"The new arrivals in Dori gave accounts of armed men going door-to-door to seek out and kill adult males, meaning that many witnessed the deaths of their husbands or fathers," Saltmarsh said. "Almost two-thirds of those who fled Seytenga are under the age of 18. Many have been sheltered by the host community and by displaced families already residing in Dori."

However, he notes hundreds of others are sleeping rough by the roadside. Finding shelter to accommodate the new arrivals is difficult as Dori is teeming with people made homeless by escalating violence against civilians.

Saltmarsh says Dori currently is home to nearly 76,000 displaced Burkinabe, as well as some 20,000 refugees from Mali. He says regional authorities and humanitarian organizations have begun relocating those without shelter to three existing sites in Dori and are preparing additional plots for future arrivals.

"UNHCR and partners are preparing to bolster supplies of emergency shelters and core relief items, including sleeping mats, soap, cooking utensils, for more than 1,000 families," Saltmarsh said. "UNHCR is also working to identify new arrivals with protection needs, such as children and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and to get them access to appropriate care."

The U.N. refugee agency is appealing for international support to meet the acute and growing needs of this bereaved population. It says only 20 percent of the $110 million appeal it has issued for Burkina Faso has been met. This, it says, is too little to run its life saving humanitarian operation.

Burkina Faso's displacement crisis is one of the world's fastest growing. Latest government figures put the number of internally displaced persons at 1.9 million.
RIO DE JANEIRO  A third person was arrested on Saturday in connection with the killings of a British journalist and a Brazilian expert on Indigenous peoples who went missing while deep in the Amazon nearly two weeks ago, the police said before sharing grisly details about how the pair was murdered.

The disappearance of Dom Phillips, 57, a freelance journalist, and Bruno Araujo Pereira, 41, a former government official who worked in the area to combat illegal fishing, hunting and mining, prompted a 10-day search and later a manhunt in Brazils dense Atlantic rainforest.

An analysis of human remains discovered in the region earlier this week determined they were those of Mr. Phillips and Mr. Pereira.
Without U.N. pressure on Sweden, the Yaqui almost certainly would not have been able to reclaim their artifacts, said Ms. Carmen, the executive director for the International Indian Treaty Council, a nongovernmental organization focused on Indigenous sovereignty.

In recent years, as conversations about racism and the legacy of colonialism have increased across the world, discussions about the repatriation of cultural items that were stolen, taken under duress or removed without the consent of their owners have intensified at museums and other cultural centers.

A major challenge in repatriation is the question of provenance  how a museum came to possess an artifact.

But the U.N. Declaration of Indigenous Rights, which was ratified in 2007 and that Sweden agreed to follow, states that Indigenous people have the right to the use and control of their ceremonial objects, and gave the Yaqui the chance to defend their claim, regardless of how the objects were obtained.

The fact that Indigenous people have their sacred items and human remains in universities and museums and private auction houses all over the world speaks to a mind-set that is still very much based on the doctrine of discovery, Ms. Carmen said. Were changing that worldview.

Another barrier to repatriation of Indigenous items is that countries often do not recognize Indigenous groups as legitimate governments, Ms. Carmen said.
Both sides claimed to be defending democracy from the other. Both appealed to Perus military, which had traditionally played a role of ultimate arbiter, almost akin to that of a supreme court. The public, deeply polarized, split. The military was also split.

At the critical moment, enough political and military elites signaled support for Mr. Fujimori that he prevailed. They came together informally, each reacting to events individually, and many appealing to different ends, such as Mr. Fujimoris economic agenda, notions of stability, or a chance for their party to prevail under the new order.

Peru fell into quasi-authoritarianism, with political rights curtailed and elections still held but under terms that favored Mr. Fujimori, until he was removed from office in 2000 over corruption allegations. Last year, his daughter ran for the presidency as a right-wing populist, losing by less than 50,000 votes.

Modern Latin America has repeatedly faced such crises. This is due less to any shared cultural traits, many scholars argue, than to a history of Cold War meddling that weakened democratic norms. It also stems from American-style presidential systems, and deep social polarization that paves the way for extreme political combat.

Presidential democracies, by dividing power among competing branches, create more opportunities for rival offices to clash, even to the point of usurping one anothers powers. Such systems also blur questions of who is in charge, forcing their branches to resolve disputes informally, on the fly and at times by force.

Venezuela, once the regions oldest democracy, endured a series of constitutional crises as President Hugo Chavez clashed with judges and other government bodies that blocked his agenda. Each time, Mr. Chavez, and later his successor, Nicolas Maduro, appealed to legal and democratic principles to justify weakening those institutions until, over time, the leaders actions, ostensibly to save democracy, had all but gutted it.
ODESA, Ukraine  In a nation at war, and a city aching for some semblance of normality, the Odesa Opera reopened for the first time since the Russian invasion began, asserting civilization against the barbarism unleashed from Moscow.

The performance on Friday in the magnificent Opera Theater, opened in 1810 on the plateau above the now shuttered Black Sea port, began with an impassioned rendering of the Ukrainian national anthem. Images of wheat swaying in the wind formed the backdrop, a reminder of the grain from its fertile hinterland that long made Odesa rich but now sits in silos as war rages and global food shortages grow.

In case of sirens, proceed to the shelter within the theater, said Ilona Trach, the theater official who presented the program. You are the soul of this opera house, and we think its very important to demonstrate after 115 days of silence that we are able to perform.
LVIV, Ukraine  President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Saturday made unannounced visits to Mykolaiv, a southern Ukrainian city battered by the war that has been held up by Kyiv as a sign of fierce resistance, and the nearby port city of Odesa.

The visit by Mr. Zelensky, his first to the region, came one day after President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in a defiant address sought to rally support and blame the West for the continuing fallout of the war, as the two leaders battle to convince their citizens and the world that they have the upper hand in the fighting.

In the early weeks of the war, Mr. Zelensky had been a fixture in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, often delivering addresses to the nation from easily identifiable locations, as he sought to steady his shellshocked citizenry.
KABUL, Afghanistan  Militants stormed a Sikh temple in Afghanistans capital on Saturday, leaving several people dead and others wounded, and stoking already heightened concerns among the countrys religious minorities about whether the new Taliban government will be able to protect them from rising violence by extremist groups.

The assault, which lasted over an hour, was the first to target the countrys Sikh community since the Taliban seized power last summer. It was the latest in a series of bloody terrorist attacks that since April have killed over 100 people, predominantly civilians among the countrys Shiite and Sufi minorities.

Abdul Nafi Takor, an Interior Ministry spokesman, said that one Taliban security member involved in stopping the assault and that one civilian were killed; he also said that seven other people were injured. A doctor from a nearby military hospital, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media, said the hospital had received the bodies of six worshipers killed at the temple.
Any time the stock market falls, investors are likely to rethink nearly everything.

The current gut check comes at a point in the evolution of the investing industry when assets in so-called E.S.G. funds have risen 38 percent in the past year, to $2.7 trillion by the end of March, according to Morningstar Direct. Professionals overlay all manner of rules and screens for the investments they pick, using climate, diversity or other data to construct what are now over 6,000 funds worldwide.

There is a cost for consciousness: The funds often have high fees that can reduce returns if the investments dont do better than whatever alternatives you reject. And theres a fair bit of confusion about what the term E.S.G.  short for environmental, social and governance  means in practice.

That can lead to episodes like one last month when Elon Musk called the entire industry a scam, after S&P Global had the temerity to remove Tesla from an E.S.G. index. S&P did this, it said, in part because of accusations of racial discrimination and other worker mistreatment.
A Shanghai man recently went viral in his home country after asking his ex-girlfriend to compensate him for all the expenses incurred while they dated.

Last week, Chinese media reported the unusual case of an unnamed Shanghai man who allegedly compiled an incredibly detailed list of expenses incurred while dating a woman who had since broken up with him. The unusual list features hundreds of line items, complete with dates and times, as well as descriptions of specific expenditures for clarity. He allegedly sent his ex the list as proof of the money he spent on her during their relationship, demanding that she compensate him.

Photo: Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash

The detailed breakup list has been doing the rounds on Chinese social media for over a week, sparking heated debates among netizens. Most of them declared themselves shocked not only by the mans gesture but also by his ability to remember all these expenses from months of dating. As one person notes, its as if he had every little yuan spent recorded in advance

The mans list included trivial expenditures such as two bottles of water, as well as more substantial expenses, like taking care of the exs sick mother. His detailed document also mentions whether each expenditure was shared as a couple or if the woman was the only beneficiary.

One example reads that he spent 36.1 yuan to buy snacks and give them all to the woman. In this case, he asks his ex to pay him back the full amount. Another example mentions dinner for two at a restaurant in Changning. Since they both got to order, he demands that the woman compensate him 50% of the expenditure.

The scorned man also listed the expenses he and his family covered when his exs mother was hospitalized. The woman then died, and he and his parents helped cover funeral costs. Now he wants back all of it.

In total, the man claimed that he had spent over 72,000 yuan during the time they dated, of which 60,147,025 yuan ($8,954) should be compensated by her.

Its unclear whether the mans ex-girlfriend agreed to pay him back anything, but the publics general reaction to his plan has been negative. Some have called the man vindictive and scheming, while others are convinced that he had been working on the list when they were dating, to use as a secret weapon.
SEPARATE allegations of drug possession against two defendants were dismissed at Tullamore District Court by Judge Patricia Cronin.

Neither of the accused persons, Leona Hynes (32), 336 The Sycamores, Edenderry and Ian Dunne (35), 6 Canal View, Daingean were in court when the prosecutions were brought before the court.

Garda Enda Kenny gave evidence that during a search at Ms Hynes' address on November 12, 2021 cocaine worth 15 was found on a saucer in the kitchen.

Garda Kenny said Ms Hynes stated the cocaine was for her own personal use and she signed the garda's notebook to that effect.

On November 26 last year another search took place at the woman's home and suspected heroin was found inside the plastic of a Kinder egg in her bedroom.

Garda Kenny estimated the heroin's value at about 20 and stated that Ms Hynes said it was for her own personal use.

He added that those drugs were forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis and the test result stated it was diamorphine [otherwise known as heroin]. A copy of the certificate of analysis was handed into the court.

Judge Cronin said the original should be in court and Garda Kenny said it was in the garda station.

Judge Cronin said she had no evidence whatsoever that the alleged drugs found on November 12 were forwarded for testing, nor was there evidence of what the substance was.

In relation to the heroin she had no original certificate so she had no option but to dismiss the matters.

Garda Kenny said the cocaine had not been forwarded for analysis because a presumptive drug test would only be done once a date for a plea or a hearing was set for the court.

Judge Cronin said she could not be satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt so she could not convict on either the cocaine or the heroin charge.

In relation to Mr Dunne, Garda Kenny said on December 10 last year he stopped a red Mitsubishi Lancer at Derrygowley, Daingean and when he spoke to the driver, who was the accused man Ian Dunne, he noted a strong smell of cannabis from the vehicle.

A small amount of cannabis was found in Mr Dunne's jacket and the accused said it was his and was for his own personal use and after caution he signed a notebook to that effect.

Garda Kenny again said in that instance a presumptive test of the substance would only be done once either a date for a hearing or a plea was set.

He explained that was the procedure the gardai were following at the moment. He handed his notebook into the court.

Judge Cronin said she had to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt and there was nothing before her to show that cannabis was found.

She said that maybe the cases needed to go back for the testing to be carried out and the result would be made available to the court.

Garda Kenny said he would make his superiors aware of the court's view.
Irelands largest law firm, is delighted to announce that it has appointed Tullamore native, Karen Sheil as a partner in its Commercial Real Estate department.

Matheson also announced the appointment of Niall Collins as a partner and head of Matheson's EU, Competition & Regulatory Law Group.

Karen Sheil specialises in all types of property development and investment transactions (both loan and asset based) including syndicate investments using corporate, funds and other structures. She has extensive experience in the site assembly, financing, structuring, letting and disposal of retail developments and mixed schemes on behalf of landlords and developers including offices, multi-family, private rented sector 'PRS' development and the build-to-rent 'BTR' sector. She is very experienced in dealing with data centre development projects and portfolios and advises tenants taking space in all types of commercial property.

Karen has worked on some of the largest property transactions in the country including Project Jewel  Irelands largest real estate transaction  where she acted for the purchaser of a portfolio of prime retail assets including Dundrum Town Centre.

Prior to joining Matheson, Karen was a partner at another Irish law firm for over a decade. She is a frequent speaker and writer on commercial property and tax related issues. She lectures in BTR schemes at the Law Society of Ireland. She is consistently ranked as a leading lawyer by legal directories and described as being 'highly rated' with a 'superb' level of knowledge.

Michael Jackson, Managing Partner of Matheson said, I am delighted to welcome Karen and Niall to Matheson. Their transactional experience, their knowledge of the Irish and international markets and their client focus will further enhance the strength in depth of our market-leading Commercial Real Estate and EU, Competition and Regulatory Law teams."

"Matheson is the law firm of choice for internationally focussed companies and financial institutions conducting business in and from Ireland. Our growth is reflective of our ongoing investment in talent and the emphasis we continue to place on client service and delivery. We believe that the expansion of our offices in London and New York, the recent opening of our new offices in Cork and the appointment of Karen and Niall in our Dublin headquarters will each contribute to our ability to continue to provide clients with the high levels of service and support required to help them achieve their business objectives."
Weapons recovered by AMISOM troops and Somali security forces in a search operation in Mogadishu in 2014.

Washington  Dozens of people were killed in fierce fighting between residents backed by Somali government forces and al-Shabab militants in the town of Adado in central Somalia, witnesses and regional officials told VOA on Friday.

Witnesses and Somali officials in the region said the fighting began when members of the terrorist group invaded the small town of Bahdo, about 60 kilometers east of Adado.

Somali military spokesman Yabal Haji Aden told VOA that the militants began their attack with a suicide vehicle-borne explosive, detonated near the entrance of the town. That set off an intense street battle between the militants and the town's local militia, which was backed by units of Somali forces.

"They tried to detonate three explosives-laden vehicles ... one of [which] detonated when our soldiers hit it with a rocket-propelled grenade," the spokesman said. "They [then] abandoned the second one, and the third vehicle escaped."

Galguduud regional Governor Ali Elmi Ganey said the joint forces killed about 47 fighters from the extremist group.

"The terrorists have tasted death, both inside and outside of the town. They left 47 dead bodies, guns and military ammunition," he said.

Residents in the town and officials said three children, a well-known religious scholar and three soldiers were also killed during the fighting.

Bahdo is known to have been a base for moderate Islamist scholars, the governor said, explaining that fighters belonging to the moderate Sufi Islamist militia known as Ahlu-Sunna Wal-Jamaa -- a group nominally aligned with Somalia's military in viewing al-Shabab extremists as an enemy -- were involved the fighting.

Ahlu-Sunna Wal-Jamaa began a war against al-Shabab militants in late 2008 over sectarian differences but has also clashed with government forces over political differences and control of the central Somali town.

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In an interview with VOA, Ahmed Shire Falagle, information minister for Galmudug state, which includes the Galguduud administrative region, said the militants' attack on the town did not come as a surprise.

"Our forces, those of Ahlu-Sunna and the residents, [were] tipped off prior to the al-Shabab attack," he said, adding that al-Shabab suffered about 100 casualties, including the dead and injured.

After the fighting, local militia and government forces showed the bodies of some 30 dead militants.

Al-Shabab has been fighting for years to dislodge the country's central government and has targeted moderate Islamist groups.

The group frequently carries out shootings and bombings at both military and civilian targets and has also attacked regional targets, especially in neighboring Kenya.

Analysts said Friday's fighting was the deadliest in recent years for al-Shabab and came days after Somalia's president appointed a new prime minister, who has called the fight against al-Shabab a priority.

Abdiwahid Isaq contributed to this report.
Several Western European countries are facing a sweltering weekend as summer arrives early. Much of Spain, France and Italy have been put on high alert for wildfires.
Brussels says a prosperous relationship with the UK and opportunities for Northern Ireland are its goals.
With more than 3.3 million travellers in the summer of 2019, the crossing is one of the world's largest flows of people between continents in such a short period.
The Saskatchewan government is preparing for a charter evacuation flight from Warsaw which will bring some 230 evacuees from Ukraine to Regina. Jeremy Harrison, minister of immigration and career training, said July 4 is the target date but there may be flexibility around the arrival.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has arrived in Kyiv for a second surprise visit. Meanwhile, the European Commission recommended Ukraine for EU candidate status. DW has the latest.
As the presidential and legislative elections date draws near in 2023, many prudential hopefuls are not sitting down one place.

One of such persons is Human Rights lawyer and former president of the Liberian National Bar Association, Counselor Tiawan Saye Gongloe. He has embarked on a tour in the United States to gain both financial and material support.

So, Friends of Gongloe Global - California Chapter will host him from July 9-13, 2022 in Northern California. Gongloe is expected to deliver his message of "A Better Liberia" is possible for good governance if elected come 2023.

He is also expected to tell the international community about his strategy to fight corruption in Liberia.

Already he has been meeting some top US state department officials explaining his platform to them.

According to a statement from the USA, this is where he is expected to meet Liberians and friends of Liberia to whom he will articulate his "Agenda for A Better Liberia.". There are over 10,000 Liberians in the Bay Area (San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco) and the greater Northern California, including Antioch, Stockton and Sacramento.

The aspiring presidential candidate is also expected to meet with elected officials of the United States Government from both the Democratic and Republican parties, authorities of major universities and business executives, and the press. Counselor Tiawan Gongloe, 65, is a renowned human rights activist who has worked as a special assistant to former Interim President Amos Sawyer from 1990-94. He is also a former Minister of Labor and former Solicitor General of Liberia.

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Mr. Gongloe resigned from his ministerial post in November, 2010 over policy disagreement with the President of Liberia. He is the immediate past president of the Liberian National Bar Association. In public service, Mr. Gongloe has helped in drafting legislation for civil service reform, local government reform, forestry reform law, jury reform, anti-press laws, code of conduct for public officials, land authority act, whistle-blower and witness protection act.

He is a lecturer in Human Rights Law and Criminal Procedure Law at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law. He also teaches human rights law at the Police Training Academy. Mr. Gongloe is known in Liberia as "Poor Man's Lawyer" because he provides legal representation to protect the rights of the poor including journalists illegally arrested and detained by government.

Mr. Gongloe arrived in the United States on May 12, 2022 to make his case among Liberians in the Diaspora and the international community about the state of affairs in the country to be contrasted with his plans to build "A Better Liberia" by fighting corruption and restoring good governance.

According to the dispatch, since his arrival, he has engaged Liberians in Atlanta, Georgia; Columbus, Ohio; Fargo, North Dakota; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. He also been invited to hold town hall meetings with Liberians in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. In addition, Counselor Gongloe has held meetings with the Mayors of Washington, DC, Twin Cities, MN, and U.S. State Department officials.
Asylum claimants who successfully challenged their removal to Rwanda this week could be among the first to be monitored.
Watch VideoA celebrated Ukrainian medic whose footage was smuggled out of the besieged city of Mariupol by an Associated Press team..

Newsy 18 Jun 2022
The 75-year-old is already under judicial investigation in France for raping a minor and trafficking.
The Kyiv native seemed headed for a bright future that he wanted to devote to his country  like many young people from his generation. He was killed fighting Russian troops on the eastern front line on June 9, aged 24.
Rumble 19 Jun 2022

Brazilian federal police on Saturday said they had arrested a third suspect over the murder of British journalist Dom Phillips and..
Former United States President Donald Trump is benefitting from Joe Biden's continued rise in disapproval ratings in recent polls. The situation shows that more American voters are inclined to cast their ballots for the Republican businessman than the Democrat.
Boris Johnson has made a second surprise visit to Kyiv for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after pulling out of a major red wall conference in Doncaster at the last minute.
Daily Record 18 Jun 2022

The Prime Minister's comments come after it was reported the BBC were in talks about hosting the event in the UK instead.
A celebrated Ukrainian medic whose footage was smuggled out of the besieged city of Mariupol by an Associated Press team was freed by Russian forces. Yuliia Paievska is better known as Taira, and her release comes three months after she was taken captive. (June 17)


US President Joe Biden took a pro-Ukrainian stance like his warhawks that would mean a policy change.
The president appoints Chris Ngwodo as the director-general of the centre.

A National Centre for the Coordination of Early Warning and Response Mechanism has been established with the signing of Executive Order 12 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The order signed on June 10, 2022, establishes the National Early Warning Centre pursuant to Article 58 of the Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Article 16 of the Protocol on the Mechanism related to Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security.

Under the ECOWAS instruments, including the 1993 Revised ECOWAS Treaty, each member state is to establish a national early warning centre to address issues related to threats to human security as part of the regional body's peace and security architecture.

The Nigerian Centre is domiciled in the Office of the Vice President, and with the support of relevant national and transnational institutions, will provide research, analysis and advisory on trends in the human security sector cutting across the environment, public health and governance.

Other areas the Centre will focus on include human rights, food security and crime among others, as well as support government's responses to emerging situations in these domains.

The President had earlier approved the appointment of Chris Ngwodo as the Director General of the National Centre. Before his last appointment as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Policy Research in the Office of the Vice President, Mr Ngwodo had served as Technical Assistant to the President on Justice, Conflict and Security in the Office of the Vice President.

A lawyer by profession, Mr Ngwodo has worked on conflict, human security, policy and development issues for over a decade. He was a member of the Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative and has served in various capacities on numerous human security-related assignments.

Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity

Office of the Vice President

17th June 2022
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised more military aid to Ukraine during a surprise visit to Kyiv.



We are with you to give you the strategic endurance that you will need, Johnson said on June 17, shortly before a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.



Johnson did not go into detail on what new...
The only shock about the UK Home Secretarys decision regarding Julian Assange was that it did not come sooner. In April, Chief Magistrate Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring expressed the view that he was duty-bound to send the case to Priti Patel to decide on whether to extradite the WikiLeaks founder to the United...
The UK's Admiral Sir Tony Radakin told PA that "Russia has strategically lost already. NATO is stronger. Finland and Sweden are looking to join."
Mr Armstrong is a special assistant to the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel.

Famous Nollywood actor, Moses Armstrong, arrested for allegedly raping a minor, is expected to appear in court on Friday.

Like his colleague, James Olanrewaju, also known as Baba Ijesha, Armstrong is the second Nigerian actor to be entangled in an alleged rape case with a minor.

The President of the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Prince Uduak, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the actor was arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old earlier in the week.

He said: " I have received a confirmed report that he was arrested, although the reason for his arrest is under investigation. However, he was taken to court on Thursday, and the court would determine what played out.

"I only heard that he was arrested for an alleged rape case, but I cannot independently verify how true the rape case is until proven otherwise by the court. As it stands now, it is an allegation levelled at him until the court finds him guilty or not."

Mr Uduak also said the actor is currently facing trial at a High court at FULGA Street off Ikot Epene road, Akwa Ibom state, and he was supposed to appear in court on Thursday

However, findings by this newspaper, as provided by the court clerk, show that the actor is to appear in court on Friday.

This newspaper also spoke with the Akwa Ibom State Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, who confirmed the actor's arrest and detention, saying an investigation is ongoing.

Mr Macdon said: " Armstrong is in police custody, and we are investigating the matter. He has been charged to court for trial."

Profile

Armstrong is a special assistant to the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel.

The Akwa Ibom State-born actor, who started his career 23 years ago, lost his wife, Rita, in 2018.

The mother-of-two was returning to her husband's residence in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, from Lagos when the Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) bus conveying her was involved in a crash at the Ugbogui axis of Benin Ore Lagos Expressway.

The deceased, a Nollywood actress, died from spinal cord injuries sustained during the accident.
STURGIS  Less than two weeks after restarting formula production at its Michigan facility, Abbott has again had to halt manufacturing there amid flooding.

Storms in southwestern Michigan Monday night overwhelmed the stormwater system in Sturgis causing flooding in the city and parts of the plant, Abbott said in a statement.

As a result, Abbott has stopped production of its EleCare formula, a formula for babies and children with allergies and certain gastrointestinal disorders. Abbott is assessing damage caused by the storm and cleaning and re-sanitizing the facility. It will likely be a few weeks until production and distribution of new products can resume, Abbott said.

Abbott said it has ample existing supply of EleCare and most of its specialty and metabolic formulas to meet needs for these products until new product is available.

The news, however, comes as parents across the country continue to struggle with a shortage of infant formulas. Many had looked forward to the reopening of the Sturgis plant a couple weeks ago as a sign that supplies might soon be replenished.

Supply chain issues initially caused a shortage of infant formulas, and then a recall of formulas produced at Abbotts Sturgis plant exacerbated the issue.

The issue has sparked outcry from parents, whose babies rely on certain types of formula, and from lawmakers who have criticized Abbott for conditions at its facility and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for not catching the problems earlier. Abbott is also facing a number of lawsuits from parents.

Abbott recalled the formulas in February as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it was investigating complaints of Cronobacter sakazakii infections among four babies who reportedly consumed formula made there. All four were hospitalized, and Cronobacter may have contributed to two babies deaths, according to the FDA.

The FDA inspected the facility from Jan. 31 through March 18 and found five environmental subsamples collected from the Sturgis facility to be positive for Cronobacter sakazakii, though product samples collected by the FDA at the facility were negative for Cronobacter.

Abbott leaders have apologized for the companys role in the national shortage. Abbott, however, has said that the Cronobacter that was found in environmental testing during the investigation was in non-product contact areas of the facility and has not been linked to any known infant illness.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf has also acknowledged that the FDA was too slow to inspect the plant and interview a whistleblower about conditions there. The FDA got a complaint in September about an infant who became ill after consuming formula made at the Michigan facility, and received a whistleblower complaint in October.

Abbott said once it can restart production in Sturgis, it will produce more EleCare, followed by specialty and metabolic formulas, and Similac.

Parents who need EleCare or specialty formulas should contact their doctors or Abbott at 1-800-881-0876.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  A Northern California pair not only smuggled drugs to five other states but repeatedly impersonated federal law enforcement officers as part of the nationwide scheme, a U.S. grand jury alleged this week.

A federal grand jury in Sacramento on Thursday indicted Quinten Giovanni Moody, also known as Christano Rossi, 37, and Myra Boleche Minks, 46, on charges of drug trafficking, impersonating federal law enforcement officials, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and obstruction of justice.

They used couriers, airline employees and a shipping company to send California-grown marijuana to Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada and Texas from 2017 into this year, prosecutors said. Pot purchased for $1,500 per pound in California in 2017 would be sold for $2,600 per pound in Georgia, according to an FBI affidavit.

And from last year until this spring, they said Minks repeatedly posed as various federal agents in attempts to learn about or disrupt the investigation. She also posed as an airline employee in an attempt to persuade other employees to let a courier complete a drug delivery, the affidavit says.

Officials are seeking to arrest Minks and did not know of an attorney who could speak on her behalf.

On six different occasions, they allege Minks variously pretended to be a Drug Enforcement Administration special agent; an assistant U.S. attorney; an FBI special agent; an employee of the U.S. Secret Service; and an employee of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The ruses included posing as the DEA agent in what the affidavit said was an attempt to get inside information from the investigation into an April 2020 shootout between two vehicles on an interstate highway in Oakland, California, that left one victim dead.

Investigators recovered nearly $375,000 in cash packed in two suitcases from the dead man's vehicle.

The pair is also alleged to have submitted fake federal search warrants to a phone company in a bid to get location information for a cellphone, and to have given two different tow truck companies fake federal court orders in repeated attempts to retrieve two of Moody's vehicles from a secure parking lot at the FBIs Atlanta Field Office.

Finally, the pair, along with a co-defendant, Jessica Tang of Sacramento, are alleged to have used identities stolen from unsuspecting individuals to file unemployment insurance claims, prompting the California Employment Development Department to disburse more than $120,000.

Ms. Tang is a 48-year-old mother without a record. And then she met Myra Minks and now shes indicted, said Tangs attorney, Thomas A. Johnson.

The multiple charges carry varying maximum sentences, including up to 20 years in prison on the conspiracy and mail fraud charges.

Moody's attorney, Adam Gasner, said his client will plead not guilty and maintains his innocence.

We ask there not be a rush to judgment and that Mr. Moody be allowed to defend himself in court and to avail himself to due process of law, Gasner said in an email.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Andrew Mullin.

Thursday, June 16:

11:42 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Larkin Township residence to speak with a 24-year-old woman regarding a suspicious vehicle turning into her driveway multiple times late at night. The vehicle left the area prior to the deputies arrival. The woman only wanted the incident documented at this time and was advised to contact the Sheriff's Office if the vehicle returned.

11:35 p.m.  A 32-year-old Midland man was called in as a be on the lookout for a possible drunk driver. His vehicle was located in Homer Township and a traffic stop was initiated. Upon investigation, he was arrested for driver operating while intoxicated and was transported and lodged at the Midland County Jail without incident. The man's vehicle was picked up by a family member.

9:30 p.m.  Deputies responded to a Lee Township residence for a third-party report of a disorderly man. Deputies arrived on scene and spoke with the 28-year-old man, who had been in emotional distress. Deputies assisted him and no further assistance was requested from the Sheriff's Office.

8:14 p.m.  A deputy was sent to U.S.-10 for a report of a "Road Closed" sign being run over. The deputy was able to fix the sign and inform the road construction crew that it had been fixed. The vehicle that ran the sign over did not stop.

8:13 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to Warren Township for juveniles taking a public sign. Deputies spoke with the juveniles and the sign was returned to the proper location.

5:10 p.m.  Officers responded to a hit-and-run crash on South Saginaw Road.

4:33 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to assist an 81-year-old Jerome Township woman with a possible fraud complaint. She did not have any money taken from her, but wanted the incident reported. The deputies gave her resources to contact to ensure that her identity was not compromised.

4:20 p.m.  Officers responded to a traffic offense and a license violation in the area of Bayliss and Rodd streets.

3:19 p.m.  A 62-year-old Porter Township woman reported that someone claiming to be from Consumers Energy attempted to obtain her bank or credit card information. No information was given that would cause any financial loss.

2:49 p.m.  A 51-year-old woman said her estranged 55-year-old husband arrived at her residence in violation of his conditional bond. The man left the woman's residence prior to deputies arrival. No injuries were reported, and a report will be forwarded to the Midland County Prosecutors Office.

2:15 p.m.  Officers responded to a single-vehicle crash on Eastman Avenue.

2:12 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to back up Michigan State Police on a traffic stop in Lee Township. The 39-year-old driver had a license that had been suspended and also had various outstanding warrants. Deputies arrived on scene and assisted MSP with the traffic stop.

1:54 p.m.  An animal control deputy was dispatched to Urgent Care regarding a woman who had been bitten by her own dog. An isolation notice was issued to the owner.

10:44 a.m.  An animal control deputy received a complaint of a possible bat exposure at a home in Warren Township. The bat was submitted to the State of Michigan Department of Health for rabies testing. Test results are pending.

10:17 a.m.  Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of East Ellsworth and McDonald streets.

10:05 a.m.  A deputy was dispatched to Jerome Township regarding an issue between neighbors. A 54-year-old woman had just ended a relationship with her 47-year-old male neighbor. She wished for the neighbor to stop returning her belongings and wanted the deputy to tell him to throw away any other belongings he had of hers. The deputy told the man that his ex no longer wanted her belongings from him and to throw away any other belongings he had of hers.

9:34 a.m.  Officers responded to a suicidal subject on Cones Street.

7:21 a.m.  Officers responded to a malicious destruction of property on West Wackerly Street.

5:15 a.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Jerome Township location for a report of a hit-and-run accident. The 27-year-old Jerome Township suspect was located and was issued multiple citations from the incident.

12:48 a.m.  Officers responded to a second driving while intoxicated in the area of East Business U.S.-10 and the South Saginaw Road overpass.

12:41 a.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence for a verbal dispute over property between a 48-year-old woman and her 30-year-old daughter. Deputies assisted in resolving the dispute and no further assistance was needed from the Sheriff's Office.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Palestinian militants fired a rocket into southern Israel early Saturday, shattering a two-month lull in violence at the Gaza-Israel border in contrast to soaring tensions in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli military said aerial defense systems intercepted the projectile, which activated warning sirens in the southern coastal city of Ashkelon. There were no reports of casualties.
House Bill 4996, Require governor to announce legislative vacancy election date within 30 days: Passed 23 to 14 in the Senate

To require the governor to announce the election dates to fill a vacancy in the legislature within 30 days of the seat becoming open.

Y Kevin Daley (R) Attica, Sen. Dist. 31

Y Kenneth Horn (R) Frankenmuth, Sen. Dist. 32

Y Jim Stamas (R) Midland, Sen. Dist. 36

Senate Bill 744, Authorize subsidies to shipping and port interests: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate

To add a selective state subsidy program that would give private developers and corporations $2.5 million in Great Lakes Maritime grants for a variety of improvements and uses related to port facilities, including pursuing more business.

Y Kevin Daley (R) Attica, Sen. Dist. 31

Y Kenneth Horn (R) Frankenmuth, Sen. Dist. 32

Y Jim Stamas (R) Midland, Sen. Dist. 36

House Bill 5696, Let minors age 16 stock liquor store shelves: Passed 34 to 1 in the Senate

To permit minors age 16 and older to stock shelves and do related functions in a business that manufactures or sells liquor. Current law prohibits this for anyone under age 18.

Y Kevin Daley (R) Attica, Sen. Dist. 31

Y Kenneth Horn (R) Frankenmuth, Sen. Dist. 32

Y Jim Stamas (R) Midland, Sen. Dist. 36

House Bill 4884, Revise governor removal of corrupt or neglectful school board members: Passed 61 to 43 in the House

To revise provisions of the state school code that prescribe a process for a governor exercising the authority granted by the state constitution to remove a local public official from office, in cases when that official is a school board member or intermediate school board member. House Bill 4883 would amend the process for removing other local officials, which is authorized for neglect, corruption or malfeasance.

N Amos O'Neal (D) Saginaw, Rep. Dist. 95

Y Timothy Beson (R) Bay City, Rep. Dist. 96

Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97

Y Annette Glenn (R) Midland, Rep. Dist. 98

Y Roger Hauck (R) Mount Pleasant, Rep. Dist. 99

House Bill 4416, Remove restrictive covenants from condo and homeowner association deeds: Passed 105 to 0 in the House

To make it unlawful to record in the county deeds office a property owners or condominium associations governing documents that contain a restrictive covenant that violates the federal Civil Rights Act, and establish that existing ones are void and unenforceable. The bill would also require associations that receive a member request to delete the restrictive covenants to act on it, and empower courts to enforce this.

Y Amos O'Neal (D) Saginaw, Rep. Dist. 95

Y Timothy Beson (R) Bay City, Rep. Dist. 96

Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97

Y Annette Glenn (R) Midland, Rep. Dist. 98

Y Roger Hauck (R) Mount Pleasant, Rep. Dist. 99

House Bill 5560, Revise domestic violence confidentiality detail: Passed 105 to 0 in the House

To establish that a police officer or a prosecuting attorney may provide a domestic or sexual violence service agency with the name and pertinent information of a victim of domestic violence for the purpose of offering supportive services.

Y Amos O'Neal (D) Saginaw, Rep. Dist. 95

Y Timothy Beson (R) Bay City, Rep. Dist. 96

Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97

Y Annette Glenn (R) Midland, Rep. Dist. 98

Y Roger Hauck (R) Mount Pleasant, Rep. Dist. 99

House Bill 6013, Give teachers stipend for mentoring colleagues: Passed 101 to 4 in the House

To give $1,000 annual stipends to public school mentor teachers as defined in the bill, and also give $90 daily stipends to prospective teachers who are filling the teacher licensure requirement to obtain a prescribed number "apprenticeship and internship" hours.

Y Amos O'Neal (D) Saginaw, Rep. Dist. 95

Y Timothy Beson (R) Bay City, Rep. Dist. 96

Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97

Y Annette Glenn (R) Midland, Rep. Dist. 98

Y Roger Hauck (R) Mount Pleasant, Rep. Dist. 99

House Bill 6108, Raise age to buy tobacco: Passed 79 to 26 in the House

To raise the minimum age to buy tobacco in Michigan from 18 to 21.

Y Amos O'Neal (D) Saginaw, Rep. Dist. 95

N Timothy Beson (R) Bay City, Rep. Dist. 96

Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97

N Annette Glenn (R) Midland, Rep. Dist. 98

Y Roger Hauck (R) Mount Pleasant, Rep. Dist. 99

House Bill 5681, Permit remote courtroom victim rights statements: Passed 105 to 0 in the House

To revise a law that permits a crime victim to appear and make an oral impact statement at the sentencing of the defendant, by also allowing this to be done from a remote location.

Y Amos O'Neal (D) Saginaw, Rep. Dist. 95

Y Timothy Beson (R) Bay City, Rep. Dist. 96

Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97

Y Annette Glenn (R) Midland, Rep. Dist. 98

Y Roger Hauck (R) Mount Pleasant, Rep. Dist. 99

SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate.

Y = Yes, N = No, X = Did not vote
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What do men need in order to be better fathers?

Fifteen years ago, Midland resident Brian Molitor asked himself that question. His answer: Men need a plan.

"If you don't have a plan ... then, you're leaving so much to chance," he told the Midland Daily News recently.

Fathers Day is a dedicated day to honor how fathers support, love and provide for their children. Ahead of Sunday's celebrations, Molitor spoke with the Daily News on how fathers and father-figures can intentionally connect with children to help positively uplift the next generation of adults.

Molitor is the founder and CEO of Molitor International and has been married for more than 36 years to his wife, Kathleen. They have four children who have added grandchildren to the family tree. His consulting and training company serves global clients through numerous books, training manuals and articles on various subjects, including fatherhood.

Molitor's developed plan includes three main components  lifelong mentoring, intentional blessing and rites of passage  as steps that a father can take to learn more about how to uplift children in healthy ways.

Spreading the word on fatherhood Molitor International is located at 1550 Collins Lane in Midland. Founder and CEO Brian Molitor's first book on parenting, in 2004, was titled "A Boy's Passage." His second book, "Boy's Passage-Man's Journey," was also published in 2004. "Girl's Passage-Father's Duty" was released in the spring of 2007. His books have been translated into multiple languages including French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin and Korean. Molitor has produced and hosted numerous television programs that have aired in Australia, Africa, the United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, South America, Canada and the United States. He has most recently been the executive producer of two youth-oriented reality television shows. He also produces and hosts a series for fathers called TV4DADS that airs internationally on inspirational networks. His training courses, Leadership that Lasts, Barriers to Bridges, Team Problem Solving, and MITI, have helped hundreds of organizations, including those in business, healthcare, government, education and various nonprofits. Molitor is also the Founder of Malachi Global, an organization that exists to train and equip fathers, mothers and other mentors so they can successfully lead the next generation. Malachi Global utilizes retreats, conferences, seminars, videos and teaching materials to achieve its mission throughout the world. See More Collapse

"You've got about 18 years to lay a foundation upon which your child will build upon for half a century," Molitor said. "We have work to do (as fathers) and we need to take it very seriously."

He said it's important to manage one's own expectations and standards while raising children.

"You have to be careful as a dad that you don't try to make them in your image," Molitor said. "Each young person is unique. You just put the gamut in front of them."

One of the biggest challenges that he said fathers are facing in this age is that young people are subjected to many distractions, such as social media. But dads can meet that challenge by spending quality time with and listening to their children.

"If you spend enough time with somebody that's under your care  talk to them, ask them questions and listen  you'll find out what they're excited about," he said. "When you find that young person's passions, you feed that."

Molitor said fatherhood should be spent showing children various life experiences that can build life skills, confidence and curiosity. For example, spending intentional time reading books with your children could help facilitate an interest in storytelling.

In a local youth study that observed developmental assets of Midland County students in grades 6-12, responses indicated that depression increased from 17% overall in 2016 to 28% in 2021. The countywide data showed that technology use, including television, videos, computers, cell phones, tablets, texting, email and social media, was somewhat  but not significantly  associated with depression.

The Legacy Center for Community Success partnered with Midland Kids First to distribute a 2021 study, which examined developmental assets  both internal and external  and the factors that influence them. Two of the external influences measured were family support and positive family communications.

While the data didn't collect information exclusive to the child or teen's relationship with a father-figure, the information highlights that 72% of respondents experience support from family overall. This experience was measured at 79% five years earlier in a similar study conducted in 2016. Positive family communications experienced by respondents dropped slightly from 38% in 2016 to 36% in 2021.

"Home has got to be a place that's safe," Molitor said. "Dads really have to step up and be the one that the family can count on. Children are watching. We've got to be optimistic, we've got to know  not hope  that there will be opportunities for each of the young people that are under our care."

He said fathers should communicate reassuring messages such as, "You're going to be OK," on a regular basis to help validate security while children navigate an uncertain world.

"A big part of the father's job is to be like a big evergreen tree that spreads out and covers those kids," Molitor said. "We've got to protect them. We've got to provide for them."
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The coal mining communities of Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State have for decades remained an investors' delight. The mining communities in Ojoku district are located in a lush vegetation that splashes its green colour in a vast open undulating plain in the east of the local government area. Beneath this naturally endowed thick flora that covers the mining region is the treasure - coal - fondly called black gold. It spreads its bed in the entire district, which some project could last up to hundreds of years to come.

Alhassan Ahmed, an elder in the mining community of Odagbo, said the black gold was thought to be a harbinger of blessing by residents, but regretted that by the turn of events over the years, it turned out to be an illusion.

"I grew up knowing Odagbo settlement like this; it has not changed in any form. I came to know that the coal mining started here in 1968 by the Nigeria Coal Cooperation (NCC), but up till now, there is nothing to show for it," he said.

Daily Trust Saturday reports that the town is still wearing an ancient look. "Our residents remain the poorest of the poor. Our story is one of dashed hopes," Ahmed lamented.

The plight of the residents of the sleepy settlement of Odagbo reflects the ugly picture of the rest of the mining communities in the district. It is a community with a name that remains inseparable from coal mining in Nigeria and is said to be sitting on a coal deposit of about 72 billion tonnes. Records from the Federal Ministry of Mines, Steel Development, however, reveal that only relatively over 350 million tonnes are said to have been tapped.

Tracing its formal coal excavation history, Daily Trust Saturday gathered that the Nigerian Coal Corporation kicked off operations in Odagbo in 1967, with full operations commencing in 1968. It, however, suspended mining activities in 2001 due to issues allegedly bothering on mismanagement.

Shedding more light, a director in the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development posited that after an unsuccessful privatisation of the mining corporation by the Bureau for Public Enterprises in 1999, government withdrew all the necessary assistance to the NCC till about 2002 when the company finally shut down its operation.

Sources within the ministry said that around 2013, the federal government was forced to auction some of the assets of the NCC, including that of Odagbo, in order to pay up some outstanding debts of the cooperation.

The collapse of the NCC brought Nordic Nigeria Limited on board in a short-lived mining operation at Odagbo. However, the company later lost the right of ownership of the site in a legal tussle with Kaylor Energy Limited and subsequently stopped operation.

Our correspondent gathered that presently, Koylar Energy Limited, a Zuma coal-fired power plant, and another company said to be piloted by Dangote Group, are chief investors, with staked money in the coal mining district. And residents claim they are groaning under land degradation and water pollution.

Koylar Energy Limited, an Indian company with mining number W008123, is said to be in charge of four mining communities in Ojoku district: Odagbo, Ofanwa, Alufele and Odogomu, while Zuma, a coal-fired power plant, is operating at Okobo, Ika and Enjema. Dangote Group is operating in Awo and Olupi communities in the district.

Despite these big names in mining activities, residents have consistently raised alarm of neglect and abject poverty.

According to the youth leader of Odagbo, Comrade Saidu Haruna, the present woes of the mining communities were due to total neglect of the contractual agreement by past miners in handling the side effect of their activities. He said community development agreements, which bestowed terms and implementation of cooperate social responsibility on the mining company, were not always adhered to by investors.

He alleged that miners often colluded with some senior citizens of the communities to shortchange the inhabitants. The youth leader said youths had a few months ago protested over the refusal to fix erosion that threatened a road, which forced the mining company to roll out heavy duty machines to grade it.

According to Haruna, the defunct Nodic mining company had constructed a town hall for the community within two years of operation, stressing that a plead to the Kaylor mining company management to assist in the rehabilitation of the only primary school in the village fell on deaf ears.

The youth leader stated further that the contractual agreement with the stakeholders to employ citizens in the community was abandoned, saying the company only employed outsiders and engaged indigenes of the community in menial jobs like security and cleaning.

"At the heat of this bottled grievances, youths in the community barricaded the road leading to the mining site few months ago. I was arrested by operatives of Navy and lebelled a terrorist. I was later released after the intervention of stakeholders. But we are happy that our road was graded to allow tension to calm down and for the company to continue its operation smoothly," he said.

In Odagbo, the residents bemoaned lack of basic social amenities, such as electricity, potable water, health facilities and good schools despite years of mining activities in the area.

"The streams, which were the only source of drinking water in the communities, have been contaminated. We rely on two main streams: Aji Achokpa and Aji Oke as our source of drinking water.

"That of Odagbo Ofanwa, (Aji Oke) has been blocked by the activities of the miners, forcing the residents out to trek for many kilometres to Odagbo to fetch water for domestic use. The pressure on the stream has made it to shrink over the years," Haruna narrated.

Also speaking, an official of the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development who did not want to be named, said the Nigeria Mineral Act (NMA), 2007 had properly defined the relationship between miners and host communities.

According to NMA 2007 Act 20, section 123 124(abc) and 125, pollution of water course is prohibited by miners in given communities, and it empowers miners to keep water course purified and spelt out compensation for damages and pollution so done.

The NMA Act states, "No person shall, in the course of mining or exploration for minerals, pollute or cause to be polluted, any water or watercourse in the area within the lease or beyond that area. A licensee or lessee shall pay compensation to the owner or occupier."

According to the official, it is, therefore, an obligation on the part of the miners or investors to service community development agreements based on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), environmental obligation, contents of the environmental Protection and rehabilitation programmes as spelt out in the NMA Act, 2007, section117, 119 and 120 before they commence any mining operations in a given area.

He added that the NMA Act 2007, section 4a empowered an aggrieved community to write the minister of mines and steel development for solution if they and investors could not sort out their differences and strike a compromise.

When reminded of the instructions of the NMA Act and the need to seek redress to ease their plight, most of the residents said they had written to that effect.

"We are aware of the provision of the Act as it affects our collective destiny in mining communities, various classes of associations or interest groups. The elders, youths and educated class have done a lot of work over our plight to no avail," Jimoh Okpanachi, an elderly resident of the area said.

They appealed to the federal government and the Kogi State Government to prevail on investors to ensure social responsibility as contained in the Community Development Agreement (CDA).

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The frosty relationship between the host community and miners at the Okaba- Odagbo mining axis remains the same as other two mining sites in Ojokwu district. The residents at Ika and Okobo mining communities where Zuma coal -fire power plant operates had recently demonstrated against ill-treatment by the investors saying, the CDA was abandoned by the miners.

In a brief interview over the phone, an investor, Zakari Yau, operating at Enjema, Ika and Okobo axis mining sites said the allegations of abandonment by host communities was untrue. The investor said there was no grumbling in any guise or over any grievances by his host communities, hinting that there is peace and tranquility in the area of his operation.

"We have no problem with host communities. Our relationship is cordial; we have no grievance in any form. And if you want to know more details, come for a round table discussion over it," he said.

But when our correspondent reached out for appointment with him, he failed to acknowledge a text message to that effect or respond to calls.

He said the existing cordial relationship between miners and the hosts was because over 60 per cent of the investors or miners were from the environment of the district, and as such, they would not do anything that is injurious to residents of the community.

Efforts to speak with officials of Kaylor Mining Company failed as the security head of the company, identified as Moses, at the Okaba-Odagbo site directed all inquiries to the company's administrative headquarters in Ankpa.

When our correspondent visited the company's administrative headquarters in Ankpa, officials approached declined to comment, saying, "We don't talk to the press."
Photo: (Photo : Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

It took Bella J. Dark, 5, just five days to finish writing and illustrating her first book, "The Lost Cat," published by Ginger Fyre Press in January 2022. Six months later, the book has smashed a Guinness World Record after it sold more than 1,000 copies, thus, making Bella the youngest published female author in the world.

According to Guinness, Bella, who hails from the U.K., broke the previous record held by Dorothy Straight more than six decades ago. In 1958, Straight, then six years old, wrote: "How the World Began." However, the book was not published until 1964 by Pantheon Books.

To qualify for the title of Youngest Published Author, the child must be able to have a book printed and distributed by a commercial publishing company. The book must also sell 1,000 copies or more.

Read Also: Inspiring Teen Distributes 9,000 Books to Sick Children After Dad's Cancer

What is Bella J. Dark's Book About?

"The Lost Cat" follows the adventures of Snowy the cat, who found herself lost after she ventured all by herself one night. It's a story centering on staying safe with the hope of teaching kids not to go on their own when it's already dark outside.

Bella started conceptualizing the book with pictures until her father suggested she could make a story out of it. Her mom, Chelsie Syme, said she was not surprised by Bella's achievement because she has been using her creative mind to write and draw stories since she was 3. Bella's older sister, Lacie May, contributed one of her own drawings to the book.

Then the family met with a publisher at a book fair to discuss printing the story. Bella learned the publishing process early on, but her mother helped her deal with proof copies and other changes for the book before it could be print-ready.

The book is selling for under $8 at online stores like Amazon or Waterstones. It's also on Amazon Kindle.

Bella's family is very proud of what she has done. The 5-year-old girl is now planning her next story and a potential follow-up, "Snowy's Birthday Party," per Good News Network.

Rave Reviews for Bella's Book

So far, the book has received a 4.7 out of 5-star rating on Amazon with 81 percent positive reviews. One customer said they could not resist buying it after learning it was written and drawn by a 5-year-old. Another customer, who is a parent, said that the message of her story was easy to understand for the youngsters, but a disappointed grandparent noted that she was hoping the publisher retained Bella's own handwriting and spelling.

Bella, who was born in July 2016, counts "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," "What the Ladybird Heard," and "Splat the Cat" as some of her inspirations for creating "The Lost Cat." While she is the youngest published author for girls, the youngest person to publish a book among the boys is a 4-year-old from Sri Lanka, Thanuwana Serasinghe, whose book "Junk Food" was released in 2017.

Related Article: Young Novelist Gathers 2-Year Waitlist for Handwritten Comic Book He Hid in Idaho Library
Photo: (Photo : ANDY JACOBSOHN/AFP via Getty Images)

Infant twins were discovered stranded and alone in the state of Texas after their intoxicated mother crashed her vehicle through multiple barricades, deputies said.

According to the Harrison County Sheriff's Office, 26-year-old Fantasia Martinez was charged for allegedly abandoning her six-month-old twins, including one infant, discovered alone in her crashed car just off Interstate 20 on Tuesday, June 14.

Department officials said in an earlier post that police dispatchers received dozens of calls at 9:45 p.m. regarding a woman walking in the eastbound lanes of traffic. Marshall native Martinez appeared to be inebriated and possibly under the influence of narcotics but told deputies that her car had broken down with both of her young kids still inside the vehicle.

Infant twins found safe by deputies after frantic search

Deputies then detained Martinez for her safety as her vehicle was located nearby. According to sheriff officials, the car, which was still running after crashing into a tree, appeared to have plowed through multiple road barricades and had an infant in the backseat.

A deputy broke one of the vehicle's windows to rescue the baby, prompting Martinez to break out of police custody briefly. Authorities said that once she was detained again, Martinez started asking about her second infant.

Two infant car seats were found inside Martinez's totaled vehicle. The second infant was located about 35 minutes later after investigators received an address near the crash site where Martinez had recently moved.

Sheriff officials issued a statement, saying, "Deputies responded to that address, forced entry, locating the second infant alone and uninjured." Child welfare officials took both kids into custody late on Tuesday.

Sheriff Brandon Fletcher said that it is heartbreaking to know that some children have to live in these conditions, but he is glad no lives were lost. Martinez is currently being held at the Harrison County Jail, according to the New York Post.

Investigators charged her with two counts of abandoning or endangering a child, driving while intoxicated with a child passenger, escaping, and resisting arrest/transport. It is unclear if Martinez has hired an attorney who could speak on her behalf.

Read Also: TikTok Celebrity Mom of Dozen Kids Has Been Pregnant For Nearly 17 Years

Search for the vehicle and the twins lasted 35 minutes

Investigators said she appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and possibly narcotics due to her erratic behavior and difficulty making complete sense of the situation. Martinez had told deputies that both of her children were still in the vehicle. Because of the car's proximity to the interstate, the situation for troopers and deputies escalated concern for the welfare of the children.

According to Fox 46, several agencies joined in on a detailed and methodical search that lasted roughly 35 minutes and included around 60 first responders. One Texas deputy suffered heat exhaustion during the search and was treated on-scene.

Related Article: Fisher-Price in Hot Water Again After Company and US Regulators Warn of Infant Deaths in Rockers
Photo: (Photo : Peter Larsen/Getty Images for Toys"R"Us)

Kids are not always gracious when it comes to receiving gifts, and some parents could be on the edge as they watch their child unwrap a birthday present in front of the guests. What if the child opens something he doesn't like and expresses his displeasure over it so publicly?

With younger children, it's harder to expect them to behave with some discretion about their negative feelings. However, this can be an opportunity to teach the kids about accepting gifts, even if they don't like them, with some gratitude.

University of Toronto psychologist Kang Lee said, via Today's Parents, that kids may have a simple understanding of the concept of gratitude and moral development as early as three years old. Thus, training them to be gracious at such an early age can have a lifelong outcome.

Read Also: Valuable Random Acts of Kindness, a Way to Teach Kids Without Any Cost

Here are some ways to help kids understand why being gracious is important:

1. Discuss why they are getting gifts.

Explain to the children the reason for the gift-giving and emphasize that they are lucky to have these special treats because not all children get birthday, Christmas, or Easter presents. Don't make them feel that they should be entitled to a gift because it's a special day. Instead, help them understand the value of giving a gift so they would appreciate the giver more than the item, no matter what's inside the box.

Mom Sheila Hanson wrote via PopSugar that she explained to her 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter that gifts are thoughts. She said that when someone gives you a gift, it means that they are thinking about you. So, it doesn't matter what gets unwrapped because the important thing to remember is that the gift is a way for that person to show their thoughtfulness.

2. Get your child involved with gifting.

To better demonstrate Hanson's example, try to get the children involved in the gift-giving process. For example, let them pick out a present for the next family member who will be celebrating their birthday and then have them participate in wrapping the present. Let them be the ones to give the gift personally so they will experience the uplifting feeling of being told, "Thank you!" by a relative or friend.

3. Practice how to accept gifts.

Sometimes, it's better to teach the children the appropriate response. If they learn the correct phrases to say, it will save everyone the embarrassment. By practicing, parents may also roleplay with the children and come up with scenarios that may help them prepare for the unexpected.

Parents may also teach their kids the appropriate response in case they get a gift they don't like. Remind them to discreetly tell you about it and then offer to discuss this later on, in private. As reinforcement, parents should also not forget to praise the child for behaving appropriately.

4. Set the example.

Child development expert Marie Hartwell-Walker said it would be impossible to teach children to be grateful if they can't see it from their parents. She told Patch that if kids see their mom or dad habitually saying thanks or demonstrating graciousness, they will also pick up on the same values.

Related Article: 6 Do's and Don'ts for Teaching Children to Write Thank You Letters
Photo: (Photo : SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

Florida police had arrested a couple after their 3-year-old daughter overdosed on fentanyl and had to be resuscitated when her heart stopped. Authorities said that the unconscious girl had no pulse and was not breathing when Oakland Park Fire Rescue resuscitated her with Narcan, a treatment for an opioid overdose.

Jaelynn Carter was discovered unresponsive at about 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, when first responders arrived at the family's home on Northeast 33rd Street in Oakland Park. Medics intubated the child and administered Narcan to revive her on the way to Broward Health Medical Center, where toxicology tests revealed the young girl had ingested fentanyl, according to the New York Post.

Broward Sheriff's detectives said both parents claimed during separate questioning that they were together and folding laundry in the master bedroom when the child collapsed and became unresponsive.

Mom believes her daughter ate half a pill of fentanyl

Janett Carter agreed to take a drug test at the hospital, and the result was positive for fentanyl. At first, Walter Carter refused to take a drug test but later relented and tested positive for fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana.

Janett told investigators she bought two pills from a drug dealer on Friday and thought they were oxycodone. Investigators said she believed her daughter ate half of the pill the following day.

The 38-year-old mom said she kept the pills in a plastic baggie in her purse but knew her toddler liked to rummage around in it. Detectives said that she put the pills in a plastic bottle and later flushed the baggie down the toilet at the hospital.

Both parents were arrested on Monday, June 13, according to NBC Miami. Records showed that Janett and 40-year-old Walter were booked into the Broward County Jail and charged with child neglect causing great bodily harm and drug possession.

As the couple was being booked into the county jail, cocaine and pills were found in Janett's wallet, and a baggie of marijuana was found in Walter's pocket, officials said.

Walter's bond was set at $30,000 at their first court appearance on Tuesday. He was also charged with cannabis possession. Janett's bond totaled $31,000, but she won't be getting out of jail because she violated probation on a previous unrelated grand theft charge, according to court records. She also faces a charge of cocaine possession.

Read Also: Heartbroken Mom Wants Answers After 13-year-old A-student Son Dies in Jamaica Bay Drowning

Fentanyl-related overdoses rising

According to UMass Chan Medical School, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid originally developed as an analgesic or painkiller for surgery. Drug dealers have used fentanyl analogs as an adulterant in illicit drug supplies since 1979, with fentanyl-related overdoses rising as a result.

Overdose deaths more than quadrupled, going from 8,050 in 1999 to 33,091 in 2015. More than 100,000 Americans died from a drug overdose from May 2020 to April 2021, with over 64 percent of these deaths due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl and its analogs.

Related Article: FDA Says Infant Formula Maker Abbott Nutrition to Release Certain Products on a Case-by-Case Basis
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

Barnaby Brownsell, 2, would always be mistaken for a four or five-year-old child. For a toddler, people would wonder why he had a muscular build, earning him the name "Viking" or Samson.

His mom, Erica Brownsell, did not think much of it until she saw pubic hair around Barnaby's "sizeable" penis, then she got worried, Insider reports.

The mom said Barnaby had massive, sustained erections, and his height and weight were far off the charts. When he was one, he weighed 26 pounds and gained two pounds every month between 12 and 18 months. His mom noted that her son would gain muscles, not fat.

Dr. Tony Hulse, a pediatric endocrinologist at Everlina London Children's Hospital in the U.K., said that based on blood tests, Barnaby had testosterone levels like that of a grown man when it should be negligible for a boy his age. He had a bone density of a 4.5-year-old child. The tests also indicate that he does not have an endocrine tumor or a congenital disorder that affects the adrenal glands.

Exposure to testosterone gel

The doctors learned that Barnaby's father, Peter, had a complex testicular condition. He applied a generous amount of Testogel, a testosterone gel in the U.K., for his testosterone deficiency.

The dad's morning routine included applying Testogel and taking care of Barnaby. The exposure explained everything, as per Alvarado Hospital.

According to Dr. Benjamin Udoka Nwosu, the head of pediatric endocrinology at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New York, some testosterone is left on the skin even hours after the application. Family members and other individuals who had close contact with the patient are at risk of direct testosterone exposure.

Testosterone gets into the bloodstream even when the patient is wearing clothing. Studies show that 40 to 48 percent of the hormone is transferred even if covered with a shirt.

When the exposure happens over a long period, the amount of testosterone can be harmful and dangerous to children as they would sexually mature earlier.

Like young people entering puberty, testosterone exposure to children includes developing acne, pubic and underarm hair, and oversized reproductive organs even at a very young age.

Read Also: Families of Drug Overdose Victims Demand Actions from Social Media Platforms

It's never too late

For Barnaby's testosterone levels to return to normal, doctors advised the dad to switch to testosterone injections. Curbing the exposure to testosterone will stop Barnaby's growth spurt. Doctors hope the boy's chronological age will eventually catch up with his body.

The use of testosterone creams, ointments, and sprays has become popular because of the ease and convenience of topical applications. Initial studies also indicate that creams are more effective and efficient to use. However, topical creams and sprays can expose women and children to unsafe testosterone levels.

The father and his wife Erica are now raising awareness about the risk of testosterone gel to children, calling the companies to put prominent warnings in the packages of Testogel, along with specific instructions on how to use the product safely.

In the U.S., testosterone gel Androgel has had a boxed warning since 2009 because 20 cases similar to Barnaby have been reported to the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA), CNN says.

Related Article: Pediatric Feeding Disorder: New Diagnostic Criteria Allows Insurance Coverage for Kids
The Gambian government has announced this week that it would order suspensions for state employees accused of crimes under the former Yahya Jammeh regime, one of the recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC).

The TRRC, established to investigate crimes committed by former dictator Yahya Jammeh and by others in his regime, wrapped up its investigation late last year.

Although it had handed the report to the government with a raft of recommendations, the government has not implemented even part of the report until now.

No official list has been offered to the public, but police have been suspended including Anti-Crime Unit commander Gorgui Mboob, a number of members of the military and the director of operations for the National Drug Enforcement Agency, Ebrima Jim Drammeh.

The suspension will be carried out in the next few days, according to Kimbeng Tah, spokesman for the ministry of justice.

It is a "tangible first step" in securing justice for the 250 people who died under his regime, as well as the countless numbers of victims, according to human rights lawyer Reed Brody, of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).

During its work, which was broadcast publicly in Gambia, the TRRC uncovered evidence of rape, murder, violence, and forced disappearances under the Jammeh regime.

What about Jammeh?

However, no comment has been given by the government on dealing with Jammeh himself, still in exile in Equatorial Guinea.

On a visit to Equatorial Guinea by Gambian President Adama Barrow for the African Union summit last month, Jammeh's extradition to Gambia for trial was not discussed, according to a BBC interview with government spokesperson Ebrima G. Sankareh.

Human rights lawyer Brody is calling on Gambia to create a special tribunal to try Jammeh, and to get support from neighbouring countries like Ghana, given Ghanaian nationals were also victims of the regime.

Meanwhile, in a effort to educate Gambian children on the horrors of the Jammeh regime, Fantanka, a sexual and reproductive health awareness group, brought out a child-friendly version of the TRRC report on Friday.
Photo: (Photo : JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Abbott Nutrition has stopped production of EleCare formula in its Sturgis, Michigan facility after severe storms led to flooding inside the plant, the company said. The unfortunate development would probably delay the production of new formula for a few weeks.

Production at the Michigan facility had restarted less than two weeks ago following a months-long closure that helped drive a formula shortage in the United States, according to CNN. Abbott said in a statement on Wednesday night that severe thunderstorms and heavy rains came through southwestern Michigan on Monday evening, resulting in high winds, hail, power outages, and flood damage throughout the area.

Abbott added that these torrential storms produced significant rainfall in a short time, overwhelming the city's stormwater system in Sturgis, Michigan, and resulting in flooding in parts of the city, including areas of their plant.

Abbott stops production of EleCare specialty formula

Abbott, as a result, has stopped production of its EleCare specialty formula that was underway to assess the damage caused by the storm and clean and re-sanitize the plant. They have informed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will conduct comprehensive testing in conjunction with an independent third party to ensure the plant is safe to resume production.

Abbott said that once the Sturgis plant is re-sanitized and production resumes, it will restart the production of EleCare, followed by specialty and metabolic formulas. The new formula being produced since the Michigan facility reopened was not yet available to consumers, and production had not started on popular brands available at grocery stores, according to the Guardian. Abbott added that it would work to restart the production of Similac at the plant as soon as possible.

U.S. FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in tweets on Wednesday night that they know Abbott is working quickly to assess the damage and will be reporting its progress to them in the days ahead.

Califf added that once the company establishes a plan, the FDA will be back in the facility working to ensure that they can quickly restart producing safe and quality formula products. He said in a Senate committee hearing on Thursday that it is too soon to estimate how long the new product from the plant will be delayed.

Read Also: Florida Families Say Abbott's Baby Formula Made Their Children Sick

Closure due to flooding, the latest blow to Abbott

The Sturgis plant had been shut down for months after an FDA inspection found Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria, which can be deadly to infants, in several areas of the facility. EleCare, Similac, and Alimentum powdered infant formulas made at the plant were recalled, and the closure worsened shortages caused by supply chain disruptions.

Families across the country have struggled for months to find formula for babies, infants, and people with specific nutrition needs. Califf said last month that the shuttered Michigan facility needed extensive repairs, including replacing the floors and roof.

A federal judge signed off on an agreement between the FDA and Abbott in May that laid out the steps the company needed to take to restart production. The Michigan plant reopened on June 4, according to the NPR.

Related Article: Many Baby Formula Plants Not Inspected in the US Because of COVID Pandemic
Photo: (Photo : AdobeStock)

If you love caring for and teaching children, you may consider starting a daycare. Home-based daycares allow the teacher to give children a one-on-one experience since fewer kids are enrolled.

Whether stay-at-home parents need your drop-off care service to run a quick errand or working parents need regular childcare services, owning a daycare will support you as a business owner and parents in their work-life balance.

Get Your Teaching Certification

The first important step to starting a home daycare is earning your online teaching certification. Holding this credential adds credibility to your professional portfolio. It will build trust with parents that you can proficiently teach their little ones.

Thirteen states in the country require a teaching certification to work at local public nursery schools. New Jersey and Michigan are the only two states that mandate a teaching certificate to work in a teaching position at private or public daycares or nursery schools. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are the only two states that require employees to have teaching certifications for private nursery schools.

Aspiring teachers taking online teaching certification programs in Texas must complete the Educator Preparation Program. Then, apply to receive your Standard Teaching Certificate.

Purchase Childcare Management Software

Childcare management software allows you to track home-based daycare tasks. Childcare management software can:

Keep child attendance records.

Track contact information for each child enrolled.

Store a child's health chart to track food allergies and conditions that need extra attention.

Schedule parent-teacher conferences to discuss a child's progress.

Purchase Preschool Curriculum

Your teaching certification also allows you to take on preschool-age clients as you teach them the Preschool Curriculum in between regular play, meals, and nap time. Touch on literacy, mathematics, and oral language throughout your daily curriculum. Learning through play is the best way to engage toddlers to learn and have fun simultaneously.

Childcare apps and preschool curricula can help you:

Manage daily and weekly lesson plans.

Share the lesson plans with parents via email.

Assign milestones to each lesson plan.

Update the milestones profile for each child in your daycare and preschool classes.

Keep parents updated on classroom activities with pictures and videos distributed to them on the software's parent app.

As you work with toddlers, train yourself, teachers, and teacher aides on gentle ways to say "no" without actually saying the word. Such tactics will relieve the power struggle that happens when caring for toddlers.

Ensure You Meet the Daycare Criteria

Owning a daycare means meeting the daycare criteria that parents desire. Parents are looking for:

A detailed curriculum.

Qualified caregivers. Teachers are certified. Aides have experience in childcare.

Safe facility or space for little ones.

Thoroughly and professionally written policies.

Final Thoughts About Starting a Home-based Daycare

Start your small business journey by studying and obtaining your online teaching certification. Find high-quality childcare software to manage payments, curriculum lesson plans, and other tasks. Combined these things will help you run a profitable childcare business that parents can trust and children love.
Photo: (Photo : Pexels from Pixabay )

Driving while under the influence (DUI) is one of the most dangerous situations an individual can get him or herself into. When you drive drunk and/or stoned, you not only place yourself in mortal danger, but you also endanger other drivers who are sharing the road with you.

Making matters a lot worse, if you are driving under the influence with children in the car, you run the risk of seriously injuring them or even killing them should you get into a vehicular collision.

Here's the rub: not all drivers who get behind the wheel of their family vehicle are bad people. Many of them are just like you and me. They simply feel as though they are entirely under control even after having consumed a few alcoholic beverages. But what they don't realize is that it only takes a beer or two to affect your coordination and motor skills.

That's why if you're stopped for a DUI, you need the best legal representation you can find. Says the Law Office of Aaron M. Black, PLLC, who at present is considered the best DUI lawyer in Phoenix, AZ, depending on the circumstances of your DUI case, a reputable attorney can represent you in court without you actually having to be there. DUI's are very expensive, and this allows you to continue to make a living while your case gets reviewed in a court of law.

But what happens when there's children in the vehicle when you get pulled over for a DUI? How will this affect your court case? According to a recent report, if you get pulled over for driving under the influence and you have a minor under 14 years of age in the car, you will be facing harsh criminal penalties.

In states like California and Arizona for instance, you will be facing "increased penalties for having a child in your vehicle if you get convicted of a DUI." However, if in the end, you are not convicted in a court of law, the penalties associated with having a child in the vehicle will be dropped.

Consequences Associated With a DUI With a Child in the Car

In a word, if you're convicted of a DUI with a child in the car, it can mean more jail time. Say the experts, the penalties can be harsh. In some cases, the consequences for a DUI can be harsh regardless if you have a child in the car or not.

For a first-time conviction for a DUI you can, in general, expect fines of up to $1,000, plus jail time of up to six months (depending on the state). You will also be required to utilize an ignition interlock device (IID) which detects alcohol on your breath should you attempt to start your car.

In certain states, DUIs are "priorable offenses," meaning they count against drivers who have been convicted previously or one or multiple DUIs. You will find yourself facing far higher fines and extended jail time in accordance to multiple driving under the influence arrests.

What Happens to Your Child After You Get Arrested for DUI?

The experts state that it will be the police's responsibility to take care of your child until either your spouse, or a legal guardian, or a separate relative can take possession of him or her. Keep in mind that a DUI arrest with a child or children in the car will likely invoke an investigation by your community's Child Protective Services or CPS.

It's possible you will not lose custody of your child if the DUI is your first offense. But CPS will make a concerted effort to continue to check on both you and your child or children periodically from that point forward. An uncomfortable situation to say the least.

What You Should Do After a DUI Arrest With a Child in Your Car

Being convicted of a DUI with a minor in your vehicle can have serious consequences no matter what state you live in in the U.S. However, there are legal steps you can take immediately if you get nailed with a DUI. The first most obvious step is to reach out to the most reputable DUI attorney you can find.

A good lawyer will take the necessary steps to "block evidence against you." Most drivers are concerned with the blood alcohol level (BAC) that resulted from being tested during the DUI arrest. But your attorney can help to dispute these results. He can also find grounds for a blood sample from an independent tester.

You should know that BAC tests work only if performed correctly in the field and properly tested inside the lab. A good lawyer will be able to make a legal assessment on whether your BAC test was performed in accordance to the law. If an issue arises, the prosecution's case could be weakened.

All this said, it's a best practice to never drink and drive, especially if you will be transporting a child or children. It could mean a matter of life or death.
Photo: (Photo : WALTRAUD GRUBITZSCH/DPA/AFP via Getty Images)

Pregnant mom Ashley Ness went for a routine doctor's appointment and learned she's carrying two sets of identical twins, one that happens in one in 70 million pregnancies.

Ness, who has a daughter and stepkids, conceived the baby without fertility treatments, according to KPICTV. The ultrasound scans showed the babies inside her womb were twin boys and twin girls.

The mother and her boyfriend, based in Boston, will have a handful when the quadruplets are born in October when doctors plan to have Ness undergo a scheduled C-section when she's around 30 to 33 weeks. Between the parents, they are already raising four kids, with the youngest child at seven years old.

"I need to get a passenger van now. I need an addition to the home. Initially, I was like, 'I need to do a lot,'" Ness said, anxious about the surprise pregnancy, but she's getting a lot of support from her friends and family.

Read Also: Vanishing Twin Syndrome Surprises Woman With Miracle Twins After Losing Her Babies, 16 Miscarriages

Rare but Natural Pregnancy

In 2002, a mom from Kansas also became pregnant with a rare set of identical twins without fertility treatments. Christina Tetrick was carrying four babies, all boys, two sets of identical twins. Tetrick had twin relatives on both sides of the family, but none with a case similar to hers.

Specialist Dr. Scott Robert told ABC News that what likely happens with this kind of pregnancy is that two of the mother's eggs are fertilized to form fraternal twins. However, during the process, those eggs split into identical twins. Had the pregnancy happened with fertility treatments, the mother would have likely had fraternal quadruplets.

A media blitz occurred around the boys' birth, and Christina and her husband, Patrick Tetrick, had to hire a PR agency to avoid exploitation. Everyone wanted to learn about Peyton and Parker, the first set of twins, and Camden and Christian, the other set, that the family also set up a website, which has since shut down.

In 2007, mom Meredith Woods from Indiana also gave birth to four babies without going through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Her set of twins, Gabriel, Gabrielle, Micah, and Maliyah, are both fraternal and identical. Gabriel is the lone boy among her sisters.

Rare Pandemic Twins

In the middle of a global pandemic, mom Jenny Marr had four identical quadruplets, Harrison, Hardy, Henry, and Hudson. She and her husband, Chris Marr, celebrated their twins' first birthday in April.

The boys, Harrison, Hardy, Henry, and Hudson, were also conceived naturally, but none of the parents had a history of twins in their family. Dr. Brian Rinehart said, via Dallas News, that Marr's pregnancy was fated because she was already in her mid-30s with a ticking biological clock.

Since the arrival of the quadruplets, the family has orchestrated a daily routine with Jenny, a dentist, focused on her motherly duties full time. She doesn't plan on working away from home anymore, as raising her sons is her purpose in life.

Related Article: 35 Sets of Twins to Graduate at Mansfield Independent School District in Texas
Photo: (Photo : Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

A mother in Greenfield, Massachusetts, has been granted a protective order by the local courts for her and her 12-year-old child after claiming that Hollywood actor Ezra Miller had harassed her family.

The incident happened in February 2022, when Miller arrived at the house of the mother's friend, who was her neighbor and then got into a heated argument with someone about Rastafarian roots. While court dockets were not opened to the public, sources recounted some of the incidents with the Daily Beast.

Allegedly, Miller had a gun on him and was wearing a bulletproof vest. He taunted the person he was arguing with and then focused on the mother and her child.

Read Also: Amber Heard Claims She Fought Johnny Depp Over His Daughter Lily-Rose Who Took Marijuana at 14

Miller was said to have told the mother that he had been talking to her child, a non-binary, and warned her that she would realize she could not control them anymore. The actor also said the child needs someone like him as their guide.

The child revealed they were uncomfortable and nervous while talking to Miller, who sent a friend request on Instagram. Witnesses said that Miller appeared to be under the influence that night, but he apologized before the gathering was over.

Miller Kept in Touch with the Child

However, Miller maintained contact with the minor and has met with them several times. The child reiterated their discomfort when Miller hugged them close to his body.

By June, however, Miller suddenly went dark after the parents of 18-year-old Takota Iron Eyes, now known as Gibson, filed a protective order against the actor. Dad Chase Iron Eyes and mom Sara Jumping Eagle believed that Miller had kidnapped Gibson while the police could not locate him to serve the court orders.

According to CNBC, Miller had also deleted his Instagram account before posting messages taunting the police that they would never find him. CNBC also reported that Warner Bros, the studio set to release "The Flash" with Miller in the lead, has been under pressure to address this controversy.

Tony Freinberg, a crisis management expert, said that one case may still be considered a misunderstanding between both parties. However, when more cases arise, then people around Miller have reasons to worry about him.

Earlier this year, Miller was arrested after causing a commotion in a Hawaii karaoke bar because he was allegedly agitated by someone's singing. A few days later, the couple who paid for his bail filed a restraining order against him after he made threats. In 2020, viral videos of the actor showed him choking a woman in a fit of rage at a bar fight in Iceland.

Gibson's Parents Compares Miller to Charles Manson

Following the report on the 12-year-old, Jumping Eagle wrote on Twitter that the actor is a "Charles Manson wannabe" who must be stopped before he hurts another family. The mother told the court that the actor has been manipulating and physically intimidating the minors he has groomed. He also gave their daughter drugs and subjected her to a voodoo ritual. Thus, he is endangering the safety and welfare of a minor.

Before the second case, Gibson posted an Instagram video to belie her parents' allegations. However, Jumping Eagle believes that her daughter is only siding with Miller because the actor has control over her.

Ezra allows Tokata use Ezras phone w/ Ezra control. Ezra joins/takes over phone call. I spoke w Tokata 3 times on phone since Jan 2022, 2x Ezra was on phone, once Ezras mother was nearby. #EzraMiller #WarnerBros #WarnerBrothers #DomesticViolence #cult #Metoomovement  Sara Jumping Eagle (@drjumpingeagle) June 9, 2022

Related Article: Teenager Whom Ezra Miller Allegedly Brainwashed Speaks Up After Her Parents Filed a Protective Order
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The US embassy in Mali has issued an alert over a possible terror attack in the capital, Bamako, that could target key government facilities and public places.



This is the third alert issued by the US embassy in Mali since March 2021.



The latest advisory came days after 22 civilians were killed in Mali's northern Menaka region by suspected militants.



Malian media reported that armed men who staged the attack were affiliated to the Islamic State group.



Mali's military-led government heightened security in Bamako after militants killed six soldiers in the central Mopti region on 24 April.



The rising insecurity in northern Mali has been attributed to the withdrawal of French forces from the country.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The bribery allegations levelled against the Executive Chairman of the Tobinco Group, Elder Nana Amo Tobbin, and the frontrunner in the upcoming GJA elections, Albert Dwumfour, have been described as unfounded, despicable, and unethical by the Western Regional Secretary of the Association, Zambaga Rufai Saminu.



The Western Regional Chairman of the GJA, Moses Dotse Aklorbortu, had alleged in a petition that Chairman Tobbin and Albert Dwumfour, who is also the Corporate Affairs of the Tobinco Group, had bribed members of the GJA in the Western Region with GHC 500 to vote for him (Albert).



However, in a counter-petition addressed to the GJAs Election Committee, Mr. Rufai Saminu denied that the said amount was meant to bribe his members to vote Dwumfour when they met at Atlantic Hotel two weeks ago.



First of all, I want to put on record that all candidates who visited the Western Region gave transportation fares to delegates of the GJA who are in good standing. This was done through him, Angel Moses Dotse Aklorbortu.



Therefore, his accusation that candidate Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor gave money to buy the Journalists is not only sheer wickedness but unfounded., Mr. Rufai clarified.



Below is the full petition:



The Chairman



Elections Committee International Press Center



Accra.



16th June 2022



Dear sir.



Petition Against Unethical And Despicable Conduct Of Moses Dotse Aklorbortu



My name is Zambaga Rufai Saminu, Western Regional Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).



I am petitioning the Elections Committee of the GJA against the unethical, and diabolic conduct of Moses Dotse Aklorbortu, Western Regional Chairman.



I woke up this morning to see in the media a petition being circulated by Moses Dotse Aklorbortu in which he explicitly mentioned my name and resort to dragging my reputation in the mud.



I have forwarded the said petition to my lawyers to deal with the legal issues surrounding all the allegations made against me and members of the Association in the Western Region.



First of all, I want to put on record that all candidates who visited the Western Region gave transportation fares to delegates of the GJA who are in good standing. This was done through him, Angel Moses Dotse Aklorbortu.



Therefore, his accusation that candidate Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor gave money to buy the Journalists is not only sheer wickedness but unfounded.



He facilitated for other candidates to visit the region and when they met the delegates, even in my absence as Regional Secretary, he, Angel Moses ( petitioner ) took charge of collecting and distributing transportation fares to delegates.



Unfortunately, in the case of Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, I was selected to facilitate the meeting, but because he was not given that opportunity, he decided to attack the integrity of the candidate and myself.



Secondly, his petition attempts to invoke constitutional clauses to back his selfish gains. Unfortunately, all delegates who were present will attest to these diabolic tactics deployed to gain fame and unnecessary attention. There was nothing unconstitutional carried out during the meeting. Unlike him, we are mindful of the ethics and code of conduct of the GJA, and will not do anything untoward.



Even when I had the opportunity to give the transportation to all the journalists, they did not call me to receive it, but he the petitioner, called me more than a hundred times on that very day to receive his transportation fare. I had to explain to him to give me briefing space because I was busy, until when I became free in the evening that i went to a drinking spot where he frequents with girls. As usual, he was there with girls, so I went there with two of my brothers to give him his transportation fare. I sat in the car, and he came for it.



Ordinarily, I will not have reacted to the whimsical statement, knowing that this gentleman is a serial petitioner, but the fact that the petitioner is questioning the integrity and credibility of all those who were invited to the meeting to listen to the vision and aspirations of candidate Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, and the accusations that the transportation offered, which he demanded and collected, was a form of bribe, clearly beats my imagination and all right-thinking members of the Association who were present.



This is a gentleman who was accused by Journalists in the region of collecting car tyres as a bribe from Zeal Environmental Technologies in the name of GJA, but members in the region later ignored it, and forgave him, but cautioned him against such misconduct for constantly using the GJA to solicit for goods and services for his private gains.



In the name of treachery, he mentioned in his petition the name of Chairman Tobinco and accused him of playing a role in the bribery allegations. The owner of Atinka Media group, who has over 100 journalists working with him, comes from Western Region. He visited Takoradi Technical University (TTU) for a university council meeting as Chairman and later retired at Atlantic Hotel with all council members to have lunch which coincided with our meeting with candidate Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor. Then, he took advantage to explain to members his relationship with Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor as his brother and the role in establishing Atinka Media Group to support the media landscape.



Therefore, to have drawn a man of reputation into this story is not only dangerous but amounts to sheer wickedness and diabolic.



The videos and pictures of the meeting being circulated clearly show chairman Tobinco in his TTU council attire.



At the appropriate time, I know members of the Association in the region will come out and address all the issues raised in the petition accordingly.



Signed



Zambaga Rufai Saminu



Western Regional Secretary



GJA









Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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A leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hopeson Adorye, has launched scathing attacks on the Special Prosecutor, SP, Kissi Agyebeng, over his decision to investigate matters relating to the Will of late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (alias Sir John)



Speaking on Accra-based Asempa FM, he stated that the Special Prosecutor has for a year, ignored a petition he sent to his office but has jumped straight into action upon a Will being circulated on social media.



According to him, the Special Prosecutor ought not to be involved in the Sir John Will brouhaha as it was a matter of an individual who has acquired wealth and properties and willed it to his relatives and loved ones.



He argued that he would not have had any concerns if, during the lifetime of Sir John, he was found culpable in acts of corruption.



Somebody has gotten his money and properties and says upon my demise this person should inherit them. Funds allocated to the Office of the Special Prosecutor are not being used to fight corruption.



People are in this country engaged in corrupt acts, Special Prosecutor must arrest them. Is it somebodys Will [to concern yourself about]? If the person was alive and found to have engaged in corruption and was being invited, no problem.



Look at the number of corruption cases we have mentioned [but no action has been taken]. Is this what we want to use Ghanas money for? That we waste our time on somebodys Will being circulated on social media? a livid Hopeson Adorye quizzed.



On the executors of the Will, the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for the Kpone-Katamanso lamented the seeming targeting of Charles Owusu, one of the executors, for prosecution by the Special Prosecutor.



He charged Kissi Agyebeng to prosecute both executors while additionally cautioning him to desist from being picky with issues he prosecutes.



Two people are the executors of the Will, Special Prosecutor should take all of them to court. Why has he singled out one person for prosecution? I sent my petition and it hasnt been acknowledged. Pick and choose cases? If he does that, we will take him on, he said.



Sir Johns Will dominated the news following portions of it that detailed that portions of the Achimota Forest have been given to relatives and close associates.



Aside from that, the Will contained several other properties including houses and plots of land which were also willed to family and friends.



Following that the Special Prosecutor has frozen the assets while he continues with investigations into the matter.





Source: ghanaweb.com









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The Member of Parliament for Yendi, Farouk Aliu Mahama has handed over some educational projects to the Yendi Municipality Education Directorate in the Northern Region.



This comes after the rehabilitation works of Zakoli Primary School, Nurul Islam School and Kunkon Primary School as well as the inauguration of a new Mosque for Muslim community at Wankpang.



The legislator undertook the exercise following calls by community members whose wards couldnt be in school due to the dilapidated school blocks after rainstorm ripped off the roofs of the schools.



Addressing the gathering at Zakoli after the commissioning on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, Farouk Mahama noted the development brings relief to enhance teaching and learning in a conducive environment.



According to him, education is tops of his priorities and will continue to do more especially at the basic level.



Education has proven to be a reliable vehicle for development and the only way we can ensure a bright future for our children is to send them to school, he said.



The lawmaker also presented over 1000 learning materials including exercise books, pens and pencils to the authority of the schools for onward distribution to the pupils.



However, the Chiefs and people of Zakoli were elated and commended the Farouk Aliu Mahama for refurbishing the schools.



They acknowledged these developments have great impact to the growth and development of the community.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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press release

Government Should Ensure Access to Aid; End Arbitrary Detentions

The future of European Union engagement in Ethiopia will be high on the agenda of EU foreign ministers gathering next Monday in Brussels. This meeting takes place 19 months into an armed conflict originating in the northern Tigray region that has been devastating for the civilian population.

The Ethiopian government in February lifted a state of emergency used to arbitrarily arrest thousands of Tigrayans, and since April has permitted greater numbers of aid convoys to enter Tigray. Still, abuses and suffering remain rife in northern Ethiopia. For nearly a year, the government has maintained an effective siege of Tigray, limiting food, fuel, and other critical supplies while also shutting off communications, banking, and electricity. While more aid has been allowed in, the amount remains far less than the population's needs. The lack of drug supplies and services in particular means that people with chronic illnesses, along with survivors of abuses, including wartime sexual violence, do not have essential care.

Human Rights Watch in April released a report with Amnesty International documenting an ethnic cleansing campaign against Tigrayans by officials and security forces from the neighboring Amhara region. While the authorities restrict access to rights monitors and aid agencies, hundreds and perhaps thousands of Tigrayans are arbitrarily detained there in life-threatening conditions.

In a May 26 letter to the EU and member states, Human Rights Watch called for clear human rights benchmarks to underpin relations with the Ethiopian government. These include ending mass arbitrary detentions and allowing independent monitors' access to detainees, the restoration of basic services, and unhindered and safe humanitarian access throughout conflict-affected areas.

There has been no meaningful accountability for war crimes and other serious abuses committed in Amhara, Tigray, and neighboring Afar regions. Government investigative processes and outcomes lack transparency, and international investigations continue to be hampered.

Federal authorities have for years conducted mass arrests and prolonged arbitrary detentions in Oromia, and have more recently detained thousands in Amhara.

For EU pressure to carry weight, the focus needs to be on ending harm to civilians. Diplomatic engagement and access with Ethiopia's government should not be an end in itself, but a tool to achieve tangible progress in protecting civilians countrywide.

As the world watches the EU take robust measures against those responsible for war crimes elsewhere in the world, it shouldn't settle for less in the Horn of Africa.

Laetitia Bader Director, Horn of Africa
The seventh season of the Nigerian Idol competition came to a close on May 22nd, 2022 with Progress Chukwuyem emerging the winner of the competition. Binance, the worlds leading blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider spoke to the top two contestants about their experience. The company was the exclusive cryptocurrency & blockchain sponsor for the show.



Progress and Zadok emerged as the final two after weeks of performances on live shows to earn fan votes. The musical contestants were judged based on their creativity, the strength of voice and stage performances.



On winning the Nigerian Idol competition, Progress said, Honestly, I dont think Ive fully comprehended that I actually won the competition. Sometimes, it still feels like a dream. I feel like a conqueror and I feel I can achieve whatever I put my mind to.



On his contact with Binance, Progress said, The competition exposed me to the numerous services of Binance and an exciting financial world in cryptocurrency. I see Binances services as one that aids the advancement of the country in terms of meeting up with global standards. I also want to thank Binance for investing in talents.



As the winner of the competition, Progress went home with a cash prize of N30m, a brand new car, a refrigerator, a years supply of drinks and a weekend getaway. He will also get to record an album produced by a leading music producer.



Progress was announced winner by the shows host, IK Osakioduwa after he battled with Zadok, for the grand prize.

Binance also spoke to Zadok about his Nigerian Idol experience. I felt really privileged to be a top performer on Nigerian Idol this season, I had really priceless moments. Shoutout to Binance for sponsoring the show - I already use Binance and I look forward to working with the company in the future, said Zodak.



Binance continues on its mission to drive blockchain adoption and enable greater access to financial services.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Accra  Rights activists in Ghana are protesting after a crowd, urged on by a member of parliament, tore down a billboard that promoted tolerance toward the LGBTQ community. Last year, Ghanaian security shut down a European Union-supported LGBTQ community center, and some lawmakers are seeking to make gay rights advocacy illegal.

To mark Pride month, LGBTQ+ activists mounted billboards in the capital Accra and two other cities with the inscription "Love, Tolerance and Acceptance."

However, the giant posters, positioned to catch the attention of commuters, sparked public uproar, prompting conservative MPs to call for their destruction.

Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, an opposition MP representing the Muslim-dominated constituency of Tamale, said he would not entertain activities of the LGBTQ+ community in his jurisdiction.

"They deliberately attempted to cause pain within Muslims in the northern region and that is why they placed it here," Muhammed said. "We would not allow this to happen within our jurisdiction. So we called the youth, we came together and pulled it down and burned it ... any material that is pasted on any billboard within my jurisdiction and it's from those people, we'll pull it down and burn it. That particular act is not even accepted in Ghana law, so if anybody comes and goes contrary to Ghana law, we'll teach the person a lesson."

Sam George, another MP, is one of the sponsors of a proposed law seeking to criminalize LGBTQ+ advocacy and impose longer jail terms for same-sex relations. George led a coalition last week to mount pressure on the police to tear down the billboard in Accra. That billboard was removed last Sunday.

George hailed Wednesday's act led by his colleague MP by tweeting: "So long as they mount those billboards, we would bring them down."

LGBT+ Rights Ghana, the organization that sponsored the billboards, condemned the attacks, saying they put the lives of LGBTQ+ community members in danger.

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"The tearing down of the billboards goes further to affirm the violence that is being meted towards us as LGBTQ Ghanaians with impunity from state and non-state actors," said Alex Kofi Donkor, director of LGBT+ Rights Ghana. "It is very scary for us as a community and even a democratic country that has a constitution that is supposed to protect all citizens and give right to freedom of life, of expression and of dignity."

Donkor served notice that LGBT+ Rights Ghana will seek redress in court while giving assurance to the community to remain calm.

"We plan on taking legal actions against the tearing down of the billboards. If you remember last year, our office space was raided and now it's the billboard and the introduction of a bill," he said. "To what extent do these people really want to go to incredibly undermine our lives as LGBTQ Ghanaians? We want to now pursue legal actions against this impunity that is on the rise and continuously increase and being meted out or targeted towards LGBTQ persons in Ghana."

The fight for gay rights in Ghana will be an uphill battle as the West African country's parliament considers a law that will prosecute LGBTQ+ advocates. President Nana Akufo-Addo has also condemned same-sex marriage.
In what turned out to be an almost 17-hour day of poker, Manuel Machado finally came out on top in the $2,200 Wynn Mystery Bounty. Machado struck an ICM deal with heads-up opponent Elliott Kampen, with Machado walking away as the biggest winner. Machado earned a payday of $410,485 in the deal, along with a total of $66,000 in bounties.

This will undoubtedly go down as Machado's biggest live tournament score in his career, and he was quite emotional afterwards. Machado only has $129,000 in recorded tournament winnings and this win will more than quadruple that for him.

Machado, who came to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker this summer, has found his breakout performance here at the Wynn. It was a rollercoaster of a day for the poker player from Portugal, who almost found himself out of the tournament in eighth place. However, when his pocket aces got out-flopped by the pocket kings of Dennis Wilke, Machado managed to find an ace on the river to double up and hold a commanding chip lead. He never looked back as he held that chip lead en route to eliminating four players at the final table.

As for Kampen, he will also be heading home with his largest career score of $362,739. Kampen also scooped $91,500 in bounties over the course of the day, including a $50,000 and a $25,000 bounty. Kampen took a different route on the final table, staying away from all of the action and watching players fall by the wayside all around him. Both methods worked for the players, who were both happy with the final outcome.

Final Table Payouts

Place Player Country Prize 1st Manuel Machado Portugal $410,485** 2nd Elliott Kampen United States $362,739** 3rd Calvin Anderson United States $176,243 4th Dennis Wilke Germany $125,105 5th Anthony Ibrahim United States $92,628 6th Cherish Andrews United States $72,105 7th Andy Park United States $59,516 8th Kevin White United States $50,503 9th Kevin Calenzo United States $42,983

**denotes an ICM deal was reached

Day 2 Action

A total of 2,854 entries were recorded for this event over four starting flights and just over 300 returned for Day 2, looking for their shot at some big money. There were two $250,000 bounties up for grabs and they went to Milos Ivanovic and Paul Chauderson, who had the best reaction of any bounty winner. Chauderson was ecstatic when he pulled the six-figure amount out of the envelope, stating that he would give 5% to the Wynn staff.

Paul Chauderson claimed one of the $250,000 bounties

There were also three $100,000 bounties in the mix and they went to Jordan Westmorland and Aaron Thivyanathan. The last one was pulled in the wee hours of the night after Calvin Anderson was eliminated in third place. Anderson had 14 bounties collected throughout the day and waited until his elimination to draw them all. Anderson picked up $176,243 for his third-place finish and also took home $111,000 in bounties.

The field was littered with other notables who made deep runs including Kristen Foxen, Kitty Kuo, Jake Schwartz, Anton Wigg, Jesse Sylvia, and Joao Simao. Every player that made it through to Day 2 was guaranteed at least a min-cash of $3,325.

The field quickly dwindled to just 39 players at the dinner break over the course of nine levels. The final table was reached just moments after midnight and the tournament ended just after 4:30 a.m. local time. The final table had many twists and turns, the biggest one leading Machado to be the massive chipleader. Machado also found himself on the right side of a cooler when both he and Cherish Andrews flopped a set in a three-way pot. Machado flopped top set while Andrews flopped bottom set. They got all their chips in the middle on the flop and Andrews was ousted in sixth place.

Despite taking a tough beat early at the final table, Wilke out-lasted all but three players as he was eventually eliminated in fourth place. Anderson was quick to hit the road next as his confrontation with Machado in the blinds ended poorly for him. Machado took a huge chip lead into the heads-up match, but an early double-up from Kampen seemed to turn the tide. Kampen also got paid off on the river after turning the nut straight, leading to the players discussing a deal.

That wraps up the coverage at the Wynn for this tournament, but be sure to stay tuned as the PokerNews team will have plenty of more events throughout the summer coming your way.
The chair of the House Armed Services Committee says he supports the National Nuclear Security Administration's plans to produce pits at the Savannah River Site and Los Alamos in New Mexico.

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Washington, told reporters this week that Congress should move forward with the plan to produce 80 pits per year by 2030.

In order to understand what pits are, it's important to remember that all matter is composed of millions of tiny atoms, that atoms consist of protons, neutrons and electrons and that protons and neutrons form the nucleus at the center of an atom.

Normally, the nucleus of an atom is stable and doesn't change but the nuclei of certain elements, hydrogen, uranium and plutonium, can begin to change when an extra neutron is added. When a neutron is added to uranium or plutonium, the nucleus splits into smaller versions of itself releasing energy and neutrons. This is known as nuclear fission.

Those neutrons can cause a chain reaction when they're absorbed by nearby atoms of uranium or plutonium. In nuclear weapons, this chain reaction is uncontrolled and begins when neutrons are injected into a plutonium shell, called a pit, by an inward-focused explosion. Over time, the plutonium in these shells can begin to change on its own which necessitates their replacement every so often.

The National Nuclear Security Administration has announced plans to construct the replacements at the Savannah River Site and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Smith's comments mark a change from August when he said at a Brookings Institution event that he was highly skeptical that the former Mixed-Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility at the Savannah River Site could be turned into a pit production facility. Smith said the Savannah River Site gave him an involuntary twitch after the failure of the MOX facility and that he didn't believe the site could produce the pits the National Nuclear Security Administration's plan calls for it to by 2030.

Construction on the MOX facility began in 2007, seven years after the U.S. and Russia signed an agreement to convert surplus plutonium into mixed oxide fuel that can be used for nuclear power generation; however, the facility quickly fell behind schedule, ran over budget and was ultimately canceled by President Barack Obama in 2016.

Because the facility was supposed to dispose of surplus plutonium, lots of plutonium was moved to the K-Area of Savannah River Site to await the new facility coming online. When that didn't happen, South Carolina sued the federal government over an agreement that required the federal government to move the plutonium out of the state if the facility didn't start production by 2016. This litigation ultimately resulted in the state's $600 million settlement with the federal government.

Smith's predictions of difficulties with pit production at the site appear to be coming true: the National Nuclear Security Administration has said that production of 80 pits per year by 2030 wasn't going to happen and that the production facility at the Savannah River Site could cost up to $11.1 billion and may not be completed until 2035.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Cloudy skies early with scattered thunderstorms developing late. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

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Cloudy skies early with scattered thunderstorms developing late. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
SRS and Politics Reporter

I cover the Savannah River Site and politics. I previously covered government and politics for the Morning News in Florence. I am graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law and the University of Charleston (W.Va.).
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm late. Low near 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

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Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm late. Low near 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
Youre seeing The Post and Courier's weekly real estate newsletter. Receive all the latest transactions and top development, building, and home and commercial sales news to your inbox each Saturday here.

Pacific Box & Crate lands 5 new tenants on upper peninsula

Five new tenants recently signed leases totaling more than 33,000 square feet for an upper peninsula mixed-use development.

In Pacific Box & Crate at 1505 King St., Lennar Homes leased 13,591 square feet, Miller Valentine Construction occupied 3,702 square feet, Data Protocol signed for 5,707 square feet, Altas Executive Consulting leased 7,086 square feet, and Orange Elephant Roofing & Construction took 3,779 square feet. All the tenants have moved in except Atlas, which occupies the space Sept. 1.

The space became vacant when after Boom Town gave back 20,000 square feet earlier this year and Palmetto Solar relinquished a smaller block. Rancho Lewis took over the former Workshop space.

The upper peninsula location and onsite parking helped to quickly backfill the space, according to Brian Connolly with the Charleston office of commercial real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle. Edmunds Oast Brewing Co. and Sushi Wa also are located onsite.

About 7,500 square feet remain to be filled at Pacific Box & Crate, Connolly said.

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Charleston-area home transactions declined again in May as borrowing costs surged, inventory remained anemic and prices jumped another $26,000 since April. The president of the Realtors group called the downward trend a return to pre-pandemic sales levels.

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By the numbers

20: Number of SC airports that will share in $19 million in FAA grants for various improvement projects.

60: Millions of dollars paid in two separate deals for three apartment communities in Goose Creek and Summerville.

38,773: Square footage of new pickleball and food venue coming to former gun shop in northern Mount Pleasant.

This week in real estate

+ Gassing up: Charleston-based convenience store chain Refuel grows to 185 locations after buying 15 Texas shops

+ Opening soon: Gift and home accessories store Laurel & Lawton plans to open soon in Mount Pleasant.

+ What's cooking?: A Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant plans to open a third Charleston-area location in September in northern Mount Pleasant.

Columbia-based retail real estate firm Edens bought the Harris Teeter-anchored Freshfields Village Shopping Center between Kiawah and Seabrook islands on June 15.

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Owo  Nigerian authorities in southwest Ondo state held a mass funeral Friday for victims of the massacre two weeks ago at a Catholic church. Authorities blame the Islamic State West African Province for the attack, which killed at least 40 worshippers and raised fears that the terrorist group is spreading from the north to other parts of Nigeria.

Owo resident Onyekachi Ozulumba woke up early Friday morning, dressed up quickly and went to his elder brother's house.

From there, they went to the mortuary to escort their mother's remains to the venue of the burial ceremony organized by the Ondo state Catholic diocese and state authorities.

Their mother, 85, was at St. Francis Catholic church on June 5 when armed men opened fire and detonated explosives.

Ozulumba said his mother was hit by an explosive. He collected pieces of her body on a flat piece of wood. At the venue, hundreds of people gathered to witness the funeral mass, including state and church officials.

As the bodies of the victims arrived, an already tense hall was filled with voices crying. During the mass, church authorities denounced the attack and said the government must do more to protect citizens.

"I call on President Buhari and our leaders in the federal government or state government to wake up, sit up and act up to secure lives and properties all over Nigeria.," said Catholic Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, one of the officiating clergymen. "How many more must die? Does life really have any value anymore with you?"

Ondo state Governor Rotimi Akeredolu promised to improve security.

"What has happened to us in Owo is indescribable, I'm short of words," he said. "We still have over 70 in the hospital, some have been discharged. I'm here before you to accept a failure of security, we have failed to defend these people."

Nigeria is seeing increasing attacks by armed gangs as the country's general elections draw closer. Outgoing President Buhari promised to improve security when he was voted in seven years ago.

The Nigerian parliament is calling for a state of emergency in Ondo state. Also, an armed security unit in southwest Nigeria known as Amotekun, supported by regional authorities, has vowed to keep people safe and go after perpetrators of the church shooting.
Immediately following the June 14 GOP primary election for South Carolina's superintendent of education, the top two candidates headed to a runoff turned up the heat in their extended campaigns by attacking what they perceive as each others weak points.

Ellen Weaver, president of the right-leaning think tank Palmetto Promise Institute, pointed to her opponent's alleged Democratic connections. Kathy Maness, head of one of the state's top teachers' associations, reminded voters of the big-money donors backing Weaver.

"Runoff voters now have a clear choice: elect another Democrat-endorsed bureaucrat or choose a conservative Republican with the backbone and common sense to shake things up and deliver real results for kids," Weaver said in a statement, noting she fought alongside Republican party leaders for parents' rights and to return school students to in-person learning during the pandemic while Maness "was busy applauding Joe Biden and working with national unions to keep classrooms closed and kids in masks."

Maness, who led the crowded field with 30.57 percent of the vote compared to Weaver's 23.33 percent, called the primary results a clear message that South Carolina could not and should not be bought. Instead, elections should be in the hands of "thousands of passionate supporters and hundreds of volunteers over the massive spending by mega-rich elite and D.C. special interests."

A Post and Courier analysis of campaign finance records found that Weaver racked in over $300,000 of donations from big-name groups and school-choice advocates like Truist bank group president Mike Brenan; Meeting Street Schools founder Ben Navarro; and former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, who once employed Weaver for years.

Maness received about $115,000 mostly from small donations from teachers and parents, the analysis found.

Because neither garnered more than 50 percent of the votes in the primary, Maness and Weaver will face each other in a runoff on June 28.

In the days ahead, both candidates have several challenges. They need to land endorsements from the other Republicans who ran in the primary and get voters excited for a runoff  which are notorious for low turnout.

Travis Bedson, who finished third in the primary, already declared his support for Weaver. He cited her close relationship with state lawmakers and her tenure at the Education Oversight Committee, connections he believes indicate that she knows how to create change in the state.

"Kathy is just a vote for teachers associations and teachers unions. She's not going to put students first, even though that's her slogan," he said. "She's gonna put teacher unions first over students, and that's not what I stand for."

Maness snagged an endorsement from Lynda Leventis-Wells, the sixth place finisher who is a Greenville County school board member.

Leventis-Wells said she supports Maness because of her record working as a teacher and because she has a master's degree  a legal requirement for the elected superintendent position. Weaver is currently enrolled in a master's program at Bob Jones University, the Greenville-based Christian college where she got her undergraduate degree.

Like Maness, Leventis-Wells also criticized the amount of big-money donations Weaver received.

I would hate for somebody to buy their way into it and not have the experience," Leventis-Wells said.

Endorsements aside, Weaver and Maness still have to tackle the expected low voter turnout.

The June 14 election drew only 17 percent of South Carolina's registered voters. Experts predict the numbers on June 28 will be worse.

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What might help get voters who care about education out to the polls is a good old fashioned handshake, said Patrick Kelly, Palmetto State Teacher Association's director of governmental affairs.

"The national playbooks about ads and robocalls don't work in South Carolina. It's a place where retail politics matter," he said.

He believes that campaign workers can get people to come out to support them by going door-to-door, hearing concerns from South Carolinians and earnestly responding to their troubles.

Despite whoever wins the Republican runoff, it will still be far from the end of the line. Waiting ahead in the November election is Democratic candidate Lisa Ellis, head of the educator advocacy group SC for Ed.

Experts are concerned candidates in the general election will shift their messaging from local issues like the teacher shortage in the state to more hot-button national topics like critical race theory or teaching LGBTQ+ issues in schools.

Such partisan topics have already surfaced in the South Carolina superintendent race, with many Republican candidates having come out against both in their campaigns.

This political polarization of local elections is part of a national trend. Part of it is tactical: politicians realize that hot-button national issues will resonate and draw voters to the polls.

The pandemic only exacerbated the growing partisan tensions in education with parents developing strong opinions about whether their children should be masked.

Sherry East, the head of the South Carolina Education Association, said she is worried the topics will shift more towards partisan issues when the Republican candidate starts campaigning against Ellis.

"... I do think right now what the parties are doing is becoming too decisive about masks and COVID. They're too political about things," she said. "We've lost what's best for people, and I'm afraid that's going to happen to children."

Kelly thinks candidates should stick to topics like school safety, mental health and the teacher shortages.

In February, the nonprofit Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement reported that there were 1,121 teacher vacancies in South Carolina. This was the most unfilled vacancies in 20 years and had increased from 1,033 vacancies in fall 2021. At the time, East said she was alarmed because it meant conditions for teachers were so bad that they were leaving their jobs before the end of the school year.

Sara Gregory and Maura Turcotte contributed reporting.

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Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

A few clouds with an isolated thunderstorm possible after midnight. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A few clouds with an isolated thunderstorm possible after midnight. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
When the Post and Courier last spoke with Water Mission, they were one of the only organizations producing safe drinking water for thousands of Ukrainian refugees.

Now, accompanied by initiatives from the Red Cross and other smaller organizations, the North Charleston-based engineering nonprofit is adding more to its plate.

The focus now is on providing safe water for hospitals in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv and preparing for the onslaught of a potential cholera outbreak.

So far, Water Mission has installed water treatment systems in three different hospitals in Mykolaiv, providing more than 54,000 liters over the past month.

And a potential cholera outbreak in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, now under Russian control, has put many of the organizations on high alert.

Cholera is a bacterial infection of the small intestine, usually contracted by consuming infected water supplies. Symptoms include severe vomiting and diarrhea. In serious cases, dehydration from the loss of fluids and electrolytes could lead to death if left untreated.

Much is unknown about the severity of the outbreak or if Russian forces will allow medical and infectious disease personnel in the city. Craig Williams leads Water Mission's disaster response team. While there have been no reported cases of the disease, he and his team are on stand-by should Russian forces allow aid into the city, he said.

"We haven't yet seen it proven, but usually where there's smoke there's fire," Williams said.

Multiple media outlets reported the cause is an unsanitary mixture of sewage and drinking water.

Uncollected bodies of people killed during the conflict and a swath of garbage in the city's well water could also be contributing to the outbreak.

Many of the country's municipal water systems have been irreparably damaged by the war and continue to be targeted by Russian military forces. The problem is so dire, many residents began gathering water from any available sources, including rivers, creeks, ponds and wells, which have bacteria that can cause severe illness and death.

Dr. Kent Stock is an infectious disease expert at Roper St. Francis Hospital. He's concerned many will die if there is little access to hospitals and safe drinking water for those infected with cholera to rehydrate with.

People infected with the bacteria can produce between 10-20 stools a day.

"It's so extreme that you can die within days," Stock told the Post and Courier.

And according to Dr. Ibrahima Soce Fall, leader of the World Health Organization's emergency response team, cholera is just one of the diseases that could plague the city if safe drinking water is not restored.

Measles, typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases could also arise due to unsanitary living conditions.

The latest population estimates show 100,000 people are still living in Mariupol. In cities across Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of others are at risk of a similar fate.

Ukraine is rich with volunteers, humanitarian and disaster relief organizations ready to provide aid. What they need is "funding to be able to put enough (water) systems in place and keep them running for at least six months," Williams said.

"That's the critical piece," he added.

The heightened crisis has left Water Mission looking for different ways to support as many people as they can while avoiding conflict areas. This includes partnering with local Ukrainian churches and other NGOs in the area, providing smaller water treatment systems to distribute water in needy areas.

Water Mission was on the ground in Poland and Romania just three days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, helping refugees and funding local churches that turned into shelters.

Since then, the organization has installed 11 water filtration systems in cities across southern Ukraine. But many more are needed to be able to sustain the thousands of families left without drinkable water.

"We just keep pushing and moving forward," Williams said.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

A few clouds with an isolated thunderstorm possible after midnight. Low near 75F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A few clouds with an isolated thunderstorm possible after midnight. Low near 75F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Liberia's minister of Public Works, Mrs. Ruth Corker-Collins has expressed happiness over the level of work done thus far on the Gbarnga Salayea road.

According to her, the company was fast moving with the work and commended them for the level of hard work; but urged them to ensure that they meet the deadline.

Earlier, she was briefed by the Chief Engineer of the project, Madam Memuna Jalloh. The project is being executed by China Henan International Cooperation Group (CHICO).

Her statement was made over the weekend in Gbarnga, Bong County, when she paid a surprised visit to the project site.

According to her, the level of work done by the company was encouraging but told them she would carry out regular visits to the site before the work comes to an end.

The Chief Engineer for the project, madam Jalloh said, out of the total 81 Kilometers, her team has completed 32Km of the road and that is now ready for asphalt pavement in keeping with meeting the project deadline. The deadline for the project is mid next year, 2023.

"We have done 32Km of road that is ready to receive the Base course we have started; and now we have done 4Km of Base course work," madam Jalloh told Minister Coker-Collins.

"With the level of work I am seeing, I am impressed and will always visit the site after every two weeks to ensure the project meets the deadline date," Minister Coker-Collins said.

Her presence at the project site was greeted with joy and happiness by residents in the area. Some of them commended her for embarking on such visit and called on her to continue.

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"We are happy to see the minister here. When she comes on the ground like this, it can put the contractors to work hard. They will be more serious to work. She is one minister that always like to be on the field," Oldman Sumo, a resident in Gbarnga said after the tour.

According to the Chief Engineer, Jalloh said all was now set to accelerate the effort and push towards the pavement between Bong and Lofa County to meet the deadline.

According to her, out of the total 81 Kilometers, her team has completed 32Km of road that is now ready for asphalt pavement in keeping with meeting the project deadline.

For her part, Minister Coker-Collins thanked the team for the level of work done and said she was pleased with the progress.

The minister said, such visit will not be the end, rather, she will continue in the future to make sure that the work is completed on time.

"With the level of work I am seeing, I am impressed and will always visit the site after every two weeks to ensure the project meets the deadline date," Minister Coker-Collins said.

The Gbarnga-Salayea road project is one of the major road projects currently being oversee by the Weah-led administration

The contract was signed on December 15, 2017 by the Liberian government and the Saudi Services in collaboration with TSC Engineering and Construction Consultants to enhance road connectivity in the country and reduce transportation difficulty in Liberia.
Reading Edmund Burkes writings on the French Revolution as a college freshman helped open my mind and turn me into a conservative. Steves American Mind column on Burke is brilliant, but you have to have read Burke. The French Revolution was of course Burkes great subject, yet just about everything he wrote is worth reading, if only to learn from his high style.

Burkes great subject also comes to mind (my mind, anyway) in connection with the recent interview conducted by David Samuels with Edward Luttwak for Tablet. The interview is posted under the heading Three blind kings. Toward the end of the interview the format breaks down and has both Samuelss questions in bold print as well as Luttwak answers  at the place where Samuels turns to the third weak kingdom, the United States. Luttwak responds:

When I look at the United States from the outside, as an America-loving outsider, I see a country in the throes of one of those periodic implosions that are not entirely legible to non-Americans. You have manias about race. Manias about gender identity. You have the willful disaggregation of universities and other institutions under the banner of wokeness, which is a doctrine of blind obedience to a party line established by people who are 95% illiterate and cant remember what they decreed last week. Policy is a product of hardened dogma, and therefore inevitably fails. Gas prices are crazy. Nearly 50% of children in urban school systems have basically just stopped going to school. And you have a so-called elite that spits hysterical contempt for the people in whose name they ostensibly rule, denouncing them as a pack of racist, sexist, white supremacist, transphobic, gun-toting disease-spreaders who will hopefully soon die out and be replaced by a more obedient class of servants. I guess its not surprising that the American aristocracy is pretty much the worst aristocracy on Earthbad manners, bad taste, bad art, hostile to religion and the popular arts. Their concept of largesse is to establish a foundation to combat climate change by instructing the yokels not to eat meat. The last aristocracy that showed this kind of contempt for its own people and popular folkways was the French in the days of Marie Antoinette.

The whole thing here is worth reading
Stephen Hunter retired as the Pulitzer Prize-winning chief film critic of The Washington Post in 2008 and is the author of the Bob Lee Swagger novels. His most recent is Targeted, published earlier this year. Inspired by recent events, he sent us this column.

* * * * *

Possibly youre old enough to remember the great massacre spree of 1964? Classrooms shot up, strip malls decimated, scout troops blown away, fast food restaurants turned into mortuaries.

And all because, in its infinite stupidity, the U.S. government dumped 240,000 high-capacity .30 caliber assault rifles into an otherwise innocent America.

The weapons clearly had a demon-spirit to them. Compared to anything else in the market, they had that murder-most-easy look. One glance at the sinister gleam of the walnut stock which caressed the military-gray receiver and barrel of the weapon, its magazine wickedly boasting of many cartridges ready and waiting, its photo- and Hollywood associations with war, and some went screwball. They had the overwhelming desire to use it as it was meant to be used. It was not powerful enough for deer and not accurate enough for vermin. It existed only to kill human beings.

Except there was no massacre spree of 1964, despite the fact that in 1963 the United States Army surplussed 240,000 M1 carbines via the NRA. They were available through the mail at $20. Not an NRA member? Eighty bucks, then, from any sporting goods store. Denvers Dave CooksGuns Galore at Prices to Score had them by mail order, magazine and sling included, postage, $1.25.

What did happen next was remarkable. It was also simple: nothing. Firearms deaths in 1964 rose modestly, in accord with statistical norms. No spurt of slaughter can be documented, much less attributed, to the sudden presence of all these weapons of war.

Some experts might argue that the carbine, an auxiliary rifle adopted by the army  six million were manufactured  for truck drivers and clerks, but preferred by many combat GIs, was not a true assault rifle. It fired a cartridge far less powerful than the armys majestic Garand rifle, a true battle weapon.

Liberals will add that its not scary, by which they mean it doesnt scare them. It doesnt have the pistol grip or the ventilated cooling sleeve encasing the barrel that so enflames the liberal imagination. Thats because it expresses the design tropes of the 40s, not the 50s. However, for more expert commentary on this issue, we could ask the dead  they knew it well.

They would include the hundreds of Germans and Japanese it killed in the hands of Audie Murphy in Italy and Guy Gabaldon on Saipan, as well as the hundred-thousands in other war theaters killed by their huge cohort. Lets not forget the thousands of North Korean soldiers killed by M1-equipped army and marine infantry in Korea. Lets not forget Che. Among its true believers must also be counted the Secret Service, which deployed it into the 60s, as the South Vietnamese did into the 70s. More than 30 militaries the world over adopted it, some of which still use it.

It was clearly our first assault rifle; its appearance is meaningless. The cartridge was as powerful as the iconic .357 magnum. It held either 15 or 30 rounds, depending on the magazine. It could be fired as quickly as the trigger was pulled  30 shots in 10 seconds sounds about right and reloaded in two or three seconds. It never jammed. It was light and handy with minimal recoil. Certain iterations had folding stocks, reducing the 35-inch length by a third, making concealment easy. Some had full-auto capacity. All had bayonet studs. It could do anything an AR-15 can do except kill groundhogs at 400 yards or penetrate a car door at 20. Either Peyton Gendron or Salvador Ramos could have employed it to the same results.

So in 1964, the guns were there  lots of them, everywhere, dirt cheap. But Gendron and Ramos were not. We must look elsewhere for the reason why.
A new mental health report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has shown that depression and anxiety went up by more than 25 per cent in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic alone.

The report, which was published by the WHO Friday, provides a blueprint for governments, academics, health professionals, civil societies and others, with an ambition to support the world in transforming mental health.

According to the global body, in 2019, nearly a billion people including 14 per cent of the worlds adolescents were living with a mental disorder.

The report noted that suicide accounted for more than one in 100 deaths and that 58 per cent of the suicides occurred before age 50.

It further said the people with severe mental health conditions die on average 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population, mostly due to preventable physical diseases.

It added that the estimate includes people living with schizophrenia, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders, eating disorders and other mental disorders.

It further noted that the prevalence of mental disorders varies with sex and age. In both males and females, anxiety disorders and depressive disorders are the two most common mental disorders.

The report also said anxiety disorders become prevalent at an earlier age than depressive disorders, noting that the latter before 10 years of age. They continue to become more common in later life, with the highest estimates in people between 50 and 69.

In his comment, the WHO director-general, Tedros Ghebreyesus said, Everyones life touches someone with a mental health condition. Good mental health translates to good physical health and this new report makes a compelling case for change.

The inextricable links between mental health and public health, human rights and socio-economic development mean that transforming policy and practice in mental health can deliver real, substantive benefits for individuals, communities and countries everywhere. Investment into mental health is an investment into a better life and future for all.

Depression, anxiety in times of COVID-19

The report noted that after adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic, the initial estimates of 193 million people increased to 246 million (3,153 cases per 100,000 population) for major depressive disorder, while for anxiety disorder it jumped from 298 million people to 374 million (4,802 per 100 000 population).

This data represents an increase of 28 and 26 per cent for major depressive and anxiety disorders, respectively, in just one year.

It added that in both cases, the countries that were hard hit by the pandemic had the greatest increases in disorder prevalence, with a greater increase among females than males globally.

Globally there was also a greater change in prevalence among younger age groups than older ones, potentially reflecting the deep impact of school closures and social restrictions on youth mental health, the report added.

Prevalence in males, females

Explaining further, the report stated that depressive and anxiety disorders are about 50 per cent more common among women than men throughout the life course, while men are said to more likely to have a substance use disorder.

It added that mental disorders are common among pregnant women and women who have just given birth, often with severe impacts on both mothers and babies.

It said globally, more than 10 per cent of pregnant women and women who have just given birth experience depression, which it estimated to be substantially higher in low and middle income countries (LMICs).

The report said; Women who have experienced intimate partner violence or sexual violence are particularly vulnerable to developing a mental health condition, with significant associations found between victimisation and depression, anxiety, stress conditions including post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), and suicidal ideation.

Women living with a severe mental disorder are much more likely to have experienced domestic and sexual violence during their life than other women.

On how suicide accounts for more than one in every 100 deaths globally, it added that women are more likely to attempt suicide than men, and yet twice as many men die by suicide than women do.

In 2019, it was the third leading cause of death in 1529-year-old females; and the fourth leading cause of death in males in this age group. Overall, it is the fourth leading cause of death among 1529-year-olds and accounts for some 8 per cent of all deaths in this age group, the report stated.

Economic consequences

On the economic consequences of mental health, WHO noted that mental health conditions come with a variety of indirect costs associated with reduced economic productivity, higher rates of unemployment and other economic impacts.

Researchers from the World Economic Forum calculated that a broadly defined set of mental health conditions cost the world economy approximately US$ 2.5 trillion in 2010, combining lost economic productivity (US$ 1.7 trillion) and direct costs of care (US$ 0.8 trillion).

This total cost was projected to rise to US$ 6 trillion by 2030 alongside increased social costs. Thats more than the researchers projected for the costs of cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease combined. LMICs were predicted to bear 35 per cent of the cost of these mental health conditions, the report said.

Gaps in mental health

The WHO also highlighted the key gaps that show mental health systems all over the world continue to be marked by major gaps in governance, resources, services, information and technologies for mental health.

On information gap, it noted that most countries report incomplete data to WHO but these are often incomplete. Most research is basic rather than clinical or applied.

While on governance gap, there are inadequate policies, plans and laws, with 21 per cent of countries implementing policies and plans that fully comply with human rights instruments, adding that it s misplace priorities when two out of every three dollars spent on mental health goes to running psychiatric hospitals.

Also on the resource and services gap, the report noted that countries spend on average just 2 per cent of their health budget on mental health and in low-income countries, there is fewer than one mental health worker per 100 000 population, while 71 per cent of people with psychosis do not receive mental health services.

Recommendation for action

The report made several recommendations for action, which are grouped into three paths to transformation that focus on shifting attitudes toward mental health, addressing risks to mental health and strengthening systems of care for mental health.

It recommended an increase in investments for mental health, not just by securing appropriate funds and human resources across health and other sectors to meet mental health needs, but also through committed leadership, pursuing evidence-based policies and practice, and establishing robust information and monitoring systems.

Also, it added that there is a need to intensify engagement across sectors, including understanding the social and structural determinants of mental health and intervening in ways that reduce risks, build resilience and dismantle barriers that stop people with mental health conditions from participating fully in society.

It also suggested the diversification and scaling up of care options for common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
The police have confirmed the killing of three persons by gunmen in Ogbede-Mgbuji, Eva-Amufu Community in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed in a statement on Friday, said the incident happened on Monday.

The gunmen, suspected to be herders, were said to have abducted an unknown number of persons from a neighbouring Ikem community during the attack.

Mr Ndukwe, however, said he had no report on the alleged abduction.

The yet-to-be-identified assailants, on June 13, attacked and murdered three male victims, at Ogbede-Mgbuji area of the community, who were confirmed dead by doctors and deposited in mortuary for preservation and autopsy, he said.

Mr Ndukwe said the insecurity in the area was caused by farmers-herders crisis within farm settlements in the community which borders Enugu and Benue States.

The police spokesperson said the police have begun a manhunt for the assailants.

He said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Abubakar Lawal, visited the area on Friday alongside other security agencies to assess the security situation in the area.

The Director, State Security Service, H. M. Daluwa, the Commander, 82 Division Garrison Command of the Nigerian Army, M.K. Ibrahim, and the Commander, 553 Services Base Group of the Nigerian Airforce, Enugu, I.A. Taiwo, were among the delegation during the visit, Mr Ndukwe said.

The police commissioner interacted with members of the community and assured them of the commitment of the security agencies to decisively tackle the violent attacks in the area, according to the police spokesperson.

Indigenes decry activities of herders

Some indigenes of the area who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES lamented that the herdsmen have been wreaking havoc in the community.

An indigenes of Ogbede-Mgbuji Community, who did not want her name mentioned in the report for fear of attack, told this newspaper, Thursday, that they have stopped fetching water from the river located around the farm settlement for fear of attacks by the suspected herders.

Since they occupied the place, we are no longer going to Okpokwu River to fetch water. And thats the main river serving the entire Mgbuji people, she said.

We are scared that if we go there, they might kill us or kidnap us, she added, regretting that the community suffered water scarcity, during the dry season, despite having a river.
The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Saturday, said his party is discussing with the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on the possibility of forming a coalition for next years general election.

It is true we are in talks with Peter Obi and a committee is working to look into how to form a merger between us.

Friends and family are being up and doing talking about the merger arrangement, Mr Kwankwaso added.

The merger is important because as you can see both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not pick their running mates from the South-east, Mr Kwankwaso said.

Mr Kwankwasos NNPP has a large following in the north of the country, particularly the north-west while Mr Obi recently defected from the PDP and joined the Labour Party. He has endeared himself to large youth following in the south of the country.

However, a merger is legally impossible between both parties before next years general elections.

What is possible is an alliance that could see supporters of either party vote for candidates of the other in their areas of strength.

They could also agree to present joint candidates for presidential and governorship elections with one party producing the candidate and the other the running mate. The two-person team could then choose to run on the platform of one of the two parties.

Some supporters of Messrs Kwankwaso and Obi have called for such a joint presidential candidacy but it is unclear if either of them would be willing to drop his ambition to become the running mate of the other.
Bashir Machina, the senatorial candidate for Yobe North, says he is seeking redress after the All Progressives Congress (APC) substituted his name on the list of candidates sent to the electoral umpire, INEC.

Mr Machina, who hoped that the substitution was an error, maintained that he is still the candidate for Yobe North senatorial district under the APC.

In a list seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, was named in place of Mr Machina.

Mr Lawan had the backing of the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, when he contested for the partys presidential ticket. After he lost out, he made surreptitious moves to replace Mr Machina as the partys representative for the senatorial district in next years National Assembly election.

He has, however, been met with stiff resistance from a defiant Mr Machina who has vowed not to step down.

Mr Machina, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Shippers Council, had said besides the Senate being a lifelong dream, he had contested in the primary and won with over 280 votes while Mr Lawan did not participate in the process.

Section 31 of the Electoral Act only allows for substitution when a candidate dies or when (s)he withdraws from the race and informs INEC in writing.

With Mr Machinas stern refusal to step down, it remains unclear why and how the APC would substitute his name.

Legal action

At a press conference on Friday, Mr Machina, Third Republic member of the House of Representatives, rejected the substitution of his name in the list sent to INEC.

I dont know whether it was erroneous, my name was not in the list of the names that was said to be presented today to INEC. For the avoidance of doubt, I remain the candidate duly elected of the APC Yobe North Zone C senatorial zone, he said.

He maintained that he is the elected candidate. He also said he did not withdraw for anybody and will not withdraw.

He further described the removal of his name as undemocratic, illegal and inhuman.

Insha Allah, I will take measures, first by reminding and appealing to my party that if this action is truly done, it should be corrected, especially if it is erroneously done.

We are actually seeking redress from the National Working Committee of our party under the able leadership of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman, that there is an anomaly and we need it to be corrected, he said.

Meanwhile, the Senate President and his camp have remained mute on the matter. While some say he has no interest in returning to the Senate, a few others say he is desperately working to have Mr Machina relinquish his position for him to return.

Lawyers have said the implication of substituting Mr Machinas name is that, should Mr Lawan contest and win the senatorial election, the court will hand the victory to the former.
Five gunmen have been killed during a shootout with suspected members outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Akwa Community in Ihiala Local Government of Anambra State.

The incident happened on Friday.

The gunmen and the IPOB members were said to have engaged in a battle over control of the area.

The IPOB members reportedly killed five of the gunmen whom they accused of terrorising residents of the council area.

A video circulating on social media, showed the IPOB members in a long convoy heading to an unknown destination with some bodies  said to be the five slain gunmen  in one of their trucks.

They were seen in the clip shooting in the air amidst cheers from some residents who were standing by.

When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident.

He said only four of the gunmen were killed during the shootout with suspected IPOB members.

He said one of the victims was a gang leader who had been on the police wanted list for his involvement in attacks on police and military facilities in the state.

The violent clash ensued between the two criminal gangs and further details confirmed the killing of one Innocent Obieke aka Double Lion and three others, Mr Ikenga said.

ALSO READ: One killed during shootout between police and gunmen in Anambra

Double Lion has been on the police wanted list and has featured in attacks on police formations, military locations and other government infrastructure, he added.

Mr Ikenga said following the viral video clip of the group, the police in the state have deployed operatives in Ihiala area and its environs and also intensified patrol to avert any break down of law and order by any of the terror groups.

The situation is being monitored, he assured.

Worsening insecurity

Like other states in the South-east, security in Anambra State has worsened lately with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks, which often target security agencies, government officials and facilities, have been blamed on IPOB. But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks.

The separatist group is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.

Leader of the secessionist group, Nnamdi Kanu, is currently being detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for treason.
Some civil society and media organisations observing the ongoing governorship election in Ekiti State have reported cases of vote-buying across different polling units in the state.

The organisations also said there were cases of clashes between security personnel and party agents over disconcerting proximity to the voting booths.

The organisations, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Premium Times, ICIR, Daily Trust, Roundoffnews and Orient Daily, stated this in a joint statement on Saturday.

They said their observers deployed in the state reported that conversations, negotiations and actual payment of money took place at several PUs between party agents and electorates.

They said agents of the three dominant political parties in the state, namely All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP), were reportedly involved in buying votes across the state.

The observers said agents of three parties in Ward 007, PU 001, Ado LGA offered voters as high as N10,000 in exchange for their mandate.

There has been an alarming amount of vote-buying recorded by our observers. From bargaining prices for votes to payments made in uncompleted buildings and bags of foodstuff being shared after votes have been cast. Unfortunately, party agents have been identified to be at the centre of this electoral offence.

We would like to remind Nigerians about the value of their votes and implore citizens of Ekiti to not engage in selling their votes in order to secure their democratic future.

While some of the perpetrators have been arrested by the combined force of Nigerias security operatives and the EFCC in few polling units, some party agents discretely engaged in the act unnoticed by the security officials in many more PUs.

Read the full statement:

PRESS RELEASE: MID-DAY OBSERVATION ON EKITI GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS

The 2022 Ekiti Gubernatorial Election has finally kicked off. As we draw closer to the mid-day point, here are some observations from the Election Analysis Centre run by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CIJD), formerly known as the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ).

The Centre trained and deployed a total of 28 observers throughout the 16 Local Government Areas of the state as early as 7:00 am this morning. They are currently sending real-time reports and facts on events on the field and will remain there until the close of polls and the announcement of results.

We applaud the efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in ensuring that materials and personnel were deployed on time. Because of this, we recorded an average Polling Unit (PU) opening time of 8:36 am. Additionally, the elections have been mainly peaceful, despite the fears surrounding specific flashpoints identified in preliminary findings. Unlike Anambra last year, there have been a few complaints recorded on the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). Where there were issues with BVAS, however, our observers reported that they were resolved quickly.

We have also recorded a high level of adherence to section 54 of the Electoral Act. Observers have recorded priority lines for pregnant women, the aged and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in more than 60% of the PUs observed. However, we have recorded adverse reactions to the separate queues created with complaints of such lines being unfair to others in the general queues. Examples of polling units where elderly persons, pregnant women, and parents with children were deprived of priority voting include PU 003, Ward 09 (Iluomoba) LG in Gbonyin; PU 004, Ward 1, Irepodun Ifelodun LGA; PU: 008 Near Onisa House, Ward 2, Odo Ise, Ise/Orun.

We would like to use this opportunity to encourage Nigerians to obey the laws and respect the rights of priority citizens in elections. For future elections, we suggest that INEC paste priority voting statements at polling units to serve as a means of sensitising voters.

Also, there has been an alarming amount of vote-buying recorded by our observers. From bargaining prices for votes to payments made in uncompleted buildings and bags of foodstuff being shared after votes have been cast. Unfortunately, Party agents have been identified to be at the centre of this electoral offence. We would like to remind Nigerians about the value of their votes and implore citizens of Ekiti to not engage in selling their votes in order to secure their democratic future.

Additionally, Party agents have been seen to be at loggerheads with security personnel over their disconcerting proximity to the voting booths. Some have been observed to be taking down names of voters in order to facilitate payments and they were also reportedly forcefully assisting voters in a ploy to manipulate them. We would like to remind the public that this is an electoral offence punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment and we call on political parties and INEC to investigate these matters.

Finally, a low level of adherence to the COVID-19 guideline has been recorded. We implore everyone to observe the COVID-19 protocols as the safety of citizens is a foremost concern. In exercising your franchise, we would like to remind you that it is better to be safe than sorry.

We stand in solidarity with all actors, voters and observers, and wish everyone a peaceful and fruitful election day.

SIGNED

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)

International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR)

Premium Times

Daily Trust Newspaper

Roundoffnews

Orient Daily
Shina Peller, a member of the House of Representatives, has resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The lawmaker, who represents lseyin/ltesiwaju/ Kajola/lwajowa federal constituency of Oyo State, announced his resignation on Friday via Twitter.

Mr Peller contested Oyo North Senatorial District primary election against Fatai Buhari but lost.

He polled five votes against Mr Buhari who garnered 570 votes.

The lawmaker claimed that the primary election was rigged against him and alleged assassination attempt

on his life.

He promised to announce a new political party on Wednesday.

I have tried my best for APC, the party style of democracy in Oyo State kills my conscience and I have to put my peoples interest first.

I have realised that the youths and the people will continue to be at the mercy of few at the top. Ill announce my new political party on 21|06| 22, he said.

The last primaries created an upset in the National Assembly as several members lost their bid to return to the legislature.

It is believed that the exclusion of statutory delegates by the current Eectoral Act is responsible for the rate of defeat.

The lawmakers erroneously excluded statutory delegates from Section 84(8) of the Electoral Act. Both chambers later amended the section but the president has yet to sign or decline assent to the bill.

On Tuesday, House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila lamented the poor outing of lawmakers in primaries.

Similarly, the House has resolved to consider a motion to veto the decision of the president on the bill. However, no action has been taken so far.
A cross-section of men in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja say the sperm donation business in the country is not lucrative.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, they said that the business was less profitable in Nigeria when compared to other countries.

NAN reports that sperm donation offers a tidy solution to an aggravating problem.

When a person or a couple wants a baby and needs a different ingredient than what they have to make one, a man with viable sperm swoops in to help.

The process is viewed as a seamless way to create a family.

Challenges

Kalu Ekene, a lawyer, said that the procedure of donating sperm is stressful, and when compared with the money, it is a waste of time.

The procedure is ridiculous. I was told I would be paid N150,000 for each donation, but this will be after I have successfully fulfilled all medical requirements.

I must undergo a medical examination and test negative for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, sickle cell and other sexually transmitted diseases.

The money for the test and check-up was more than what I will be paid; I found it being time wasted. Sperm bankers in Nigeria should work on the payment, Mr Ekene said.

Patrick Akpan, a Civil Servant, said after passing all the requirements, he was asked to remain anonymous.

There has been a growing recognition of childrens rights to know their genetic parents and recently a trend toward donor willingness to be identified.

If I am going to receive that amount of money, I should be able to know who I am giving my sperm. What if it is the only child I will be giving away? It is not worth the unknown problems in the future, Mr Akpan said.

He said curious children increasingly identified anonymous donors as genetic testing became cheaper and more common.

So, I will advise every man to think this through before becoming a sperm donor in the country because there are no laws backing this procedure up, he said.

Yakubu Tobias, a mechanic, said he was disqualified from donating his eggs because most sperm banks were not interested in donors who were not at least five feet, nine inches tall.

The first day I showed interest, every physical feature was scrutinised, and I was asked to provide a childhood photo.

I was asked to write an essay, or do a taped interview, to be shared with potential buyers, but in the end, my height disqualified me.

I do not see anything wrong with the pay; if I was able to donate like three times, that is cool money for me. It is better than asking my people for money or stealing, he said.

Sperm donation

Isaac Shamaki, a Gynaecologist, said that the procedure of sperm donation was safe and effective.

Mr Shamakhi, however, explained that the most common reason some men cannot donate sperm is old age.

According to him, male fertility lasts a lot longer than female fertility, adding that there is still an age limit for sperm donation in Nigeria, which is 39.

Sperm quality does decline with age, and we have to ensure we only offer the best sperm for the highest chances of pregnancy for those who use it to conceive, he said.

Dapo Adeniran, an Abuja-based Psychologist, said that as simple as sperm donation seems, some people find it stressful or isolating.

Mr Adeniran said assisted reproductive technology was a relatively new, rapidly developing field.

The social and emotional challenges that can arise between the participants in a sperm donation are, for many, uncharted, he said.

The expert said that there were two well-established ways to go about the process of sperm donation:

Prospective parents can use a sperm sample from a friend, acquaintance, or family member, often called a known or directed donation, or arrange to use a heavily vetted strangers sample through a sperm bank or fertility clinic.

Even decades after these practices have become common, many who opt for sperm donation are still consistently surprised by how it can shape the family.

In some cases, it strains, and in others, it enhances family dynamics, he said.

When I counsel heterosexual couples weighing their options as they deal with infertility, I find the male partners more attached to these ideas of ownership than female partners.

These men often grapple with grapples, my child or someone elses?

Thats a tough struggle for a lot of men when I meet them, he said.

(NAN)
A dozen farmers in Yarmein Administrative District, Nimba County have been presented with Public Land Sale Deeds in acknowledgement of their traditional land ownership.

The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) in collaboration with ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) presented the public sale deeds to 12 farmers who live in Gbapa and Zolowee Towns.

The June10 2022 program was held at the Gbapa Town Hall and together with high profile delegates from ArcelorMittal Liberia, Liberia Land Authority as well as many farmers.

Giving the objective of the process, the Oversight Commissioner of LLA for Nimba, Bong and Lofa Counties, Cllr. Kula L. Jackson said that the occasion was intended to legalize the people's land ownership, considering how cardinal the Land Sector is to sustaining Liberia's peace.

Presenting the 12 deeds to the farmers at the ceremony, the National Chairman of the Liberia Land Authority, Cllr. J. Adam Manobah described the process as the Liberian Government's own way of upholding the Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development, the PAPD.

According to Cllr. Manobah, the process will also positively contribute to the farmers' economic status as they legally get into leasing agreement and partnership with AML.

The LLA boss indicated that considering the many conflicts coming from the land sector in the country, the government through its leadership is handling every land matter with care and consciousness.

Cllr. Manobah informed the gathering that if the Land Sector and issues arising from the communities are not handled with high level of care, Liberia's next civil war may generate from there.

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He then encourage the farmers who received the deeds to continue to pay taxes to government and remain in good standing with the government.

'Continuous compliance with your obligation to pay your taxes will enable you to keep your legal ownership", he added.

Also, AML's lawyer, Cllr. Boakai Paegar said ArcelorMittal decided to pre-pay on behalf of the farmers to have them legalize their ownership and be in good standing with the law.

Cllr. Paegar wants the rest of the farmers who were not presented deeds to ensure that they get involved into the second phase of the process which is expected shortly.

Cllr Paegar saids: "ArcelorMittal is not willing to do business with anyone who operates out of the law".

He further mentioned that AML has had previous considerations for the sake of peaceful coexistence, but stressed that "at time, the legal process should be considered so that international best practice is achieved".

Meanwhile, the farmers who received the deeds thanked AML and the Liberia Land Authority for the initiative.

The farmers said the event was "rewarding" and a total demonstration of commitment to work with community's affected by ArcelorMittal's operations

They also noted that the process has now made them "proud and legitimate land owners" owing to the great help from AML and the LLA.

The farmers then encouraged the rest of their colleagues to form a part of phase 2 of the Public Land Sale Deed initiative to avoid future burdens.
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have described the ongoing governorship election in Ekiti as peaceful, with large voter turnout.

Speaking during a visit to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Teller Adeniran, shortly monitoring the exercise, the acting Deputy Commandant-General (DCG) of NSCDC, Haruna Muhammad, said that voter turnout was impressive and had been without any chaos.

This is a sign that people are enthusiastic to vote.

We have received reports from other local government areas and it has been positive, as voting is going on simultaneously, he said.

Mr Muhammad said that the corps would continue to work closely with INEC and other sister agencies to ensure a hitch-free election process.

The election is more like an isolated one. So, we dont want to give room for violence, he said.

Mr Muhammad said that the corps had deployed intelligence officers to possible flash points for effective intelligence gathering.

We are prepared to protect national assets and we have reserved personnel in case of any emergency.

When the poll closes, the men on ground are to be used throughout the night, while those working now will rest and be redeployed to their positions, he said.

ALSO READ: INEC extends PVC collection in Osun ahead governorship election

Responding, Mr Adeniran said that INEC officials were deployed in real time, while polling booths opened early.

The major aim and determination of the commission are to have an open poll.

We had created new units and migrated some names from some polling units. They had their names pasted and they had been informed, he said.

Mr Adeniran said that this was to reduce high number of voters in certain polling units.

He advised security agencies to be more proactive in tackling security challenges, especially in case of any emergency.

The REC appreciated the corps, alongside other security agencies, for diligently securing the electoral process.

(NAN)
A group, Womens Situation Room Nigeria (WSRN), has expressed delight that no violence was reported against women during the conduct of Saturdays governorship election across the 16 local government areas of Ekiti.

The National Coordinator of the group, Philomena Zamani, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in a telephone interview that the organisation deployed 60 women observers to monitor the election on gender-based perspective.

Ms Zamani said that the organisation was very much concerned about women inclusion and active participation in the election.

According to her, the report of non-incident of violence against women so far gladdened her heart.

We have women observers deployed, particularly in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital and the major reports we are getting only indicated cases of vote buying.

So far, so good, we have not received any report as far as gender-based violence is concerned; that to us is highly commendable.

We are still in the process of collating reports on the conduct of the governorship election and later on, we will be able to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the process, she said.

The group coordinator stressed the need for the electorate to be sensitised and enlightened on why it was important for them to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise and effect the change they desired.

Some of the electorates are even of the mind that there is no need for them to vote since their votes will not count at the end of the day.

But, if they dont participate actively by casting their votes, how would they make their voices to be heard?

So, I want to say that there is need for more sensitisation and enlightenment of voters before the next election in order to achieve the large voters turnout we desired, Ms Zamani said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the group had, on Wednesday, inaugurated the Ekiti State Governorship Election Women Situation Observatory Room in Ado-Ekiti.

(NAN)
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room) has rated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) high in terms of logistics and commencement of voting in Saturdays Ekiti State governorship election.

It stated this in an interim report jointly signed by the Convener, Ene Obi; Co-conveners  Asmau Joda and James Ugochukwu  on Saturday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.

The Situation Room is made up of over 70 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)

working in support of credible and transparent election in Nigeria.

The group observed early arrival of polling officials and election materials in 93 per cent of the polling units observed.

Set up was done promptly and polls commenced before 9:00 a.m., in at least 88 per cent of the locations.

This is an improvement of both the Anambra State Governorship Election 2021 and FCT Area Councils Election 2022, the group said, it in its preliminary report.

It said that as of the time of issuing its preliminary report, the election had been generally peaceful, with voters conducting themselves in a civil manner in most of the polling units.

The redistribution of voters done by INEC still does not take care of the issue of large number of voters in some polling units as many new polling units had abysmally low numbers while older polling units remain overcrowded.

There were also polling units sited in private residences such as PU006 Omiragunsins House, Okemesi Ward 1, Ekiti West LGA and PU003 in front of Ezekiels House Iroro/Ita Alafia Iroro Imegun, Ward 3 Araromi Omuo, Ekiti East LGA, the organisation stated.

BVAS performance

On the performance of Bi-Modal Verification Accreditation System (BVAS), the Situation Room said that observations indicated the machine was functional in at least 76 per cent of the voting locations.

It, however, said, that there had been many reports of delays and malfunctioning of BVAS machines in voting units especially those with many registered voters.

It cited examples of the locations where the machines malfunctioned to include PU 002 Igbaletere by Mechanic Workshop, Ward 6 Ado Okeyinmi, Ado-Ekiti LGA where the Machine was going on and off intermittently.

Recorded cases of BVAS failure

The Situation Room added that at PU 007 LA Primary School Oke Afin, Otun Ward III and PU018 Igogo Ward II both in Moba LGA, the BVAS failed, as well as at PU 014, Ward I Okemesi, Ekiti West LGA, among others.

Furthermore, INECs distribution of the BVAS devices was not proportionate to the population of registered voters by polling unit.

The Situation Room stated that poll officials gave priority to Persons With Disabilities (PWD) voters, elderly persons and pregnant women in most of the polling units observed.

However, citizens refused to recognise people with albinism as persons with disabilities (PWDs), thereby failed to accord them special consideration at the polling units. Also, voting cubicles were not easily accessible to PWDs, it said.

The situation room added that there were reports of widespread vote buying by political party agents across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.

In many instances, voters were induced with money ranging from N4,500 to N10,000 by asking them to flag completed ballot papers as proof of voting in the specified manner in what they term See and Buy.

Situation Room strongly condemns this blatant violation of the electoral law.

Security officials matters

On presence, conduct and welfare of security officials, the Situation Room said that security officials deployed for the election were diverse and cut across the police, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

It observed that security officials arrived at polling units on time and were civil in their conduct.

However, the impact of their presence was not felt in voters coordination at most of the polling units.

Also, the police failed to halt the apparent vote buying witnessed by observers in virtually all the polling units, it stated.

The group also called on the people of Ekiti State to continue to conduct themselves in a peaceful and responsible manner.

We wish to remind the police authorities of their responsibilities to halt and apprehend those involved in voters inducement and maintain law and order throughout the process and beyond.

Situation Room calls on INEC to ensure that the on-going process is concluded transparently and credibly, the statement read.
The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has suspended a Nollywood actor, Moses Armstrong, for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl.

Like his colleague, James Olanrewaju, also known as Baba Ijesha, Mr Armstrong is the second Nigerian actor to be entangled in an alleged rape case with a minor.

Mr Armstrong was arrested by the operatives of the Nigerian Police Force, In Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The actor, a former aide to the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, was also arraigned before a Magistrate court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Friday.

Mr Armstrong was arraigned on charges of rape and threat to life.

The judge, Samuel Ukoima, struck out a remand application filed by the Akwa Ibom State Government against the actor and ordered the actor to be rearrested and taken back to the cell.

However, amidst his legal battle, the embattled actor has been indefinitely suspended by the National Executive Committee of the Actors Guild of Nigeria over his arrest by the police on the allegation of raping a minor.

Suspension

A statement, signed by the AGN Director of Communications and actress, Monalisa Chinda, stated that the actor has been suspended from acting and the guilds activities.

According to the statement, the indefinite suspension became necessary following the investigation of the guild concerning the alleged rape incident.

The statement reads in part, Actors Guild of Nigeria has been in the forefront of advocacy against violation of women, such as rape, molestation and all form of abuse; therefore, the allegation against Moses Armstrong is capable of tarnishing the good image and reputation of our noble Guild if the constitutional provisions of the Guild do not take urgent action.

In a suspension letter signed by the Ejezie Emeka Rollas, the actors suspension was based on facts emanating from the preliminary investigations conducted by the Guild on the allegation.

The statement also noted that the suspension is a sad development, but nobody is above the law, especially on rape and abuse of women.

Though we must protect our members when it comes to serious allegations, the law will have to take its course.

According to AGNs statement, while on suspension, the actor is not expected to participate in any film production or Guild activities.

 The National/State Chapter Task Forces have been mandated to monitor all film locations, and production sets in the country as a violation of the suspension rules may lead to further stiff disciplinary measures as stipulated by the AGN constitution, the statement read.

Profile

The Akwa Ibom State-born actor, who started his career 23 years ago, lost his wife, Rita, in 2018.

The mother-of-two was returning to her husbands residence in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, from Lagos when the Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) bus conveying her was involved in a ghastly crash at the Ugbogui axis of Benin Ore Lagos Expressway.

The deceased, a Nollywood actress, died from spinal cord injuries sustained during the accident.
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has called on Nigerians to continuously promote national integration toward engendering a united Nigeria.

Mr Ganduje made the call on Saturday in Ibadan, shortly after he, along with his wife, were honoured with chieftaincy titles by Olubadan of Ibadanland, Lekan Balogun.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Ganduje and his wife, Hafsat, were installed as the Aare Fiwajoye of Ibadanland and Yeye Aare Fiwajoye of Ibadanland respectively.

NAN reports that the ceremony was attended by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu; Aminu Ado-Bayero, the Emir of Kano; National Assembly members and hosts of others.

Mr Ganduje said that Nigerians needed to collectively encourage and promote national integration toward achieving national unity.

He recalled the age-long friendship between Kano and Ibadan, saying that the two old cities would sustain the friendship and extend to other parts of the country.

We are grateful to the Olubadan, Olubadan-in-Council and Ibadan people for honouring us with this prestigious titles.

This gives us motivation and encouragement to do more in promoting unity.

You made history today in terms of promoting national integration.

This is a topical and very important issue we must always discuss, as well as promote, to achieve peaceful coexistence among Nigerians, Mr Ganduje said.

The governor thanked Mr Tinubu for gracing the occasion, expressing confidence that he would promote the concept of national integration.

Commenting, Mr Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos State, said that giving out such chieftaincy titles to non-indigenes was a rare privilege.

He described the honour bestowed on Mr Ganduje and his wife as well deserved, saying that it was a demonstration of unity between the North and South.

The APC flagbearer appreciated the traditional ruler, as well as Ibadan indigenes for honouring his friend with a chieftaincy title.

He urged the people to always promote national unity, saying that such would engender national growth and development.

In her remarks, Elsie Adewoye, the President, University of Ibadan Alumni Association, described the honour bestowed on Mr Ganduje, an alumnus of UI, as a well-deserved one.

It is a deserving honour. It is not a fluke or propaganda. I have been to Kano and saw all these dividends of democracy, she said.

Earlier, the Olubadan described Mr Ganduje and his wife as detribalised Nigerians, adding that the honour was well deserved.

The traditional ruler narrated how Oba Yoruba Kano, Muritala Alimi, introduced the Gandujes to them as detribalised Nigerians.

Mr Balogun said: We were made to know how supportive our guests were to the aspiration and eventual emergence of our brother as Oba Yoruba Kano about two years ago.

We recall how Ganduje came down to Ibadan when there was a clash between Hausa traders and the people of Sasa at the Sasa Market to calm the frayed nerves and peace was restored.

He said Mr Ganduje was currently building an auditorium for the university, adding that the project had reached 70 per cent completion.

Mr Balogun said that the conferment would further cement the bond of friendship that had long existed between the people of Ibadan and Kano.

The traditional ruler said that it would go a long way in maintaining handshake across the Niger and engender the much sought-after unity which had turned fragile over the years.

The Gandujes, being our in-laws in Ibadan through their daughter that got married to our son, Idris Ajimobi, have done it all.

Bestowing a befitting chieftaincy title on the hardworking and amiable governor with his wife will be a reward for a man who has been compassionate to us as people.

And who believes that any Nigerian can stay and work in any part of the country without molestation or denial of basic things of life, he said.

NAN reports that the event was attended by notable Ibadan indigenes including Teslim Folarin, Kola Balogun, as well as Bayo Lawal, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

(NAN)
A Magistrate Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Friday struck out a remand application filed by the Akwa Ibom State Government against a Nollywood actor, Moses Armstrong, for not being meritorious.

Mr Armstrong, a former aide to Governor Udom Emmanuel, was arraigned on charges of rape and threat to life.

Like his colleague, James Olanrewaju, also known as Baba Ijesha, Mr Armstrong is the second Nigerian actor to be entangled in an alleged rape case with a minor.

The prosecutor, A. Nyongessien, an assistant state counsel, urged the judge to remand the Nollywood actor to the correctional facility as the court has no jurisdiction to entertain the case.

Mr Nyongessien did not provide details of the case but told the court that the punishment for the charge was life imprisonment and that Mr Armstrong would be arraigned at the High Court.

Counter argument

The defence counsel, Emmanuel Pantaleon, in his submission, opposed the application of the prosecution counsel and instead told the court to grant bail to Mr Armstrong.

Citing relevant legal authorities, Mr Panteleon told the judge that the prosecution knew the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the case but deliberately brought it, an action he said was illegal.

He further told the judge that Mr Armstrong being a renowned Nollywood actor, would not jump bail.

The prosecutor, Mr Nyongessien, in his argument, urged the court to discountenance the prayer of the defence counsel that the prosecution is illegal.

He also added that the proceeding was provided for by Section 294 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law.

He, therefore, asked the court to grant his remand application in the interest of justice.

Ruling

The judge, Samuel Ukoima, after citing different sections of the State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2022, said the new law had made the filing of a charge where the court lacks jurisdiction obsolete.

Mr Ukoima said that the new law provides that an applicant should come by way of an ex parte motion.

The appropriate procedure for remand proceedings is the filing of a motion ex parte setting out the grounds for the remand of the suspect as clearly stated in the law.

I do not think that the filing of a charge before a magistrate court where the court lacks jurisdiction is required any longer. All that is necessary for an applicant seeking the remand of a suspect is stated in the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Akwa Ibom State.

Therefore, the application of bail as canvassed by the defence counsel is nullified when the remand proceedings are defective.

The application of the prosecution counsel is not meritorious and is at this moment struck out, the judge ruled.

The implication of the ruling, the judge said, is that the defendant has to be rearrested and taken back to the cell. Then he can be brought back by motion ex parte, or the suspect is taken to the High Court and information filed.

Mr Armstrong was re-arrested and taken back to police custody.

The defence counsel, Mr Panteleon, declined to comment on the case after the court session.

Profile

The Akwa Ibom State-born actor, who started his career 23 years ago, lost his wife, Rita, in 2018.

The mother-of-two was returning to her husbands residence in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, from Lagos when the Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) bus conveying her was involved in a crash at the Ugbogui axis of Benin Ore Lagos Expressway.

The deceased, a Nollywood actress, died from spinal cord injuries sustained during the accident.
The UN high level champion for COP26,Nigel Topping, during his visit to Nigeria, said implementation is key if Nigeria is to achieve her net-zero goal by 2060.

During his visit from June 14 to 16, Mr Topping congratulated Nigeria on its revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) which he described as ambitious, as well as the Energy Transition Plan presented at COP26 last November and the subsequent passing of the Climate Change Act.

Implementation of these policies are now key, he said. He added that mobilising both State and non-State actors  including businesses, academia and civil society  is essential to improve the investment climate of Nigeria so that the country can in turn attract the right investments that will accelerate the transition into a low-carbon and resilient economy.

Nigeria, in July 2021, submitted its final updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) document to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a component of the Paris Agreement endorsed during the 21st UN Climate Change Conference also known as Conference of the Parties-21 (COP21) .

In the updated NDC, Nigeria proposed to mitigate four greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), as against the three GHG (CO2, CH4 and N2O) proposed in the previous NDC submitted.

The West African country recommits to its unconditional contribution of reducing carbon emissions by 20 per cent below business-as-usual by 2030, while it increases its conditional target to 47 per cent as against the 45 per cent captured in the 2015 NDC.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari in Glasgow, November 2021, during the COP26, made a commitment that Nigeria will cut its carbon emission to net-zero by 2060.

Mr Toppings visit to Nigeria is to engage with the government on the implementation of national climate change plans and ramp up ambition towards meeting these targets.

The British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, said, With the UK as the current Presidency of COP and following the historic COP26 event held in Glasgow last November, and ahead of COP27 in Egypt later this year, it was important for us to have Nigel Topping here in Nigeria.

His visit is a timely reminder for all of us about how hard the UK is continuing to work around the world with our partners, like Nigeria, to ensure that every effort is made to deliver on and bring in to effect the commitments made by us, by Nigeria and buy the rest of the world to tackle Climate Change, Mr Llewellyn-Jones said.

Mr Topping also met with private and financial sector leaders, civil society organisations and climate change activists across Abuja and Lagos, where he discussed the opportunities of a green transition.

He was appointed the UK Government High Level Climate Champion for COP 26 in January 2020, to help drive action from businesses, investors, organisations, cities, and regions on climate change and coordinate this work with governments and parties to the UNFCCC.

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.
The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Callistus Onaga, has banned Catholic faithful from attending activities at the Adoration Ministry, in Enugu, Enugu State.

Mr Mbaka is the spiritual director of the ministry.

Mr Onaga, who announced the temporary ban in a statement on Friday, said the ban was because of Mr Mbakas refusal to heed several fraternal corrections and admonitions extended to him by the diocesan leadership.

In fulfillment of my pastoral duties as chief shepherd with obligation to promote and safeguard the Catholic faith and morals in Enugu Diocese, I hereby prohibit all Catholics  clergy, religious and lay faithful  henceforth from attending all religious and liturgical activities of the Catholic Adoration Ministry until the due process initiated by the diocese is concluded, Mr Onaga said in the statement.

The bishop said the recent happenings at the ministry was capable of undermining the Catholic faith and teachings.

He accused Mr Mbaka of persistently violating his pastoral directives and guidelines for the operation of the ministry.

My decision is based on the fact that some of the teachings and utterances of Fr. Camillus Ejike Mbaka at the Catholic Adoration Ministry are not consistent with the teachings and faith of the Catholic Church, Mr Onaga said.

He enjoined Christian faithful to keep praying for the cleric and the diocese.

The bishops decision is believed to be connected to the recent comments by Mr Mbaka against the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi.

Mr Mbaka, during his weekly ministration service on Wednesday, said Mr Obi would not be president of Nigeria in 2023 because he is a stingy man who does not give out money to people.

He also said unless Mr Obi returned to his Adoration Ministry to apologise for refusing to make donation to the ministry when he was asked to do so, his ambition to become president of Nigeria would be fruitless.

Many Nigerians, including the diocese, criticised Mr Mbaka over his comment on Mr Obi.

The cleric later apologised to the former governor and his supporters, saying his intent was not to malign the LP presidential candidate.

The ban comes hours after Mr Mbakas apology for the outburst.
A Bayelsa-based blogger, Bara Ogidi, charged with cyberstalking, was on Friday admitted to N5million bail at a Federal High Court in Yenagoa.

The State Security Service (SSS) arraigned Mr Ogidi over an alleged false report targeted at the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote.

Mr Ogidi, a publisher of an online new media, Tracknews, is facing a two-count charge of cyberstalking.

Ruling on the bail application filed by Mr Ogidis counsel, Temedie Great, the judge, Isa Dashen, ordered that the surety must be a responsible citizen who lives and owns landed property within the courts jurisdiction.

He further ordered that in the alternative, if the surety is a civil servant, the surety must not be below the rank of a director.

The judge adjourned the case until July 25 for continuation of trial and ruled that the defendant should remain in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Centre at Okaka in Yenagoa.

The SSS told the court that Mr Ogidi accused Mr Wabote of offering him N10 million to lure him to testify in his favour in a defamation suit filed by the NCDMB Executive Secretary against Jackson Ude, the publisher of Pointblanknews.

The charge read:

Count 1 CYBERSTALKING, contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1)b of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015.

You OGIDI BEN BARA on Feb. 11, caused a false information to be disseminated via various online newspaper outfits including THE EAGLE ONLINE

The SSS said the publication caused annoyance, enmity, hatred and ill-will towards Mr Wabote.

The offence of cyberstalking is contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1)b of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015, the SSS said.

(NAN)
On May 25, Chima Williams, a lawyer and the Executive Director of the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria became the third Nigerian to win the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize. Mr Williams was awarded for his work with two Niger Delta communities to hold Royal Dutch Shell accountable for environmental damage caused by a spill from its Nigerian subsidiary in the communities between 2004 and 2007. In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Williams spoke on why he took up the case, the challenges, and the solution to the pollution in the Niger Delta. Excerpts:

PT: When you learnt you are a recipient of this award, what first came to your mind?

Williams: It came as a shock. Because the circumstance under which I received that announcement or the call from the U.S. was such that made it a very memorable one. I had been in the hospital, I was on oxygen for eight days and I came back from the hospital. Two days after I came back from the hospital, I received a call. And I was expecting that that call, because it was a U.S. number, was coming from my friend. Only for me to pick up the call and I heard congratulations. And I said congratulations for what? And it was announced.

So you could imagine what would have been happening within me and my family. Because, incidentally, I had my family, we were together. My children came back from school, you know theyre in boarding houses, they came back from school. My wife. All of us were together. I think we were about to pray when that call came in, so it was nostalgic because it was something that was not expected.

PT: The award came from the work you did with the farmers and fishermen who sued Shell in The Netherlands. Is there a reason you decided to take up that particular case?

Williams: Yes. The point is that that is not the first case that we have taken up from the Niger Delta and elsewhere. And that was not the first victory we had won both nationally and at the home country level.

The history behind taking up that case arose from the fact that we had taken action on gas flaring against the multinational level, particularly Shell, and we won at the Nigerian federal high court, which ordered Shell to end the practice of gas flaring for flouting the constitutional right to life and dignity of the human person in Iwhrekan community. And Shell continued to flare gas.

And we looked at it from the fact that it is not about getting a judgment, it is about enforcement of those judgments. Because the Nigerian executive that is supposed to enforce that judgment has been shifting the goalpost on their own on the issue of ending gas flaring in Nigeria, even amidst the losses associated with it.

So, within our team, we analysed and said can we try something else. Home country litigation, where they respect the law, where they respect court judgments. That was how we came about the issue of home country litigation in Holland.

Now, the next thing was for us to determine which type of action will we take? Now we have done gas flaring, we have a positive judgment. So we cannot take it again. And the two major polluting activities in the petroleum sector are oil spills and gas flaring. Thats how we decided on oil spills.

In the course of making that decision, we had to look for the strongest cases, where it will be easier to prove the causal connections and cause of spill not to have been third-party interference that is very clear. I visited over 20 communities, and interviewed close to 100 victims. Then, within my team, we analysed and continued to shortlist until we got to 10 communities. These communities are from the entire Niger Delta where heavy pollution happens. And it was after those interactions, evidence-gathering, and interviews that we now resolved that these three cases were the strongest. That was how we selected those three cases. It was as a result of rigorous analysis of the situation that we concluded on the three communities.

PT: The issue of home country litigation, that was the first time an oil multinational would be sued in their home country

Williams: (cuts in) Thats not the first time. In the Netherlands, thats the first time. Because we know that weve been involved in cases in the United States, against Chevron. We tried Mobil. One of the cases that I told you that we had a positive result was against Eni, Nigerian Agip oil company, and their parent company in Italy.

But, in terms of securing this type of judgment that has set rules, this is the first time. Because the first victory we got outside of the lower courts favourable judgment in Akpans case, and now the court of appeal, was the issue of jurisdiction. Because the first challenge that was thrown up was the issue of jurisdiction. And even the lower court upheld her jurisdiction to hear the matter and that ruling was equally upheld by the court of appeal. Which means, on the issue of jurisdiction, we have this and we can extrapolate it to other parts of Europe that apply the same judicial system like the Netherlands.

PT: This case, from the time of filing to when the ruling was delivered, took about 13 years. Did you at some time get tired of shuttling between Nigeria and Netherlands? And what was the financial implication?

Williams: The point here is, when you are committed to something and you know that the people you are working with have absolute confidence and faith in you and what you are doing, you will try as much as possible not to dash their hope. Especially, when you know that what you and your organisation are doing is to help change a narrative about people that have been negative, and not the correct narrative.

If we take our minds back, within this period, was the period that the message, the story about the Niger Delta was always in the negative. It was either they are oil thieves, bunkerers, or conflict-ridden people, all manner of negative narratives. But nobody bothered to check and understand that before this narrative came so strongly from the oil companies and their cohorts in government circles, that Niger Delta was reputed to be the most peaceful and the most hospitable place to be in Nigeria.

So this narrative, if you know that God has positioned you to contribute in changing the narrative that a people can patiently pursue a legal cause to its logical conclusion and achieve a positive result. Of course, as human beings, there are times that you will think ugh, nothing is happening again so what do we do? That is natural and normal. But when you remember the burden on you, you change your position.

So this has been the source of encouragement, not only for me but for my organisation and for our legal team, and those that have been supporting us. Because we believed in the cause and we still believe in the cause that we are pursuing.

PT: Do you think 13 years is a rather long time for the case to come to a conclusion?

Williams: Well, as a lawyer in the case, because I know the reasons why part of the time yes this case could have been tackled earlier. But, you know, as lawyers we always tell our clients: in litigation, you only know when you will enter, you dont know when you will come out. Because other factors and other forces will come into play. That is why the aspect of patience in litigation is key.

PT: When this ruling was delivered last year, there was the belief that it would open the floodgates for people to sue Shell in The Netherlands. Has that been the case?

Williams: Those thoughts are natural thoughts. Because in the first instance, that judgment was taken as a pan-Niger Delta judgment, not just for the communities. But, to litigate outside the shores of Nigeria is not easy; the cost implications alone is huge. That could be an impediment to opening the floodgate.

A standard was laid, which is the first of its kind in global home litigation. And that is the fact that a body incorporated in The Netherlands, Milieudefensie, Friends of the Earth Netherlands was a co and is a co-plaintiff with the Nigerian victims. That had never happened before. What we normally get is groups supporting the victims to bring their actions and the rest of them. So, this is a new standard. It is equally to check that the floodgate is not open for interlopers and unnecessary

So you will have to have a good cause to get an incorporated body in the home country to join you in your litigation. These are checks and balances. Because for us as lawyers, I will not advise even when you know that you dont have a case, simply because you want to go to home country, you take your case there.

Lets look at the other positive side of this judgment. Now, at the last count, from that 29th of January, 2021, till date, how many positive judgments, where the courts, including the courts in Nigeria that have been regarded as conservatives in making awards against multinationals? How many positive decisions that have come out of Nigerian courts and other home countries. Because, immediately after the January judgment, on February 12th, the Supreme Court in London gave a resounding judgment that says victims from outside of UK can bring actions against a UK company.

And, in Nigeria, weve had high-profile awards against Shell and other multinationals, including, something that wouldnt have been thought possible, an almost $2 billion award to a few community members, from one community. And another $5.5 million to a family. That wouldnt have been thought possible. And you can count a number of them, including an order on Shell to put the money in the courts account, otherwise no divestment.

So these are positives that we will say are fallouts of the judgment. Which means, even if there are no home country floodgate litigations, the courts in Nigeria have taken proactive steps.

PT: One of the problems we have with the Nigerian judiciary is that its one thing to get a judgment, its another thing to enforce it. Has that been the case in this particular suit?

Williams: This is a question I get all the time and my answer has always been simple: it is not the duty of the judiciary to enforce her judgment. The duty of the judiciary is to look at the case presented before her and make a pronouncement one way or the other. It is the duty of the executive to enforce court judgments. And in this, it is the executive that has failed in their duty to enforce court judgments that give leverage to multinationals and some powerful individuals to pick and choose the court orders they want to obey and the ones they dont want to obey.

As a lawyer, I make bold to say it everywhere in the world that the Nigerian judicial system is one of the best and one of the most proactive in recent times. We could have said a lot of things about it in previous times but when the judges are updating themselves on new legal trends globally, this is how we have seen these proactive judgments that are coming out. And we must encourage them. Of course, we know that there definitely will be some bad eggs. Within every society, its not everybody that is totally clean, so lets not use the activities of the few negative ones to smear on all.

PT: So in this particular case, has The Netherlands executive enforced the judgment?

Williams: Well, you know organisations, citizens respect their laws based on one, what will happen to me if I disobey this law or this order of the court? And everybody knows the consequences of disobedience to a court judgment. So, it is left to you if you one the executive to apply the hammer, or you want to take proactive steps to do what the courts had ordered you to do.

In this, there is no place for the executive to apply the hammer because this is a court of appeal judgment and if any of the parties is dissatisfied, there is still the Supreme Court. So whatever happens in between is the choice of the parties.

PT: But this case has not gone to the Immediately after the January judgment, on February 12th, the Supreme Court in London gave a resounding judgment that says victims from outside of UK can bring actions against a UK company.e Supreme Court.

Williams: There are some aspects that are before the Supreme Court already.

PT: You were also involved in the Iwherekan community case. I know that Shell has appealed that judgment. Whats the current status?

Williams: The current status is that we are in court and we have exchanged briefs. Its to adopt those briefs. And the case will be coming up on June 28.

PT: You have been involved in quite a number of cases outside Nigeria. What major difference have you noticed between Nigerian courts and their foreign counterparts in terms of the way they operate?

Williams: In terms of operational methodology, there is no difference. Because we are talking about a 13-year-old case before we got the judgment at the Court of Appeal. And here in Nigeria, Ive gotten a judgment within four months. So it depends on the factors at play.

The issue is not that possibly cases stay longer in Nigeria because the attitude of the lawyers, the attitude of the court, and all other factors that come into play may determine how long a case lasts. And the application of the legal processes and legal standards and jurisprudence equally may determine, the understanding of the judges which might be a key factor in determining how they look at the case and the nature of the case that youve brought.

The only difference is possibly you are sure that the judgment that you secured could be enforced faster at home country level than in Nigeria because of the interplay of factors that weve already mentioned.

PT: Youve been involved in environmental activism in the Niger Delta for decades. Why do you think the Nigerian government has found it difficult to solve the pollution problem in the region?

Williams: I think part of the problem, honestly, is by us. Those of us in the Niger Delta and those of us from the Niger Delta. Because in a multi-ethnic society like Nigeria, if you want your issues to be taken seriously, you must yourself be organised. Because when you talk about not solving the Niger Delta problem, the question that comes to mind is this is a sector, we know the sector that creates largely these pollution problems in the Niger Delta, and thats the petroleum sector. And then you check how many petroleum ministers have come from the Niger Delta and then how many have come from outside of the Niger Delta over so many years now. So, what has been their contribution in solving the problems or creating further problems? They have not provided leadership and we must call a spade a spade.

So if you from the Niger Delta is the minister of petroleum or the minister of state for petroleum and you are not talking about the problem that is created by a sector that you are heading on your people, who do you think will solve the problem for you? It will be wishful thinking to be pushing it. Now you make a strong case to Mr President and let Mr President fire you because youve made a strong case for your people. And then you would become the hero of the people and you would have left a standard for whoever may take over from you to follow. So I think, basically, that is the number one problem.

And then, of course, the fact that others see the resource in the Niger Delta as a national resource. This is where the resource control question came up from. And then the disagreement by the federal authority with that position, of resource control. What should be done is to change the narrative? And say that we are not saying its not a national resource. But if it is a national resource, the goose that lays the golden egg must be treated with a golden hand. There should be exceptional treatment for the Niger Delta and her people, especially in the environmental restoration drive. Anything short of that is that the cycle continues.

PT: You are the second Nigerian to win this. How important is this award to the work that you do in the Niger Delta?

Williams: When you gain recognition for the work you do, it only inspires you to do more. Especially, when you did not lobby, beg, or ask anybody to give you that recognition. It came purely outside of your own knowledge, which means people are taking records of what you are doing. Because somebody must definitely nominate you before voting will be done. In this instance, looking at the jury that made the selection, you will know that it is something that as a human being, first and foremost, eternal gratefulness to God Almighty who made this to happen. Because it will never be by power or by might or by intelligence or by anything that one has done, its purely Gods favour.

For me, it is an inspiration to do more, to support more, and to think more. Because its creative thinking that drives changes. You cant do the same thing everybody is doing over and over and you expect to get a different kind of result. So you must do something differently, even though at times people that do things differently are called mad people. At times, that madness is needed, to think out of the box.
document

Well, good morning, everyone. It's a pleasure to be able to receive my colleague and my friend, the foreign minister of Senegal. Welcome, Aissata, to the State Department. I had a wonderful visit where we spent a lot of time together in Senegal. We've had many conversations since then.

And our two countries are strong partners on so many issues based on many shared values. I'm looking forward to continuing the discussions that we started in Dakar last November and things that we've been working on since, including at the United Nations. I think we'll talk about the ways that we can address the growing food security crisis that has been exacerbated by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. This is a very important topic for both of us and for many countries around the world, and we've been working concretely on how to address it both in the near term and the longer term.

Senegal, of course, has been a leader on trying to end the acute phase of COVID-19 and more broadly on global health security. We'll be talking about that. And of course, we're partners on security cooperation, on economic prosperity, on dealing with climate change and on resolving regional issues.

So there is, as always, a broad agenda, but I'm just particularly pleased to be able to reciprocate for the incredibly warm hospitality but also the incredibly productive visit that I had with you and with President Macky Sall.

Aissata, welcome. Over to you.

FOREIGN MINISTER TALL SALL: Thanks you so much, Secretary of State.

(Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to tell you how delighted I am, me and my delegation, to have this working visit at the State Department, invited by the Secretary of State Mr. Blinken, who, as you reminded us, in last November you were in Dakar in order to strengthen further this wonderful relationship of cooperation between the United States and Senegal.

Our cooperation is a historical cooperation. It is based on political values, human values, moral values which are our own and which are shared - democratic values, values of respect for human rights, fundamental values - freedom, freedom of thought, freedom of acting, freedom to assemble, to choose our political orientation and choose one's religion, which we respect in Senegal just as is respected wonderfully in the United States.

This already is what's at the basis of the construction of this relationship which is ours. And I was telling the Secretary of State Mr. Blinken last November in Dakar that all secretaries of state of the United States made a visit to Dakar, but his own visit was historical because it was in a double context. The first context is that we had not overcome the pandemic, and he decided in spite of these constraints to come visit to Senegal. This is something that the President Macky Sall, the Government of Senegal, were very much appreciated by the government.

And the second context is that Senegal was the only French-speaking country to benefit from this very first secretary - visit of the Secretary of State Mr. Blinken in Africa. To us this was a very strong message, a message of friendship but also a message which indicates that we need to work side by side to meet all the challenges that are shaking the world. You - he said it. There's this crisis in Ukraine. We'll talk about it once again. How can we cooperate further?

Senegal very much appreciated the United States' support in the fight against COVID-19 as part of COVAX, but also all of the initiatives carried out currently by President Biden to position the world towards democracy and the fight against COVID-19.

And at these very summits - the Summit for Democracy online, everywhere - Senegal was there. Senegal benefitted at all times of this cooperation and of all of the economic initiatives launched by the United States on behalf of the entire world. USAID is in our country for a very long time, but before that the Peace Corps was already there in 1963, and after that AGOA, and after that MCC, and after that, now today, DPW and then DFC, and after that, and so on and so on. So this is the status of our cooperation at the economic level, alongside our political commitments, alongside the Government of the United States, because we do share the same values that I just mentioned.

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That's why, dear Antony, I am very happy to see you once again this morning and to have this working meeting to establish once again a new landmark that will be written in the historical books. I've just signed the guest book, and I said this is a very long road, but on a periodical - once in a while each actor will play their part. And today it's you for the United States, and myself, humbly, on behalf of Senegal, I do know that we'll write many more beautiful pages to further deepen the cooperation between our two countries, which are friends.

Thank you very much.

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Thomas Jefferson Room
The latest wave of fuel scarcity in the south-west region has spread to Ogun as major filling stations in the Abeokuta, the capital, have either shut down or are experiencing long queues of buyers.

Residents and motorists in the state woke up Saturday to long queues at the few filling stations selling fuel.

On Friday, queues surfaced in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, and its environs as the residents prepared for the governorship election.

A day earlier, motorists in Ibadan and other major towns in Oyo State groaned as fuel scarcity resurfaced in the state.

The Chairman of the South-West zone of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Dele Tajudeen, said on Wednesday that the association might instruct its members in the zone to increase the pump prices of fuel, as well as diesel if the appropriate federal governments regulatory agency failed to address the continuous non-supply of the products to its members.

He said members of IPMAN in his chapter had been unable to access supplies of the products from any of the six government-owned depots for the past six months.

The NNPC mega station at Oke Mosan area of Abeokuta has not dispensed fuel for almost two days. On Saturday morning, its gates remained shut.

The Fatgbems Filling Station, located directly opposite the NNPC mega station, was yet to start dispensing fuel when our correspondent passed through the axis around 9:30 a.m.

However, a petrol tanker was seen parked within the facility waiting to discharge its content. The sight of the tanker prompted a long queue of prospective buyers in the station.

Long queues were also seen at the Mobil Filling Station at Kolobo/Panseke area; the same scenario unfolded at the NIPco station located close to Moore Junction.

The Mobil filling station at Eleweran was not dispensing fuel, while Ayomide Filling Station located less than 200 metres away was dispensing but with a long queue.

The NIPCo located along Alabata-Isolu-Emere axis was dispensing fuel but not without a long queue.

Enyo filling station, located at Asero, closed its gate to customers.

Residents also were seen going to the filling stations with various sizes of Jerry cans to purchase petrol either for their vehicles, or generators, among others.

A motorist, who gave his name as Sanni Rashidi, said what they are witnessing is how the last fuel scarcity, which started shortly after the importation of adulterated fuel, began.

Hope we are not going to witness another round of fuel scarcity.
Buying of votes was noticed across many polling units in the ongoing Saturday governorship election in Ekiti State on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents, who monitored the election, reports that incidents of vote buying were recorded in many polling centres visited.

Concerned individuals, who are also voters, alleged that some people believed to be working for politicians, suddenly arrived various polling centres and offered money to induce those already on queues to vote for their candidates.

Not in the open

They, however, claimed that such offers were not done in the open, as it used to be in the past, apparently to avoid the attention of eagle-eye security men on duty.

NAN gathered that they quietly invited the prospective voters to a corner, a little far away from the voting unit, to collect the money.

It was learnt that such development was prevalent in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, and Ikole-Ekiti among many other major towns.

It was gathered that between N5,000 and N10,000, was allegedly shared to each of the willing voters.

Ex-official confirms vote buying

A voter, who is also a former Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, confirmed the development to journalists at his Isaba-Ekiti hometown, in Ikole-Ekiti Local Government Area.

He said that money was freely shared by some party loyalists, but refused to mention the identities or parties involved.

However, many of the voters interviewed said vote buying was recorded in many polling centres in the governorship election.

The voter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that some party officials were going round the polling booths to induce the electorate on queues with money.

Voter denies vote buying

Contrary to the allegation, a voter at Ikogosi-Ekiti, the country home of Mr Biodun Oyebanji, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, said there was no trace of vote buying in the areas while voting was going on.

NAN correspondent who monitored the exercise in Ikogosi-Ekiti and its environs gathered that the electorate conducted themselves in a peaceful manner.

Some of the voters told NAN at different polling units in Ikogosi-Ekiti that they voted for the candidate of their choices without collecting any dime from any party agent.

Commenting, Bosede Ige, said that the age of collecting money before voting had gone in Ekiti State.

I cant trade my future over a token of money. I am here to exercise my civic rights as an electorate.

I urge other electorate to vote according to their consciences and ignore any monetary inducement from the politicians, Ige said.

In the same vein, an octogenarian, Philips Adeuya, said that this was first of its kind in the history of the town, where all electorate would comport themselves in a peaceful manner and shun any inducement from any party.

I can state authoritatively that there is no vote buying here, but I wouldnt say about other areas of the state, Mr Adeuya said.

Candidates deny buying votes

Reacting to the allegations, Kemi Elebute-Halle, the candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), denied ever introducing vote buying mentality to her followers.

Ms Elebute-Halle told NAN in Oke-Aiyedun Ekiti that she was never in support of corrupt means to earn votes and also denied bribing voters to vote for her.

I wish to state clearly that I was never in support of vote buying; I will never indulge in such a corrupt act.

My followers are not corrupt people and will never descend so low to collecting stipends from any politician to vote for them.

We are law abiding people and I will not do anything that will tarnish my good image and that of the partys integrity.

I am aware that my people are voting en masses for me and in spite of the fact that I did not give them a dime.

I want to urge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate other political parties that are currently buying votes, she said.

Also, Bisi Kolawole, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ekiti State, exonerated his party from any allegation of vote buying during the conduct of Saturday governorship election.

Mr Kolawole said his party, PDP, does not have money that it could use to buy votes, explaining that his party had campaigned very hard, believing that the electorate would vote massively for it without any inducement.

The PDP governorship candidate, while answering questions from journalists at Efon-Alaaye, said: We heard that there were cases of votes buying in Ado-Ekiti. We are not in government. PDP does not have money for vote buying.

We have campaigned, worked very hard and left the people to vote according to their consciences.

We know the situation is almost unbearable in Ekiti, look at the deplorable roads for example in a local government area headquarters. Can you imagine this kind of thing?

This is enough reason for voters to vote against the ruling party and vote for the opposition party.

So far, we are very sure that the people will vote en masse for PDP and at the end of the day, Bisi Kolawole will emerge as the incoming Governor of Ekiti.

EFCC arrests suspects for alleged vote buying

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it has arrested some people alleged to have engaged in vote buying in the Ekiti governorship election.

The EFCC is part of the security agencies deployed to monitor the election.

Parading some of the suspects at the Oke-Ori Omi Area Division of the Nigerian Police Force, the suspects were said to have been caught with monies allegedly used to induce voters, an act the EFCC officials said were carried out surreptitiously.

(NAN)
Two serving Senators representing Ekiti State in the Senate have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to improve on the newly introduced Bimodal Voters Authentication System (BIVAS) in the conduct of future elections.

They are Opeyemi Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, and Abiodun Olujimi, representing Ekiti South Central on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Bamidele spoke with journalists in Iyin-Ekiti, his hometown in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government area, after voting at Ward B Unit 003.

Mr Bamidele said there was the need for the new technological innovation to encompass all facets of electoral process, including accreditation, voting and electronic transfer of votes.

The APC senator said that electronic transfer of votes would not only improve the poll credibility, but would also stamp out the fears of people in tampering with results at the collation centres after election.

He lauded the security arrangements and massive turnout of voters across the state.

According to him, the upsurge in the number of voters substantiated that Nigeria is now having a remarkable improvement in the conduct of elections.

With BVAS, there is no fear of anybody tampering with the accreditation process and that is the beauty of democracy.

So, the the next stage for INEC is having electronic transfer of votes.

With this, nobody will have any fear of interception at the collation centres and that will add to the integrity of our election.

From the reports I heard from the start of the voting, it has been a peaceful process. We owe it a duty to collectively protect the integrity of this process.

All of us are bothered with the kind of tension in towns before this election, but I am personally happy for the way it has turned out peacefully, Mr Bamidele said.

Commenting, Ms Olujimi expressed delight at the turnout of events in Ekiti governorship election, particularly at the large turnout of voters, describing the process as peaceful and heartwarming.

The senator, who spoke shortly after casting her vote at Ward 7, Unit 7, Iworo Quarters in Omuo-Ekiti, Olujimi said, The turnout was huge.

For the first time, nobody is struggling to snatch ballot boxes, maybe because of voters education or our experiences in the last House of Assembly re-run election where we lost three lives or maybe the politicians now know that they have to mobilise to win.

This time, politicians know that there is no short cut; you just have to mobilise. I have been here since morning and the BVAS has not stopped for once. People are now better informed and they have turned out en masse to vote.

Kudos to INEC, the security men are almost half of the voters, maybe because of our past experiences too. But none of them intimidated voters, they are just doing their jobs.

INEC has really stepped up its acts; if the situation in my unit is what it is elsewhere, the BVAS has not stopped working and it has made voting very smooth, Ms Olujimi said.

(NAN)
The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for being a neutral participant at the partys primaries which held June 6th  8th.

In a letter addressed to the president, Mr Tinubu said ahead of the presidential primaries, the aspirants and party leaders had pleaded with Mr Buhari to choose his successor.

Naturally, this is expected especially in African democracy, said Mr Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos who the primaries.

Up until the 6th of June, 2022, the day of the APC Presidential primaries, the whole of Nigeria, including myself, was waiting for you to announce your preferred candidate. All of us thought and believed this was a very simple matter.

However, it was only as the primary went into the night and as the candidates walked up to the podium and spoke that I fully and truly appreciated your position and stance to be neutral and non-aligned to any of us.

Mr Tinubu, who polled 1,271 votes at the June 7-8 convention of the party in Abuja, defeated the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and 11 others.

Many had speculated that Mr Buhari would adopt any of the aspirants, however, the president adopted a list of five aspirants recommended by the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), the association of the APC governors.

The governors recommended the governors of Ekiti and Ebonyi states, Kayode Fayemi and David Umahi, Messrs Tinubu, Amaechi and Osinbajo. However, the president refused to adopt anyone.

He reportedly asked the governors to pick any of the aspirants on the list.

At the convention, nine aspirants stepped down with eight of them endorrsing Mr Tinubu and one adopting Mr Osinbajo.

TINUBU TO BUHARI: YOU TRULY BELONG TO EVERYBODY, AND BELONG TO NOBODY

The full text of the letter is reproduced below:

Dear Mr President,

DEEP APPRECIATION

I bring you sincere fraternal greetings and congratulations on the successful conclusion of the special Presidential Convention of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

On behalf of my wife, Oluremi, and my entire family, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the very special and personal congratulatory letter you sent to me. I am deeply honored. Your words in that letter were reassuring, reenergizing, and reinvigorating.

Your Excellency, one must admire the sense of purpose, composure, and maturity you demonstrated in the weeks and months preceding the primary elections of our great party. As aspirants and party leaders, we all pleaded with you to choose your successor.

Naturally, this is expected especially in African democracy. Up until the 6th of June, 2022, the day of the APC Presidential primaries, the whole of Nigeria, including myself, was waiting for you to announce your preferred candidate. All of us thought and believed this was a very simple matter.

However, it was only as the primary went into the night and as the candidates walked up to the podium and spoke that I fully and truly appreciated your position and stance to be neutral and non-aligned to any of us. As the first person to speak, I also had the special vantage point to carefully hear, without any distraction, what the other candidates had to say.

As the hours rolled by that evening, it became clear to me that all of us were your preferred candidates. As you captured it aptly in your letter to me, the spirit of 2013 and 2014 when we created and built APC was there for all to see.

In your letter and in our many meetings over the years, you fondly reminisced on fraternal attitude in the days and months before and after formation of the APC, when we all worked day and night to create, sustain and nurture our nascent movements into a credible opposition party and ultimately, become the ruling party. That time, no one spoke about tribe; no one spoke about religion. That was not what drove us. We were driven by a common desire to save and transform Nigeria.

One by one, I saw my colleagues and partners stand on the podium, full of the same passion and patriotic zeal they had in 2013/2014, presenting their ideas on how to build on your successful legacy. Back then, as it is now, we were from all parts of the country, all tribes, and all religions. We all had deep personal and strong bonds with you. We were together back then and our bonds remained strong up till now.

Mr. President, as the night of 6 June turned to morning of 7 June, I fully understood and appreciated your stance. You belonged to everybody in the party and you belonged to none of the individual candidates of the party. A true leader, brother and friend.

Mr. President, the delegates from all over the country nominated my humble self to be their candidate. I must acknowledge that my nomination would not have become a reality without your support and that of the party leaders across the country. Indeed, as I reflect on my political journey, most of the 2022 APC presidential aspirants, members of the Progressive Governors Forum and National Assembly leaders and members all had a role to play in my successes and achievements thus far.

I will forever be grateful to them for shaping my political journey over the decades. I want to assure you that I will continue to work with them going forward. My emergence as a candidate is also a victory for them.

I have met most of them in the past few days and will continue these engagements as we plan for the general elections. Mr. President, APC is united and will remain united as we move towards the general elections.

I have taken note of the message you sent to all Presidential Candidates in your Democracy Day speech to the nation on the 12th June, 2022. Our country is going through a very sensitive period and no one should put their personal desires above and beyond the nations peace and prosperity. As you said, the message we set at the top will be replicated in our followers. At this point, I will take this opportunity to assure Your Excellency of my commitment to running an issue focused campaign as we move into the general elections. I will personally engage the candidates from other political parties to urge them to do same. Voters should elect us based on our policies, programmes, and projects. By the grace of God, we as candidates will avoid having divisive, destructive and disruptive campaigns.

I will conclude by once again thanking you for being there for all of us. By the grace of God and with your leadership, guidance and support, I am confident that we will lead our great party, the APC, to victory in the February 2023 general elections. We will ride on the back of your successes. We will build on the foundations of transparency and integrity which you have laid.

Mr President, together, side by side, in the spirit of 2014, we will win and Nigeria will move forward to a progressive, peaceful and prosperous future.

Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu

APC Presidential Candidate
in the 2023 election circle, we must set different standards in our leadership recruitment process. We must look for competence, empathy, inclusiveness, and innovative thinking in those who seek public office.

Nigeria is perhaps the worlds greatest victim of identity politics  the politics of who you are, where you come from, and which deity you worship.

Nothing seems to animate the primal instincts of Nigerians more than religion, ethnicity or tribe.

We may endure almost any hardship, and forgive the ghastly incompetence and corruption of our leaders.

We may turn the other cheek when our educational standards collapse, or blame the antics of Satan when our children die from water-borne diseases.

When our national power grid collapses, as it frequently does, plunging the entire country into medieval darkness, we murmur our national shame in private.

Rather than hold our leaders to account, we prefer to leave even matters of sanitation, health care delivery, and high maternal mortality in the hands of God.

But the same Nigerians are prepared to kill in broad daylight or go to war over religious blasphemy.

We recruit our leaders, not according to their abilities or the brilliance of their ideas, but on the basis of tribal identity, political zones, and religious faith.

But in the 2023 election circle, we must set different standards in our leadership recruitment process. We must look for competence, empathy, inclusiveness, and innovative thinking in those who seek public office.

Nigerians want competent and visionary leaders who can move the country out of its current doldrums, and inspire Nigeria to greater heights.

History teaches us again and again that when we zone or allocate political power simply on the basis of geography, only ethnic demagogues with the vilest energy would seize it.

When we vote on the basis of religious identity, then we set the stage for incompetent religious bigots to win.

President Muhammadu Buhari is perhaps the conclusive proof that a regional leader with an insular vision can never collectivise a nation, and propel it towards development.

Secondly, as we inch closer to the next general elections, the champions of religious equity are stepping forward with the old obsession about the religious match-making of candidates.

They are arguing for and against a so-called Christian-Christian ticket versus a Muslim-Muslim ticket .

But Nigerians, especially young Nigerians, have seen the ultimate futility of these false religious debates.

Nigerians want competent and visionary leaders who can move the country out of its current doldrums, and inspire Nigeria to greater heights.

After all, President Buhari is a Muslim. But he has failed to stop the kidnappings or killings of thousands of Muslims over the past seven years of his administration.

We need to reinvent an equitable and compassionate nation where no one is killed or left behind simply because of where they were born.

Similarly, despite being a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Nigerias largest Pentecostal church, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has failed to halt the relentless massacre of Christains in all parts of the country.

In fact, the abject failure of the Buhari-Osinbajo administration is both evidence and a warning to Nigerians that even a balanced Muslim-Christian ticket could spell disaster for the country.

Today, the widespread poverty in Nigeria knows no tribe or religion. And a failed state endangers us all: Rich or poor, Muslim, Christian, and those with no faith at all.

Nigeria has reached a critical inflection point where even good governance may no longer be enough to redeem her promise.

We need creative, competent, broadminded and audacious leaders at all levels to move the country in a different direction.

Every nation on earth can be recreated to reflect the finest values of its people. So lets get to work.

We need to reinvent an equitable and compassionate nation where no one is killed or left behind simply because of where they were born.

Let 2023 be the year we turn the page on tribalism and identity politics in Nigeria.

Austin Tam-George is a communication and public policy consultant. Email: attamgeorge@gmail.com
King Philippe refused to apologise for the Belgian crimes perhaps because he agrees with his brother, Laurent, that Leopold was not responsible for those crimes: because he never went to Congo. That did not mean he did not line his pockets and stuff the Belgian treasury with looted Congolese wealth.

Belgian King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo paid a six-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from June 7 on what should have been a pilgrimage of repentance for some of the most unspeakable atrocities ever visited on humanity.

King Philippe should have bowed his head in shame, be remorseful and apologised for the genocide the Belgian monarchy visited on the DRC, the follow up brutal colonialism, and subjecting the Congolese and, by extension, the African to some of the most outrageous treatment of a people in human history.

Rather he came, strutting magisterially about, speaking condescendingly and, of course, being too arrogant to offer a simple apology. This is an indication that he is not sorry for the devilish actions of his forebears, and may, like his younger brother, Prince Laurent, actually exonerate the monarchy from the crimes committed against a peaceful, defenceless population. The DRC has, since 1885, been visited with four stages of Belgian-induced calamities, from which the country has, until today, not recovered.

The first and most benumbing was the Belgian seizure of the DRC in 1885 by King Leopold II, the brother of King Philippes great great grandfather, under whose rule, fifteen million Congolese were murdered. This is the highest known figure of genocide in world history. Even in the lunatic Nazi Holocaust against innocent and defenceless Jews, the highest estimated casualty figure was six million.

Yet, till today, the Germans show remorse, they paid reparation, and teach their children that there is no excuse whatsoever for such atrocities and that everything must be done to ensure genocide never occurs again. In contrast, the Belgians show no remorse, would not apologise, pay no reparation, make excuses for the genocide, do not teach this part of their history in schools, and have not campaigned against a possible repeat of their history of genocide.

The second cataclysm Belgium visited on the DRC was its follow-up 52-year brutal colonialism, during which, amongst other crimes against humanity, it seized by force, in the 1940s and 1950s, thousands of mixed race children, known as metis, and transported them to Brussels, allegedly to be fostered.

The third tragedy occurred within three months of independence, when Belgium, in collaboration with Britain and the United States, organised the overthrow of the Lumumba government. Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, without any trial, was subsequently tied to a tree in the Katangese forest and executed by Belgian security forces. After his execution in January 1961, the Belgian officers decapitated his body, soaked it in acid and buried it in an unmarked grave.

The third calamity that befell the DRC through the instrumentality of Belgium and its Western collaborators, was the 1965 installation of Joseph Mobutu, later named Mobutu Seseseko who, in 32 years of Belgium-like bestial rule, ran down the country. The fourth atrocity has been the post-Mobutu era in which Belgium and other Western countries continue to loot DRCs natural resources

A Belgian police officer, Gerard Soete, before dissolving the Congolese prime ministers remains in sulphuric acid, took two of Lumumbas teeth and several of his finger bones as hunting trophy. Thirty eight years later, Soete addressed the Belgian press to talk glibly about his role in the murder and mutilation of Lumumba, and the body parts of the African Head of State he kept as trophy.

Since in the eyes of Belgium, Soete was carrying out a patriotic duty, he was never charged. Buoyed by the awareness that her father was seen as a hero, in 2016 the international criminals daughter, Godelieve Soete, held a press interview during which she displayed one of the two teeth of Lumumba that her father had kept.

It was when an international outrage followed that Belgian authorities raided Soetes house and retrieved the tooth Ms Soete had displayed. But there is no talk about the second tooth.

When, last week, King Philippe visited DRC, he did not bring Lumumbas recovered tooth. Rather, he brought a Congolese mask, one of more than 84,000 DRC works stolen by the Belgians during colonialism. The Belgians do not intend to return these stolen works, rather their parliament wants to legislate for their restitution on a case-by-case basis. Imagine the centuries this may take! Even the mask that the King brought is not really a return to its rightful owners, but an indefinite loan. Imagine people in possession of stolen property, loaning them to the owners!

The third calamity that befell the DRC through the instrumentality of Belgium and its Western collaborators, was the 1965 installation of Joseph Mobutu, later named Mobutu Sese Seko who, in 32 years of Belgium-like bestial rule, ran down the country. The fourth atrocity has been the post-Mobutu era in which Belgium and other Western countries continue to loot DRCs natural resources, resulting today in the citizens of one of the most naturally endowed countries in the world being the second poorest.

To be sure, all European colonialists carried out unspeakable atrocities in Africa. For instance, while the Belgian King was busy in the DRC, Germany was  through starvation, mass drowning, gassing and forcing populations into the desert without food or water  virtually wiping out the Herero and Nama people of Namibia. But such crimes against humanity were a childs play compared to those of Belgium

Also, the colonial splintering of the country induced by Belgium, continues today with the DRC having over 200 armed groups. When the Europeans and Americans converged in Berlin in 1884/85 and carved up Africa as colonies, they gave King Leopold II the 2,344,885-kilometre DRC as his own share of the booty.

To run what he considered his personal estate, he established a private African army called the Force Publique (Public Force). He then announced that he was on a humanitarian mission. To prove this, he pushed the powerful Muslim slave traders out of the Congo. He then began the systematic looting of the Congo in the most bizarre and bestial manner imaginable. This included the execution of children when their parents could not meet the rubber collection quota set by his agents. In many cases, the hands and limbs of the Congolese were severed. In the 23 years that Leopold II ran the DRC, the Belgians killed an average of 652,000 Congolese annually; at the rate of 54,347 monthly or 1,811 every day!

To be sure, all European colonialists carried out unspeakable atrocities in Africa. For instance, while the Belgian King was busy in the DRC, Germany was  through starvation, mass drowning, gassing and forcing populations into the desert without food or water  virtually wiping out the Herero and Nama people of Namibia. But such crimes against humanity were a childs play compared to those of Belgium, so much that other European colonialists collaborated in 1908 to force Leopold II out of the DRC and get the Belgian government to formally colonise the country.

King Philippe refused to apologise for the Belgian crimes perhaps because he agrees with his brother, Laurent, that Leopold was not responsible for those crimes: because he never went to Congo. That did not mean he did not line his pockets and stuff the Belgian treasury with looted Congolese wealth.

He may also concur with the former Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel who in 2010 declared Leopold, a hero with ambitions for a small country like Belgium. King Philippe may also believe in Rudyard Kiplings 1899 poem justifying colonialism as The White Mans Burden to bring civilisation to the colonised whom he described as Half-devil and half-child.

Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author.
While acknowledging that Nigeria is not America, that Peter Obi is not Obama, that Obama did not solve the deeply-rooted ills of America, that Peter Obi will not solve the fundamental problems with Nigeria, the only relatively peaceful way for Nigeria to see tomorrow and have an extended chance to rethink its path and reposition its faith is to have the audacity to find hope somewhere today  somewhere different from where Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar reside.

On Monday, August 4, 2004, one week after he made a speech at the Democratic Partys convention in Boston, I wrote a column for Nigeriaworld called Obama: An audacity of hope? Here is how the column started.

Jan Schakowsky, an Illinois Congresswoman, recently visited the White House with a congressional delegation. Making her way out, she passed President Bush, and the president literally jumped back on seeing Obama button pinned to her chest. Guessing what the president was thinking, she told him, Mr. President, it is Obama with a b. Still, the president did not get it. The congresswoman briefly explained to Bush who Obama was. Well, I dont know him, the president responded. Jan Schakowsky paused and then said to the president, You will.

No doubt, Mr. Bush now knows, just like many watchers of American politics in America and far beyond. Even Stevie Wonder can tell you there is a new phenomenon in the American political arena. His name is Barack Obama.

Last week, he stood at the Democratic Party convention podium in Boston and made one speech establishing him as the future of American politics. It was an unprecedented introduction of a state senator and a candidate for the U.S. senate. That single performance alone smashed all conventional wisdom and shifted the paradigm across many lines.

But who is Obama? Who is that skinny kid with a funny name? Was America waiting for him or did he impose himself on America? As Africans, how will his arrival impact our understanding of America and our place in it, not just today but in years to come? Should his conquest become our dream and the dreams of our children? Will his path bring peace to our divided souls and lead us to the proverbial Promised Land, or shall we look for another?

I proceeded in the article to introduce my readers to Obama and his dreams from his father. I highlighted what made him unique in American political history and why he was uniquely positioned to redefine the polity. Here is how I concluded the piece.

Recently, while on a visit to Kenya, he was asked if he sees himself as a Kenyan-American. To that, he answered, Ive got a lot of hyphens attached to me. I start with the approach that Im a human being who cares about people all across the globe. Im an American and proud of it, and Im also an African-American, which means I share a bond of struggle but also joy with people of African descent everywhere.

Noam Scheiber, writing in the New Republic, attributed Obamas popularity to his exotic background. He has been called smart and handsome. His picture-perfect story impressed many Americans. But most importantly, most Americans see him as non-threatening. As a politician, his appeal goes beyond the black community because to white voters, he has a lot going for him that differentiates him from typical African-Americans. Asked once how he connects with rural white voters, he said, I know those people. Those are my grandparents. The food they serve is the food my grandparents served when I was growing up. Their manners, their sensibility, their sense of right and wrong  its all totally familiar to me.

APCs failure to pick Vice President Osinbajo and PDPs choice of Atiku Abubakar as its flag bearer has brought Nigerians to a similar juncture. By throwing up Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar, the two major political parties left Nigerians with no option but to look elsewhere for hope. This search for something fresh and creative has brought about the Peter Obi phenomenon.

What makes Obama stand out is that he seems not to be weighed down by the pains of the past. He talks about continuing the struggle and acknowledges that he is where he is today because some people before him fought and made sacrifices. But that distance from the pains of the past is one thing Obama shares with most children of African immigrants.

But being a product of a biracial marriage and raised completely by his mothers white family, Obama does not really represent the typical child of a first-generation African immigrant in America. Many Africans in America more often than not marry from their own ethnicity, nationality and the greater African family. When they step out of these groupings, many marry into the African-American family. Though a good number are in biracial marriages, it is in places like Western Europe that one would see a whole lot of Obamas.

There is a lesson to all Africans in seeing Obama talk about his Kenyan heritage openly. However, that lesson should not be taken at its face value. In trying to understand Obama, his appeal and his approach, it is also important to remember that coming from a biracial relation gave him a historical advantage. Traditionally, when white America wants to embrace black America, they rally around those who are light-skinned with white blood in them. Earlier in his political career, Obama had difficulty being accepted by African-Americans because he was seen as too light-skinned and too white.

Obama has been praised for promoting universal values like personal responsibility, hard work, self-improvement through education and love and service to the nation. He is married to an African-American woman named Michelle and they have two daughters aged five and three. While talking about her life with Obama, Michelle, another Harvard Law School graduate, said, So much of getting ahead in this world is access, networking.

When Obama wins the election in November, he will be the third African-American to serve in the Senate since Reconstruction. That in itself is stirring a lot of excitement. The expectation in African communities across America and beyond is that Obama, when elected to the U.S. Senate would become a major advocate for African issues in America. Already, some are saying he would be our man in Washington.

Invariably, Obama is a bundle of promises. There is the hope that he might take that simple dream Hussein Onyango Obama had in his son, Barack Obama Jr. and turn it into small miracles and from there bring light to that dark continent of Africa. The other day, he told the Kenyan Sunday Nation newspaper that to the Bush administration, Africa has been an afterthought, as it has been throughout American history.

Hopefully, we do not have to wait for Obamas administration in 2016 to remove Africa from the miserable position of being Americas afterthought.

Yes, rereading this now makes me remember the futility of political predictions. I had estimated that Obama would run for president and win in 2016. I was off by eight years.

Dethroning the two big political parties in Nigeria in 2023 does not look possible to those who see political success from the old prism. A paradigm shift has happened in this new world where the biggest taxi company does not own a car and the biggest hospitality company does not own a hotel. If harnessed well, the way Obamas campaign ran in 2008, Peter Obis campaign can overcome whatever odds placed in its front and shock Nigerians too.

After just four years in the Senate, Obama stepped in to run for president against heavy-weight Hillary Clinton. I watched with great interest the enthusiasm that he brought into Americas political life. While many felt that he could not dethrone the Clinton machine in the Democratic Party, I read it accurately well that he could. And he did.

While I would acknowledge that Nigeria is not America, I can see several parallels in the Peter Obi phenomenon happening in Nigeria now. The great recession that started towards the end of George Bushs administration made Americans frustrated and irritated at any mention of the same old politicians.

APCs failure to pick Vice President Osinbajo and PDPs choice of Atiku Abubakar as its flag bearer has brought Nigerians to a similar juncture. By throwing up Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar, the two major political parties left Nigerians with no option but to look elsewhere for hope. This search for something fresh and creative has brought about the Peter Obi phenomenon.

At the outset of Obamas run, similar questions today raised about Peter Obis run were thrown out. Some said that it wasnt his time, that he was only testing the waters in preparation for a future run. Some thought that all the white people who cheered Obama would return to their racist baseline and vote for Hilary Clinton during the election. There were those who were sure that Obama, counting on small donors, could not march the Clintons big-money political machine in fundraising. Even black people did not embrace Obama at the beginning. Some resented that Obama was not African-American enough, having a white mother and an African father. When African-Americans overcame their initial skepticism and embraced Obama, some feared their rally around Obama would repel white Americans who started the movement. Obama overcame those odds and won the Democratic Partys primary in 2008.

Facing Republican John McCain, greater odds emerged. Obamas pastor, Reverend Wright, was used to argue that Obama was not a saint and could be dangerous to white America. Some went as far as to insinuate that Obama was a closet Muslim. Through hard work and creative politicking, Obama overcame those odds and triumphed. With shocking similarities and unique differences, all these dynamics are playing out in Peter Obis run for president.

Dethroning the two big political parties in Nigeria in 2023 does not look possible to those who see political success from the old prism. A paradigm shift has happened in this new world where the biggest taxi company does not own a car and the biggest hospitality company does not own a hotel. If harnessed well, the way Obamas campaign ran in 2008, Peter Obis campaign can overcome whatever odds placed in its front and shock Nigerians too.

If Peter Obi fails, it wont be because it is not possible. It will be because, like everything about Nigeria, it is assumed to be difficult and left untried. While acknowledging that Nigeria is not America, that Peter Obi is not Obama, that Obama did not solve the deeply-rooted ills of America, that Peter Obi will not solve the fundamental problems with Nigeria, the only relatively peaceful way for Nigeria to see tomorrow and have an extended chance to rethink its path and reposition its faith is to have the audacity to find hope somewhere today  somewhere different from where Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar reside.

Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo teaches Post-Colonial African History at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He is also the host of Dr. Damages Show. His books include This American Life Sef, Children of a Retired God, among others.
Presidential candidates, political parties, the media and the general public are advised not to trivialise the process of nominating a vice presidential candidate. I understand that some political parties resorted to this arrangement in order to beat the deadline for submission of nominations set by INEC. But as earlier posited, this arrangement is not without risk.

The novel concept of a placeholder that some presidential candidates are resorting to is unknown to the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act. When a name is submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as vice presidential candidate, the names bearer automatically and legally becomes the vice presidential candidate of that political party, simpliciter.

However, Section 31 of the Electoral Act, 2022 allows for the withdrawal of candidacy. Unlike the position under the repealed 2010 Electoral Act, where political parties were allowed to change or substitute candidates on the basis of cogent and verifiable reason(s), the Electoral Act, 2022 expressly prohibits the substitution of candidates; subject to only two permissible exceptions.

According to Section 33 of the said Act, a political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidate except by reason of death or withdrawal by the candidate. Section 31 requires a candidate seeking to withdraw to do so in writing, and must deliver the withdrawal letter personally to the party.

Where a candidate has properly withdrawn, in accordance with the law, the political party is required to inform INEC within 14 days and also conduct a fresh primary election to produce a fresh candidate and submit the name to INEC.

What is the fate of Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi and their parties?

The associated risk with this arrangement is that if the placeholders subsequently fail or refuse to withdraw, as expected or agreed in writing after they have been validly nominated, the parties and the presidential candidates will have no choice but to stick with them to the end of the election.

It is reported in the media that the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mr Peter Obi, respectively, have nominated persons as placeholders to stand-in temporarily pending when they will nominate substantive vice presidential candidates.

This is a risky political arrangement. It is not rooted in law. The individuals so nominated are the vice presidential candidates of the APC and the Labour Party. However, Tinubu and Obi and their parties can substitute them if the conditions stated above are met by the placeholders.

The associated risk with this arrangement is that if the placeholders subsequently fail or refuse to withdraw, as expected or agreed in writing after they have been validly nominated, the parties and the presidential candidates will have no choice but to stick with them to the end of the election.

The suggestion that a vice presidential candidate can be substituted at will or randomly is erroneous. The position of vice president is elective, not appointive. As the Supreme Court correctly stated in Attorney General of the Federation V. Atiku Abubakar (2007) 10 NWLR (Pt. 1041) 1, a vice president is the vice president of the country; not of the political party under which he was elected.

In summary, a vice presidential candidate is a candidate. See the case of James Abiodun Faleke V. INEC & Anor (2016). Thus, the conditions for valid withdrawal and or substitution of candidacy under Sections 31 and 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022 are equally applicable to a vice presidential candidate.

It should also be noted that by Section 142 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), a person cannot be validly elected as president except he nominates another candidate as his associate from the same political party to run with him to occupy the office of vice president if theyre elected.

In summary, a vice presidential candidate is a candidate. See the case of James Abiodun Faleke V. INEC & Anor (2016). Thus, the conditions for valid withdrawal and or substitution of candidacy under Sections 31 and 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022 are equally applicable to a vice presidential candidate.

The difference is that the process of substituting a vice presidential candidate upon valid withdrawal does not involve the conduct of a primary election. The reason is that vice presidential candidacy is birthed by and incidental to the nomination of a presidential candidate.

Presidential candidates, political parties, the media and the general public are advised not to trivialise the process of nominating a vice presidential candidate. I understand that some political parties resorted to this arrangement in order to beat the deadline for submission of nominations set by INEC. But as earlier posited, this arrangement is not without risk.

Inibehe Effiong is a Lagos-based Legal Practitioner. Email: inibehe.effiong@gmail.com
There have been several sorts of combat, but social media has spawned a new type of non-conventional conflict in which firearms and explosives are unlikely to be shot or thrown. It has provided a platform for enhanced verbal assaults through cyberbullying, which incites violence. It has also aided in the creation and persistence of cyber-attacks and cyber-terrorism that have harmed the systems of various sectors of society.

Conflict is an existential and often inexcusable factor in every society, and it has permeated human existence through the stages of empire development down to contemporary times. The truth is that human needs are insatiable, and conflicts and aggression spring out from interactions in striving to meet some of these needs. Since human interactions cannot be excused, this proves that conflict will always be a necessary evil that each society will have to deal with at certain points in time.

While conflict appears constant in all civilisations, people have never relented in leveraging different tools to create an edge in every conflict situation. To a large extent, different fatal weapons have been developed and used to put people above each other in terms of their opportunities and power, while also forging forward with the quest of discovering other effective tools. In this quest, the use of social media, though not literarily fatal, has been a new tool for human propagation and engagement in conflicts.

Along with its inevitability in modern society, social media seems to have become an effective tool for conflict. Creating networks and links has become unavoidable due to the increasing number of users. Social media has become one of the key forms of communication since it allows for dynamic conversations, agreements, and conflicts. As a result, it has become crucial in the creation, process, management, and resolution of conflicts worldwide.

For conflict resolution, social media creates a new dynamic in society that necessitates its inclusion. One of them is the construction of an alternative nation independent of any country, race, or religion. Apart from other famous platforms with populations in the millions, the users on Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter are currently about 2.91 billion, 2.562 billion, 2 billion, 1.478 billion, and 436 million, respectively. This has resulted in the formation of a global community that allows for conflict instigation, sensitisation, and resolution. Aggression, provocations, and incitement of confrontations on social media have all had the potential to escalate into large and uncontrollable situations. These incidents have morphed into movements and disputes, resulting in physical protests and cross-border assaults. The EndSARS protest in Nigeria, which sparked a crisis, is an example of these incitements that began on social media and escalated into big rallies.

social media has been a key instrument in conflict resolution since it provides a channel for first-hand information, especially if the source can be tracked, and it allows additional first responders to be dispatched to an incident that requires immediate intervention. Before she died, Dr Chinelo Megafu, one of the gunshot victims in the Nigerian railway attack between Abuja and Kaduna, tweeted to report the occurrence

Furthermore, terrorists, evil individuals, and organisations have successfully planned and carried out attacks owing to the accessibility and availability of social media. This is because operations and acts might be monitored and executed without interruption through social media platforms. Terrorist groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Boko Haram, and Al-Shabaab, among others, have used social media to connect, monitor, and broadcast their wicked operations. Kenyas Westgate mall incident in Nairobi on September 21, 2013, in which 67 people were killed and 175 more were injured, is an example of an open operation involving social media engagement on Twitter.

Also, social media has been a key instrument in conflict resolution since it provides a channel for first-hand information, especially if the source can be tracked, and it allows additional first responders to be dispatched to an incident that requires immediate intervention. Before she died, Dr Chinelo Megafu, one of the gunshot victims in the Nigerian railway attack between Abuja and Kaduna, tweeted to report the occurrence and alert people that she had been shot on the train. This elicited responses from various sources and, in some cases, would have assisted victims as quickly as feasible.

New decision influencers and gladiators capable of determining the course of conflicts, instigating them, or putting an end to them have also emerged as a result of social media. Due to social media, new power-movers and stakeholders have emerged and now have a say in how society is governed. Thus, the opinions of these influencers and personalities have been deemed extremely important, as a single tweet or post from them can change the course of events and peoples convictions. These behemoths are frequently targeted for political or social movements and may occasionally make mistakes.

Although it is easy to think of fights regarding human violence, social media has evolved into a battleground for cultural clashes. It is widely acknowledged that social media is a fundamental tool of globalisation, which results in the diffusion of new cultures that may pose a danger to peoples existing cultures. It has worked as a way of promoting the African culture, while simultaneously endangering current African cultures

There have been several sorts of combat, but social media has spawned a new type of non-conventional conflict in which firearms and explosives are unlikely to be shot or thrown. It has provided a platform for enhanced verbal assaults through cyberbullying, which incites violence. It has also aided in the creation and persistence of cyber-attacks and cyber-terrorism that have harmed the systems of various sectors of society. Often, assailants are not frightened of the victims or the consequences of their actions; these are the new guns and explosives of the social media warfronts. Furthermore, this non-traditional fighting might easily result in a new Cold War or something similar to it, as well as provide a platform for threats beyond borders.

Although it is easy to think of fights regarding human violence, social media has evolved into a battleground for cultural clashes. It is widely acknowledged that social media is a fundamental tool of globalisation, which results in the diffusion of new cultures that may pose a danger to peoples existing cultures. It has worked as a way of promoting the African culture, while simultaneously endangering current African cultures because people tend to acquire new values as portrayed in other societies. Despite colonial and Eurocentric condemnations as useless, social media has helped expose and showcase the outstanding intellect of the African continent. The use of social media has allowed African brains and crafts to be exposed to the rest of the globe, allowing more people to appreciate our traditions. As a result, while it may be a source of cultural clashes and conflict on the continent, if correctly harnessed, it can also be a source of embracing African cultures and values.

Finally, social media has taken a realistic role in conflicts, and it is the goal of every sensible civilisation anywhere in the world to maintain peaceful coexistence. Therefore, society must be prepared to use the dynamics of social media to handle conflict and redirect its drawbacks toward progress. Hopefully, the ultimate determination will be how to move social media in its most positive direction.

Toyin Falola, a professor of History, University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at The University of Texas at Austin, is the Bobapitan of Ibadanland.
Suspected arsonists attacked the office of Prime Times News, an online newspaper based in Kanos metropolis.

The newspapers editor, Ahmad Muhammad, told PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday that the office of the publication was attacked Thursday night.

He said the attackers destroyed some working tools including computers and printers.

Mr Muhammad said the news organisation is suspecting sabotage within the company.

I was alarmed around 10:31 p.m. Thursday night that the office was on fire, and one of the staff had to rush to the scene, unfortunately, the damage had been done, he said.

Two office laptop computers and a camera were missing following the incident.

For now, the matter is being investigated by the security agencies in the state, but we are suspecting sabotage, Mr Muhammad said.

ALSO READ: One person dies as uncompleted storey building collapses in Kano market

The arsonist attack on the newspaper followed an attack on the office of Thunder Blowers Online, a Zamfara-based online newspaper in January.

The multimedia editor of Thunder Blower, Mansur Rabiu, was wounded and his phone was stolen while another staff member, Sulaiman Dan Aljanna, lost his personal computer to the attackers.

The police spokesperson in Kano State, Haruna Kiyawa, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Ghana spent two million dollars to import food yearly, a situation that can be avoided if the energy of the youth is channelled toward agriculture.

It is for this reason that the government developed the YouStart programme to encourage the youth to create their jobs including venturing into the agriculture sector.

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Mr Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, who disclosed this at a stakeholder meeting in Accra said currently, over 100,000 Ghanaian youth seek jobs yearly.

He said the YouStart programme was expected to decrease this, adding that, the programme would support all commercially viable innovative ideas from the youth to help them create their businesses.

"Most of the big industries and Multi-National Agencies today all started as start-up businesses and underwent a transformation over time," he added.

He said the YouStart Secretariat had received unique ideas and proposals from the youth, held stakeholder interactions across the country and the information gathered would ensure the successful implementation of the programme.

He disclosed that the programme would be officially launched in July 2022.

On his part, the Chief Accountant of the Ministry of Finance, Mr Andrew Ameckson, said the programme was expected to create 800,000 direct jobs.

He said every eligible applicant would be given the opportunity and support to contribute their quota to national development.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State said his emergence as the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general elections will not end the agitation for the Igbo to produce a Nigerian president.

The PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Thursday, announced Mr Okowa as his running mate for next years election after consultations with some party leaders.

Some political analysts believe the emergence of Mr Okowa, who hails from Ika, an Igbo-speaking part of Delta State, could assuage the Igbo in the South-east.

But Mr Okowa, during an interview with Arise TV on Saturday, said his vice presidential candidacy will not end agitation for Igbo presidency.

I do know that the South-east said it is their turn to be president of this nation. But I am not aware that the South-east directly had come out to agitate for the vice presidency.

For me, yes, I am from Delta State, but I am definitely an Igbo man. Theres no doubt about that. If youre looking at Igbos across the country, I am an Igbo man. I cant be counted out, he said.

So, despite coming from South-south, I am also an Igbo man and to that extent, I fit into all the divides. Because my brothers (are) in the South-east, I am part of them. I am also part of the South-south. But that does stop the agitation in the future for the Igbo presidency, Mr Okowa stated.

The governor, who noted that he was lucky to be chosen as a running mate, however, argued that the emergence of Mr Atiku as presidential candidate of PDP would provide an opportunity for the South-east to produce a president in the nearest future.

I believe that since one of us has emerged from the North-east at this point in time, that it is a good sign for the future. If the North-east gets the opportunity (to produce president), if by Gods grace, Atiku Abubakar becomes the president, that South-east will have the opportunity (to also produce president later), he added.

He said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition PDP, are better placed to win the presidential election in 2023.

He said, There are two main parties at the moment, the PDP and the APC. Other parties are just still struggling through. While I respect whatever they are doing, we need to be sure that they fit into one of these two parties.

Background

There have been calls from Igbo leaders that the South-east should be allowed to produce a president for the first time in 2023.

Some leaders have argued that the emergence of a Nigerian president from the South-east would end the Biafra agitation and the insecurity in the region.

Despite pressures on them, the APC and the PDP declined to zone their presidential tickets to the region.

While the APC elected former Governor of Lagos State, Ahmed Tinubu, from South-west, as its presidential candidate, the PDP chose former vice president, Mr Atiku, from North-east.
The Enugu House of Assembly has asked the state executive to lift the embargo it placed on employment at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Education, James Akadu, made the request on Friday in Enugu during the committees oversight function at IMT.

Mr Akadu said lifting the embargo would enable the institute to recruit qualified lecturers.

He decried the number of casual workers at IMT, which he said stood at about 200.

The casual workers at IMT outnumbered permanent ones, according to him.

Mr Akadu said, The development is not only unhealthy but also negatively affecting the institution.

The committee chairman urged the institution to boost its internally generated revenue so it could augment the monthly allocations from the state government.

A member of the committee, Chima Obieze, urged the management of the institution to work on the dilapidated hostels to encourage students to live on campus.

Mr Obieze said: The institution should not be concerned with increasing hostel fee, but should make the hostels conducive for students.

This is one of the reasons students are not willing to live in the hostels.

Responding, the Rector of IMT, Austin Nweze, said the institution had increased school fees of first-year students from N40,000 to N75,000 to enable it to meet its financial obligations.

The challenges facing the institution are enormous. However, my administration is tackling these challenges head-on.

I am, therefore, soliciting your assistance in moving the institution forward, Mr Nweze, a professor, said.

(NAN)
Some electorate in Ikere-Ekiti area have decried the non-inclusion of stamp pads in the election materials supplied to the town, alleging that the process has been compromised.

They expressed their displeasure in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the town.

One of them, an 85-year-old woman, Caroline Elizabeth, vowed to wait until INEC produces the stamp pad, saying that she could not afford to be disenfranchised.

This is my civic responsibility and that I am still alive to witness this, I must cast my vote.

This is another dimension in my 85 years in life; I have voted more than 12 times and never witnessed this situation.

But, no matter how long it takes INEC to produce the stamp pads, I will continue to wait, Mrs Elizabeth said.

Another voter, Isaac Alabi, expressed his displeasure with the situation, asking why the INEC officials just noticing the non-inclusion of stamp pad in the materials given to them three days before the election.

Ade Asimolowo, an electorate, said peaceful election was possible if all involved in the electoral process could abide by the guiding rules.

Commenting, Wole Oluyede, the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), said the election had been compromised following non-inclusion of vitals items in the election materials dispatched to the town.

NAN reported that as at 10:15a.m. at Ugele Arokun Ward 3 Unit 6 in Ikere-Ekiti, where the ADC candidate was expected to vote, ballot stamp pads were missing in the voting materials dispatched to the polling unit.

The Presiding Officer in the unit, Festus More, said all the items were completed when he checked through, but could not explain how the stamps were removed.

I was set for the voting as all the necessary preparation and protocols have been done. In fact, I have given out a ballot paper to the first voter, only to discover that the stamps were missing, Mr More said.

He, however, assured the electorate that they had arranged to get another stamp so that voting could begin.

(NAN)
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have dispersed a group of residents allegedly being bribed at Mobil filling station, opposite St. Michaels School in Ajilosun area of Ado-Ekiti.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who monitored voting across the state, observed a large crowd being dispersed by a team of NSCDC operatives, led by acting Deputy Commandant, Haruna Muhammed.

A resident of the area, Musa Faruk, said some suspected agents of political parties had been distributing between N10,000 and N12,000 to the voters who agreed to vote for their preferred governorship candidate.

He explained that at polling units 1 and 2 of Ward 4 at St. Michael Nursery and Primary School, the agents stood close by to observe who the voters voted for before giving them the money.

Another voter, Veronica Famigun, who was in the midst of the crowd, said that vote-buying had been ongoing for hours, expressing happiness over the way the NSCDC operatives dismissed those who were involved in it.

She stressed the need for security agents to also beam their searchlight on other polling units across the state where such acts might be going on.

Speaking on the development, the civil defence officer, Mr Muhammed frowned at the menace of vote buying by political agents, saying his men had no choice than to disperse those engaging in the practice.

He said it was important for citizens to understand that elections should be free and fair.

The NSCDC officer advised parents to restrain their wards and keep them indoor as anybody caught in the act of vote buying would be arrested and made to face the law.

NAN, however, reported that nobody was arrested at the scene, as the suspected perpetrators immediately took to their heels.

More security operatives had been drafted to the location.

(NAN)
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2021 Sustainability Report Released

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., June 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA), a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, released its 2021 Sustainability Report, featuring the company's progress on its renewable energy strategy, innovative green products, supplier sustainability, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

"Since we integrated ESG into our company's long-term strategy - alongside business results and operational excellence - our global teams are helping us advance on our sustainability journey," said Ray Scott, Lear President and CEO. "Every day, Lear employees around the world are striving to support our people and communities as we work to make Lear an even better corporate citizen."

Highlights of Lear's ESG Progress:

Renewable Energy Strategy

After announcing its climate change goals in 2020, Lear developed a robust strategy to help the company achieve 100% renewable energy for electric power consumed at its manufacturing plants by 2030. The goal has already been reached in Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom, representing approximately one-half of Lear's electricity use in Europe. To build on this progress, Lear plans to use a combination of methods including partnering with energy utilities to procure renewable energy as well as on-site generation for its remaining global sites.

Green Products

With three Automotive News PACE Award-winning innovations in 2021, Lear is helping electric vehicles charge faster and drive farther. In fact, six out of eight key E-Systems launches in 2022 will include content on new electric vehicles. By 2026, 4 million electric vehicles are expected to rely on Lear's new high-voltage connection systems as the main battery/vehicle interface. Additionally, Lear's sustainable solutions include lightweight seating structures as well as renewable and recycled materials that divert waste from landfills and support a global circular economy.

Product Sustainability

To determine the cradle-to-grave sustainability of its products, Lear initiated life cycle assessments on its seating, leather and wire harness products in 2021. In addition, the company published a new product directive to integrate sustainability into its design process.

Supplier Sustainability

In 2021, a third party evaluated 1,600 of Lear's production supplier locations on environment, responsible sourcing, ethics, human rights and management. Lear expects to complete assessments of approximately 3,000 of its production suppliers by the end of 2022.

Other major highlights from Lear's 2021 Sustainability Report include:

Launching the Together We Grow program to provide meaningful development and proactive career management for future diverse leaders.

Spending $5.1 billion with certified minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned suppliers in the United States in the past decade.

with certified minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned suppliers in in the past decade. Renewing its commitment to the United Nations (UN) Global Compact as a signatory participant and to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Increasing transparency and enhancing reporting with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations, and in accordance with the Core Requirements of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

To download or view Lear's 2021 Sustainability Report, visit lear.com/sustainability.

About Lear Corporation

Lear, a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, enables superior in-vehicle experiences for consumers around the world. Lear's diverse team of talented employees in 38 countries is driven by a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability. Lear is Making every drive better by providing the technology for safer, smarter, and more comfortable journeys. Lear, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, serves every major automaker in the world and ranks 186 on the Fortune 500. Further information about Lear is available at lear.com or on Twitter @LearCorporation.

SOURCE Lear Corporation
Part of the Ukuleles for Ukraine campaign, the Ukulele Kids Club seeks to help children and teens impacted by the war.

MIAMI, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ukulele Kids Club (UKC), a music non-profit from Florida, has always believed in music's ability to bring comfort and hope during difficult times. The recent events in Ukraine have motivated them to expand their mission to reach children impacted by the war. The UKC is rallying the music community around their 'Ukulele. Ukraine. U kan.' campaign with the message that music can heal the wounds of war and an instrument for children to keep is a gift for wellness and for life.

Ukuleles can provide comfort. Ukraine's kids need comfort. U kan help Ukrainian kids through ukuleles and music therapy.

Since February 2022, over 7 million people have crossed Ukraine's borders seeking refuge from the war, in what the United Nations calls "the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II." The majority of those seeking shelter are women and children. At the same time, some Ukrainian families who have remained in their homes also require psychosocial and emotional support. The Ukulele Kids Club has partnered with the World Federation of Music Therapy to identify music therapists working with refugee kids abroad and those still in Ukraine, with the idea that music and ukuleles can provide much-needed support.

"Children exposed to war and conflict are at heightened risk for mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)," said Marlen Rodriguez-Wolfe, CEO of Ukulele Kids Club. "But as music therapists, we know that music can facilitate healthy coping strategies, help manage anxiety and provide a sense of comfort during difficult times."

Music Therapy is the clinical use of music interventions that achieve physical and mental health goals delivered by a trained clinician. Music therapy is applied in migrant care in countries known for receiving a large influx of refugees, such as Colombia, Germany, Poland, and Turkey. In these settings, music therapists apply a combination of music-making activities and therapeutic interventions to help refugee children and adults experiencing health benefits from music and support their transition or acclimation to a new environment.

For children and teens experiencing heightened stress and uncertainty related to the Ukraine war, the Ukulele becomes a way to gain a sense of control over their wellbeing. Making music allows them to engage in an activity that promotes self-expression and connection while sparking joy. The children get to keep the instrument and engage in ongoing support through UKC's online programs.

To learn more and support this initiative, please visit www.ukulelesforukraine.com

The Ukulele Kids Club (UKC) is a nonprofit organization based in Lakeland, Florida. Since its founding, the UKC has supported the health care of more than 12,000 medically fragile children through music, music therapy and donations of its signature instrument. The UKC works with more than 280 music therapy programs in the U.S.A and around the world. Learn more at www.theukc.org.

Media Contact:

Marlen Rodriguez-Wolfe

786-606-9944

[email protected]

SOURCE Ukulele Kids Club
The government has started the necessary processes for the establishment of the Ghana Hydrological Authority.

A draft bill (the Ghana Hydrological Authority Bill, 2021) that would give legal backing to the Authority is currently before Parliament for consideration.

The bill contains the necessary framework to establish an institution responsible for the planning, design, execution, operation and maintenance of flood control mechanisms, coastal engineering works, drainage improvement works and applied hydrology in the country.

The Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, who disclosed this on the floor of Parliament during the second reading of the bill, said it would provide the essential technical leadership required to tackle drainage and sustain flood management services.

"I believe the creation of a well-resourced and highly professional Ghana Hydrological Authority will not only attract and retain highly skilled staff but also ensure effective and well-coordinated development of drainage and flood management infrastructure in the country," he said.

"The Authority will also be in the position to engage with Development Partners and explore sources of funding other than the Government of Ghana to undertake flood mitigation projects across the country while enhancing the resilience of our communities and essential infrastructure," the Minister added.

He indicated that it would also provide the necessary fundamental change in the country's approach to addressing hydrological challenges required to address flooding.

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The Minister also said the government has spent GHC 2.85 million to address coastal erosion in the last five years.

Some of the coastal communities which have benefited from this funding are Axim, Amanful Kumah, New Takoradi, Komenda, Cape Coast and Anomabo.

Other communities the government has built sea defence walls to protect lives and properties are Dixcove, Dansoman and Ningo-Prampram.

He said the government considered the protection of the coastal communities critical and would continue to invest in sea defence projects to safeguard lives.

He assured that the government would secure the necessary funding to complete the second phase of the 8km Blekusu sea defence project to stop tidal waves in communities such as Solakokpe, Agavedzi and Amutini.

"The government will also continue the implementation of all ongoing projects and commence works at Apam, Axim Phase II, La, Teshie and other sea defence works," he said.
AG had intervened claiming gender-affirming treatments constitute child abuse

DALLAS, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A judge in Dallas County today removed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from a lawsuit involving Dallas' Children's Medical Center and physicians there providing gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

Judge Melissa Bellan in Dallas County Court at Law No. 2 ruled that Mr. Paxton and his office do not have the authority to act in the case and that no state law was implicated.

"The attorney general has no business being in this case and tried to push his way into it to satisfy a political interest, not a legal one," says Charla Aldous, who along with law partner Brent Walker and attorney Stephen Malouf represent the plaintiff, Dr. Ximena Lopez.

Attorney General Paxton intervened in the case claiming gender-affirming care constitutes child abuse. During a two-hour hearing in front of Judge Bellan, attorneys for the AG questioned whether Dr. Lopez was following the proper standard of care, but the court rejected those arguments.

"The attorney general intervened in this lawsuit with no purpose but intimidation only," Mr. Walker told the court.

Dr. Lopez filed suit in April against Children's Medical Center in Dallas in order to continue providing gender-affirming care  including hormone treatments and puberty blockers  for transgender youth after such care was suspended last fall. She and others believe that action happened after the attorney general and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pressured Children's and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to stop providing such treatment at the GENECIS clinic.

During the hearing in front of Judge Bellan, Mr. Malouf pointed out that use of puberty blockers for gender dysphoria is on an approved list of treatments written by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.

Through the lawsuit, and a temporary injunction that is now in place, Dr. Lopez and other physicians at Children's are once again allowed to provide gender-affirming care.

The case is Ximena Lopez, M.D., v. Children's Medical Center at Dallas, Cause No. CC-22-02427-B in the County Court at Law No. 2 in Dallas County, Texas.

The Aldous\Walker LLP law firm represents clients in civil litigation and specializes in high-profile, high-stakes cases. Learn more about the firm at http://www.aldouslaw.com.

Contact:

Mark Annick

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Aldous\Walker LLP
Organizations unite to support responsible breeding and healthy dogs

BOSTON, June 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Embark Veterinary, Inc., a global leader in dog genetics, today announced its return for the fourth consecutive year as the official dog DNA test of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The 146th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Presented by Purina Pro Plan is returning June 18-22 to Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, N.Y. for the second year after being postponed in January due to a COVID-19 surge.

The ongoing partnership between Embark and the Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) helps to preserve and protect the health and vitality of dog breeds. Through education and awareness, Embark is striving to support dog breeders through a variety of tools. Ultimately, the collaboration between Embark and WKC aims to support those who recognize the importance of genetic screening and informed breedings, to produce the next generations of healthy dogs.

"Embark's partnership with Westminster is one that we take great pride in. Our first genetic health discovery earlier this year would never have come to fruition without meaningful collaboration with breeders, owners, and a national breed club," said Embark CEO Ryan Boyko. "The more genetic data we collect from every breed, the closer we get to making more genetic discoveries that improve the life and longevity of all dogs."

"An important part of the Westminster Kennel Club's history and values is supporting canine health and research. The partnership with Embark brings innovative scientific research to our dog show community of preservation breeders," said Westminster Co-Show Chairman David A. Helming. "Driving awareness of the tools and research discoveries that can lead to healthy generations of dogs is important in our support of the passionate breeders in our dog show community.

Embark's booth in Sponsor Village will be open between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. throughout the event. Embark team members will be on hand to answer questions, Embark swag will be available for humans and dogs alike, and Embark leadership will be conducting a daily swab demonstration at the booth. Attendees can also visit Embark's Westminster-themed photo station for a printed and digital photo as a Westminster souvenir. Westminster exhibitors can additionally attend an Embark-hosted evening social event Tuesday June 21, at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel and Conference Center, 355 S. Broadway, Tarrytown, N.Y., from 6-9 p.m. Complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

About Embark

Embark Veterinary, Inc. was launched in 2015 by two brothers, Adam and Ryan Boyko, who have a passion for scientific research and a lifelong love for dogs. Starting with their best-in-class canine DNA test, Embark is building a powerful platform for scientific discovery that will accelerate advancements in personalized dog care. Embark offers the most scientifically advanced, most trusted, and highest-rated dog DNA tests on the market that helps dog owners, breeders, and veterinarians learn about their dog's breed, health, and ancestry. Customers gain hundreds of actionable insights that inform more proactive care, and every test fuels new research to help all dogs lead longer, healthier lives. Embark is an official research partner of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, was named to the Inc. 5000 list for the past two years, and was included on Forbes' next billion-dollar startups list.

For more information, visit Embark's website at EmbarkVet.com, and follow Embark on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

SOURCE Embark Vet
"It is a great achievement for our team, our contractor and the entire County of Los Angeles to have been able to keep this important regional infrastructure project on schedule during the first years of the Pandemic," stated Foothill Gold Line Board Chairman and Claremont Mayor Pro Tem Ed Reece. "We are now just a few short years away from delivering light rail to more of the San Gabriel Valley and one step closer to completing our agency mission of connecting Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire by light rail."

To reach the halfway milestone, the design-build team of Kiewit-Parsons, a Joint Venture (KPJV), with over 350 staff and crew members, have to date expended nearly 1.1 million work hours designing and constructing the various elements that make up the light rail project. Here is a highlight of the work completed or underway so far:

Project Design: 100% Complete

Relocation of Freight Track Within Shared Corridor to Make Room for New Light Rail Tracks: 98% Complete

Reconstruction of 21 At-Grade Crossings: 91% Complete

Construction of 19 New or Renovated Bridges: 39% Complete Overall

Freight Bridges: 97% Complete



Light Rail Bridges: 31% Complete

Installation of New Light Rail Tracks: 43% Complete

Construction of Light Rail Electric Power System: 23% Complete

Construction of Four New Light Rail Stations: 13% Complete

"I want to thank the staff at the Construction Authority, KPJV, and the corridor cities for their dedication and hard work these last three years that ensured the project reached this important milestone on time and on budget," stated Construction Authority CEO, Habib F. Balian. "We still have a lot of work to complete, but I am confident that we will be successful in delivering a great project that will make our County and City partners proud."

Today's historic event was attended by elected officials at all levels of government, the Foothill Gold Line Board of Directors, LA Metro Board of Directors, transportation officials  including Foothill Gold Line CEO, Habib F. Balian and Metro CEO, Stephanie Wiggins  and San Gabriel Valley stakeholders. The notable list of speakers included U.S. Representative, Grace Napolitano; U.S. Representative, Judy Chu; California State Senator, Anthony Portantino; California State Assembly Members, Chris Holden and Freddie Rodriguez; Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor, Hilda Solis; Metro Board Member and Los Angeles County Supervisor, Kathryn Barger; Metro Board Member, Foothill Gold Line Board Member and Pomona Mayor, Tim Sandoval; Foothill Gold Line Board Chair and Claremont Mayor Pro Tem, Ed Reece; and Metro Board Member, Metrolink Board Chair and Glendale Council Member, Ara Najarian. Mayors and council members from the Foothill Gold Line cities also attended. The event concluded with a cake-cutting ceremony.

"This project was the first to break ground under Measure M, and reaching the 50% mark for this project demonstrates that we are serious about delivering on the promise made to voters," said Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. "As the Chair of the Metro Board of Directors, I am ecstatic that the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority and KPJV are bringing this project to fruition for the San Gabriel Valley."

The Foothill Gold Line was the first Measure M-funded light rail project to break ground and is named one of Metro's 28 priority projects to be completed before the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. It is being funded by Los Angeles County's Measure M, along with residual funds from Measure R not used to complete the Pasadena to Azusa segment; as well as State of California greenhouse gas reduction funds.

"Metro aims to be the first choice for transportation for the people of LA County," said Stephanie Wiggins, CEO of Metro. "Reaching this 50% milestone is moving us closer to that goal by expanding our system and fully connecting the San Gabriel Valley to key county destinations. Thank you to the Metro Board, and all the leaders in the corridor cities that have pushed this project forward; and thank you to all the workers who have helped get us to this point. Most of all, thank you to the voters who supported Measure M and Measure R, without whom none of this would have been possible."

Benefits and Economic Impact of the Foothill Gold Line

When completed, the light rail project will add new stations to the Metro Gold Line system (currently referred to as the L Line) in the cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona  and increase ridership on the Metro system by an estimated 11,600 daily weekday boardings when the extension opens for passenger service. It will provide connections to important regional destinations like the LA County Fairplex, colleges and universities, historic downtowns, museums, regional parks and open space areas, and much more. In addition, the extension will provide a direct link between the Metro and Metrolink systems in Pomona, allowing riders from each system to easily transfer  creating endless possibilities for connections throughout the region. The Construction Authority is currently seeking additional funding to complete the project to Claremont and Montclair, which would add an additional nearly 8,000 daily weekday boardings to the Metro system when completed.

It is estimated that during construction, the project from Glendora to Montclair will create as many as 17,000 jobs and up to $2.6 billion in economic output for the region, as well as up to $1 billion in labor income and potentially $40 million in tax revenue (according to an economic study by Beacon Economics).

The Foothill Gold Line continues to be a catalyst for transit-oriented development projects, having spurred more than $13 billion of private investment in residential and commercial developments within a half-mile of a current or future station  with more already planned or underway within a half-mile of the stations from Arcadia to Montclair.

Media kit with project photos, artist renderings of stations and maps is available at https://bit.ly/FoothillGoldLine50PercentComplete.

About the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority  The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority is an independent transportation planning and construction agency created in 1998 by the California State Legislature to plan, design and build the Metro Gold Line (currently called the L Line) light rail system from Union Station to Montclair. The agency completed the first segment from Union Station to Pasadena in 2003 and the Pasadena to Azusa segment in 2015; both on time and under budget. The agency began work on the Glendora to Montclair segment in 2003. The Glendora to Montclair segment was environmentally cleared in March 2013 under CEQA and again in 2019 to allow the potential for phased construction. When completed, the extension will add new light rail stations in the cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair. The project will be built in phases, due to funding constraints. Major construction on the project segment from Glendora to Pomona began in July 2020 and is anticipated to be completed in January 2025. The Construction Authority is currently seeking the additional funding needed to complete the project segment from Pomona to Claremont and Montclair.

The portion of the project in Los Angeles County is funded mostly by Measure M, along with residual funds from Measure R not used to complete the Pasadena to Azusa segment. The project is utilizing nearly $200 million from the State of California TIRCP grant program (greenhouse gas reduction funding) for the current construction segment from Glendora to Pomona.

SOURCE Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority
Lizzy began exhibiting issues with impulse control and oppositional behaviors at 7 years old, which led to a diagnosis of ADHD, anxiety and depression. After several physical altercations in school initiated by Lizzy and demonstrating unintentional dangerous behavior, she began treatment that included medication and counseling.

"The incidents at school really opened our eyes to things Lizzy had probably been experiencing for some time," said Andrea, Lizzy's mother. "It was actually a blessing because we were able to identify the diagnosis while she was still young and begin medical treatment that would help her."

As Lizzy got older, she began experiencing more intense episodes of depression and after feeling extremely fragile during one incident she was briefly admitted to an in-patient treatment center. While it was a traumatic experience for Lizzy and her parents, her mother notes that it did help Lizzy find a counselor that she really connects with.

"She's non-judgmental and I feel like she really listens to me," Lizzy said. "It's great to have someone I can talk to about difficult things. She's helped me so much during the past five years."

Lizzy and her parents, Joe and Andrea, were joined by BayCare Behavioral Health Services Vice President Gail Ryder, Winter Haven Hospital Center for Behavioral Health Clinical Director Jeff Ware and BayCare Federal Government Relations Manager Lorena Hardwick during the virtual meetings with U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis, Kathy Castor and Darren Soto. They also met with staff from the offices of Reps. Vern Buchanan and Scott Franklin and U.S. Senator Rick Scott, and will meet with Sen. Marco Rubio and staff from Rep. Charlie Crist's office next week.

"Children with mental health challenges need specialized care and early intervention to make meaningful progress as adults," said Gail. "Meeting with our members of Congress is an important way we can share these vital patient stories and educate those who can make a difference  our lawmakers."

During the meetings, Andrea shared that while medication has helped, the support Lizzy receives through her counselor from BayCare's Center for Behavioral Health at Winter Haven Hospital has been crucial in helping her understand and manage her ADHD and depression and move forward.

"Mental health parity is essential to health care," said Lorena. "Together, Lizzy's family and BayCare are asking Congress to enforce parity laws to remove the barriers to mental health care and create access to affordable services."

The family also hopes that sharing their story highlights the benefit of telehealth services for mental health care. Having access to her counselor during the pandemic was vital for Lizzy, and her family is grateful she could continue her sessions from home through BayCare's telehealth visits.

"Maintaining permanent telehealth flexibility is essential for families with complex health care needs," Lorena adds.

About BayCare

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 15 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and west central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit www.BayCare.org.

SOURCE BayCare Kids
The diverse selection of globally 12-themed courses and more allows homeschoolers to discover intriguing facts about different nations and broaden their minds. At the same time, using Allschool's self-developed class tool "speak in the center of the stage" and other interactive features, homeschoolers can make friends from all over the world without stepping out of their house. They can also communicate freely in a relaxed environment and improve their social and emotional skills .

Allschool's one-stop solution is designed to allow parents to take full advantage of the flexibility that homeschool offers while giving learners access to premium online lessons. A myriad of course options to supplement the standard curricula are offered which gives homeschoolers the freedom to individualize the curriculum structure. Besides, all the courses are delivered by accredited and experienced teachers with diverse educational and professional backgrounds.

"We are thrilled to unveil our new home education solution "Homeschool Package" at this long-anticipated event that attracts countless leading online education providers and homeschool families across the continent each year. It is built upon our excellent educational resources and extensive experience in creating a fun and interactive online learning platform to give kids an opportunity to experience the world's culture by making friends with students worldwide. The solution features 12 classes designed and delivered by experienced homeschool teachers to fit different children's learning styles, skill levels, and interests, enabling them to experience a new approach to homeschooling learning," said Jacob Kantor, the US regional business development manager of Allschool, making an announcement at Great Homeschool Convention.

The move comes as more US families start opting for homeschooling as a solution to fill the gaps in their children's education due to the pandemic. The National Home Education Research Institute has recorded a significant increase in the number of families shifting to homeschooling and estimates the figure continues to rise at the rate of 2%-8% each year.

With its flexible learning environment, online Allschool programs not only allow students to select desired subjects to achieve their unique goals but also empower them to learn at any time, any place with online, self-paced courses.

In an interview with Ms. Homa, an Allschool homeschool teacher who has also worked as an English, Art, and History teacher in a public school for 18 years, she said, "it is important for homeschool children to have peer discussion and have access to different opinions around the world. The greater diversity of the online education platform can strengthen their social connections or skills."

"We understand that homeschool parents are constantly looking for a new way that let their children better interact with other students. With this in mind, Allschool strives to create a space where learners from all over the world can come together to find common topics and interests, make friends and have fun," said Jack Shan, Allschool Co-Founder.

About Allschool

Allschool is an innovative online platform that delivers highly interactive small-group live classes to children worldwide. Through Allschool, learners can enjoy a variety of premium live classes  including mathematics, languages, visual arts, game design, and more  delivered by thousands of devoted and talented teachers from all around the world.

An expert in online education, Allschool has developed a set of innovative purpose-built teaching and learning tools that bring meaningful changes to learning outcomes, allowing students to immerse themselves in a rewarding, gamified, and interactive environment that empowers them to explore and pursue their interests while making schooling fun and enjoyable.

SOURCE ALLSCHOOLS PTE.LTD
"We have full confidence in China's economic development," Xi said. "China will continue to promote high-quality development, expand high-standard opening-up with firm resolve, and pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation."

More equitable, sustainable global development

Noting that the international community is keen to achieve more equitable, sustainable and secure development, Xi said it is important to seize opportunities, meet challenges head-on, and work on the implementation of the Global Development Initiative to build a shared future of peace and prosperity.

The Chinese president proposed the Global Development Initiative in his speech to the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly via video link in September last year. The plan charts a course for international development.

It is important that all countries strengthen the "soft connectivity" of development policies and international rules and standards, Xi told the attendees at the forum.

Attempts at decoupling, supply disruption, unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure should be rejected, and trade barriers removed so as to keep global industrial and supply chains stable, tackle the worsening food and energy crises, and revive the world economy, he said.

It is important to follow true multilateralism, and respect and support all countries' pursuit of development paths suited to their national conditions, he said, adding that it is also important to build an open world economy and increase the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries in global economic governance.

He also called on countries to pursue innovation-driven development, stressing the importance of unlocking the potential of innovation-driven growth, improving the rules and institutional environment for innovation, and breaking down barriers to the flow of innovation factors.

Xi urged efforts to deepen exchanges and cooperation in innovation, facilitate deeper integration of science and technology into the economy, and make sure the fruits of innovation are shared by all.

China to continue promoting high-quality development

The Chinese president pointed out that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy  strong resiliency, enormous potential and long-term sustainability  remain unchanged.

As one of the first countries to resume work and production, the country became the only major economy to register positive growth in 2020, with its GDP surpassing 114.4 trillion yuan (about $18.1 trillion) in 2021.

A recent report released by the American Chamber of Commerce in South China has indicated that over 70 percent of the assessed companies have reinvestment plans in China for 2022, and 58 percent consider their overall return on investment in China to be higher than in other places.

China stands ready to work with Russia and all other countries to explore development prospects, share growth opportunities, and make new contributions to deepening global development cooperation and building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-06-17/Xi-addresses-25th-St-Petersburg-International-Economic-Forum-1aWGtfC4wN2/index.html

SOURCE CGTN
NEW YORK, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Energy Transfer LP (NYSE: ET) between April 13, 2017 and December 20, 2021, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important August 2, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Energy Transfer securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Energy Transfer class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6844 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 2, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or concealed and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Energy Transfer had inadequate internal controls and procedures to prevent contractors from engaging in illegal conduct with regards to drilling activities, and/or failed to properly mitigate known issues related to such controls and procedures; (2) Energy Transfer through its subsidiary hired third-party contractors to conduct horizontal directional drilling activities ("HDDs") for the Rover Pipeline Project, whose conduct of adding illegal additives in the drilling mud caused severe pollution near the Tuscarawas River in Ohio when the April 13, 2017 release of drilling mud near the Tuscarawas River (the "April 13 Release") took place; and (3) Energy Transfer continually downplayed its potential civil liabilities when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") was actively investigating Energy Transfer's wrongdoing related to the April 13 Release and consistently provided it with updated information about FERC's findings on this matter. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Energy Transfer class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6844 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
NEW ORLEANS, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until July 1, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Riskified Ltd. (the "Company") (NYSE: RSKD), if they purchased or acquired the Company's Class A common stock in or traceable to the Company's July 2021 initial public offering (the "IPO"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help

Riskified investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-rskd/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Riskified and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information in its IPO Registration Statement, violating federal securities laws.

The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) as the Company expanded its user base, the quality of the Company's machine learning platform had deteriorated (rather than improved as represented in the Registration Statement); (ii) the Company had expanded its customer base into industries with relatively high rates of fraud  including partnerships with cryptocurrency and remittance business  in which the Company had limited experience, and that this expansion had negatively impacted the effectiveness of the Company's machine learning platform; (iii) the Company suffered from materially higher chargebacks and cost of revenue and depressed gross profits and gross profit margins during its third fiscal quarter of 2021; and (iv) as a result of the foregoing, the Company's representations in its Registration Statement were materially false and misleading, and lacked a factual basis.

The case is Thomas v. Riskified Ltd., et al., No. 22-cv-03545.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
NEW ORLEANS, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R).

In July 2019, the Company greatly lowered its full-year 2019 earnings forecast indicating that most of the lowered guidance reflected its weaker valuations of its tractors. Then, in October 2019, the Company disclosed that it was reducing its residual value estimates by $844 million. Then, on February 13, 2020, the Company disclosed that, due to significant reductions to the residual value of its trucking fleet, it had taken a total of $357 million in depreciation expense for 2019 and a loss of approximately $58 million on used vehicle sales, and that it expected to incur another $275 million in depreciation expense on its fleet and an additional $20 million estimated loss on used vehicle sales in 2020.

The Company has been sued in a securities class action lawsuit for failing to disclose material information, violating federal securities laws. Recently, the court presiding over that case denied the Company's motion to dismiss, allowing the case to move forward.

KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Ryder's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to the Company's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws.

If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Ryder shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-r/ to learn more.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients  including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors  in seeking to recover investment losses due to corporate fraud and malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner

[email protected]

1-877-515-1850

1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200

New Orleans, LA 70163

SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
NEW ORLEANS, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until August 5, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Teladoc Health, Inc. (NYSE: TDOC), if they purchased the Company's securities between October 28, 2021 and April 27, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help

Teladoc investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-tdoc/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Teladoc and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On April 27, 2022, the Company disclosed a host of negative financial results, including revenue of $565.4 million, below consensus estimates by $3.23 million, net loss per share of $41.58, primarily driven by a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $6.6 billion or $41.11 per share, and revised FY 2022 revenue guidance to $2.4 - $2.5 billion and adjusted EBITDA guidance to $240 - $265 million, which the Company largely attributed to increased competition in its BetterHelp and chronic care businesses.

On this news, shares of Teladoc fell $22.48 per share, or 40.15%, to close at $33.51 per share on April 28, 2022.

The case is Schneider v. Teladoc Health, Inc., et al., No. 22-cv-04687.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
Monrovia  Ahead of Liberia's 2023 General and Presidential Elections, a Liberian based in the United States, Dr. Paul S. Wesay, has accepted a petition from the Friends of Wesay to contest Liberia's upcoming presidential and general elections for the Liberian presidency.

Friends of Wesay, a political movement headed by Mr. Victor Garnette as National Chairman with chapters in all 15 parts of Liberia, on Thursday hosted a petitioning program in Monrovia to petition Dr. Paul Wesay who had just arrived from the U.S.

The All-Chapters head of Friends of Wesay Mr. Omasco Karmo reading the petition on behalf of the group said their interest to support Mr. Paul Wesay is on the basis of "transformative change, vibrant economy with the ability for Liberians to feed themselves, and infrastructural development for all Liberians and we strongly believe that Dr. Wesay is the deal for real change in Liberia".

"We are confident that with Dr. Paul S. Wesay as president of Liberia, we're sure that rampant corruption will be eliminated including gross violation of human and constitutional rights along with the perpetual end of people being missing, and as well strengthening Liberians relationship with God," Mr. Omasco Karmo stated.

Mr. Paul Wesay accepted the group's petition and assured them of his commitment and willingness to serve the Liberian people as their next President.

He said Liberia is now in a state of emergency and what is required of all Liberians now is to respond with a sense of urgency to rally around him in his bid to contest the presidency to bring the real change that Liberians deserve.

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"After more than 175 years as an independent nation and Africa's oldest republic, development and modernization have been almost impossible even though our founders envisioned a great nation and a great democracy but our government in the past and current had been consumed by greed, corruption, and hatred with partisanship and partisan politics which haven't done our country any good," Dr. Wesay said.

According to him, Liberia is now considered one of the most undeveloped nations in Africa and the world at large despite all of its natural resources including Iron ore, gold, timber, and its maritime registry that bring in millions of United States dollars each year.

He said all Liberia needs right now is a fresh thinker, a visionary who is well-grounded in his faith and does not believe in the practice of ritualistic killings to get power or maintain, and a President who would govern as a President for all Liberians and as well bring decency and integrity to the presidency.

"I am confident that the Liberian people are ready to turn the page and close the chapter on failed politicians and failed policies of George Weah and now usher in a new era of Liberian leadership that represents generational change," he said.
NEW ORLEANS, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until August 15, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Unilever PLC (NYSE: UL), if they purchased the Company's American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") between September 2, 2020 and July 21, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help

Unilever investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-ul/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Unilever and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On July 19, 2021, the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Ben & Jerry's, announced a resolution to end sales of its ice cream in "Occupied Palestinian Territory" upon the expiration of the current licensing agreement by which its products had been distributed in Israel for decades. Then, on July 22, 2021, media sources reported that the states of Texas and Florida were investigating Ben & Jerry's actions for possible violations of the states' Anti-BDS (boycotts, divestment, and sanctions of Israel) legislation.

On this news, ADRs of Unilever fell $3.19 per share, or approximately 5.4%.

The case is City of St. Clair Shores Police and Fire Retirement System v. Unilever PLC, et al., No. 22-cv-05011.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
WASHINGTON, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff hosted an evening of NASA STEM activities Friday at the Naval Observatory for military families and local students and their families, which included a special screening of Disney Pixar's Lightyear.

NASA provided three hands-on STEM activities to inspire students from 4th to 8th grade to engage with the science, technology, engineering and math behind NASA's missions. Former astronaut and former NASA Associate Administrator of Education Leland Melvin and astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli, Stephanie Wilson, and Tom Marshburn answered questions about their time in space. Marshburn recently returned with NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 from the International Space Station and was the NASA technical consultant on the film. Also in attendance were Lightyear actors Keke Palmer and Uzo Aduba.

"It was wonderful to work on these STEM activities with a bright young group of future leaders showcasing the exciting work we're doing at NASA in STEM and in space," said NASA Astronaut Thomas Marshburn. "This next generation  the Artemis Generation  will build on the work we're doing today to get us to the Moon and Mars, and it all starts here with inspiring young people on Earth."

Through NASA's Office of STEM engagement, the agency makes investments in engaging students, educators, and educational institutions to attract diverse groups of students to STEM for a diverse set of students to contribute to NASA's work and build a diverse future STEM workforce. OSTEM's Next Gen STEM project focuses on NASA's efforts to engage K-12 students, including those traditionally underrepresented and underserved, and provides support to informal educational institutions.

NASA also engages and inspires the next generation through STEM collaborations as the country prepares for human exploration of the Moon. NASA's Artemis program will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. NASA will then use what they learn to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.

U.S. leadership in science and technology depends on increasing student STEM engagement and as Chair of the National Space Council, the Vice President has made it a priority to ensure the Administration is inspiring future scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and explorers.

For more information about NASA's STEM Engagement, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/stem

SOURCE NASA
Xeros Technology Group PLC (AIM:XSG) was the weeks best performer after two announcements on Tuesday.

The announcement of results from independent testing of the clothing technology companys domestic washing machine filtration technology, XFilter was very nice and all but it was probably the licensing agreement for its XFilter filtration technology with Hanning Elektro-Werke that got the market excited.

Under the terms of the 10-year, non-exclusive agreement, Hanning will manufacture and sell filters incorporating Xeros' proprietary XFilter technology. This will enable washing machine manufacturers to provide consumers with the ability to capture and easily and safely dispose of over 90% of microfibres, including microplastics, released during laundry cycles, Xeros said.

The filters are built into the washing machine and are designed to last the life of a machine.

In the silver medal position this week was Lexington Gold Ltd (AIM:LEX), the gold exploration and development company with projects in North and South Carolina, which the company helpfully informed investors are in the USA.

The shares shot up 24% following exceptional assays from the recent 5,000 metres reverse circulation drilling programme at the Jones-Keystone project.

The computer game developer and publisher Frontier Developments PLC (AIM:FDEV) seems to have got its mojo back since the poorly received release of Elite Dangerous: Odyssey last year.

The shares were up by a fifth this week after it reported a strong second half and record revenue for the full year.

Revenue was boosted by a successful game release, Jurassic World Evolution 2, which the company said continued to build player numbers following its November 2021 launch, with some 1.3mln base game units sold across all platforms  excluding downloads via Microsofts Game Pass subscription service (it was added to that platform on May 17 2022).

Scancell Holdings PLC (AIM:SCLP, OTC:SCNLF) rose by 13% to 14.38p, giving it a market capitalisation of 118mln, after it expanded its phase II study of its SCIB1 vaccine treatment for an advanced form of skin cancer  a move that will broaden the patient population and accelerate recruitment.

The new cohort in the SCOPE study will consist of people with metastatic melanoma receiving checkpoint doublet therapy along with the companys drug. That doublet consists of existing treatments Yervoy and Opdivo.

Investors were told Scancell remains on track to deliver initial efficacy data this year.

Tekmar Group was the weeks biggest faller, losing almost three-quarters of its stock market value, after the company put itself up for sale, with the board saying it lacks the balance sheet strength to execute its growth strategy.

The provider of technology and services for the global offshore energy markets said current trading remains challenging but consistent with management expectations.

The company posted a half-year loss of 3.2mln compared to a 2.2mln loss the year before.

Digital publisher Devolver Digital PLC saw its share price halve as it said sales of its new computer games in the first five months of the year had been slower than expected.

The indie video games company downgraded full-year revenue and profits guidance due to the poor performance of three of its most heavily invested titles, adding that both revenue and profits would be weighted towards the second half of the year.

Its often hard to reconcile comments in a companys stock market announcement and the share price reaction.

Such was the case this week with Verici Dx PLC (AIM:VRCI), which lost a third of its value after it released the latest data for Tuteva, the company's post-transplant blood test focused on acute rejection.

The further data demonstrates a Positive Predictive Value of 60% and a Negative Predictive Value of 80% for Tuteva, a next-generation RNA sequencing assay.

This data confirms that Tuteva demonstrates strong performance in the detection of acute rejection, following a kidney transplant, the company said. These clinically important results position Tuteva for an on-schedule commercial launch later this year to support the estimated 100,000 or so global patients who undergo kidney transplant procedures annually.

The stock now trades at 18p, compared to 77.5p a year ago.

Immediate Acquisition PLC, the cash shell left from the remnants of Immedia Group, announced plans to acquire fintech Fiinu Holdings, which counts as a reverse takeover under AIMs rules.

The key reasons for the acquisition is Fiinus future potential as an innovative fintech group which will ... hold a Banking Licence issued by the Bank of England. The company considers that Fiinu has a customer-centric operating model which improves financial inclusion, a strong leadership team with experience, alternative data analytics and insights vision and a forward-looking approach to bringing to the market potentially revolutionary products and services enabled by Open Banking, the company said.

Immediate's shares slumped 26% to 16.625p after the company raised 8.0mln by placing shares at 20p a pop.
ARMM Inc announced that on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 2pm EST / 11am PST, it will be hosting an Active Shooter School Training Live Webinar with American Tactical Defense, at the Maglite Campus in Ontario, California. To register for the event, click here. Teachers that participate in the Webinar will receive a free copy of the Teachers Pocket Guide to Active Shooter Response, and School Administrators will receive the School Threat Assessment Checklist.

GlobalBlock Digital Asset Trading Ltd, which provides a personalized telephone brokerage service, trading platform and mobile app for cryptocurrencies, said its subsidiary remains on call to support its clients in their digital asset needs during these volatile times. The company which has offices in London, UK and Vancouver, Canada, said its GlobalBlock Europe, UAB (GBE) operating subsidiary, a service-led digital asset broker has not suffered any adverse effects despite the volatility in digital assets, particularly so-called stablecoins. While GlobalBlock does offer some stablecoins for its clients to trade, the business does not currently have any risk exposure to any stablecoin or yield products, said the company. And as a result, has not suffered any adverse effects from the recent seismic events that have led to the current downward trend in digital asset prices.

Ultra Lithium Inc said it has closed the first tranche of its previously-announced private placement, raising gross proceeds of C$1,074,699. The lithium properties developer noted that proceeds from the offering will be used to fund the exploration of its Argentine and Canadian properties and for general working capital purposes. Ultra Lithium said it sold 4,220,000 flow-through (FT) company units, at a price of C$0.25 per FT unit, for gross proceeds of C$1,055,000, along with 83,829 non-flow-through (NFT) company units, at a price of C$0.235 per NFT unit, for gross proceeds of C$19,699.82.

Water Tower Research has published an update note on AEye Inc via the following link: https://www.watertowerresearch.com/content/co-founder-details-how-aeye-will-win-at-the-deutsche-bank-global-auto-industry-conference

Wellbeing Digital Sciences Inc said its revenue in the nine months ending April 30, 2022, came in at C$5,280,640 from nil in the corresponding period of 2021 as the firm transitioned from an investment issuer to a company focused on consolidating medical clinics. "2022 will be foundational year that will set the stage for Wellbeing to execute on its strategy in the future," Najla Guthrie, Wellbeing's chief executive officer said in a statement. "We are focused on developing and expanding our leadership team, closing additional clinical and digital acquisitions as well as evaluating strategic capital market opportunities to build shareholder value, Guthrie added.

Irwin Naturals Inc said it has entered into a binding agreement to acquire the assets of Hobie Fuerstman DO PLC, doing business as Preventive Medicine, a clinic operation based in Colchester, Vermont. The company noted that this is the eighth ketamine clinic it has added to its growing portfolio, which now covers four states, made up of acquired clinics and clinics under definitive agreements. Our roll-up is gathering momentum, CEO Klee Irwin said in a statement. Our mission is to make this amazingly effective treatment available and accessible throughout the country and beyond, and we are planning to acquire and build hundreds of clinics in the months and years to come. As we focus on acquiring profitable operations, we continue to add to our bottom line through these highly accretive transactions." Preventative owner and director Hobie Fuerstman said the collaboration with Irwin will allow the company to amplify the reach of its integrative healthcare clinic, which means it can help more people without compromising its values.

Paltalk Inc said it has released the Windows version of ManyCam 8.0, an upgrade to its recently acquired asset. The communications software provider explained that ManyCam is a live streaming software and virtual camera that allows users to deliver professional live videos on streaming platforms, video conferencing apps and distance learning tools. "We are very excited that within days of acquiring the ManyCam asset, we have been able to launch ManyCam version 8.0, the companys chairman and CEO Jason Katz said in a statement. ManyCam version 8.0 offers quicker access, dark and light modes and overall rendering performance improvement for high-resolution users as well as improved quality and performance with regard to virtual backgrounds. Users can now access a library of virtual backgrounds and playlists which we expect will help make the product more desirable and a better complement for Paltalk and Camfrog, which is a priority on our roadmap, Katz continued. Our team now plans to actively promote and cross-market ManyCam version 8.0 to our Paltalk and Camfrog communities.

Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc has updated investors on recent activity, including the integration of its Beanfields chips brand into the group, naming Greg Gilbert as its (Beanfields) finance chief, and West Bonebrake as its director of operations. At Beanfields, the Safeway Nor California Division was launched in June this year at 250 stores, while HEB launched two more SKUs (flavors of Beanfields Chips) at 340 stores while Fresh Market will launch Beanfields in September this year at 230 stores. "I could not be more proud of our team through the successful integration of Beanfields into the Boosh Plant-based family of brands," said Boosh Plant-based Brands CEO and founder Connie Marples in a statement.

Great Atlantic Resources Corp said it has arranged a non-brokered private placement of 5,000,000 units at a price of $0.10 per unit for gross proceeds of $500,000. The units of the financing will comprise of one common share and a full share purchase warrant, which may be exercised for a period of 5 years at a price of $0.12 per share. The proceeds of the private placement will be used for general working capital and exploration work. A finder's fee may be paid to eligible finders in accordance with the TSX-V policies. All securities issued pursuant to the offering will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of closing. The offerings and payment of finders' fees are both subject to approval by the TSX-V. Directors, officers or other insiders of the Company may participate in the foregoing offerings, and such parties may sell securities of the company owned or controlled by them personally through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange to finance participation in such offerings.

AEX Gold Inc has announced the results of voting at its Annual General meeting held on June 16, 2022, at which shareholders voted in favour of all items put forward. Additionally, further to the announcement on appointment of Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited as the company's joint corporate broker, AEX noted that Panmure Gordon receives an annual retainer fee of approximately C$85,800 payable quarterly in advance. The engagement renews annually unless either Panmure Gordon or AEX gives 3 months' notice to terminate. Panmure Gordon holds no direct or indirect interest in AEX or its securities. Panmure Gordon may act as a market maker in AEX's common shares in the UK only.

Magna Mining Inc said that all resolutions at the country's annual general and special meeting of shareholders were approved by shareholders on June 16, 2022.

The Toronto Stock Exchange has reported that Delta 9 Cannabis Inc. has closed its prospectus offering of up to 9,090,909 units, with each unit consisting of one common share and one common share purchase warrant.

Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC), the leading proprietary investor conference series, today announced that the presentations from the June 16, 2022, OTCQX Best 50 Virtual Investor Conference are now available for on-demand viewing via the following link: https://bit.ly/39ueG8g. The company presentations will be available 24/7 for 90 days. Investors, advisors, and analysts may download investor materials from the company's resource section. Companies are accepting 1x1 management meeting requests through to June 21, 2022. Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. To view a complete calendar of Virtual Investor Conferences, interested parties can visit www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

OTC Markets Group Inc, the operator of regulated markets for 12,000 US and international securities, has announced that VitalHub Corp, a health and human services technology provider, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market and has today upgraded from the Pink market under the symbol VHIBF. Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their US investors. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the US. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. "We are pleased to begin trading on OTCQX, as we broaden our reach across US investors," said Dan Matlow, CEO of VitalHub. "Through trading on OTCQX, we will enable the US investment core to easily acquire shares in VitalHub, and participate in our growth journey. We look forward to increasing our investor footprint as we continue to execute on our strategy on an international basis."
Kiev, June 18 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss defence and security issues, the presidential press service said.

In particular, Zelensky and Johnson discussed in detail the current situation on the frontline in the east and the south of Ukraine as well as the supplies of weapons, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We talked about the need to increase the supply of heavy weapons. The main thing today is to provide air defense for Ukraine as well. We started to move in this direction," Zelensky told reporters after the talks.

For his part, Johnson said that his country stands ready to continue providing weapons to Ukraine and organising military training for its use.

Besides, the parties have discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and the efforts to clear the Ukrainian territory from landmines.

Other key topics of the conversation were financial and economic support for Kiev, the blockade of Ukrainian ports, as well as efforts to address the energy crisis in Ukraine.

Johnson arrived in Kiev earlier in the day for his second visit since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Previously, the British prime minister visited the Ukrainian capital on April 9.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Rome, June 18 : Italy's coronavirus infection rate has been climbing for two weeks in a row after a period of decline, according to data released by the country's High Institute of Health.

The institute, known as ISS, said that the infection rate for the week ending on Thursday reached 310 per 100,000 inhabitants, an increase from 222 per 100,000 a week earlier and 207 per 100,000 two weeks before.

The Rt rate, a measure of how fast a disease is spreading, rose from the previous week, reaching 0.83 for the June 10-16 period, up from 0.75 a week earlier. A rate of 0.80 is considered the threshold for a disease to be classified as an epidemic nationally. An Rt rate above 1.0 means a disease is no longer contained and is spreading.

Health outcomes are still strong, however, with the percentage of infected patients in intensive care units dropping to 1.9 per cent over the last week, down from 2.0 per cent a week earlier and 2.3 per cent over the previous week.

In contrast to a week ago, just one of Italy's 21 regions is considered a "low" risk, with 14 classified as "moderate" risk and the remaining six as "high" risk due to the rising number of alerts, a standard established in April 2020 in the earliest period of the pandemic in Italy.

For the first time, ISS said on Friday that 100 percent of the more than 572,000 active cases of coronavirus are of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant, which first emerged in South Africa in November 2021. The so-called "BA.2" sub-variant was "dominant" in Italy, data showed, accounting for 23.2 per cent of all cases, according to a rapid survey conducted by ISS, the Ministry of Health, regional labs, and the Bruno Kessler Foundation.

In a media interview, Walter Ricciardi, former president of ISS and senior advisor to Italy's Ministry of Health, said Italy may be guilty of relaxing restrictions too quickly after infection rates and other pandemic indicators fell in recent weeks.

"It's our third summer (of the pandemic) and we still haven't learned our lesson," Ricciardi told ADNKronos. "In the most favorable times for fighting viruses, the spring and summer, we cannot let our guard down, and we must also prepare for unfavorable conditions, in the autumn, and I don't think any of this is being done." Over the 24-hour period ending Friday, Italy recorded more than 35,000 new coronavirus infections, a surge from around 21,500 a week earlier. The country reported 41 new deaths from Covid-19.

Despite the recent increases, the daily infection rate remains far below the peaks of more than 200,000 in mid-January.

Government data shows 90.1 per cent of the population aged over 12 have been fully vaccinated. Plus more than 2.8 million Italians who have recovered from Covid-19 over the past six months, 96.8 per cent of the population over 12 years old have an immunity to the disease.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Seoul, June 18 : Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has said that South Korea will actively use nuclear energy to meet its target of carbon neutrality and as a tool for the nation's energy security.

Han made the remarks in a video address to a global climate meeting hosted by US President Joe Biden on Friday, Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korea "will actively utilise nuclear power plants as a means of energy security and carbon neutrality," Han told the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, according to a statement provided by Han's office.

South Korea has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from the 2018 levels by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

Han said South Korea will draw up a plan for the right mix of nuclear power and renewable energy to achieve carbon neutrality.

In addition, South Korea will expand its investment in small nuclear power projects called small modular reactors (SMR) and renewable energy, Han said.

By 2030, South Korea will supply more than 4.5 million zero-emission vehicles, Han said.

Last year, South Korea signed a global pact to cut releases of methane by 30 per cent by 2030.
Visakhapatnam, June 18 : Railway authorities on Saturday closed the Visakhapatnam railway station and beefed up security at all other major stations in Andhra Pradesh as a precautionary measure to prevent protests against the Central government's Agnipath military recruitment scheme.

Following intelligence alerts about army aspirants planning massive protests, authorities have shut down the station and stopped the trains at 7 a.m.

Officials said the station will remain closed till noon.

Passengers were allowed into the station till 7 a.m. after thorough checking. Later, the authorities declared the station will remain closed for all.

All trains coming from Vijayawada were being stopped or diverted at the Duvvada railway station on the outskirts. Trains coming from Howrah were being stopped or diverted at Kothavalasa.

Meanwhile, a high alert was sounded at the Guntur railway station following reports that youth aspiring to join the army are planning a huge protest.

Authorities beefed up the security and were allowing passengers to enter the premises only after checking their tickets.

At least 20 youths who were heading towards the Guntur station were arrested by police at Kothapet.

The alert was sounded in view of reports messages were being circulated on WhatsApp for the planned protest at Guntur station.

Security was also beefed up at Vijayawada, Kurnool, Tirupati and other major railway stations in Andhra Pradesh as a precautionary measure in the wake of violent protests at the Secunderabad railway station on Friday.

Large scale violence rocked Secunderabad station as hundreds of youth went on a rampage, setting afire trains, goods and vandalizing the station.

One person was killed and four others were injured when the railway police opened fire to control the situation.

After the protest lasting for more than nine hours, police arrested the youth.

Train services resumed late Friday.
Four vehicles including a bus set on fire in Jehanabad during Bihar Bandh. Police initiated Lathi charge as well. Image Source: IANS News

Four vehicles including a bus set on fire in Jehanabad during Bihar Bandh. Police initiated Lathi charge as well. Image Source: IANS News

Four vehicles including a bus set on fire in Jehanabad during Bihar Bandh. Police initiated Lathi charge as well. Image Source: IANS News

Patna, June 18 : Despite the ongoing Bihar Bandh called in the wake of the massive violence against the Agnipath army recruitment scheme, agitators on Saturday set fire to a bus, truck and two other vehicles in Jehanabad.

The incident took place near the Tehta police outpost on the Patna-Gaya highway.

The violent mob also pelted stones on a police party which led to a sub-inspector rank officer getting injured .

The injured sub-inspector was identified as Deeraj Kumar, incharge of the Tehta police outpost.

Following the violence, the Jehanabad DM and SP immediately rushed to the spot accompanied by a large number of police personnel and initiated lathi charge to disperse the agitators.

Apart from Jahanabad, there were no reports of violence from any other districts yet.

Phone and Internet services have been suspended in the violence-hit districts of Kaimur, Rohtas, Bhojpur, Aurangabad, Buxar, Nawada, West Champaran, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Begusarai, Vaishali, and Saran.

A large number of police forces have been deployed across these districts, as well as in the state capital Patna.

The call for the bandh came by different youth organisations of the state came amid the violence sweeping Bihar since the last three days, with many railway properties attacked and destroyed.

On Friday, a mob set part of the Danapur railway station in Patna district on fire.
Srinagar, June 18 : A 50-year-old police sub-inspector was shot dead in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, authorities said on Saturday.

In a tweet, the J&K Police said that Farooq Ahmed Mir's body was found in paddy fields near his home in Samboora village.

"Preliminary investigation reveals that he had left his home for work in his paddy fields yesterday (Friday) in the evening, where he was shot dead by the militants using a pistol," said the tweet.

Sources said that two pistol cartridges were also found at the incident spot.

The victim is survived by his father, wife and three children.
Monrovia  Liberians have once again shown how resilient they are, having weathered the civil war and Ebola. Though battered and bruised by COVID-19, they have stood strong, demonstrating a tremendous ability to withstand harsh times.

Ramatu Shariff, 55, a mother of eight boys, lives in Monrovia's Clay Street making a living selling spaghetti, acheke (a cassava delicacy prepared with fish, sausage, and pepper sauce), and plantain chips off the front porch of her house, mainly to school children.

We found her home with three of her sons: the eldest, 37, who was quietly practicing his trade - repairing shoes; Abraham, 22, who served as our interpreter; and the last born, barely two years old.

She said the COVID-19 lockdowns halved her income.

Abraham was forced to drop out of school due to a decline in their household incomes. He used to travel to neighboring Guinea to buy sneakers to sell in Monrovia. He said COVID-19 wiped out his business.

"When COVID came, people were first scared of touching the shoes in case they contracted the disease. I eventually sold all my stock then and had to live off all my earnings and savings. I have nothing to use to rebuild my business," he said with great pain in his eyes.

These are some of the stories we gathered from small informal business owners in Liberia about how COVID-19 impacted their lives, and their determination to pick up the pieces and forge ahead despite pandemic setbacks because this is how they feed and care for their families. Alternative livelihood opportunities are scarce, and recovery is slow.

In response to the COVID-19 lockdowns, UNDP Liberia undertook a rapid survey of 20,000 vulnerable street vendors and home-based informal businesses across 10 counties, randomly selecting 6,000 businesses which benefited from a one-off cash transfer to tide them over the loss of business. The cash transfers were funded by the governments of Canada and Norway.

UNDP further supported the government of Liberia to undertake a detailed digital Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) on informal businesses earlier this year. Conducted in collaboration with Crisis Bureau's SURGE Data Hub, the survey covered more than 8,000 households in 11 of the country's 15 counties where Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) thrive. Interim findings confirmed the importance of the informal business sector, affirming that 80 percent of the country's population aged over 15 years are engaged in informal businesses.

More than 33,400 people in the counties of Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Gedeh, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, Rivergee and Sinoe were interviewed between January and March 2022 about how COVID-19 had impacted their lives and businesses. The interviews were conducted by Liberia's Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), with coordination oversight by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.

"These early findings confirm the critical role of the informal sector in Liberia's economy, particularly its potential for creating employment for the youthful population, and for the overall prosperity of the country," said Stephen Rodriques, UNDP's Resident Representative in Liberia. "Without the creativity, innovation and resilience of informal businesses, which provided a critical cushioning effect against COVID-19, life would have been absolutely devastating for most Liberians".

In the coming weeks, LISGIS, working with UNDP's SURGE Data Hub, a UNDP Crisis Bureau initiative, will further analyze the findings of the study to better understand the contributions of the informal sector to the Liberian economy, and develop a multi-vulnerability index based on the sector workers' experiences during COVID-19. The analysis will be used to inform the government's policies for green, inclusive post-pandemic recovery.

"The lack of solid data on the levels of informality in the economy has long been a cause of concern not only to the government, but also for our development partners," said Hon. Samuel D. Tweah, Minister of Finance and Development Planning. "Without this data, it is extremely difficult to make good policy decisions and design appropriate programmes for the sector," the Minister concluded.

"Often, we need information on sectoral contributions to national income, but the information has not been easy to come by. The use of digital tools for data collection and analysis for the first time ever has enabled us to more reliably gauge the full extent and contribution of the informal sector, and the impacts of the pandemic on what is truly the largest sector of the economy numerically," said Francis F Wreh, Director General, LISGIS.

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Liberia has achieved a historic milestone by successfully completing the country's first-ever comprehensive socio-economic impact assessment, using digital tools to collect and analyze highly detailed data about informal businesses.

The precise data collected about each respondent can be used in many ways including developing a registry of informal sector workers in the country; specifically targeting social protection payments down to a household and a specific person in the home, as well as developing initiatives that are driven by what people said they need as opposed to top-down prescriptive interventions. The data will also enable the government to compute the informal sector's contribution to the GDP using primary data from respondents, as opposed to using guesstimates.
Bidar : , June 18 (IANS) In a shocking incident, locals living in a village in Karnataka's Bidar district have boycotted an Anganwadi centre run by the state government after it appointed a Dalit woman as a helper.

The upper caste residents of Hatyala village have stopped sending their children to the centre ever since the appointment of Milana Bai Jaipa Rane in June 2021.

The centre had remained closed due to Covid-19 but resumed operations since the last few months.

The parents, who have refused to send their children to the centre, have said that they won't allow the Dalit helper touch their children.

However, a teacher, Sumitra Bai, at the centre also belongs to the Dalit community and the locals have no problem with it.

After the incident came to light, district authorities and officials of the Women and Child Welfare Department rushed to the village and took up an awareness campaign to convince the locals.

However, sources say that none of the parents have agreed due to which the authorities are planning to intensify their campaign.
San Francisco, June 18 : Elon Musk-owned electric vehicle company Tesla has started another wave of layoffs, and this time it also includes hourly workers instead of just salaried employees as the CEO claimed.

Informed sources confirmed that Tesla started another wave of layoffs yesterday that included many hourly employees in its sales and delivery teams across North America, reports the auto-tech website Electrek.

Surprisingly, the layoffs come amid Tesla's being in the middle of a difficult end-of-quarter delivery wave, which Musk himself warned employees about, saying that it will be "nutty".

Earlier this month, the website reported on Musk telling Tesla executives in an email that they need to cut 10 per cent of the workforce and pause hiring due to having a "super bad feeling" about the economy.

Later, Musk decided to clarify the Tesla layoffs in an email to all employees.

He claimed that the 10 per cent reduction would be for "salaried headcount" due to Tesla becoming overstaffed following a long growth phase.

He even stated that "hourly headcount will increase".

However, the website now confirmed that the electric vehicle company is also laying off hourly workers across its organisation.
New Delhi, June 18 : The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday said that it was monitoring the situation in Kabul after reported attacks on a gurdwara in the Afghan capital.

"We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred gurdwara in that city," a statement citing Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments." On Saturday morning, two blasts ripped through a busy road near the gurdwara in Kabul's Kart-e-Parwan neighbourhood.

Citing witnesses, a Xinhua news agency report said that the first blast occurred at around 6 a.m., and the second explosion followed half an hour later.

Security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures.

The blasts sent a column of thick smoke into the sky and triggered panic among residents of the capital city.

According to the witnesses, there were possibilities of casualties.
New Delhi, June 18 : Delhi Police have arrested one person and detained 18 others while they were protesting against the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) M Harsh Wardhan said at around 10.45 a.m. on Friday, 50-60 young boys came from Khaira Mode side towards the Dhansa bus stand near the gate of MCD office.

They were shouting slogans to withdraw the scheme.

The protesters were moved to one side of the road so that traffic movement did not get disturbed. They were also asked to disperse peacefully.

"Later one person namely Surender Sharma alias Fauji joined the protest and started to instigate the protesters by inflammatory speech," the DCP said, adding the said man also got into a scuffle with police personnel.

The protesters were then immediately dispersed to maintain law and order.

Eighteen active protesters were detained at the spot and they were booked under preventive action, said the official.

The police registered an FIR under sections 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functionsA), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code against Surender Sharma and arrested him.
Kiev, June 18 : Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the cabinet has decided to introduce a visa regime for Russian citizens starting from July 1.

The decision was adopted at the request of President Volodymyr Zelensky, Xinhua news agency quoted Shmyhal as saying in a social media post on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Zelensky said the country has decided to end visa-free travel for Russian citizens due to the "unprecedented threats to the national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Ukraine.

Previously, Russian citizens did not need visas to enter Ukraine, and they were allowed to stay for less than 90 days in the 180-day period from the date of the first entry.
Ankara, June 18 : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated that his country would no longer hold the High-Level Strategic Council meetings with Greece.

"Unless I come across an honest politician, I will no longer be meeting them, and we have terminated our high-level strategic council meetings, and we will not hold the meeting with Greece," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.

The President's comments came after a week of heated exchanges between the two countries regarding the status of the Aegean Sea and its islands.

Erdogan demanded last week that Greece respect previously-signed treaties and keep the Aegean islands demilitarised.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday that he wanted to keep an open channel of communication with Turkey.

The Aegean Sea region has been historically a hot dispute between Turkey and Greece.

Turkey accused Greece of arming previously-demilitarised islands and said Greece's ambitions to increase their maritime borders would effectively isolate western Turkey and the Black Sea from the Mediterranean.

Greece, meanwhile, argued that its militarization is legitimised by Turkish threats and accused Turkey of not respecting its rights to extend its territorial sea to 12 nautical miles.
Kabul, June 18 : At least two civilians were killed and three security personnel injured after three explosions ripped through a gurdwara in Kabul on Saturday, according to multiple sources.

The Ministry of Interior have confirmed the blasts and said a group of armed insurgents entered the gurdwara in Kart-e-Parwan area.

"Before entering, the enemy attacked the guards with a grenade, which caused a fire, and two of our Hindu compatriots, who were injured in the attack, were evacuated and taken to hospital for treatment," the Ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, a car bomb was also detonated by the insurgents before it reached its target.

"Fortunately, they did not reach their target and detonated a car bomb before reaching the target." Meanwhile, a witness told Xinhua news agency: "We heard a huge blast which struck the gate of the temple at around 6 a.m. The blast was followed by two more explosions inside the temple." The security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures, and several warning shots were also fired, he said.

A security source told Xinhua that the two people were killed during the first blast.

Videos on social media showed smoke billowing from the two-storey gurdwara which is surrounded by blast walls.

Mediapersons and the general public were not allowed to enter the site and no one knows what exactly is ongoing inside the compound.

Earlier in the day, India's Ministry of External Affairs said that it was closely monitoring the situation.

We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred gurdwara in that city," a statement citing Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments." In March 2020, two dozen worshippers were killed when a gurdwara was attacked in downtown Kabul.

In recent months, the war-torn country has been hit by a series of terror attacks reportedly staged by the Islamic State (IS) terror group opposing the Taliban-led government.

On Friday, one person was killed and seven others were wounded after a blast hit a mosque in the northern province of Kunduz.
Chennai, June 18 : Actor Prithviraj fondly remembered director K R Sachidanandan alias Sachy, best known for having directed the critically acclaimed superhit Malayalam film 'Ayyappanum Koshiyum', on his second death anniversary on Saturday.

The director, who was also a well known scriptwriter, had passed away at a private hospital in Thrissur on June 18 in 2020.

Actor Prithviraj, who was supposed to work with the eminent director again, expressed his sadness, by tweeting the image of a broken heart on his timeline with two pictures shot during the making of the critically acclaimed film. While Sachy was seen seated between Prithviraj and Biju Menon in one picture, he was missing in the other.

Sachy was not just known for his abilities as a director but was also known for his screenwriting skills. The gifted filmmaker was also the scriptwriter for the superhit film 'Run Baby Run', which featured Malayalam superstar Mohanlal and Amala Paul in the lead.

Apart from stars like Prithviraj, several fans too expressed their condolences and fondly recalled Sachy's contributions to the world of cinema on his second death anniversary on social media.
Chennai, June 18 : As the protests against Central Government's army recruitment scheme 'Agnipath' saw attack on railway property, the Southern Railway has increased security at all major stations across Tamil Nadu, including Chennai Central, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Jholarpet, Arkonam.

The Tamil Nadu Police have cordoned off the main road in Chennai leading to the Army officers mess and other army installations.

Small protests are being witnessed at Kancheepuram and Kumbakonam areas.

The Tamil Nadu Police are also on high alert over intelligence inputs that several youth from Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are employed in the garment units of Tiruppur.

These youths could lead some attacks against railway stations and railway properties in the wake of arson and burning of trains in several northern states, as per the inputs.

A youth was killed in police firing at Secunderabad following protests on Friday and therefore, the Tamil Nadu Police and Railway Protection Force are not taking any chances.

Riot control vehicles are on standby at major railway stations and the Fire department is also being alerted at all major railway station premises.

The trains have been cancelled from Chennai Central railway station due to the Agnipath issue.

Tamil Nadu is relatively calm over the Agnipath issue and except for Tiruppur, there have not been any other instance of protests in the state.

In Tiruppur, protesters shouted slogans and left without causing any damage to public property.

However, security forces are on high alert following intelligence inputs from both the Centre and the state over a possibility of violence spreading to all parts of Tamil Nadu.
San Francisco, June 18 : Twitter employees are sceptical about their future after Elon Musk addressed them this week, saying they are doing their best to stay focused on work.

The future of Twitter hangs in the balance and employees' reaction after the virtual meeting with Musk was "mostly negative," reports The Verge.

Musk told Twitter employees that he particularly wants to be involved in the product and expects the team to listen to his input on new features.

He said he's very involved at Tesla, and he would adopt a similar leadership style at Twitter which he is buying for $44 billion (the deal is on hold till Musk is sure about the actual number of bots on Twitter).

"Right now, costs exceed revenue. That's not a great situation," he told them.

Employees said that it was "jarring to hear someone speak with so much confidence about a company that at best Musk is only beginning to understand".

As employees wondered what the acquisition will mean for them, Musk vaguely spoke about the future of civilisation.

"I want Twitter to contribute to a better, long-lasting civilisation where we better understand the nature of reality," he told them.

Musk, however, said he does want to "drive the product in a particular direction" and lead improvement on the platform's software, product, and design.

"I don't mind doing other things related to operating a company, but there are chores. I really just want to make sure that the product evolves rapidly and in a good way. I don't really care what the title is, but obviously, people do need to listen to me," he noted.

He also clarified that he strongly prefers to work in person and would confirm with managers that remote employees were contributing positively to the company.
Monrovia  The Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) through its Department of Policy, Compliance and International Relations, on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 began a three-day stakeholders' assessment workshop to continue brainstorming efforts to ensure the country's preparedness for the conduct of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States Audit Scheme (IMSAS).

Speaking at the joint stakeholders Assessment workshop at the Monrovia Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRMRCC) on the Bushrod Island, LiMA Deputy Commissioner for Domestic Vesssel Registration and Safety, Cllr. Charles A, Gono, Jr. said the holding of the workshop was underpinned by the fact that Liberia is preparing to be audited by the IMO in relations to the country's effectiveness in implementing its obligations as port state, flag state and coastal state.

"Liberia is due to have IMO mandatory audit. We are here to prepare. The audit will take through our responsibilities as a port state, as a flag state and as a coastal state," he stated.

According to Deputy Commissioner Gono, under these obligations, Liberia is supposed to implement laws and regulations that will empower the country to enforce all the requirements under the different maritime jurisdictions.

He expressed optimism that the stakeholders will use the three-day session to assess their preparedness to successfully undergo the audit.

The Director of Policy, Compliance and International Relations and Principal Focal Person of the IMSAS Audit, Mr. Roger Mengistu Teah informed participants that the audit preparation process started in 2019 and that the three-day event is intended to assess what has been achieved so far insofar as Liberia's preparation for the IMSAS is concerned.

He indicated that the process was interrupted by a force majeure -Covid-19 that ignited a pause on the audit.

As a result of the global outbreak of Covid-19, Director Teah said it was decided that Liberia along with other countries would be audited virtually but the Liberia Maritime Authority as the Designated Authority informed the IMO that Liberia was not prepared for the audit at that time.

"The audit places a lot of responsibilities on us. And these responsibilities are categorized in three different sections: we are going to be assessed on our port state functions; our coastal state functions as well as our flag state function. So, anything that has to do with stakeholders in this room is tied to these three areas," he pointed out.

According to him, the workshop would seek to bring stakeholders up to speed with the methodologies used by the IMO during the audit; the accepted standard that would be used during the audit - the IMO Instruments Implementation Code (III Code) as the audit standard which aims to provide an audited Member State with a comprehensive and objective assessment of how effectively it administers and implements those mandatory IMO instruments which are covered by the Scheme.

Mr. Roger indicated that the scheme started as a voluntary initiative that member states that wanted to assess their strengthen and processes of implementing critical IMO instruments would request voluntarily to be audited but the scheme has since become a treaty obligation that seeks to promote the consistent and effective implementation of applicable IMO instruments and to assist Member States to improve their capabilities, whilst contributing to the enhancement of global and individual Member State's overall performance in compliance with the requirements of the instruments to which it is a Party.

To institutionalize the scheme, the LiMA Policy, Compliance and International Relations Direrctor said a number of IMO instruments were amended: the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended (SOLAS 1974) (resolution MSC.366(93)); the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended (STCW 1978) (resolution MSC.373(93); the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW Code) (resolution MSC.374(93); the Protocol of 1988 relating to the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 (1988 Load Lines Protocol), as amended (resolution MSC.375(93); the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972, as amended (COLREG 1972) (resolution A.1085(28)); the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 (LL 1966) (resolution A.1083(28)); the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969 (TONNAGE 1969), (resolution A.1084(28)); the Annex of the Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (resolution MEPC.246(66)); and annex of the Protocol of 1997 to Amend the Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, as Modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (resolution MEPC.247(66)).

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He mentioned that as a Focal Person on this audit, he would work with his team across all stakeholder institutions to ensure that Liberia gets good rating in the aftermath. He added that a flying colour would position the second largest flag state country in a way that is representative of its stature.

Other facilitators at the workshop include: Mr. John Harvey, Director of Port State Control and Mr. Anthony T. Twe, Director of Domestic Vessels Registration.

The three-day event has brought together stakeholders from the National Port Authority (NPA), Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Law Reform Commission, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of National Defence represented by the Coast Guard, National Disaster Management Agency, APM Terminals, Ministry of Mines and Energy, ArcelorMittal
Bengaluru, June 18 : As per directions of the Karnataka High Court, the state government has submitted a report, saying that no permanent license -- allowing use of loudspeakers in religious or other places -- has been given, and it is valid for only two years, sources said on Saturday.

The state government said that the use of loudspeakers is not allowed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. except for special occasions.

The government told the court that the provision of the use of loudspeakers is given as per Rule 5 (1) of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control), 2000, and Section 37 of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963.

On special religious and cultural occasions, the permission is given for using loudspeakers between 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. for up to 15 days.

It has also been brought to the notice of the High Court that since unauthorised use of loudspeakers was rampant, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

A committee has been formed at the local level comprising a police officer, executive engineer of a civic agency and a member of the Pollution Control Board to deal with the issue.

Once the submission is made seeking permission for using loudspeakers, this committee will look into the matter and take a decision.

The state government and the police department are preparing to conduct a survey to check whether the use of loudspeakers is in accordance with law in the state following the direction by the HC.

The court had also asked for a report on adherence to rules set for allowing use of loudspeakers.

A petition was submitted to the High Court by P. Rakesh and others regarding noise pollution due to use of loudspeakers in mosques.

The petition was taken up for inquiry by the division bench of the Karnataka HC headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Ashok S. Kinagi.

The court had directed the state government to submit a report on use of loudspeakers.
New Delhi, June 18: The uproar in the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), over alleged "blasphemy" in India has died down as suddenly as it had begun. This is not surprising. Those who express alarmist views do so out of an incomplete understanding of relations between India and the Gulf.

Certainly, the Gulf states matter tremendously to India. But equally, the Gulf countries have prospered from the endless supply of Indian blue and white collar workers to the region.

Eight million Indians live in the Gulf countries, constituting the largest expatriate populations in many of them. They send back hefty remittances of around 60 billion USD, forming a significant portion of India's foreign exchange.

However, these Indians do not live in the Gulf states on the largesse of these states. They put in back-breaking labour to turn the deserts into gleaming icons of modernity. Because of the large pool available, their willingness to work at wages that locals and others would not, and their ability to keep a low profile and not be politically involved in the affairs of these states ensure that they remain the more preferred labour recruits.

In fact, Indians came to be increasingly preferred to Arab labour in the GCC states, after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and the support it got from Palestinian immigrants there. Over the years, different considerations have attached themselves to different groups, for instance many Shiite Lebanese suspected of being supporters of Hezbollah, were deported from a number of GCC countries. These countries abhor and strictly forbid any type of demonstration or mobilisation by expatriate communities who outnumber indigenous population in many of the GCC states. A case in point is the demonstration by Pakistanis in support of Imran Khan recently in Mecca, and the more recent demonstration by expats in Kuwait against "blasphemy" in India - deportation awaits all of them.

India and the GCC states, particularly the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, today share close ties and cooperation in almost every sphere, especially in energy, trade, military, defence, counter-terrorism. Even Kuwait, some of whose citizens have been amongst most severely critical of the current Indian administration, and which is the only GCC state that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet visited, opened the office of a defence attachA in Delhi in 2020, testifying to growing ties, encompassing sensitive areas including defence.

According to government data, bilateral trade between India and the GCC has expanded rapidly over the last few years, increasing to 154.73 billion USD in 2021-22 from 87.4 billion in 2020-21. The share of these six countries to India's total exports has risen to 10.4 per cent in 2021-22 from 9.51 per cent in 2020-21 standing at USD 44 billion in 2021-22 against USD 27.8 billion in 2020-21; imports rose by 85.8 per cent to USD 110.73 billion compared to USD 59.6 billion in 2020-21. The balance of trade is clearly in favour of the GCC countries, with energy exports being the GCC's main exports, including significant amounts of crude oil from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, and almost 40 per cent of liquefied natural gas imports from Qatar.

India looks to the GCC as a major source of foreign investments; UAE has become the biggest GCC investor in India. During the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2019 to Delhi, he promised investments of upto 100 billion USD. Both countries have participated in helping India build up her strategic oil reserves.

More recently, UAE and Saudi companies have signed MoUs for investing in tourism and transport in Jammu and Kashmir. But many of these investors are NRIs based in the region. Indians have also turned out to be major investors in GCC. For instance, Indians are now the largest investors in Dubai's real estate, estimated to be 2.2 billion USD. Similarly Indians account for largest number of tourists now driving Dubai's non-oil economy surge to 35-month high, so important for post-Covid economic recovery.

UAE and Saudi Arabia are third and fourth largest trading partners of India respectively, Kuwait remains amongst India's top ten trading partners with investments of 5 billion USD. India concluded the Comprehensive Economic Partnership which is billed to take bilateral trade up to 100 billion USD. India is similarly negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with the GCC.

A day ago, the UAE announced it was banning the export and re-export of wheat sourced from India since 13 May, testifying to the important role India was playing in its food security; till the Ukraine conflict broke out, Russian and Ukrainian wheat were imported by the UAE. India, which has emerged the largest wheat producer since has made exceptions to allowing wheat exports to the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Besides wheat, India is a major exporter of agricultural and food products to the GCC.

Health industry is another area of vital cooperation for India and the GCC countries. Medical tourism, Indian health workers and pharmaceuticals play a significant role in the lives of the GCC residents. With the emergence of the COVID 19 pandemic, this had only increased.

"Saudi Arabia views India as an important strategic partner. India is an important asset to international and regional integrated efforts to deal with the current situation and minimise its impact on the health of global community. We are working closely with the Indian government in this regard," Saudi Arabia's envoy to India Saud bin Mohammed Al said in an interview in 2020.

Ties have, however, moved beyond to enter the fields of counter-terrorism, defence, and security cooperation. India and Abu Dhabi signed a strategic partnership treaty in 2017 during the then Crown Prince and current President Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan's visit to India to participate in the coutnry's Republic Day celebrations. In 2019, Riyadh chose India as one of its eight strategic partners under the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative. History was made last year when India and Saudi Arabia held their first ever joint naval exercise, called the Al-Mohed Al-Hindi Exercise, after a similar drill "Zayed Talwar" with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) off the coast of Abu Dhabi.

Defence and military ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia received a major boost with Indian Army chief Gen. M.M. Naravane's visit to these countries last year - the first such trip by an Indian service chief. Another significant first was the visit of the Saudi Army Chief Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair to India earlier this year in February. India and Oman too share a robust defence partnership for years; tri-service military exercises are conducted by both countries regularly. Omani military personnel are trained in India, and since 2018 Oman has given India access to its Port Duqm for military and logistical use.

In 2020, the Embassy of Kuwait opened a defence attachA office in Delhi. Kuwaiti Ambassador to India Al Najem said opening of the military office in New Delhi attests that there is a real desire to increase defence and security cooperation between the two friendly countries.

India also plays an important role in maintaining the security of the Gulf's sea lanes through its anti-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia.

The turmoil of the Arab spring, the rise of Islamic militants like ISIS and Islamist political movements in the region, a resurgent Iran after the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), a receding US footprint from the region, a terrorism and debt-ridden Pakistan no longer able or willing to provide its military services to its GCC patrons have been drivers of closer cooperation with India in defence and counter-terrorism.

India has also played behind the scene roles: India was a venue for a backchannel meeting between Israeli diplomat Dore Gold and Saudi representative retd. Major General Anwar Eshki. In 2017, during the blockade and boycott of Qatar by some of its Gulf allies, India airlifted supplies and cattle to the gas-rich state. India has cooperated with the UAE to help treat Yemeni civilians and army personnel injured in the country's brutal civil war.

All of these reflect the mutuality of the ties between India and the different GCC states. Ties which go back millennia received a major boost under Prime Minister Modi, who made "Look West" a priority in his foreign policy objectives. But the current level of cooperation could be reached because India's GCC partners also stood to gain from such cooperation and therefore have been willing to take the relationship with India forward.

It is too deep, span too many areas to be destroyed by an unfortunate indiscretion occurring during a heated television debate. It is another matter that there are those who would like to put a spanner on such ever-burgeoning ties.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Addis Ababa, June 18 : Fuel and funding shortages are hampering humanitarian relief operations in Ethiopia's conflict-hit Tigray region, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) revealed.

In its latest Northern Ethiopia Humanitarian Update Situation Report, the UN body said the shortages are severely hampering relief operations, especially outside Mekelle, the Tigray regional capital, reports Xinhua news agency.

"While the arrival of additional humanitarian supplies into Tigray is expected to address some humanitarian aid gaps, the scale of response is challenged by the lack of fuel to transport the supplies from Mekelle to different parts of the region," the OCHA report disclosed.

"At least more than 334,000 liters of fuel are needed to distribute more than 42,000 metric tons of relief supplies within the region." The UNOCHA report also said the inability to bring sufficient supplies of cash, as well as limited access to people in hard-to-reach areas of Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions, has meant the overall operating environment in northern Ethiopia remains constrained.

"In Tigray region, increasing absence of health workers is compromising the scale-up of nutrition services as many health workers are absent from the health centres due to non-payment of salaries," the OCHA report revealed.

Humanitarian aid is recently heading to the conflict-hit region after the Ethiopian government and the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) agreed to a conditional cessation of hostilities and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid into the region.

The TPLF and the Ethiopian National Defence Force have been engaged in a 19-month conflict that has reportedly left tens of thousands of people dead and millions of others in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

The Tigray conflict has also spilled into border areas of neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions, causing the deaths of thousands of civilians and displacement of tens of thousands of civilians.

The Ethiopian parliament designated the TPLF as a terrorist organization in May 2021.
Chennai, June 18 : K T Kunjumon, who is now producing the sequel to his blockbuster 'Gentleman', has named Ajayan Vincent as the cinematographer of 'Gentleman 2'.

This isn't the first time that Ajayan Vincent, who has worked in big scale projects like 'Annamayya' and 'Rudhramadevi', will be working with K T Kunjumon. Ajayan was the cinematographer of Kunjumon's earlier film 'Ratchagan' as well.

Already, the producer had announced M. M. Keeravani, who had scored the music for 'Baahubali', as his film's music director and had announced A. Gokul Krishna as its director.

Kunjumon, who is known for having introduced ace director Shankar to the film industry, has already disclosed that Nayanthara Chakravarthy and Priya Lal will be playing the female leads in 'Gentleman 2'.

Sources say that with the names of the director, music director, cameraman and heroines having been announced, the producer is bound to shortly announce the name of the hero and the other members of the cast.
New Delhi, June 18 : A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking for an expert committee under a former apex court judge to examine the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, and its impact on national security and the Army.

In the plea, petitioner Vishal Tiwari also sought setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to enquire about the violent protests that have emerged against the scheme and about the damage caused to public property including Railways.

The petitioner further sought a status report on the violent protests. "Since its launch, the country is facing severe and uncontrolled mass violence and protests against the scheme. The concern which rises through this scheme is primarily the length of service i.e. 4 years, which is not reasonable and there remain no pension benefits," the plea stated.

The defence aspirants during their protests have alleged that Agnipath scheme leads to a road of uncertainty for soldiers who will have to leave the services after 4 years. After the completion of the 4-year contract, 25 per cent of the total force will be retained and rest of the personnel will have to leave, which puts serious uncertainty to their future, it said.

It further said that along with no job security and protection, there will be no pension benefits including disability pension. The soldiers will get a lump sum of a little more than Rs 11 lakh when heir tenure ends.

As opined by various Military veterans, this scheme of contractual recruitment could compromise on training, morale and commitment in comparison to the permanent recruits.

"Such experimental radical change in the structure and pattern of the military can lead to severe strategic uncertainties which could compromise the national security. These issues have led to severe protests in various parts of the country," the plea contended.

"This situation requires the immediate judicial intervention," the PIL read.
Ahmedabad, June 18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the redeveloped Kalika Mata temple at Pavagadh Hill in Gujarat's Panchmahal district. It is one of the oldest temples in the area and attracts pilgrims in large numbers.

The redevelopment of the temple has been done in 2 phases. The inauguration of the first phase done by the Prime Minister earlier this year in April. The foundation stone of the redevelopment of the second phase, which was inaugurated on Saturday, was laid by the Prime Minister in 2017. This includes expansion of the temple base and 'parisar' at three levels, installation of amenities like street lights, CCTV system etc.

He underlined the importance of the moment when after five centuries and even 75 years after Independence, sacred flag was hoisted on the temple. He said "Today, after centuries, the flag is once again hoisted on the top of the Pavagadh temple. This 'Shikhar Dhwaj' flag is not only a symbol of our faith and spirituality but is also a symbol of the fact that centuries change, eras change, but the faith remains eternal." Referring to Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Kashi Vishvanath Dham and Kedar Dham, the Prime Minister pointed out, "Today the spiritual and cultural glory of India is being restored. Today New India is proudly living its ancient identity along with its modern aspirations." Alongwith centres of faith, new possibilities of our progress are emerging and this grand temple at Pavagadh is part of that journey, he said. He said that this temple also symbolizes 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas'.

The Prime Minister recalled how Swami Vivekananda devoted himself to public service after getting Maa Kali's briefings. He said that today he asked the goddess to give him strength to serve the people. Modi prayed, "Mother, bless me so that I continue to serve the people of the country as a servant of the people with more energy, sacrifice and dedication. Whatever strength I have, whatever virtues I have in my life, I should continue to dedicate it for the welfare of the mothers and sisters of the country." In the context of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Prime Minister said that Gujarat has made sterling contributions in the freedom struggle as well as in the development journey of the nation. Garvi Gujarat is synonymous with pride and glory of India, he said. He said that in the glorious tradition of Somnath temple; Panchmahal and Pavagadh have kept working for the pride in our heritage.
Bengaluru, June 18 : A special court on Saturday granted bail to former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in the Bellandur de-notification case.

Yediyurappa had appeared before the court here on Friday regarding the case. His counsel had moved a petition seeking bail for the BJP strongman.

The court had directed the prosecution to submit objections.

The petition against Yediyurappa was filed by Vasudeva Reddy, a resident of Bengaluru, in 2013.

He had alleged that Yediyurappa during his tenure as the Deputy Chief Minister, had de-notified 4.30 acres of land which was acquired for IT Park by the Karnataka Area Industrial Development Board (KIADB).

Earlier, the Special Court in Bengaluru had ordered the registration of a criminal case against the BJP strongman in March.

The Special Judge B. Jayantha Kumar had issued summons regarding the case lodged against him in 2013.

The judge had stated that there was sufficient material to register a special criminal case against the accused.

The court observed that the complainant had made a prima facie case against the accused. The notification has been done despite the opinion of Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) CEO, the law department, the Advocate General and the Additional Secretary (Mines) not to de-notify the land, the court had observed.

"It can't be said that Yediyurappa has done the de-notification in exercise of his lawful powers," the court said.

His bail comes as a big relief in the wake of the 2023 Assembly elections.

Yediyurappa is throwing his weight behind his son Vijayendra and trying hard to secure a position in the party.

After the denial of ticket to Vijayendra for the MLC elections, Yediyurappa had announced that his son would contest elections.
Kolkata, June 18 : Huge unspent money received by the three tiers of panchayat system in West Bengal during 2021-22 on account of the 15th Finance Commission has left no room for the state government to protest despite not a single penny under same head has reached the state exchequer during the first two and half months of the current financial year of 2022-23.

Highly placed state finance department sources told IANS that the huge unspent money to the tune of around Rs 2,670 crore by the three tiers of panchayat system namely Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samitis and Gram Panchayats in the last financial year of 2021-22 has been carried forward to the current financial year of 2023.

Hence, no fresh fund allocation under the 15th Finance Commission had been made during the first two and half months of the current financial year and because of the unspent funds in the last financial year which is carried over to the current financial year, the state government is also not in a position to raise alerts over non-allocation of fresh funds.

Explaining the nature of allocation under Finance Commission, a top official from the state finance department said that as per rule till the end of the 14th Finance Commission period, 90 per cent of the state's allotment was made for the three tiers of the panchayat system, while the remaining 10 per cent was allotted to the different state government departments. However, since the beginning of the 15th Finance Commission, the distribution ratio was slightly changed to 85 per cent for the panchayat tiers and the remaining 15 per cent for the different state government departments.

Repeated attempts to reach out to the state panchayat minister, Pulak Ray failed as his mobile phone was constantly out of range.

It is learnt that of the three tiers of the panchayat system, the performance as regards to the unused funds was for the 3,343 Gram Panchayats, whose total unspent fund in 2021-22 was to the tune of Rs 2,077 crore. The unspent money by 332 Panchayat Samitis was Rs 525 crore, while the same by the 17 Zilla Parishads was Rs 68 crore.

It is learnt that last month the state government had sent a note to the Union government on the pending dues of central funds under various heads like 100-days work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) and state's share in goods and services tax (GST). However, in that note there was no mention of any dues under the 15th Finance Commission.
Valletta, June 18 : Malta was officially removed from a list of untrustworthy financial jurisdictions after cracking down on money laundering, the president of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said.

However, the country still has more work to do, he added.

Marcus Pleyer was addressing a press conference shortly after the FATF, a global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, removed Malta from the so-called "grey list" a year after it was added, reports Xinhua news agency.

The FATF said Malta had made significant progress, and strengthened the effectiveness of its anti-money laundering regime.

Pleyer said the island had been taken off the grey list because it has doubled the resources of its business registry, conducted a thorough risk assessment, and successfully identified companies that conceal their true owners.

He said that the majority of concealed ownership uncovered in Malta concerned foreign-owned companies, but the country has now clamped down on these.

However, he added that Malta's removal from the list "doesn't mean there isn't more work to do".

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela told a press conference that the action plan drawn up together with the FATF in 2021 had been implemented in a "record"12 months.

He vowed the government will keep up the fight against high-level criminality and organised crime.
Bengaluru, June 18 : Girls outshone boys in the Karnataka 2nd PUC exams this year, while overall pass percentage was 61.88 per cent.

The result was announced by the Karnataka Pre-University Examination Board on Saturday.

State Education Minister B.C. Nagesh said girls secured 68.72 per cent while boys 55.22 per cent.

As many as 6,83,563 students have appeared for examinations and 4,22,966 candidates have passed.

The minister stated that the dates for supplementary exams would be announced by the end of this month.

Highest pass percentage in the state was recorded from Dakshina Kannada (88.02) while Chitradugra district registered the lowest pass percentage 49.31.

Shwetha Bhimashankar Bhairagond from Ballary and Madivalara Sahana from Kottur in Ballary district which is considered as the one of the backward districts in the state have got first rank in arts. Both have scored 594 marks out of 600.

Neelu Singh, Akash Das, Maanav Vinay Kejriwal from Bengaluru, Neha B.R. from Chikkaballapur district have got first rank in Commerce stream. All of them got 596 marks. Simran Sesha Rao from Bengaluru has got first rank in Science stream with 598 marks.

The exams were held amid hijab row between April 23 and May 18 in the state. Many students did not appear for examinations protesting denial of permission to wear hijab.
Sand Beach  Illicit miners are threatening the existence of a famous town in River Cess County with the help of an official of the Ministry of Mines, an investigation by The DayLight has revealed.

Gbarwor Corporative Society Inc. does not have a license for its operations in the Morweh mining district, where Sand Beach is located, according to records of the Ministry of Mines and Energy. The company's only active license is for a semi-industrial goldmine in Grand Kru County, the records show as of June 16. It held a gold dealer's license for Montserrado County, which expired last January, and two gold prospecting licenses in the same Grand Kru and Grand Bassa, respectively, both of which expired in 2019. It had another semi-industrial gold mining license also in Grand Bassa canceled in 2020.

But the company has a memorandum of understanding with chiefs and elders of the Central River Cess District, approved by Amos Wiahtoe, the representative of the ministry in that region, known in the industry as a mining agent. The region is part of the Cestos River gold belt and has a huge likelihood for gold, attracting many miners, including illicit ones.

Gbarwor promised to pay US$250 for teachers every quarter and US$1,000 scholarships for students each year, and erect handpumps to mine in their community, according to the document seen by The DayLight. The chiefs also pledged to the company protection of its properties and operations. It is an artisanal mining deal but the company operates a semi-industrial, using heavy-duty equipment, showing it is cheating the chiefs even in their illegal affairs.

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Liberia's Minerals and Mining Law prohibits mining without a license, and Wiahtoe's responsibility is to enforce the law in that area. Wiahtoe declined an interview over his involvement with the illegal deal.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy, which regulates the sector, said it would investigate the matter. Locals' interference is one of the challenges the ministry has faced for decades but evidence of collusion of its agents is rare.

"We will recall those that are involved and take the necessary action," said Obediah Arku, the inspector general for mines, in an interview with The DayLight.

The company and Wiahtoe face a fine of up to US$2,000, a two-year prison term, or both, if convicted by a court, as per the mining law.

The company mines right within the town, threatening the homes of its 3,000 inhabitants. There were large pits everywhere.

"We are not safe here. The guys are digging all behind our houses. This place will soon finish," said Joseph Flomo, one resident.

"We have children, women, and elderly people here. Any one of us could fall into these big holes, and that will be a problem for the community. We are in serious trouble," Prince Sawyeh, another resident, who worked with the ministry before, said.

It was unclear who is the owner of Gbarwor, as there are no records of the company at the Liberian Business Registry. James Clarke, who is named on the ministry's records, declined to comment on the matter.

This story was originally published by The DayLight and is being republished by FrontPage Africa as part of a partnership between the two media institutions.
A woman shelters from the sun with umbrella during hot weather at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, June 17, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

A woman cools off with water during hot weather at the Barcaccia fountain in Rome, Italy, June 17, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Rome, June 18 : A heatwave swept across Italy this week, sparking emergencies in at least four cities and putting half of the agricultural production in the north at drought risk.

An orange heat emergency, the second highest emergency level, was declared on Friday in cities of Brescia, Turin, Florence and Perugia, reports Xinhua news agency.

The most vulnerable, the elderly, children, the chronically ill, and pregnant women, are advised to stay indoors during the hottest hours of the day.

Three of these four cities declared a 24-hour emergency status.

In Turin, however, the status is predicted to continue for several days and escalate into "red" on Sunday, the most severe status.

Temperatures in some parts of the north topped 40 degrees Celsius.

The agricultural association Agricotori Italiani said as much as half of the agricultural production in northern Italy was now at risk due to drought conditions.

It said the precipitation volume in these areas so far this year was only half of last year's volume, and estimated 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in damages.

According to Alberto Cirio, governor of the Piedmont region where Turin is located, the Po River, Italy's longest waterway crucial to agricultural irritation, is 72 per cent below its normal water level.

He said some parts of the region had not reported any rain for more than 110 days, a situation that was exacerbated by a lack of snowfall in the winter months.

On Friday, Cirio ordered that 170 towns in Piedmont use water only for "essential" purposes such as drinking and cooking.

According to Edoardo Zanchini, the newly-installed director of the climate change office in Rome, high temperatures and drought will be more frequent and called on the local and national governments to take steps to adapt to the trend.

"It's not only a problem in Italy, but all over Europe," Zanchini told Xinhua. "A similar situation was reported in 2003, when heatwaves killed thousands of people. And just like this year, high temperatures started already in June." He foresaw a blazing and difficult summer this year.
Khargone, June 18 : In the Muslim-majority settlement of Khasakhwadi in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, the religious divide that's prevalent in the country has taken a new, quite literal turn. Here, a reinforced concrete wall, about 30ft wide and 15ft high, is being constructed to divide Khasakhwadi from the 'zamindar' locality, just one of the many being put up in the area.

Bifurcating the areas based on religion was seemingly the solution that the district administration came up with to maintain peace, following the communal riots that broke out during Ram Navami celebrations in Khargone in early April. Residents of gathered near the barricades under the scorching sun to question the propriety of this administrative decision, only to be turned away with no concrete answers. They remain concerned about the optics and also the practical difficulties the walls throw up.

Durreya Abdul Hussain, who's been a resident of the area for eight months, voiced his worries over this communal demarcation created soon after the curfew was lifted.

"How is this a suitable way to stop the enmity between two communities? This will only fuel hatred among people. The administration should have thought of the consequences before building the wall in Khasakhwadi. Who will solve the problems people are facing now?" Here, Hussain alludes to the lack of access to civic and emergency services that have been hindered since this construction. The direct road to their homes is now blocked, and residents are forced to take a much longer, alternative route.

Talking to 101Reporters, Mohammad Sayeed Khan held the administration liable for the situation in Khasakhwadi.

"People on both sides will have to face problems because of this wall. It will be difficult to get people to a hospital in case of any serious illness, as this was the most accessible route to commute." The residents had approached the collector to voice their concerns and attempt to put a stop to the construction, but their pleas went unheard.

Ignoring the resistance, the administration erected the wall anyway.

Akbar Bagwan, who invested in a house in Khasakhwadi eight months ago, found himself in a dilemma after the concrete construction between the two neighbourhoods. He was living in his new, fully-furnished home, but after the violence in Khargone violence, he moved to a rented place elsewhere, fearing for his life.

However, in stark contrast, the 'zamindari' settlement appeared to have no strong opposition to the move. When 101Reporters reached this Hindu locality, it was the women who spoke up. Gyarsi Bai and Nirmala Pawar narrated their observations during the communal violence that took place in April.

"People from the other side came here and threw stones at our houses," they said, claiming that "the rioters had entered the area through the same path," that was now blocked, even though they didn't recognise anyone in particular.

"We do not have any problem with this wall. It will get rid of anti-social elements coming from that side," they remarked, further blaming the Muslim community for the stench from the drains that flowed through the area, claiming it was caused by the disposal of the waste from the meat they ate.

This Hindu community is the only settlement backing the administration's drastic steps.

The second wall: Miyanman-Vitthal Temple This second wall was nearly built between the Vitthal temple and the Miyanman locality. However, in this neighbourhood, both sides firmly opposed the construction of this communally divisive wall. Local residents opposed it rigorously, and the construction was halted midway. Instead, permanent barricades were placed, which affected some 20,000 people from the surrounding areas of Vitthal temple, Bhatwadi, Kalali, Miyaman and Tekdi.

Rakesh Gurjar, a resident of Miyanman, said the barricading was not justified as it had made commuting cumbersome for them. Earlier, he could follow a straight road to his house from the temple, but he was forced to take a detour now.

Rupali Joshi, another resident here, holds the administration responsible: "They should create a sense of security among the people and not divide them and deepen their fear." Elderly Sharda Bai, who had moved to the area 50 years ago after marriage, now lives opposite the yellow barricades put up. She claims that till date, she had not faced any problems from the residents of the Miyaman locality.

Recalling the harrowing night of April 10, Aashiq Ali Syed narrated: "During the riots, it was not known from where people had come. Two-wheelers parked in front of Vitthal Temple were vandalised and set on fire. By the time we could understand what was happening or recognise the miscreants, they had run away, destroying the brotherhood we maintained for decades in one night." Similarly, Atul Bhatt, the priest at the temple, echoed these views, emphasising that the fear instilled among people cannot be overcome by erecting walls.

Following massive resistance, the construction of the wall was halted, after which the area was barricaded. This, too, was opposed and had to be removed eventually.

"But one day, the barricades were once again put up silently," said Maj Uddin Shaikh.

Now, neither are LPG cylinders reaching his home, nor are the autorickshaws meant to take his children to school able to commute to the area.

The third wall: Bhatwadi In Bhatwadi, too, the administration attempted to put up such a communally divisive wall, but backed down following strong local opposition. But once again, they put up barricades without any thought towards the civic issues they would cause: for a fortnight, the drains of Bhatwadi remained uncleaned, overflowing with sludge as the municipality trucks were unable to shuttle through to collect the piled-up garbage.

Being as good as caged in, the people here were left feeling like prisoners. Besides garbage trucks, school shuttles and other necessities also depend on this route to deliver services. Salma Khan, a senior citizen, shared her fears: "In case of an emergency, even an ambulance will not be able to make it here." Such unhygienic conditions have led to an outbreak of diseases here according to the locals who complain of increased cases of viral fever in the area. When 101Reporters had reached out to her, Khan had been ill for a week and anticipated the need to be rushed to a hospital.

So far, around 20,000 people from Bohra Bakhal, including both Hindus and Muslims, were affected by the concrete blockage. Another 20,000 were affected by the barricades put up in Kalali, Miyanman and Tekdi, while 15,000 residents of Talab Chowk were bothered by the wall erected between Motipura and Sanjay Nagar.

Administration indifference Deflecting any responsibility for the events taking place, Additional Collector J.S. Baghel told 101Reporters that he had taken chare in Khargone only a week ago and did not know "where and why" these walls were being built. Though he claims to not have any concrete details on the matter, he established that the move was ill-advised.

Attempts to reach out to Collector Kumar Purshottam were not fruitful because he was in the midst of a personal emergency at the time of publishing this report.

(The author is a Khandwa-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)
New Delhi, June 18 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday chaired a top-level meeting with service chiefs in Delhi amid massive protests over Agnipath scheme.

The crucial meeting of the Defence Minister with the service chiefs was held shortly after the Union Home Ministry on Saturday announced 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers in the recruitment of CAPF and the Assam Rifles.

The three service chiefs have reportedly expressed confidence about the scheme through which youngsters will be recruited into the Army, Navy and the Air Force for a period of four years. Army chief General Manoj Pande said the scheme will provide an opportunity to the youth and the ongoing resistance is because they are not properly informed.

The Indian Army said a notification will be issued in the next two days while the Indian Air Force announced to begin the recruitment process from June 24. The Indian Navy has said the process will begin very soon.

Earliere in a series of tweets, the Home Minister's Office said that "The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) decides to reserve 10 per cent vacancies for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles for Agniveers, completing four years under the Agnipath Scheme announced by the Government of India, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

It also said that "The MHA also decides to give 3 years age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs & Assam Rifles. Further, for the first batch of Agniveer, the age relaxation will be for 5 years beyond the prescribed upper age limit." Meanwhile, Defence minister Rajnath Singh had on Friday urged the agitating aspirants to start preparing for the recruitment as the process will begin soon.
Cairo, June 18 : Egypt has lifted all Covid-19-related entry restrictions for all travellers -- Egyptian nationals and foreigners.

The decision was made by the Supreme Committee for the Management of the Epidemiology and Health Pandemic Crisis according to the pandemic conditions in Egypt and abroad, Xinhua news agency quoted Nader Saad, a spokesperson of the cabinet, as saying.

Nearly 86.6 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, as well as 4.5 million booster shots, have been provided for the people, he said.

The spokesman added that there were nearly 57.5 million doses in reserve to continue the vaccination campaign.

He said that 800 DNA reagents were distributed by the Egyptian health ministry to detect the monkeypox cases, and strict measures are taken to have veterinary quarantine for the animals coming from abroad.
Buldhana farmer SHUBHAM INGLE, wants Rs.5.50-crore + Rs.5.50 crore from Bank of India & State Bank of India to build a five-star hotel on his farmlands Image Source: IANS News

Buldhana farmer SHUBHAM INGLE, wants Rs.5.50-crore + Rs.5.50 crore from Bank of India & State Bank of India to build a five-star hotel on his farmlands Image Source: IANS News

Buldhana/Hingoli, June 18 : With growing input costs and failing crops, Maharashtra farmers are now exploring alternative avenues to make some extra bucks and, maybe even become local richies.

This week, two marginal farmers have grabbed attention for propounding their ambitious yet bizarre ventures to attain prosperity.

They are Kailas Ramrao Patange, 22, of Taktoda village in Hingoli and Shuham Ingle, 30, of Changefal village in Buldhana, both predominantly farming regions that are hit by the current agrarian crisis gripping different parts of the state.

Ingle has applied for a Rs 11-crore loan - Rs 5.50 crore each from State Bank of India (SBI) and Bank of India (BoI) in Sangrampur - to construct dream high-rise five-star hotel on his small farm, while Patange has sought a Rs 6.65-crore loan from SBI, Goregam, to purchase his dream helicopter.

The duo has submitted their simple and direct loan applications in Marathi - Ingle's is typewritten, while Patange's is hand-scrawled - their respective bank branches managers, creating a flutter.

Hailing from a family which has been tilling land for the past three generations, Ingle reasoned that despite toiling day-night in the fields, he has not been able to improve his and his family's lot since past 15 years.

"After working so hard for 20 hours daily, I am barely able to make ends meet, and can barely afford to provide more than the necessities of life to my family. Hence I thought of this plan to construct a five-star hotel on my farmland," said Ingle.

Similar was the refrain from Patange, who has been working on his 2-acre farm since the past over five years, but found little or no profits from agriculture.

"With my friend Chetan Sawke and advice from some others, we have decided to launch a helicopter rental service which is slowly growing in popularity," Patange told IANS.

The Ingle-Patange duo rued that despite complete dedication to their traditional vocation, they have been repeatedly hit by crop failures, vagrant weather conditions, high costs of raw materials and very low profits, compelling them to consider changing tracks to bring their life on the right track.

Patange said that he plans to hire out his helicopter to various rich individuals, corporations, weddings and other events, and repay his bank loan from the income.

Ingle plans to make hay while the sun shines, and explained how "deluxe and five-star hotels are the haunts of politicians" which will garner huge profits and help him pay back the bank loan.

"Politicians these days, right from the Gram Panchayat level to Parliament, favour deluxe and star hotels for various reasons. I see a great potential income in Buldhana too, besides the tourists and corporate travellers," said Ingle.

However, both candidly confessed that they don't have the faintest idea of how to actually launch their ventures - a five-star hotel or a helicopter rental service - and confidently said they would hire experts after getting their bank loans.

They also admitted that their small plots of land may not be "sufficient collateral" for their loan amounts, but are optimistic the banks would consider their cases sympathetically.

For the present, at least one bank manager has termed Ingle's proposal as 'impossible' but he would study it and forward it to the higher authorities.

"These are big proposals for our rural bank branches. It also needs a proper Project Report by experts, the business plans, profitability, the repayment details, etc, none of which is yet made available," said another bank official in a resigned voice.

However, neither Ingle nor Patange is disheartened by the cynics and said they would visit their banks again next week to ascertain the status of their loan pleas.

Whether the banks entertain them or not, for the present the two young ryots have become local celebs for their pluck and sheer guts to even think of such ad-ventures and approach banks for finance.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)
Chennai, June 18 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday said that a delegation of leaders led by Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan will soon meet Union Water Resources Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Stalin said that the Tamil Nadu delegation will voice the people's agitated mood at Karnataka government's decision to build the Mekedatu Dam on river Cauvery.

Stalin also expressed shock at the statement of S.K. Haldar, Chairman, Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) that the Authority can discuss the Mekedatu Dam issue.

Stalin said that when there are pending cases in the Supreme Court on the matter, the CWMA does not have powers to discuss it.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also said that the Union government should not succumb to pressure tactics of his Karnataka counterpart Basavaraj Bommai who has gone to Delhi.
Los Angeles, June 18 : The production team of 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' was subjected to detention by law enforcement agencies in the US Capitol after filming comedy segments for the said show, reports 'Variety'.

Television network CBS that airs the show, confirmed that an incident occured with the Capitol Police while a production team to support the foul-mouthed puppet character Triumph the Insult Comic Dog were on an authorized location shoot in Congress.

As per 'Variety', among the seven people arrested from the field production team was Robert Smigel, the writer and comedian behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

The Capitol Police said in a statement accessed by 'Variety' that a team was detained in the Longworth House Office Building when the group was found "unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway." The statement continued, "The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day. They were charged with Unlawful Entry. This is an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges after consultation with the U.S. Attorney." CBS downplayed the severity of the incident in a matter-of-fact statement.

"Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was on-site at the Capitol with a production team to record interviews for a comedy segment on behalf of 'The Late Show,' " CBS said in a statement.

"Their interviews at the Capitol were authorized and pre-arranged through Congressional aides of the members interviewed. After leaving the members' offices on their last interview of the day, the production team stayed to film stand-ups and other final comedy elements in the halls when they were detained by Capitol Police."
Mumbai, June 18 : Aakanksha Singh who was last seen in the Amitabh Bachchan Ajay Devgn starrer 'Runway 34' is busy shooting for the new season of the upcoming web series 'Rangbaaz 3'.

The story and her character is inspired by Hena Shahab, the wife of gangster-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin, and the actress went through extensive preparation for her role.

Confirming the same, Aakanksha said, "Since I play a politician's character in the web series, I had to do extensive research by reading everything. I also watched a few interviews, documentaries and videos available every day for four to five hours before I started shooting for the show." "The idea was not just to look like my character but also imbibe the character traits to make it look authentic on screen. Overall, working on 'Rangbaaz' has been an interesting journey," she added.

The upcoming season will also be featuring actors like Vineet Kumar Singh, Rajesh Tilang in pivotal roles.
Patna, June 18 : Amid protests over Agnipath, a central government's scheme for recruitment into defence forces, opposition political leaders in Bihar such as Chirag Paswan and Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav on Saturday came in support of the Bharat bandh call given by aspirants.

Chirag Paswan, the Lok Sabha MP from Jamui, came on the streets of Patna and headed towards Raj Bhavan to hand over a memorandum to Governor Phagu Chauhan. He started the peaceful march along with his supporters from his residence at SK Puri and they were intercepted at Hartali Mor on Bailey road.

"We were stopped at hartali Mor but later they allowed an 11-member delegation to go to the Raj Bhavan. However, we could not meet the governor and handed over the memorandum to an official of Raj Bhavan," Paswan said.

"It is not justified to retire a youth at a young age of 21 years. The Centre should withdraw the Agnipath scheme. We have pointed out loopholes in our memorandum," Paswan said.

Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) chief Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav also protested on the streets in Patna. He along with hundreds of supporters went to Dak Banglow intersection and participated in the peaceful protest.

"We have demanded that this scheme should be withdrawn. If the Centre does not withdraw it, it should give a written promise to accommodate Agniveers in government sectors after their tenure of four years ends. The Centre should also make provision to give lifetime pension of Rs 25,000 per month after their retirement," Yadav said.

The protesters, meanwhile continued their stir on Saturday at several places across Bihar.

In Sasaram of the Rohtas district, protesters pelted stones on the police party. A large number of agitators assembled at Bikramganj block and pelted stones on the police party. Similar situation prevailed in Nokha block as well. Keeping in view the prevailing situation, Internet and telecom services have been suspended in Rohtas district. The district police have arrested 12 people on the charges of arson.

Meanwhile, a huge clash took place in Madhubani district, where agitators pelted stones on the police team. Over one dozen persons including SDO's bodyguard were injured in the clash.

In Lakhisarai, police registered an FIR against 45 named and 1000 unnamed persons who indulged in rioting over the government's scheme. Police also arrested 22 persons for their involvement in setting a train on fire on Friday.

Thousands of protesters also staged protests in Katihar as well.
Chennai, June 18 : Actor R K Suresh, who is releasing director Seenu Ramasamy's 'Maamanithan', featuring actors Vijay Sethupathi and Gayathrie in the lead, says that the film reminded him of his dad while watching it.

Addressing a press conference called by the team of 'Maamanithan' recently, RK Suresh said, "There are only a few filmmakers who make movies on realistic values and Seenu Ramasamy is one among them. I was reminded of my dad while watching this film and I am sure it will have an impact on all men who are heads of families.

"This movie will offer a fresh experience to audiences and will be completely different from the director's earlier film 'Dharmadurai'. It will be a movie that audiences can relate to. The movie is set in three different locations. The story begins in Theni, travels to Kerala, and finally ends at Kasi.

"'Maamanithan' is going to be a special movie for Gayathrie. The story demanded a variety of performances based on three different situations in this movie, and she has nailed it. I strongly believe this movie will be a success." The film, which has been in the making for long, is finally scheduled to hit screens on June 24 and has been produced by music director Yuvan Shankar Raja.
Atlanta  The Liberia Chamber of Commerce in the Americas in partnership with Made in Liberia has announced the official launch of the Liberian Business Expo on July 30, 2022, in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

The Liberian Business Expo provides opportunities for business owners, entrepreneurs, and business executives to build professional relationships that will raise the profile of their respective organizations to new heights.

"We are very excited to kick-start this event as it would help to promote and enhance Liberian businesses in Liberia and the diaspora," said Stephanie Logan-Settro, Executive Director of the Liberian Chamber of Commerce in the Americas, Inc. I am even more excited about the high level of expertise from all walks that we have assembled to discuss challenges, opportunities and how can we move the needle to make our business climate favorable to work for us," she adds.

The Liberian Business Expo will also feature a panel discussion among high-profile business personalities from Liberia and the United States to discuss a range of business strategies and activities as well as ways to improve the business climate in Liberia. Venders to the event will come from Liberia and from all over the United States of America.

The Liberian Chamber of Commerce will sponsor one young entrepreneur to the Expo to promote youth entrepreneurship.

The Liberian Business Expo is one of many events organized by the organization to promote business interactions, cultural diversity, and community engagement among entrepreneurs, and to share experiences and other strategies that will scale the potential of struggling businesses and improve knowledge of operating a business.

The Chamber will also focus on other priority areas such as leadership and economic developments. Through the leadership program, the chamber will provide education and experience for the next generation of communities to enhance their businesses.

The organization also aims to engage in initiatives around retention, expansion, recruitment, workforce, and infrastructure, which often have the greatest impact for lasting and productive change.
Mumbai, June 18 : 'Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story' director Hansal Mehta feels that if a show or a film passes the litmus test of memes, it means that it has gone truly 'viral' in the true sense of the word.

Speaking at a media event to celebrate two years of OTT platform SonyLIV, Hansal said, "Memes are a great way to judge a show or film's success. If dialogues from your creation suddenly find their way to memes, be rest assured your content has cut across the audience." Furnishing an honest answer, he revealed when he got to know about memes, he said, "I discovered memes after 'Scam' and was pleasantly surprised by their reach because they're snackable and derivative form of content and travel way faster than any form of content. The audience too jumps in to make their own version of memes and dialogues, it becomes an user generated content falling under the umbrella of organic marketing." But, not everything is hunky-dory about memes as the filmmaker said, "However, there's a downside to it to, because a lot of time writers get carried away while writing dialogues in a bid to make them meme-worthy, this robs them off the show's or film's authenticity."
Srinagar, June 18 : National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Saturday announced that he is not in the fray for the President's post.

In a statement, Abdullah thanked West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee for proposing his name as a joint opposition candidate, but noted that his services are needed more in Jammu and Kashmir at this juncture.

"I am honoured to have had my name proposed as a possible joint opposition candidate for the office of President of India by Mamata Banerjee Sahiba. Subsequent to Mamata didi proposing my name, I have received a number of calls from opposition leaders offering their support for my candidature," he said in the statement.

Abdullah, however, said that he is looking forward to contributing positively to Jammu and Kashmir and the country in future and would support the joint opposition consensus candidate.

"I have taken a few days to discuss this unexpected development with my family and senior colleagues. I am deeply touched by the support that I've received and honoured to have been considered for the highest office in the country. I believe that Jammu & Kashmir is passing through a critical juncture and my efforts are required to help navigate these uncertain times.

"I have a lot more active politics ahead of me and look forward to making a positive contribution in the service of J&K and the country. Therefore, I would like to respectfully withdraw my name from consideration and I look forward to supporting the joint opposition consensus candidate," the statement read.

"I'm very grateful to Mamata didi for proposing my name. I'm also grateful to all the senior leaders who offered me their support," Abdullah added.
Ahmedabad, June 18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met his mother as she turned 100, in Gujarat's Gandhinagar before leaving for Pavagadh.

He washed her mother's feet and took her blessings as well as shared some sweets with her.

Modi penned an emotional blog as his mother who turned 100 years old and recollected some special moments from his childhood that he spent with her.

He said, "In my mother's life story, I see the penance, sacrifice and contribution to India's matrushakti. Whenever I look at mother and crores of women like her, I find there is nothing that is unachievable for Indian women." He recalled several sacrifices made by his mother as he grew up and mentioned various qualities of her that have shaped his mind, personality and self-confidence.

"Today, I feel extremely happy and fortunate to share that my mother Heeraben Modi is entering her 100th year. This is going to be her birth centenary year," the Prime Minister added.

Recalling hardships his mother faced during his childhood, Modi said, "My mother is as simple as she is extraordinary. Just like all mothers. She does not even remember my grandmother's face or the comfort of her lap. She spent her entire childhood without her mother." The Prime Minister recalled the tiny house in Vadnagar with mud walls and clay tiles for a roof where he stayed with his parents and siblings.

He mentioned innumerable adversities that his mother encountered everyday and successfully overcame.

Modi added that cleanliness was something that his mother had always been extremely particular about. He shared several instances which gave a glimpse of his mother being very particular about maintaining cleanliness.

The Prime Minister added that his mother had a deep respect for those involved in cleaning and sanitation. Whenever someone would come to clean the drain adjacent to their house in Vadnagar, his mother wouldn't let them go without offering them tea.

Modi wrote that his mother made him realise that it was possible to be learned without being formally educated.

He shared an incident when he wanted to publicly honour all his teachers, including his biggest teacher -- his mother. However, his mother declined, saying, "I am an ordinary person. I may have given birth to you, but you have been taught and brought up by the Almighty." The Prime Minister said that though his mother did not attend the event, she made sure that he called someone from Jethabhai Joshi ji's family -- his local teacher, who taught him alphabets.

"Her thought process and farsighted thinking have always surprised me," he added.

Reflecting on his mother's extremely simple lifestyle, Modi wrote that even today, there are no assets in her name.

"I have never seen her wear any gold ornaments, and she has no interest either. Like earlier, she continues to lead an extremely simple lifestyle in her small room," the Prime Minister said.

Modi added that his mother has always inspired him to have a strong resolve and focus on 'garib kalyan' (the upliftment of poor).

He shared an instance from 2001 when he had been declared as the Gujarat Chief Minister.

After reaching Gujarat, Modi went straight to meet his mother. She was extremely ecstatic and told him, "I don't understand your work in the government, but I just want you to never take a bribe." His mother keeps assuring him that he should not worry about her and remain focused on the larger responsibilities.

Whenever Modi speaks to her mother on the phone, the latter says, "Never do anything wrong or anything bad with anyone and keep working for the poor." The Prime Minister said that his parents' honesty and self-respect have been their biggest qualities.

Despite struggling with poverty and its accompanying challenges, Modi added, "His parents never left the path of honesty or compromised on their self-respect. Constant hardwork was their foremost mantra to overcome any challenge!" Modi encapsulated his mother's inspiring life story in a few words.

"Far beyond every tale of deprivation is the glorious story of a mother, far above every struggle is the strong resolve of a mother."
Vadodara : Prime Minister Narendra Modi being presented a memento during the inauguration of various development projects at 'Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan' in Vadodara on Saturday, June 18, 2022. (IANS/PIB) Image Source: IANS News

Vadodara : Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inauguration of various development projects at 'Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan' in Vadodara on Saturday, June 18, 2022. (IANS/PIB) Image Source: IANS News

Vadodara : Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to his supporters during the inauguration of various development projects at 'Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan' in Vadodara on Saturday, June 18, 2022. (IANS/PIB) Image Source: IANS News

Vadodara, June 18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid foundation for and inaugurated development works worth Rs 21,000 crore, including railway projects, at an event held at the at Leprosy Ground here.

Before reaching the stage, the Prime Minister took a tour of the venue in an open jeep, warmly greeting the large gathering present there.

Earlier in the morning, Modi met his mother Heeraben, who entered the 100th year of her life on Saturday, and took her blessings at her residence near Gandhinagar. Modi arrived at Raysan village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar at around 6.30 am and spent around half an hour there.

At the event in Vadodara, Modi said, "Today is the day of 'Matruvandana' for me, and I am happy to be here inauguarating development works worth Rs 21,000 crore. These projects will accelerate the development of India along with Gujarat. Such huge investment and better connectivity will accelerate industrial development in Gujarat besides opening up more employment opportunities for the youth." The Prime Minister also said that Vadodara has nurtured him just like a mother takes care of her child.

The Prime Minister then dedicated to the nation and laid foundation stone for various Railway projects worth over Rs 16,000 crore. These include 357 km New Palanpur-Madar section of dedicated freight corridor; gauge conversion of 166 Km Ahmedabad-Botad section; and electrification of 81 Km Palanpur-Mitha section, among others.

Modi also laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of Surat, Udhna, Somnath and Sabarmati railway stations, along with other initiatives in the railway sector. These projects will help lower logistic costs and boost the industry and agriculture sector in the region. They will also improve connectivity in the region and enhance passenger amenities.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, a total of 1.38 lakh houses will be dedicated by the Prime Minister, including houses worth around Rs 1,800 crore in the urban areas and houses worth over Rs 1,530 crore in the rural areas.

During the programme, the Prime Minister dedicated and laid foundation stone for various development works at Kheda, Anand, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur and Panchmahal, worth over Rs 680 crore, which are aimed at furthering ease of living in the region.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for Gujarat Central University at Kundhela village in Dabhoi taluka. Located about 20 km from Vadodara, the university will be constructed at a cost of around Rs 425 crore and will cater to higher education needs of over 2,500 students.

With a focus on improving maternal and child health, the Prime Minister launched the 'Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojana', which will have an outlay of Rs 800 crore. Under the scheme, pregnant and lactating mothers will be given 2 kg chickpea, 1 kg tur dal and 1 kg edible oil free of cost from the Anganwadi centres every month.

Modi also dispersed around Rs 120 crore towards the 'Poshan Sudha Yojana', which is now being extended to all tribal beneficiaries in the state. This step has been taken after the success of the experiment of providing iron and calcium tablets and education on nutrition to pregnant and lactating mothers from the tribal districts.
Kalaburagi : , June 18 (IANS) Leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the union government for introducing Agnipath scheme for the recruitment in armed forces and said the party will start agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from Sunday.

"No soldier will come out well trained if aspirants of armed forces are given training for four years and then make them retire," Kharge said here on Saturday.

"It is not fair to recruit soldiers for armed forces on the basis of contract and daily-wages," he said. The candidates need more time to know about security forces. If they are asked to leave the force after 4 years, how is it possible? Kharge questioned.

"Congress is starting a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from Sunday against the Agnipath scheme," he stated.

"Those who want to join the army are ready to martyr themselves for the country without any expectations. Will it be good, if they are treated like contract labourers? They would pay a heavy fee to tuition centres for the training. They won't recover the money in 4 years. This scheme will never be accepted by the youth," he said.

There should not be politics in this matter. They (BJP) are provoking youth by introducing such a scheme and the protests are turning violent, he said.

The central government has not made any recruitment in the recent past. There are lakhs of job opportunities in the armed forces. There are vacant posts of the central government in Karnataka. No step is being taken for recruitment, he slammed.
New Delhi, June 18 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Saturday that it has arrested Appasaheb Ramachandra Deshmukh, the treasurer of Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Education Society (SCSES in Maharashtra, in an alleged money laundering case pertaining to defrauding MBBS aspirants to the tune of Rs 29 crore.

The accused was produced before a special PMLA court in Mumbai which sent him to ED's custody till June 24.

In May, the ED had arrested Mahadev Ramachandra Deshmukh, former President of the SCSES.

The ED initiated a probe into the money laundering case on the basis of an FIR registered by the Vaduj police station, Satara, against Deshmukh and others.

It has been alleged that the college management had collected funds in cash from the students for admission to MBBS course in the Institute of Medical Science and Research whereas the college was not eligible for the same.

During investigation, it was revealed that SCSES, Kolhapur, is a charitable trust which is engaged in educational activities.

The trust received permission to run a medical college for the academic year 2012-13 and 2013-14 for 100 seats per annum (85 seats government quota and 15 seats management quota).

However, in 2014, the admission regulatory authority rejected permission for admission in MBBS for the academic year 2014-15.

Despite that, admission was granted only to 200 students from 2012-13 to 2015-16. While the former SCSES President fraudulently collected Rs 29 crore from more than 550 students on the pretext of admission in MBBS course as donation, admission was not granted to as many as 350 students.

"Various agents were appointed on commission basis by Deshmukh to lure prospective candidates for admission against donation," an ED official said.
Kolkata, June 18 : In the wake of growing tension over Agnipath, the proposed scheme of the Central government for short-term services in the Indian armed forces, spreading from one state to another, the Centre, on Saturday, sent a note of caution to all states and Union Territories (UTs) regarding tackling the continued agitations on this count.

The letter signed by Deputy Secretary to Central government, Archana Varma, has been addressed to all Chief Secretaries, Advisors to Administrators of all states and UTs, state and UT Director Generals of Police and Police Commissioners of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai. A copy of the letter is available with IANS.

"As per the information, there have been protests against the Agnipath scheme mainly in the form of gatherings, dharnas, demonstrations, marches, arson etc, including damage to public property. In social media a call for Bharat Bandh and protest at Jantar Mantar, Delhi on 20.06. 2022 is under circulation. There is a likelihood that the protest may continue for some time," the letter read.

In view of the above, the letter has added that "It would be imperative to put in place adequate security arrangements at important installations and facilities, especially Railway stations/lines, National Highways and important government officers to maintain law and order, peace, and tranquility." Since the agitations broke out, the Railways faced maximum wrath incurring maximum losses. That is why the Union government has specially mentioned the railway stations.

Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police Commission, Vineet Goyal told newspersons on Saturday afternoon that his forces have been kept on high alert and are ready to bring any situation under control.
Chennai, June 18 : The Madras High Court registry has directed the judicial officers across Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Puducherry to celebrate International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21.

The Principal District Judges (PDJs) have been instructed to ensure the participation of Judicial officers, court staff, and lawyers in a 40-minute demonstration of yoga. The yoga demonstration will be preceded by a 20-minute speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The registrar general of Madras High Court in an official mail to the Principal District Judges said that the Union Ministry of Law and Justice had sent a mail stating that the Ministry of Ayush was celebrating IDY 2022 as part of the Azadi Ki Amrit Mahotsav at 75 iconic locations throughout the country. The Ministry of Law also said that the International Day of Yoga will be celebrated at the Supreme Court and all the High courts of the country.

The Ministry of Law and Justice also directed that the IDY be observed in all the District courts and subordinate courts with the participation of judicial officers, bar, and other associated individuals and entities.

The Madras High Court Registry also directed the Principal District Judges in Tamil Nadu and the Chief Justice of Puducherry to ensure the participation of lawyers also in the celebration and to display the logo of IDY during the event.
Mumbai, June 18 : Veteran actor Anil Kapoor who is playing a pivotal part in the upcoming film 'JugJug Jeyoo' explains how these days characters of middle-aged men are more interestingly written and the fact that every actor should keep rediscovering himself beyond age.

In the upcoming film, Anil is playing the onscreen father of Varun Dhawan and the husband of Neetu Kapoor. His character Bheem Sukhnani is a man in his early 50s frustrated in his marriage, having an affair with another woman and struggling to divorce his wife while he gets to know that his son is also planning to divorce his wife.

According to the actor, it is only on the surface that the audience gets to know more about Bheem once the film releases.

However, in conversation with IANS, Anil shared why these days with films like 'Dil Dhadakne Do', 'Malang', 'AK vs AK', 'Thar' - he started enjoying playing his age on-screen.

Anil told IANS: "I think there are three factors working for me here. Firstly, this is another phase in my career where I am constantly learning, nurturing my curious mind to grow as an actor and also collaborating with new directors and writers who are offering me something that is challenging me the most." He went on adding, "These new kids are very bold with their thinking and they have clarity of thoughts in writing. They just look at me as an actor and extract my performance. My latest release 'Thar' was also the result of that. These days, middle-aged characters are more nuancedly written; I am enjoying it, to play my age." Highlighting how some Hollywood personalities redefine themselves with age, Anil mentioned that more than 'looking young' it's important to 'look interesting'.

"There is Steve Martin, Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks and also Tom Cruise. People are writing characters for them, and they are delivering to the audience. You see, you have to sustain that likability and the magic alive where even after working for decades when you come on-screen, you have to offer something that the audience hasn't seen you before. I do not have to play a young man anymore," said Anil.

"I know my age, I should play my age and how as an actor I can utilise my personality to bring life to a character. The key is not to look young, the key is to look and bring an interesting, engaging character on-screen," added the 'Parinda' actor.

Citing another example, of icon Amitabh Bachchan, Kapoor shared more insight.

"Tell me why people are still writing a character keeping Bachchan saab in mind? Why even today, when saab comes on-screen, across generations, people watch him? He has preserved and sustained the actor in him. So yes, while middle-aged characters are more well written these days, it is also the responsibility of the actor to keep the artist alive," 'Mr India' signed off.

'Jug Jug Jeeyoo' directed by Raj Mehta, produced by Karan Johar, starring Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, Neetu Kapoor, Manish Paul among others - releases in theatres on June 24.
Mumbai, June 18 : For filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, it's very important for a creator to have a voice of reason while making a content piece because by nature creators are always battling self-doubt a little more than often.

The rationale comes from a business mind, in her opinion.

The filmmaker, who has made films like 'Nil Battey Sannata', 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' and 'Panga' in the past, is gearing up for the release of her web series 'Faadu', which stars Pavail Gulati and Saiyami Kher.

Speaking at the sidelines of a media event to celebrate the second anniversary of the OTT platform SonyLIV, Ashwiny said, "Creators are always in doubt about their work. That's the reason we need a business mind to give a certain objectivity and to streamline the content." However, she is quick to admit that if there's a danger of artistic indulgence then there's also a danger of content losing out on its essence because of makers' overtly commercial approach.

She said, "Having said that, there has to be a balance. Storytellers should not find themselves crumbling under the pressure of business. The key is to strike the perfect balance and to create a win-win situation for every stakeholder so that the outcome is truly satisfying."
Todee District, Montserrado County - Girls Get Equal-Liberia (GGE) joined the rest of Africa in celebration of the International Day of the African Child, calling on parents, religious and traditional leaders, government and stakeholders to disband the practice of early marriage.

The celebration was held in Todee, rural Montserrado amongst three schools, namely the Presbyterian Todee Mission High School, Todee Wesleyan Institute and Nuquay Public School, and was attended by representatives of the District #1, Rep. Lawrence Morris' office, District Educational officer, students, religious and traditional leaders.

The day which is set aside by the United Nations to celebrate African children on the 16 of June every year, was held under the theme: "Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policy and Practices Since 2013".

Speaking at the program, the Team Leader of GGE, Faith C. Smith, said children have been affected by harmful practices, among which are, Female genital mutilation (FGM) and early child marriage.

According to Miss. Smith, these harmful practices which are highly practiced in rural Liberia are a serious threat to the lives of children.

She noted that the government must truly promote and protect the rights of children.

Said Miss. Smith, "Today, we celebrate this day when most children right now are even being abused and violated. The problem of Liberian children goes far beyond just the poor quality of their education to the high increase of violence perpetrated against them."

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"Government celebrates this day by bringing together a handful of children, leaving out those other kids who are currently between cars selling, those children whom all their lives have never felt the comfort of a class room and paying deaf to our many petitions crying out for justice for that girl who died because she was ganged raped."

"They proudly say 'Happy Day of the African Child to all children of Liberia' when children in Yapass Town, Rivercess county are still sitting on the ground just to learn, when children of rural Montserrado are sleeping under market tables when a girl child lives in fear of being sexually assaulted or raped."

Making a brief remark, one of the participants, Korto F. Kamara of the 11th grade Presbyterian Todee Mission School who received a book bag including books and pens, said that she felt proud to be part of this year's edition of the celebration.

She praised the organization for bring the day of the African child celebration to their and educating on the danger of early child marriage.

While another student, Audrey T.K. Benson- Todee Wesleyan Institute who received similar gesture from the organization, said she hoped the next celebration should be held in Todee as it gives students and children the opportunity to know about their right in society.
Bengaluru, June 18 : The ruling BJP in Karnataka is leaving no stone unturned to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit a grand success. Preparations are in full swing for the PM's two-day visit to Bengaluru and Mysuru on June 20-21.

"We have made all the preparations to make the PM's visit a grand success," Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

The Chief Minister was speaking to mediapersons after inspecting the preparations at Kommaghatta ground in Yeshwanthpur constituency where the Prime Minister is scheduled to address a public rally.

"We have received his tour schedule. All of us, including our senior leader D.V. Sadananda Gowda, ministerial colleagues and the MLAs of Bengaluru, are working to ensure that the programmes are conducted efficiently. The officials from BDA, BBMP and the police too are working in association with the SPG to ensure fool-proof security for the Prime Minister," Bommai said.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive at the Yelahanka airbase at 11.55 a.m. on Monday from where he would go to the Indian Institute of Science by helicopter to participate in two programmes.

He is set to inaugurate the Brain Cell Research Centre established at a cost of Rs 450 crore by Kris Gopalakrishnan and lay the foundation stone for an 850-bed research hospital being built by MindTree.

The much-awaited Suburban Rail project for Bengaluru is set to take off on the same day as the Prime Minister would lay the foundation for the Rs 15,000 crore project which would provide mass transit connectivity from the heart of the city to many localities on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Bommai said.

Apart from this, the Prime Minister would also launch six railway projects. He is also scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the Satellite Town Ring Road connecting Dabaspet on Tumakuru road with Old Madras Road near Hosakote.

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has agreed to provide special concessions for the project after Bommai's repeated efforts to convince him on the importance of the project.

After launching these development projects, the Prime Minister would address a public rally at Kommaghatta, Bommai said.

The Chief Minister, who visited the programme venues and inspected the preparations on Saturday, said, "The preparations are in full swing. Large gatherings are expected for the Prime Minister's programmes. So all arrangements are being made to ensure that all the programmes turn out to be a grand success." Those participating in public programmes need to show their Covid vaccination certificate, and those turning up for the programmes in indoor halls should get tested again for Covid now to gain entry, Bommai said.
Mumbai, June 18 : As the poster of Ranbir Kapoor's upcoming film 'Shamshera' was leaked on the Internet on Saturday morning and the curiosity of the actor's fans got amplified, the director of the film Karan Malhotra says that somewhere it is positive feedback.

Reacting to the whole incident of the poster leak, Karan said, "We keep planning our lives so that we land things at the perfect time but in doing so we forget that the Universe is always on time. Incidents like these are a true example of that! I'm just happy that people and fans of Ranbir Kapoor are loving his look and the poster of 'Shamshera'." He added, "We wanted to start our campaign mid-next week, but it looks like fans couldn't wait for us to begin. I don't blame them. They have waited for too long. Ranbir is returning to the cinemas after four years, and it is difficult to control the excitement. I'm just glad that the reactions are great." The story of 'Shamshera' is set in the fictitious city of Kaza, where a warrior tribe is imprisoned, enslaved and tortured by a ruthless authoritarian general Shudh Singh. This is the story of a man who became a slave, a slave who became a leader and then a legend for his tribe. He relentlessly fights for his tribe's freedom and dignity. His name is Shamshera.

The film is produced by Aditya Chopra, also starring Sanjay Dutt, Vaani Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, Saurabh Shukla, Ronit Roy - and is set to release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu on July 22.
New Delhi, June 18 : A 30-year-old woman was pushed from the terrace of her building in Delhi by her in-laws, an official said on Saturday.

The incident took place around 3.00 a.m. at the city's Mayur Vihar area. In a video that was shared by the victim woman's brother with Delhi Commission for Woman chairperson Swati Maliwal, the woman said she was pushed when she was standing on the terrace. The woman fell down on the street. Soon after this, she was rushed to a local hospital, where her condition was said to be critical.

Maliwal said that she will be issuing a notice to the Delhi Police asking them to register an FIR in the case and arrest the accused as soon as possible.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (east district) Priyanka Kashyap said based on the statement of the victim, medico-legal case (MLC) and enquiries conducted in the matter so far, the police have registered an FIR under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. "The investigation is currently underway," she added.
Mumbai, June 18 : Barely 48 hours ahead of the biennial MLC polls, the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi allies in Maharashtra, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, claimed that their legislators are allegedly being 'threatened' by the central probe agencies.

"The BJP government at the Centre is abusing the investigation machinery to harass and browbeat the Opposition parties across the country. Now, our MLAs are being called directly and warned that 'they have all information which will be revealed at the appropriate time' to trap them," said Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole.

NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal also said that central agencies have again become active before the polls, but said that all the six MVA candidates shall easily win the MLC elections on Monday (June 20).

Patole added that they have "recorded" the alleged phone-calls by the central agencies and would make them public at the opportune moment.

State BJP President Chandrakant Patil scoffed at the MVA allegations, terming them as virtually admitting defeat before the June 20 elections.

"Patole has prepared a wrong script... After Monday's elections, everything will be clear," said Patil.

Speaking to mediapersons, Patole hit out at the BJP for "crossing all limits in its greed for power" and using weapons like the Enforcement Directorate or the Central Bureau of Investigation to intimidate the Opposition parties and their leaders.

"Wild rumours are being spread that there's a breakdown in the MVA alliance and the government. The CBI and ED and other agencies are being blatantly misused, which is a dangerous trend for our democracy," said Patole.

He accused the BJP of creating hurdles at every step in the MLC polls but asserted that the numbers are in the MVA's favour.

While the Congress needs 12 votes for its second seat, the BJP requires 22 votes for its fifth candidate, but the Congress chief said the BJP is claiming advance victory on the basis of 'money power and threats by central probe agencies'.

"This time, their ploy will not work... The MVA has sufficient strength to ensure victory of all its six candidates," Patole said.

The voting for the 10 MLC seats is scheduled for Monday with the MVA fielding six candidates and the BJP putting up five, making it a keenly-watched election.
New Delhi, June 18 : Two chicks of Great Indian Bustard (GIB) born in a gap of a few days have brought cheer and raised hopes of conservationists, who have time and again warned of loss of habitat for the critically endangered bird species.

One chick was born at the Conservation Breeding Centre at Sam in Jaisalmer district while another was born at the Desert National Park earlier this week. The Park is also expecting more eggs to be hatched as this is the breeding season for the GIB.

The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), or Ardeotis nigriceps, is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and as 'Critically Endangered' on the IUCN Red List and the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016).

A large bird of about one metre in height, the GIB has a wing span of almost two metres with the adult weighing between 15-18 kg.

There are only around 150 Great Indian Bustards left across the country, including 128 in Rajasthan alone, and less than 10 birds each in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the Lok Sabha was informed on March 14.

However, wildlife conservationists claim that the number of GIBs in the wild is below 100 as of 2022.

'Birth of Hope' was how Shikhar Agrawal, Principal Secretary, Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Rajasthan government, described it on twitter as he shared a video of the GIB chick coming out of its shell at the Conservation Centre in Sam.

Pointing out that 80 per cent of the GIB population is outside the protected areas, Sumit Dookia, a conservation biologist, who has worked for Thar desert biodiversity, said, "It's really a ray of hope, but we also have to concentrate our efforts on the remaining habitat that need to be protected and the rest, if possible, needs restoration. We must orient the officials to think out of the box and join hands with the locals to secure the remaining habitat." In April this year, one of these majestic birds had died in a collision with a power line in Jaisalmer itself. In April 2021, the Supreme Court had directed the power firms and the government to lay underground wires for all new power projects in Rajasthan and go for diverters for the existing lines.
Bhopal, June 18 : Amid protests over the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme in several parts of the country including BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha on Saturday alleged that the scheme would wash out the dreams of young aspirants of defence services.

He said that youths prepare for years and when they were told that they will get to serve only for four years and not 16 years, they got agitated. "Why you resorted to such a step which got them agitated," Tankha said, pushing his party's demand to get this contentious scheme rolled back.

"Hold debates in parliament, speak to former generals and consult experts whether this policy is good for the country or not," he added.

Tankha alleged that a policy prepared in a single ministry doesn't make it good if stakeholders and the country don't approve it, it's a faulty policy. "Same thing happened with farm laws," he added.

He also appealed to the aspirants to do a peaceful protest instead of resorting to violence, and not vandalise public properties. He said the assets belong to the nation.

Youths staged violent protests in Gwalior and Indore. They damaged railway properties, set ablaze vehicles, created mayhem in public places in Gwalior, Indore and some other places in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday and Friday.

In Madhya Pradesh, the protest was held despite Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announcing that 'Agniveers' (those who would be selected and trained by Indian forces) would be given preference in state police services.

As per the state police, around 70 youths have been arrested so far in Madhya Pradesh in connection with violence in Gwalior and Indore. Three cops, including an SI and two constables were also injured in the incident.

Earlier on Saturday, in the wake of growing tension over Agnipath scheme, the Centre sent a caution note to all states and Union Territories (UTs) regarding tackling the continued agitations.
Patna, June 18 : With Bihar passing through four days of massive violence over the Centre's 'Agnipath' defence recruitment scheme, BJP state unit chief Sanjay Jaiswal on Saturday blamed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for "targeting" his party through the youth.

He also asked the Nitish Kumar government to take adequate measures or face the consequences.

"It was not the agitation of youths in Bihar for the last four days. The violence happened due to the police of Nitish Kumar. The state police which comes under CM Nitish Kumar did not act against the agitators leading to large-scale violence in the state. Such an incident did not happen anywhere else in the country, even in non-BJP-ruled states like West Bengal and Jharkhand," Jaiswal said.

"I am saying, in the capacity of BJP state President, that if Nitish Kumar has any concern over this scheme, he should talk to us. We will clarify how the Agnipath scheme is right for youths," he added.

"When the arson began in Bihar, we had raised our concerns with Nitish Kumar, the Chief Secretary and the DGP, still the BJP leaders were targeted in the state. They have specifically targeted my house and other BJP leaders in Bihar. The agitators attacked our offices in Nawada and Madhepura despite adequate numbers of police force deployed there. The police did not act against the agitators who are basically hooligans. If hooliganism will not stop in Bihar, the Nitish Kumar government will pay the price for it," he warned.

"I learned that the railway officials called the fire services to douse the flames in trains at several places, but the fire officials replied that the will send fire engines only after the recommendation of SDO of the affected areas. The state machinery were supported and encouraged goons to form hooliganism. The entire act was done to defame the BJP," Jaiswal alleged.

Reacting on Jaiswal's allegations, JD-U Parliamentary Board President Upendra Kushwaha said: "We do not take the statement of Sanjay Jaiswal seriously. In family, If any person uses to talk so much, other members would just ignore such a person. Sanjay Jaiswal used to level such allegations in the past. We do not take him seriously."
New Delhi, June 18 : Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Saturday wrote to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urging him to rollback the Agnipath recruitment scheme.

This recent modification to the basic structure of the Army has justifiably caused great anguish among potential recruits from across the country, the AAP leader said in the letter.

"The hopes and dreams of many young aspirants have been stifled by the controversial 'contractualization' of the armed forces. Within the past two days, we have witnessed with great despair insufficient attempts at last-minute tinkering by the Union government such as increasing the age limit," the letter reads.

Demanding the immediate rollback of 'Agnipath' and the resumption of the regular recruitment process for the current year, the Rajya Sabha MP has highlighted five issues in the letter.

Firstly, we need jawans with peace of mind and job security. The Union government has failed to comprehend that a jawan supports not only himself but his family, he said in the letter. Secondly, the scheme has overlooked issues of inadequate skilling, he added.

Thirdly, Chadha said that the Union government's financial obligations towards the defence pension bill should not be offset by sacrificing the job security of our jawans.

Fourthly, the scheme negates regimental honour and erodes the quality of our troops. Fifth, such experiments should not be imposed en masse. This scheme has been implemented without running any pilot schemes, Chadha said in the letter.
Mumbai, June 18 : Actor Vidyut Jamwal, who is busy with the promotions of his upcoming action film 'Khuda Hafiz 2', won Netizens' heart when he offered a ride on his Aston Martin DB9 to one of his diehard fans.

During the promotions of the film, as the actor arrived in his Rs 1.9-crore car and was posing for the paps, a fan rushed towards him and expressed her feelings for him. Jamwal greeted her nicely, acknowledged her feelings, hugged her, and then as a kind gesture, he asked her to hop on to his car for a ride.

The video shared by celebrity photographer Viral Bhayani on his Instagram account, shows a long-haired Vidyut wearing loose pants, green T-shirt and sunglasses. The actor smiled for the cameras as he escorted the young woman to the car and zoomed past the paps. Netizens praised the actor;s gesture and collectively said that he has a heart of gold.
Berlin, June 18 : Switzerland's Belinda Bencic reached the final of the German Open after beating Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-4 in a gruelling semifinal, here on Saturday.

With this win, Bencic is now 4-2 lifetime against Top-10 players on grass, as she moves into the fifth grass-court final of her career. She seeks her second grass-court title, with her first coming at Eastbourne in 2015.

The 25-year-old, who lost to Liudmila Samsonova in last year's Berlin final, was dominant behind her backhand, of which she had 19 of her 41 winners during the 3 hours and 7 minutes long match.

Last year's Olympic gold medallist Bencic is now 1-1 against Sakkari at the tour level. Sakkari had previously topped the Swiss player in the 2020 St. Petersburg quarterfinals on indoor hard court.

Bencic held a set point at 6-5 in the first-set tiebreak, but Sakkari erased that chance. The Greek then fired a backhand winner to garner her first set point at 7-6. A return winner off the net cord gave Sakkari the first set after 72 topsy-turvy minutes.

In the second set, though, Bencic grabbed the lead with aplomb, holding at love for 5-4 with three straight backhand winners followed by an ace. Bencic then converted her fifth break point of the next game with a return winner, leveling the match.

For the second set in a row, there were no breaks through 5-4 as the third set stayed closely contested. But once again, Bencic took her chance in the tenth game, converting her third match point by following up a strong backhand with a putaway winner.
Abuja  A member of Liberia's delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament has challenged member countries of the ECOWAS Region to muster the courage to take decisive decisions or stand the risk of losing its essence.

Representative Massaquoi while taking a position on a report submitted by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Jean Claude Kassi Brou, the Liberian Parliament Member (PM) reminded ECOWAS of many failed promises it has made and its low interest shown in security issues affecting member countries.

He named the ECOWAS failure to achieve its single currency goal that was marked under its vision 2020 and frowned on them for abandoning that vision. He also cautioned the ECOWAS Commission to see the need to commission telecommunication companies to lessen the burden on cross-border traders who are challenged with high costs of communication while roaming.

"ECOWAS needs to muster the courage to do what they say they will do or ECOWAS will almost be non-existence," said.

Rep. Massaquoi believes the ECOWAS region is in a very tight squeeze in terms of its economy, issues of security, and gender. He said the illegal takeover of power in the sub-region through coups has led to the reduction of PM at the ECOWAS parliament because of the ECOWAS failure to intervene in preventing coupes and unconstitutional takeover of powers in the region.

Like Rep. Massaquoi, Senator Steve Zargo of Lofa County stressed the need for the establishment of a regional security institution in West Africa which he believes will harmonize training of security amongst members countries.

For his part, Senator Johnathan Kaipay was concerned about programs for youth empowerment in member countries because, according to him, if youths are the future leaders there's a need to have a regional planned program to empower them.

In a report submitted by Dr. Brou, of the 15 member countries of ECOWAS, two have signed the 2011 Convention 189 on Rights of Domestic Workers while the 2019 Convention 190 on Violence and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace is yet to be ratified by the 15 Member States

On the issues of drug prevention and control, he said, the ECOWAS has sponsored the formation of the West Africa Network of Addiction Treatment Experts to engage drug treatment professionals and improve service delivery to people with drug use disorders.

On the Project to support the Protection of Children victims of Human Rights Violations (PAPEV):

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ECOWAS says, the adoption of a declaration calling on Member States to create a safe and just environment for children victims of human rights violations as well as address their legal, judicial and social needs (May 2022).

ECOWAS single currency adoption

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has adopted a new road map to launch its single currency in 2027.

Dr Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, President of the ECOWAS Commission, told a press conference that the new road map was agreed by the heads of state of ECOWAS at the 59th ordinary summit in Accra on Saturday.

"Due to the shock of the pandemic, the heads of state had decided to suspend the implementation of the convergence pact in 2020-2021," Dr Brou said.

"We have a new road map and a new convergence pact that will cover the period between 2022 and 2026, and 2027 being the launch of the Eco," he said.

Dr Brou said the heads of state had asked the ministerial committee to look at the new roadmap and the convergence pact, taking into account the lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Patna, June 18 : With Bihar passing through four days of massive violence over the Centre's 'Agnipath' defence recruitment scheme, BJP state unit chief Sanjay Jaiswal on Saturday blamed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for "targeting" his party through the youth.

He also asked the Nitish Kumar government to take adequate measures or face the consequences.

Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United reacted strongly, with its national President Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh claiming Jaiswal had "lost his mental balance, while Parliamentary Board President Upendra Kushwaha saying that they do not take the BJP leader's statements seriously.

On the violence in the state, Jaiswal said: "It was not the agitation of youths in Bihar for the last four days. The violence happened due to the police of Nitish Kumar. The state police which comes under CM Nitish Kumar did not act against the agitators leading to large-scale violence in the state. Such an incident did not happen anywhere else in the country, even in non-BJP-ruled states like West Bengal and Jharkhand." "I am saying, in the capacity of BJP state President, that if Nitish Kumar has any concern over this scheme, he should talk to us. We will clarify how the Agnipath scheme is right for youths," he added.

"When the arson began in Bihar, we had raised our concerns with Nitish Kumar, the Chief Secretary and the DGP, still the BJP leaders were targeted in the state. They have specifically targeted my house and other BJP leaders in Bihar. The agitators attacked our offices in Nawada and Madhepura despite adequate numbers of police force deployed there. The police did not act against the agitators who are basically hooligans. If hooliganism will not stop in Bihar, the Nitish Kumar government will pay the price for it," he warned.

"I learned that the railway officials called the fire services to douse the flames in trains at several places, but the fire officials replied that the will send fire engines only after the recommendation of SDO of the affected areas. The state machinery were supported and encouraged goons to form hooliganism. The entire act was done to defame the BJP," Jaiswal alleged.

Lalan Singh reacted furiously to Jaiswal's statement.

"The Central government has taken a decision to recruit youths in the defence forces through the 'Agnipath' scheme. Now, the youths of the country have concerns about it. They have protested against the scheme across the country. The protest across the country is a reaction of dissatisfaction that spreads among youths of the country. Hence, it's up to the Centre to communicate with youths of the country and make their doubts clear.

"We firmly believe that violence cannot solve any problem. There is no place for violence in society. The protest that happened in the country was a spontaneous reaction of youth which needed to be addressed by the leaders of BJP. Instead of doing it, they are blaming the administration of Bihar. What administration would do with the grievances of BJP or JD-U?" Singh said.

"Due to the anger of youth, you (Jaiswal) have lost your mental balance. I want to tell you to balance your consciousness. It is an effect of your lost balance that you are levelling baseless allegations on the administration of Bihar. Nitish Kumar is a capable person to run the administration. He is known for his good governance in the country. So, he does not require to take education from Sanjay Jaiswal," he added.

Noting that violent incidents happened in BJP-ruled states like Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, he said: "Why did they not give shoot at sight orders to the police of those states and killed thousands of people. Such a statement gives an idea that he is not a mentally balanced person." On his part, Kushwaha said: "We do not take the statement of Sanjay Jaiswal seriously. In family, If any person uses to talk so much, other members would just ignore such a person. Sanjay Jaiswal used to level such allegations in the past. We do not take him seriously."
Washington, June 18 : US President Joe Biden fell off his bike as he was trying to get off it near his beach home in Delaware, media reports said on Saturday.

The 79-year-old got back to his feet and proceeded to talk with the members of the public following the incident near his home in Rehoboth Beach, saying he fell as his foot got caught in the pedal strap and that he was not hurt.

President Biden is "fine" after his fall and won't require medical attention, CNN quoted a White House official as saying.

"As the President said, his foot got caught on the pedal while dismounting and he is fine now. No medical attention is needed. The President looks forward to spending the rest of the day with his family," the official said.

Biden took a tumble when he was finishing a bike ride alongside First Lady Jill Biden as he pedalled over to a crowd that had gathered nearby. As he stopped, he seemed to get his foot caught on the pedal while trying to get off.
Berlin, June 18 : Switzerland's Belinda Bencic reached the final of the German Open after beating Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-4 in a gruelling semifinal, here on Saturday.

With this win, Bencic is now 4-2 lifetime against Top-10 players on grass, as she moves into the fifth grass-court final of her career. She seeks her second grass-court title, with her first coming at Eastbourne in 2015.

The 25-year-old, who lost to Liudmila Samsonova in last year's Berlin final, was dominant behind her backhand, of which she had 19 of her 41 winners during the 3 hours and 7 minutes long match.

"I thought that was an incredible match. We both kind of pushed really hard, we both didn't give each other anything. I think it was high quality, of course, we held our serves as much as we could, and I really felt like we put on a show there," said Bencic.

Last year's Olympic gold medallist Bencic is now 1-1 against Sakkari at the tour level. Sakkari had previously topped the Swiss player in the 2020 St. Petersburg quarterfinals on an indoor hard court.

Bencic held a set point at 6-5 in the first-set tiebreak, but Sakkari erased that chance. The Greek then fired a backhand winner to garner her first set point at 7-6. A return winner off the net cord gave Sakkari the first set after 72 topsy-turvy minutes.

In the second set, though, Bencic grabbed the lead with aplomb, holding at love for 5-4 with three straight backhand winners followed by an ace. Bencic then converted her fifth break point of the next game with a return winner, leveling the match.

For the second set in a row, there were no breaks through 5-4 as the third set stayed closely contested. But once again, Bencic took her chance in the tenth game, converting her third match point by following up a strong backhand with a putaway winner.

No.1 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia will be Bencic's opponent in the final after Jabeur defeated No. 7 seed American Coco Gauff 7-6(4), 6-2 in the second semifinal.

Jabeur had lost three of her four previous meetings against recent Roland Garros finalist Gauff. But in their first grass-court encounter, Jabeur held the upper hand and triumphed after 1 hour and 17 minutes.

Like Bencic, Jabeur is seeking her second grass-court singles title. Last year, Jabeur became the first Arab woman to claim a WTA Tour singles title when she took the trophy on the Birmingham lawns.

After an early exchange of breaks up to 3-2, Jabeur and Gauff advanced to the first-set tiebreak without any further break points. In the tie-breaker, Jabeur leapt to a 6-2 lead, and though Gauff erased two set points, Jabeur finished off the opener with an ace on her third chance.

In the second set, Jabeur dropped only one point on serve up to 5-1. Even a last-minute break by Gauff to extend the match did not throw the Tunisian, as she broke to close out the victory. Jabeur finished the clash with 18 winners to just six unforced errors.
Patna, June 18 : With the Centre giving 'Y' category security to 12 BJP leaders in Bihar in wake of the violence against the 'Agnipath' defence recruitment scheme, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) on Saturday questioned the move, saying a secure future of students is required more than the security of BJP leaders.

"There is suspicion in the minds of youths that their future will be finished through schemes like Agnipath and Agniveer. If students are thinking that the Agnipath scheme will make their future darker, the Central government needs to address their concerns and clarify about the benefits of the scheme to them," JD-U MLC and chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said.

"At present, there is a huge suspicion in the mind of every countryman pertaining to the Agnipath scheme. Addressing the issues of youths of the country is everyone's responsibility. They are the future of the country," he said.

Earlier, the Union Home Ministry has announced 'Y' category security to BJP state President Sanjay Jaiswal, Deputy Chief Ministers Renu Devi and Tar Kishore Prasad, Sanjiv Chaurasia, Hari Bhushan Thakur Bachaul, Araria MP Pradeep Singh, Darbhanga MP Gopal Ji Thakur, MLC Ashok Agrawal, MLC Dilip Jaiswal, Sanjay Sarawgi and Vijay Khemka.

The move came afteJaiswal blamed Bihar Police for allowing violence to take place and being silent spectators when arson was taking place and properties of BJP leaders were targeted.

Under the 'Y' category security, CRPF personnel will be deployed with these leaders.
Chennai, June 18 : Thiruvamalai Selvan, an IT professional who was terminated by the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in 2015 after eight years of service, has finally got justice after a Chennai labour court ruled in his favour.

The court has directed TCS to reinstate Selvan and pay him his salary and benefits of seven years in full.

Selvan sustained himself for the past seven years doing odd jobs, including software consultancy as well as real-estate brokerage.

Selvan, who had joined TCS as an assistant engineer, was sacked from service in 2015 as part of an alleged mass retrenchment.

Selvan had approached the court seeking continuity of service but the TCS representative (legal) had informed the court that the petitioner didn't fall under the category of 'workman'.

The legal representative of the company also said that he was in a managerial capacity and that he was discharged from service due to poor performance.

The Forum for IT Employees (FITE), an organisation working for the welfare and rights of the employees, supported him in his legal ordeals. Selvam told mediapersons that he had to visit the court more than 100 times.

The FITE is run by a collective of IT professionals from different IT companies in the country, including Wipro, TCS, Infosys, Accenture, HCL and other major players in this field.

FITE said in a tweet, "Justice anywhere is hope and a reminder to all those who are forcing employees to resign. Great work done by FITE Chennai and salute to the TCS employee who fought for justice."
New Delhi, June 18 : A youth was stabbed to death in the national capital on Saturday after he tried to intervene in a quarrel between his landlady and her son, an official said.

The accused, identified as Kamran, has been apprehended by the police.

Furnishing the details, DCP (south-east), Esha Pandey, said an information regarding a youth being stabbed at the Khuso Nagar Basti in the Nizamuddin area was received at the Hazrat Nizamuddin police station.

The victim was rushed to the Safdarjung Trauma Centre.

As the police reached the spot, they met the complainant, Monish, who alleged that Kamran, son of their landlady Naseema, is a drug addict and was quarreling with her mother.

"At about 12.30 pm, the complaint along with his brothers Israel and Raji objected to the verbal abuses of Kamran. Kamran then went to his room, brought out a knife and stabbed Raji in the chest," the DCP said, adding that the accused fled the spot after committing the crime.

He was later apprehended by the police.
New Delhi, June 19 : With days to go for the ban on single use plastic (SUP), the Centre on Saturday said it has issued directions to e-commerce companies regarding phasing out identified items.

The government has also sought to allay fears of the MSME sector.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has announced to ban all SUP from July 1. The list identifies 14 prominent items used widely across India. These include plastic wrappings that are mostly used by e-commerce companies for packaging.

"With an aim to manage the demand side, directions have been issued to e-commerce companies, leading single use plastic sellers/users, and plastic raw material manufacturers with respect to phasing out of identified single use plastic items," said an official from the Ministry.

The preparations for the ban are taking place on "war footing" with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) leading the war on SUP.

Earlier in May, the MSME sector had registered its resentment and asked the MoEF&CC to delay the ban. It also expressed apprehension of job loss, closure of swab manufacturing in India, and increased reliance on import jeopardising health sector MSMEs.

The CPCB said, to support the MSMEs, it will, in association with Central Institute of Petrochemicals and Technology (CIPET), organise workshops for MSMEs across the country for transition to alternatives to SUP.

"Three such workshops have been held at Ranchi, Guwahati & Madurai. Development of alternatives to petro-based plastics is also being pursued in collaboration leading technical institutions such as IISc and CIPET," the CPCB officials said.
New Delhi, June 19 : A 25-year-old woman was allegedly raped in the national capital's Kirti Nagar area on pretext of a job, an official said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as Shubham, is resident of Baba Haridas Nagar and has been arrested by the police.

The incident took place on Thursday, the official said, adding that an FIR under relevant sections of law was registered on Friday.

The accused has been sent to the judicial custody, he said.
Northampton Airport, Northampton, United Kingdom [ ORM / EGBK ]

If you are planning to travel to Northampton or any other city in United Kingdom, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Northampton Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Northampton Airport Map showing the location of this airport in United Kingdom. Northampton Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Northampton Airport Info:

Northampton Airport IATA Code: ORM Northampton Airport ICAO Code: EGBK Latitude : 52.3 Longitude : -0.783333 City : Northampton Country : United Kingdom World Area Code : 493 Airport Type : Small Northampton Airport Address / Contact Details :

Sywell Aerodrome (ORM), Mears Ashby, Northamptonshire NN6, UK Northampton Website : http://www.sywellaerodrome.co.uk/ Timezone : Europe/London Northampton Airport Timezone : GMT +01:00 hours Current time and date at Northampton Airport is 02:14:37 AM (BST) on Tuesday, Jun 28, 2022

Looking for information on Northampton Airport, Northampton, United Kingdom? Know about Northampton Airport in detail. Find out the location of Northampton Airport on United Kingdom map and also find out airports near to Northampton. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Northampton Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Northampton Airport, airlines operating to Northampton Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in United Kingdom. Scroll down to know more about Northampton Airport or Northampton Airport, United Kingdom.

Northampton Airport Map - Location of Northampton Airport Load Map United Kingdom - General Information Country Formal Name United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Country Code GB Capital London Currency Pound (GBP)

 1 GBP = 1.227 USD

 1 USD = 0.815 GBP

 1 GBP = 1.159 EUR

 1 EUR = 0.863 GBP

 More GBP convertion rates Tel Code +44 Top Level Domain .uk

This page provides all the information you need to know about Northampton Airport, United Kingdom. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting United Kingdom or traveling to Northampton Airport. Details about Northampton Airport given here include Northampton Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

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ORM - Northampton Airport IATA Code and EGBK - Northampton Airport ICAO code
Naples is beautiful, safe, and has a very European flair unlike any other location in Florida. The Gulf of Mexico with its warm clean waters and beaches are a huge draw for residents from all over the world.

Clientele Luxury Magazine releases Its Summer Issue featuring Conversations with Luxury Experts from around the USA. Naples, Florida was one of the ten destinations selected for expert advice. Mark P. Riley, Broker of Lux International Properties on 5th Avenue South in Naples, Florida tells readers insight on the luxury real estate market. Riley mentions why buyers are flocking to Naples and has a wealth of experience, knowledge and success on the real estate market.

Interview With Mark P. Riley Founder of Lux International Properties in Naples Florida.

Naples has seen a surge in buyers over the past couple of years. What has been drawing individuals to Naples?

"Naples is beautiful, safe, and has a very European flair unlike any other location in Florida. The Gulf of Mexico with its warm clean waters and beaches are a huge draw for residents from all over the world. Naples has been drawing residents from all over country looking to live in paradise while not having to pay personal state income taxes. Since the pandemic and the rise in employees being able to work from home the amount of buyers from 36-55 age range has grown substantially. We have also seen entire family units relocate to Naples and purchasing several properties. In terms of investments, vacation properties here are said to yield a strong return on an initial investment."

What should a potential investor look for in Naples to maximize their return?

"They should look for location, value and rental restrictions in a community or building. If an investor is only looking at a rate of return from a seasonal renter than the tighter restrictions may not be a concern."

Prices in Naples, based on reports from earlier this year, jumped over 30 percent year over year. Whats projected for the rest of 2022?

"2022 has been fascinating to watch and we have price points never seen before. We are are no longer just a vacation market with many second or third homeowners but are seeing more permanent buyers come to the market from inside as well as outside. I do not see a drastic direction for prices being lowered. We see a continuation of low supply and high demand. If that trend continues I believe we will see values at record numbers and Naples being seen as one of hottest markets in the county."

Mark Riley was also voted a Hot 20 Agent among Clientele Luxury's Hot 20 List that they feature annually. He list and sells many ultra Luxury Homes in the most discerning neighborhoods of Naples, Florida. He is involved in Charity and takes part of several Luxury events annually. Mark also attends many High Net -Worth events catered to the super Wealthy where he shares his views on the market. http://www.LuxInternationalProperties.com
Monrovia  The Liberian Senate has set the calendar for the conduct of the National Census in March 2023.

Plenary's decision followed a lengthy debate on Thursday, June 16, 2022, based on a report from its Committee on Autonomous Agencies & Commissions.

LISGIS through the Senate Committee on Autonomous Agencies and Commissions had earlier proposed the Conduct of the Census from October 16-28, 2023.

The Senate's decision to reject LISGIS proposed date arose out of concerns raised by several Senators during the debate on the report that the census be rescheduled for March 2023 due to what they described as deplorable road conditions in several counties and the consequences of rainfall in October that they believed would hamper the movement of not only LISGIS workers but citizens of many parts of the country.

It can be recalled that recently the Committee on Autonomous Agencies & Commissions following a Public Hearing informed the Plenary that LISGIS said regarding recruitment, equipment, logistics, and funding is set for the conduct of the census.

Despite LISGIS preparedness, the required consensus could not be reached on the floor of the Senate for the endorsement of LISGIS proposed date due to the aforementioned reservations raised by most Senator

According to a Senate press release, following the taking of the vote to postpone the conduct of the Census, a motion for reconsideration was filed by Grand Kru Senator, Numene T.H. Bartekwa, supported by Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence.

The President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Prof. Albert T. Chie has informed the Senate Plenary that the motion for reconsideration will be placed on the floor to be tested shortly.

The motion requires a two-thirds majority of Senators to overturn the motion by Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, which was endorsed to hold the census in March 2023.

A Joint Resolution is expected to be signed by both houses to legalize the date.
If you want your business to be successful, you need to make sure that people can find it on the internet. The best way to do that is through search engine optimization (SEO).

Wix, the popular website builder, has been helping customers create and design their own websites for a long time. But many of those customers are still struggling to get the online traffic they need. If you're part of this group, Wix SEO Company will be able to help you out!

SEO stands for "search engine optimization," which means that it's a process designed to help your site rank higher in search results. This can be done by optimizing your content for keywords that people are likely to search for on Google or other search engines. You also want to make sure that your site's structure is optimized for visitors by making sure that all pages are well-indexed and easy to find through links on other sites or within your own site's navigation system.

SEO can be a powerful tool for Wix customers. While most people think of SEO as a way to drive traffic to their website, it's actually much more than that. SEO can help Wix customers grow their online rankings and increase the number of people who see your content. By improving their SEO, you'll be able to increase your business's visibility in search engines, which will result in more organic traffic and new customers.

Search engine optimization is a marketing strategy that helps websites and blogs get found in search results. When you optimize content, you make it so that your site or blog appears at the top of Google's search results when people search for keywords related to your business or industry.

This sounds pretty simple, right? But there are many factors involved in this process. It takes time, patience, and careful planning on behalf of the business owner.

The launch of Wix SEO Company is definitely a blessing for the Wix audience. They are a professional SEO company that helps Wix platform users to increase their website's ranking in Google search results. Their team of experienced SEO specialists will optimize your website and content to ensure that it ranks high on Google and other search engines.

They will work with you to create an effective strategy that takes into account your goals and budget. They'll also provide ongoing support throughout the process so that you can focus on growing your business while we handle optimizing your site's performance in the search engines.

If you are not using the right SEO strategy, then it will be very difficult for you to get a good ranking on Google or any other search engine.

So what should be done? You need to take help from an expert who knows how to optimize your website by using effective SEO strategies. And if you are looking for such services, then there is no better option than WSC.

The company has been providing free consultation services for years now and has helped many people create their websites at a reasonable price. The company has also been offering custom-made solutions as well as package plans depending upon the needs of its clients.

If you're ready to take your business online with an optimized website that will help attract new customers and increase sales, contact https://wixseo.company/ to get yourself a free SEO consultation and take your business to the next level.
Onething.Design is a global UI/UX design studio, helping brands from across the globe transform digitally, and boldly step into the new generation! The studio is dedicated to making the world of digital a better one, by driving user-first design philosophies.

Onething Design, a global leading service provider of user experience and interface design, is delighted to announce the opening of a new branch in Bangalore, India. Currently based in Delhi NCR, the expansion accentuates a year of unbelievable growth for the studio.

Bangalore is surely a reasonable choice for us as well as our clients. Onething already happens to have an impressive client base from Southern India and opening an office in the city opens up the gate for greater collaborations and opportunities," explains Manik, one of Onethings co-founders.

The opening of Onethings new Bangalore office is an important step towards realizing our collaborations and putting India on a world map as a digital design destination, said Divanshu, Co-Founder, Onething. From what the founders have to say, theres no denying that this is a massive step for the design agency. The new office will be the first of many important changes for the company in the year 2022. This echoes the brands sentiment of making India a modern-day hotspot for digital design, something which the company has long-reflected in their 7-year history.

More on the company, Onething, is an award-winning experience design studio, was honored with Best Design Studio Winner 2021 at Indias Best Design Awards and also by Silicon India as Company Of The Year 2020". Not only this, but Onething has a rating of 4.9 on Clutch India, placing it amongst the upper echelon of digital design agencies in India. Recently, an app designed by the studio, Neta was awarded the Kyoorious Baby Blue Elephant award.

The team at Onething is also known for going beyond digital products and services, into more niche and fringe design scenarios, looking to deliver a stellar experience every time. Everything from AR/VR, to wearables, to IoT has been looked at in an effort to futureproof the design industry.

The global UI UX design studio has its sights set on transforming the way Indian, and global brands look at the digital world, having aided some of the biggest players into the digital age. Furthermore, they run a podcast, Thoughtcast by Onething, which is focused on bringing the lesser-discussed topics from the worlds of design, entrepreneurship, and beyond, to the forefront of discussion, while also picking the brains of some talented guests along the way.

Contact Information

Onething Design Studio

Website: https://www.onething.design

Email: sayhello@onething.design

Address: Site No. 26, Laskar Hosur Road, Adugodi, Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560029

Follow Us: https://in.linkedin.com/company/onething-design

SubscribeNow: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-W601M2PO8qJhwgnlm66Vg

Follow: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CddZBmijz-3/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Podcast: https://www.onething.design/podcast/building-design-solutions-through-empathy/

Media Contact

Company Name: Onething Design Studio

Contact Person: Siddhant Gandotra

Country: India

Website: https://www.onething.design
For the occasion of Top Guns long awaited sequel Maverick, MiGFlug, an aviation and space adventure company, casted a very special actor, Roberto Chevalier for a flight of a lifetime. Roberto is best known for providing the Italian voice of Tom Cruise in most of his movies; and didnt only lend his voice to Maverick 30 years ago, his voice covers his comeback to the screens in Italy as well.

Unlike the actor, a voice double usually doesnt take part in the action on a set and in Robertos case  on a jet. But how can his voice take the role of a fighter pilot without ever having experienced the real thing? That was solved with a flight orchestrated by MiGFlug and available on YouTube for viewing.

Because MiGFlugs raison detre is to realize peoples dream to fly a jet, Roberto Chevalier got offered a front row seat on one of its jets. Look at it as method acting, where an actor inhabits the role of his character to encourage sincere performances...

Boarding an L-39 Albatros Jet, Roberto took off for a dazzling 45-minute flight in the sensational scenery of the Swiss Alps. Together with his pilot, he was in for loops, rolls, spins, and a flyby above and around the Matterhorn.

Robertos maiden flight was documented and resulted in a short-film-documentary. The film is carried by his voice, and it talks of a dream to finally catch up with the skies. Ironically, this time it was his voice that stayed grounded as the whole experience made the actor speechless while he was at it.

CREDITS

Client: Philipp Schaer

Production Company: Landvogel

Executive Producer: Yannick Verdonck,

Glenn Renard, Thomas Cassiers

Producer: Jeroen Berx

Director: Wilson (Willem Wolker)

DOP: Frederic Van Zandycke

Sound Design: MacLoud Amsterdam

Special thanks to Roberto Chevalier

About MiGFlug

MiGFlug is a Switzerland based aviation and space adventure company specialized in supersonic flights, edge of space flights, zero gravity flights and suborbital space flights. More than breaking through the sound barrier, MiGFlug allows its customers to break through the dream barrier, on 14 different locations worldwide. It was founded by Philipp Schaer and Flavio Kaufmann in 2004 in Zurich, Switzerland. Both founders are aviation enthusiasts and love to be personally on site during the flights whenever possible. They have travelled the world to carefully select the best aircraft, pilots, and airfields with safety as their top priority. Thanks to this extreme care for safety, MiGFlug has never encountered an incident during the thousands of flights weve operated since 2004.
Prem Rawat spoke at the Glastonbury music festival as a teenager and was more recently honored by the Glastonbury Council for his 50 years of work for peace across the world. There is no better person in my opinion to be the first to receive the Key of Avalon than Prem Rawat, a global peace ambassador who has travelled the world with the simple yet practical message: peace is possible.

Prem Rawat, peace ambassador, speaker and New York Times best-selling author, was today bestowed the honor of the Key of Avalon by the Council of Glastonbury at a ceremony held at Glastonbury Town Hall.

Presiding Mayor, Cllr. Jon Cousins, and Council members hosted the ceremony in acknowledgment of Prem Rawats 50 years of working for peace across the world and for his services to humanity.

Prems extraordinary life-long journey began in the West on a school holiday from his native India, with a surprise appearance at the Glastonbury music festival in 1971, when Prem was just 13 years old.

Asked to address the 12,000 strong audience from the first ever Glastonbury Pyramid stage  now an iconic feature of the music festival  the teenage Prem Rawat talked about the importance of practical peace for all of humanity. His speech inspired many people who heard the teenage boy, who had begun speaking about the subject of peace when he was just 4 years old! Prem was amongst such luminaries as David Bowie, Fairport Convention, and Hawkwind at the now largest music festival in the world with a global TV audience of around 1 billion.

Some of those who were at the Glastonbury festival in 1971 attended todays ceremony  some 50 years later  to express their gratitude and thanks to Prem Rawat for how their lives have been so positively impacted by his message.

Quote from the Mayor of Glastonbury: The inspiration for this new Civic Honor comes at a time when the world has faced great challenges, conflict, and trauma  and there is no better person in my opinion to be the first to receive the Key of Avalon than Prem Rawat, a global peace ambassador who has travelled the world with the simple yet practical message: peace is possible.

Quote from Prem Rawat: It is such an honor to be awarded the Key of Avalon by the Glastonbury Mayor and council. It was an amazing experience to be on the pyramid stage back in 1971 when I was 13. Now to be honored some 50 years later is very special.

About the Key of Avalon

Inspired by the ancient tradition of gifting the keys to the city to trusted friends of the community, the Key of Avalon is a new civic honor created by Glastonbury Town Council, which symbolically gives the recipient the liberty to come and go, as they will, to the town in the knowledge that they are a trusted friend of Glastonbury.

About Prem Rawat

For more than 50 years, Prem Rawat has spoken to hundreds of millions of people in more than 100 countries to communicate his message of peace. Born in India, Rawat gave his first public address at the age of four, and at 13, began speaking around the world. The New York Times bestselling author of Hear Yourself- How to Find Peace in a Noisy World, Rawat founded The Prem Rawat Foundation in 2001 with the mission to address the fundamental human needs of food, water and the often-overlooked need for peace. The award-winning Food for People programs in India, Nepal and Ghana have transformed entire communities. He also created the Peace Education Program, which is taught in prisons; in countries ravaged by war; in veteran centers and in hospitals in more than 75 countries and 600 prisons. The program (also used in schools and in universities worldwide) has reached all walks of life, including those marginalized by society and conflict, and inspires participants to experience real personal peace. In 2012, he received the BrandLaureate International Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming only the fourth recipient of the award (with previous winners including Nelson Mandela and Steve Jobs). Rawat is also a pilot, inventor, photographer, classic car restorer, husband and father of four children, and grandfather to four grandchildren.
TERI Learning Academy Student designed t-shirts For most people with intellectual disabilities and their families, its not possible to leave the war zone so theyre in constant danger and basic human needs arent being met. By creating a personally meaningful fundraising project we hope will have a positive impact. Cindy Rogers

TERI Learning Academy Transition Class comprised of students with special needs ranging from autism to Downs Syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other developmental challenges, has initiated a project to raise funds for children and adults in the Ukraine with similar disabilities. A t-shirt designed by the students will be sold via the TERI website, Sheris Unique Boutique, and TERIs Inspired Resale Shop. Proceeds from the sale of the t-shirts will be forwarded to Inclusion Europe (http://www.inclusion-europe.eu/) which is sending those funds directly to the Ukraine VGO Coalition. 100% of the money collected by the Coalition and their local organizations buys food, clean water, medicine, hygiene products, sleeping bags, clothes, and other urgently needed goods.

Cindy Rogers, TERI Learning Academy Instructional Assistant, developed the idea for the fundraiser as a result of her concerns over the plight of Ukrainian citizens with special needs and the immense burden on their loved ones. For most people with intellectual disabilities and their families, its not possible to leave the war zone so theyre in constant danger and basic human needs arent being met. Our TERI students and teachers are eager to help by creating a personally meaningful fundraising project we hope will have a positive impact.

Cheryl Kilmer, TERI CEO commented, As a non-profit, we depend on the generosity and kindness of our donors. However, weve always made the importance of giving back to the local and international community a key component of the TERI culture and the organizations core values. The situation for people in the Ukraine with special needs is heartbreaking. Our goal is to bring some awareness to their plight, generate funds, and allow our students to experience compassion for others with similar challenges but in much tougher circumstances.

The TERI Learning Academy students are creating ad posters and will begin taking T-shirt orders this week. To order or donate, go to https://give.teriinc.org/TLAUkraineStrong.

About TERI

Located in Oceanside, CA since 1980, TERI (Training, Education, Resource Institute) has provided highly specialized services and programs for individuals with special needs. This includes people with autism, intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, brain trauma, severe behavioral disorders, dual diagnoses, and learning disabilities. The organizations 22-acre TERI Campus of Life, under construction in San Marcos, will offer everything from two non-public schools, to fine and performing arts, health and wellness, therapeutic equestrian programs, and much more. The completed Campus, unmatched worldwide will have the ability to serve 3 times their current number of clients. TERI currently serves over 850 children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families and employs over 500 people. For more information go to http://www.teriinc.org. To donate go to https://www.teriinc.org/make-a-secure-donation/

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In Birds and Us: A 12,000-Year History from Cave Art to Conservation (Princeton Univ., Aug.), ornithologist Birkhead traces the history of humans relationships with avian creatures.

How did you discover the Neolithic cave paintings of birds you discuss at the beginning of the book?

This was one of the most remarkable moments in my entire career. When I started doing some of the research for this book, to my amazement, I discovered that there was a cave, just an hours drive from the same village my wife and I had been visiting in Spain for the last 30 years, with some bird paintings. Its on private land, and I had to get permission to visit it.

Can you describe what you saw?

It was absolutely extraordinary. The walls are covered with a fresco of fantastic bird images. The birds are so carefully depicted that you can tell the species. The people that created these images really had an idea of those species deep in their heads to be able to produce these simplistic but incredibly effective images. My own hypothesis is that this was a kind of tutorial. You took young people up into this cave, you showed them the images, then turned around and looked out upon the huge wetland where these birds were going to come in the spring and just said, You have to recognize these birds. This is how youre going to know them, and their habits and behavior, because this is going to make you more effective as a hunter. And so this is an indication of a deep knowledge of bird identification and bird behavior. For me, this could mark the beginning of the study of birds.

How have peoples relationships with birds differed from their relationships with mammals?

Because most mammals are nocturnal and most birds are diurnal, birds were much more visible. And so peoples relationship with birds was much more at the forefront of human consciousness. Birds have not only a kind of visual effect on people but an auditory effect, as well. Weve been enchanted by birdsong almost since the beginning of time, and people have caught birds and kept them in captivity in order to capture that song and to have that song almost at their fingertips.

How is climate change impacting the relationship between humans and birds?

Animals and plants heighten our awareness of the natural world and the value that the natural world has for us. Just hearing birdsong makes people feel better. Most bird populations are in steep declinethe entire quality of life for us is going to be diminished if we dont help to preserve our birds and protect them from climate change.
In The Book of Revolutions (Jewish Publication Society, Sept.), rabbi Feld digs into the Covenant, Deuteronomic, and Holiness Codes in the Hebrew Bible and shows how critical study of scripture can yield new spiritual understandings.

Can you briefly summarize the book?

It analyzes the Torahs law codes in their historical context. What emerges is a biblical history full of wars and battles between factions in which different codes triumphed in different periods and came to reflect those eras. The historical context explains to us how things came about and why specific metaphors were used in the Hebrew Bible. The insights that were developed at those moments are insights that have had lasting impact and continue to have meaning for us.

How are historical scholarship and scriptural interpretation related?

History helps us understand the words and meaning of religious texts in a deeper way than we would have otherwise understood them. The history doesnt take away from meaning, but actually gives us a key to meaning. I think it would be mistaken to do what an older generation of historians might have done, which is to use history to be dismissive of the spiritual. Rather, I think the history uncovers a way of understanding.

Other books have parsed the narratives of the Hebrew Bible. Why hasnt this analysis of the legal codes been done before for lay readers?

Narrative may initially be more fun, right? So people may have been attracted to narrative for that reason. I think also that because Christians dismissed the legal portions of the Hebrew Bible as no longer being relevant, it wasnt a matter of Christian interest, whereas the narrative was a natural interest for them. Taking the legal portions seriously returns biblical scholarship to a Jewish context.

How did your time teaching at the Jewish Theological Seminary put this book in motion?

My students studying history felt that it undercut their religious outlook. If you can no longer believe in a single revelation, what can you believe in? I wanted to show that even if you examine history, or especially if you examine history, you can derive great spiritual meaning from these texts. I got the feeling that students were seeing the strands of the Torah as just sort of fun thingsI can put this strand here without thinking, why? What theology is behind it? Those questions were ignored. I wanted to write a book that talked about the theological outlooks of each of these strands, what they were trying to accomplish, and what inspired them. And then in turn ask, can this inspire you?
A pivotal event in journalist Hua Hsus life was the senseless murder of his best friend, Ken, when they were students at Berkeley in the 1990s. Hsu wasnt thinking of becoming a writer, but, he says, the day after Kens death, when I went to buy clothes for the funeral, I bought a blue journal that I still treasure. I began to write memories, inside jokes. It was a method of copinga way to connect with Ken on the page. Two decades later, Hsu has written Stay True (Doubleday, Sept.), a moving and beautifully rendered memoir of friendship and loss, and a meditation on youth, tragedy, coming of age, and the Asian American immigrant experience.

As a staff writer at the New Yorker since 2017 and an associate professor at Vassar College, Hsu says, I must have written 100 pieces of commentary and criticism since 2001, but it all felt like practice for this book. The story never showed up in my writing; there was never an essay in my journal the way I would observe musicians or artists. But in 2018, he explains, I finally sat down and started writing the story without a clue as to how I was going to shape it.

The story of the friendship is an odyssey, a journey through which Hsu discovers himself. Ken and Hsus connection is heartfelt, intellectual, frivolous, charming, deep: The first time I met Ken, I hated him, Hsu writes. I was 18, in love with my moral compass.... Ken was flagrantly handsome; his voice betrayed no insecurity.

Ken was Japanese American, his family in the U.S. for generations. We all look alike, Hsu, a first-generation Taiwanese American writes, until you realize we dont, and then you begin feeling that nobody could possibly seem more different.

The two young men were different, but they bonded over music, philosophy, girls, studying together. I loved walking with Ken, Hsu writes. A mismatched pair moving through the world. We noticed the same things, taking in the small moments of everyday beauty and weirdness.

On July 18, 1998, Ken was forcibly taken to an ATM, robbed, and then shot and killed for no reason. The three perpetrators were easily caught and seemed to show little remorse. I always feel a sense of loss about Ken, Hsu says. I wanted to write the book as a tribute, but also to learn about myself. There were things I didnt realize until I sat down to write.

When Hsu received a 2019 Cullman Fellowship at the New York Public Library, it was an opportunity for him to sit and think. It was also the first time he read the court documents surrounding Kens murder. I had never engaged in these questions before, he tells me.

Hsu met Chris Parris-Lamb, his agent at the Gernert Company, in 2009, when Parris-Lamb reached out about one of Hsus articles in the AtlanticThe End of White America?to propose he write a book. Hsu wasnt interested, but they stayed in touch. In 2016, after Hsu published an academic book, A Floating Chinaman, he and Parris-Lamb talked about various ideas for a trade book. When Hua described the murder of his friend, Parris-Lamb says, I knew it was a book only he could write. I told him, It sounds like you have a story, but we wont know what it is until you write it. 

With the Cullman, Hsu worked eight hours a day on the book. I was writing mainly about myself, which I had never been comfortable with before, he recalls. In spring 2019, the fellows were sent home because of the pandemic. I didnt work for a few months, but then I realized I should just do it, and in a month, I had 100,000 words. Chris liked it, but he told me to cut it by a third. As a journalist, Hsu adds, I love rigorous editing. I thought I would feel differently about this thing I had been working on in private for so long, but when Chris asked me to cut, I realized he had identified where the book should end.

Parris-Lamb submitted Stay True widely in fall 2020. Hua had fans who had been following his work for years, Parris-Lamb says. People were eager to see a book from him. I had a preempt in 48 hours, but we turned it down because it was so early in the process. We wanted to see what was out there. When Hua made the decision to turn away from popular nonfiction, he was taking a risk from a commercial standpoint. This was a personal story. He wanted to see how people responded to it and he enjoyed the editorial process. He was very thoughtful and took every meeting.

There was an intense auction, and North American rights went to Doubleday executive editor Thomas Gebremedhin in a two-book deal. (The next book will be a collection of essays on impostor syndrome.) The auction brought out the shark in me, Gebremedhin says. Thank God I got it!

When he was a magazine editor, Gebremedhin tells me, he would send fan notes to Hsu. I knew he was contracted at the New Yorker, but I wanted to introduce myself and gush. On Gebremedhins first day at Doubleday, he went to lunch with Parris-Lamb, who mentioned that he had something he might be interested in. Two months later, in November 2020, Parris-Lamb sent over Hsus manuscript.

I had been rejecting proposal after proposal, Gebremedhin says. But when I got Stay True, I read it in one night. And believe me, in 34 years Ive never been able to stay up late reading. I even put down Harry Potter! Huas book is great. Its this deep well of tragedy but so much more. Its a romp through college years and what it means to find a place in American culture, but the heart of the book is Huas friendship with Ken.

Hsu says Gebremedhin showed insight into what the book could be. He was very opinionated and I liked that. He was also very direct about where the book should start, and I realized that he and Chris had essentially figured out the beginning and the ending for me. I was drawn to Thomas because he had such a sharp vision for the storysomething I still struggle to recognize, since to me its just life.

What every good book comes down to is, how does it make the reader feel emotionally, Parris-Lamb says. Theres no doubt that Stay True is deeply affecting.

Its surreal, Hsu tells me. One person said to me, I was so sad when Ken died. I felt like he was my friend. 

Theres no greater tribute than that.
DEAL OF THE WEEK

Delaneys Heart Opens at S&G For Spiegel & Grau, Julie Grau took North American rights to Rob Delaneys memoir A Heart That Works. In the book, the comedian, best known for his role in the streaming series Catastrophe (which he also cocreated), tackles the death of one of his sons at age two after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The publisher described it as an intimate, unafraid, and fiercely funny exploration of what happenedfrom the harrowing events to the vivid, bodily impact of grief and the blind, furious rage that follows, through to the fierce, unstoppable love that remains. Sold by Pilar Queen at United Talent Agency, working with Avalon Artists Group, the memoir is slated for November 29.

Fine Moves to Flatiron

In an exclusive submission, Flatiron Books Caroline Bleeke acquired world rights to Julia Fines Maddalena and the Dark. The novel, Fines third (after last years well-received The Upstairs House), is set at an 18th-century all-girls orphanage in Venice known for producing world-class musicians. Flatiron said the story is told as a gothic fairy tale and follows two students and the dangerous wager and boundless desire that draws them together. Stephanie Delman at Trellis Literary Management brokered the deal for Fine, who was previously published by Harper.

Putnam Nabs Petermans Negotiating

Attorney and mediator Damali Peterman sold North American rights to Negotiating While Black: How to Be Who You Are to Get What You Want to Michelle Howry at Putnam. Peterman is CEO of the dispute-resolution firm Breakthrough ADR and was represented by Gillian MacKenzie at the Gillian MacKenzie Agency. The book, Putnam said, aims to be the evergreen, inclusive book on negotiations and will build on its authors decades of professional experience resolving disputes. That, coupled with Petermans experiences as a Black woman, will make it, Putnam added, a much more authentic guide that accounts for the bias that occurs in most negotiations and will help a large swath of readers negotiate to win, even when theyve been underestimated. Negotiating While Black is set for a spring 2024 release and has also been acquired in the U.K., at auction, by Bonniers Heligo Books imprint.

McCoys Sky Falls at HQN

HQNs Errin Toma nabbed world English rights to Even If the Sky Is Falling, edited by Taj McCoy. The collection features six stories by

different authors and explores, the Harlequin imprint said, the chances a couple may take when they mistakenly believe the world is ending. HQN described Even If the Sky Is Falling as appealing to fans of Love Actually and all the best 90s disaster films that end in a triumphant kiss. Its set for spring 2023 and was sold by Veronica Park at Fuse Literary. (McCoy, however, is now represented by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.) Lane Clark, Charish Reid, and Denise Williams are among the contributors.

Berkley Wins Lillies Sisters

After an auction, Berkleys Jen Monroe won two mysteries by Vanessa Lillie. The North American rights agreement was brokered by Jamie Carr at the Book Group. The novels will both feature Syd Walker, a Native American archaeologist who works for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The first book under contract, Blood Sisters, follows Walker as she returns to her hometown in Oklahoma to investigate the disappearance of both her sister and another local girl. Lillie is originally from Oklahoma and now lives in Rhode Island (where she writes a column for the Providence Journal); she is also an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Blood Sisters is slated for fall 2023.
Reaching New Heights

With Wicked Beauty, #5 on our trade paperback list, Katee Robert returns to the gritty, futuristic city of Olympus and its ruling council of 13 gods for another deliciously erotic modernization of Greek myth, per our starred review. In this third installment of her Dark Olympus series, the authors smart, savvy plotting and nuanced characters draw readers in immediately, and her juxtaposition of mythology and modernity remains pure gold.

No Bones About It

Some 4.5 million fans follow the TikTok exploits of Jonathan Grazianos pug, Noodle, checking in to see whether the senior dog is having a bones day or a no bones day. If he stands up, its a bones day, and Noodles ready to embrace whatever it has in store. If he collapses, its a no bones day, and the takeaway for viewers is that, like weary Noodle, they too deserve rest and self-care. Now, Graziano and illustrator Dan Tavis bring canine philosophy to the page with Noodle and the No Bones Day, #2 on our picture book list. For readers of all ages needing a little recharge affirmation, our review said, Noodles bones or lack thereofwill be a balm.

In Clubland

Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen, the Reeses Book Club selection for June, debuts at #8 on our hardcover fiction list.

Chen spins a clever tale offering two sides of a story involving a complicated friendship and knockoff handbags, our review said, praising the authors sharp, convincing details of the fashion industry and its shadow market, which lends this tale of fakes the tang of authenticity.

Two spots below, Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley is the months Oprahs Book Club pick. Mottley, Oaklands former youth poet laureate, debuts with a bold and beautiful account of two Black siblings striving to thrive and survive, per our starred review. Scenes of realism are rendered with a poets eye, the review continued, as the main character, Kiara, experiences moments of beauty and joy by tagging an underpass wall with spray paint, learning to swim in a dirty pool, and finding shelter in the arms of a friend.

NEW & NOTABLE

James Patterson

James Patterson

#1 Hardcover Nonfiction, #10 overall

The mega-bestselling novelist offers a blithe blend of personal asides, fan trivia, and hot takes in this memoir, our review said. He recently apologized for comments he made to the U.K.s Sunday Times shortly after the books publication: I absolutely do not believe that racism is practiced against white writers, he clarified in a statement.

Forging Silver into Stars

Brigid Kemmerer

#22 Childrens Fiction

This captivating series launch, our starred review said, is set in the same YA fantasy world as and after the events of the authors Cursebreaker books. Kemmerers latest boasts propulsive, intricate plotting and intimate first-person-present narration, per our review, and a gentle budding romance between two lead characters.
Palala  Isaac Stubblefield was 20 years old when his two friends attacked him in Duta, Kpaii District, Bong County.

The robbers poured acid on his face, he said, and demanded that he hand over the keys to his motorbike to them; but he refused and threw it into a nearby bush.

He told FrontPageAfrica: "I felt a splash of liquid on my face and my eyes burned, everything went dark, it burned my mouth and everything tasted like chemical. I knew I was in trouble."

"I took Rufus Moses and Daniel Dolokelen in Duta, Kpaii District at around 8:00pm while enroute to Palala. They told me they were going to their girlfriends' place in Palala, and I said no problem. I agreed because we are friends. While on our way they later said me I should stop on the highway to allow them smoke their marijuana, and I said yes. When I stopped Rufus wasted the acid in my eyes and I dropped. I could hear him telling his friend to let's go before before see us here," he said.

"They escaped with the bike. After few hours I was rescued by another motorcyclist who was enroute to Palala. He asked me why was I doing at that time in the middle of the highway, and I explained to him what happened. He rode me over his bike to Palala. I told him that my friends wasted acid in my eyes and took away my bike."

"I heard one of them say, so what should we do to him?" he recalled the unfortunate night incident in an interview with FrontPageAfrica Thursday.

"The next morning my friends motorcyclists launched a vigorous haunt for Daniel and Rufus and later saw them on their way to Ganta to sell the bike."

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While in pain and couldn't see anything around him, the robbers abandoned him to his fate.

It's been nine months and the acid survivor can no longer see as his eyeballs are gone. The worst is he may want to shed tears but due to his condition, he cannot even cry. For him, life is no longer worth living

He has undergone a series of surgeries on his eyes, yet he is still in pain. It has been a tale woe, sorrow, agony and pain, as he remains indoors nursing his wounds, permanently incapacitated and dependent on his sister Comfort Stubblefield, who survives on farming.

Both Rufus and Dolokelen were on June 6, 2022 sentenced to 25 years each by the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Gbarnga for the crime of armed robbery.

Stubblefield is now seeking help, through his sister, to enable him to undergo surgery to rebuild his looks, which have been destroyed by the dreadful incident.

She said: "Since the incident our brother has lost his sight. We are downhearted because he was our breadwinner.
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The University of North Carolina Press has much to celebrate as it marks its 100th anniversary. Founded in 1922 by 13 University of North Carolina administrators, faculty, and alumni wanting to transform Chapel Hill from a sleepy Southern university town into a regional hub of intellectual activity, UNC Press finished the 2021 fiscal year with a record $6.8 million in revenue, a 25% increase over more typical years, when revenue swings between $4.5 million and $5 million. Director John Sherer, who left Basic Books in 2012 to head UNC Press, expects that it will end the current fiscal year on June 30 with $5.8$5.9 million in revenue. Sales are still way ahead of our historical trends, he said, although not nearly where they were last year.

Sherer attributed UNC Presss growth to finding new audiences for the academic and trade titles it publishes, as well as to its decision to offer free digital access to select academic titles during the pandemic. Disclosing that sales plummeted in mid-March 2020, he explained that after making academic titles in digital formats available from mid-April throughout the summer of 2020 via intermediaries like the JSTOR digital library, usage skyrocketedit was exponentially higher.

To UNC Presss surprise, sales of the print editions of titles with digital open access increased during that same period. For instance, after the paywall was removed for the digital edition of 1990s Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists During the Great Depression by Robin D.G. Kelley, it sold 2,000 print copiesup from 300500 print copies sold in a typical year prepandemic. The book, which retails for $35, has sold 1,000 print copies this year.

Seeing sales rebound so quickly was very gratifying, Sherer said. Theres this prevailing narrative that the monograph is not being read, isnt being soldbut we found that if you make them accessible and remove the paywall, they are read, or at least requested. People dont want to read 90,000 words on a small screen. They prefer print, as long as print isnt too expensive. We didnt kill our business model giving digital editions away. We wouldnt do this for our trade books, the books that were trying to sell 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 copies of. But for the books that were trying to sell 750 copies of, its okay.

In the future, Sherer said, UNC Press may resume providing open access to its more specialized academic titles. Weve got to find a way to expand access, he added. I dont know how, but its a goal; its living up to the presss mission.

Sherer said UNC Press is using its revenue windfallas well as $2 million raised to date in a fundraising campaignto invest in itself. It recently added several new positions, including an art director, an editorial assistant, and a finance position, bringing the current number of employees to 45.

This investment extends to UNC Presss list. The publisher, which featured three titles on its debut list a century ago, currently releases 115120 frontlist titles each year, but it plans on increasing that output to at least 140 titles. Approximately 30% of the presss revenue comes from its trade list, which includes two to four books about the South published annually under the Ferris & Ferris imprint.

Sherer said he is happy where the trade list is and added that we exist to publish the scholarly booksso thats where we want to grow. Noting that UNC Press publishes about 50 first books each year that are revised PhD dissertations that typically sell between 400 and 1,000 copies, he added, Its not sexy, but its important. Its what the academy needs, its what the university needs, and what a good university press should be doing.

While academic bestsellers include the 24-volume New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, the offshoot of a series that launched in 1989, UNC Presss top-selling book of all time is Mama Dips Kitchen, a soul food cookbook by Mildred Council, a middle-aged Black entrepreneur who operated a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Chapel Hill. The book has sold about 250,000 copies since its 1999 release. I am sure people were asking why a university press would publish such a cookbook, Sherer said. In the 90s, soul food cookbooks was not a hot genre in book publishing, so it was kind of a courageous act. But weve always tried to give a platform to people who historically arent very well represented by the rest of the publishing industry. It was a triumph in terms of our mission.

Other than Mama Dips Kitchen, UNC Press does not publish many books about Chapel Hill or about the Research Triangle of Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, nor does it publish many books by UNCChapel Hill faculty. Sherer said the presss regional books are about other parts of the state, like the mountains and the coast. Though its overall bestselling regional title is North Carolina Lighthouses by Cheryl Shelton-Roberts and Bruce Roberts, the top-selling regional title at the height of the pandemic was A Field Guide to Mushrooms of the Carolinas by Alan Bessette, Arlene Bessette, and Michael Hopping.

From the beginning, Sherer said, UNC Press has published voices of the region whose stories were not being told or explained, publishing scholarly books on such subjects as Appalachia, womens studies, and agrarian life. It is also committed to publishing stories that made people uncomfortable: books about racial injustices, or about poverty, or about lynching, though Sherer acknowledged that there are books in our back catalog that have reinforced racial and social hierarchies.

During its first century, Sherer said, UNC Press focused on defining its region as an area that was worthy of being studied beyond Civil War Confederate generals and the Colonial era. Now, as it enters its second century, having published to date more than 5,400 titles, the press hopes to expand upon what we mean when we talk about the South. Sherers goal is to educate readers on the impact of the South on global culture, as well as the impact of global culture on the South, particularly in terms of foodways, geography, history, and demographics.

Were trying to make sure were defining the South now through all of these diverse lenses, he said, Because of digital tools, we can export this more successfully throughout the world.

Longleaf Services Counts 18 Clients

In 2006, UNC Press launched Longleaf Services as a separate, not-for-profit entity that provides order processing, collection management, warehousing, and fulfillment for UNC Press and other university presses. Longleaf was started, UNC Press director John Sherer explained, to provide distribution for presses with the same mission as UNC Press and that have a similar customer base, in order to maximize efficiencies and lower operating costs. In 2015 Longleaf expanded its suite of services. It now provides back-end support, as well as marketing, editorial, design, and production services, and shipping and fulfillment. Its 18 clients include university presses throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as the University of the West Indies Press and Cork University Press in Ireland.
Executive directors of regional bookseller associations are optimistic that this years fall trade shows will be big draws, citing increases in membership, strong turnouts for in-person events last spring, and the desire of many members of the industry to once again get together. All the regionals are planning in-person shows, although the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association and the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance will once again team up for a virtual New Voices New Rooms event, to be held August 811. Smaller in-person programs are planned by NAIBA and SIBA later in the year.

SIBA will hold a bookseller gathering in New Orleans at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, September 78. According to executive director Linda-Maria Barrett, the focus will be on bookseller education, author/bookseller interaction, networking, and the discovery of new titles and will not have an exhibit piece. In order to bring some of its booksellers together, NAIBA is planning a one-day event in Rhinebeck. N.Y., tentatively scheduled for October 17. The meeting is planned as a social event for NAIBAs northern stores, and no publishers or vendors will be attending, according to member manager Elliott batTzedek.

The California Independent Booksellers Association will have its first-ever in-person regional September 911 at the Sacramento Sheraton Grand. Before the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association and Southern California Independent Booksellers Association combined in 2020 to form CALIBA, the California shows usually ran in late October and were typically the last fairs to be held. Because of Covid restrictions, the 2022 show is CALIBAs first. Its our first-ever all-California show, and the city is rolling out the red carpet for us, said CALIBA co-executive director Kristin Rasmussen. While it is hard to predict attendance, Rasmussen noted that the association has added numerous bookstores since the start of the pandemic.

Plans call for a September 9 afternoon visit with state representatives, and while the agenda is still being formulated, topics are likely to include support for small businesses and issues around book bans, Rasmussen said. That evening, CALIBA plans an opening reception followed by a casual cocktail party at Ross and Heidi Rojeks Sacramento store, Capital Books.

Another West Coast fair follows CALIBA. The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association will run September 1820 in Tacomas Hotel Murano. Brian Juenemann, executive director/marketing for PNBA, believes attendance will be close to prepandemic levels of 500600 people, including 300 booksellers and library members. PNBA held an in-person meeting last year, where attendance was capped because of Covid concerns, and all slots were taken.

Juenemann has ruled out adding a hybrid component. The numbers did not play out to support that last yearthe attendance just wasnt there, he said. Its possible we could add a video component, but, again, the events we filled last year in the physical space had very little traffic online, so the investment just doesnt make sense.

The East Coast swing kicks off September 21, when the New England Independent Booksellers Associ-ation opens at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. Executive director Beth Ineson said NEIBAs events in the first half of 2022 have all been very well attended, and she is expecting a good turnout for the fall conference. While we took a big swing at Zoom events over the past two years, nothing replaces the conversations, the book discoverability, and the hugs on the show floor, she noted. We cant wait to have booksellers, authors, and our publisher partners all together in the same physical space again.

Like PNBA, the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association managed to pull off an in-person show last year, and executive director Heather Duncan is looking forward to a bigger fair at the Renaissance Denver Central Park Hotel from September 28 to October 1. Duncan noted that MPIBA held two well-attended in-person spring cons this year, and that interest in the fall conference is very high. We are expecting to exceed our prepandemic numbers of both attendees and exhibitors, she said, adding that because of an increase in membership she expects to have another influx of first-time bookseller attendees.

The fall shows will conclude October 1214, when the Heartland Fall Forum, produced by the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association and Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association, takes place at the St. Louis Hyatt Regency at the Arch. MIBA executive director Carrie Obry and GLIBAs Larry Law both said they are expecting a healthy turnout due to high membership numbers. Law said that GLIBA has added 50 new booksellers over the past three years, bringing the total to 200, and that there are currently more members than there have been at any other point in GLIBAs history. MIBA has also had an increase in membership, particularly from BIPOC-owned stores.

Obry is hoping that the strong turnout for MIBAs spring event, which attracted 75 booksellers rather than the typical 4050, will translate to high numbers for the forum. She also noted that 2022 is the 10th anniversary of the Heartland Forum. To mark the occasion, MIBA and GLIBA will be doing a photo retrospective, selling custom merchandise, and hosting an anniversary party on opening night featuring 10 indie publisher sponsors.
Fox and Tubi shared a Juneteenth message from 9-1-1 star Angela Bassett on Friday. Juneteenth is Sunday with observances continuing on Monday.

ADVERTISEMENT

"My ancestors contributed to this great nation," Bassett said in the video. "Their freedoms were beginning to be open and presented in this country. Juneteenth, it's a celebratory day."

June 19, 1865 was the day slaves in Texas learned of the Emancipation Proclamation from 1862. Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.

"Everyone wants to be represented, to be seen, to be appreciated and acknowledged," Bassett said. "So that's that day. It's a day not only for African-Americans but anyone who has felt unseen, anyone who fights for freedoms."

Bassett stars as LAPD sergeant Athena Grant-Nash on 9-1-1. The show portrays police and rescue workers working together to save people in crisis every week.

In film, Bassett starred in hits Boyz n the Hood, What's Love Got to Do With It, Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Recently she played T'Challa's mother, Queen Ramonda, in Black Panther.
Gbarpolu  It was a scene of jubilation and huge excitement when several Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners gathered at Kongbor and Camp Alpha, Gbarpolu County respectively to receive mining equipment from the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL). With support from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), mining equipment provided to the miners included a water pump, raincoats, rain boots, shovels, rog, buckets, and diggers. The donation to Artisanal and Small-Scale miners is an additional effort from SCNL, through its partner to encourage these miners to mine smartly, while preserving the forest.

Isatu Johnson, Chairlady, Camp Alpha, and Musa A. Kamara, Town Chief, Kongbor welcomed SCNL's staff, and also extended appreciation to the non-profit organization for the huge support not only to miners but the communities.

In Kongbor and Camp Alpha, Fiona Malley, Project Assistant, SCNL, told the miners that SCNL's support was a kind gesture aimed at encouraging legal miners to keep mining responsibly.

"Today, SCNL is here to support Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners. SCNL through its partner, CEPF donates these mining tools to you, the (miners) and encourages beneficiaries not just to mine, but to practice what is called, "Dig a hole, and cover hole".

Malley then advised the miners not to engage in activities that will cause damage to the soil and its future use. "As you all know, the forest is serving as the home for biodiversity for human beings, it gives oxygen and absorbs car dioxide. So, it is important the forest is preserved... SCNL's interest is forest preservation, that is why the organization is encouraging smart mining and reclamation of land".

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Mulbah Kelleh, Chairman for Mining, Kongbor, and Issa Dumuya, Chairman for Mining, Camp Alpha, highly appreciated SCNL and partner for the donation. Particularly, Kelleh said, "We're happy with the support from SCNL, we will continue to mine safely for the protection of the forest. We have had meetings with SCNL, but this is the first time to receive this help from them, so thank you for what you have done, and by the grace of God, miners will keep mining smartly".

J. Alex Musa, Secretary, CFMB, Tonglay Clan, and Alfred Jabateh, Executive Committee for Tonglay Forest, also appreciated SCNL. "CFMB and SCNL are working together, this donation isn't strange to us, because SCNL has been doing a lot for the communities. SCNL has provided loans for marketers, provided financial and material assistance to students, trained several farmers, and provided livelihood alternatives to forest community dwellers today, SCNL has put smiles on the faces of the miners, and we hope this assistance will continue so [our communities] can keep developing," Musa said.
Crews float a single-engine plane in the Connecticut River to the boat launch in Charlestown, N.H., on Thursday, June 23, 2022. The pilot reported having engine troubles before hitting the power lines that went over the river and then crashed into the water on Wednesday, June 22. They used a
The Gambia Armed Forces Training School on Tuesday graduated personnel of State Guards Battalion who completed a three week intensive training on heavy weapons.

The training was initiated by the Commanding Officer State Guards Battalion and the graduation took place at Fajara Barracks Training School.

The graduation ceremony was graced by the Commander of the Republican and National Guards, Brigadier General Turro Jawneh who represented the Chief of Defense Staff Lieutenant General Yankuba Drammeh.

Major Abdoulie Bah, Commandant of GAF Training School said participants received extensive instructions on characteristics, field maintenance, safe handling of weapons and their varying ammunitions, effective employment as well as disengaging and after actions drills on weapons during the three weeks.

He stated that participants are now able to handle weapons safely among comrades and effectively against potential enemies and therefore commended them for their efforts and discipline during the course.

Colonel Sait Njie, Commanding Officer of the State Guards Battalion said among the functions of a State Guard, is the mandate of providing security for the seat of Government.

He stated that the main objective of the training was to build individual skills of troops under his command.

He thanked both the school Commandant and his Chief Instructor for their exemplary leadership.

Brig. General Turro Jawneh, Commander of the Republican and National Guards in deputising for Chief of Defense Staff for The Gambia Armed Forces elaborated on the significance of the training and the primary functions of State Guards.

The trainees were certified after completing the training package. Dawdu Mbye was certified as the best student during the training and expressed gratitude and thanks to his Commandant and Instructors during the training.
Gambian striker Assan Ceesay has signed a two-year contract with Italian Serie A side US Lecce with an option for a third.

The Italian club announced the contract will begin from July 1, 2022.

Ceesay was the main man in leading FC Zurich to the Swiss Super League title and his prolific form in front of goal has seen him joined the newly promoted side on a free transfer following the end of his deal with Zurich.

Assan has 30 caps for The Gambia, scoring 13 times, all of which came under Tom Saintfiet under whom he is played 26 times.

Speaking to GFF Media, Ceesay whose two goals secured a 2-2 draw against Chad and a place in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier group stages for The Gambia expressed delight in making the major leap in his career.

"I'm really happy and proud to be here, is a big challenge for me in a big league with top players and world class teams," Ceesay, who also speaks both Italian and French said.

"I'm looking forward to show myself here and the team to score goals and achieve great things with Lecce Insha'Allah. It has always been a dream to play in Serie A."

Everyone at the GFF congratulate the former Gamtel striker on his latest move.

Source: GFF
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BRIDGEPORT  Charlene Colsons new home at the Windward Apartments has everything she could ask for.

Its just so peaceful. Its very nice... I love it. My son loves it, Colson said.

Colson stood outside her apartment on Railroad Avenue as city, state officials, developers and housing advocates held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first phase of the Windward Aparments.

Renters began moving into the units last year and are part of a general push to revitalize the citys South End. The apartments replace the former run-down Marina Village public housing complex, which was torn down several years ago.

Some officials also said the units are a good example of affordable housing for the city. The next phase is expected to receive financing in 2023.

Mayor Joe Ganim said the apartments will be an anchor for further development in the area. Thats just the South End, hundreds of millions of dollars going in here being led in many ways by whats critically important  good quality, affordable housing, accessible health care, Ganim said.

The first phase of the apartment complex includes a 7,600-square-foot community health care center. The location has 54 one- and two-bedroom units, which are currently occupied. The complex is still accepting applications.

Connecticut Housing Finance Authority CEO Nandini Natarajan credited the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, saying it was instrumental to the success of the project. The apartments were built through a public and private partnership between JHM Group and Park City Communities, the latter which oversees Bridgeports public housing stock and Section 8 vouchers. The project cost $27 million for its first phase.

Natarajan said she was grateful to the developers for their commitment to residents.

We've known for some time that when housing is done right, it can be a platform for health, economic prosperity, and stronger communities. To that and much credit goes to JHM and Park City for committing to center their vision for Windward on the well-being of residents and the surrounding neighborhood, Natarajan said.

Renters can also enjoy numerous amenities. Every unit has stainless steel appliances while the common areas include a gym, recreation center, computer lab and space outside for cookouts and barbecues.

Jennifer Gottlieb-Elazhari, director with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said the apartments are a successful housing example for the city.

The Windward development has successfully used HUD funding by creating a model of housing based on positive and optimistic values of good aesthetics, social integration and resiliency, Gottlieb-Elazhari said.

The complex will be smaller than the housing it replaces. The Marina Village Apartments, a low-income housing complex, had 400 units before it was demolished in 2018. The Windward Apartments will have 100 units available in total once the project is finished. Former residents could also obtain Section 8 vouchers for units in the area.

The project had a protracted development process and faced numerous delays.

A former Marina Village resident, Colson said her former home wasnt perfect and had its issues, but residents looked out for each other.

Now she faces another challenge  getting to know her new neighbors. Many tenants, she said, still dont know each other. She said she was upset to see only four tenants out at the event.

Yet Colson said shes going to make an effort to connect residents and management together with an organization she has in mind.

It's going to be the Windward Committee. I'm gonna be the president. And I'm gonna work with management. So that we can work together, not against each other, Colson said.
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NEWTOWN  A crowd of organized residents opposed to plans by a Manhattan investor to build an 8-acre trucking warehouse on environmentally sensitive land erupted into cheers Thursday night when the Planning and Zoning Commission denied the proposal.

I will tell you that we are just delighted, said Donald Leonard, a volunteer organizer of the grassroots resistance in Newtown on Friday  a resistance that circulated petitions, hired consultants, and protested in the streets against what they felt would amount to round-the-clock noise and pollution.

The Planning and Zoning Commissions 3-to-2 vote to deny a proposal by Wharton Industrial to build a 345,000-square-foot trucking warehouse with 55 truck docks on 105 acres at Interstate 84s Exit 9 ends a land use battle between a developer and the community unlike anything Newtown has seen in recent memory.

I dont believe (the commission) has ever had a crowd of this size, said Leonard, noting that over the past two months the town has had to reserve auditoriums to accommodate the resistance. We assume that the Wharton attorney would file an appeal, but that could take several years, so this appears to be a major victory.

Thomas Cody, a Hartford attorney representing Wharton, did not immediately return a call for comment on Friday.

Newtowns top planner said the multiple public hearings on the Wharton proposal gave all sides adequate time to make their case and gave the elected members of the Planning and Zoning Commission enough time to make an informed decision.

This was the fifth meeting, so they had a lot of time to think about it, said George Benson, Newtowns planning director. In the end, traffic was the issue.

Commission member Gregory Rich said as much before he voted to deny the application.

I am not convinced that the numbers provided on truck traffic by the applicant are accurate, said Rich. I believe it is based on an assumption that the building will be used in some manner far less than its capacityand I would recommend disapproving on that basis and on the basis that the applicant declined to conduct a sound study.

Fellow commission members Corrine Cox and Kersti Ferguson voted with Rich in the majority to deny the application, with Roy Meadows and commission Chairman Dennis Bloom voting in the minority.

A crowd of some 200 people applauded and cheered at Newtown Middle School auditorium, as months of tension over a horrendous proposal was relieved.

Before the vote there were a lot of hearts pounding in their chests, Leonard said.

Thursday nights victory followed two major disappointments for the organized resistance.

The first disappointment was in March, when the towns wetlands commission gave Wharton the green light to build on land with environmentally sensitive features, clearing the way for the developer to apply to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

At that point, the resistance was a handful of people. They organized themselves as Newtown Neighbors, raising money to hire an attorney to challenge the developers application, and organizing petitions, street protests, and public information campaigns.

Its amazing that an awful lot of people in town had no idea what was going on, Leonard said.

The second major disappointment happened earlier this month when the Planning and Zoning Commission gave the developers representatives the last word and then closed the public hearing before a packed crowd of opposition, without taking public comment.

We really felt like we had new information to offer and that we had a right to be heard, Leonard said. Being shut down like that was a huge disappointment.

The disappointments helped bring the opposition closer together, he said

We wound up with a number of people willing to devote time and effort to this project, Leonard said. Things just started to snowballand in the end we got the decision we were looking for.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
Tamara fled her hometown of Mariupol on February 24, the very first day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But the former city government employee could not escape her conscience and returned just two days later to do what she could to help residents under siege.

For a month she buried the dead and delivered firewood and water to those in the strategic port city who could not fend for themselves.

"Already by March, people had begun to die from Grad rocket attacks and the cold," she told RFE/RL's Current Time under condition that her real name not be used out of concern for her family's safety. "Others died from illness -- there was no medicine available -- and some from old age."

From there she moved along with her 19-year-old daughter to safer ground, a residential area where extended family had a home with a cellar where they could shelter from intense shelling and aerial bombardments.

But by the end of the month, enemy troops had entered the area -- first the "more tattered" forces who had invaded from eastern areas of the Donetsk region controlled by Moscow-backed separatists since 2014, and then the Russians. With their arrival, Tamara and her daughter joined the several million Ukrainians who had suddenly found themselves living under occupation.

Tamara and her daughter endured threats and harassment and survived on food stolen from homes and shops by the occupying forces and handed out to civilians. And like other Ukrainians who would undergo the process of "filtration" to determine their worthiness of being on "Russian" territory or who went through the checkpoints that dotted occupied lands, she learned that payoffs would be essential to getting out alive.

'If You Have A Weapon, What Can I Do?'

After Mariupol, the second-largest city in the Donetsk region, was surrounded by separatist forces, intense street battles raged. Eventually the Ukrainian military was driven out aside from a few hundred troops who bunkered down in labyrinth of tunnels within the massive Azovstal steel plant on the coast of the Sea Of Azov.

After that, Tamara said, the shelling of her residential area subsided. But there was no electricity, and with no mobile-phone service or Internet, no contact with the outside world aside from the news they got from the occupiers. It took 40 minutes to reach a well where residents could get fresh water, and she and her family cooked on an open fire in the yard.

From what Tamara saw, discipline among the separatist forces was low, with drunken soldiers walking the streets and attempting get residents to provide them with alcohol in exchange for food.

Once, she said, a separatist fighter threateningly asked if he and his comrades could visit her and her daughter.

"We went for firewood and one of the the separatists asked: 'Do you live here? And we said yes," Tamara recalled, adding that the soldier then requested an invite to their home. When she declined the request, the soldier underscored the disadvantageous position she and her daughter were in.

"Do you realize that I can just come to you?" Tamara recalled the soldier asking. She was blunt in her reply: I understand. You have a weapon and we do not. So, if you come with a weapon, what can I do?"

Luckily, she told Current Time, no one came, but by mid-April, she and her daughter had decided they needed to leave before Internet access was restored and she could be identified as a former government employee.

The 'Filtration' Process

To get out of their situation, however, she would have to pass muster during filtration, putting her at risk of detention at one of the dozens of filtration camps that had been set up around the city and the hundreds set up in occupied territory in Ukraine. Russia justified the camps as a way to weed out extremists and criminals, but rights watchdogs have described them as illegal internment camps often used to hold members of the Ukrainian military or other potential combatants, as well as innocent civilians.

Stanislav Miroshnychenko, a journalist and activist with the Ukrainian Media Initiative For Human Rights, said such camps are not allowed under the Geneva Conventions that established international standards for humanitarian treatment during war.

"You can't carry out internment for millions of people, take them out," Miroshnychenko told Current Time, adding that those without a certificate showing they had passed filtration risked being detained on the street. Miroshnychenko said that aside from Ukrainian soldiers, public activists, and representatives of government agencies and local governments are interred at the camp, and that "very often, people with certain tattoos -- for example, the Ukrainian coat of arms -- do not pass the 'filtering' because Russians consider Ukrainian symbols to be 'Nazi' symbols."

Once people have been interred, Miroshnychenko said, it is impossible to track what happens to them.

Some who have lived under Russian occupation have an idea.



Maria Vdovychenko, a 17-year-old musician who managed to leave Mariupol, told Current Time in late April about a conversation between two soldiers she overheard while undergoing filtration at a border checkpoint.

"What did you do with people who didn't pass the filtration?" she said one soldier asked.



"Shot 10 and stopped counting -- not interested," the other replied, according to Vdovychenko.

Vdovychenko described in detail the procedure she had to go through at a checkpoint outside Mariupol.

They collected documents, scanned them, took fingerprints, and at the same time they checked my cell phone," she said. "There were five soldiers with weapons in the room and I was alone."

She described the situation as "very scary," and said her legs began to buckle under the stress.

One soldier said to the others, Don't you like her? There will be more women later. We'll find something,'" Vdovychenko recalled. She said she was then told to go to Berdyansk, a port city southwest of Mariupol that had been seized by Russian forces, and pushed out of the room.

Vdovychenko was not allowed to return to her father's home after passing the process, but he told her of his experiences when they reunited in Berdyansk.

"The questions were the worst -- and not only about the government, but about Ukraine and the whole situation: What was he doing and planning to do next? How about we cut off your ear?" Vdovychenko said. "When they realized that there was nothing to check on his phone and there was not even a SIM card, they began to ask who he was. They didn't like what my dad said. They started pushing him, hit him on the head with something heavy. What happened next, Dad doesn't remember. He came to on the street."

Money Goes A Long Way

Other Ukrainians found that bribes could improve their luck in clearing the process and gaining access either to Ukrainian-held territory or to Russia itself, from where the newly found "refugees" could attempt to travel to friendly countries in the Baltics or the South Caucasus.

"There were 10 of us, and we paid 5,000 hryvnyas (currently about $170)," said Tamara, who said she was threatened during her time at a filtration camp in Mariupol.

"People there could live for two or three weeks in a field before undergoing questioning. The person with whom we agreed took our money and passports and we were left to wait," Tamara said. Eventually she was photographed and asked how she was, to which she replied: "After living in the cellar, you can say things are better."

The stunned guard asked if she was afraid of the current situation, and she said: "No, I'm not afraid. Because when I was in the cellar, the earth fell in on me. I said goodbye to my life several times."

To her surprise her name was then added to a simple computer database, and she had been certified as filtered.

Tamara later determined that a friend had paid more than three times what she and her companions had, and told of other avenues of bribery that could help ease the process.

She said that long lines are common at filtration sites, with people arriving both on foot and by car. It usually takes a week to get clearance for those traveling by car, added, while those on foot might have to wait a month. But she said knew of one man who had traveled by car to a site in Manhush, a town just west of Mariupol where she said 6,500 people waited in line to be processed but only seven people a day were allowed to leave.

"He paid 2,500 hryvnyas ($85) and passed filtration in 10 days," Tamara said.

Tea Or Coffee -- Or Vodka?

Kostyantyn Ryzhenko, a journalist from the southern region of Kherson, told Current Time that Russian occupying forces there try to squeeze anything they can -- "from a laptop to a phone-charging cord"-- from Ukrainians on the move.

He said that humanitarian volunteers he knew usually took a carton of cigarettes or a couple bottles of vodka with them, along with tea and sugar, because they knew they could get stuck at checkpoints for half a day if they did not have something to offer.

Nadia, a resident of Melitopol -- a city located in the Zaporizhzhya region about halfway between Kherson and Mariupol -- said that bribery schemes were in effect well before Russian and separatist forces set up their network of filtration sites.

She said she encountered 24 checkpoints on her way to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

"Each time the Russians carefully examined our belongings. At four posts they checked mobile phones," she recalled. "Once I was personally asked if I had coffee or something sweet with me. Other passengers from the car in which I was traveling were asked about alcohol and cigarettes."

One driver's phone and sneakers were taken away, she said.

Vasyl, who spoke to Current Time using a pseudonym out of concerns for the safety of family members who remain under occupation, left Ukraine's southern Kherson region after the Russian military gained control there in early May.

For those who wanted to move inside territory controlled by Russian forces, he said, the situation at checkpoints was quite "normal." But for those who wanted to travel to territory controlled by Ukraine, the story was different.

"People were often harassed, with guards saying 'Now we will handcuff you' and so on," Vasyl said of the road northwest to the Mykolayiv region, which he said had 40 checkpoints. He heard that people could be sent back at any one of the 40, meaning they would have to repeat the process at each of the ones they had cleared. To avoid such a fate, he said, many paid the guards off.

"One gave $ 100, another $500," Vasyl said, while others paid nothing aside from a few smokes.

Vasyl himself chose a different path. He traveled from his village to Kherson, the regional capital. From there he went to the Crimean Peninsula, which has been under Russian control since it was invaded and annexed by Russia in 2014. Then he went on to Russia and eventually to the South Caucasus country of Georgia.
The elderly and sick died quietly.

Crowded with hundreds of others held captive by Russian soldiers for four weeks in an airless, unsanitary school basement in Yahidne, a village in the Chernihiv region of northern Ukraine, the ill and the frail were particularly vulnerable.

Several could not withstand the lack of medicine, food, fresh air, and overall comfort in the dark, stuffy rooms they shared with more than 300 other captives of the invading forces, survivors said.

One person died every three days on average, Valeria Vidkovska, 20, recalled. Sometimes, she said, their deaths went unnoticed until they did not get up for daily food rations.

Fellow captives would try to wake a person up when the distribution of food begun, but the person would already be cold [from death], she told RFE/RL in an interview.

It was dark in there, everyone was sitting, they didn't walk, [so] it was impossible to know that someone had died, she said.

By the time Russian forces retreated from Yahidne and the survivors emerged almost a month after they were forced into the school basement, 10 people had died, according to a record scrawled by the captives on a wall. The toll was confirmed by Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and the UN high commissioner for human rights.

Another 17 residents of Yahidne were killed during the Russian occupation of the village, according to Venediktova, who last week charged nine Russian soldiers in absentia with war crimes for their alleged actions there.

The charges are among the latest on a growing list of alleged atrocities by Russian forces since President Vladimir Putin launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

On March 3, Russian troops from the 55th Motorized Rifle Brigade entered Yahidne, which lies 15 kilometers south of Chernihiv along the main highway to Kyiv, as part of a larger Russian push from the north toward the Ukrainian capital.

Amid fierce resistance from Ukrainian forces, the Russian drive toward Kyiv was halted and the troops hunkered down in the village, turning the local school into a temporary headquarters and unleashing terror on residents, according to survivors. Members of the brigade began rounding up people up the following day and forcing them into the school basement at gunpoint, they said.

Vidkovskas family was among the first to be taken into captivity, though her grandparents were initially allowed to stay at home due to ill health.

Within a week the number of captives in the basement -- which consisted of a gym and four or five small rooms used as storage for window frames, broken desks, and other old items -- grew from a few dozen to more than 300, she said.

They included a 6-week-old infant, dozens of other children, and several elderly people of whom the oldest was 93, according to Venediktova.

The newcomers brought information about what was happening aboveground in the village, including who had been killed. Russian troops destroyed the cell phones of captives, leaving them with no way to communicate with the outside world.

Vidkovskas grandparents were among the later arrivals, after Russian soldiers evicted them from the familys renovated apartment.

Residents forced to go to the school basement took with them what they could quickly gather from their homes, such as blankets, jackets, and food. They slept on the floor, including in the narrow hallways between the rooms, or on the desks, Vidkovska said.

One of the few photos from inside the basement during captivity taken by an individual who managed to hide his phone shows dozens of people crowded in a room shoulder-to-shoulder.

There was no toilet in the basement.

During the first week, captives were forced to use buckets as toilets until the basement became too crowded and unsanitary, Vidkovska said.

Russian soldiers later sometimes allowed residents to exit the building to use a toilet, smoke, or cook between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. -- though they sometimes canceled that if there was shelling, if they wanted to punish captives, or for other reasons, she said.

They were not allowed to leave the school grounds.

It was really hot inside the basement, Vidkovska said. There was nothing to breathe. The older people started to die because there was little food, no air, no medicine.

The Russian soldiers removed the dead bodies and placed them in the schools boiler building where captives would occasionally wash and get hot water for tea, she said. The corpses could remain three for days if there was fighting raging in the village and it was not safe to bury them, she said.

The captives kept track of the deaths, recording the persons name and the date they passed away on a wall in one of the rooms.

When Ukrainian forces drove the Russian military out of Yahidne at the end of March, some of the captives had nothing to return to.

Homes were destroyed, emptied of valuables, and in some cases, mined with explosives.

Russian soldiers gutted the apartment where Vidkovska lived with her family, according to a video her mother made upon returning to their building.

Vidkovska estimated that as many as 20 Russian soldiers may have lived there during the occupation.

The Russian soldiers stole the familys three flatscreen TVs, fur coats, and other clothing and badly damaged the walls and doors of the apartment, Vidkovskas mother said in the video.

Theft of jewelry, appliances, and consumer goods by Russian soldiers during their invasion of Ukraine has been widespread and well documented in photographs and videos.

Many of the soldiers Ukraine suspects of taking part in the debauchery in Yahidne, including the nine accused of war crimes, are from the Siberian region of Tyva, one of the poorest in Russia.

Olcha Mongush, the wife of Nazyty Mongush, one of the soldiers charged with war crimes, denied the accusations against her husband and claimed he helped the residents of Yahidne.

The residents were grateful [for the help of the Russian soldiers] and now they say all this behind [their] backs, she said in a response to RFE/RL through social media, without providing evidence to support the claim.

In a May 12 address on the human rights situation in Ukraine, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said that in addition to Ukrainian civilians killed in the hostilities or apparently summarily executed, others have died because of stress to their health caused by hostilities and the lack of medical aid. They have spent weeks in basements being threatened by Russian soldiers with abuse or death if they tried to leave.

In the village of Yahidne in Chernihiv region, 360 residents, including 74 children and five persons with disabilities, were forced by Russian armed forces to stay for 28 days in the basement of a school that they were using as their base, she said. The basement was extremely overcrowded. People had to sit for days without an opportunity to lie down. There were no toilet facilities, water, or ventilation. Ten older people died.

Asked about the basement ordeal in an interview with the BBC that was published on June 16, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not specifically deny the UN report but suggested that Bachelet might have been misled.

"It's a great pity, but international diplomats, including the UN high commissioner for human rights, the UN secretary-general, and other UN representatives, are being put under pressure by the West. And very often they're being used to amplify fake news spread by the West," he said without evidence.

Vidkovska and her family, meanwhile, have taken temporary refuge in Germany.

Though they are safe and far from the front line in the war, whose end is not in sight, they bear the emotional scars of that harrowing month, Vidkovska said in the interview from Germany.

Sometimes my mother wakes up from nightmares that someone is bombing us, she said.

Written by Todd Prince based on reporting by RFE/RL Russian Service Correspondent Mark Krutov
KYIV -- Russian missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital and the central city of Cherkasy on June 26 killed at least two people and injured 11 others, including a 7-year-old girl pulled from the rubble, with more blasts reported later, in the first major strikes against either city in weeks.

Ukrainian officials who have pledged to retake lost cities responded with a fresh plea for more weapons to fight the Russian invasion as G7 leaders opened a two-day summit at which they are expected to announce further punishing sanctions on Russia.

The bombardments against Kyiv and Cherkasy came as Ukraine's defense forces battled to regroup after the loss of a strategic town to Russian forces on the front lines hundreds of kilometers to the southeast, where some of the most intense fighting is raging four months into Russia's full-scale invasion.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians and refugees, and Western aid and reaction. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko went to the scene in one of that city's historic northern neighborhoods, known as the Shevchenko district, after at least two buildings were affected by the early morning explosions blamed on up to four Russian missiles.

Klitschko said one person was killed and six were injured, including the 7-year-old, who was in stable condition after surgery. The condition of her mother, who was also hospitalized, was much more serious, Klitschko said on Telegram.

Russia said its strike on Kyiv had hit a weapons factory, dismissing as "fake" reports that it had struck a residential area. The Artyom factory "was the target, as military infrastructure," the Russian Defense Ministry said. It claimed in a statement that damage to a nearby residential building had been caused by a Ukrainian air- defense missile.

Klitschko called the attacks on Kyiv an attempt by Russia to "intimidate Ukrainians" ahead of a NATO summit slated for Madrid on June 28-30.

Others suggested they and other bombardments -- including near Ukraine's border with Poland -- might also be an effort to send a message to G7 leaders gathering near Munich to discuss pro-Ukraine measures on June 26.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba responded to the fresh Kyiv attacks with an image of the 7-year-old being lifted from the apartment building rubble and urging "more sanctions on Russia and more heavy arms for Ukraine" from the G7.

Also on June 26, current and former officials in central Ukraine said explosions had rung out in the city of Cherkasy, which had so far avoided being targeted by Russia's worst attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Later, Cherkasy Regional State Administration Chairman Ihor Taburets blamed two Russian missiles for the blasts and said one person had been killed and five more injured.

"Today, the enemy launched missile attacks on the Cherkasy region," Taburets said via Telegram. "There are 2 strikes near the regional center. One dead and five wounded. Infrastructure damaged."

Cherkasy has not been targeted previously by major attacks by Russian forces.

Farther to the southeast, Ukrainian forces said a day earlier that they had made a "tactical withdrawal" from the city of Syevyerodonetsk in a blow that could shape the fighting in the east.

But President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed in his nighttime video address that Ukraine would eventually retake the cities it has lost since Russia's all-out invasion began on February 24.

Zelenskiy said the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II had taken a heavy toll on Ukrainians and their defenders but spoke of eventually winning the war.

"We don't have a sense of how long it will last, how many more blows, losses, and efforts will be needed before we see victory is on the horizon," Zelenskiy said.

Zelenskiy is due to remotely address the G7 on June 27 to urge further international support for Ukraine's defense.

On June 25, Ukraine's military said defense forces had withdrawn from Syevyerodonetsk after weeks of intense battles to fight from higher ground in nearby Lysychansk, across the Siverskiy Donets River.

Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said his forces were carrying out a "tactical regrouping" by pulling its forces out of Syevyerodonetsk.

Syevyerodonetsk, a city in the Luhansk district of around 100,000 residents before the war, has been devastated as Russian forces sought to concentrate gains in the two eastern districts known collectively as the Donbas.

Russia-backed separatists have controlled swaths of that region since Russia annexed Crimea and helped kick off the eastern Ukrainian fighting in 2014.

Meanwhile, fears mounted of a widening war since Ukrainian officials reported "massive bombardment" from rockets "fired from the territory of Belarus and from the air" and Moscow said it would provide Belarus with an advanced missile system.

In Belarus, strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka's dependence on Moscow has increased since a crackdown over protests that began when he claimed a sixth presidential term in flawed elections two years ago.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised meeting with Lukashenka on June 25 that Moscow plans within months to supply Belarus with Iskander-M missile systems, a nuclear-capable, mobile guided-missile system with a range of up to 500 kilometers.

"Today's strike is directly linked to Kremlin efforts to pull Belarus as a co-belligerent into the war in Ukraine," the Ukrainian intelligence service said of the missiles launched from Russian warplanes over Belarusian territory.

Lukashenka allowed thousands of Russian troops to stage attacks on Ukraine from the earliest stage of the invasion.

A representative of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, Vadym Skibitskiy, told RBC-Ukraine on June 25 that Belarus is maintaining 4,000-6,000 of its own troops near the Ukrainian border.

He estimated that Russia has around 1,500 of its troops in Belarus to help with air, special forces, and missile components of the invasion.

With additional reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, and AFP
Bakary Sarr, High Court Assistant Bailiff, was given an ultimatum on the 14th June, 2022, by Justice Isatou Janneh-Njie of the High Court at Kanifing that if he fails to appear in court on the next adjourned date after it has been communicated to him, a bench warrant would be issued for his arrest.

He is charged with fraud and obtaining money by false pretence. He was absent when the case was called on the 14th June, 2022.

When the case was called, Inspector Badjie, who was holding brief for Commissioner A. Sanneh told the court that the accused was not present in court. He posited that the case has suffered many setbacks at the instance of the accused. He stated that the accused did not advance any reason for not appearing in court. He applied for a bench warrant to be issued for the accused arrest. He further adduced that this should be extended to his sureties if he cannot be traced.

But Justice Janneh-Njie asked Inspector Badjie whether the adjourned date (14th June, 2022,) was communicated to the accused. Inspector Badjie and the clerk of the court answered in the negative.

Justice Janneh-Njie then ordered that a hearing notice should be issued to the accused, and if he fails to appear in court on the next adjourned date, she would issue a bench warrant for the accused to be arrested.
In a move to promote electronic data management system and to adapt to the fast-changing dynamics in information storage, the Ministry of Health is currently on course to digitalizing the Logistics Management Information System also known as -eLMIS.

Funded by The Global Fund and the World Bank (WB) and partners, the project seeks to bring about greater efficiency and ensure quality data management in the country. The initiative comes at a time when countries are shifting from the old way of storing information, thereby adapting to a highly digitalised method, something the country can't afford to miss.

To this end, the Directorate of the National Pharmaceutical Services last Wednesday began a three-day sensitisation for their partners, stakeholders and senior cadre of the Ministry on how they intend to implement the project in the coming months.

Welcoming the gathering, Babanding Sabally, the director of the National Pharmaceutical Services, described the initiative as a milestone achievement in the history of the Ministry and the country at large.

He recalled that some years ago the country first introduced the computerised inventory management system at the Central Medical Store.

"We all celebrated it as a breakthrough. Along the line, we realised that it is not responding to our needs anymore. Therefore, it calls for a more elaborate system. For the past, we've been struggling as to what system to adapt so as to address our data quality issues in the country most especially the Logistics Management Information Data."

This move, he added, prompted them to come to the reality that they need to have an electronic version that would connect from end-to-end.

"We then came up with a proposal, sent it to our partners and thank God that our partners accepted it and are ready to fund it."

Sabally expressed optimism that the introduction of the project would greatly revolutionalise way of doing business at the Ministry.

"We have far out-cried for the lack of a system where we would visualize from Central Medical Store to the last mile in the country. We are so excited at the Ministry of Health."

Also speaking, Deborah Asante Luisier, Fund Portfolio manager for Global Fund, expressed optimism that the introduction of the project would help enhance data quality management system in the country.

"We look forward to being part of this since it is just at the beginning with our partners."

Dr. Samuel Mills, Health Task Team Leader, World Bank, thanked the staff at the Ministry for embarking on that transformative journey, saying that is just the beginning of other transformative innovations in ensuring that they have a robust supply chain management system.

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"From the World Bank side as you are aware, we supported several initiatives in the health sector. Since April 2020, the World Bank has allocated about US$135 million to initiatives in the health sector."

The WB official reminded that in addition to the eLMIS project, there are several electronic projects in the pipeline, making reference to the civil and electronic birth registration system among others.

"So today we look forward to your inputs in ensuring that we have a successful roll-out of an effective and efficient Electronic Logistics Management Information System."

Declaring the forum open, Momodou Lamin Jaiteh, permanent secretary at the Ministry on behalf of the minister, reminded that the Ministry is playing host to two high level partner missions in the country; a mission from Global Fund and World Bank, who are also in the country to assess the level of their partnership and implementation of their projects and programmes being funded by these two respective institutions.

"This particular workshop is one series of consultative engagement activities outlined for this mission period."

PS Jaiteh described the initiative as an important one in the Ministry's drive to bring about greater efficiency towards ensuring greater accountability and quality service delivery.

He recalled that from time immemorial, the Ministry has been maintaining its logistics information system partially manual, acknowledging that there has been some computerisation.

"But we now live in a world where technology drives efficiency and The Gambia cannot be left behind."
The participating countries included Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The relevance of this discussion is of great value as all of these thirteen economies combined are equivalent to 40% of GDP of the entire globe.

New economic platform

At the launch ceremony of the IPEF discussion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh spoke online and emphasized the need to adjust the growth and economic integration model towards a more sustainable, more self-reliant, more resilient development; to also strengthen internal forces combined with optimization of external forces; and to develop multilateralism and strengthen international solidarity on the basis of sincerity, trust, and responsibility. According to the Prime Minister, this event will kick-start and encourage countries to work together to actively exchange and hold serious discussions to jointly handle important regional and global issues.

However, the question many people are asking is an understanding of what actually IPEF is and what challenges and opportunities does Vietnam face as one of the thirteen members involved in the discussions to establish a new economic framework.

The IPEF, initiated by the current administration of US President Joe Biden, is seen as an important platform for the development, growth, and security of an Indo-Pacific Strategy. This framework will focus on four key pillars for establishing the highest standards of commitment by all the countries involved.

The first pillar in focus will be commerce activities, which will include digital economy. The second pillar will be the crucial supply chain. The third pillar will be cleaner energy, reducing of carbon emissions, and infrastructure to promote higher paying jobs. The fourth pillar will be taxation methods and anti-corruption policies.

The US has been conducting several consultations with regional countries since the end of 2021 and this was not an easy process, although it is the regional countries, especially ASEAN, that have long asked the US to add an economic pillar with more focus on security. This was especially emphasized after the US withdrew from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in early 2017 because of internal political issues.

At that time, the CPTPP was a trade agreement, so the negotiation and ratification process required approval at many levels, including the US Congress. Now if the executive branch wants to bring the US back to the CPTPP table, it will most likely face opposition from the Congress. While the IPEF is designed to be an executive body and placed under the authority of the President, the discussions and ratification processes will be more centralized.

In general, the four pillars of IPEF will offer reliability, sustainability, green and clean energy, and more focus on digitalization. All this is consistent with Vietnam's development plans for the future. Participating in this framework means that Vietnam is taking part at many levels of economic cooperation in the region and the world and complementing other partners in creating a driving force towards future development and growth, with a view towards sustainability and security.

Although IPEF is not yet a trade agreement like the CPTPP, it will open up new opportunities for countries to cooperate with the US, which is the world's leading economy. First of all, this platform will connect supply chains, new technology, green energy, and high-quality digital transformation. These are the strongest and most crucial economic sectors of the future.

In addition, the IPEF economic framework will show that the US prioritize engagement with the region, both economically and in terms of security. This will encourage the country corporations and the private sector to do more business and invest more in the region. Of course, the participating countries will also have to clarify, through the IPEF platform as to what the US will commit to opening its market.

Role of ASEAN

The IPEF platform involves seven countries in ASEAN, which means that the US wants to start this new economic framework with key countries in the Southeast Asian region. Compared to the CPTPP, the IPEF platform has a number of major economies involved such as India and South Korea. The countries participating in talks to establish this new economic platform will also share their own interests and will in all likelihood have different concerns.

Besides the opportunity offered by IPEF, there are also concerns about a domination of bigger players. For instance, China will likely perceive IPEF as a way for the US to gather more support of these countries in terms of economy, trade, and technology. Therefore, the appropriate behavior will be what ASEAN has applied, namely, to play with both sides, and take advantage of each side.

The launch ceremony to kick off discussions at the IPEF Economic Forum was a general consultation among countries who will enter into specific negotiations. This was an open initiative, which meant that other countries could be invited to join in later. This is very good for Vietnam to participate in the consultation process right from the very beginning, as it will contribute to shaping the rules of IPEF, taking advantage of appropriate and different initiatives, including the CPTPP and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) between ASEAN and China, South Korea, Japan, India, Australia, and New Zealand.

IPEF has both geo-economic and geo-strategic value, which countries need right now and can take advantage of. However, this is just the beginning, and it will take time to gain in momentum as an effective and valuable Economic Framework.

Pham Quang Vinh, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Former Ambassador of Vietnam to US
The general manager of Jah Oil Company Ltd., Mr. Momodou Hydara, on Tuesday appeared before Justice Haddy C. Roche to give testimony in the landmark trial at the High Court of The Gambia in Banjul.

The trial involves former Gam-Petroleum's general manager and former operations manager, Saikou Drammeh (1st accused) and Lamin Gassama (2nd accused) respectively, who are facing 3 charges of economic crimes and 5 other related charges.

Appearing before the court as the 9th Prosecution Witness (PW9) for the state, Mr. Hydara testified that his company imports and distributes petroleum products in the country, adding they source most of their products from various International Traders such as Addax, Trafigura and PSTV.

The witness narrated that when they contact the International Traders for products and agree on the price, it takes a month or less before they receive the products.

He further told the court that the highest amount of products Jah Oil ever ordered was 6, 000 metric tons.

Mr. Hydara adduced that Jah Oil and Gam Petroleum are partners and have been working over a long time.

At the time of the fuel shortage in The Gambia, the witness added, Jah Oil had 1, 800, 000 litres of diesel at the Gam Petroleum depot and 60,000 litres of petrol in the negative balance.

At this particular juncture, the witness made it clearly known that the issue of lifting fuel at Gam-Petroleum on a negative balance was a normal practice and has been the norm since the inception of Gam Petroleum.

Hydara further added that he was as well confused when he first knew about the issue of lifting in negative balance, but said that it was later explained to him that it is because of limited storage at Gam Petroleum.

Gam-Petroleum has limited storage capacity for OMCs, the witness explained, and that is why companies take products and replenish it when their products arrive.

"Gam Petroleum allows companies to uplift products and repay them when their products arrive in the country in order to keep business going," witness explained, adding that there is no OMC that has never been in the negative balance.

The Jah Oil boss told the Court that OMCs have to borrow so that they can keep business running, and then replenish the fuel when their products arrive.

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The state witness posited that business would have been untenable if big oil marketing companies like Jah Oil were allowed to fill up the tanks at the Depot and smaller companies won't have space and would be asked to wait until their products arrive, adding the absence of a negative balance will give advantage to some companies over others.

The witness said the OMCs are now currently borrowing directly from one another, and Jah Oil currently has lent some OMCs over 500, 000 litres.

He further adduced Jah Oil could not access their 1, 800,000 litres diesel at the time of the shortage but were subsequently refunded when the situation became stable at the Depot.

The Jah Oil boss explained that during the crisis, Jah Oil used to source their products from Senegal to salvage the fuel shortage in the country.

Mr. Hydara was asked by State Counsel Abdul A. Saho whether he was aware of the change in fuel prices at a period in the past, which he confirmed being aware of, acknowledging that it affected the OMCs.

State witness told the court that the price was not favourable to the OMCs.

The witness said the OMCs were displeased with the price structure and the new price structure came when the Government decided to tamper with certain parameters in the price structure.
Ousman Sowe, the director general of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) has stated that the country remains calm and peaceful, saying cyber bullying and hatred remain and issues especially within the cyberspace.

"The cyberspace will continue to be a challenge. We don't see it going tomorrow, but again we call for restraint and restriction. The cyberspace itself doesn't generate hate but it is what people put on it and it doesn't radicalise people, but it's the abuses and activities of abusers that generate these issues. Therefore, we call on restraint and restriction among Gambians," he said, on Wednesday at the SIS Training Academy for Security Studies at Banjulinding on Wednesday.

"We will continue to advise on restraint, national reconciliation and national harmony. We will continue to advice the national character of Gambia in almost all the undertaken we do," the country's spy chief said.

DG Sowe, who was speaking while outlining the activities undertaken by the service during the past five years, said: "The SIS is now among the most respected, credible and one of the most reformed institutions in the country.

"We will continue to reform, reposition and recast the service. Our aspirations are to make the service one of the best within the sub-region and the world at large."

Cyber threats, Sowe went on, are evolving, hence the SIS would continue to build the capacity of its staff on all aspects so that they would continue to provide the much needed security for Gambians people. "In the next five years, we will have a SIS with a lot of cyber capacity."

"With the current trajectory, the SIS will be the premiere intelligence service for this country. We want the Gambian people to see the SIS as an SIS of the Gambian people. There might be no imminent threats in the country, but obviously regional and global situation like the terrorism in the Sahel is a matter that we should pay attention to as a country," he posited"

"We will continue to reform the SIS for it to be a better service, more professional. We want the SIS to be a service for the Gambian people with a well-trained and motivated and for it to be a service that is focused and with respect for human rights. We want it to be a service that's loyal and a service that has courage."
The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) recently trained 50 of its staff on diplomatic etiquettes such as protocols and document security at a ceremony held at Gambia Immigration Department Training School in Tanji.

Out of the total figure, 20 were senior officers, while the remaining 30 junior officers were trained on document security.

The weeklong training was aimed at preparing the participants with the requisite knowledge and skills to deliver quality service in their respective units.

Speaking at ceremony, Ebrahim Ousman Ndure, head of Diplomatic Etiquette and Protocol Consulting, reminded that the participants that were trained followed due procedures and are now expected to deliver in accordance with their set of rules.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Seedy M. Touray, director General of The Gambia Immigration Department expressed appreciation to the participants for having undergone the rigorous training.

He spoke highly of the feedback he got from the instructors during the review of the training, something that is indicative that the course was not only interesting, educative, but also interactive.

GID DG thus advised the trainees to share the knowledge acquired with colleagues, acknowledging that not every personnel of the department would be opportune to undergo such trainings.

DG Touray challenged his men who would be serving as liaison officers in various embassies to remain steadfast, saying the training would help greatly in cementing the bilateral ties with other countries.
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A tour bus carrying dozens of Albany teens on an educational trip in France crashed into a truck on a highway in the south of the country Friday, trapping and seriously injuring a teacher, throwing students from their seats and spewing shards of glass about the bus. Thirteen students also suffered injuries from cuts to broken bones, according to authorities.

The bus was carrying 37 people, mostly high school students, on the sixth day of a 10-day annual tour organized by an Albany Middle School French teacher, who reportedly suffered serious injuries.

The teachers condition improved Saturday, said Brandon Mercer, whose daughters are on the trip and who received communication from tour operator EF Education Tours. The teacher, Linda Kaiser, was one of the tour leaders and has organized the tours for years, Mercer said.

EF Tours says she is doing well, but has some recovery ahead of her, he said. She contacted the chaperones and wished the kids well today.

A spokesperson with EF Education Tours confirmed the crash Friday and said it had sent a crew of five to help communicate with families and offer counseling to students who had been on the bus.

We are shocked and saddened by what has happened, Adam Bickelman said. Our thoughts are with those who were injured, and we are doing everything we can to support everyone involved during this difficult time.

According to LIndependant, a French newspaper, the crash occurred on the A-9 highway near the Vinassan rest area outside of Narbonne in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, when the bus collided with a heavy cargo truck, similar to an American big rig.

Albany Unified School District Superintendent Frank Wells said the tour was not officially associated with the district but that he had been in touch with chaperons who told him that in addition to the injured teacher, 13 students suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Kaiser had to be cut from the wreckage of the bus, which had its front end crushed, and was taken by helicopter to a hospital, he said.

My stomachs been tied up in knots all day as he tried to gather information about the collision, Wells said.

Parents told The Chronicle that they were informed by chaperons that students were taken to three hospitals for treatment of their injuries and that some of the uninjured students who reported head pain were taken to a hospital for observation to make sure they did not suffer concussions.

Most of the students on the trip were recent middle school graduates about to start their freshman year at Albany High School. While the annual trip is organized by French teachers, it is a community event not connected with the school. But some older students, who missed out on the tour because of the pandemic, were also in attendance.

The older students helped translate between injured students and medical personnel at the crash scene, Sydney Mercer, 16, who will be a junior at Albany High School, told The Chronicle by text message.

She said the bus was headed from Carcasonne to Provence when the crash occurred and that it was unclear what happened. The bus had seat belts, she said, but most students werent wearing them and were thrown from their seats from the impact. Then, just after being advised to stay on the bus and not grab their belongings, the front of the bus fell off, and they were ordered off the bus.

Students helped each other, using bandages and tissues from first aid kits to treat cuts and bruising, she said. Those who werent injured helped make sure students being taken in ambulances werent separated from their backpacks.

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.

While most of the injuries were relatively minor, she said, it was more traumatic than just bruising and cuts. People will be dealing with the emotional impact for a while.

Wells said hes gathering the names of the chaperons and students on the trip and promised the districts help.

Although it was a community based trip, we are here to support and assist our students, parents and teachers as needed as they recover from this, he said.

Sydney Mercer said she was impressed with the response from French emergency officials but also her fellow students.

I am very proud of how everyone acted as they all comforted and helped one another throughout the entire experience, she said.

The students, accompanied by adults, have been taken hotels. Bickelman said the group will decide whether to continue the trip or end it prematurely.

Michael Cabanatuan (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
Courtesy of Eric Kingsbury

Several pedestrians and transit riders were injured Saturday in a multi-vehicle crash involving a Muni bus in San Francisco, with six people transported to local hospitals.

Emergency crews responded to reports of a vehicle collision with a bus just after 11 a.m. at Lombard and Fillmore streets, said San Francisco Police Officer Robert Rueca.
Three travelers were attacked by a man with an edged weapon at San Francisco International Airport on Friday evening, authorities said.

San Francisco police said a man drove a vehicle into the airport, entered the International Terminal, walked around the departure terminal and pulled out an edged weapon before attacking three men at about 6 p.m., San Francisco police said.

The travelers were in the pre-security area of the International Terminal when they were attacked , said airport duty manager Russell Mackey.

Airport spokesperson Doug Yakel said the suspect attempted to cause injury to several passing travelers. Police said officers responded to the scene and arrested the suspect without further incident.

The three victims were medically treated at the scene and released with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

They were treated for minor scrapes and released, Mackey said, adding that they continued to their travels.

The suspect was taken into custody. The mans name, age and city of residence  as well as his pending charges  were not being released amid the ongoing investigation, police said.

Mackey said information about the type of weapon that was used was immediately unavailable.

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.

It was unclear if the suspect was a traveler, Mackey said. The motive was unknown, Mackey said.

Yakel said that the attack did not impact airport operations.

Anyone with information about this incident may contact San Francisco police at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and start the message with SFPD.

Lauren Hernandez (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez
Coronavirus cases are continuing to level off or decline across the Bay Area as the spring surge appears to be winding down, though health officials note that the amount of virus in the community is still astonishingly high and the arrival of new variants could prolong the current wave well into summer.

The Bay Area reported a seven-day average of just under 3,000 coronavirus cases a day as of Thursday, according to the most recent state data. Thats down about 30% from the start of the month and the first time the daily average has dropped below 3,000 since mid-May.

Statewide the picture is a little murkier, with cases swinging up and down every few days over the past three weeks. As of Thursday, the state was reporting about 13,500 cases a day on average, down about 8% from the start of the month.

But cases are significantly underreported due to so many people now testing at home  results of which are not usually recorded with the state or counties  or not testing at all. Bay Area health officials believe the peak of this surge approached the height of the omicron-fueled winter surge, which was the largest wave of the pandemic yet.

The good news is we do see some signs of leveling off or even decline. But its still high, said Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County health officer, in a news briefing Friday. Put your mask on when youre indoors.

Seven of the nine Bay Area counties  all except San Francisco and San Mateo  remain in the high community level of COVID as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which takes into account local case rates and hospital capacity.

At that level, health care systems may be under stress due to high patient loads, and all residents are advised to wear masks in indoor public spaces. In the Bay Area, only Alameda County currently requires masking in most indoor places.

On Thursday, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Bay Area fell from the previous Thursday  the first week-over-week drop in nearly two months. But aside from that decline, COVID hospitalizations were still rising over the past week, though at a slower pace compared to earlier this month and last.

COVID deaths have ticked up slightly over the past week, though they remain very low. The Bay Area currently is reporting five or six deaths a day, up from two to four deaths a day recorded for most of the past two months.

Unlike the omicron surge that quickly spiked to previously unimaginable case counts and then plunged to relatively low levels, this wave may take many weeks longer to taper off, health experts said. Thats due in large part to new variants  specifically, the omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which together now make up roughly 20% of cases  taking hold in the region and potentially slowing the downward trend in cases or even causing a new upswing.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

This is one surge that I would describe as having a long tail: It doesnt go down sharply all of a sudden, its kind of lingering with us, said Stephen Shortell, former dean of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. I dont anticipate any sharp upsurges in the next few months. On the other hand, it may not go totally down as much as it has in the past.

Human behavior may also prolong this surge, said Dr. John Swartzberg, a UC Berkeley infectious disease expert. He noted that people dont appear to be using masks as much during this surge as they did in previous waves, and many havent altered their behavior in other ways, such as by skipping indoor activities and avoiding large crowds.

Theres some cognitive dissonance in that theres an awful lot of COVID going around and people are acting like theres not, Swartzberg said.

Still, he said hes feeling generally more hopeful compared to any other time in the pandemic. I refuse to allow myself to be optimistic about what this virus is going to do, he said, noting the likelihood of future variants stirring up more trouble in the fall and winter. But Im more optimistic now about what we can do against it.

Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @erinallday
After a journey of struggle and hardship, an asylum seeker whose first job in South Africa was being a car guard is now pursuing his PhD at the University of Pretoria.

Tshinangi Fabrice Kapya knew his father would be proud of him if he were still alive. But what really ate at him was knowing that his mother, who still lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), did not know for months that he had earned his master's degree and was pursuing a PhD.

Kapya, 31, finally managed to send her some money by way of his brother, who lives 120km from their mother in the DRC. Now she could buy a phone so that he could contact her and let her know the news. "She was happy for me. [She] told me to keep doing the right thing. She's proud and gave me her blessings and hoped that I succeed in everything I planned on doing," Kapya says. "I want to honour her with this degree. I'm doing it for her."

Kapya did not have an easy path to becoming an assistant lecturer and PhD candidate at the University of Pretoria (UP). He made his way to South Africa as an asylum seeker after being forced to flee his home in the southeastern DRC province then known as Katanga because of security reasons.

Sitting in his office in the engineering building at the university with equations written on a white board next to his desk, it is difficult to imagine Kapya, a tall man with a deep voice, working as a car guard just a few years ago. When he was dropped off at the Desmond Tutu Refugee Reception Office in Marabastad in 2018, he didn't really know where he was going to live or what he was going to do. But he did know that he wanted to make his father proud and continue with his education.

However, not knowing anyone in South Africa, it was a difficult start for him. Kapya met a man who worked as a car guard at the Wonderpark shopping centre in Akasia in Pretoria North. He earned about R2 000 a month when he was lucky and, after covering his rent and other expenses, was left with less than R1 000.

"To be quite honest, at first I didn't care because all I wanted was to live. To have a life, to have a chance of breathing. But as time went by I started developing this feeling of 'I had a life, I was an engineer, I was working for a promotion and all of a sudden I left everything for the unknown'.

"There I was ... I found myself standing in a parking area in the sun, in the rain and in the cold. It starts taking its toll on you," Kapya says. "At first I didn't care, but then I started to hurt because you look at your life and what you have now. It felt like a downfall. I was depressed, I lost weight, I wasn't doing well."

A turning point

Months went by with Kapya just focusing on surviving. Then late in 2018 a friend encouraged him to apply at UP and further his studies. He had a background in chemical engineering but was asked to apply for an alternative honours degree as well - and that was the programme he entered.

"I only know chemical engineering. I never knew about industrial systems. So I ticked the box and I was just like okay, I am just going to go for it. And then I got admitted for industrial systems instead of chemical engineering.

"As a car guard, being admitted at UP, you don't wait for them to process your chemical engineering application. You take the one that is on the table. I thought to myself I didn't have time so let me just take this one. It was an honours degree in a field I had no clue about," he laughs. He passed with flying colours, though, and went on to enrol for his master's degree in the same field.

Kapya's story illustrates the resilience so many asylum seekers and refugees have to summon in order to survive - from making the difficult decision of leaving their homes behind and travelling to foreign and unknown places to starting over once they get there.

Because of his own experiences, Kapya says, he doesn't just want to complete a PhD because he can and it will help his career. "I also want to contribute something valuable to society. I'm not just doing it because I am passionate about what I'm doing, about science. I'm doing this firstly because I know it is going to serve a purpose and once I'm done with this, maybe I'll have that skill that this country needs."

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It wouldn't have been possible for him to get this far without the help of his supervisors, friends and the university community, he says. "It takes a whole village to raise a kid. So for me it took the whole community to do my masters, and that is why I want to do everything I can to help other people. It is all about the community and the people you surround yourself with."

Kapya has been in touch with a number of people whom he plans to work with to improve the lives of children and those struggling. "It costs nothing to be a decent human being. So if people helped me, why can't I help other people back? Some people were touched by my story and they contacted me about how they can help," he says. "You can't do anything by yourself. It is impossible."
Update: If you still havent gotten COVID after the latest surge, what are the odds you never will?

After avoiding movie theaters, restaurants and gyms for more than two years, Helen Ho decided to take her first big risk since the start of the pandemic to attend her graduation.

In late May, Ho, 32, flew to Cambridge, Mass., to collect her Ph.D. in public policy from Harvard University. A few days after returning home to the Bay Area, she tested positive for COVID-19. At first, the Ivy League-educated researcher found herself at a loss for what to do.

The protocols on how to respond after you test positive are extremely confusing, Ho said.

But a few days later, after talking to an advice nurse, she found herself in the scrubby courtyard of a defunct senior center in West Berkeley that had been transformed into one of Californias new test-to-treat sites.

The senior center is one of 138 free COVID testing locations that the state has expanded into one-stop treatment sites to improve the accessibility of antiviral medication. The states initiative is modeled after the Biden administrations test-to-treat program, announced in March, which aims to provide high-risk patients who test positive with instant access to antiviral medications. To do so, California is contracting with OptumServe, a Minnesota-based managed-care company, to spend $18.2 million a year on the effort.

One month into the initiative at sites from Eureka to San Diego, state health workers are slow to get Pfizers Paxlovid and Mercks molnupiravir into the hands of patients, who must take them in the first few days of symptoms to avoid serious illness. Officials say fewer than 800 people statewide have received prescriptions at OptumServe sites, despite new COVID infections reaching an average of nearly 14,000 a day in early June in California.

And though the initiative aims to serve the uninsured, about two-thirds of those undergoing screenings already have insurance. For those with health coverage, OptumServe bills the insurer and then reimburses the state.

Dr. Tomas Aragon, the state public health officer, said the goal of the test-to-treat campaign is to ensure high-risk patients have access to treatments that can keep them out of the hospital.

The state says its priority is to make the pills accessible to millions of older, chronically ill, and disabled Americans, especially the poor and uninsured  even if few people have heard about the drugs.

Liliya Sekreta, head nurse at the West Berkeley OptumServe site, has seen demand for testing and treatment ebb and flow. During the winters COVID surges linked to the omicron and delta variants, the line for tests extended around the corner of the senior center.

We had the National Guard here and extra staff on duty to make sure people didnt get angry or antsy, Sekreta recalled. At the time, rapid tests were not widely available.

These days, the site is run by a skeleton staff of two young nurses, a couple of medical assistants, and a burly Spanish-language translator. Located a few blocks from University Avenue, Berkeleys main drag, its in a formerly working-class neighborhood of stucco bungalows.

On a foggy morning in early June, medical assistants stayed glued to their phones between patients, who trickled in for COVID tests at a rate of one every five minutes.

Ho was one of them. She is among millions of Californians at risk of getting seriously ill from the virus  in her case, because she takes immunosuppressive drugs for chronic arthritis. Ho has health insurance, but a nurse who answered the advice number at the bottom of the text message notifying her of a positive COVID test result suggested it might be easier to return to the OptumServe site in West Berkeley where shed gotten her test to find out whether she was eligible for antivirals.

Though she felt fine, Ho knew it was important to get treatment early. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Paxlovid and molnupiravir are nearly 90% effective at reducing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID if taken during the first five days of symptoms.

The FDA authorized the pills in December for emergency use, but supplies were initially scarce. By April, production had increased but, by that time, few physicians seemed to be prescribing the medicine, with pharmacists nationwide reporting stacks of unused antivirals on their shelves.

I had read the reports about people who should be taking these meds, Ho said. But they just didnt know about them.

She also worried about infecting her elderly mother, with whom she lives along with her husband and 14-month-old son in Albany.

Ho sat at a folding table across from a nurse draped in yellow plastic and answered questions to determine her eligibility for the pills. Afterward, Ho talked via iPad with a doctor who concluded Ho would be eligible for a prescription if she showed symptoms. Those who qualify can go home with the medicines without having to make a trip to the pharmacy.

I was glad to have somewhere to go that was accessible, said Ho.

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Screenings for treatment can take up to an hour and a half. Workers must make sure the patient isnt taking a drug that can interact with the antivirals, including cholesterol-lowering medications and some birth control pills. Sekreta, the head nurse, said patients who may qualify include those 65 and older, people with chronic diseases, and those who are obese or unvaccinated. People shouldnt take the pills if they are too sick, or if theyre not sick at all.

Such in-person screenings have made the test-to-treat model confusing and inefficient, said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an epidemiologist at the University of California-San Francisco.

It should be easy  if the doctor says yes  to get these pills by telehealth, she said.

So far, staffers say, demand for medicine has been low enough that no one in need has had to wait long.

When Mary White, an art teacher and Berkeley resident of 53 years, came down with cold symptoms in late May, she rode to the West Berkeley center for a PCR test, where shes gone for tests since the first months of the shutdown. White has health insurance but said she finds this more convenient than the hassle of trying to schedule an appointment that might be days away at a Kaiser Permanente facility in neighboring Oakland.

For the first time, her test came back positive.

I was just like, Oh no! What can I do? Ive got to do something! said White, 74.

She returned to the center and underwent antiviral screening. After meeting remotely with a doctor in Chicago, she left with a full five-day course of Paxlovid, which she took for just two days before stopping because the drugs made her feel nauseated.

Back for a follow-up test a few days later, White reported feeling much better following the age-old remedy of rest and fluids. She added that with no end to the pandemic in sight she was grateful for a community facility where locals could simply walk in and talk to a health worker.

For people like me, she said, thats very comforting.

Rachel Scheier writes for Kaiser Health News, a national newsroom that provides in-depth coverage of health issues under the auspices of the Kaiser Family Foundation. Twitter: @rachelscheier
For months leading up to the recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin, national and local media focused on San Franciscos Asian American community as one of the driving forces behind the campaign. And, yes, in the end, surveys show a majority of the citys Asian American voters did favor his recall.

But is Asian American support for Proposition H a bellwether, as some pundits state, that Californias Asian American community is right-leaning and that our community supports a tough on crime approach to law enforcement?

Not even close.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, Asian American voters are the most liberal voting bloc of all racial groups in the state. In a 2021 paper, political scientist Janelle Wong and the Pew Research Centers Sono Shah wrote that Asian Americans are largely united around progressive solutions like taxing the wealthy, climate change mitigation and government-sponsored health care. On the vast majority of issues, they wrote, Political differences within the Asian American community are between those who are progressive and those who are even more so.

The same progressive outlook holds true on criminal justice as well. A survey conducted in advance of the 2020 elections by the California nonprofit Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Civic Empowerment Education Fund found that more than two-thirds of Chinese American voters living in the states suburbs (including San Franciscos Sunset and Richmond Districts) supported policing reforms, including increasing officer accountability and de-escalation training. Even with the increase in anti-Asian violence, a plurality of 46% still supported redirecting some police funds toward community programs and anti-poverty initiatives.

So what explains the disconnect between what we hear voters support and recent election results?

For starters, a well-funded and tech-savvy social media and media campaign. The pro-recall movement was backed by a $7 million campaign raised by corporate interests, real estate groups and billionaires to spread lies and disinformation, which in part, targeted Chinese American voters, who make up the overwhelming majority of the Asian American community in San Francisco. Pro-recall organizers knew there was very real anger and fear within the Asian American community, due to the rise in anti-Asian violence, and leveraged that discontent in their messaging to support the recall. For example, recall proponents used Chinese social media platforms like WeChat to spread misinformation that pinned Boudin as the source of all of San Franciscos woes.

To overcome a well-funded, fear-mongering campaign that targeted Asian American voters, anti-recall organizers understood that they couldnt just blast out corrective information. Instead, they leaned into the complex and earnest debates taking place within Asian American communities about the causes of and solutions to anti-Asian racism, violence and safety concerns. Grassroots organizations led extensive door-to-door outreach and phone banking to deepen conversations with Asian Americans about solutions for public safety, police reform and the role of elected officials.

As campaign volunteers in the anti-recall effort and members of California Working Families Party, we knocked on doors of undecided voters in Chinatown and listened to what those voters had to say. The working-class, immigrant Chinese seniors and parents we talked to understood that recalling Boudin wouldnt make them safer or decrease crime. Some voters even said it was unfair to pin long-standing city challenges on Boudin. However, we also found that those who supported the recall were doing so as a way to express their frustration and to send a message that change is needed.

It takes time and investment to undo the damage of a misinformation campaign and address the frustration and harm deeply felt in the Chinese American community  something anti-recall organizers ultimately did not have enough of. At the doors and in voter surveys, we repeatedly heard voters express support for progressive criminal justice reforms and police accountability. However, a short-term electoral campaign could not meaningfully push back on an avalanche of misinformation that said the cause of anti-Asian violence and property crime was lack of leadership at the District Attorneys Office.

The Asian American community can be a progressive political force at the polls. However, political leaders, parties and organizations must make some serious long-term and sustained investments in our communities  not just when they need our votes. This includes violence prevention, expanding victim services and building cross-racial solidarity. Asian Americans are not a monolith, and elected officials and candidates would do well to understand the nuanced and varying opinions of our communities, especially when it comes to charged issues like policing and crime.

Despite Boudins advances in victims services and staffing to support Asian American communities, many immigrant voters continued to feel understandably invisible in the face of violence and inequality. Voters we talked to in fact do want real solutions, which we found was an important thread connecting both opponents and supporters of the recall.

Asian Americans are ready to be politically engaged across a range of progressive issues. Its time for everyone else to understand this, too.

Timmy Lu is the founder of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Civic Empowerment. Jane Kim is the state director of the California Working Families Party.
In winter 1967, a young Democratic state representative named Richard Lamm introduced an abortion liberalization bill in Colorados House of Representatives. The bill passed quickly and moved on to the Senate, where it would be sponsored by a Republican, John Bermingham. The bill passed 20-13. Colorado became the first state to make abortion legal.

Bermingham was my maternal grandfather. I grew up six houses away from his red-brick duplex in Denvers Cheesman Park neighborhood, and more than my parents, it was Grandfather who shaped my political sensibilities.

When I was a child, he took me to Wyoming to see the real West and would tell me about fracking and global warming. For the privilege of living in the West, we had to work tirelessly to protect its natural beauty.

That had been his trajectory: In 1973, he resigned from the state Legislature to become assistant to the governor for environmental affairs. In 1975, when Lamm became governor, he appointed Grandfather as land use commissioner.

For years, I could not make sense of the fact that, though the through-line of his career was land use and environmentalism, the aspect of his career that has received the most attention over time was the liberalization of the states abortion laws. It didnt seem to make sense in the context of the rest of his work.

What I eventually understood is that Grandfather supported abortion because, in the politics of his era, abortion became an environmental issue. In the 1960s, neo-Malthusian fears of population growth, poverty, famine and communism spurred a politics of family planning. But in the postwar West, the visibility of environmental change made global population growth seem especially close at hand. Legislators like Lamm and Grandfather channeled their fears about overcrowding into support for family planning and the legalization of abortion, the need for which was being expressed by the more pro-woman, pro-bodily-sovereignty factions led by doctors, mothers, clergy and others.

In his book The Malthusian Moment, historian Thomas Robertson argues that the origins of the U.S. environmental movement lie not in Rachel Carsons Silent Spring, but in a revival and reinvention of the ideas of Thomas Malthus. In 1798, Malthus, an English economist, published An Essay on the Principle of Population, a treatise whose argument is based on two postulata: first, that food is necessary to the existence of man and that the passion between the sexes is necessary and will remain nearly in its present state. The second postulatum suggested that population would always grow exponentially, while the first argued that hunger would keep that growth in check by sending the desperate redundant population into misery and vice.

Malthus arguments werent based in data: Demography didnt exist in the 18th century. Instead, his theorizing was a response to the poor having become more visible. His texts publication coincided with a wave of urbanization and slum creation that resulted from industrialization and enclosure, a practice that denied peasants access to common pastures and forests for hunting. Malthus took a problem of land distribution and reimagined it as a rule of biology.

After World Wars I and II, conservation biologists mixed Malthus theories with the then-new concept of carrying capacity, which refers to the quantity of things that can be held in a given container. Range science historian Nathan Sayre wrote in a 2008 article that the concept arose in the mid-19th century as a way of describing cargo ship capacity. In the 1880s, range and wildlife managers began using it to indicate the number of a given species that could be supported by a given environment after observing elk die-offs on isolated plateaus. Then, in the 1940s, they suddenly began using the term to describe the limits of global human population  with little or no empirical support, Sayre wrote.

In 2016, I emailed Sayres article to Grandfather. He replied that he didnt need to read it: Ive known about carrying capacity ever since learning when I was still a small boy on our familys ranch in Wyoming in the late 20s and 30s that it referred to the number of cattle that could be sustained on the tract of high mountain Forest Service land that we leased each summer without over-grazing it. And as though the conceptual leap were perfectly straightforward, he attached a graph from the 1972 book Limits to Growth labeled Overshoot and Collapse, depicting human population growth surpassing Earths carrying capacity, collapsing due to depleted resources and eventually stabilizing at a lower level.

Carrying capacity  a concept from the Western range  soon became an axiom in national politics. During the Cold War, fears that the modern-day poor would become communists brought population control into the political mainstream. From 1965 to 1968, the U.S. Senate held hearings on the supposed crisis. According to Robertson, federal funding for family planning programs in the developing world increased from $2.1 million to $131.7 million and for domestic programs from $8.6 million to $56.3 million.

Simultaneously, postwar federal policies were facilitating suburban construction on an unprecedented scale. In the American West, these changes were especially visible, because of the openness of the regions landscapes and because federal investment in the region meant that it saw disproportionate growth: Denvers population doubled from 1950 to 1970. Lands where elk had roamed were fast being bulldozed for subdivisions, threatening what Westerners cherished most about their region.

The regions population growth politics were accordingly pronounced. After the swift passage of the abortion bill, Lamm introduced a bill in the state House in 1971 that would pay mothers receiving welfare an extra $50 for every three months that they did not get pregnant after having their first two children. While this was not strictly coercive, Jennifer Holland writes in her history of the Western anti-abortion movement, the bill was terribly concerned with limiting certain undesirable or burdensome groups from reproducing.

Historian Gillian Frank emphasized to me in a phone call that zero population growth groups and environmental groups were uneasy allies in the abortion rights movement, playing second fiddle to those with a true abortion rights perspective. But in Colorado, these environmental politics of abortion were the vanguard.

In Grandfathers case, after participating in the abortion legislation, he changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. And even if he wouldnt speak directly about how his thinking had changed, he actively supported the work of abortion access organizations for the rest of his life, even though their missions had little to do with population and everything to do with health and bodily autonomy.

I think this is what this history can teach us today: that it is possible, and perhaps even necessary, for each of us to listen to the people an issue affects most and to confront the deficiencies of our own politics. Coalitional work inspires not only political change, but also change within its participants.

Caroline Tracey is an editor at large at Zocalo Public Square, for whom she wrote this piece.
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Mary Jung was ready for a nail-biter.

As chair of the recall campaign against San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, she spent the past 14 months helping to flood the city with attacks on his record and mobilizing volunteers to canvass the streets.

As election day arrived on June 7, Jung braced for what she feared could be a close contest and days of vote counting. But less than an hour after polls closed, it was clear Boudin was defeated. Initial returns showed more than 60% of voters supported the recall, which dropped to 55% with most ballots counted.

San Francisco can now move forward with new leadership that will chart a better and safer path for our city, Jung said at a party in Del Mar bar. She wore a Yes on H sticker, the recalls proposition letter, and another with an illustrated portrait of 84-year-old Thai grandfather Vicha Ratanapakdee. He was killed in January 2021, one of many attacks on Asian Americans, fueling Jungs decision to start a recall.

Asians have stood up and said were not taking it anymore, Jung said in an interview.

The high-profile triumph for Jung capped 50 years of campaign experience. The debate over public safety and progressive criminal justice reform resonated far beyond San Francisco, and Jungs organizing put her at the apex of her influence in local politics.

Jung, 67, threw herself into the recall with the same energy that associates say has animated her across three decades in San Francisco politics. An activist with roots in womens labor and the anti-Vietnam War movements and a Chinese American woman with no college degree, Jung has become one of the most powerful Democrats in the city and chaired the local San Francisco party for four years.

But it could be the twilight of her career. Jung has been considering retirement since before the pandemic and becoming a grandmother last year. She wants to be remembered in a simple way: I did something meaningful to help others, Jung said.

Jungs victories and nine-year career as government affairs and community relations director at the San Francisco Association of Realtors have made her the nemesis of the citys progressive faction. San Francisco Democrats agree on virtually all hot-button national issues like supporting abortion, LGBTQ rights, undocumented immigrants and gun control. But moderates like Jung and progressives are often at war over corporate regulation and taxation and whether to restrict market-rate housing and other development. In the Boudin recall, public safety became another battleground.

For Jung, growth is good. You cant have social services without a healthy tax base, she said, adding that she supports more housing at all income levels.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Her progressive rivals say she is a corporate Democrat who represents big business and the wealthy  who donated most of the Boudin recalls $7.2 million  at the expense of the poor.

What I have seen over the years is this transformation into this corporate vessel who is basically looking out for the interests of developers, real estate and corporate interests, said David Campos, who was Boudins chief of staff and lost an Assembly race this year amid attacks from the California Association of Realtors. Mary has never been for anything that goes after the financial interests of big money.

Jung said her enemies dont know who she truly is. To understand her, you have to start at the beginning.

Jung wasnt born into politics.

Her mother was a Chinese immigrant who grew up near the southern city of Taishan and came to the U.S. through the 1945 War Brides Act after an arranged marriage to her father, a soldier stationed in China.

The family had a flower farm at a time when Silicon Valley was known for its produce rather than its tech exports. Jung, born in 1954 around Palo Alto, remembers her mother cooking three meals a day, raising her children, sewing clothing and working the fields.

When Jung was 6, her parents divorced and her mother remarried and relocated the family to Cleveland  where the citys Chinatown was only a quarter of a block, with two restaurants and two stores.

As one of only a few Asian American students in a high school class of around 600, Jung would hear slurs like ching chong and watched classmates press their fingers to slant their eyes in her presence.

Initially, Jung thought she was unlovable and not understanding social cues. It wasnt until she was 23 that she read a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report on anti-Asian discrimination. Oh, some people are just racist, she realized. Before, it didnt occur to me. I didnt understand the word racism or the word discrimination. I just knew I was hurt.

After graduating, Jung took a bus to register for local college classes and arrived at a stop next to the Cleveland campaign office of George McGoverns 1972 presidential campaign. She started talking to staff and was energized by McGoverns opposition to the Vietnam War and advocacy for universal health care.

This is just so much more interesting than what Im about to do, Jung recalls thinking. She never went to college and became a full-time volunteer at age 18.

McGovern lost to Richard Nixon in a landslide, but Jung was hooked and kept volunteering on local campaigns. Her mom, not thrilled about her daughters decision to skip college, encouraged Jung to instead become a secretary, get married and have kids. Jung started with the first  doing clerical work at a management consultant firm, in an era when women were expected to get coffee and pick up dry cleaning for their male bosses.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

That workplace inequality sparked another path of activism as Jung joined Cleveland Women Working, a labor group that fought for better pay and benefits.

I could see a world where women were treated for the merit of their work, Jung said.

Jung has lived in the same three-bedroom house in Balboa Terrace since 1988, after marrying her husband, who moved them to San Francisco for his new job. The marriage didnt work out, and Jung had to look for a new career.

She ended up returning to her activism roots after meeting Caryl Ito, who would serve on multiple city commissions. Ito encouraged Jung to work in field organizing on the 1995 mayoral campaign of then-State Assembly Speaker Willie Brown.

Ive seen her just flourish, doing the hard work in the campaign, without a lot of accolades, Ito said of Jung.

Even in liberal San Francisco, Jung experienced racism while campaigning, with people calling her gook girl. During Browns re-election campaign in 1999, rival campaign supporters would yell, go back to where you came from, a nativist insult that confused Jung, who was born in America.

After Browns win, Jung worked for the city as an office manager, followed by six years at PG&E on government energy efficiency programs, until she lost her job due to budget cuts. She was approached by the new CEO of the San Francisco Association of Realtors, a key power center for the citys moderate Democrats. Working on the social issue of housing was appealing to her and she joined in 2013.

But almost immediately, a brutal housing crisis ushered in a new front for political warfare.

As soaring rents and massive tech job growth led to evictions and displacement, realtors and landlords became the citys villains. With each new eviction, a narrative formed, despite Jung trying to find new homes for some displaced tenants: Mary Jung is trying to throw them onto the street, as she describes it.

Imagine my surprise that I was now considered the devil, Jung said.

Amid the hyper-partisan nature of San Francisco politics, all nuance bled away, said Jay Cheng, her deputy at the Realtors.

Cheng believes Jungs reputation as a moderate boogeywoman distorts her. Its not about ideology, Cheng said.

What motivates Jung, he said, is real world impact.

An example is Jungs Welcome Home Project, which she started through the Realtors Foundation in 2015. Donors including Google, Facebook, Airbnb and the Golden State Warriors help pay for bedding, kitchenware and small appliances for formerly homeless people moving into affordable housing.

Jung does the shopping herself and is thrilled to find deals at Kohls to buy as many furnishings as possible.

Still, Supervisor Aaron Peskin noticed a shift after Jung and current CEO Walt Baczkowski joined the Realtors in 2013. Unlike previous leadership, Peskin cant recall her coming to engage with him.

Realtors are not there to work stuff out, said Peskin, calling their approach under Jung inflexible and doctrinaire.

Jung said that many of the housing bills at the board dont directly deal with residential sales, so they fell outside her lobbying territory. But the Realtors would act to oppose ballot measures, such as 2015s moratorium on new market-rate housing in the Mission, which it helped defeat. At the state level, Realtors have killed proposed changes to the controversial Ellis Act, which allows landlords to evict tenants if they exit the rental business.

There is no negotiation once its set for the ballot, Jung said. I am not shy about my pro-housing views and its unfortunate that many proposals and decisions by Peskin and the Board of Supervisors seek to stop new housing or make it so expensive that its impossible to build. Many of our problems in this city stem from this stalemate on housing.

Though adept at promoting others on the campaign trail  she secured San Francisco campaign offices for presidential candidates Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton  Jung was a reluctant candidate herself.

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Deep down, she is shy, said her longtime friend Ito. People have asked Jung to run for District 7 supervisor in the past, but it didnt appeal to her. Ito said Jung would rather not be out in public and all over media, but shes learned in order to enhance her effectiveness.

In 2000, the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee had a vacancy and Jung was offered an appointment. The partys governing body decides crucial endorsements for local elections and registers new voters.

It took a friend to convince her to take the seat, which would place her name on the ballot for the first time in the next election. She won, and would win for the next 20 years.

One of Jungs consistent advantages in politics is money. The Boudin recall and its alliess war chest of $7.2 million was one of the largest sums ever for a city ballot measure and dwarfing Boudin supporters $3.3 million.

Two thirds of the recalls money, a total of $4.8 million, came from the Neighbors for a Better San Francisco Political Action Committee, an opaque group with no contribution limits that Jung has direct ties to. The same PAC also gave $483,800 to Februarys successful school board recall, a quarter of that recalls $1.9 million war chest.

In a 2020 Medium post, Jung wrote that she was the volunteer director of the Neighbors PAC, and she told The Chronicle that she only led the group during the 2020 fall campaign cycle. She said she couldnt remember who created the PAC and described it as long-time San Francisco residents who are concerned about the direction of our city. Donors include Democrats such as Brandon Shorenstein, head of landlord Shorenstein Realty, the recalls biggest contributor.

In a March 2021 filing, the PACs principal officer was listed as Jungs deputy government affairs director at the Realtors, Cheng, who didnt respond to a request for comment about his relationship with the PAC. Two nonprofit affiliates are headed by some of the PACs major donors, who predominantly work in real estate, finance and tech: Billionaire William Oberndorf is CEO of one nonprofit, while housing developer Nick Podell is listed as CEO of the other.

Oberndorf gave $602,000 to the recall through the Neighbors PAC and has given around $6.5 million to Republican causes and candidates, including over $4 million to Mitch McConnells Republican Senate Leadership Fund since 2016.

His presence sparked accusations that Jung was a puppet of conservatives, even before the recall. As head of the DCCC, Campos condemned the PAC in 2020 in a resolution for its Republican Billionaires Attacks on Democratic Party-Endorsed Candidates, a prequel of the right-wing recall allegations that Boudin would use.

Two California Association of Realtors committees also gave a total of $450,000 to the Boudin recall. The real estate industry cares about public safety and San Franciscos neighborhoods, Jung said.

Jung believes the influence of big money is overstated, and sees the anger and passion of activists as the driving force of the recall. Id much rather Bill Oberndorf give to the recall than Mitch McConnell, Jung said.

With Boudin vanquished, Jung hopes to spend more time with her new granddaughter and do some baking  she has won awards for cookie decorations.

If Jung does step back from politics, her allies would lose not only a power broker, but also a matriarch.

Shes like a mother to me, said Cheng of Jung. There for my first marriage, divorce and second marriage. Shes godmother to my child.

Both Ito and Cheng credit Jung for mentoring a new generation of political leaders, many of them veterans of the watershed 2011 Ed Lee mayoral election, which won a full term for the citys first Asian American leader.

Campaign and mayoral staffers from that administration continue to be active in politics, including Jason Chan, who is director of external affairs at AT&T, and Selina Sun, who is now an aide for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Ally Medina, who is now vice mayor of Emeryville, was 23 when Jung hired her to be executive director of the DCCC in 2012, giving her experience that led to public office.

Medina credits Jung for bolstering the groups core mission of voter registration, going to scores of events including almost all the naturalization ceremonies over four years. Almost 30,000 new Democrats signed up over four years, she said.

If you look at the body of Marys work over the last couple decades  hours of unpaid labor to promote the progressive agenda  shes not made to rest, Medina said.

And November is coming, and another campaign is always beckoning.

Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf
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In 2017, San Francisco and Daly City made the same commitment. They pledged to build teacher housing so underpaid educators could have a better chance of living near the schools where they work.

We have an immediate problem right now, San Franciscos Mayor Ed Lee told me back then, having read my column about a high school math teacher with a masters degree who was homeless. He committed $44 million in city money and picked an Outer Sunset site for teacher housing.

The goal, his housing chief said, was for teachers to move in by 2022 and for more unused property owned by the San Francisco Unified School District to be chosen for additional projects.

That hasnt happened. None of it. Ground wont be broken on 135 rental units until at least August at the Francis Scott Key Annex at 1360 43rd Ave., the site of a century-old, ramshackle school district building used mostly for records storage.

No additional site has moved forward for additional teacher housing either, despite promises from the district, and numerous plots of land owned by the district continue to sit mostly unused in a city desperate for housing.

Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle

Fewer than 10 miles away, just over the San Mateo County line, the story has unfolded far differently. Five years after the Jefferson Union High School District said it, too, would turn land it owns into teacher housing, it has actually done it. Teachers have moved into the new 122-unit complex and plans are progressing to add four more residential buildings  priced at market rate to bring revenue to the schools  alongside shops, parks and trails.

About 80% of the project is already leased, and it should be fully rented out when school starts in August. The district is using it as a recruitment tool for new teachers, and eight are in the application process now for new jobs and new apartments. The rents are priced at 58% of market rate and range from $1,356 to $2,511. Theyre deducted from teachers paychecks.

State Sen. Scott Wiener, a longtime champion of building more housing at all income levels who represents both San Francisco and Daly City in Sacramento, called the discrepancy embarrassing.

Daly City and Jefferson Union have been extremely impressive in how focused and effective theyve been in getting this project done, he said. Meanwhile, San Francisco does what it always does. It dawdles around for years and years having endless discussions while we hemorrhage teachers because they cant afford to live here. Theres always an excuse, but the results are always the same: San Francisco takes forever to do anything.

So how did big, rich, cosmopolitan San Francisco fare so poorly in comparison to smaller, less wealthy Daly City? The lessons are important in a region with a sharp need for more housing, particularly for teachers and other middle-income professionals any city needs to function.

Matt Franklin, president and CEO of MidPen Housing Corp., the developer for the San Francisco teacher housing project, acknowledged that the Outer Sunset complex has been a journey  and sometimes a frustrating one.

He pointed to two main reasons for the delay. One was 18 months spent on very extensive community outreach to craft the design of the project even though there was no big opposition to it. He praised the neighbors as thoughtful, but acknowledged that they had a lot of points of view.

The meetings led to the project including a park, public art and ground-floor community space available to the wider neighborhood. Thats great, but surely not worth an 18-month delay when teachers are commuting hours from the wider Bay Area, working two jobs or cramming into other peoples apartments.

Franklin said another two years was lost in the increasingly difficult struggle to win federal tax credits to finance the project, which will cost more than $100 million, not including the value of the land. The state treasurers office, which manages the tax credit program, has recently made it harder for places where its expensive to build, such as San Francisco, to qualify for them, slowing the affordable-housing development process.

The Mayors Office of Housing, a partner in the teacher housing project, last year submitted 16 applications for affordable-housing tax credits and got funding for only two of them, said Anne Stanley, spokesperson for the office.

Daly City didnt rely on tax credits for its project, instead winning voter approval for $33 million in bonds and securing a loan of $42 million to be paid back through lease revenues. It also didnt host numerous community forums and bend its design plans to neighbors desires, instead focusing on moving teachers in as quickly as possible.

Really, we just dove in, said Tina Van Raaphorst, deputy superintendent of Jefferson Union. One of the main reasons we moved so fast is because of the school board and their passion for the project.

The Daly City project broke ground in February 2020, and opened its apartments in May.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Leslie Bell, a math teacher who moved with her two kids into the complex, called it a whirlwind, a word never used to describe building housing in San Francisco.

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Shes now paying $1,700 a month for a two-bedroom apartment  plus access to a gym, laundry facilities, a playground and community lounges dotted with orchids.

She used to live in the city, where she paid $2,100 for a studio and worked in a private school. She said her friends in the citys public schools dont feel taken care of, and she cant quite believe her luck finding a job she likes that provides discounted housing.

I have a feeling this place is going to spoil me, she said.

San Francisco teachers should be able to move into their new housing in the fall of 2024, Franklin said, and rents will vary widely depending on the size of the unit and the renters income. They could range from $800 for a studio for a someone earning 40% of area median income to $3,500 for a three-bedroom unit for a household earning 120%.

Sam Moss, the executive director of Mission Housing Development Corp., a nonprofit affordable-housing developer, knows intimately how hard it is to build any kind of housing in San Francisco. Hes familiar with both teacher housing projects, though isnt involved with either.

He said the Daly City project shows that moving with speed is important and that while surveying neighbors sounds nice, it slowed the tax credit process and made construction materials a lot more expensive.

In Daly City, the city and school district got together, agreed they needed housing and then didnt ask 8,000 single-family homeowners their opinion about it, Moss said. All of the stars aligned in Daly City in a way that I have not seen in my 15-year career. Its awesome, and its a real example of what we could be if we just got out of our own way.

Ill credit San Francisco with one tiny win over Daly City. The latters project is known just by its address, 705 Serramonte, while the city will call its project Shirley Chisholm Village after the first Black woman to serve in Congress.

So eventually, when teachers do move into their new apartments in nearly 2 years or more, theyll live in a complex honoring an amazing woman. Its just too bad so many of them might wind up quitting their jobs in the citys schools for cheaper housing elsewhere in the meantime.

Heather Knight is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf
Drag story hour hosts, under attack, dig in their heels

Rhetoric against LGBTQ people is now targeting drag storytimes with interruptions and other protests around the country during Pride Month
Eric Risberg/AP

Three people were injured at San Francisco International Airport on Friday evening after a man attempted to assault travelers with a knife.

The attack happened at 6 p.m. in the airport's international terminal in the pre-security area. Footage shot by NBC Bay Area shows a cordoned off area with a large knife visible on the floor. The suspect, who San Francisco police said drove to the airport, was taken into custody; no further information about him has been released.
NEW YORK (AP)  A firefighter from Belgium died while riding on a New York City fire department boat that collided with a charter boat, city fire officials said Saturday.

The FDNY boat was in the East River when the collision occurred Friday night. A FDNY firefighter and three civilians were also injured in the crash and taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
BRIDGEPORT  A local man has been arrested in Iowa in relation to the fatal machete stabbing earlier this month of one man and the wounding of another outside a Madison Avenue club.

Members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force on Thursday night arrested 19-year-old Kevin Valverde, of Commercial Street, and charged him with murder, attempted murder, first-degree assault and carrying a dangerous weapon.

He was tracked by the fugitive team to Sioux County, Iowa, where they said he was arrested without incident. He will be held in Iowa until the extradition process is completed, then will be brought back to Connecticut and charged.

He is being held in lieu of a $1.5 million bond.

According to Police Lt. Christopher LaMaine, Detective Keith Hanson obtained an arrest warrant for Valverde for the June 5 murder of Albert Hernandez-Martinez and the attempted murder of Alberts friend outside Club Azul on Madison Avenue.

LaMaine said the evidence in the case indicates that the victims got into a dispute with Valverde inside the club minutes before closing time. Valverde was allegedly upset with one of them over a look that he had given him, which Valverde perceived as disrespectful, LaMaine said. Valverde and about half a dozen of his friends left the bar and waited for the victims outside, he said.

LaMaine said that minutes later, when the victims walked out, Valverde pulled a machete out of his pants and attacked the men.

According to witnesses, all of Valverdes friends were also armed with machetes and knives and joined in the attack. LaMaine said Hernandez-Martinezs friend received a direct blow across his back from one of the machetes, leaving a gaping wound, but he managed to escape and get to the hospital. He ultimately survived. Hernandez-Martinez, however, sustained wounds from one or more machetes, striking him in the head and torso. He was taken to the hospital but died hours later, LaMaine said.

After the incident, Valverde fled the state.

This was outstanding work by Detective Hanson, lead investigator on the case, and by all those who assisted, said LaMaine.
After City officials seized tents, clothing, medication and other belongings during a so-called clean-up operation, the future of those living outside the castle is uncertain.

Law enforcement officers confiscated tents and shelter-building materials, along with documents and personal items, during a "clean-up operation" on 25 May at the colonial fortress in Cape Town. Joslyn Thomas, 33, has been living outside the grounds of the Castle of Good Hope for about six months.

The Castle is one of the oldest buildings in Cape Town and one of the first you see when coming off the highway into the city. There is a moat running around it and about 20 shelters on the outside of the grounds. Thomas was at the site on the Foreshore in the Cape Town central business district (CBD) when officials raided the community.

A single mother raised Thomas in Bishop Lavis, a suburb on the Cape Flats about 19km from the Cape Town CBD. She says it was not easy for her family growing up. "I can tell you I came from a mother who brought up four girls on her own," she says.

"It was harsh on her. It's hectic to see because she struggles. Many of these people that stay outside, their parents or families are not very rich. But because they [the City and police] have everything they think it's better to look down than to help. Some of us work for whatever we've got. The people are washing the taxis and cars in order to make money. Some people are going to dustbins for something to eat during the day. It's a hectic situation and it doesn't pay a lot."

Law enforcement officials came with four vehicles and started confiscating tents, clothing and blankets. Among the items taken were identity documents, asylum-seeker permits, mattresses, HIV and tuberculosis medication, clinic cards, and other personal documentation. The officials also did not present a court order to justify their actions.

Thomas turned to the activist law centre Ndifuna Ukwazi, which took the City of Cape Town to court. Thomas is the main applicant in the interdict against the City, which was granted on 1 June. The City and Ndifuna Ukwazi came to a settlement to return all the belongings it had taken.

But when the more than 10 people living near the Castle arrived at the collection point, they were left thoroughly disappointed. Not all the confiscated items were returned. Only one woman could identify her tent.

Thomas says she is disappointed in how City officials treated the community when they went to collect their items. "It happened the way it did. Now the court case is finalised and I want to see what's going to happen here. I saw the structures were on the pavement. The reason for them putting us on the pavement, I have no idea. We were told to stand outside and wait for the stuff. If everyone knew we were going to stand on the pavement like that, nobody would have gone."

Losing everything

As per the court order, the City was interdicted from evicting, demolishing, removing, impounding, confiscating or otherwise disposing of the tents or other habitable structures or materials used for habitable structures (including but not limited to plastic sheets and cardboard) of the applicants pending the outcome of another case, Gelderbloem and 10 Others v City of Cape Town. It is set to be heard at the equality court and challenges the City's new street by-laws approved by council last year. The interdict will remain in place until the outcome of the Gelderbloem case.

Thomas says that people need to be more empathetic towards those sleeping rough. "You are never too big or too small to fall. You are never above losing everything. None of them will be able to cope with the lifestyle the people here have to go through. Many have to put up with a lot of things. You have to have a lot of strength and be able to handle a lot of things. Here outside it's more vile than they think. When you have everything, it's easy to look down on somebody, but when you have nothing you will be able to see what the person is talking about."

When she moved to the streets Thomas watched others to survive. She stayed on the streets of Parow, a suburb in the north of Cape Town, for about seven years. After that she moved to Goodwood and Elsies River for two years. She moved to the Cape Town CBD because of an increase in gang activities and because of the lure of possible work.

"It was difficult because my son was coming to visit me, and I did not want him to be exposed or get involved in any gang activity," Thomas says.

Being on the streets in winter is a big concern. "Some of the people don't have something to sleep under. It's extremely wet. Even now when it is hot during the day, at night you will be shivering. It is extremely cold. Sometimes it's wet and there is no place to make you dry. You are not allowed to make fire to dry yourself. It's going to be hectic because people are saying that it is going to be a cold winter this year."

A vicious circle

Jonty Cogger, attorney at Ndifuna Ukwazi, says the organisation's law centre is considering all legal options, adding that a more holistic approach is needed to solve homelessness.

"Policing people to go to shelters is fundamentally misguided and will only serve to entrench a person's poverty," says Cogger. "There are more humane and dignified solutions to homelessness that do not involve treating people and their belongings with disdain. What unhoused people need is care and compassion to assist them out of homelessness and not abuse and alienation."

He also says that the City did not follow its own procedures at the collection site. "The whole system is broken. State houses on the periphery just entrench people's poverty. Homelessness and the delivery of houses is complicated. You can't criminalise someone's position. There have to be multiple interventions in order to resolve this. You have to look at every single available option and do what has the most long-term results. Multiple administrations are failing in their duty to regulate land.

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"We got stuck in this vicious loop. It's about the status quo being maintained. You are going to make someone's life intolerable. It's going to make them distrust and despise you."

The City of Cape Town stated that it was conducting a waste-clearing operation at the Castle because of unhygienic conditions, including hazardous human waste. "These clean-up operations occur regularly with the knowledge and consent of unlawful occupants."

In a media statement on 1 June, the City wrote: "No occupied shelters were knowingly removed, with the only shelter material removed during the operation on 25 May being four vacant, empty tents, as well as abandoned materials, including plastic and bricks." The statement also refuted claims that officials confiscated belongings such as medication or identity documents.

The City of Cape Town failed to answer specific questions in a media query regarding the 3 June incident at the collection site. It also did not provide details of its policy on confiscating materials and whether or not these procedures were followed.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California's State Park and Recreation Commission voted on Friday to temporarily rename a lakeside recreation area called Negro Bar while a new name is chosen.

The historic park will be called Black Miners Bar, the commission said in a 7-0 vote.

The day-use area is located at a sandbar on the shore of Lake Natoma, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Sacramento. The name Negro Bar appears on the park signage, website, brochures, and maps, according to a staff report.

The historical use of the name appears in reference to Black miners during the gold rush including from an 1850 newspaper article noting Black miners finding gold at this location in 1848, according to a California Department of Parks and Recreation website.

Black miners had campgrounds in the region and the nearby historic townsite of Negro Bar had 500 to 600 residents in 1850, the parks department said.

Opponents of the current name have sought to change it for years, calling the name dated and offensive. An online name-changing petition launched in 2018 by Phaedra Jones, a Black resident of Stockton, has more than 60,000 signatures.

If you cant say it to me, then it should not be on monuments," Tracie Stafford of Elk Grove, who is Black, said during the commission meeting. It shouldnt be all over the city. It shouldnt be a place where were bringing our children with no explanation of what it is.

Supporters of the current name had worried that changing it might harm recognition of the historic African American presence in the area, according to a commission staff report.

The commission didn't indicate when the area might get a new name. However, members voted to have the parks department work with the California African American Museum to conduct a year of historical research to come up with recommendations for a permanent name.
PORT ROYAL, S.C. (AP)  A tiny church in Port Royal  where former state senator and pastor Clementa Pinckney once preached has been restored and reopened as a public interpretive center that highlights the towns role in the nations history and Pinckneys story as well.

Its a good match. Pickney preached at Porters Chapel for two years, from 1996-98, before moving on and becoming a prominent political and religious leader in South Carolina.

In honor of Pinckney, Porters Chapel has a new name  Pinckney Porters Chapel.

The legacy continues, Jennifer Pinckney of Columbia, Pinckneys widow, said during a dedication of the church at Naval Heritage Park last week, which was attended by family and friends and Port Royal leaders and residents.

It was June 17, 2015, when Dylann Roof shot and killed Pinckney, along with eight others, during a Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston in 2015. He was 41.

Although Pinckney is gone, Port Royal Mayor Joe DeVito said, his legacy of leadership and love endures.

The Town of Port Royal, DeVito said, led the effort to rebuild the chapel, and decided to rename it Pinckney Porters Chapel in honor of Pinckney, a native of Beaufort, because of his history with the Port Royal church.

The church, which had been located at the corner of Old Shell Road and 16th Street, was moved to Naval Heritage Park in 2019 and is now staffed by a National Park Service Ranger following a $300,000 restoration that included a $240,000 allocation of accommodation taxes from Beaufort County. The exhibits are more recent, and the dedication included Jennifer Pinckney cutting a ribbon to officially open the interpretive center.

Besides the interpretive displays inside, the church is also home base for tours of historic Camp Saxton, which was established to train Black soldiers in 1862.

DeVito called the restoration and new purpose for the old church a fantastic example of cooperation among a lot of people and agencies.

Family members who attended the dedication, such as proud father John Pinckney, said they were honored by the gesture.

Come on, Dad, we got to go! John Pinckney remembers his son telling him on Sundays when he was just 13 and already preaching at area churches.

There are horrible things happening in the world, said Pinckneys 18-year-old daughter, Eliana, but today, she added, is a happy day.

I thank you, Eliana told the crowd, and I appreciate you.

Jennifer Pinckney, of Columbia, said it is an honor to her when people recognize what her husband stood for. Since his death, many people have come forth and shared ways in which they had been helped by Clementa, she added, which has amazed her.

He was a gentle giant, said Jennifer Pinckney, adding that the family is still grieving.

Porters Chapel, built by freed slaves, remained an active church until 2004.

Now it tells the stories of the people of Port Royal and their role in emancipation, reconstruction and the Black church. People like Pinckney.

It was a story that for a long time was overlooked, says Richard Condon, a ranger with the National Park Service who worked on the exhibits with the help of students at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.

In 1862, Camp Saxton was established on the old Smith Plantation on Port Royal Island. It was the home of the 1st South Carolina Infantry, which was later renamed the 33rd United States Colored Troops. Included in the displays is the likeness of Sgt. Prince Rivers in his soldiers uniform, which was assembled using photographs.

On Jan. 1, 1863, in a stand of oak trees, the Emancipation Proclamation was read to the men of the 1st South Carolina Infantry, along with hundreds of other formerly enslaved people. It was one of the largest public gatherings for a reading and celebration of the proclamation in the South. Soldiers were presented with a flag embroidered with The Year of Jubilee Has Come!

Some residents still active in Port Royal today, Condon said, can trace their roots directly to Camp Saxton.

The section on Clementa Pinckney notes that he became a pastor at 18, and that he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1996 and the state Senate in 2004. He oversaw 17 churches in the area, including Porters Chapel.

Its a wonderful tribute to Sen. Pinckney  but also our history, said Anita Stevenson Magwood of Marion, S.C., Pinckneys cousin, pausing before the photographs of a smiling Pinckney and accompanying copy, which notes that Pickney, in his final weeks, advocated for new laws requiring police officers to wear body cameras to prevent abuses such as the 2105 fatal shooting by a police officer of Walter Scott in Charleston.

I think every young person should come, Magwood added.

Jennifer Pinckney  Pinckneys girlfriend at the time  remembers the drives she and Clementa made from Columbia to the Porters Chapel, when Pinckney used to talk about the Lowcountrys impressive landscape and history. At the time, he was 23, and some members of the congregation doubted his abilities. But Pinckney, his wife said, was a teacher and a leader, even then.

Porters Chapel traces its roots to Parris Island and was brought to Port Royal in 1901, according to church lore.

Condon, the park ranger, expects the chapel to get more visitors with the addition of the exhibits and the new name.
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. (AP)  A new plaque to honor soldiers unrecognized in a longstanding Brattleboro Civil War monument because of racial and class issues of the time will be dedicated on Sunday, Juneteenth.

The plaque grew out of years of research by Brattleboro Area Middle School students with the cooperation and support from the Brattleboro Historical Society, the Brattleboro Reformer reported.
NEVADA, Mo. (AP)  Five additional lawsuits have been filed accusing a southwestern Missouri boarding school of abusing students.

The lawsuits alleging physical and emotional abuse at Agape Boarding School were filed Wednesday in Vernon County. All told, 19 lawsuits have been filed against the boarding school since early 2021.

Agapes doctor, David Smock, was charged in December with child sex crimes. He pleaded not guilty in March. Meanwhile, five employees were charged in September with abusing students. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has said he thinks many more workers should have been charged.

The latest lawsuits were filed by former students who attended Agape at various times between 2014 and this year. The lawsuits also name Agape Baptist Church, which oversees the boarding school.

The lawsuits seek unspecified amounts in damages.

Phone and email messages left Saturday with an attorney for Agape were not immediately returned.
MOAPA VALLEY, Nev. (AP)  A few election workers sat inside the Moapa Band of Paiutes tribal headquarters on Tuesday, waiting for residents to cast their ballots in the primary election.

Most of the nearly 200 voting headquarters throughout Clark County were buzzing with early-morning activity, and yet, the tribal office polling site on Lincoln Street was mostly quiet.

About one hour north of Las Vegas, the site mirrored other official polling stations in Clark County  albeit on a much smaller scale  with three booths, a stack of those I Voted stickers residents proudly wear after casting their ballot, and a box to drop off completed mail ballots.

One thing was consistently missing: Voters.

The site serves the tribal reservation, which has a population of about 300 to 350. An election worker said many people left for work early in the morning and might vote later.

Native Americans, a group whose voting rights historically were suppressed and whose access to voting continues to be a challenge, had the largest jump in voter turnout in 2020, according to Stacey Montooth, executive director of the State of Nevada Indian Commission.

Nevada Secretary of State and county offices dont track voter turnout by race or ethnicity.

Advocates say there is room for advancement as they push for easier access to the ballot for a group that has a population of 37,000 in Nevada, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.

The history has been so painful, E. Mercedes Krause, chair of the Nevada Native American Caucus, told the Las Vegas Sun. The organization works to get Native Americans elected to office.

Its actually still carrying over today, she said. Thats why we are working so hard to organize.

Although the 15th Amendment in 1870 granted all U.S. citizens the right to vote regardless of their race, it was not until the Snyder Act of 1924 that Native Americans born in the U.S. were granted full U.S. citizenship, according to the Library of Congress.

Still, states attempted to suppress voting rights and it was not until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that Native Americans gained the right to vote in every state.

In 2021, the Nevada Legislature passed voting measures like the automatic mail-in ballot system, which sent a mail-in ballot to every registered voters address, and ballot harvesting, which allows a person to collect others ballots and bring them to a ballot drop box.

It was intended to keep people healthy and safe from this global crisis we were having, said Montooth, but it absolutely opened up a whole new world for Native Americans to vote.

Montooths 95-year-old grandmother, who lives in the central Nevada community of Schurz on the Walker River Paiute reservation, used to drive 90 miles both ways to cast her ballot. Now its much easier for her, Montooth said.

While ballot harvesting has been under fire by some Republicans who say the practice should be a felony, the process has made it easier for tribal members to vote, Montooth said.

In Duck Valley in Northern Nevada, a couple of tribal members went door to door to pick up peoples ballots and drop them off at the county seat. It was only 15 people, Montooth said, but thats 15 fewer people who had to drive nearly two hours.

For many tribes in Nevada, there is still not easy access to a polling location. While the Legislature made it so everyone could receive a ballot in the mail, many elderly residents prefer to vote the old-fashioned way.

At the Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone Tribe along the Nevada-Oregon border, there are no polling locations on the reservation, tribal Chair Maxine Redstar said.

The nearest polling site is about 75 miles (121 kilometers) away in Winnemucca, and it takes about an hour and a half to get there.

A lot of the voters in the tribe are older, Redstar said, and they want to vote in person.

They make that trip, she said. For the older folks who cannot drive, they have extended family drive them. Otherwise, then they just dont go vote.

Vonnie Snooks, administrative assistant for the Yerington Paiute Tribe in western Nevada, said there are no polling sites on the reservation for the primary, but the tribe is working to get one for Novembers general election. The closest place to vote is about seven to 10 miles (11 to 16 kilometers) away, Snooks said.

But tribal members did not receive mail-in ballots for the primary election and the tribe coordinated rides for anyone wanting to vote, she said.

Getting residents motivated to vote is another challenge, especially because some Indigenous people do not participate in elections because their tribes have their own government.

The outside doesnt really affect the inside, and I rarely leave, said Darleen Etter, a member of the Moapa Band of Paiutes who has lived on the reservation most of her life.

Etter is not interested in politics and said it is boring, although she was considering voting in the primary.

Etter voted in 2020 to support Judge Gregor Mill, the Moapa Valley District Court judge, who is a family friend, she said. But she said the experience wasnt great as the election workers couldnt find her information and it was a hassle.

The Nevada Native Caucus works to build Native voter participation and by making sure everyone knows that tribal identification is accepted to vote, Krause said.

It also works to ensure safeguards are in place against voter intimidation and getting community workers to get involved as poll workers.

The organization has also been getting the word out to tribes that they can request early-voting ballot drop-off boxes and same-day voting ballot drop boxes, Krause said.

The No. 1 factor for getting out the Native vote, Krause said, is to have Indigenous people on the ballot. There are four Indigenous people, including Krause, who were on the ballot for the primary. Krause, a Democrat, was running in Congressional District 2. Candidates who are able to touch on issues important to Indigenous people can also help increase voter turnout, Krause said.

The Indigenous Futures Survey of 2022 showed that the top two issues for the Native American community are caring for tribal elders and improving mental health, Krause said.

The survey, which was completed by 6,460 Indigenous people, found that 31% felt depressed and 63% felt stressed.

Expanded broadband, education, water rights and land encroachment from urban sprawl and the military, environmental protection, and mining reforms are also important to Indigenous people, Krause said.

Companies proposing a project often say they consulted with tribes, but the Nevada Native American Caucus wants to see a shift from consult to consent, giving tribes a greater voice in the project.

Its more like, you know, theyre coming in just basically reporting, telling tribes this is whats going to happen, Krause said.

Marlin Dawahoya, a descendant of the Moapa Band of Paiutes who grew up on the reservation, wants a candidate who will solve the homelessness problem. He wants the government to help people get back on track and provide them with food and housing.

On Tuesday, Dawahoya got to pick someone who could solve those problems. It was his first time voting, saying he researched the candidates  regardless of party affiliation  who are honest and transparent.

(This) is something that Ive been looking forward to, he said.
HONOLULU (AP)  A U.S. grand jury has indicted Honolulus former top prosecutor and four others, alleging that employees of an engineering and architectural firm bribed Keith Kaneshiro with campaign donations in exchange for Kaneshiros prosecution of a former company employee.

Court documents unsealed on Friday include indictments of Kaneshiro, Mitsunaga & Associates, Inc. CEO Dennis Mitsunaga and three other employees of the firm.

All five pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Honolulu. Each was released on $50,000 bail.

All five face one count of conspiracy to defraud the City and County of Honolulu and one count of conspiracy to intimidate the former employee to prevent her from exercising her rights by filing a civil rights lawsuit against the firm. The first count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, the second count 10 years.

The indictment alleges that Mitsunaga & Associates employees, along with an attorney listed as un unindicted co-conspirator, contributed more than $45,000 to Kaneshiro's re-election campaigns between October 2012 and October 2016.

They allegedly got family members, business partners, employees and contractors to donate as well to get around individual campaign contribution limits.

The former employee targeted with prosecution had been a project architect at Mitsunaga & Associates for 15 years when she was fired without explanation on the same day she expressed disagreement with claims the CEO made against her, court documents said.

Mitsunaga met with Kaneshiro and the prosecutor's executive assistant in October 2012, two months after the project architect filed a civil rights lawsuit against the firm. Court documents said the CEO attempted to persuade Kaneshiro to prosecute the architect for theft for allegedly billing time for company work while she was actually working on unauthorized side jobs.

Kaneshiro's office prosecuted the architect, whom court documents identify only as L.J.M., but a judge dismissed the case in 2017 for lack of probable cause. Circuit Court Judge Karen Nakasone said she ruled in part because of the one-sided nature of the investigation and because she found the prosecution was acting as little more than a recipient and conduit for information from Mitsunaga & Associates, the documents said.

Kaneshiro took a leave of absence as Honolulu's prosecuting attorney in March 2019 after he became a target of the federal investigation. He didn't run for re-election in 2020 and his term expired in January 2021.

Michael Wheat, a U.S. prosecutor from San Diego, is leading the case against the five defendants. He's the same prosecutor who won convictions of former Honolulu police chief Louise Kealoha and his former wife, Katherine Kealoha, who served as a deputy prosecutor under Kaneshiro.

They were convicted in a plot to frame a relative to keep him from revealing fraud that financed their extravagant lifestyle. Katherine Kealoha is serving a 13-year prison term while her ex-husband is serving seven years.
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ATLANTA (AP)  Democrats on Tuesday are settling multiple statewide races and congressional primaries, including three races where Stacey Abrams has endorsed other members of her party that she wants on the ticket as she runs for governor. There are three Republican congressional runoffs, including two in heavily Republican districts. Two Democratic congressional runoffs feature a frontrunner who lost to a Republican in 2020 but wants another shot. Finally, there are 11 state legislative runoffs, including one Republican incumbent and one Democratic incumbent in the state House who failed to win majorities in the May 24 primary.

Here's a look at the races:

SECRETARY OF STATE

State Rep. Bee Nguyen and former state Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler are vying for the chance to challenge incumbent Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in the fall. Former President Donald Trump targeted Raffensperger for failing to overturn his narrow loss in the state. Raffensperger beat a Trump-endorsed primary challenger without being forced into a runoff.

The once-sleepy office was thrust into the spotlight when Trump began spreading baseless claims about widespread election fraud.

Nguyen and Dawkins-Haigler say they want to increase voter education and work more closely with counties to ensure universal access to free, fair and secure elections. They criticize Raffensperger for backing a sweeping election overhaul passed last year by Republican state lawmakers. Abrams is backing Nguyen.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Former Atlanta City Council member Kwanza Hall led all candidates in the May 24 primary, despite a low-profile, low-dollar campaign. Second-place finisher Charlie Bailey, who was the Democratic nominee for attorney general in 2018, is trying to overtake Hall, backed by Democratic leaders including Abrams.

The winner will take on Republican state Sen. Burt Jones, who triumphed in the May 24 primary after being endorsed by Trump.

Bailey had been running for attorney general again but shifted into the lieutenant governor's race. Bailey has been promising to work with Abrams to cover uninsured adults, improve education and increase public safety. Bailey has been attacking Hall for money Hall received from the city of Atlanta after stepping down from the City Council. Despite a prohibition on the city hiring former officials for a year, Hall says he did nothing wrong.

Hall also served out the last month of the late John Lewis' term in Congress, and enjoys strong name recognition. He argues his time on the City Council has prepared him to work with Republicans. Hall has focused on economic empowerment, calling for the state to set aside 30% of its contracts for minority and women-owned business. Hall said he wants to legalize marijuana and steer resulting business opportunities toward minority communities.

LABOR COMMISSIONER

State Rep. William Boddie Jr. and entrepreneur Nicole Horn both have focused on overhauling the state Labor Department, beset by complaints when Georgia's unemployment rate hit a record during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Incumbent Republican Mark Butler isn't seeking reelection and the GOP has nominated state Sen. Bruce Thompson of White.

Both Boddie and Horn agreed that the department needs more money to hire more employees so that jobless benefit applicants can get responses to questions. Boddie said his legislative experience will help him persuade lawmakers to give the department more money. Horn said her business experience would enable her to be an effective manager.

Both criticize Republicans for pulling Georgia out of the federal program that extended unemployment benefits months before the federal program expired.

Abrams endorsed Boddie.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER

Insurance salesman Raphael Baker and 2018 Democratic nominee Janice Laws Robinson seek the Democratic nomination for insurance commissioner. The winner will face incumbent Republican John King in November.

Laws Robinson has said she would target Georgia's high auto insurance costs by changing state law to make it easier for the commissioner to block rate increases before they take effect. She said she would also crack down on insurers taking advantage of policy buyers through unfair underwriting practices.

Baker, a Democratic activist, also said he wants to lower auto insurance rates. He said Black consumers, in particular, pay too much, and he wants to make insurance practices more equitable. Baker also said he would focus on education about insurance and safe driving practices.

CONGRESS REPUBLICANS

Republicans are settling three congressional nominations. In the 10th Congressional District, east of Atlanta, trucking company owner Mike Collins and former Democrat Vernon Jones are vying in a bitter runoff. Trump backs Jones, but Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, fresh off a primary triumph over Trump-backed David Perdue, has joined other GOP officeholders in backing Collins.

In the 6th District in Atlantas northern suburbs, emergency room physician Rich McCormick is trying to hold off Trump-backed lawyer Jake Evans, each accusing the other of being insufficiently conservative.

The 6th and the 10th are both heavily Republican districts.

In southwest Georgia's 2nd District, Republicans have high hopes of knocking off 30-year Democratic incumbent Sanford Bishop. The GOP is choosing between former Army officer Jeremy Hunt and real estate developer Chris West in that race.

CONGRESS DEMOCRATS

In coastal Georgia's 1st District, Joyce Marie Griggs is relying on a grassroots approach to persuade Democrats to choose her again to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter. Griggs, a disbarred lawyer, lost to Carter in 2020. Lawyer Wade Herring has outspent Griggs, telling Democrats he would have a better chance of winning the seat

In the 10th District, Tabitha Johnson-Green is trying to become the Democratic nominee for the third cycle in a row, having lost to departing incumbent Jody Hice in 2018 and 2020. Athens real estate agent and musician Jessica Fore is trying to overtake Johnson-Green.

STATE LEGISLATIVE SEATS

One state Senate and 10 state House seats will see party nominations settled.

Banker Mike Hodges and former state House member Jeff Jones will contend for the Republican nomination in Senate District 3 on the Georgia coast, covering all of Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn and McIntosh counties and part of Ware County.

Among six Republican and four Democratic state House contests are two incumbents who didn't win majorities on May 24 and must win runoffs Tuesday to keep their chances of reelection alive. Republican incumbent Sheri Gilligan, a sometime critic of House Speaker David Ralston, is opposed by Carter Barrett in House District 24 in southwestern Forsyth County. Democratic incumbent Roger Bruce is vying with Rashaun Kemp in House District 61 in southern Fulton and northeastern Douglas counties.
FORT VALLEY, Ga. (AP)  The state of Georgia and the Peach County Development Authority have bought 1,100 acres (450 hectares) in the middle Georgia county for $18.6 million, hoping to attract a large industry like the Rivian Automotive and Hyundai Motor Group plants that have recently been announced east of Atlanta and near Savannah.

The state has already been marketing the land, which is 5 miles (8 kilometers) east of Interstate 75 near Fort Valley, but officials say owning it makes it more attractive to a user.

It boils down to speed to market being a driving factor in a companys decision making process, said Jessica Atwell, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Economic Development. The more we can do to speed up that timeline, the more likely a company is to choose a site.

The development authority and state completed the purchase of four separate parcels of land on Wednesday.

The site also has access to the Norfolk Southern Railway and plans ready for development. A conceptual site plan posted online by Peach County officials shows it's large enough to host an auto assembly plant.

It can provide for easy access to a site with utilities" for larger original equipment manufacturers, B.J. Walker, the development authority's executive director, told WMAZ-TV

Atwell said the state will evaluate all opportunities but that we would prefer to locate a single end-user who can make the best use of the site's advantages." The state must approve the lease or sale of the property, Atwell said. The state is seeing increased demand for large sites, she said.

Hyundai said in May that it would invest $5.5 billion on an electric vehicle and battery plant in the Bryan County hamlet of Ellabell that's projected to employ 8,100 workers. The state and local officials spent $61 million to buy 2,200 acres (900 hectares) in the county last year. They later agreed to add 2,900 more acres (1,173 hectares) for Hyundai at an, as of yet, undisclosed additional cost.

Rivian said in December that it would invest in a $5 billion electric truck plant east of Atlanta thats expected to employ about 7,500 workers. That plant is located on 2,000 acres (800-hectares).

Even after announcing the two largest projects in the States history back-to-back, we remain focused on attracting key industries and investment by providing the project sites companies need, Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement.

Rivian's location near Social Circle aroused opposition from neighbors who said it would spoil the rural area. At least some Peach County neighbors also say they they're not excited for a big factory on a two-lane highway now dominated by peach and pecan groves.

The potential environmental impact, I think, that risk is greater than what we should take, neighbor Harry Houpt said.

Peach County is already home to Blue Bird Corp., which has 1,800 workers at its school bus assembly plant.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  Gov. Andy Beshear issued an executive order Saturday declaring a state of emergency for a western Kentucky town struggling with a water shortage.

State officials are expected to travel to Marion to begin implementing a plan aimed an ensuring that families have access to water, the governor's office said in a news release. Beshear took the action hours after receiving a request from Marion officials.

Todays action of declaring a state of emergency for the City of Marion is intended to put into motion all the things we, the state, can do to help alleviate the situation and provide support," the governor said.

The water shortage in the Crittenden County town stems from having to drain Lake George, the primary reservoir for the town's residents and businesses, because of a levee failure, the release said.

That, coupled with limited rainfall and unseasonably hot weather, has caused the water shortage to become critical, it said.

With the governor's state of emergency declaration, state emergency management officials can begin to coordinate a response and relief efforts. And the Kentucky National Guard can mobilize personnel and equipment that may be required, the release said.
Kinshasa  Nine of the 16 oil blocks to be auctioned in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) next month overlap Protected Areas, according to a review of official government maps by Greenpeace Africa.

Minister Didier Budimbu, who had previously insisted that "none" of the blocks overlaps Protected Areas, confirmed Greenpeace's findings in a statement yesterday.

Plans to auction rainforest for oil were reactivated in April, five months after the signature of a $500 million forest deal signed with the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) at COP26.

Greenpeace Africa and others have expressed alarm that three of the blocks overlap with the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, a biodiversity hotspot containing about 30 gigatons of carbon, equivalent to three years of global emissions. Oil drilling could release the immense stocks of carbon they store, warned Professor Simon Lewis of University College London.

That Protected Areas are also at risk became apparent last month when the Hydrocarbons Ministry itself published a video featuring a map of six of the 16 blocks : five of them are clearly shown to overlap Protected Areas.

The voice-over praises the "meticulousness" with which blocks had been "selected," mindful of environmental "sensibilities," and claiming input from unnamed environmentalists.

Another official online source, the Environment Ministry Forest Atlas of the Democratic Republic of Congo, shows nine of the blocks overlapping Protected Areas, including a national park, nature reserves, and a mangroves marine park.

The Ministry's statement to Greenpeace Africa asserts: "It's been decided that Protected Areas containing mineral natural resources of high economic value will be degazetted."

While it describes the overlaps as "very negligible," a simple review of the map shows significant overlap in at least three cases, including that of Upemba National Park, part of which occupies about a third of the Upemba block.

Irene Wabiwa Betoko, International Project Leader for the Congo Basin forest at Greenpeace Africa said: "The auction of new oil blocks anywhere during a climate crisis that disproportionately affects African people is mad.

Greenwashing the auction of blocks overlapping peatlands and Protected Areas is the height of cynicism. Doing so with such amateurism is particularly disturbing."

In its statement to Greenpeace Africa, the Ministry emphasizes that no areas inside UNESCO World Heritage sites are up for auction and that overlaps are restricted to other Protected Areas. Congolese law, however, makes no distinction, in terms of oil exploration, among Protected Areas.

Block 18, one of the few that doesn't encroach on a Protected Area, is only about twenty kilometers from Salonga National Park, a UNESCO site. In July 2021, the DRC government succeeded in removing Salonga from the List of World Heritage in Danger after it promised to update UNESCO, no later than 1 February 2022, on "the progress made towards the definitive cancellation of the oil concessions" there.

Over two months after the deadline, the government reported that the park's steering committee decided on 14 December 2021 to "initiate actions for the[ir] definitive cancellation." Instead of finally acting, the government continues planning to act.

"The mouth that says all the right things about the climate and biodiversity crises works separately from the hand that signs the contracts that make them worse. This disconnect also characterizes DRC's donors: their COP26 speeches in praise of the Congo rainforest have resulted in an agreement that is an open invitation to oil companies," added Irene Wabiwa.

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The agreement signed at COP26 does nothing to protect peatlands of the Cuvette Centrale from the oil and gas industry, and is hardly more demanding with regard to the integrity of Protected Areas.

Instead of banning extractive industries in them, the 2 November letter of intent seeks only damage control. It calls for a study "to determine to what extent the titles [... ] of hydrocarbons overlap with and/or have an impact on protected areas, [... ] with a view to adopting appropriate prevention or mitigation measures [... ]".

Greenpeace Africa calls on the DRC government to cancel the auction of new oil blocks: "Instead of auto-pilot steering Congo into a climate catastrophe, the government and the international community must invest in ending energy poverty by accelerating investments in clean and accessible renewable energies," concluded Irene Wabiwa.

Tal Harris is International Communications Coordinator, Greenpeace Africa: and Raphael Mavambu is Communications and Media Consultant, Greenpeace Africa.
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JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Mississippi communities are commemorating Juneteenth with events ranging from history-themed dinners to live music performances to street festivals. Most gatherings aim to tell a story about the significance of the nations newest federal holiday.

Juneteenth is not just a celebration of food and art. Its a celebration of substance, said Reena Evers-Everette, the daughter of Mississippi civil rights activists Medgar Evers and Myrlie Evers-Williams. Juneteenth is about opening our eyes and our minds, gathering the courage to truly understand what our shared truths are."

The holiday commemorates the date when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached enslaved people in Galveston, Texas. The proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863, declared free all enslaved people in Confederate states. Some of the newly freed werent aware of their freedom until U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger reached Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, to enforce the proclamation.

Juneteenth is about recognition that slavery was Americas first original sin. And we have for so long, put it underneath the rug, behind the barn," Evers-Everette said. "I think about whats happening now, with the reversal, or attempts to reverse so many civil rights laws. Mississippi has come a long way, but theres a long way to go to becoming a truly equal state.

Juneteenth should be about sharing knowledge so that everyone can better understand our nation's racial history, said Pamela D.C. Junior, director of the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson.

If you dont know why youre celebrating, why celebrate? she asked.

Admission is free all of Juneteenth weekend to the two museums, which weave the states history into stories told by archived material.

Also in Jackson, the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center hosted its first Victory Celebration Dinner on Friday with honored guests including Hezekiah Watkins, who was a young teenager when he and other activists were arrested in 1961 for challenging segregation in a Jackson bus terminal, and James Meredith, who in 1962 became the first Black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi.

In Vicksburg, a Juneteenth Heritage Festival was taking place Saturday with the theme of Celebrating Freedom. In the Mississippi Delta region, Tunica County was hosting its 2nd Annual Juneteenth celebration.

President Joe Biden signed legislation in 2021 making Juneteenth a national holiday. The move marked the first time the federal government had designated a new holiday since approving Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. But several states, including Mississippi, opted not to follow the federal governments lead to create a Juneteenth holiday.

In addition to celebrating social progress, some Mississippians view Juneteenth as a time to honor family history.

I call out the names of my ancestors because I want them to understand that I will never forget them, Junior said. I want them to know that I will never let them down in anything that I do every day.

____

Michael Goldberg 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 him on Twitter at twitter.com/mikergoldberg.
RALEIGH, N. C. (AP)  Starting with a small fried fish shack in Durham, chef Ricky Moore is on top of the culinary world.

Moore is North Carolinas latest James Beard award winner, bringing home Best Chef: Southeast for his Saltbox Seafood Joint.

Known as the Oscars of the food world, the James Beard Foundations chef and restaurant awards have been on hiatus since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. This month, the awards gala returned to Chicago.

Its a beautiful thing to be recognized for what Im doing currently, Moore said in his acceptance speech. I got burned out being an executive chef here and executive chef there. So my restaurant was sort of like my apprenticeship to entrepreneurship. And I put my heart and soul in it.

While mostly famous for its breweries, Ashevilles food scene won two national James Beard awards.

Chai Pani was named Outstanding Restaurant, the top restaurant James Beard Award. Owned by Meherwan Irani, Chai Pani opened in 2009 serving Indian street food.

Katie Buttons Spanish tapas restaurant Curate won Outstanding Hospitality for the top front of house program in the country.

Moore shouted out Durham from the stage, throwing up Bull City horns with a fresh James Beard Award medal gleaming from his chest.

Moore went to the countrys finest culinary school and cooked in Michelin-starred restaurants, but his Saltbox Seafood Joint was born in a small shack in downtown Durham. The restaurant opened in 2012 as a 205-square-foot shack on North Mangum Street, serving whatever was fresh from the North Carolina coast. It expanded in 2017 with a larger location on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard in Durhams Rockwood neighborhood.

Moore shines a light on North Carolina seafood beyond the shrimp, oysters and flounder, serving drum and mackerel and bluefish, fried and seasoned, topped with slaw and piled on rolls or plates. The sides include Hush Honeys, Moores honeydrizzled take on hush puppies and a bright slaw.

I took that small place that a lot of people found insignificant, and made it a celebration of seafood culture, said Moore, a New Bern native.

North Carolina chefs dominated the nominations for Best Chef: Southeast, with four of the five hailing from the Tar Heel state. In the Triangle, Moore was joined by Cheetie Kumar of Garland. Charlottes Greg Collier of Leah & Louise and Button of Curate also were nominated.

Theres a burst of culinary talent here, Moore said before the awards. People who are really into it, on fire about it. There are people who really want to be true cooks and talk about the cuisine in our region. And because of that were in the conversation today with other destinations in the country. Charleston, New York, San Francisco, Chicago.

Past North Carolina winners include Ashley Christensen of Raleighs Pooles Diner, who won Outstanding Chef in the country in 2019 and Best Chef: Southeast in 2014, Andrea Reusing of Lantern in 2011 and Karen Barker and Ben Barker of Magnolia Grill, who won Outstanding Pastry Chef in the country in 2003 and Best Chef: Southeast in 2000, respectively.

This is the fifth year in a row that Kumar has at least been a James Beard semifinalist. In 2020, Kumar was a finalist in the Best Chef: Southeast category, but those awards were canceled and the awards were altered in 2021 as the James Beard Foundation retooled its criteria for its honors in an effort to improve equity among winners, the group said.

I cant help but feel like North Carolina has always felt like a geographically great place to cook in, Kumar said before the awards. The politics, the diversity, really lends our culture to excellent food and foodways. It feels a little jarring. I always though this evolution would be more gradual. But thats what happens when we stop and reevaluate everything.

North Carolina nabbed two nominations in national award categories, including Durhams Alley Twenty Six for Best Bar Program, led by owner Shannon Healy.

Ashevilles Cleophus Hethington of Benne on Eagle is up for Emerging Chef in the county.

Alley Twenty Six lost to Julep in Houston, Texas.

Alley Twenty Six brought the craft cocktail revival to Durham, opening in 2012 and helping to kick off a vibrant downtown drink scene.

The bar ascended into a small circle of nationally renowned cocktail bars with its nomination, but missed out on the James Beard top bar award, which went to Julep out of Houston.

Its been wonderful, its humbling, in some ways its confounding, Healy said ahead of the awards. Its been really great to be able to be the folks holding the banner for North Carolina.

Healy, who also owns Chapel Hills Crooks Corner, said the nomination brings excitement and perhaps some grander expectations, but that Alley Twenty Six is prepared to meet them.

I think weve already won, Healy said of the nomination before the awards. It gives us an opportunity to prove (patrons) right when they visit us. Its not a golden ticket, its a golden opportunity.

Durham has a healthy collection of cocktail bars these days, but a decade ago Alley Twenty Six stood alone.

People would come in an say, This is like a New York bar, or Like an LA bar, like an alien had landed on downtown Durham, Healy said. I would say, Its more like a good Durham bar. Its my idea of what a good bar is, thats aware of its place in time.
BOSTON (AP)  The Boston-based maker of the Harpoon family of beers has agreed to buy Vermont-based Long Trail Brewing Co., bringing together two of New England's most established craft brewers.

Under the terms of the deal announced Friday, Mass. Bay Brewing Co. will acquire the Long Trail, Otter Creek and Shed brands and continue to operate the Long Trail Riverside Pub in Bridgewater Corners, Vermont.

Long Trail, Otter Creek, and Shed beers will be brewed at the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, Vermont, the companies said in a statement.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Harpoon was founded in 1986 and Long Trail in 1989.

Mass. Bay Brewing Co. cofounder and chief executive Dan Kenary and Long Trail CEO Daniel Fulham have been friends for about 35 years.

Through talks about all the ways we could potentially partner, it became clear that wed be stronger together, Kenary said in a statement.

The deal also calls for WhistlePig Whiskey, based in Shoreham, Vermont, to assume ownership of the Otter Creek and Shed brewery in Middlebury, Vermont.

"We have a shared commitment to the Vermont community and passion for making great beer," Kenary said. I speak on behalf of all the employee owners at Mass. Bay Brewing Company when I say that we are looking forward to the opportunity to carry on the Long Trail legacy in partnership with the folks in production, sales, and support functions who will be staying on as part of the transition.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)  A transportation worker was arrested Friday for allegedly threatening gun violence at a Northern California rail yard, authorities said.

Deputies were called to the Chaboya Division bus yard of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose shortly before 8 a.m. by a report that the man had made a threat while other workers were there, according to a statement from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.

The man was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats. His name and other details weren't immediately released.

VTA has zero tolerance for this type of threatening behavior and will continue to treat any similar incident with an urgent response, the agency said in a statement, adding that trauma counselors were sent to the yard.

The arrest came only weeks after the anniversary of a mass shooting at another VTA maintenance yard in San Jose. Employee Sam Cassidy, 57, killed nine co-workers and then took his own life on May 26, 2021.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  An Oregon man has pleaded guilty in the kidnapping and murder of his 3-year-old child and childs mother.

Michael Wolfe pleaded guilty Friday in Yamhill County District Court to aggravated murder and second-degree murder in the 2019 murders of Karissa and Billy Fretwell, KOIN-TV reported.
Midland Daily News

A Manton man faces charges involving the sexual assault of children under 13 after a nearly yearlong investigation into conduct that is alleged to have started in 2017 in Missaukee County.

In August 2021, a Michigan State Police Houghton Lake Post trooper was in Wexford County when he took a report of reported an alleged sexual assault in Manton. According to MSP in a Friday press release, the victim told her mother that she had been sexually abused between January 2017 and July 2018.
As part of its Summer Concert Series, the Michigan Philharmonic will be performing a concert here in Huron County later this summer.

The concert will take place at 4 p.m., Aug. 20, in Port Austins Gallup Park with its show called, An American Salute in Port Austin.

Aside from patriotic songs including "The Star-Spangled Banner," "The Stars and Stripes Forever," the songs for each of the armed forces branches and "Festival Overture" for the American National Air, the tentative performance list includes medleys from well-known musicals and movies will also be performed. They include "South Pacific," "Shaft," "West Side Story," "The Music Man," and the works of Henry Mancini.

Aaron Copelands "Fanfare for the Common Man" and Leroy Andersons "Belle of the Ball" are also planned be performed.

Cindy Patrick, of the Port Austin Artist in Residence Committee, said the goal of this is to promote the arts through a full scale live performance in downtown Port Austin, expected to draw an audience from all over Huron County. This has also been in the works for the past two years.

The opportunity to host an orchestra with the reputation of the MPO is an honor for Port Austin and Huron County, said Patrick. A concert of this caliber will be an enriching experience for all residents, as it will provide them with a performance that is not available within our local area. This event is open to the public and free of charge. It will also serve to reinforce Port Austins reputation as an art destination.

The philharmonic will be doing five different performances across Michigan this summer as part of its series. Along with Port Austin, performances will take place at Kellogg Park in Plymouth, Kensington Metropark in Maple Beach, Campus Martius Park in Detroit, and the Eleanor and Edsel Ford Estate at Grosse Pointe.

This will be the first Michigan Philharmonic performance outside of its normal coverage area of southeastern Michigan.

Founded in 1945, it is currently conducted by Nan Washburn and normally has anywhere between 55 and 70 musicians. Its performances each season feature a mixture of classical and popular music.
COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP)  Kelsey Norris needs only one word to summarize her reaction to learning that she is the first candidate with an intellectual disability to qualify for the Miss Georgia Scholarship Competition in its 77-year history.

Happiness, she told the Ledger-Enquirer at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts in Columbus, where 53 Miss Georgia candidates and 38 Miss Georgias Outstanding Teen candidates are vying this week for more than $70,000 in college scholarships.

The finals start Saturday at 6 p.m.

Kelsey, 18, has been diagnosed with autism and Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes developmental delays. She is a rising senior and a straight-A student in special education at Veterans High School in the Houston County town of Kathleen. She lives in neighboring Bonaire with her single mother, Carol, who owns the Norris Consulting Group, which advises and writes grants for public agencies, nonprofit organizations and collaboratives.

KELSEY NORRIS PAGEANT BACKGROUND

Kelsey started competing in pageants when she was 10. She learned about the Miss Georgia competition through its Princess Program, which matches girls ages 5-12 with one of the Miss Georgia and Outstanding Teen candidates for mentoring during competition week. In 2016, she was paired with Miss Houston Countys Most Outstanding Teen Kelsey Hollis of Warner Robins, who won the Miss Georgias Most Outstanding Teen title that year.

That meant Kelsey could accompany Hollis to the national competition, where Kelsey won the award for raising the most money among that years princesses, more than $6,000 for the Childrens Miracle Network. Not only did Kelsey have fun, but she saw the positive impact she could make in her community and beyond through the Miss America Organization. So she was compelled to continue competing in pageants on her own.

I like winning crowns, she said.

And her mother likes what these competitions have done for Kelseys development as she perseveres through her disabilities. The pageants help improve her eye contact and other social skills, Carol told the L-E. They also provide motivation and opportunity for Kelsey to thrive in community service projects.

Carol appreciates the enormous support and kindness Kelsey receives from the Miss Georgia organization and candidates.

They look after her, they mentor her, they encourage her, she said. You couldnt ask for anything more.

ADOPTED FROM RUSSIAN ORPHANAGE

Kelsey was 11 months old  underweight and unhealthy  when Carol met her at a Russian orphanage. She was starving, had lice in her hair, Carol said.  She didnt walk or talk.

And yet, Carol still fell in love with Kelsey at first sight, then adopted her three months later.

She was obviously very sick, very small, Carol said, but her bright eyes and determination, I mean,  she was just so full of life.

That determination fueled Kelseys soaring spirit to rise above her disabilities.

Shes so vivacious,  very, very social, very loving, very kind and compassionate, Carol said. I just couldnt ask for a better daughter.

SUCCESS IN MULTIPLE AREAS

Kelsey has won six medals, including five golds, at the Georgia Special Olympics in bowling, swimming and track (1,500-meter and 3,000-meter race walks).

During the past 10 years, Kelsey has volunteered more than 4,500 hours in community service projects. She has donated more than 3 tons of dog food to the Humane Society and more than 3,500 cans and boxes of food to Backpack Buddies. She also has written grant proposals generating more than $25,000 for nonprofit organizations, Carol said.

Kelsey has authored five childrens books. Copies of Kelsey Goes to the Special Olympics were donated to each public school system in Georgia.

Her message, Kelsey said, is kindness, understanding, inclusion and acceptance can help people with disabilities find ways to contribute to their community. She wants folks to like me as a person.

Kelsey is an advisory board member for the HALO Group, which provides vocational and life skills training for young adults with intellectual disabilities. She has raised approximately $3,000 for HALO the past three years by collecting $1 for every mile she runs, jogs or swims.

No wonder her social impact initiative for the Miss Georgia competition is called Special Needs Means Special Abilities. She will dance to jazz-funk music during the talent portion of the event.

LOOKING AHEAD

The goal is for Kelsey to eventually live independently, Carol said, planning for her to attend one of Georgias nine colleges with inclusive postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities.

Kelsey hopes to become a police officer.

I want to help kids not be scared, she said.

Meanwhile, Kelsey and Carol are focused on enjoying Miss Georgia week.

Shes going to have fun, Kelsey said of her mother.

Very proud of her, Carol said.

And mama expects to cry when she sees her daughter on the Bill Heard Theatre stage, reflecting on how far Kelsey has come from that Russian orphanage.

No hope for a better future  and look where she is now, Carol said, because of her own hard work and determination.

Kelsey noted her mother has played a key role.

Shes helped me get through a lot of things, Kelsey said.

Miss Georgia Scholarship Organization board of trustees member Martez Favis told the L-E that Kelseys historic participation helps the Miss America Organization achieve its mission to prepare women for the world and to prepare the world for women. And thats all women, not just women who dont have physical or mental disabilities.  So I think this is a step in the right direction.

Kelseys historic participation also can benefit the other Miss Georgia candidates, Favis said.

He wants to them to understand the importance of being kind, the importance of taking the time to get to know someone, no matter how they look, no matter where they come from, no matter how they feel about a certain (issue). Its important we treat each other with love and respect.

Favis added, Its our prayer and our hope that shes not the last. So were looking forward to her being that trailblazer and others following in her footsteps.
COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP)  A Georgia teacher is free on bond after her arrest for allegedly sexually assaulting a student.

Columbus Police, in a news release, said Kendrea Hardison was arrested Thursday on two counts of sexual assault by a person with supervisory or disciplinary authority. She was later released after posting a $5,000 bond for each charge, Muscogee County Jail records showed.

Hardison is listed as a special education teacher at Jordan Vocational High School on the Muscogee County School District's website.

An investigation began April 11 after the school district reported the allegations to police, news outlets reported. Further details were not released.

At a preliminary hearing Friday, Hardison pleaded not guilty to the charges. It was unknown if she has an attorney who could speak on her behalf.
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BATH, Maine (AP)  The christening of a Navy destroyer on Saturday highlighted the sacrifices of two generations  the ships namesake killed in World War II and another Marine who died more than 60 years later.

The future USS Basilone bears the name of a Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor before his death on Iwo Jima.

Breaking a bottle on the ship's bow for good luck was a woman who lost her brother in an ambush in Fallujah, Iraq.

The legacy and sacrifice of such Marines are never forgotten, Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps Troy Black told a crowd of 2,000 gathered next to the warship at Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works in Maine.

Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism while defending Henderson Field against a fierce assault by a 3,000-strong Japanese force during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942.

The New Jersey resident returned home to a heros welcome and a parade. But he asked to rejoin his comrades and died on the opening day of the invasion of Iwo Jima in February 1945. He was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for heroism that day.

His 92-year-old brother Donald and others at the ceremony spoke of Basilone's patriotism, dedication and bravery.

That included his insistence on returning to combat instead of staying safe for the remainder of the war. He really wanted to go back, Donald Basilone said in statement read by his niece.

Ryan Manion, whose brother, Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion, was killed in Iraq, said both her brother and the ships namesake were cut from the same cloth even though they were from different generations.

John Basilone was a young patriot who joined the military to do his job when his country needed him the most, she said.

The ceremony marked a milestone in construction of the 509-foot guided-missile destroyer. Dignitaries included admirals, family members, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Manion, who is one of the ships sponsors, is president of the Pennsylvania-based Travis Manion Foundation, which aims to empower veterans and families of fallen heroes, using her brother's words, If not me, then who?

Her brother was killed by a sniper when he exposed himself to enemy fire to get an advantageous firing position and draw attention away from wounded Marines during an ambush in 2007 in Iraq.
analysis

Technology has increasingly blurred the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds. This has led to dramatic shifts in daily life and changed the way children and adolescents live, socialise, move around and learn.

Never before has this been so evident than at the onset of the COVID pandemic and the subsequent exponential rise in technology and internet use. Global estimates suggest that one in three internet users is a child.

Digital technology exposes children to information, social connection, education, online support groups and professional help. Yet, children engaging in the digital world are also exposed to a range of threats. These include inappropriate content (violent or sexual), undesirable contact with strangers and online bullying and victimisation.

The South African Child Gauge is an annual publication that aims to report on and monitor the situation of children in South Africa, in particular the realisation of their rights. This year, the theme of the report focuses on child and adolescent mental health.

Lately, there's been increasing publicdebate and concern that digital technologies may contribute to mental health problems such as depression, self-harm and suicide among adolescents and children. To contribute to the collective understanding of the experiences and consequences of growing up in a digital world, our chapter in the Child Gauge report aims to interrogate the impact of digital worlds on children's mental health. We also want to provide recommendations for policy and practice.

How South African children use digital technology

South Africa has approximately 38 million internet users (1.5 million households). Children most often go online on smartphones, using mobile data at home, and the level of online engagement increases as children become older. Mobile phone plans in South Africa also provide free or cheaper access to social media platforms, resulting in social media use being much more prevalent than any other online activity, driving the content that children engage with online.

The relationship between digital technology and mental health is complex.

Understanding the impact of the digital environment on children's mental health requires a balanced consideration of not only the potential risks, but also the benefits of the online world.

Not all exposure to online threats leads to harm. For example, participation in a public Facebook group could put a child at risk of sexual grooming, because adults sometimes pose as children. But, this won't necessarily lead to harm if a child is able to prevent, foresee and manage the attempted harassment.

Adolescents struggling with offline mental health problems may be more likely than others to seek out negative content online. This may amplify their existing mental health issues and may result in self harm. But social media may also be a source of mental health information, support and professional help.

It's therefore useful to consider how to foster the (digital) resilience of children so that they understand what risks they are likely to encounter at different ages and know when they are at risk. It's also important that they know what to do and how to recover from adverse experiences.

Keeping children safe online

Realising the benefits of technology for children's mental health and well-being, while restricting exposure to online threats, requires a holistic approach. This includes recognising the role that parents and caregivers, educators, government regulators, tech companies, and children themselves have to play in promoting children's mental health and well-being in all aspects of children's online engagement.

Parents often think that banning social media and the internet will keep their children safe, but that's not the case. Banning internet use may result in children being socially excluded or prevent them from accessing mental health services or information.

While parental controls and surveillance tech have their place, it's the internal safeguards like empathy, resilience and values that are more powerful and serve children throughout their lives, whether online or offline.

Parents need to start an open dialogue with their children. This will build rapport and allow children to open up about their social media use. Parents should model good citizenship (social literacy, community engagement, accountability, respecting others' rights and perspectives) and healthy digital habits for their children as well.

The technology industry has a huge part to play in designing products with the best interests of the child in mind. The privacy of young users' personal data needs to be protected and their right to freedom of expression needs to be preserved. Systems need to be put in place to address violations of children's rights when they occur.

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School policies, regulations and guidelines should aim to balance the protection of children with their rights to privacy and to use technology in a way that's appropriate to their age. Such policies should promote positive use of digital technologies, while taking steps to restrict access to harmful content.

Training for educators is also needed so that they can identify children who exhibit symptoms of trauma or distress as a result of online harm and can refer them to psycho-social support services.

Finally, and most importantly, children need access to information, education and training to support the development of their own digital literacy skills. They must feel confident to seek help when needed and know that it will be provided.

Dr Rachana Desai is a contributor of the South African Child Gauge 2021/2022. This annual report on the status of South Africa's children is published by the Children's Institute, University of Cape Town in partnership with the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand; UNICEF South Africa; the Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Foundation and The LEGO Foundation.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP)  A fire broke out at Armstrong Hall on the West Virginia University campus when a section of material used to resurface the roof caught fire, officials said.

Fewer than 20 people, mostly faculty and staff, were in the building at the time of the fire on Friday, media outlets reported. No classes were being held at the time and no injuries were reported.
DENVER (AP)  The temperature ticked upward recently as members of Denvers Street Enforcement Team talked with two men living in tents and under patio umbrellas near a scrap yard just south of the Auraria Campus.

The team, known as SET, had been here before and was looking for a woman who said she wanted them to come back and help her connect to housing services, but she wasnt home.

Instead, they met a man who said he wanted help, that he was tired of living this way. He just didnt trust that the member of the Denver Police Departments Homeless Outreach Team that the SET members called for him wouldnt run him for warrants, despite the street team members assurances the officer would just give him a ride.

If you want help, we can help, said Scott Lawson, a SET supervisor.

The Street Enforcement Team is the citys latest effort to impose its controversial camping ban, which makes it illegal for people to sleep on city streets, parks and sidewalks. For years, service providers, people experiencing homelessness and advocates have said Denvers camping ban does nothing to help unhoused people and instead punishes them for not having a home.

The goal of the Street Enforcement Team is to remove police from enforcing the camping ban and a limited set of other small municipal violations and free officers up to work on higher-level crimes, said Jeff Holliday, the deputy director of the Department of Public Safety who oversees the program.

The teams members can devote more time to each stop and talk with the people theyre interacting with and build relationships. The team covers the entire city and some calls can last three or four hours, Lawson said.

Critics of the Street Enforcement Team said it doesnt matter that its members arent police  they still have the same powers to enmesh someone in the criminal legal system. Theyre still targeting folks for surviving in public, said Terese Howard with Housekeys Action Network Denver. The SET workers also have less oversight than police, Howard said, and do not wear body cameras.

Its not really replacing law enforcement, its extending them, said Vinnie Cervantes of the Denver Alliance for Street Health Response.

 Its a complicated conversation

Since it started working in September, the Street Enforcement Team hasnt given out any tickets. Thats mostly because the City Council did not want the team members citing people until they received their uniforms, which have been backlogged since the fall, Holliday said. The team is not involved in encampment sweeps.

We want to make sure there is no confusion, he said. This conversation is a hot point for a lot of people and we want to make sure there is no confusion when a SET person is engaging with someone and we reach a point where were going to issue a citation that theyre very clearly identifiable for who they are and we dont confuse this with residents stepping into this role.

The team has had success getting people to comply with its orders to move along voluntarily, Lawson said. Members have contacted people in 2,465 tents and RVs and helped 335 people connect with resources. The team has only had to call in Denver police as backup in one situation, when a team member was assaulted.

Holliday has heard all the criticism of the program. SET workers have been protested by people who oppose the camping ban and the teams work.

Its a complicated conversation, he said. The fact of the matter is that unauthorized camping is very clearly not supported by the residents in the city and county of Denver. And they have an expectation that the city enforce that.

Holliday is also trying to be responsive to the daily complaints about encampments from people and some neighborhood groups. The number of complaints has grown significantly in the last year, department data shows. The tone of calls has also shifted.

But Holliday acknowledged tickets dont solve a persons problems and that the threat of a ticket  or a ticket itself  will not motivate some people.

They hear this from folks, You can write me 100 tickets, write them now. I dont care, Im not moving, Im staying right here, Holliday said.

SET workers wont give out tickets before the person theyre talking to receives a verbal warning, a written warning and a referral to services. If someone at any point accepts services or indicates they may be interested, the threat of a ticket will be dropped.

Because a citation in and of itself isnt going to fix the underlying situation, he said.

A ticket for unauthorized camping carries a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail, though people convicted of the crime could get a probationary sentence, diversion or credit for time already served, Denver City Attorneys Office spokeswoman Jacqlin Davis said. There is no monetary fine attached to that particular citation, she said.

Some people are motivated by the threat of a ticket for trespassing or unauthorized camping, however, and will move or talk about services available to them, Holliday said.

Thats ridiculous, Howard said. (A ticket) puts people backward, not forward.

The ticket starts out as a ticket, but almost always turns into a failure to appear warrant when the person misses their court date, Howard said. That warrant eventually turns into an arrest, which means time in jail. While the person is in jail, theres a good chance their belongings will be stolen or trashed. Then they get out and start all over, but this time with an arrest on their record that can hinder their access to housing.

The Street Enforcement Team works side-by-side with the Early Intervention Team, which tries to help people experiencing homelessness who are living in encampments. The Early Invention Team began in the Department of Safety and the Street Enforcement Team was created as the Early Intervention Team moved to the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.

The city budgeted $977,894 for SET in the Department of Public Safetys 2022 budget along with $206,800 from a different fund for program vehicles. The department used about $200,000 in vacancy savings to fund the program in 2021.

Howard, who has been homeless, said the money would be better spent housing people, creating regular trash services for encampments or even further expanding the citys STAR program, which sends behavioral health clinicians to calls instead of police.

There are countless very vital lifesaving things that could be happening, she said.

 A work in progress

The members of the Street Enforcement Team are not licensed clinicians or social workers. The job requires a high school diploma and one year of experience in regulation compliance, enforcement, safety, community outreach, customer service or similar experience, according to a job listing. Holliday said the No. 1 skill he looks for in candidates is the ability to build relationships and a strong sense of empathy. The city is hiring six more people for the team, Holliday said.

The five members currently on the team spend about eight hours a day out on the street. They know many of the people they contact. In their cars  unmarked city vehicles  they keep duct tape, trash bags, cleaning wipes, clothes and socks.

When the officer arrived recently to take the man living near the scrap yard to the Behavioral Health Solutions Center, the man started having second thoughts. He felt rushed, he said, and was worried about leaving his bike frame behind. After 15 minutes of conversation with the SET members, he agreed to get in the car, putting his bike frame in the trunk.

The members of the team were relieved. The man had been making suicidal comments and if he hadnt agreed to go to the Solutions Center, they wouldve called in the STAR van or other mental health professionals.

At another encampment tucked between the railroad and Lipan Street, the team looked for a man with serious health problems to make sure he had made it to his medical appointments. He wasnt home when they knocked on his plywood shack, but they talked to a woman living in a trailer on unoccupied private property. Theyd talked to her before and Lawson told her she needed to get the trailer off the property by 3 p.m. She agreed, she just needed to get her friend with a truck to come by.

The encampment had been there for months, Lawson said, with a revolving group of residents. Theyd built relationships with some of the people and are hopeful theyll be able to help some of them.

Its a work in progress, Lawson said.
HOPEWELL, Va. (AP)  Four inmates escaped from a federal prison's satellite camp in Virginia, officials announced Saturday morning.

Inmates Corey Branch, Tavares Lajuane Graham, Lamonte Rashawn Willis and Kareem Allen Shaw were discovered missing from the Federal Correctional Complex Petersburgs satellite camp in Hopewell, Virginia, around 1:45 a.m., the Federal Bureau of Prisons said in a news release. The minimum security facility houses 185 male offenders, officials said. Officials did not release any details about how the inmates escaped.

The U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies were notified and an internal investigation has been initiated, officials said.

Branch, 41, was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia to more than 13 years for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm. Graham, 44, was sentenced in the Eastern District of North Carolina to 10 years for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Willis, 30, was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia to 18 years for possessing and concealing a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Shaw, 46, was sentenced in the Western District of Virginia to more than 16 years for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a measurable quantity of heroin.
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McLEAN, Va. (AP)  Gunfire rang out during a fight at a northern Virginia mall on Saturday, and police said three people were hurt while fleeing though no one was shot.

Officers were called to Tysons Corner Center on Saturday afternoon for a report of shots fired at the prominent mall near the nation's capital, Fairfax County police said, but there was no active shooter situation. A fight had broken out and one man took out a gun and fired it, police said.

Officials didnt announce any immediate arrests, but Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference that he expected to be sharing information with the public soon about those involved.

Know this: We will find, we will capture and we will hold accountable the persons involved in this melee,  Davis said.

Some officers were already at the mall when reports of gunfire started coming in and other officers who were on the road were dispatched to the mall, Police Col. Brian Reilly said.

The officers rushing in as people fled the mall tried to determine whether anyone was injured and if there were any suspects or victims.

Three people were taken to local hospitals with injuries received while fleeing, but no one was injured from gunfire, Reilly said.

The shooting happened on a second-floor walkway and investigators have found evidence consistent with gunfire and shell casings, he said.

Officers cleared the mall to make sure no suspects were present and helped those who had sheltered in place, Reilly said. The mall remained closed for the remainder of the day and won't reopen until Sunday, according to police.

Detectives are reviewing video from hundreds of cameras inside the mall to determine what happened, Reilly said. It appears that two groups of at least three people each were engaged in a fight when the shots were fired, he said.

News images showed police near the mall, some in helmets and camouflage gear with weapons raised as a precaution. Some people could be seen hugging each other after exiting the mall.
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP)  A Kansas teenager has been sentenced to life in prison in the shooting death of a 12-year-old boy during a botched gun deal.

WDAF-TV reports that a jury convicted 18-year-old Jaylen LaRon Johnson of Kansas City, Kansas, of first-degree murder last month. Sentencing was Friday.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  Three people are expected to recover after being shot in the parking lot of a bar in Omaha.

Police say officers were called just before 1 a.m. Saturday to Gate 10 Bar on 10th Street. A vehicle reportedly involved in the shooting was leaving the area, prompting a police pursuit.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP)  Two former members of a University of Missouri fraternity have been indicted for a hazing incident that left another student blind and unable to walk or communicate after drinking a liter of vodka.

A Boone County grand jury on Friday indicted former Phi Gamma Delta fraternity members Ryan Delanty and Thomas Shultz, both of St. Louis County, in the hazing of Daniel Santulli, 19, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, the Columbia Missourian reported.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP)  UK Health Care plans to buy 27 acres of land in central Kentucky to build a new medical campus, the University of Kentucky announced.

Plans for the medical campus include a new regional hospital facility, medical office building and other clinical facilities, with a focus on providing acute and outpatient care, media outlets reported. The property is expected to cost $20.3 million, the university said.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP)  A statewide program designed to teach law enforcement officers how to have safe interactions with those who have an autism spectrum disorder is being launched.

The Safe Interactions for Law Enforcement and Persons with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities training was offered this month in Berkeley and Marion counties, through a partnership with the Department of Health and Human Resources, West Virginia University and the West Virginia State Police.

State Police Capt. R.A. Maddy said the goal of the training is to reduce negative interactions and adverse outcomes by increasing awareness of intellectual or developmental disabilities, with a focus on autism spectrum disorder. Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability with varying degrees of impairment creating atypical behaviors, patterns of interest, social interactions and communications.

First Sgt. K.G. Murray of the State Police said the training is critical for 21st century policing.

As parents of a young adult and teen with ASD it is the hope of my wife and I that ASD awareness training is a highly effective educational tool to all law enforcement in West Virginia, where most of our encounters with those with ASD are positive, he said. Through this training West Virginia can be the light for the rest of the nation to follow when it comes to ASD training and education for law enforcement and all first responders.

In April 2021, the West Virginia Legislature passed a law that requires the states law enforcement and correctional officers to undergo training for handling cases involving someone with autism spectrum disorder in which those people are victims of or witnesses to a crime, or suspected or convicted of a crime. Autism awareness training within law enforcement started last year.

Julie OMalley, community and education training coordinator for the West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University, said the first training under the law was held June 28, 2021. OMalley said that training for the academy was molded around the academys scenario-based training to show how the scenario might be different if a person with autism spectrum disorder was involved.

She said the training stresses the importance of being able to tell if someone is overwhelmed, sensory-wise, and understand how officers can scale that back, such as through noise-canceling headphones or fidget toys. OMalley said the first officers trained on the subject were given a sensory bag with some of those helpful items, but the grant that funded it ran out.

She also said the training also stresses the importance of telling the person what the officer wants them to do, and not what they shouldnt do.

She said she starts training with a video of a call in which a policeman approached a person with autism.

It goes from nine seconds from when the police see him to they go hands on, she said. If they can take a step back, really analyze the situation a little bit better, its much safer for everyone involved.

Training is really about safety for everyone, including the community. Thats why community involvement and education are equally as important, OMalley said.

If the person that had called (the police) had just known a little bit about autism, she said, by his key social cue, by his speech, the intonation of his speech, they really would have been able to tell and they wouldnt even have had to call to put the police in that situation.

OMalley said she was encouraged to see communities such as Hurricane hosting events in which those with autism spectrum disorder can get to know first responders in a low-stimulation environment.

Thats the time to do it, not when a 911 call has been made. Thats not a teaching moment. I mean, everybodys in crisis, she said. You have to get those teachable moments before the crisis happens.

OMalley said she has heard positive feedback about academy training. A mother of a child with autism spectrum disorder said one of the former cadets who completed the training had later gone to a similar community event.

Theyre getting to know the families in their communities, she said. So you know, they are establishing relationships so if they get a call and go to a home, the child or adult is already going to be on their radar.

The Safe Interactions training will be four-hour sessions and are free to all current active-duty officers. Participants can receive four in-service education credits.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

Volunteers in San Francisco are being sought to help create new heat maps of the urban landscape by attaching sensors to their vehicles.

The city is one of 14 that were selected for the Urban Heat Watch project, which aims to better understand the relationship between climate change, extreme temperatures, public health and the built environment, according to the city administrator's office.

The project is sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and will allow the city to measure how temperatures vary by neighborhood in an effort to address health inequalities related to extreme heat.

About 50 volunteers are being recruited to attach sensors to their vehicles and drive along pre-determined routes in the city. The sensors will record temperature and humidity data that will help design urban heat island maps. Interested volunteers can sign up at sfclimatehealth.org/heatwatch.

"We know that the conditions of extreme heat and poor air quality caused by climate change can have detrimental health impacts and exacerbate health inequities among communities of color and among medically vulnerable individuals," said the city's director of health, Dr. Grant Colfax.

The project is a partnership between multiple city agencies and two nonprofits, Brightline Defense Project and NICOS Chinese Health Coalition.

"We joined this effort because natural disasters such as extreme heat disproportionately impact people of color and marginalized communities such as those residing in Chinatown," Kent Woo, executive director of NICOS, said in a news release. "We are proud to partner with the City and the Urban Heat Watch project to empower our ability to monitor and address the effects of extreme heat."

The city reports higher increases of emergency room visits during extreme heat compared to other parts of the state. That's because people who live in temperate climates have a harder time withstanding extreme heat events than people who live in hotter climates, according to the administrator's office.

The effects can be worse for vulnerable populations, including older adults, children, and people with pre-existing health conditions, and people who cannot easily relocate to find temporary relief.

According to a 2019 report by UC Berkely Public School of health, San Francisco has between three and six extreme heat events each year. Climate change could increase such events up to 13 per year by the end of the century.

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analysis

Something important for global agriculture happened this past week but received minimal media coverage. The Chinese National Crop Variety Approval Committee released two standards that clear the path for cultivating genetically modified (GM) crops in the country.

This has been the missing piece in the regulations for the commercial growing of genetically modified maize and soybeans in China. The government has two steps in these regulations. These are a "safety certificate" and a "variety approval" before crops can be commercially cultivated.

Various genetically modified maize and soybean varieties have received the safety certificate since 2019. What's been missing has been the "variety approval". Now that hurdle has been cleared and commercialisation of genetically modified crops in China is a real possibility.

This message was also echoed by the Chinese Agriculture Ministry. It noted that "China plans to approve more genetically modified (GM) maize varieties." Currently, China imports genetically modified maize and soybean but prohibits domestic cultivation of the crops.

The change in regulations would potentially lead to an improvement in yields. This is aligned with China's ambition of becoming self-sufficient in essential grains and oilseeds in the coming years. There are specific targets in products like pork, where the country wants to produce 95% of its consumption by 2025.

South African farmers and agribusinesses need to pay close attention to these developments because it will have an impact on the long-term growth of the domestic agricultural sector.

The increase in production in other parts of the world, specifically in maize, where South Africa is a net exporter, could bring increased competition and downward pressure on prices in the medium term. Some of South Africa's key maize export markets are South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. All have proximity to China.

If China progressively increases production and becomes a consistent net exporter of maize, South Africa would have to explore markets elsewhere. This would be a challenge.

The debate

China's maize yields are comparable with South Africa, the United States, Argentina and Brazil, which have long adopted the genetically modified seeds (see Exhibit 1).

In these countries, among others, genetically modified seeds have had additional benefits such as lowering insecticide use, encouraged more environmentally friendly tillage practices and crop yield improvements.

If maize and soybean yields improve in the coming years, China's import dependence could lessen.

China is one of the world's largest maize and soybean importers. The country accounted for 13% of global maize imports in 2021 and roughly 60% of the world's soybean imports. Reducing import volumes is likely to lead to downward pressure on global prices.

A reduction in the global maize and soybeans prices would be positive for consumers and the livestock and poultry sectors. This is much needed as the world has been in a period of elevated food prices over the past two years.

This is unlikely to happen within the next two seasons as widespread planting of GM crops in China will likely take some time. China has been slow in GM adoption, but made significant progress in gene editing, which has different regulations, and has helped improve the crop yields.

The consequences

There are lessons here for the African countries, most of which have resisted the cultivation of genetically modified crops. South Africa is the exception.

According to the International Grains Council, South Africa produces about 16% of sub-Saharan maize, using a relatively small area of an average of 2.5 million hectares since 2010. In contrast, countries such as Nigeria planted 6.5 million hectares in the same production season but only harvested 11.0 million tonnes of maize, equating to 15% of the sub-Saharan region's maize output.

Irrigation has been an added factor in South Africa, but not to a large extent, as only 10% of the country's maize is irrigated, with 90% being rainfed. This is similar to other African countries.

South Africa began planting genetically engineered maize seeds in the 2001/02 season. Before its introduction, average maize yields were around 2.4 tonnes per hectare. This has now increased to an average of 5.6 tonnes per hectare as of the 2020/21 production season.

Meanwhile, the sub-Saharan African maize yields remain low, averaging below 2.0 tonnes per hectare. While yields are also influenced by improved germplasm (enabled by non-genetically modified biotechnology) and improved low and no-till production methods (facilitated through herbicide-tolerant GM technology), other benefits include labour savings and reduced insecticide use as well as enhanced weed and pest control.

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With the African continent currently struggling to meet its annual food needs, using technology, genetically modified seeds, and other means should be an avenue to explore to boost production. The benefits of an increase in agricultural output are evident in Argentina, Brazil, the United States, and South Africa.

Many African governments should reevaluate their regulatory standards and embrace technology. Of course, this typically introduces debates about the ownership of seeds and how smallholder farmers could struggle to obtain seeds in some developing countries.

These are realities that policymakers in the African countries should manage in terms of reaching agreements with seed breeders and technology developers but not close off innovation. The technology developers also need to be mindful of these concerns when engaging various governments in the African countries.

Geopolitical and climate change risks present the urgency to explore the technological solutions to increase each country's agricultural production. The Chinese regulators are following that path.

Wandile Sihlobo, Senior Fellow, Department of Agricultural Economics, Stellenbosch University
Washoe County Sheriff's Office

Two hikers were rescued and treated for mild hypothermia from the Tahoe Rim Trail north of Incline Village on Monday, June 13, KOLO-TV reported.

The outlet says that when rescue crews found them at about 7 p.m. in the Rose Knob area, neither had proper water-resistant footwear for the snow they were wading through, exposing them to the harsh cold. According to a Facebook post from the Washoe County Sheriffs Office, they were also in an "extremely steep, rocky area," which made the rescue so challenging, personnel had to use complex rope systems to safely get rescue teams and hikers out. The post says that by 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, the crews and two hikers made it back to the Mount Rose Highway.
In the latest air travel developments, a low-cost Japanese airline plans to start flying to San Jose later this year, and Southwest has scheduled a new intrastate flight out of SJC; Department of Transportation chief Pete Buttigieg asks airlines what theyre doing to keep their schedules on track this summer as pilot shortages continue to cause problems; Adobe Analytics says the cost of U.S. air travel has jumped 47% since January as domestic bookings softened in May; Delta reportedly plans to test its new A321neos for Hawaii service; three smaller foreign carriers add U.S. routes; American and Delta add code-sharing routes in India, Africa; Turkish Airlines gets a new name; Alaska Airlines tightens policy on airport lounge day passes; Capital One and Chase follow American Express into the airport lounge game.

This week, South Bay travelers got a new trans-Atlantic option as British Airways finally resumed its daily flights from Mineta San Jose to London Heathrow. And now SJC officials say they expect to welcome new trans-Pacific service later this year from a low-cost Japanese airline. The carrier is Zipair, which is due to start flying in December from SJC to Tokyo Narita. Zipair is no fly-by-night upstart; its a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan Airlines with a fleet of two-class 787s; it already flies to Los Angeles and Honolulu as well as several Asian destinations. Details of the new San Jose flights are still being developed, and the new route remains subject to government approval, SJC said. SJC and ZIPAIR will share additional information regarding the new service as it becomes available.

San Jose has some new domestic intrastate service coming as well. Southwest Airlines plans to introduce SJC-Palm Springs flights on Nov. 6, airport officials said this week. The Southwest flights will operate six days a week (except Saturdays) and are available for booking now. The only other nonstop service currently offered between SJC and PSP is an Alaska Airlines flight operated by its partner SkyWest. Southwest already operates nonstop flights between Oakland and Palm Springs, while United and Alaska have nonstop service to PSP from San Francisco International.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Concerned about continuing reports of U.S. airlines cancellations and delays this spring, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg summoned carrier executives to a conference call this week where he urged them to clean up their operational act now that the peak travel season is here and asked them to explain what their companies are doing to keep flights operating smoothly. While bad weather and air traffic control problems have caused a lot of cancellations this year, airline staffing problems have also been a key factor as the carriers rush to staff up to pre-pandemic levels, and some carriers have preemptively trimmed their summer schedules because of labor shortages.

In April, U.S. carriers hired almost 5,000 new employees as part of the ongoing restaffing effort. The biggest part of the staffing deficit is a shortage of pilots, especially at major carriers regional affiliates, which have been canceling flights and dropping routes because they dont have enough pilots to fly them. Regional airlines have traditionally been a prime source of pilots for the major carriers, and their prospects of being hired up are now better than ever. American Airlines this week took a big step to prevent a personnel drain from its American Eagle regional affiliates Envoy Air, Piedmont Airlines and PSA Airlines by increasing their pilot pay by a whopping 50%. That could set off a competitive pay battle at other regional carriers, but keeping those pilots in their current jobs could exacerbate the majors flight deck staffing problems, where pilots are facing increased pressure to keep the planes flying.

In their first-ever open letter to customers this week, pilots at Delta said they have been working on our days off, flying a record amount of overtime to help you get to your destination. By this fall, they said, they will have flown more overtime in 2022 than in the entirety of 2018 and 2019 combined, our busiest years to date.

1001nights/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Its no surprise that airfares are going up considering the rise in jet fuel costs, the huge increase in passenger demand, and the limited ability of major airlines to increase their capacity this year. But it is surprising just how much fares have jumped. According to the latest report from Adobe Analytics  which tracks direct consumer online bookings for six of the top 10 U.S. carriers  prices for domestic flights during May were up 6.2% from April levels, and 30% from pre-pandemic levels in May 2019. This marks the fourth consecutive month where prices have risen over pre-pandemic levels, Adobe said, noting that April 2022 air ticket prices rose 27% over comparable 2019 levels while the increase was 20% in March and 5% in February. Prices have also increased significantly over the course of the year, rising 47% since January 2022, the company noted. Adobe said the number of domestic bookings in May dropped by 2.3% from April, but the amount of money spent on those bookings rose by 6.2% due to the higher fares paid.

Adobe noted that higher prices are starting to affect bookings for domestic summer flights (June-September), which are down 2% versus the same time in 2019. However, there are indications  as the airlines have been predicting for a while now  that international flight bookings from the U.S. are picking up since the federal government last week ended its requirement that everyone flying into this country must get a negative COVID test before boarding their flight. United reported this week that in the first three days after the testing mandate was lifted, it recorded more than 2.4 million searches for international flights, an increase of 7% over the previous week.

We recently reported on Delta putting the first of its new Airbus A321neos into service last month on a couple of daily San Francisco-Boston flights, with plans to deploy it on additional BOS routes in the months ahead. But this week, The Points Guy reported that Delta is looking to try out the new aircraft on a Hawaii route at least temporarily, with plans to fly the single-aisle aircraft from Seattle to Maui from Sept. 6 to Oct. 5. Delta is due to deploy the new plane on other routes later this summer, all out of Boston, where it is involved in a tough market-share battle with the JetBlue/American alliance.

Deltas A321neos will start flying from BOS to Seattle on Aug. 11 and from Boston to Denver and San Diego on Aug. 20. Its taking delivery of 26 A321neos this year, and theres no question that the plane is suited for mainland-Hawaii service; Hawaiian Airlines has been using it from cities in the western U.S. for some time now. Deltas A321neos have 194 seats, including 20 in first class, 42 in Comfort Plus, and 132 in the main cabin.

Picture Alliance/DPA/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Meanwhile, the Hawaiian travel publication Beat of Hawaii said this week it expects to see a lot more Airbus A321s in the years ahead  not just the A321 neo, but the A321XLR, an even longer-range version (XLR stands for extra long range) that will be joining the fleets of American and United in 2023 and 2025 respectively. (Airbus just conducted the first XLR test flight this week.) Although the two airlines will likely start out flying the XLRs to Europe and Latin America, the publication said, these are a perfect fit for Hawaii that we can guarantee neither of them will miss. The aircrafts extra range would allow those carriers to fly nonstop to the islands from their mainland hubs, even on the East Coast, it said.

Some smaller foreign carriers are resuming or starting new routes to the U.S. Air Transat, a Canadian carrier, plans to begin service Nov. 3 between Las Vegas and Montreal with four flights a week. The route is already served by Air Canada. Edelweiss, a Swiss leisure airline that is part of the Lufthansa Group, this week resumed service between Denver and Zurich with two A340 flights a week after a three-year hiatus; it also flies to Zurich from Tampa and Las Vegas. And a low-cost Peruvian carrier called SKY Airline Peru has inaugurated its first service to the U.S. with a route from Miami to Lima. Its four weekly A320neo flights are slated to increase to six on July 4 and then to daily frequencies on Aug. 1.

In international code-sharing news, American Airlines and the Indian carrier IndiGo have put their new code-sharing pact into operation following the requisite government approvals. In its first phase, Americans code is going onto IndiGos flights from New Delhi to Mumbai and Bangalore (Bengaluru) for passengers connecting from AAs New York-New Delhi route. And Delta said this week it has expended its code-sharing pact with Kenya Airways so that travelers on Deltas New York JFK-Accra, Ghana, flights can now connect there via Delta-coded Kenya Airways flights to Freetown, Sierra Leone; Monrovia, Liberia; and Nairobi, Kenya.

Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

If youre in a major international airport in the months ahead and you see a plane with a logo that says Turkiye Hava Yollari, you may wonder why such an unknown little carrier is flying around the world. But its not a little unknown carrier  its Turkish Airlines. According to Euronews.com, Turkish President Recep Erdogan has ordered the national airlines rebranding as part of a larger effort to stop people from using the westernized name Turkey for his country and instead to start calling it by its Turkish name, Turkiye. Thats pronounced Tur-key-yay.

In domestic airport news, Alaska Airlines has made some changes to its airport lounge program  specifically, its sale of single-use day passes. The airline has boosted the cost of a day pass from $50 to $60 and has limited the number of lounges where it can be used. The passes are now available only for Alaskas lounges at San Francisco International, Los Angeles International and New York JFK, but not at Seattle-Tacoma, Portland International or Anchorage airport. And theyre only good at the airport where they are purchased. Alaska Airlines Visa cardholders get a 50% discount. The company said it made the changes to maintain space for our Lounge members and other guests. Free lounge access is also available to those with Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire status earned through Alaska or American Airlines when they travel to Mexico City, Central or South America, Europe, Africa, Asia or Australia.

Although American Express has a big lead with its Centurion Lounges for premium cardholders in major airports and many more affiliated locations in its Global Lounge Collection, other big credit card issuers are also jumping into the airport lounge competition. And not a moment too soon, as demand for airport lounge space has led some airlines to start imposing restrictions on access for members of their own lounge programs. (Speaking of American Express, The Points Guy reported this week that the companys big Centurion Lounge at Los Angeles International finally reopened June 15. The facility originally opened in March 2020 as the COVID pandemic started to spread, but then all Centurion Lounges closed. The LAX lounge, in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, is the last to reopen.)

Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty

Capital One has started to open its own proprietary airport lounges for its Capital One Venture X cardholders, with one location currently operating at Dallas/Fort Worth International and plans for additional lounges later this year at Denver International and Washington Dulles. The Venture X card, which costs $395 a year, also includes access to hundreds of airport lounges worldwide in the Priority Pass network, and now the company has added unlimited access for Venture X cardholders to 100 Plaza Premium airport lounges. The expansion also includes Virgin Atlantics U.S. Clubhouses and the Air France lounge at Montreals airport. Holders of the lesser Capital One Venture Rewards card and the companys Spark Miles card (both $95 a year), who get two lounge passes per year as part of their membership, can now use them at the Plaza Premium lounges.

JP Morgan Chase has been working on its own airport lounge network for several months and is expected to open the first one later this year at Boston Logan, with additional locations coming at New York LaGuardia, San Diego International, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas and Hong Kong International. The lounges are intended for use by Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders and are being developed with a company called Airport Dimensions, which operates its own airport lounges branded as The Club. The Chase locations will be called Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club. But not just cardholders will be allowed in  the lounges will also be open to Priority Pass members.
WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, June 18, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Archer County in northern Texas...

* Until 600 PM CDT.

* At 507 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles south of

Lake Kickapoo, moving northwest at 15 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Archer City, Megargel and Lake Kickapoo.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SHREVEPORT Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, June 18, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Shreveport LA

556 PM CDT Sat Jun 18 2022

...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Little River, western

Hempstead, northern Miller, Sevier, southeastern Howard and east

central Bowie Counties through 645 PM CDT...

At 556 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along

a line extending from near Nashville to Tollette to 6 miles south of

Saratoga to near Mandeville. Movement was west at 35 mph. Gust front

in advance of these thunderstorms could produce winds to near 50

mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio

stations and available television stations for additional information

and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

LAT...LON 3404 9382 3401 9382 3401 9375 3399 9370

3381 9376 3365 9377 3348 9370 3348 9372

3345 9374 3337 9441 3369 9444 3384 9441

3413 9431

TIME...MOT...LOC 2256Z 093DEG 33KT 3397 9387 3382 9392 3368 9395 3350

9394

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northwestern Archer County in northern Texas...

Southwestern Wichita County in northern Texas...

Southeastern Wilbarger County in northern Texas...

Northeastern Baylor County in northern Texas...

* Until 645 PM CDT.

* At 557 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 4 miles east of

Dundee, moving north at 15 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Dundee, Mankins, Lake Kickapoo and Lake Diversion.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SPOKANE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, June 18, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Southeastern Ferry County in northeastern Washington...

* Until 500 PM PDT.

* At 154 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or

expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban

areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as

other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Inchelium. Hall Creek and Hall Creek Road.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
In global battle against climate change and loss of biodiversity, Africa's success is crucial

Dried rivers, denuded forests, dead livestock, malnourished children, disempowered populations--these are just some of the harrowing images the media routinely depict about Africa.

Indeed, land degradation, desertification, and drought are causes for concern. Yet we know that the continent's peatlands, grasslands, forests, and rivers represent the promise of restoration.

Peatlands, for example, can store extensive amounts of carbon for centuries if protected. Grasslands, often viewed us unproductive wastelands, are important storehouses for carbon and a livelihood resource for pastoral communities, useful for grazing of wild and domestic species.

Forests are important carbon sinks too. If degraded and lost, they can also become huge greenhouse emitters.

Land degradation is a global issue

Land quality is in decline worldwide. Global assessments show that 40 per cent of global land is degraded, putting half of the world's population at risk.

Degraded lands and soils lose their ability to support animal and plant life. They cannot provide water, food, or protect against the impacts of droughts, floods, fires, or even diseases like COVID-19.

People are chiefly responsible for this predicament. Humans have converted or transformed 70 per cent of the world's land from its natural state, to "managed lands." Animal grazing represents the single largest land-use category, followed by managed forestland and cropland.

In Europe, 25 per cent, an equivalent of 120,000km2, of peatlands are reported degraded, and 60 to 70 per cent of soils have lost their capacity to function, risking desertification for 25 per cent of southern Europe.

Soil quality in the United States has degenerated so significantly that farmers there spend an estimated half a billion US dollars on synthetic fertilizers every year to maintain world dominance as the largest producers of maize and other crops.

In central Asia, extraction of water for agricultural purposes, has reduced the Aral Sea from the fourth largest lake in the world to a relative puddle, devastating livelihoods and economies in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. A similar future may be facing Lake Chad in West Africa.

Declining forests

Forests across the planet are in decline. Most of those in dire state are in the tropics, such as the Amazon in Brazil and Latin America; in Indonesia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia; and in Congo in Central Africa.

Wildfires and logging have accelerated tree loss in the boreal and temperate forests of Russia and North America. Co-opted for agriculture, grasslands, which cover 24 per cent of the earth's surface, are at serious risk.

Climatologists refer to land degradation occurring in drylands as desertification and point to human activity--overexploiting of soil and water resources--and climate change as culprits.

Drought often accompanies desertification, affecting more than 55 million people worldwide every year, especially the poor in low-income countries.

Desertification, land degradation, and drought affect sub-Saharan Africa more than any single region on earth. Asia is a close second. These regions, most of them poor rural communities, made up of small-scale farmers, women, youth, indigenous peoples, and other at-risk groups, are under immense pressure to feed themselves.

"By supporting Africa's initiatives, such as its commitments to reversing land degradation, abating desertification, bending the curve on greenhouse gas emissions, and halting the extinction of wild species, the world also stands to benefit"

Reason for hope

Under the Rio Conventions - on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification--and other voluntary initiatives, the world agreed, through pledges and commitments, to restore one billion hectares of degraded lands and ecosystems.

UN member states have also declared 2021-2030 the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. This is trigging a global movement and fuelling momentum for restoration and sustainable land management.

Sub-Saharan African countries are responsible for almost half of global restoration commitments and pledges. Many of them have made commitments under the Land Degradation Neutrality framework and the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative.

African countries are focused on protecting and restoring natural areas and on managing and rehabilitating lands that have been converted largely for agriculture and forestry. Africa also promised to restore the Sahel and Sahara through the Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative--a bold objective, given the magnitude of the challenge of greening over 100 million hectares of desert and degraded land.

There are officially 11 African countries participating in GGW. So far Ethiopia and Niger are said to have contributed the most to GGW, largely through tree planting/reforestation, soil and water conservation, and farmer-managed natural regeneration.

Ironically, Africa holds the best solutions for moving the world towards a secure climate-resilient future but faces the toughest challenges. The continent has the youngest population, the largest amount of arable land, and the greatest potential for restoration, and it already hosts a quarter of the global stock of wildlife populations.

Yet, Africa houses the poorest people who are most vulnerable to climate and environmental stress. It also lacks the political muscle to secure enough financing for needed restoration and adaptation measures.

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Estimates, for example, show it will take between $36 billion and $43 billion to restore the Sahel, which is far more money than the $16 billion pledged by donors at the 2021 One Planet Summit for the Great Green Wall.

For the world to restore its degraded lands and ecosystems, Africa must succeed. It must start by building livelihoods and defeating poverty.

A recent analysis estimates that fulfilling current global restoration commitments will require $1.6 trillion over 10 years. A 2015 study of 42 African countries showed that net benefits of taking action against soil erosion on 105 million hectares of croplands, between 2016 and 2030, could yield as much as $62.4 billion per year. Globally, researchers estimate potential economic returns as high as $125 trillion to $140 trillion every year--much more than it will cost.

In the global battle against climate change and biodiversity loss, Africa's success is crucial. By supporting Africa's initiatives, such as its commitments to reversing land degradation, abating desertification, bending the curve on greenhouse gas emissions, and halting the extinction of wild species, the world also stands to benefit.

Ms. Kgomotso is a Senior Technical Advisor in Sustainable Land Management and Restoration on the UNDP's Nature, Climate and Energy Team. She is based in Istanbul.
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analysis

Once again, Libya is caught in a debilitating impasse between rival governments in Tripoli and Tobruk.

'Libya has two prime ministers. Again. Groundhog day,' Anas El Gomati, Director of Libya's Sadeq Institute think tank, tweeted recently. Once again, the chronically troubled country has two rival governments: one in the west based in the capital Tripoli and another in the east, in Tobruk.

It's as if 2021 has simply been torn from the calendar. Last year a consensual interim transitional government representing both east and west was formed, with a promise of presidential and parliamentary elections in December. But the rivals couldn't agree on the polls, so Libya entered a familiar state of bipolar limbo.

In March 2022, the House of Representatives in Tobruk appointed former interior minister Fathi Bashagha as prime minister to replace Tripoli-based prime minister Abdelhamid Dabaiba. It said Dabaiba's mandate as interim leader expired in December when elections were due. Dabaiba refused to step down, saying he would only do so for an elected administration.

On 17 May, when Bashagha entered Tripoli to instal his government, armed groups loyal to Dabaiba opened fire and one person was killed. He tried again early in June with the same result. Now he's camped in nearby Sirte, poised for an unlikely triumphant entry into Tripoli.

The Ukraine war has complicated chances of getting all international players around a table

Meanwhile not much is happening to resolve the impasse. The United Nations' acting special representative for Libya, Stephanie Williams, is moderating seemingly desultory talks in Cairo with no visible progress.

Abdelkader Abderrahmane, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), is pessimistic about prospects for resolving the crisis. This is partly because the international community is focused on Ukraine and isn't adequately engaged in Libya.

Silvia Colombo, a Senior Researcher at the Nato Defense College in Rome, feels the same. 'The most worrying thing is that the institutional framework, the roadmap that had been negotiated with so much pain, so much delay and many efforts by the representatives of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, has been completely scrapped. And there is no clear path today as to how to manage the situation in the short term and in the long term.'

She doesn't blame one side more than the other for returning Libya to this old impasse. Bashagha claims the House of Representatives chose him as prime minister, and Dabaiba should relinquish power after failing to organise the 24 December elections. But, Colombo says, the House can't make such a decision, being biased and corrupt with no popular mandate. And, she notes, the House leader did all in his power to derail elections and prevent Dabaiba consolidating power.

Political elites have found ways to live off the impasse, and elections could end all that

Khalifa Haftar, the Tobruk camp's military chief - many would say its real leader - shut down most oil and gas fields and export terminals in mid-April to weaken Dabaiba by denying him access to oil revenues.

All of this makes life intolerable for ordinary Libyans. But Colombo notes the current stalemate suits more people than one might think - a large elite. Though the recent skirmishes in Tripoli disturbed the peace, there's been no return to the pre-2021 full-scale war. The regional and international actors engaged in the war before the ceasefire, and the Libyan Political Dialogue which led to the progress of 2021, also seemingly have no interest in resuming hostilities.

'And this is just an old story, a script many players in the country use to buy time,' Colombo says. 'And on top of this is the fact that the international community, except for Mrs Williams, are not paying enough attention to Libya.' For the obvious reason. But also because some European countries, particularly France, had invested a lot in pushing Libya in the direction of elections.

The Ukraine war has also complicated the chances of getting all international players in Libya to plot a new course. Russia remains involved - still backing the Tobruk camp, mainly through its proxy, the Wagner private military company. It should be at any negotiating table, but Western powers would probably baulk at that now.

A new dialogue needs a different mandate focused on building the institutions of democracy

Colombo notes that the external-internal alliances have also shifted. For example, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, which strongly backed Tobruk and Haftar against Tripoli, are much less enthusiastic now because Bashagha was key in preventing Haftar from seizing the capital in 2020. But these shifts aren't advancing peace. And anyway, external actors are peripheral because Libyans should resolve the impasse, she believes.

The Tobruk and Tripoli camps are divided on the way forward. Tobruk wants a new government under Bashagha and polls to be postponed while both sides draft a new constitution. Tripoli wants Dabaiba to remain head of government while parliamentary elections are held, and a new government is formed. The question of a president could be decided later.

According to the International Crisis Group, the Tobruk side fears that holding parliamentary elections first could bring Islamists to power, who may never allow presidential elections. It says the new power-sharing deal and an electoral roadmap deserve consideration as long as they are properly negotiated and broadly endorsed.

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But Colombo believes the political elites have found ways to live off the impasse, and elections could end all that. This, she says, is preventing progress in Williams' Cairo talks. Although the deadlock isn't sustainable, it could provide the opportunity 'to change the framework entirely,' Colombo adds. Rushing to new elections isn't the answer because even if the 24 December polls had occurred, they wouldn't have solved Libya's problem.

'What is lacking is an infrastructure of institutions that have common rules' - including electoral rules that all would abide by. Rival politicians have avoided setting that up 'because this would mean putting a cap on their own partisan interests.'

She says if the international community could refocus on Libya and local elites are brought on board, everyone should return to something like the Berlin talks of 2020/21 and start afresh. Those talks brokered the October 2020 ceasefire and launched the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum. But a new dialogue would need a different, deeper mandate that focuses on building the institutions of democracy.

Peter Fabricius, Consultant, ISS Pretoria
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the June 19 edition of Sunday Life, which is a special reading issue. See all 14 stories. From a barbecue gone awry to the devastation of European settlement, theres no shortage of heartbreak, havoc or hilarity in Australian literature. Here, we share 25 Australian novels that have made their mark in the past 25 years. From those that have broken sales records, courted controversy and challenged the status quo, to quiet achievers that have slipped off our reading lists, each of these novels are worthy of a place on our bookshelves. Literature has always been a way to understand who we are as a nation, and the last quarter of a century in novels shows how bold, innovative, brave and important our storytellers are. The Booklist is a weekly newsletter for book lovers from books editor Jason Steger. Get it delivered every Friday. Credit: The Essence of the Thing, Madeleine St John (1997) The first novel by an Australian woman to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize follows young publicist Nicolas attempt to start again after her boyfriend unexpectedly asks her to move out of their London flat. A seemingly simple set-up enables a moving examination of relationships, love and loss. It has all the trademark wit, heart and elegance we associate with the same author of the novel-turned-movie The Women in Black.

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Credit: Too Many Men, Lily Brett (1999) This international bestseller, often described as the authors masterpiece, follows successful businesswoman Ruth Rothwaxs return to Poland with her father, an Auschwitz survivor living in Melbourne. The story is recounted from their perspectives, although the ghost of a dead Nazi, Rudolf HOss, makes some interesting interventions. Its a heartbreaking tale told with a tender comedic touch, and one that deserves to be better known. Credit: True History of the Kelly Gang, Peter Carey (2000) Ned Kelly makes his own myths for once in the Booker Prize-winning novel which, despite the promise of its title, is a fictional take on the life of Australias most famous bushranger. Whether Kelly usually interests you as a subject or not, hes never felt so alive as in this story, which is a masterclass in voice, language and character  for example the way Careys Kelly always uses the word adjectival as a substitute for swearing. Credit:

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Drylands, Thea Astley (2000) Along with Tim Winton, Astley has won the most Miles Franklin awards, including for her 14th and final novel Drylands. A dark portrait of decline in drought-stricken outback Australia, the story follows newsagent Janet Deakin as she attempts to write a book for the worlds last reader. The themes of natural disaster, poverty, racism, small-mindedness and the economic crisis faced by many rural towns remain as relevant today. Credit: Year of Wonders, Geraldine Brooks (2001) Set in 1666 in a tiny northern English village hit by the bubonic plague, Brooks debut novel was inspired by a true story. We watch through the eyes of young housemaid Anna Frith as the desperate villagers choose to isolate themselves and turn to witch-hunting and sorcery to survive the plague. Year of Wonders has made a welcome return to readers shelves in the past two years and is a good re-frame of what weve endured with COVID-19. Credit: Of a Boy, Sonya Hartnett (2002)

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The mysterious disappearance of three siblings who set out for ice-cream and dont return is the backdrop of a story told from the perspective of nine-year-old Adrian and set in Australian suburbia in 1977. Lonely, shy and desperate for love, Adrian has a distressing family life. He is most shocked after the trio disappear, that an ordinary child could be worth taking or wanting, a desirable thing. Its sad, beautiful and poignant. Credit: The Bride Stripped Bare, Nikki Gemmell (2003) Raw but real, explicit but exquisite, The Bride Stripped Bare caused great chatter about the authors identity when it was first published anonymously. The unflinching story consists of a series of diary entries written by an unnamed housewife as she recounts the lessons she has learnt. The seemingly contented narrator embarks on a journey of sexual awakening when she has an affair with a man she meets at a library group. Credit: The Great Fire, Shirley Hazzard (2003) More than two decades after publishing The Transit of Venus, this story set in the devastating aftermath of the Second World War was the authors fourth and final novel. The tale starts with British war veteran Adrian Leith, who is sent to occupied Japan to document the effects of the war two years after the bombing of Hiroshima. The novel won the US National Book Award for Fiction and the Miles Franklin award.

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Credit: The Secret River, Kate Grenville (2005) The story follows convict William Thornhill who is sent to the fledgling colony in Australia. After he is pardoned, he attempts to set up on land on the banks of the Hawkesbury River with his wife, Sal, and children. But it was never his land to take, and tensions between the Indigenous owners and white colonisers simmer and boil. The book provoked controversy on several fronts on publication, including ruffling the feathers of historians. Credit: The Book Thief, Markus Zusak (2005) More than 16 million copies sold, more than 500 weeks leading the The New York Times bestseller list, translated into more than 60 languages and transformed into a Hollywood blockbuster  of course The Book Thief would appear on a list of novels that made their mark. Set in Nazi Germany, young Liesel discovers a passion for reading when she finds The Gravediggers Handbook in the snow. A book about love, and the love of books. Credit:

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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Book critics Cameron Woodhead and Fiona Capp cast their eyes over recently released fiction and non-fiction titles. Here are their reviews. Fiction pick of the week Credit: The Marvellers

Dhonielle Clayton, HarperCollins, $17.99 Combining magical fantasy and schoolyard fiction is a winning formula in childrens fiction. Dhonielle Claytons The Marvellers is set at the Arcanum Training Institute, a school in the sky where Marvellers from around the world master their uncanny and mystical arts. Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjurer to attend the school. Conjurers are descendants of former slaves from the Deep South, their magic is regarded as dangerous, and Ella faces discrimination and vicious rumours. She finds a kindly mentor and makes friends with other misfits, but when a villain escapes from a magical deck of cards, and her mentor vanishes, suspicion falls on Ella and she must save the day to keep her place at the school. Clayton has produced a vividly imagined, well-written childrens fantasy distinguished by elaborate magic, world-creation and lore, and an all-too-real depiction of racism and its effects.

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Credit: Remarkably Bright Creatures

Shelby Van Pelt, Bloomsbury, $32.99 Remarkably Bright Creatures entwines the stories of two humans and an octopus  a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus McSquiddles, to be precise, whose life has been spent in captivity. As for the humans, Tova is a recently widowed 70-year-old. Kind and stoic, she distracts herself from grief  not only for her late husband, but also their son, who drowned (in a presumed suicide) at 18  by taking a job as night janitor at the local aquarium. Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Cameron comes to town. The man-boy has had a rough life, and he arrives determined to track down the father he never knew. As their paths cross, Marcellus uses his sharp intellect to deduce that Cameron could hold the key to the mystery surrounding the death of Tovas son. The idea of an octopus cracking a cold case might seem a corny stretch, but youll bask in this books warmth and wit much more than youll cringe at its whimsy. Credit:

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No Less The Devil

Stuart MacBride, Bantam, $32.99 This serial-killer thriller starts over a year into the investigation, with DS Lucy McVeigh retracing multiple crime scenes trying to find a connection between them. The Bloodsmith, as the killer has become known, has a grisly MO and Help Me is found scrawled in blood near where each corpse is discovered, but there is no pattern at all to link the victims and the murderer proves elusive, tormenting the cops with their incompetence in the style of the Yorkshire Ripper. Benedict Strahan, convicted of killing a homeless man with an unknown accomplice at the age of 11, may hold the key to stopping the murders. No Less The Devil is an atmospheric page-turner, with a suitably grim northern Scottish setting and a lively comic contrast between the diligent and determined McVeigh, who masks her own trauma through work, and her shambolic sidekick DC Duncan Fraser (The Dunc), always ready with a smoke and a whinge as the body count rises. Credit: The Fallback

D.L. Hicks, Pantera Press, $29.99

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When the corpse of a retirement-home worker at sleepy Point Imlay is discovered at low tide, tied to an oyster bed, Senior Detective John Darken (known as J.D.) and homicide detective Emma Capsteen team up to investigate. The deceased, one Eric Johnstone, was a recovering drug addict getting his life back on track, and J.D.s business card is found in his pocket. With his own life in a mess, J.D. takes refuge in uncovering other peoples secrets  and in Point Imlay, everyone has something to hide. The case twists and turns as clues emerge and conflict  everything from the baleful influence of a local bikie to a conspiracy at the retirement village is the mix  and the police procedural alternates with a first-person account from the victim in the lead up to his death. D.L. Hicks has had a long career on the police force  an experience that adds a layer of realistic detail to this well-constructed, if slightly formulaic, crime novel. Non-fiction pick of the week Credit: Swimming Home

Judy Cotton, Black Inc., $29.99 It takes a great leap of imagination to see the world through the eyes of those about whom we harbour ambivalent feelings. In this inspired work, artist Judy Cotton dives deep into the lives of her parents, sister, aunt and grandparents to show how her own story is inseparable from this larger ocean.

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Eschewing chronological narrative in favour of lived experience that constantly shuttles between past, present and future, Cotton conjures up fragments of memory and story connected by a tissue of association and feeling. This glittering collage is dominated by her mother Eve whose hypersensitive musical ear seemed able to translate the language of bees, frogs, trees and birds into her secret personal score, and who told her children they would never matter to her the way their father did. Brim-full of sensuous, arresting detail, Swimming Home elevates memoir into an art form. Credit: Platypus Matters

Jack Ashby, William Collins, $34.99 Dont you all just love biology! was the refrain of my Year-12 biology teacher. And we did, because her enthusiasm was infectious. British zoologist Jack Ashby exudes a similar passion for Australian mammals. He is particularly indignant that monotremes such as his beloved platypus have been unfairly regarded as lesser or primitive mammals. Challenging this dated, hierarchical view, he points out that they embody how evolution works, combining features found in ancient reptiles with characteristics  such as the detection of electrical signals in prey  almost unheard of in other mammals. He is equally fervent about marsupials. The apparently lumbering wombat is, in fact, a canny killer. If pursued into their burrows they can crush would-be attackers with their bums. Written in a lively, conversational style and drawing on decades of fieldwork, this is a beguiling portrait of our unique fauna.

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Doctor explains Victoria's eased COVID-19 rules

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TikTok influencers are spruiking Ozempic. Credit:Instagram

Social media influencers are bypassing strict advertising codes with viral videos promoting the use of a vital prescription drug as a weight-loss treatment, causing shortages for people with diabetes.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia NSW president David Heffernan said it was frustrating when videos glamorising prescription-only drugs on social media lead to panic buying.

Its illegal to advertise Schedule 4 medicine. Its meant to be kept out of public view, he said.

Social media is an opportunity to bypass this [advertising code] and I get frustrated when I see panic buying that comes up because thats when we see medicine shortages as we saw in the pandemic.
This story is part of the June 19 edition of Sunday Life, which is a special reading issue. See all 14 stories.

Dr Greg Watson first became aware of The Human Library more than a decade ago when searching for a PhD topic. Interested in social justice and human rights, he wanted to break down prejudices on a grassroots level. When he heard about The Human Library, an initiative founded in Copenhagen in 2000, his interest was piqued.

In a human library, the books are actual people and the reading occurs via a conversation between the reader and the book. Credit:Stocksy

The Human Library has a similar premise to a traditional library. People can choose a topic they wish to know more about and then borrow a book on the subject. The main difference is that the books are actual people and the reading occurs via a conversation between the reader and the book.

Unlike a traditional library, you cant borrow a human book whenever you choose. Instead, Human Libraries often run gatherings at which human books put a sign up with their title and a blurb. Readers can then choose which one to have a conversation with.

Watson has been the Perth co-ordinator of the Human Library since 2013. While Human Libraries can be standalone events, Watson prefers to run his sessions as part of other public gatherings, such as street festivals.
Theres no single solution. The former energy minister Angus Taylor was right when he said we need a capacity market to ensure theres always power in reserve to deal with fluctuations in supply. The current Energy Minister Chris Bowen is right when he says we need more interstate transmission lines and more new renewable energy capacity, and hes right when he says that 10 years of uncertainty about climate policy have chilled investment in the energy system. NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean is right when he says AEMO needs more visibility of individual generators capacity to supply. Many people, including my Grattan Institute colleague Tony Wood, are right when they call for more gas to be made available for the domestic market, including a windfall-profits tax on gas exporters if necessary. Others are right when they say more investment in batteries, storage, and energy efficiency are needed. Its all of the above.

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What is critical is avoiding quick-fix market reforms and ad-hoc government interventions that respond to the problems in front of us right now but leave the market unable to respond to future challenges. This decade will be one of the most challenging the energy system has faced, as it transitions away from coal and gas to meet the governments target of 82 per cent renewable energy in less than eight years. Ministers (on behalf of us voters, citizens, and energy users) need to be clear what they want. Promises of cheaper electricity arent enough: it has to be clean and reliable, and the system that delivers it has to be able to withstand shocks and anticipate and respond to risks.

Ministers then need to decide the best way to deliver. The next decade involves a lot of risks, and these need to be shared equitably between governments, consumers, generators, fuel suppliers, renewable energy developers, and energy network owners and operators. Sometimes markets will be the best way to do this, sometimes regulation will do the job, and other times it will require governments to carry risk as well. Sharing information about risks, who is carrying them, and whether they are increasing, will be key.

Hemingway also observed that everyone behaves badly  given the chance. It will be very tempting  but counterproductive  for politicians and commentators to jump into blame games and restart the climate wars. It will be tempting for state ministers to go their own ways. But the energy system operates better when they all work together.
In 1957, he married Dawn Greville, a medical librarian, who was the love of his life and fully supported him in all his many medical ventures. She died in 2018 after 62 years of marriage.

The family lived at the air force base at Point Cook, and Peter went to boarding school at Xavier College from the age of about seven. He spent his early life between Melbourne and Jeir Station, the family sheep property near Canberra. After completing school at Xavier College, Peter Bladin began his degree in medicine at the University of Melbourne. He graduated first in his year in 1955 and was captain of the Melbourne University Athletics team focusing on discus, javelin, shotput and hammer (receiving a University Blue). He was a doctor to the Australian athletics team for the Melbourne Olympics of 1956.

Peter Bladin was born in Melbourne, the oldest of three children with his sisters, Sandy and Jacqueline (deceased). His father was Air Vice-Marshall Frank Bladin, who had a distinguished career in the air force. Frank organised the defence of Darwin after the Japanese bombing and was posted to Britain where he organised logistics for the invasion of Europe in June 1944. Later, Frank was appointed chief of staff to the British Commonwealth occupation forces in Japan.

After completing his general medical training at St Vincents Hospital in Melbourne, he obtained a post at the Neurology Hospital Queen Square, London, in 1959, where he flourished in the academic environment of what was the worlds leading centre for neurology. While he enjoyed this time immensely, it must be said Peter had a healthy disdain for the British establishment, and for its neurological management of patients with stroke and epilepsy, which fuelled his later achievements in the treatment of them.

Returning to Melbourne in 1961, he took up a consultant post at St Vincents where his mentor Dr John Billings, the senior neurologist, enabled him to follow his passion for research in stroke and epilepsy. It was at St Vincents he established his system for stroke investigation and management that was decades ahead of its time. He saw stroke patients in the emergency department for triage and took those suitable for angiography directly to the radiology suite.

In this way, he was able to perform studies on the blood vessels of the brain within the first hours of stroke onset. In those days, angiography via direct arterial carotid artery puncture was the preferred mode of arterial access. It was this workflow arrangement that enabled him to show the most common cause of stroke, so-called ischaemic stroke, was due to blood clots that had formed in distant parts of the body before being swept up into the brain. Here, the clots obstructed flow and caused loss of brain function. His seminal publication in radiology in 1964 remains a classic in this field.

Peter Bladin.

The establishment of the Austin Hospital as a major academic centre in the early 1960s provided an ideal opportunity for Peter to run his own show. In 1966, he was enticed to the Austin by Professor Austin Doyle, the visionary professor of medicine, who was assembling an impressive array of talent in almost every discipline of medicine. Austin Doyles philosophy was to have seamless integration of research into every aspect of clinical medicine and surgery  this was the perfect setting for Peter to flourish.
The state government will spend almost $100 million on domestic violence services, workplace sexual harassment programs and street safety upgrades, in budget measures Premier Dominic Perrottet said would address the blight on our state that is gendered abuse.

The Safer Pathway program for victim-survivors accessing domestic and family violence services, which sees police connect people with social services, will be expanded through a $43.6 million to increase in case management services and referral pathways.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has announced a new womens safety budget package. Credit:Rhett Wyman

An additional $26 million will be spent to add and improve audio-visual link facilities in roughly 50 NSW courts and tribunals, and fund court-appointed questioners, so that complainants are not cross-examined by self-represented defendants they have accused of abuse.

Amanda Morgan, founder of Make A Seat Australia and a victim-survivor of domestic violence as a child, said the funding was well overdue, praising the Safer Pathways program for integrating police and social services.
More than six Queensland children on average are killed every year by their parent or carer, but analysis of 16 years of records has identified risk factors that could prevent more children from being taken too soon.

Between 2004 and 2019, 109 children were killed by a parent or carer, according to the Queensland Family & Child Commission. This includes the high-profile cases of Tiahleigh Palmer in 2015 and Mason Lee in 2016.

Tiahleigh Palmer. Credit:Queensland Police Service

The mostly naked and partially submerged body of 12-year-old Tiahleigh Palmer was found on the banks of the Pimpama River in the Gold Coast hinterland on November 5, 2015, a week after she was last seen alive.

Foster father Rick Thorburn was sentenced to life in prison in 2018 for Tiahleighs murder, with eligibility for parole in 2036. Thorburns wife and two sons were also jailed over the Logan schoolgirls death.
We teach them when they leave to push their chair back, when you are doing online learning it is not going to happen. Last week The Sunday Age was granted exclusive access to one of the sessions, which aims to get young people to understand themselves a bit better and those around them. If that works, the mental health benefits will be immense. The day starts just after 10am on the top floor of Reachs large warehouse-style building on Wellington Street, Collingwood, where chaos reigns. Its a whirl of puffers, hoodies, jeans, caps and MND beanies. Despite the cold, Melbourne being Melbourne, there is at least one kid in shorts. Hundreds of year 9 students attend youth charity Reachs Heroes Day. Credit:Joe Armao Some think they are here for lectures on bullying, but now they are letting loose. The popular girls pose for selfies with a ring light, the tough guys compete to make the highest chalk mark on a brick wall, others take themselves out of circulation and flop on beanbags in the corner.

Dispersed through the crowd are the Reach facilitators, observing, assessing. The Reach support crew have messy hair and cool clothes. They dont look like teachers but like older siblings who are on your side, but will still call out your shit. The oldest is 26, the youngest just 15; his parents have given him permission for the day off school. Inside the auditoriums, giant screens list the statistics. One in five of their peers lives with a single parent. Twenty-three per cent have been bullied in the past year, 39 per cent drink alcohol to risky levels, 51 per cent are unhappy with the way they look. And then the biggie: more than 350 young people aged 18 to 24 take their own lives every year. There is silence. During the day, encouraged by the facilitators, more young people stand up from the audience, take the microphone, say their name and find their voice: I want to play Lego with my friend but he smokes too much weed; Im a people pleaser; I think about binding my breasts; I want to talk about racism; I have anxiety; I hang out with people I dont like when I want to play sport; my family tell me not to be weak; I want to be a doctor, specialising in pathology. A Reach support crew member demonstrates the ladder challenge with students from Buckley Park College. Credit:Joe Armao A boy, one of the self-confessed smart-arses, agrees to a challenge and scales a ladder. Does he trust his peers enough to fall back into their arms? The audience is thrilled, but it is his thoughts and feelings on stage afterwards which compel, when he talks about his inspirational mother, his belief in hard work and his desire to grow up helping people.

The day always starts with one kid selected to answer the simple question. Who are you? The exact same question, asked every Heroes Day, always confounds. Stynes asked it 22 years ago and the kid who couldnt answer it then was Fergus Watts, who grew up to be an AFL player and co-founder of communications and marketing firm Bastion, with his brother Jack. Fergus Watts, in 2004, when he played for the Adelaide Crows. Credit:Getty Images This year, Watts moved from the Reach board to take over as chief executive, after a period of executive turnover. Jim pulled me up on my chair and said who are you? Watts recalls. That core question  who are you  is the question. If you know who you are, then you are more likely to go through life in a strong self-assured mental health position, than if you dont.

Heroes Day is about The Heros Journey. Not just Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, but the teenagers in the audience, who mimic the journey every day from their Familiar World at home to the Special World  everything that life throws at them. Growing up is different now, warns Sophia Viola, a 14-year-old school captain of Brookside College, a prep to year 9 state school in Caroline Springs. The majority of the time there is pressure. People feel they are going to get judged. Buckley Park student April Kokkoris, 14, says at Heroes Day kids were able to finally get a say for once. People were actually listening for once. It shocked me how much you dont really see what is happening behind the scenes with kids and how much their home life does affect the way they are as people, Kokkoris said. Although we havent lived much compared to adults, we have still had quite a lot to go through, and it affects us a lot. Theres a lot more to us that meets the eye.

By the time Telaine attended a Reach camp, she had been suspended 48 times and become a juvenile offender. She ran away from it. Stynes ensured she would attend the next camp, by arranging for it to be on an island. There was no escape. Stynes, she says, liked naughty kids. Loading He just liked the grit and the determination and the resilience that young people had, that maybe were naughtier than others. Because their life experience had given them opportunities to find that resilience and courage and bravery. Stynes died in 2012 of cancer, aged 45. Telaine stayed with Reach and is now part of the leadership team, working as national training manager. She says of Stynes: He knew that with the right people around them, they would create beautiful lives for themselves, so he would step in and become that person. And what of the Heroes themselves? By mid-afternoon they had faced tests, enemies and allies, before slaying their dragons and reap the reward. Its not a pot of gold, or even KFC, say the facilitators, but knowledge about themselves.
analysis

In the week that the International Red Cross launched an eight-million-dollar appeal to help feed the starving population of drought-ridden southern Angola, the Angolan Audit Court (the equivalent of the National Audit Office) is due to rule on the legality of a highly controversial government property purchase worth more than ten times that amount.

Maka Angola was tipped off in November last year that the Angolan Minister of Transport had agreed on behalf of the government, to buy property from a lifelong friend at an inflated amount in what gave the appearance of both a conflict of interest and an attempt to defraud the public purse. The Welwitschia Business Centre and Chicala buildings had been on the market for several years at a lower price when Transport Minister Ricardo Veiga D'Abreu (in the photo) stepped in to offer his childhood friend Rui Oscar Ferreira Santos Van-Dunem a staggering 91-million-dollars[1] to take them off his hands.

We passed on the information to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Republic with a formal complaint of suspected criminality requiring investigation. Our complaint alleged that, in the first instance, the Welwitschia building was not fit for the purpose expressed by the Transport Minister as the motive for purchase, as it was partly given over to residential apartments. Secondly, that the value of the building had been exaggerated taking into account the previous price at which it was offered for sale. Our information suggested that the newly-inflated price being asked of the government was the result of a 'sweetheart deal' between the minister and the owner - at the very least involving a conflict of interest.

The Attorney-General's office initially announced it would proceed to investigate, only to later announce that the complaint could be archived. To date there has been no mention of the findings of any official investigation. And yet, a reliable source has let us know that the Audit Court is preparing to authorize payment in full this very week.

According to information from the Finance Ministry, once given the go-ahead, payment of 85 million US dollars will be made in two tranches, first via Treasury Bonds, and then from ordinary Treasury Account resources.

What this amounts to is that Angolan taxpayers, who might reasonably expect their government to use its resources to counter the drought and incipient famine in southern Angola, will instead see another exorbitant sum go into the private pockets of well-connected Angolans.

We are told that the Finance Ministry expressed objections to this unlikely property deal but were told to follow "ordens superiores" - orders from above usually meaning from the highest-ranking levels of the Angolan State. The question remains why the Office of the Attorney-General failed to use all the legal means at its disposal to suspend or freeze a transaction tainted by rumours of corruption which is ruinous for the State coffers. If the information given to Maka Angola is correct, shouldn't the Attorney-General's office have given speedy attention to investigating a potential crime of such magnitude? Why didn't it order a freeze pending resolution?

How can the Finance Ministry explain its own U-turn? In fact, in total contravention of the President's directive to chase up all allegations of corruption how is it even possible that evidence can be swept aside while politically exposed persons continue to bleed the public purse? How can the Transport Minister justify paying just an exorbitant amount to a lifelong friend for buildings that failed to sell at a lower price and which do not meet the specification for government offices?

Even supposing that Ricardo Veiga D'Abreu is innocent of any wrongdoing and followed due procedures to reveal the potential conflict of interest, allowing others to assess the worth of the planned property acquisition, it is unacceptable that the Justice System fails to follow its own procedures to investigate complaints of corruption and at the very least offer a report of its findings, particularly if the evidence would clear government officials accused of possible wrongdoing. There is nothing to show that the Attorney-General's office has taken any action on this case - without which the Audit Court and the Finance Ministry see their hands tied. And once the millions of US dollars have disappeared into private hands, it proves difficult - if not impossible - to recover these public funds.

It defies common sense for one or more branches of government to be given the leeway to make payments in disputed arrangements of this kind, with no respect for due legal process. Under General Joao Maria de Sousa, the Attorney-General who served the notorious kleptocracy of the Dos Santos Administration, the organization was more inclined to observe the law of the jungle than the Laws of the land. Survival of the fittest in those days assured impunity only for the best connected and richest Angolans. Even so, General de Sousa took care not to publicize those cases he shunted off into the archives rather than investigate. If your intention is to conceal the crimes of the corrupt, it is probably advisable not to announce publicly what you are up to.

How can society at large, and those who take political office in the belief they should serve the general public, sustain their faith that the fight against corruption in Angola is serious, and intended to apply to all regardless of rank? If Justice is to be done, it needs to be seen to be done. That is, that from the moment a complaint of suspected criminality is made, there should be due process from beginning to end and not just a cover-up or an attempt to fob off or gag those who come forward with evidence.

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Finance Minister Vera Daves is no fool. She knows that her role requires honesty and transparency regarding national finances. She owes her President and the Angolan people a faithful accounting that payments from the public purse follow the procedures laid down by law and conform to regulations. Angolans should expect nothing but honest dealing from the institutions of government and should be able to count on accurate and transparent accounts of major spending decisions.

Dubious deals should not be allowed to melt into the shadows and this is why Maka Angola is issuing this public challenge to the Transport Minister, the Finance Minister the Office of the Attorney-General of the Republic and whomsoever else may have information or evidence that will result in a comprehensive clarification of the circumstances of this property acquisition and the price demanded for it. Without overwhelming evidence that the buildings in question are both fit for purpose and that the price at which they are offered for sale reflects their actual market value, the Attorney-General should obtain an immediate court injunction to freeze this transaction.

[1] As per Presidential Decree 159/21 dated September 23rd, 2021.
Mask mandates will be removed in Victorian airport terminals and people who have COVID-19 will be able to drive children to school in a change to the states pandemic orders from next Saturday.

Visitor caps at residential aged care and disability facilities will be lifted, with residents able to see any number of visitors as long as they test negative on a rapid antigen test.

Masks will no longer be needed inside Victorian airport terminals from 11.59pm on June 24. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Those who are COVID-positive will still be expected to isolate for seven days, but can drive someone in their household to school or work as long as they do not leave the vehicle.

The suite of changes come into effect at 11.59pm on Friday, June 24.
Albanese met US President Joe Biden at the Quad meeting in Tokyo in late May, days after the federal election, but there has been no indication that he raised the Assange matter with him during their meeting. A source in the federal government, who asked not to be named so they could discuss the matter, has confirmed to The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age that Assanges case has been raised with senior US officials. Former foreign minister Bob Carr said the discussions over Assanges release would be governed by sensitive, nuanced alliance diplomacy appropriate between partners. I trust the judgment of Prime Minister Albanese on this, given his recent statement cautioning against megaphone diplomacy and his comments last December, he said.

But Carr predicted that in the end the Americans cant say no [to his release], given that President Obama commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning for exposing the very war crime that Assange went on to publicise worldwide. The Yank has had her sentence commuted; the Aussie faces an extradition and a cruel sentencing. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday that Assanges case has dragged on for too long and that it should be brought to a close. We will continue to express this view to the governments of the United Kingdom and United States. Albanese is due to attend the NATO summit in Madrid at the end of the month, which US President Joe Biden will also attend, though it is not clear if he will raise the matter there. Diplomatic assurances provided by the US that Assange will not be kept in solitary confinement cannot be taken on face value given previous history. Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International

Assanges wife, Stella Moris, hit out at UK Home Secretary Priti Patel for approving the extradition. It was in Priti Patels power to do the right thing, she said in a statement. Instead, she will forever be remembered as an accomplice of the United States in its agenda to turn investigative journalism into a criminal enterprise. Former prime minister Kevin Rudd tweeted that he disagreed with the decision to approve the extradition, even though he did not support Assanges actions and his reckless disregard for classified security information. But if Assange is guilty, then so too are the dozens of newspaper editors who happily published his material. Labor MP Julian Hill said there could never be a legal solution to the case as it was inherently political and that we should speak up for our fellow Australian and request that these charges be dropped and he not be extradited.

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John said the extradition to the United States would set a dangerous precedent for press freedom and called on the prime minister to pick up the phone to his British and American counterparts. Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, the chair of the Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Group, has called Britains decision an outrageous betrayal of the rule of law, media freedom and human rights. This matter is so deeply wrong on so many levels ... times up for the new federal government hinting at caring and then doing nothing, he said. The new Australian government is now to be condemned for abandoning an Australian hero journalist facing the very real prospect of spending the rest of his life rotting in a US prison. Amnesty International is urging the UK to refrain from extradition and the US to drop all charges.

The secretary-general of the human rights organisation, Agnes Callamard, says allowing the Australian to be sent to the US for trial would put him at great risk.

Supporters of Julian Assange fixed a large banner to a railing outside the High Court in London last year. Credit:AP Assange faces a high risk of prolonged solitary confinement, which would violate the prohibition on torture or other ill treatment, Callamard said. Diplomatic assurances provided by the US that Assange will not be kept in solitary confinement cannot be taken on face value given previous history. Adviser to the Australian campaign to free Mr Assange, Greg Barns SC, says Britains decision is unsurprising given past approaches. The UK does not regard the extradition as being political when it clearly is, he told ABC News on Saturday.

He says further appeals in British courts could rely on media reports last year that the CIA had planned to assassinate the WikiLeaks founder. Loading Theres absolute validity to these matters ... the real issue is do we let this matter go back into the court system for another couple of years or do we say there are important principles here. There had been a change in rhetoric on the matter from the new government and statements from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ms Wong had heartened the campaign, Barns said. Were certainly urging and hoping that now is the time for Australia to get involved with its key allies in London and Washington and bring this matter to an end.
Geneva: The organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest will start talks with the BBC about possibly holding next years event in Britain after concluding that it cannot be held in war-torn Ukraine. Kyiv said it disagreed with the decision and called for additional negotiations.

The event is traditionally staged by the previous years winner. Last month, Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the 2022 contest, pushing Britain into the runner-up spot thanks to a surge of popular votes from viewers. The win buoyed Ukrainian spirits amid the Russian invasion.

Ukraines public broadcaster, UA:PBC, has staged the event twice before, in 2005 and 2017. The European Broadcasting Union said it had carried out a full assessment and feasibility study on the possibility of it doing so again.

It said the contest is one of the worlds most complex television productions and needs 12 months of preparation time.
analysis

Breast milk donations can mean life or death for newborns, but safety misconceptions and stigma hamper their lifesaving potential.

Even before she gave birth, Tracy Ahumuza knew that her daughter's first few days were going to be difficult. Five months into her pregnancy, a prenatal ultrasound had revealed that the foetus had omphalocele, a birth defect in which organs such as intestines exit the abdomen through a hole near the belly button.

"I knew that I was going to have a C-section and that my baby was going to have surgery," she says. "But doctors assured me that everything would be OK."

She delivered a baby girl, Alyssa Taha, in July 2021. After the surgery, doctors told Ahumuza that Alyssa could only consume breast milk. Ahumuza couldn't produce any. She needed to find a donor quickly -- but she couldn't. Alyssa died of starvation three days later.

A hospital in Kampala wants to avoid such cases. It has launched Uganda's first milk bank to help babies whose mothers can't produce milk immediately after delivery. The effort is part of a broader push to ensure everyone can access safe breast milk. But the project, which began in November at St Francis Hospital Nsambya, has been slow to take off because of misconceptions about the safety of donated milk.

Dr Victoria Nakibuuka, a neonatologist at St Francis Hospital Nsambya, says several factors can delay lactation. "A mother can fail to produce milk after delivering a premature baby, or due to stress and diseases like diabetes," she says. "Sometimes after a caesarean delivery, mothers would stay two to three days without producing milk."

Ahumuza says she knew that her milk could be delayed because of the scheduled caesarean delivery, so she bought baby formula, which is available mostly in urban areas. Uganda hasn't experienced the formula shortages seen in the US. Even so, formula is too expensive for many families and often not an option.

Due to her special situation, though, doctors told Ahumuza she needed breast milk. And no donor programme existed. "If the hospital had told me that breast milk was the only food my baby would need after the operation, she would probably be alive today," says Ahumuza.

In 2019, Ugandan researchers conducted a neonatal mortality study with data from 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016. The study, funded by the United States Agency for International Development, found that in the most recent three years, the neonatal death rate was up to 3.3 times higher in babies who were not fed breast milk immediately after birth.

Nakibuuka says breast milk is especially important for at-risk babies. "Nine out of 10 preterm babies will survive when exclusively fed breast milk," she says. "We noticed that the survival rate, which was at 75%, gradually improved to 94% because of breast milk."

Nakibuuka, who leads the breast milk bank project, says the idea originated in 2015, when a baby survived on pasteurised milk from a donor. "I saw medical staff's attitudes change, despite their initial hesitation," she says.

Encouraged by what they had witnessed, Nakibuuka says the hospital began facilitating milk donations. But that was not sustainable, so they established the milk bank. Between 2015 and 2020, they raised 400 million Ugandan shillings (about $110,000) from private donors. More than six months in, it's still struggling to make any significant impact. It has so far benefited 10 babies and had only 22 donors.

Dr Jessica Nsungwa Sabitti, the commissioner for maternal and child health at the Ministry of Health, says that in a society where sharing breast milk is not the norm, mothers must be reassured that it's safe. "We want people to trust the system," she says. "That means combating myths that a child fed on breast milk from a donor could get sick or inherit traits from someone whose history they don't know."

Sabitti says donors are screened for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis and other communicable diseases. The collection occurs at the hospital, where the milk is pasteurised, packaged and stored. The government is working to create a policy that would formalise the process, she says, and to facilitate information sharing.

"We already have a programme called FamilyConnect, where mothers register to receive [text messages] tailored to them," Sabitti says. "We can improve that to include breastfeeding messages."

Denise Kekimuri, a counsellor at Vessel is Me, an organisation that helps grieving mothers cope with loss, says doctors should also encourage mothers who have lost babies to donate their milk instead of suppressing it.

"Giving milk is therapeutic for a mother who has lost a child because it makes her feel purposeful," Kekimuri says. "I hope more mothers can embrace the culture of milk sharing because it's so important."

Ahumuza agrees. A few days after her baby died, she began lactating. She immediately thought about donating her milk. "I wanted to help save another baby's life and a mother from grief," she says.

She called various hospitals, but no one would take her milk. Instead, her doctor gave her medicine to suppress it. But she was determined to save other mothers from enduring what she had gone through.

Soon after Alyssa's death, Ahumuza started the ATTA Breastmilk Community, a non-profit that encourages mothers to donate milk. She operates it out of her home. "We make the process so easy for the mothers because we visit their homes and explain it to them," says Ahumuza.

The non-profit screens donors, then provides storage bags. When the milk is ready, workers pick it up and deliver it in coolers to Ahumuza's house, where it is pasteurised and stored. So far, the group has collected more than 100 litres of breast milk from more than 20 donors, Ahumuza says. She supplies most of the milk to the neonatal unit at Mbale Hospital, 225km from Kampala.

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When Patience Kemigisha's twins were born, she couldn't produce milk immediately. Her husband drove 15km one way, twice a day, to pick up breast milk at Ahumuza's home. "If not for the ATTA community, my twins would have died," Kemigisha says. "What she does is invaluable."

Sabitti, the Ministry of Health official, says that the government is learning a lot from Ahumuza about building capacity and the standards required at the policy level.

"We are trying to establish if it's better to have these banks at big hospitals, or also have outlets to make it convenient for donors," Sabitti says. "We need role models like her working at the community level to educate mothers."

Ahumuza hopes to provide equitable access to breast milk, so mothers won't have to go through a long process to donate or receive milk. She supports milk banks but says the community aspect, where mothers maintain friendships, is important.

"Seeing some of these babies growing up and thriving," she says, "makes me happy."

This story was originally published by Global Press Journal. Global Press is an award-winning international news publication with more than 40 independent news bureaus across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
is the kind of movie that you probably know whether or not youre going to like it going in, and Sundance twee indie film probably wasnt the highest on my hyped-list. Debuting on AppleTV+ on Friday, directed by and starring Cooper Raiff, the film takes a 22 year old Andrew back to his hometown in New Jersey post college trying to figure out his life whilst striking up a unique friendship with a mother and daughter, played by Dakota Johnson and Vanessa Burghardt respectively.The film has a lot to like about it, but its indie feel almost feels too overbearing at times in contrast to, or because of its iPhone-ad aesthetic. The performances, Raiff and Johnson especially, feel bland  but its not helped by the lack of depth given to Johnsons character. She never gets the chance to be anything more than a manic pixie dream girl stereotype, and as a result, the movie typically then goes where youd expect it to go between both Andrew and Johnsons Domino (to the point where the name Domino feels like a giveaway into itself as to the stereotype the character is) taking all the predictable turns and showcasing all the lessons that Andrew learns along the way, openly spelling them out for you as it goes. Its the kind of movie that feels aimed to a broad audience hence why it found its way home on AppleTV+, but never gets the chance to go into any meaningful depth with most of its characters, and as a result, Johnson as a mother feels almost entirely unconvincing. Andrew gets increasingly more unbearable as the film progresses, which doesnt help.The main positive is that this film is able to write autistic characters well and with respect, with much of the film carried on the back of Vanessa Burghardt's excellent performance, but there are a whole host of issues elsewhere. The younger brother having more success than the older one and the older one being forced to reckon with that is a trope that is tried and tested throughout Hollywood, and often better. It all adds up to a collective feeling thatdoesnt have anything new to say about that narrative to the point where Andrew feels almost entirely false in the main story, which would have perhaps spent its time better had it looked elsewhere. Raiffs performance and direction  on double duties, is an impressive undertaking, but a reigned in approach might have led to a better all-round effort, as it's telling that he cast himself as the sympathetic attractive lead who gets to have a love affair with Dakota Johnson.Ultimatelyfeels like a bland indie film that tries to be obnoxious about the fact that its an indie film and never really clicks fully together. I was quickly left underwhelmed with just how soulless the whole thing felt.
Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media

DARIEN  The Ubuntu Storytellers held a celebration of Juneteenth with "Victory and Jubilation: Stories of Liberation Despite..." in the Darien Library Community Room on June 15. The Ubuntu Storytellers are a diverse group of Black, brown and mixed-race professional storytellers who shared stories of triumph and jubilation and their experiences with discrimination, racism and microaggressions. The group were at the library courtesy of Pat Sheary, Head of Adult Programs at the Darien Library, who served light drinks and cupcakes during event.

Among the storytellers were Jezrie Marcado-Courtney, who spoke of "The Element of Freedom;" Jill Marie Snyder, who spoke of "The UnGuidance Counselor;" Laconia Therrio, who told the story of "Grandma Ruth & Blackie;" and Cynthis Rojas, who spoke of her experience being "Left Behind."
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Addressing a Moldova-Romania joint parliamentary sitting convened in Chisinau one day after the EC's groundbreaking move to recommend candidate status for the Republic of Moldova, Speaker of Romania's Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu and Senate President Florin Citu expressed support for the two states' conjoined future.

Speaker Ciolacu said that Romania and Moldova must take "a new step" and work together to ensure a better life for their citizens.

"Today, we must take a new step and work together to ensure a better life for the citizens we represent. And the Republic of Moldova's acquiring EU candidate status is the basis for achieving this goal, and I say 'together', because Romania's 15 years of experience in the EU have shown us that this is the way to bring prosperity to the citizens. The future we build today must be conjoined and those who seek to separate us certainly do not pursue the good of our citizens," Marcel Ciolacu told the joint sitting of the Romanian and Moldovan Parliaments.

"It's Romania's ambition to become a hub of stability and regional development by taking an active role in Ukraine's reconstruction process. And I believe that the Republic of Moldova can and must become a strategic partner in the implementation of this goal," Speaker Ciolacu said.

He went on to reaffirm Romania's support and willingness to vouch, alongside its NATO and EU partners, for the neutrality of the Republic of Moldova and its right to follow its European path.

"Romania responds positively to the call made by the Republic of Moldova and will provide all the necessary support for it to develop the defense, security and anti-hybrid capabilities it needs to ensure its independence and territorial integrity," he said, underscoring that when it comes to the fundamental values of European democracy and the European destiny of the Republic of Moldova, the two states will always be on the same side.

In his turn, President of the Romanian Senate Florin Citu said that the future of the Republic of Moldova is in the great European family.

"In today's joint meeting we reaffirm the special connection between our countries. (...) The future of the Republic of Moldova is in the great European family. It is a fundamental desideratum not only for the Republic of Moldova, but for Romania too, by virtue of the past, values and ideals that unite us," Florin Citu said in the speech delivered to the joint meeting of the Romanian and Moldovan Parliaments.

He stressed that Romania is and will be Moldova's staunchest partner.

"We will continue to unreservedly support in all forms relevant at EU level the aspirations of the Republic of Moldova for firmly and irreversibly joining the European Union. I am very confident that at next week's European Council meeting Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia will be granted candidate status, opening a new stage in the relations of the three states with the European Union. (...) Romania will continue to provide substantial support to the needs of the Republic of Moldova through financial and material assistance and transfer of expertise and will stay actively engaged in the transposition of Moldova's EU integration progress into concrete steps. We want the political, financial and technical support provided by the EU in the integration process to be as substantial and visible to the citizens as possible. In addition to bilateral financial and technical assistance measures, Romania primarily backs the expansion of EU macro-financial assistance, support granted amid the current refugee crisis, as well as the strengthening the Republic of Moldova's energy security," said Florin Citu.

Speaking of the Ukraine war, Citu emphasized that the Republic of Moldova needs EU's support.

"Despite the geopolitical pressures and the difficult context, the Republic of Moldova has exemplarily handled the massive wave of refugees from Ukraine. Regardless of the complexity of the challenges, the Republic of Moldova has proved to be a state with a strong European vocation. (...) Moldova needs the support of the EU and of the member states to continue to cope with this crisis and the problems it faces," he concluded.AGERPRES
The representatives of the Parliaments of the Republic of Moldova and Romania signed on Saturday a joint declaration reiterating the "unconditional support" pledged over time by all political forces in Romania for the development, democratic consolidation and European course of the Republic of Moldova.

"We emphasize that Moldova's concrete prospect to join the European Union is the key element for carrying on with reforms, encouraging the population of the Republic of Moldova in this period of extreme insecurity and material difficulties, giving it hope that in the near future it will be part of the European family, including in terms of European values and higher living standards. We reiterate the unconditional support pledged over time by all Romanian political forces for the development, democratic consolidation and European path of the Republic of Moldova. In particular, we emphasize the jointly agreed priority goal of implementing bilateral strategic projects, including interconnections in the field of energy, transport and infrastructure," the document reads.

The joint efforts of the two sides represent "the solid foundation for the achievement of the priority strategic goal of firmly and irreversibly connecting the Republic of Moldova to the European Union", with the support of Romania, the declaration states.

"An important pillar in this regard is the interconnection of markets, and Romania commits to step up its support for increasing the competitiveness of the Republic of Moldova's economy and to intensify its presence and investments with a view to developing the economic partnership in a climate of stability and economic predictability at European standards and in accordance with the two states' ambitions. In this regard, we note the strong commitment of the Moldovan authorities to implementing reforms in areas such as justice, the fight against corruption, the strengthening of the rule of law and resilience, good governance, economic and entrepreneurial freedom and streamlining public administration, which represent essential aspects both for the overall development of the Republic of Moldova and for the advancement of its European course," the document reads.

According to the cited source, Romania will continue to provide "robust and constant support" in these efforts aimed at obtaining the status of candidate state and the decisive advancement, based on its own merits and firm reform efforts, for the European path of the Republic of Moldova.

"In the spirit of good cooperation and support for the European integration process, the format of joint sittings of the two states' Parliaments will pursue the goal of conferring legislative activities a strategic vision, including in the meetings of the Joint Committees of the Romanian and Moldovan Parliaments. The parliamentary activity will gain momentum through the adoption of an ambitious plan of joint action of the two Parliaments, intended to support the reform agenda of the Republic of Moldova, the common aspiration to intensify bilateral cooperation, transpose European legislation, transfer expertise and advance European integration," the joint declaration goes on to read.

The two Parliaments also expressed their "deep concern over security developments in the region" amid Russia's military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

"We strongly condemn the illegal, unprovoked and unjustified aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. We reaffirm our full support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. We reiterate our full support and deep compassion for the Ukrainian people, victim of this brutal aggression. We welcome the exemplary way in which the Romanian and Moldovan authorities, together with the civil society and the citizens of Romania and Moldova, manage the large number of Ukraine refugees. (...) Romania will continue to support Moldova in its complex effort to handle the flow of refugees from Ukraine and to maintain the resilience of its society," the Romanian and Moldovan MPs underscore.

Also, according to the document, the two countries will continue "cooperation and coordination" in the areas of competence and mutual interest: justice and the fight against corruption, state security, border management and policing, culture, education, research, youth and sports, social assistance, economic cooperation and freedom, investment and public procurement, media, the digital sector and the information society, agriculture and the agri-food sector, environmental protection.

The joint declaration was signed by the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova Igor Grosu, President of the Romanian Senate Florin Citu, and Speaker of Romania's Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu. AGERPRES
"For my Government, tourism in all its forms is a clear priority, since we offer the world the best of us; our values; our flavors through food; arts; history; our products; and customs that emerged many years ago," he indicated.

Likewise, the Head of State stressed that there is a great diversity of tourist offers across Peru on the coast, mountains, and jungle, which generate economic resources and improve citizens' quality of life.

The top official indicated that Peru is well known around the world because of these destinations. Thus, Peruvians must make the most of this activity which generates significant value for the entire nation.

In this sense, he recalled that this sector had been highly affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, it is time to work to achieve a recovery, which will lead to creating new jobs, he said.

"We have worked to promote domestic tourism; fortunately, Peruvians have been able to know how to look at regions and have returned to the various destinations; they returned with pride and identity. Domestic tourism enables us to learn more about ourselves and rely on the tools to invite friends from all over the world," he stated.

Mr. Castillo also reiterated that his administration welcomes investments nationwide so as to rely on better hotel infrastructure, in addition to services and airlines which gain presence, thus encouraging price competition.

"On behalf of the State, as President, I thank you for the valuable efforts undertaken to reactivate the tourism sector and collaborate with the recovery of the visitor-related figures ()," said the Head of State while addressing attendees.

Lastly, the top official welcomed the holding of Peru Travel Mart 2022 and affirmed that the Executive Branch will join efforts undertaken by the business community to boost the country's tourist activity.

The event which takes place at Lima Convention Center was attended by Foreign Trade-Tourism Minister Roberto Sanchez and representatives of this sector.

"Es un claro compromiso, de nuestro Gobierno, consolidar la recuperacion y el desarrollo del turismo. Los millones de peruanos hacen de este sector una herencia de peruanidad", expreso el presidente @PedroCastilloTe al inaugurar el Peru Travel Mart 2022.#SiempreConElPueblo pic.twitter.com/F6qIhTZ3Kj
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  Behind the raw public frustration and anger over election security that has played out this week in New Mexico was a hint of something deeper -- a growing divide between the states Democratic power structure and conservative rural residents who feel their way of life is under attack.

In Otero County, where the crisis over certifying the states June 7 primary election began, County Commissioner Vickie Marquardt struck a defiant tone as she relented under pressure from the states Democratic attorney general, Democratic secretary of state and a state Supreme Court dominated by Democratic appointees.

One of the main explanations she gave for reversing course had nothing to do with questions over the security of voting machines  the reason the all-Republican, three-member commission had originally refused to certify its election.

If we get removed from office, nobody is going to be here fighting for the ranchers, and thats where our fight should be right now, said Marquardt, the commission chairwoman in a county where former President Donald Trump won nearly 62% of the vote in 2020.

Otero County is similar to the handful of other New Mexico counties where residents have questioned the accuracy of election results and given voice to unfounded conspiracy theories about voting systems that have rippled across the country since former President Donald Trump lost re-election in 2020.

In the states vast, rural stretches, frustration over voting and political representation has been building for years. Residents have felt marginalized and overrun by government decisions that have placed limits on livelihoods  curtailing access to water for livestock, shrinking the amount of forest land available for grazing, or halting timber operations and energy developments due to endangered species concerns.

Tensions have mounted as Democrats in New Mexico consolidate control over every statewide office and the Supreme Court. Democrats have dominated the Legislature for generations.

Even as they voted to certify their elections, sometimes reluctantly, commissioners from several New Mexico counties said they were bound by the law to take that step  thanks to legislation passed by Democrats. They urged their residents to take the fight to the statehouse.

Some bemoaned what they felt was an encroachment by the state on the powers of local government. Marquardt, from Otero County, complained of her commissions meager rubber stamping authority under laws enacted by Democrats and an election certification railroaded through by larger forces.

Otero County is among more than a dozen self-proclaimed 2nd Amendment sanctuary counties in rural New Mexico to approve defiant resolutions against recent state gun control laws. The county also has embraced resistance to President Joe Bidens goals for conservation of more private land and waterways for natural habitat, arguing it will cordon off already limited private land.

Amid alienation, skepticism about the security of elections has taken flight.

On Friday, Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin was the lone dissenting vote in the election certification, though he acknowledged that he had no evidence of problems or factual basis for questioning the results of the election. His vote came after the county elections clerk said the primary went off without a hitch and that the results were confirmed afterward.

The former rodeo rider and co-founder of Cowboys for Trump dialed into the meeting because he was in Washington, D.C., where hours before he had been sentenced for entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

Applause rang out when Griffin declared, I think we need to hold our ground.

The developments in New Mexico can be traced to far-right conspiracy theories over voting machines that have spread across the country over the past two years. Various Trump allies have claimed that Dominion voting systems had somehow been manipulated as part of an elaborate scheme to steal the election, which Biden won.

There has been no evidence of widespread fraud that would have changed the results of the 2020 presidential election, and testimony before the congressional committee investigating the insurrection has made clear that many in Trumps inner circle told him the same as he schemed to retain power.

The election clash that erupted this past week worries Dian Burwell, a registered independent and coffee shop manager in the Otero County seat of Alamogordo.

We want people to vote and when they see all this, theyll just say, Why bother? Burwell said.

Despite New Mexico counties eventual votes to certify their primary results, election officials and experts fear the mini-rebellion is just the start of efforts nationwide to sow chaos around voting and vote-counting, building toward the 2024 presidential election. The New Mexico secretary of states office said it had been inundated with calls from officials around the country concerned that certification controversies will become a new front in the attacks on democratic norms.

In another New Mexico county where residents angrily denounced the certification, commissioners were denounced as cowards and traitors by a hostile crowd before voting. Torrance County Commissioner LeRoy Candelaria, a Republican and Vietnam veteran, voted to certify the results without apologies, despite the personal insults.

The semi-retired rancher and highway maintenance foreman said he has taken time outside commission meetings to explain his position that New Mexicos vote-counting machines are well-tested and monitored.

Our county clerk did an excellent job. I dont think theres a vote that went wrong in any way, Candelaria said later in a telephone interview. My personal opinion is there are people who are still mad about the last presidential election. ... Lets worry about the next election and not take things personally.

Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Anita Snow and Terry Tang in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
ST. LOUIS  The city's North Side can be a tough place. Boarded-up buildings, overgrown lots and abandoned businesses dot the landscape.

But on a few plots in the College Hill neighborhood, between a pocket park and a row of old homes, the scene is almost bucolic: Rows of delicate lavender are blooming.

On a recent day, a group of about 12 volunteers armed with handheld scythes and rubber bands set to work harvesting the crop. Becky Shocklee, of Wildwood, was working up a sweat as she sliced the stems and their fragrant purple flowers.

"It's the right thing to do," she said.

The Seeds of Grace Lavender Farm started in 2018 as an effort to beautify the College Hill neighborhood, bound by Interstate 70 to the east, West Florissant Avenue to the west and Ferry Street.

But the flowering shrubs with their fragrant purple blooms fared so well in the hot climate and fertile soil that the group found a lucrative opportunity.

In a four-year period, Seeds of Grace quadrupled in size and has become one of the largest lavender farms in the state. Most of the crop is sold to Wright City-based Long Row Lavender to be dried and used for decoration, and this year, some fresh bundles will be sold at Dierbergs.

The farm is a breath of fresh air for a neighborhood that has long struggled with poverty, crime and blight. Proceeds from the lavender sales pay for home repairs, community programs and some part-time farm employees from the neighborhood. And leaders hope the project could be even more: an industry in a part of the city that has declined for decades. The goal is to expand and hire more residents for seasonal or even permanent jobs.

"I want to grow this, I want to double the size  if not triple," said Fred Kimbrough, executive director of the nonprofit College Hill Foundation, which runs the farm. "But our biggest issue is figuring out who can take it on."

In the late 1800s, what is now College Hill was used for agriculture on several large farm estates. As the area developed, it became known in part, for its iconic water towers at East Grand Avenue and 20th Street, and Bissell Street and Blair Avenue.

But like many north St. Louis neighborhoods, suburban flight and business closures ravaged the area.

Nonprofit groups, many connected with the Lutheran church, raised money and provided volunteers for programming. One organization bought empty lots to build affordable housing, but when it folded, several plots were left to the newly created College Hill Foundation.

How they grew a record crop

About five years ago, longtime College Hill volunteer Gail Olson approached Tracy Smith, owner of the Long Row Lavender farm, shop and cafe near Wright City, roughly 50 miles west of St. Louis, and asked her what it would take to grow the flower on one empty lot.

Smith relayed the troubles she'd encountered growing the finicky herb in Missouri's soil, rife with clay, which can stop water from flowing away from the roots of the plant and make it rot and die.

"It's not a native plant," Smith said. "You can't just stick it in the ground."

But Olson and others did their research and decided to give it a try. Smith and her husband helped source the plants and compost and used their tractor to prepare the land.

Volunteers set out the first crop of 500 plants in 2018, and the following year, when the lavender was mature enough to harvest, volunteer Bill Breyer said they were "shocked" at the yield.

"It was amazing," he said.

Seeds of Grace sold the bundles to Long Row Lavender and kept planting more. Volunteers added two more lots and 1,500 plants to the farm. The foundation hired a few people to watch over the lavender throughout the year.

This year, they set out to reap their biggest harvest yet.

Long Row couldn't buy it all alone, so the College Hill Foundation connected with Dierbergs and floral distributor Baisch & Skinner about selling some fresh stems.

Baisch & Skinner owner Bob Baisch said he went out to inspect the plants and liked what he saw.

"It was such a pleasant surprise," he said. "And you can tell the neighborhood really enjoys it."

On Thursday morning, a group of roughly a dozen volunteers, most from west St. Louis County, congregated at the farm and set to work.

Stolen car aside, the harvest is undeterred

The plant must be harvested in the morning because that's when the buds cling most tightly to the stems, allowing them to stay intact during the drying process.

A group of volunteers sat at a table bundling the flowers with rubber bands as neighborhood resident William Butler surveyed the scene.

He said it was important to College Hill to have something beautiful to look at instead of blighted buildings. And the proceeds helped people with home repairs that they may not otherwise be able to afford, he said.

"I think they're happy because they're getting something that they don't have to pay back," he said.

But even with the sweet aroma of lavender and the merry work of the volunteers, the neighborhood's troubles weren't far away.

Around 8:30 a.m., a man working on a home improvement project nearby rushed up to the group to report he had seen a Volvo SUV being stolen. A video filmed on his phone showed a white sedan pull up next to the SUV, a person jumping in and driving away.

The SUV belonged to Ballwin resident Karen Vaughn, who had volunteered in College Hill for more than a decade. She said she had her keys in her pocket, but must have been close enough for the vehicle to register the remote start.

"We've always been fine," she said, noting her shock. "Who would think this would happen in the morning?"

Kimbrough, the nonprofit's director, called the police and shook his head.

"This completely infuriates me, it really does," he said. "But it's the reality, unfortunately."

At the same time, he said, the incident underscores the importance of the foundation's future. Volunteers are getting older. They need help. And the farm can be more than a volunteer project. It can be an industry. "We've got to be able to develop another plan," Kimbrough said.

In the meantime, volunteers like Bob Wanzel took on the harvest.

After a day spent in the field, Wanzel sent a text with a photo of the blooms at Baisch & Skinner, bundled and wrapped in cellophane, ready for sale.

"Farm to market cycle complete!" he said.

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Aisha Sultan Aisha Sultan is home and family editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Aisha Sultan Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Michael Cook, 46, was never a political guy.

As a young adult, he pretty much ignored all politics except for voting in a presidential election every four years. His interest began to shift after he first became a father 14 years ago.

His transformation from apolitical, casual observer to outspoken activist has been informed by the intersection of life changes, such as fatherhood, and the larger societal changes over the past few years happening while his children are growing up.

I started paying more attention to the world, he said. Initially, he kept it low-key. When he noticed bizarre political posts on his social media feeds, he began looking into the sources. He started doing more research about what was fueling phenomena like disinformation and the anti-vaccination movement. And, he started talking to his kids, now 12 and 14, hoping to foster their critical thinking and empathy about what was happening in the news.

Hes one of those cool fathers, his 14-year-old son, Owen, explained. He said his dad has taught him that everyone has their own political opinions.

You should respect them, but you dont have to agree with them, he said.

Cook, who works as a software developer and lives in Fenton, says he wants his children to form their own opinions, even if they disagree with him, and to be able to evaluate sources and think critically.

He participated in his first political protest with his children the summer when George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer.

We had never done that before, he said. But, he and his wife wanted their children to understand the importance of the moment and cause. That inspired us to get out and show our kids: You have to fight for the world to be the way you want it to be.

Their 12-year-old daughter, Lily, says she remembers the massive crowd of people protesting the killing.

It felt reassuring that all those people were on the same side, she said.

Giving children ways to think about the world and how to engage in it are among the most important things parents teach their kids. For Cook, the countrys changing political discourse and events of the past six years have galvanized him in a way he couldnt have imagined prior to becoming a father.

I feel our democracy has eroded a lot. I want our kids to live in a world with democracy and facts and provable truths, he said. It hit close to home for him when national political rhetoric began to encroach into local school boards. The attempts to ban books and limit what teachers can say or teach has motivated him to become even more involved.

That impacts my kids directly, he said.

He has joined several politically oriented groups on Facebook. He knows people who are running for political office locally. Hes even attended a fundraiser. The change in his activism has come at some personal costs. There are some acquaintances who cut him off once he began challenging their misinformation and racist posts on social media. He has confronted his mother when she shares outrageous conspiracy theories. Thats prompted some discussion with their children about why some people are drawn to such views.

Hes considering taking his children to a larger protest in Washington, D.C. in the future.

Im trying to inspire them to pay attention, be aware and understand whats going on, he said.

His efforts may be taking root  even during the early preteen and teenage years. I asked Lily about the most important lesson shes learned from her father so far.

Stand up for what you believe in  thats the big one, she said.

Thats quite a gift.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY  Explosives used to make fireworks might be what sparked a house explosion and fire early Friday that killed two people and critically injured four others near Black Jack.

Authorities identified one of those who died as 17-year-old Christopher Jones. The identity of the second victim hasnt been released.

The blast about 1:20 a.m. Friday demolished a house at 6680 Parker Road, shook nearby homes and blew out some neighbors windows. Debris rained down on a street more than a block away.

Jones lived at the home that blew up and was pronounced dead at Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur, according to the county medical examiner's office. Then on Friday afternoon, hours after the blast, investigators on the property discovered a second person who died, said St. Louis County police Officer Adrian Washington.

Police havent said whether the injured survivors are adults or children. A woman lived at the split-level house with her four sons, ranging in age from about 6 years old to late teens, and a man also stayed there often, according to two neighbors.

As investigators continue their probe, the local fire chief told the Post-Dispatch the culprit might be explosives that young people were using to make fireworks in the homes garage. That is preliminary, he said, but this tragedy could be considered a teachable moment.

They were teenagers and kids visiting, and they were trying to make fireworks, said Ankeneth Corbin, fire chief of the Black Jack Fire Protection District. If you buy 50 pounds of any explosive, you have just created a bomb.

Electrostatic, anything, can cause a spark, Corbin added.

St. Louis County police Officer Adrian Washington said he had nothing new to share, some 12 hours after the explosion.

Near the scene on Parker Road, rescuers set up a triage station on a driveway across the street, on North Ranch Drive.

It was pure chaos, said Nichole Thomas, who saw flames engulfing her neighbors home and a young boy and others running frantically in the yard.

Theres kids in the house! Thomas screamed, as she used her cellphone to videotape the fire scene from her front porch. Oh my God. Oh my God.

Authorities havent said for certain what caused the deadly blast.

Investigators with the regional bomb and arson squad spent the morning searching the rubble for clues. They were especially focused on what had been a garage next to the brick, four-bedroom home. The garage was leveled, and the home was a burned-out shell with partial walls still standing. A cadaver dog was brought in, a fire official said.

The neighborhood is the North Ranch Acres subdivision, west of Highway 367, in unincorporated St. Louis County.

The explosion rocked neighbors homes, blasting out side windows on a few. Sections of roof, drywall, plaster and other materials littered the street and a lawn across the street. A resident of Partridge Run Drive, nearly two blocks away, reported debris in her yard.

Police found one victim with deep lacerations, possibly an amputation, near where the garage had been, according to dispatchers. Another person had burns and cuts. At least two were rushed to Mercy Hospital St. Louis, and paramedics took at least one more victim to Christian Hospital nearby.

They were blown from the blast area, Corbin said.

EMS scooped them and ran, added Thomas Torminio, Black Jacks fire battalion chief.

Police asked nearby residents to come outside and wait down the street for about 90 minutes while they made sure there wasnt an additional threat of explosion or gas leak.

Thomas, who lives next to the house that exploded, said the boom shook her house. Honestly, we thought it was a big tree hitting our roof, Thomas said. Our neighbors thought the same thing.

She went outside, saw orange flames shooting into the air next door and heard glass breaking. The force of the explosion shattered her garage window. Another neighbor, catty-corner to Thomas, said pictures fell off her wall and items dropped from a cabinet, like it was an earthquake.

It was pretty rough watching it burn, said the woman, who asked that her name not be used.

None of the neighbors interviewed by the Post-Dispatch knew the people who lived at the home that exploded. They said the man who stayed there worked on cars, turning them into hot rods. They said the home had a steady stream of traffic.

After the explosion, Thomas said several people were running around in the yard between her home and the one on fire.

The fire was so big. The house is on fire, theres people running everywhere, kids   she said. There was one little boy, I didnt know if he lived there or not, but he just kind of darted across. I said, Honey, come here.

The boy looked at Thomas but kept running. He looked to be about 6 or 7 years old, she said.

County records show the house is owned by a property management services company based in Marietta, Georgia.

About 40 firefighters from Black Jack Fire Protection District and surrounding departments helped fight the two-alarm blaze. No firefighters were hurt.

Based on the first calls to 911, firefighters were told it was a fire with people trapped, and a vehicle reportedly had crashed into a home. But no car had crashed into the home; instead, cars parked in the driveway had caught fire in the blast.

Black Jack fire Capt. Jeremy Bates said the injured were already out of the home when crews arrived. Supervisors ordered fire crews to fight the fire from outside the building because it was fully involved. It took firefighters about an hour to bring the fire under control, and 90 minutes to put it out.

Kim Bell covers breaking news for STLtoday.com and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow her on Twitter here. She can be reached at kbell@post-disptch.com

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY  A man wanted for questioning in the disappearance of a woman was arrested after a standoff with Montgomery County Sheriffs deputies.

Charles L. Story, 40, is wanted for the disappearance of Beverly Logan, authorities say. KMOV previously reported Logan was last seen in January. Story currently has three orders of protection against him, a history of resisting arrest, threatening public officials, aggravated battery and is registered in Illinois as a sexual predator, authorities say.

On Thursday, authorities were tipped off to Story being at a residence on Elm Street in Bellflower. Once Montgomery County Sheriff's Office was cleared to search the residence, police arrived shortly before 4 p.m. Story then barricaded himself inside of a room of the residence where he threatened to shoot himself and anyone who came inside.

Shortly after, Story came out of the room, and was taken into custody.

As of Friday, authorities say he was at Montgomery County Jail on a 24-hour investigative hold. He also has two active warrants in Illinois with bonds totaling $90,000.00.

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JEFFERSON CITY  A state-appointed commission to address Missouris teacher shortage held its first hearing Friday in open session, after education officials backtracked from plans to keep meetings closed to the public.

The Missouri Board of Educations Teacher Recruitment and Retention Blue Ribbon Commission has 22 members, including two teachers, and is expected to produce a report in October with recommendations for increasing the workforce.

Meetings are not open to the public, the state education website said before an update was made Thursday night. Post-meeting reports/summaries will be available approximately two weeks after each session.

Missouris Sunshine Law requires open meetings for any committee appointed by or at the direction of a public agency for the specific purpose of recommending, directly to the public governmental bodys governing board or its chief administrative officer, policy or policy revisions or expenditures of public funds.

The state education department reversed its decision to close the meeting after receiving a threat of a lawsuit, according to Mallory McGowin, spokeswoman for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Time and resources are best spent working to solve the issues around teacher recruitment and retention, she said in a statement Thursday.

McGowin declined to name the party who made the threat, citing potential litigation. An agenda for the six-hour meeting was posted Friday morning, far short of the 24-hour minimum required by the Sunshine Law.

Rep. Ingrid Burnett, D-Kansas City, who serves on the commission, said a constituent had contacted her about the plans to close the meeting. Burnett contacted Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven earlier this week to discuss the closure.

It seemed pretty futile to try to influence her, Burnett said. What I heard her say was that this was a collective decision  that was already made up. This is how were going to do it. Our lawyers say its OK.

And the reason were doing it is so that people can speak freely and not be intimidated by outside pressures, Burnett said.

I really dont understand why this is  what the secret is, Burnett said Thursday, before receiving word that the meeting would be open to the public after all. I dont think its a good idea.

What we need to be focusing on is how we value teachers and how we keep our schools and classrooms safe and secure, and promoting a good learning environment, she said. Thats what teachers want.

The states largest teachers union opposed the potential closing of the commissions meetings, said Mark Jones of the Missouri National Education Association.

If you talk to any classroom teacher, so often policy happens to teachers, not with teachers, Jones said. Theres always a concern about that.

Samantha Hayes, the unions teaching and learning director, said she was grateful to be able attend the meeting.

This is an issue that affects every school district, she said. We need to build trust among all stakeholders and if we close doors thats not going to happen.

The states teacher shortage is most urgent at the elementary school level, with 1,561 vacancies statewide last year. There were an additional 852 openings for special education teachers, according to the education department.

Missouri ranks last in average starting teacher salary at $32,970, although legislators this spring approved raising the minimum to $38,000 for the next year.

The bulk of the teacher workforce panel is made up of business leaders, including Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop, and Kathy Osborn, president and CEO of the Regional Business Council in St. Louis.

Sens. Lauren Arthur, D-Kansas City, and Cindy OLaughlin, R-Shelbina, and Rep. Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, are the other legislators on the panel.

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??Premier Torres y embajador de Francia impulsan ejecucion de acuerdos de Gobierno a Gobierno.



Mas informacion ??https://t.co/sFW1pOOJIr
ST. LOUIS  Alderman Jack Coatar on Friday announced hes running to succeed the recently resigned Lewis Reed as aldermanic president, but the election date has yet to be set.

Coatar, 36, followed fellow Alderman Megan Green, who confirmed her candidacy earlier this week.

Recent events have seriously eroded confidence in our citys government, Coatar said in an apparent reference to the indictments of Reed and two other former aldermen on corruption charges.

With so much opportunity ahead for St. Louis, now more than ever we need leadership committed to integrity and competence, he said.

Coatar, a lawyer who lives in the Soulard area, has represented the 7th Ward since 2015. The ward also takes in much of downtown and the Lafayette Square neighborhood.

Jerry Hunter, the city Election Board chairman, says its likely that the board would schedule a special primary in late August or September to narrow the field of candidates to two finalists who would compete in the Nov. 8 general election.

Its too late under state law to put the race before voters on Aug. 2, the date of the statewide primary.

But Hunter reiterated that the four-member bipartisan board has yet to firm up a decision or to set a date.

Before taking such action, he said, the board wants a formal notice from city government that the aldermanic presidents office is vacant and that a special primary and general election should be called.

Election Board officials say while the Board of Aldermens clerk sent them a copy of Reeds resignation letter, they want something more detailed because of legal ambiguity in the city charter and ordinances on how the remaining months in Reeds term should be filled. Reeds term expires next April.

Hunter said they have been waiting for City Counselor Sheena Hamilton to provide that notice. The election board canceled a conference-call meeting it had scheduled on the issue for Friday because it had yet to get the notice.

Nick Dunne, a spokesman for Mayor Tishaura O. Jones  who appointed Hamilton  said only that the city counselor has not issued one yet. He didnt elaborate.

Meanwhile, James Wilson, a former city counselor under then-Mayor Vincent C. Schoemehl Jr., has sent the election board letters arguing that the board doesnt have specific legal authority to set a special primary date.

Wilson contends that can happen only if the Board of Aldermen passes an ordinance setting up a nomination procedure. Hunter, who also is an attorney, said there is authority to do so without aldermanic action.

Coatar, the newly-announced candidate, is part of the boards bloc of moderate Democrats, while Green is in a rival group of progressive members of that party.

At least two others have said they were considering running  Aldermen Cara Spencer, a progressive from the 20th Ward, and Tom Oldenburg, a moderate from the 16th Ward.

However, Oldenburg said Friday he instead would run for reelection to a ward seat next year and would support Coatar in the citywide presidents race.

I spoke with Jack the other day and let him know I would not be pursuing the presidents position, Oldenburg said. He added that I think Jacks the best person for the job.

Spencer said Friday that we dont know when and how the election is going to take place at this point. Im not making any decision until we know the mechanics of the election cycles.

Wilson supported Spencers unsuccessful race for mayor last year, as did his former boss, Schoemehl. Wilson said he isnt representing Spencer on this issue.

Regarding the legal ambiguity, Hunter and Gary Stoff, a longtime Election Board staffer, noted that the city charter says only that when the presidents office becomes vacant, the boards vice president serves as acting president.

But while the charter says nothing about holding an election to pick someone to serve the remainder of the presidents term, a city ordinance specifies that the vacancy should be filled at the next city or state general election. In this case thats Nov. 8.

Wilson contends that because the ordinance is inconsistent with the charter, it must be deemed void. Hunter disagrees, saying ordinances can fill in gaps not covered by the charter.

While that law doesnt refer to a primary, Hunter pointed out that Proposition D  the separate approval voting ordinance enacted by voters in 2020  calls for vacancies to be filled through a top-two runoff election.

Under the approval voting law, residents vote for as many candidates in a primary as they approve of, then the two top finishers square off in a general election.

Thats how races for mayor, comptroller and alderman last year were conducted and how the next full four-year aldermanic presidents term will be filled in an election next April, preceded by a March primary.

New 22nd Ward candidate

Meanwhile, the board has scheduled four special elections for ward aldermanic vacancies this year without seeking a notice from the city counselors office.

Hunter and Stoff said the election board didnt do so because the charter clearly sets out the procedure for filling them, allowing political-party committees to pick nominees. The charter holds precedence over the approval-voting ordinance.

On Friday, the election board verified signatures submitted by Tonya Finley-McCaw to be listed as an independent candidate at an Aug. 23 special election to pick a new 22nd Ward alderman to succeed Jeffrey Boyd. Boyd resigned after he was indicted in the same case with Reed.

Finley-McCaw, who ran against Boyd in 2019, will face Democratic nominee Norma Walker, the 22nd Ward party committeewoman who has been endorsed by Boyd.

A special election will be held July 12 in the 11th Ward to succeed former Alderman Sarah Wood Martin, who resigned because of job issues. There will be only one candidate on the ballot, Democratic nominee Jimmy Lappe.

Meanwhile, voters in the 21st Ward on Aug. 2 will choose between Democratic nominee Laura Keys, the partys ward committeewoman, and independent candidate JoAnn Williams, who qualified by petition. They are running to succeed former Alderman John Collins-Muhammad, who also was charged in the indictments.

Updated at 6:50 p.m. Friday, June 17.

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ATLANTA (AP)  One of the owners of a nuclear power plant being expanded in Georgia says it's shifting overruns to Georgia Power Co. in exchange for giving up a sliver of its ownership.

Oglethorpe Power Corp. which provides power to 38 electric cooperatives, said Saturday that it has exercised a contractual option to freeze its costs for Plant Vogtle at $8.1 billion.

Oglethorpe Power said that at Vogtle's current projected cost of $30.34 billion, it would save members at least $400 million. In exchange, Oglethorpe's ownership share of the two new reactors being built at the plant east of Augusta would fall from 30% to 28%. That would bump Georgia Power's share of ownership from 45.7% to 47.7%

If costs rise further, Oglethorpe would save more, but give up a larger share of its ownership.

Georgia Power officials have said they don't expect regulators with the Georgia Public Service Commission to approve customers paying further costs. That means shareholders of Georgia Power's parent  Atlanta-based Southern Co.  would pay.

Georgia Power didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

Oglethorpe, Georgia Power and Vogtle's two other owners  the Municipal Electrical Authority of Georgia and the city of Dalton  have been arguing over Georgia Powers obligations to start absorbing more costs.

It was supposed to begin after more than $2.1 billion in overruns had occurred following a 2018 agreement. Oglethorpe says costs have risen by $3.4 billion since then. But Georgia Power has said COVID-19 was an act of God that drove up costs and delayed work, and it shouldnt have to pay for that slowdown.

Southern Co. has acknowledged it will have to pay at least $440 million more to cover what would have been other owners costs, and has said another $460 million is in dispute.

Oglethorpe said Saturday that the dispute remained unsettled. However, we expect our partner to honor their commitment and stand by the contract all co-owners signed in 2018, spokesperson Blair Romero said.

The 2018 escape hatch was written when Oglethorpe threatened to withdraw from the project, which could have led to its cancellation. Georgia Power first agreed to pay increasing shares of Vogtle's cost beyond a certain point, costing Georgia Power $180 million without affecting others' ownership shares. Then the co-owners can freeze costs in exchange for owning less of the generating capacity.

Oglethorpe said Saturday that it expects to own 618 megawatts of capacity, down from 660 megawatts. The two new units at Vogtle are supposed to generate 2,234 megawatts.

Some of Oglethorpe Power's cooperatives have already been charging their members for Vogtle's construction costs. Oglethorpe President and CEO Michael Smith said the cooperatives remain deeply invested in the success of these nuclear units but said 4.4 million member owners had to be protected. Unlike Georgia Power, cooperatives don't have shareholders to fall back on.

Smith said the decision to freeze protects consumers who can least afford increases in their electricity rates, especially in todays economy.

Vogtle's $30.34 billion cost doesn't include $3.68 billion that original contractor Westinghouse paid to the owners after going bankrupt, which brings total spending to more than $34 billion.

Vogtle is the only nuclear plant under construction in the United States, and its costs could deter other utilities from building such plants, even though they generate electricity without releasing climate-changing carbon emissions.

The Municipal Electrical Authority of Georgia, which owns owns 22.7% of Vogtle and provides power to city-owned utilities, hasn't said yet whether it will hand over part of its ownership to save costs. MEAG projects it will pay $7.8 billion.

The city of Dalton, which owns 1.6%, estimated its cost at $240 million in 2021.

The municipal utility in Jacksonville, Florida, as well as some other municipal utilities and cooperatives in Florida and Alabama are obligated to buy power from the plant.

When the project was approved in 2012, the reactors were estimated to cost $14 billion, with the first electricity being generated in 2016. Now the third reactor is set to begin operation in March 2023, and the fourth reactor in December 2023.

Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Just one days worth of stories scattered around the Post-Dispatch and national news should be enough to convince Missouri lawmakers that red-flag laws and background checks are an urgent requirement to address one of the most serious aspects of the nations gun-violence crisis. Evidence abounds in the news about people whose mental illness poses a danger to themselves and others. Their relatives do everything possible to get them help, even trying to get them committed. But Missouris mental health and background-check system provides so many deliberate hurdles and workarounds that mentally ill people typically proceed unimpeded  and remain free to obtain a weapon, then kill.

Thats apparently how a large group of Missouri Republican lawmakers and Gov. Mike Parson want it to stay. Congress is close to approving a fairly tepid measure aimed at closing gaps in mental health laws and creating incentives for states to pass red-flag laws that would help prevent mentally ill people from obtaining firearms. Yet 47 Missouri Republican state legislators signed a letter to Sen. Roy Blunt Wednesday urging him to pull his support.

The letter warns Blunt that under no circumstances should you allow any bill to advance that contains gun control or firearm confiscation of any kind. Judging from the lawmakers comments, that would include keeping guns away from people known to be dangerously mentally ill.

Consider the alleged case of DeUndrea S. Holloway Jr., who did not use a firearm to behead an Alton woman who was eight months pregnant. But under Missouri law, even though family members say he heard voices in his head that directed his actions, his mental illness would not have blocked him from owning firearms because authorities repeatedly rebuffed his familys efforts to have him declared mentally ill.

Consider the case of Kyle A. Stone, accused of going on a crime rampage in Tower Grove South before shooting and killing a man in his Shaw neighborhood backyard. Stones relatives said he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Yet Missouris Legislature continues to remove barriers and make it easier for people like Stone to obtain firearms.

Finally, John Hinckley Jr. was back in the news. He was the crazed gunman whose bullets in 1981 came within centimeters of killing President Ronald Reagan. Hinckley spent four decades in a mental institution before being allowed to walk free this year. If Hinckley had set out today on the same mission, having not previously committed a crime (as was the case in 1981), Hinckley would have been fully within his rights in Missouri to buy firearms.

Back-to-back mass murders in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, arent enough to sway 47 Missouri lawmakers. Even when the target of an insane gunman was a Republican president, they wont budge. Its clear that the killers are far from the only ones who have taken leave of their senses.
Thursdays House hearing on the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol has shone new light on the almost Shakespearean drama that unfolded between then-President Donald Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, before and during the attack. Trump, in his updated role as Lady Macbeth, goaded and cajoled Pence to trash the Constitution for the sake of power, to the point of putting Pences life in danger.

The fact that Pence refused to play that role should make him a hero to true conservatives. But instead, polls continue to show that, on the political right, Trump remains the far more popular of the two, with numerous other GOP candidates continuing to support and emulate him. There may be no greater evidence of the deep and dangerous dysfunction that afflicts todays Republican Party.

Its difficult to imagine a more un-American notion than allowing one man to unilaterally reject the will of the nations voters and install someone else as president. Yet that notion  that stunning combination of constitutional ignorance and self-serving malevolence  was Trumps obsession leading up to Jan. 6, the day Pence would have had a purely ceremonial role of presiding over Congress certification of the election results.

Trump whipped up the crowd that day in part by insisting that Pence was duty-bound to prevent confirmation of Joe Bidens victory. When Pence refused (to his everlasting credit), Trumps mob made Pence a focal point of their rage as they stormed the Capitol.

America has long known all of that, but last weeks hearing fleshed it out with chilling new details:

 Trump was told multiple times by top advisers that his plan regarding Pence was unconstitutional, and he pressed ahead anyway.

 Outside lawyer John Eastman, who hatched the plan and sold Trump on it, ultimately sought a preemptive presidential pardon  a clear indication he knew he was promoting something illegal.

 While the Trump-incited mob chanted Hang Mike Pence, some of the insurrectionists came within 40 feet of Pence as the Secret Service hustled him to a secure location. (When Trump heard the chants, he reportedly reacted approvingly, according to earlier testimony.)

 Trump personally berated Pence as a wimp and what one witness called the p-word (slang for female genitalia) for refusing to overthrow the election. Even Trumps daughter, Ivanka, admitted in testimony that her fathers tone in that conversation shocked her.

This is the man who is still polling above all other Republicans for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination  the man with whom throngs of down-ballot GOP candidates, including many in Missouri, still explicitly align themselves despite his apparent belief that a vice presidents job is to thwart democracy so the president can retain power, and that refusal constitutes a death-penalty offense. Those candidates should be asked at every opportunity to defend this twisted affront to Americas principles.
Regarding  A harrowing American moment, repackaged for prime time  (June 10): In my opinion, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did America an incredible disservice last July by rejecting GOP Reps. Jim Banks and Jim Jordan from the Jan. 6 committee while installing Republican Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.

Pelosi handed conservatives a built-in excuse to ignore the whole thing as a sham and made sure no one on the committee would seriously question, debate or object to any of the inquiries.
The war in Ukraine has attracted a lot of interest from military leaders, analysts and historians worldwide because it is the first direct near-peer conflict of the 21st century. Such conflicts ceased once more nations acquired nuclear weapons after World War II. The fear of seeing nukes used again created the longest period of peace between major powers. The second-longest such period was the 43 years between the armistice that ended the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, to the outbreak of the First World War in 2014; a total of forty-three years, five months, and twenty-eight days. In effect, since November 5, 1988, every day that the Great Powers have not been at war with each other has set a new world record for the duration of a peace.

This nuclear peace did not end wars involving major powers, but led to the nuclear powers backing proxies (smaller non-nuclear nations) in several major, but non-nuclear conflicts. After assessing the destruction caused by World War II, several nations collected data, did the math and agreed that a major nuclear war would destroy civilization as we know it and cause unpredictable risks of even greater changes similar to those caused by major catastrophes over the last hundred million years. This includes major asteroids and volcanic eruptions that left archeological evidence worldwide documenting what happens after such catastrophic events. Nuclear weapons gave mankind the ability to create a similar catastrophe. It took over a decade for the full import of that threat to be realized.

The first two atom bombs were used in mid-1945 against Japanese cities. The first one did not change minds in the Japanese leadership because while the bomb destroyed the city and killed a lot of people, there were earlier non-nuclear air raids that were just as destructive and killed more people. Then came a second atomic bomb on a city. Japanese military analysts and nuclear scientists were able to conclude that these two weapons were different. One bomber delivered each bomb in daylight. Japanese air defenses were still numerous but organized to deal with mass attacks carried out by hundreds of bombers. A single bomber was believed to be carrying out reconnaissance. After the second attack it became obvious the Americans had developed a workable nuclear weapon and more than one of them. There was virtually no way for Japan to fight back against such weapons. The emperor, his chief advisors and most military leaders accepted this and Japan did the unthinkable (to most Japanese) and surrendered. This not only ended World War II, it also ended centuries of wars between major powers.

This was all because the United States used nuclear weapons to force Japan to abandon its plans for national suicide by literally fighting to the death against any invasion. The A-bomb did not kill as many people as a single attack on a city with conventional bombs. Those fire-bomb raids required as many as a thousand heavy bombers delivering enough conventional and incendiary bombs in a short period to create a literal fire storm. The first such major incendiary attack took place in 1943 against Hamburg Germany. Nearly 40,000 people were killed and most of the city was destroyed. This raid required over a thousand heavy bombers dropping their bombs from high altitude. There were several more of these raids, like the ones against Berlin and Dresden. But none were as destructive as the March 1945 raid on Tokyo with 300 heavy bombers flying a low altitude (for better accuracy) to quickly start a fire storm. This one killed 100,000 people and destroyed much of the city. Attacks like this did not persuade the Japanese to surrender but the two nukings and threat of more did.

The resulting nuclear peace meant that there were no opportunities to see near-peer forces going at each other with their most modern and, theoretically, effective weapons and equipment. Using proxies meant, at best, that one side was unable to provide the most effective defenses. The 2022 Ukraine war had seemingly well-equipped Russian forces facing NATO, in the form of Ukrainians who wanted to join NATO and had been given weapons and training by NATO nations since a more limited Russian operation in 2014 quickly seized the Ukrainian province of Crimea and half of two other of two other provinces in the Donbas region. Russia claimed it was not directly involved but just supported a local uprising against Ukrainian persecution of ethnic Russians in Donbas and Crimea. Over the next few years, the extent of direct Russian involvement grew, much of it coming from Russian media reports mentioning specific special operations units involved and a growing number of Russians who died in Ukraine or were captured by Ukrainian troops holding the line in Donbas. During the eight years between the Ukrainian territorial losses in Crimea and Donbas and the 2022 invasion the Russian missed or ignored the extent of the changes in the Ukrainian military. By 2022 the Ukrainians were using NATO tactics, military organization and some weapons. The Russians were still using less effective Soviet-era tactics and unit organization. The Russians ignored the fact that Ukraine was where many key military weapons development and manufacturing of the old Soviet Union took place and the Ukrainians continued to use those skills to upgrade Soviet era weapons for export markets that wanted cheap but effective weapons. During the 1990s Ukraine began developing Western style weapons and equipment, plus some new ones pf their own, and developed an appreciation for what the high quality and performance of these more expensive weapons could do compared to the upgraded Soviet era gear they were selling for much less to nations or factions that did not need and could not afford anything more effective or expensive. In Russia the media reported the problems encountered after 2014 when Ukrainian firms refused to supply Russian manufacturers with essential components that Russian firms did not or, it turned out, could not produce.

And so it came to pass that the most modern and effective Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022 and quickly discovered they were not facing an inept, poorly trained and armed foe but one that was far more effective. The main offensive in the north against the Ukrainian capital took heavy losses and within weeks was forced to retreat. Russian troops were told by their government that they had encountered NATO troops who were in Ukrainian preparing to invade Russia. The surviving Russian troops knew better because all they encountered were Ukrainians, usually armed with weapons similar to what Russia used. The Ukrainians used more effective tactics and some new weapons. Many of these were Western models but some were Ukrainian made. The Russian state-controlled media was ordered to ignore reports like this and stick with the official story that this was all a secret NATO operation to attack Russia via Ukraine.

While this information war played on, the Russian military ordered everything Russia had, short of nuclear weapons, to salvage the situation. Russia was at war with a near peer opponent and was losing. Many Russians, civilian military, figured out what was happening and were openly criticizing and sometimes physically attacking their government because of the mess in Ukraine that was killing a lot of Russian troops. These Russian critics were often well-educated professionals in regular contact with Westerners, including more than a million Russians who had left since 2014 because of fears Russia was headed for what actually happened in 2022.

NATO countries believed the Russians had the edge in some areas, like electronic warfare, but the Ukrainians were demolishing that with their own ingenuity and the help of Western technologies that no one believed had military potential. Chief among these was the American Starlink satellite-based Internet service that Ukrainian engineers and electronics experts believed, even before the 2022 invasion, had military potential. Ukrainians also developed new artillery fire-control software and tactics that were far more effective than anyone, Ukrainian, Western or Russian, imagined.

NATO nations also learned some valuable lessons. The first one was that their intelligence services, like the CIA and similar operations in major NATO countries, did not see this coming. Exactly how this happened is still unexplained, even though the CIA has a history of similar lapses, along with many less-newsworthy and noticed successes. Its the major failures that are most visible and the first near-peer war in Ukraine is one of the most striking. Some of this is due to priorities, where seeking potential dangers is more important than spotting potential opportunities. This is an ancient attitude, but in an age where electronic media and weapons speed up the creation of new threats and the spread of news about them, the traditional prediction methods dont work as well as they used to. You can see this in the different reactions of the many NATO members or new applicants like Sweden and Finland. These last two nations had successfully used armed neutrality for a long time. Sweden has avoided war for over two centuries and Finland has done the same for nearly a century. Both nations had always considered Russia their primary threat and with that background these two neutrals have a much more practical and realistic assessment of the Russian threat. The farther a NATO nation is from Russia the less accurate is their perception of the Russian threat, which has been active for nearly five centuries. Americans are seen by Europeans as actively ignoring the past. After all, most Americans are descendants of foreigners, most European, seeking to get away from wars and oppression in their homelands. In the 20th Century, America became the wealthiest nation on the planet and soon discovered that success came with a price; involuntary involvement in foreign wars, especially the two World Wars and the Cold War, often described as World War III waiting to happen.

The unexpected near-peer battle in Ukraine finds the Russians resorting to Cold War slogans, like the threat of triggering World War III. A fundamental problem with Russia is that they are enthusiastically paranoid, seeing all neighbors as potential threats or territorial acquisition opportunities. As bad habits go, that has been a hard one to shed. After 1991 Russia tried but then tradition returned to power in the form of a former KGB (secret police) officer. A growing number of Russians have done the math and concluded that the old ways are too expensive in terms of lives lost along with economic opportunities. Ukraine is the enemy because they have left the old ways behind and are killing Russian invaders with the economic opportunities and other innovations that Russia resists.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- South Star Battery Metals Corp. (South Star or the Company) (TSXV: STS) (OTCQB: STSBF), is announcing that it is repricing the previously announced (May 19, 2022) non-brokered private placement of units (the Private Placement or the Offering) to raise approximately C$2,000,000 in order to better reflect the current market conditions for common shares of the Company. On a pre-consolidation basis, the Offering will be repriced from C$0.15 per unit (the Units) to C$0.11 per unit and consist of approximately 18,181,818 Units. Each Unit will consist of one (1) common share and one (1) common share purchase warrant (the Warrants). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional common share of the Company at an exercise price of C$0.25 per common share for a period of five years from the date of issue.

All other terms and conditions of the Offering remain unchanged. The closing of the Offering is subject to customary conditions, including the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV). The Company may pay finders' fees under the offering in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of closing. The Private Placement is subject to a 25% over-allotment option and to an acceleration clause. See below for further details.

Common Shares issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be issued on a post-Consolidation basis. The Warrants issued in the Consolidation will be issued on a post-Consolidation basis, and upon the completion of the Consolidation will automatically be adjusted to the post-Consolidation terms disclosed above (five pre-Consolidation Warrants will entitle the holder to acquire one post-Consolidation Warrant at a price of $1.25).

Acceleration Clause

If during a period of ten consecutive trading days between the date that is four (4) months following the closing of the Private Placement and the expiry of the Warrants the daily volume weighted average trading price of the common shares of the Company on the TSXV (or such other stock exchange where the majority of the trading volume occurs) exceeds C$0.50 on a pre-Consolidation basis for each of those ten consecutive days, the Company may, within 30 days of such an occurrence, give written notice to the holders of the Warrants that the Warrants will expire at 4:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on the 30th day following the giving of notice unless exercised by the holders prior to such date. Upon receipt of such notice, the holders of the Warrants will have 30 days to exercise their Warrants. Any Warrants which remain unexercised at 4:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on the 30th day following the giving of such notice will expire at that time.

ABOUT SOUTH STAR BATTERY METALS CORP

South Star Battery Metals Corp. is a Canadian battery metals project developer focused on the selective acquisition and development of near-term production projects in the Americas. South Stars Santa Cruz Graphite Project, located in Southern Bahia, Brazil is the first of a series of industrial and battery metals projects that will be put into production. Brazil is the second-largest graphite-producing region in the world with more than 80 years of continuous mining. Santa Cruz has at-surface mineralization in friable materials, and successful large-scale pilot-plant testing (>30t) has been completed. The results of the testing show that approximately 65% of Cg concentrate is +80 mesh with good recoveries and 95%-99% Cg. With excellent infrastructure and logistics, South Star is carrying its development plan towards Phase 1 production projected in Q2 2023.

South Stars next project in the development pipeline is a project in Alabama located in the middle of a developing electric vehicle, aerospace and defence hub in the southeastern United States. The Project is a historic mine active during World Wars I & II. Trenching, sampling, analysis and preliminary metallurgic testing has been completed. The testing indicated a traditional crush/grind/flotation concentration circuit achieved grades of approximately 96-97% with approximately 86% recoveries. South Star is executing on its plan to create a multi-asset, diversified battery metals company with near-term operations in strategic jurisdictions. South Star trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol STS, and on the OTCQB under the symbol STSBF.

South Star is committed to a corporate culture, project execution plan and safe operations that embrace the highest standards of ESG principles based on transparency, stakeholder engagement, ongoing education and stewardship. To learn more, please visit the Company website at http://www.southstarbatterymetals.com.

This news release has been reviewed and approved by Richard Pearce, P.E., a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 and President and CEO of South Star Battery Metals Corp.

On behalf of the Board,

Mr. Richard PearceChief Executive Officer

For additional information, please contact:

South Star Investor Relations (Canada IR)Email: [email protected]

RBMG  RB Milestone Group LLC (IR US)Trevor Brucato, Managing DirectorEmail: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/southstarbmFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/southstarbatterymetalsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southstarbatterymetals/YouTube: South Star Battery Metals - YouTube

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

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 press release.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: moving Santa Cruz into production and scaling operations as well as advancing the Alabama project; and the Companys plans and expectations.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

Source: South Star Battery Metals Corp.
TORONTO, June 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Web3 Ventures Inc. (W3V or the Company), a platform company focused on incubating, accelerating, and developing world class projects and applications for the decentralized web, is pleased to announce that it has acquired 150 NFTs from the PunkScape collection, a digital identity and immersive land project. This investment represents a 1.50% stake in the fixed supply of all existing and outstanding PunkScape non-fungible tokens.

Launched in September 2021, PunkScape has a passionate community base of 3,000+ token holders, including notable members such as Tobi Lutke, CEO of Shopify ($SHOP) and Jack Butcher, founder of leading media platform Visualize Value. Since launch, the PunkScape collection has over 1,600 Ethereum in secondary sales volume. Focused on providing interactive digital real estate and immersive experience applications, PunkScapes are designed to integrate with social profile banner sections such as Twitter, Discord, LinkedIn, OpenSea, the Ethereum Name Service, and more.

In addition to potential market price appreciation of the PunkScape NFTs that Web3 Ventures has acquired, W3V will earn royalty revenue from their PunkScape NFTs through Gallery27, an internally-developed daily auction platform that utilizes AI technology to mint generative art derivatives of PunkScape NFTs. W3V and other collection holders earn a 50% royalty on the winning bids. Since its launch on February 2, 2022, over 100 Ethereum in auction bids have been placed through Gallery27.

About PunkScape

PunkScape is an NFT collection of 10,000 unique banner landscapes stored on the Ethereum Blockchain that are sold on OpenSea, LooksRare, and major NFT marketplaces. PunkScape is a metaverse space for digital-art that takes aim at the existing Web2 configurable locations--locations like banners on Twitter, LinkedIn, and so forthand carries them into the Web3 space. Every Scape is digital land, a home for your digital assets and identity. https://punkscape.xyz/intro / https://opensea.io/collection/punkscapes

About Web3 Ventures

Web3 Ventures (W3V) is a platform company focused on identifying, incubating, accelerating, and developing world class projects and applications for the decentralized web. Focused on supporting early stage projects and entrepreneurs, W3Vs core investment pillars are identity, communication, and gaming, with a focus on early stage projects.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Stan Fainzilberg, Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact

Stan FainzilbergTelephone: (416) 418-6949

Forward-Looking Information:

This press release may include forward-looking information (as that term is defined by Canadian securities legislation), concerning the Companys business. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Companys management, including future plans for the Company. Although the Company believes that such expectations and assumptions are reasonable, investors should not rely unduly on such forward-looking information as the Company can give no assurance they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to publicly update any forward-looking information (whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise) other than as required by applicable securities laws.

Source: Web3 Ventures
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 17, 2022) - Pancontinental Resources Corporation (TSXV: PUC) (OTCQB: PUCCF) ("Pancon" or the "Company") entered into an unsecured loan agreement dated April 12, 2022 (the "Agreement") between the Company and David Petroff, a director of the Company (the "Lender"). Pursuant to the Agreement, the Lender granted the Company a loan in the amount of $100,000, bearing interest at $1,000 per month. The full amount of the loan, including the applicable interest, has since been repaid to the Lender.

About Pancon

Pancontinental Resources Corp. (TSXV: PUC) (OTCQB: PUCCF), or Pancon, is a Canadian junior mining company exploring the rich, underexplored Carolina Slate Belt in the southeastern USA. In January 2020, Pancon won the exclusive right to explore and purchase the former Brewer Gold Mine property, with an option period through October 2023. Between 1987-1995, Brewer produced 178,000 ounces of oxide gold from open pits that extended to 65-meter depths, where gold (Au) and copper (Cu) sulphides were exposed but could not be processed by the oxide heap leach operation. Pancon's 100%-owned, 1,960-acre Jefferson Gold Project nearly completely surrounds the 1,000-acre Brewer property. The Brewer-Jefferson area of interest, in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, is 12 kilometers along trend from the producing Haile Gold Mine, which produced 190,000 ounces of gold in 2021 (www.oceanagold.com). Brewer is a large, epithermal, high sulphidation gold-copper system driven by a sub-volcanic intrusive, possibly connected to a large copper-gold porphyry system at depth.

For further information, please contact:

Jeanny So, External Relations Manager

E: [email protected]

T: +1.647.202.0994

For additional information please visit our new website at http://www.panconresources.com/ and our Twitter feed: @PanconResources.

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 news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis as filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

Not for Dissemination in the United States or through U.S. Newswire Services

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/128257
?? | La titular del Midis, @DinaErcilia, se reunio con la embajadora de los Estados Unidos en el Peru, Lisa Kenna, a fin de intercambiar conocimientos para reducir brechas sociales en nuestro pais.



Mas, en la nota de prensa ?? https://t.co/Iifp9UbQV7 pic.twitter.com/X2G0XNDfS5
Helping homeschoolers develop social skills and expand their horizons with a virtual world

SAN MATEO, Calif., June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allschool, an innovative online education platform, is set to introduce its one-stop learning solution for homeschoolers at the Great Homeschool Convention that is scheduled to run from June 16th through 18th in California. As one of the most popular homeschooling events of the year in North America, this convention will see the company bringing its student-centered online education platform to parents seeking a flexible and interactive e-learning service.

The diverse selection of globally 12-themed courses and more allows homeschoolers to discover intriguing facts about different nations and broaden their minds. At the same time, using Allschool's self-developed class tool "speak in the center of the stage" and other interactive features, homeschoolers can make friends from all over the world without stepping out of their house. They can also communicate freely in a relaxed environment and improve their social and emotional skills.

Allschool's one-stop solution is designed to allow parents to take full advantage of the flexibility that homeschool offers while giving learners access to premium online lessons. A myriad of course options to supplement the standard curricula are offered which gives homeschoolers the freedom to individualize the curriculum structure. Besides, all the courses are delivered by accredited and experienced teachers with diverse educational and professional backgrounds.

"We are thrilled to unveil our new home education solution "Homeschool Package" at this long-anticipated event that attracts countless leading online education providers and homeschool families across the continent each year. It is built upon our excellent educational resources and extensive experience in creating a fun and interactive online learning platform to give kids an opportunity to experience the world's culture by making friends with students worldwide. The solution features 12 classes designed and delivered by experienced homeschool teachers to fit different children's learning styles, skill levels, and interests, enabling them to experience a new approach to homeschooling learning," said Jacob Kantor, the US regional business development manager of Allschool, making an announcement at Great Homeschool Convention.

The move comes as more US families start opting for homeschooling as a solution to fill the gaps in their children's education due to the pandemic. The National Home Education Research Institute has recorded a significant increase in the number of families shifting to homeschooling and estimates the figure continues to rise at the rate of 2%-8% each year.

With its flexible learning environment, online Allschool programs not only allow students to select desired subjects to achieve their unique goals but also empower them to learn at any time, any place with online, self-paced courses.

In an interview with Ms. Homa, an Allschool homeschool teacher who has also worked as an English, Art, and History teacher in a public school for 18 years, she said, "it is important for homeschool children to have peer discussion and have access to different opinions around the world. The greater diversity of the online education platform can strengthen their social connections or skills."

"We understand that homeschool parents are constantly looking for a new way that let their children better interact with other students. With this in mind, Allschool strives to create a space where learners from all over the world can come together to find common topics and interests, make friends and have fun," said Jack Shan, Allschool Co-Founder.

About Allschool

Allschool is an innovative online platform that delivers highly interactive small-group live classes to children worldwide. Through Allschool, learners can enjoy a variety of premium live classes  including mathematics, languages, visual arts, game design, and more  delivered by thousands of devoted and talented teachers from all around the world.

An expert in online education, Allschool has developed a set of innovative purpose-built teaching and learning tools that bring meaningful changes to learning outcomes, allowing students to immerse themselves in a rewarding, gamified, and interactive environment that empowers them to explore and pursue their interests while making schooling fun and enjoyable.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/allschool-to-showcase-its-one-stop-homeschooling-solution-at-great-homeschool-convention-301570695.html

SOURCE ALLSCHOOLS PTE.LTD
ISS Rejects Warren Lichtenstein's Entire Steel Partners Slate

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., June 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eileen Drake (the CEO of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AJRD)) ("Aerojet Rocketdyne" or the "Company") and Gen. Kevin Chilton (Ret.), Thomas Corcoran and Gen. Lance Lord (Ret.) (three of its independent directors) issued the following statement to the shareholders of Aerojet Rocketdyne:

Fellow Shareholders,

We are gratified that Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS"), a leading provider of proxy research and vote recommendations to the institutional investment community, has recommended that Aerojet Rocketdyne shareholders vote the WHITE proxy card "FOR" all of the Independent Slate's highly qualified director nominees, led by Eileen Drake, at the Special Meeting of Shareholders on June 30, 2022.

Ms. Drake added: "We greatly appreciate the support from ISS and our shareholders for the Independent Slate. We look forward to continuing to deliver tremendous value for the Company and our shareholders."

The Independent Slate Urges All Shareholders to Support its Highly Qualified Nominees by Voting "FOR" on the WHITE Proxy Card at the Upcoming Special Meeting on June 30, 2022

Important Information

This communication is being made in the participants' individual capacity, and not by or on behalf of the Company. No Company resources were used in connection with these materials. On June 1, 2022, Eileen P. Drake, General Kevin Chilton, USAF (Ret.), General Lance Lord, USAF (Ret.) and Thomas Corcoran (the "Incumbent Directors") filed a definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in connection with the solicitation of proxies for a special meeting of stockholders of the Company to be held on June 30, 2022.

Contact:D.F. King & Co., Inc.Edward T. McCarthy / Tom Germinario[email protected]

Committee's Website:https://maximizeajrdvalue.com/

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iss-recommends-shareholders-vote-for-the-entire-independent-slates-highly-qualified-directors-led-by-ceo-eileen-drake-301570761.html

SOURCE Committee for Aerojet Rocketdyne Shareholders and Value Maximization
(Tribune News Service)  The Washington Attorney Generals office has declined to appeal a judges ruling that bans Navy SEAL or other military training in Washington state parks.

This appears to mark the demise of a high-profile, controversial permitting process that would have expanded to possibly 17 or more parks under a motion approved by the State Parks and Recreation Commission in January 2021.

This should be the end of the road to the Navys using the state parks, said Zachary Griefen, an attorney representing Whidbey Environmental Action Network, which filed a lawsuit in state Superior Court challenging the commissions action.

The state had 30 days to file an appeal to the ruling, which was issued May 13. Judge James Dixon found that the commission lacked the statutory authority to permit the training and also failed to adequately consider the impacts of such training in violation of a state environmental law.

Brionna Aho, a spokesperson for the state Attorney General, deferred to the Parks and Recreation Commission to comment on the decision not to file an appeal. A commission representative could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Navy SEALs, elite special-operations forces, began training at state parks in the early 1980s. But they have not been able to use them since 2020, when permits to use five parks expired.

A new review process got underway after the January 2021 commission vote but had yet to result in any new permits being issued, according to an April statement from Becki Ellison, executive assistant to the state Parks and Recreation Commission.

The SEAL training involves submersible vessels that navigate through offshore waters and unarmed SEAL team trainees in groups of six to eight who then make their way to shore, typically under cover of darkness. Once on land, they conceal themselves for 24 to 48 hours to conduct surveillance, then depart by water.

With the Washington State Parks unavailable, the military members who need this critical training, which takes place only a few months each year, will have fewer options to hone their unique skills, said a statement released by Joe Overton, a deputy public affairs officer for Navy Region Northwest. They will continue to train in the other areas in Washington state through rights-of-entry agreements.

___

(c)2022 The Seattle Times

Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Japans government would not have been able to prevent the nuclear accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2011 because the Great East Japan Earthquake triggered a tsunami of a scale beyond expectations, according to Japans Supreme Court, which ruled that the state is not liable for damages demanded by people whose lives were devastated by the disaster.

However, some experts have said the court, which exonerated the government without delving into major issues, showed a lack of consideration in the ruling issued on Friday.

The major point of contention in the lawsuit was whether the arrival of such a massive tsunami could have been predicted.

According to a report released by the governments Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion in July 2002 detailing long-term earthquake forecasts, there was a 20% probability of an 8.2-magnitude earthquake occurring within the next 30 years with an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the northern part of Honshu.

On the basis of the forecast, a subsidiary of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings predicted that a tsunami as high as 15.7 meters could hit TEPCOs Fukushima No. 1 plant from the southeast.

Arguments by the plaintiffs and the government centered on the reliability of the assessment, with lower courts divided in their judgments. However, the Supreme Court focused solely on whether the accident could have been avoided.

The Great East Japan Earthquake was a magnitude-9 level quake, the most powerful temblor to hit the country on record.

The earthquake far exceeded the governments long-term assessment.

Earlier calculations predicted that a tsunami 2.6 meters high would hit the facility but in reality, the waves were 5.5 meters high. Also, the tsunami hit the plant from the east, not the southeast.

The Supreme Courts ruling stated that even if a sea wall had been built on the basis of the long-term assessment and subsequent calculations, the accident would not have been avoided because the scale of the earthquake and tsunami was far greater than expected.

It concluded that the accident occurred when a large amount of seawater entered the plant and caused the loss of power.

The top court ruled that the government was not responsible for the accident, without offering a clear view on the reliability of the long-term assessment or whether the massive tsunami could have been predicted.

As opinions were divided among the justices, the ruling may reflect their efforts to consolidate their views. But the top court, as the court of last resort, should have given a unified view on major points of contention, including the long-term assessment, said Shinsuke Toyonaga, a lawyer well versed in litigation related to nuclear power plants.

In fact, the ruling did include opinions that ran counter to the majority view.

Under the Electricity Business Law, if there is a danger of a nuclear power plant being damaged by a tsunami the economy, trade and industry minister is authorized to order the business operator to conform to appropriate standards.

The authority is enshrined in law due to the serious nature of nuclear plant accidents, according to Justice Mamoru Miura, who is a former public prosecutor. Even if the possibility of a tsunami is extremely rare, [the government] should respond appropriately, Miura said in his dissenting opinion.

According to Miura, the accident could have been averted if a sea wall had been built and if the state had ordered TEPCO to implement preventive measures, such as waterproofing work at its major facilities.

He accused the government of failing to fulfill its responsibility of researching and comprehending the most up-to-date findings.

Chief Justice Hiroyuki Kanno, who joined the majority opinion, also referred to the states responsibility in a separate opinion, noting that nuclear policy has been advanced as a national policy so the state should bear more responsibility than power companies in the event of accidents.

Kanno also suggested that the government should compensate the victims.

In determining whether the outcome could have been avoided, the decision was too strict, said legal expert Kazuo Kitamura, a professor at Ritsumeikan University.

In light of the risks associated with nuclear power plants, it is possible that measures could have been taken that went beyond those worked out based on the forecasts. I cant help but think that the ruling was insufficient.
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BERLIN  Germany's health minister urged residents and visitors to wear face masks indoors to protect themselves and others from the coronavirus, but he acknowledged that current data doesn't justify making mask use a legal requirement.

An indoor mask mandate largely lapsed across Germany this spring, with the requirement remaining for places such as hospitals and care homes. The libertarian Free Democratic Party, which is part of the country's governing coalition, has been particularly vocal in pressing for an end to COVID-19 measures.

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, an epidemiologist by training, said Germany was experiencing an expected increase in cases that amounted to a "summer wave." The country has recently reported between 50 and 130 coronavirus-related deaths a day, according to official figures.

"I ask those who want to protect themselves or others to wear masks indoors," Lauterbach, a member of the Social Democrats, told reporters in Berlin, noting that cases could continue rising over the coming months. "Voluntarily wearing masks needs to be a normality indoors."

The dominant variant circulating in Germany is comparatively mild, and many residents are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19, meaning they are less at risk of serious illness, the health minister said.

"There is no need to to panic," he said.

Lauterbach said the government was working on obtaining a broad supply of vaccines for the fall that would respond to all the main variants.

Citizens who are at risk, or who want to avoid endangering others, should consider getting a second booster shot, he added.
KYIV, Ukraine  Poppies, the blood-red flowers that cover the battlefields of Europe's two world wars, were lain in mourning Saturday on the coffin of yet another dead soldier, this one killed in yet another European war, in Ukraine.

The hundreds of mourners for Roman Ratushnyi, 24, included friends who had protested with him during months of demonstrations that toppled Ukraine's pro-Russia leader in 2014 and who, like him, took up arms when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor this February.

The arc of his shortened life symbolized that of Ukraine's post-independence generations that are sacrificing their best years in the cause of freedom. First, with defiance and dozens of lives against brutal riot police during Ukraine's Maidan protests of 2013-2014 and now with weapons and even more lives against Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops.

"Heroes never die!" friends, family and admirers shouted in Ukrainian as Ratushnyi's coffin was loaded aboard a hearse on a square in the Ukrainian capital now decorated with destroyed Russian tanks and vehicles. Their charred hulks contrasted with the shiny gold domes of an adjacent cathedral where priests had earlier sung prayers for Ratushnyi, who was well-known in Kyiv for his civic and environmental activism.

From the square, the mourners then walked in a long silent column behind his coffin to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square. The vast plaza in central Kyiv gave its name to the three months of protests that overthrew then President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014 and which helped fuel the political and patriotic awakening of Ukrainians born after independence in 1991.

Ratushnyi had "a heart full of love for Ukraine," said Misha Reva, who traveled overnight in his soldier's uniform from front lines in the east to say goodbye to the friend he met for the first time on Maidan, in the midst of the protests. Ratushnyi was then just 16; Reva was in his early 20s. It was Ratushnyi who introduced Reva to the woman who is now his wife, also on the square.

In other developments Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed concerns "that a bit of Ukraine fatigue is starting to set in around the world" and said Ukraine must be supported in trying to roll back the Russian invasion to "make sure the Ukrainians are not encouraged to go for a bad peace, something that simply wouldn't endure."

"It would be a catastrophe if Putin won. He'd love nothing more than to say, 'Let's freeze this conflict, let's have a ceasefire,'" Johnson said. "For him that would be a tremendous victory. You'd have a situation in which Putin was able to consolidate his gains and then to launch another attack."

Johnson spoke on his return from a surprise trip Friday to Kyiv where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to offer continued aid and military training.

Western-supplied heavy weapons that Ukraine has been pushing for are reaching front lines, although not in quantities that Ukrainian officials say would be needed to push back Russian forces to positions they occupied before the invasion or beyond. The Associated Press was granted rare access Saturday to the firing of U.S.-supplied M777 howitzers on Russian positions in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. The powerful artillery pieces are helping Ukrainian forces reply in kind to Russian batteries that have been pounding towns and villages to rubble.

In Kyiv. the bells of St. Michael's cathedral tolled as four soldiers carried Ratushnyi's coffin to the memorial service Saturday morning, held outdoors in the church's sunlit courtyard. Poppies and a traditional loaf of bread were placed on the coffin covered with Ukraine's blue and yellow flag.

During the Maidan protests, where riot police used batons and eventually bullets with deadly abandon, Ratushnyi and Reva had taken shelter together for one night inside the cathedral grounds, the friend recalled.

"He was such a solid and big personality," Reva said. "It's a great loss for Ukraine."

The friends then signed up to fight on the very first day of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24. After taking part in the defense of Kyiv in the assault's opening weeks, Ratushnyi then joined an army brigade, doing military intelligence work, Reva said. Reva said he's been fighting of late in positions away from where Ratushnyi was killed. Reva, 33, said two soldiers also were killed and another 15 injured Thursday where he's been stationed.

"People get killed every day on the front line," he said.

Ratushnyi was killed on June 9 around the town of Izyum on the war's eastern front, according to the environmental campaign group that he led in Kyiv. He fought for the preservation from development of a wooded park where people ski in winter.

"He was a symbol, a symbol of a new Ukraine, of freedom and a new generation that wants to fight for its rights," said Serhli Sasyn, 21.

The "best people are dying now."

___

Efrem Lukatsky in the Donbas region of Ukraine, and Inna Varenytsia in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this report.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the southern city of Mykolaiv in a rare trip to the front lines as Kyivs forces there continue to hold off Russian troops trying to move west toward the port of Odessa. In images posted on his official Telegram page Saturday, Zelensky is seen handing medals to troops and touring a local hospital.

Much of the street fighting remains concentrated in Severodonetsk, with Russian airstrikes targeting areas near the eastern citys bridges. Neighboring Lysychansk is also under heavy enemy fire, Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai said Saturday. Britains Defense Ministry warned that Russia could use the unilateral declaration of humanitarian corridors around Severodonetsk as a mechanism to manipulate the battlespace.

Ukraine has notched some victories in the south, including a successful strike on a Russian tugboat with at least one U.S.-made Harpoon anti-ship missile, a U.S. defense official confirmed. Officials have said that the United States hopes the Wests upcoming surge of military assistance to Ukraine - along with Russias increasing isolation on the world stage - will drain President Vladimir Putins will to fight. The danger of Russia swallowing its neighbor and trying to reverse other territorial losses is so high that Biden administration officials said they are willing to risk the global economic turmoil that could accompany a protracted war.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed Saturday that his country will continue to support Ukraine, but he warned of the danger that Ukraine fatigue could affect the worlds response to the war.

The Russians are grinding forward inch by inch, and it is vital for us to show what we know to be true, which is that Ukraine can win and will win, he told reporters after returning from a visit to Kyiv, where he met with Zelensky.

When Ukraine fatigue is setting in, it is very important to show that we are with them for the long haul and we are giving them the strategic resilience that they need.

Johnson also said he believes that Ukraine should be able to host next years Eurovision Song Contest, after Ukrainian folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra won the 2022 competition.

The winning acts home country traditionally hosts the following years competition, but the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the contests organizer, has said that talks are underway about holding the 2023 contest in Britain, this years runner-up, due to security concerns. In a statement, the EBU said it has concluded with deep regret that current circumstances in Ukraine mean that next years Contest cannot be held in Ukraine, given the 12-month preparation time required for each event and the thousands of people who work on and attend the contest.

I believe that Kyiv or any other safe Ukrainian city would be a fantastic place to have it, Johnson responded. It is a year away. It is going to be fine by the time the Eurovision Song Contest comes round, and I hope the Ukrainians get it.

In a joint letter shared on social media, Ukraines Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko, Kalush Orchestra rapper Oleh Psiuk and two former Eurovision winners rejected the EBUs position and demanded further talks over the location of next years competition.

Hosting Eurovision - 2023 in Ukraine is a strong signal to the whole world that it supports Ukraine now, the letter read.

The British prime minister has faced political pressure from members of his own party after missing a scheduled conference in the north of England to travel to Ukraine, just days before a key local election.

Heres what else to know:

- Six Republican senators have challenged TikTok over the presence of dangerous pro-war propaganda from Russian state media, in a letter to the platforms chief executive.

- A senior Ukrainian official hinted that peace talks with Russia could start again in August after, Kyivs officials hope, Ukraine wins several battlefield victories.

- Russia has sharply reduced the flow of natural gas to European countries such as Italy and France in a move viewed as retaliation for their support of Ukraine. The curtailment poses no immediate risks but could have consequences when energy demands rise in later in the year.

- A former U.S. soldier who disappeared in Ukraine is alive, according to his family members, who have seen a video of him taken after he was reportedly captured by Russian forces.

- In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky hailed Fridays recommendation from the European Commission that Ukraine receive candidate status for its application to join the European Union.
WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  Sens. Thom Tillis and Richard Burr voted Thursday against the bill they helped craft that would benefit veterans from Camp Lejeune who were exposed to toxic chemicals in the bases water for nearly three decades.

Tillis and Burrs Camp Lejeune Justice Act was combined with the Honoring our PACT Act of 2021, and despite their lack of support for the bill, also known as H.R. 3967, it passed 88-14.

In 1985, Camp Lejeune officials closed two wells on the base after discovering the water contained trichlorethylene, perchloroethylene, benzene, vinyl chloride and other toxins. Veterans who served on Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River between August 1953 and December 1987 may have been exposed to these toxins leading to birth problems, high risks of cancers and health issues.

North Carolina was the only state that had a 10-year deadline from when the exposure happened to when a person could sue, preventing the veterans from filing lawsuits for the toxic exposure. As the states House speaker, Tillis worked to remove this law, but it wasnt retroactive and didnt help the veterans from Camp Lejeune. Creating this bill, which Reps. David Price, a Democrat, and Greg Murphy, a Republican, mirrored in the House, removed that restriction for those veterans.

Tillis put out a statement following the vote Thursday saying he still advocates for and strongly supports the goal of the PACT Act, adding that he helped draft a large portion of the legislation. However, he said he had concerns that the Department of Veteran Affairs lacked the ability to implement the PACT Act leading to operational and administrative effects that could result in increased wait times, delays in receiving care, and a substantial increase in claim backlogs.

I fully expect that in the coming years, Congress will be forced to make substantial changes to account for these unintended consequences, Tillis said in his written statement.

Part of Tillis decision arose after he said he listened to Veteran Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough this week describe challenges his department faces in meeting current obligations.

The Honoring our PACT Act of 2021 would provide health care through the Department of Veteran Affairs to veterans exposed to toxic substances, ensures veterans arent forced to prove their exposure before receiving care and makes improvements to the departments process for receiving care for exposure.

Besides the drinking water on Camp Lejeune, the bill targets toxin exposures near open air burn pits in Southwest Asia and radiation exposure in Eniwetok, Palomares, Spain and Uzbekistan; and provides coverage for veterans of Vietnam who served in Guam, American Samoa, Johnston Island, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

The Department of Veteran Affairs says that the toxin exposures in North Carolina have led to bladder, kidney and liver cancers and diseases including adult leukemia, aplastic anemia, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkins lymphoma and Parkinsons disease.

The Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 ensured that qualifying veterans who served for 30 days between the affected dates could receive nearly all their health care through the VA regardless of whether they had one of the resulting illnesses. Those who had one of 15 illnesses confirmed to be connected to the toxin exposure would have all of their health care paid for, according to the department.

Tillis said in his statement Thursday that he tried to get support for a bipartisan amendment process to strengthen the PACT Act in a way that would ensure the VA could implement it, but he said Majority Leader Chuck Schumer refused.

Despite Tillis concerns, others saw the bills passage as a step in the right direction.

Military-Veterans Advocacy, a nonprofit organization based in Louisiana, praised senators in a news release.

MVA has supported the PACT Act concept for years, said John Wells, the nonprofits chairman and a retired Navy commander. In our visits to the Hill over the last few years, we have championed the need for comprehensive legislation. While this bill does not cover all toxic exposures, it is a huge step in the right direction.

Rep. Deborah Ross, a Democrat, also supports the bill.

North Carolina veterans put themselves in harms way to defend our nation, and we have a profound obligation to provide them with the resources they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives, Ross said in a news release. Too many service members have been exposed to toxic substances while serving our country, only to return home without access to care and benefits they deserve.

Ross said shes especially grateful that the bill helps service members from Camp Lejeune get legal justice.

Our veterans and their families should not pay the price for congressional inaction, Ross said. Im glad we are setting our partisan differences aside to pass this urgently needed legislation, and I look forward to voting for it when it comes back to the House.

A version of this bill did pass the House 256-174 in March, with mixed results from North Carolinas 13 representatives.

Reps. David Rouzer, Patrick McHenry, Madison Cawthorn, Dan Bishop, Ted Budd and Virginia Foxx, all Republicans, voted against the bill.

Democrats and former Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, who is running for U.S. Senate, took Thursdays vote as an opportunity to remind people of Budds vote in March. Budd is running against Beasley for U.S. Senate to replace Burr, who announced his retirement.

Passing this commonsense, bipartisan legislation is an important step in honoring our obligation to support our service members and veterans, including many right here in North Carolina, Beasley said. Its outrageous that Congressman Budd voted against supporting veterans, service members, and military families who have been unable to get the care they need or the justice they deserve after exposure to toxic chemicals while serving our nation.

Bobbie Richardson, chairwoman of the North Carolina Democratic Party, and Vikki Andrews, the partys Veteran and Military Family Caucus chairwoman, released a joint statement Thursday also striking at Budd.

With the passage of the Honoring our PACT Act, for the first time in our nations history, veterans exposed to toxic burn pits are receiving health care they earned and deserve  no thanks to Congressman Ted Budd.

Like Tillis, Budd expressed in March the same concerns for backlogs and the VAs ability to handle an increased patient load without creating long wait times for health care.

Our veterans deserve timely, high quality health care after they return home, Budd said in a news release then, adding that he did support the Camp Lejeune Justice Act and the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act.

Neither Beasley nor the Democratic Party mentioned Burr or Tillis nor did they mention the other five North Carolina Republicans who voted with Budd in March.

The PACT Act has to go back to the House because of amendments the Senate made. The House Rules committee is expected to take up the bill at 2 p.m. Tuesday, and pass it through the chamber quickly. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill next week.

2022 McClatchy Washington Bureau. Visit mcclatchydc.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
SANTA FE, N.M.  Behind the raw public frustration and anger over election security that has played out this week in New Mexico was a hint of something deeper  a growing divide between the state's Democratic power structure and conservative rural residents who feel their way of life is under attack.

In Otero County, where the crisis over certifying the state's June 7 primary election began, County Commissioner Vickie Marquardt struck a defiant tone as she relented under pressure from the state's Democratic attorney general, Democratic secretary of state and a state Supreme Court dominated by Democratic appointees.

One of the main explanations she gave for reversing course had nothing to do with questions over the security of voting machines  the reason the all-Republican, three-member commission had originally refused to certify its election.

"If we get removed from office, nobody is going to be here fighting for the ranchers, and that's where our fight should be right now," said Marquardt, the commission chairwoman in a county where former President Donald Trump won nearly 62% of the vote in 2020.

Otero County is similar to the handful of other New Mexico counties where residents have questioned the accuracy of election results and given voice to unfounded conspiracy theories about voting systems that have rippled across the country since former President Donald Trump lost re-election in 2020.

In the state's vast, rural stretches, frustration over voting and political representation has been building for years. Residents have felt marginalized and overrun by government decisions that have placed limits on livelihoods  curtailing access to water for livestock, shrinking the amount of forest land available for grazing, or halting timber operations and energy developments due to endangered species concerns.

Tensions have mounted as Democrats in New Mexico consolidate control over every statewide office and the Supreme Court. Democrats have dominated the Legislature for generations.

Even as they voted to certify their elections, sometimes reluctantly, commissioners from several New Mexico counties said they were bound by the law to take that step  thanks to legislation passed by Democrats. They urged their residents to take the fight to the statehouse.

Some bemoaned what they felt was an encroachment by the state on the powers of local government. Marquardt, from Otero County, complained of her commission's meager "rubber stamping" authority under laws enacted by Democrats and an election certification "railroaded" through by larger forces.

Otero County is among more than a dozen self-proclaimed 2nd Amendment "sanctuary" counties in rural New Mexico to approve defiant resolutions against recent state gun control laws. The county also has embraced resistance to President Joe Biden's goals for conservation of more private land and waterways for natural habitat, arguing it will cordon off already limited private land.

Amid alienation, skepticism about the security of elections has taken flight.

On Friday, Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin was the lone dissenting vote in the election certification, though he acknowledged that he had no evidence of problems or factual basis for questioning the results of the election. His vote came after the county elections clerk said the primary went off without a hitch and that the results were confirmed afterward.

The former rodeo rider and co-founder of Cowboys for Trump dialed into the meeting because he was in Washington, D.C., where hours before he had been sentenced for entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

Applause rang out when Griffin declared, "I think we need to hold our ground."

The developments in New Mexico can be traced to far-right conspiracy theories over voting machines that have spread across the country over the past two years. Various Trump allies have claimed that Dominion voting systems had somehow been manipulated as part of an elaborate scheme to steal the election, which Biden won.

There has been no evidence of widespread fraud that would have changed the results of the 2020 presidential election, and testimony before the congressional committee investigating the insurrection has made clear that many in Trump's inner circle told him the same as he schemed to retain power.

The election clash that erupted this past week worries Dian Burwell, a registered independent and coffee shop manager in the Otero County seat of Alamogordo.

"We want people to vote and when they see all this, they'll just say, 'Why bother?'" Burwell said.

Despite New Mexico counties' eventual votes to certify their primary results, election officials and experts fear the mini-rebellion is just the start of efforts nationwide to sow chaos around voting and vote-counting, building toward the 2024 presidential election. The New Mexico secretary of state's office said it had been inundated with calls from officials around the country concerned that certification controversies will become a new front in the attacks on democratic norms.

In another New Mexico county where residents angrily denounced the certification, commissioners were denounced as "cowards and traitors" by a hostile crowd before voting. Torrance County Commissioner LeRoy Candelaria, a Republican and Vietnam veteran, voted to certify the results without apologies, despite the personal insults.

The semi-retired rancher and highway maintenance foreman said he has taken time outside commission meetings to explain his position that New Mexico's vote-counting machines are well-tested and monitored.

"Our county clerk did an excellent job. I don't think there's a vote that went wrong in any way," Candelaria said later in a telephone interview. "My personal opinion is there are people who are still mad about the last presidential election. ... Let's worry about the next election and not take things personally."

___

Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Anita Snow and Terry Tang in Phoenix contributed to this report.
(Tribune News Service)  Throughout much of his career in TV, Chris Licht has obsessed over ratings, often scrutinizing viewership data on a minute-by-minute basis to diagnose when viewers lost interest. Once, he skipped a close friends wedding because it was scheduled during Sweeps Week, the period when audience levels take on greater importance. Another time, while recovering in the hospital from a brain aneurysm, he found himself unable to resist checking the numbers on the morning show he was producing.

Now, as the new leader of CNN, Licht is exploring ways for the cable news network to depend less on TV ratings to make money. One idea would be for CNN to create new show segments that advertisers can sponsorsimilar to how brands have attached their names to a fast-paced montage of headlines called the Eye Opener on CBS This Morning, where Licht was previously the executive producer. Licht also wants to invest in CNNs international channels, particularly CNN en Espanol, and is considering a premium section of CNNs website that would only be available to paying subscribers.

The business strategy, which was described by people familiar with Lichts thinking, could bolster CNN at a time when viewership has fallen. While Fox News and MSNBC have declined, CNN has dropped further. This season, CNN is averaging 178,000 viewers in the key 25 to 54 demographic, down 63% from a year ago. CNNs net advertising revenue fell 2% last year due to lower ratings, according to S&P Global Market Intelligences Kagan.

The search for new revenue is part of the next chapter at CNN under Licht, where the focus, at least for now, is more on refreshing the networks reputation than on jump-starting its ratings. (Through a CNN spokesperson, Licht declined to be interviewed). During nine years under Lichts predecessor, Jeff Zucker, CNN didnt just cover the story, it often became the story, generating headlines when its anchors confronted former President Donald Trump and his allies who labeled the network fake news. Ratings soared. But CNN could often seem scoldy and preachy when the facts themselves can tell the story, said former CNN U.S. president Jon Klein.

Now, Licht wants to turn down the volume. Hes told CNNs non-prime-time anchors they should leave opinions to the on-air guests. He has instructed staff to avoid presenting the extreme right and left of political issues, saying there needs to be room for nuance. He has called for CNN to use the breaking news banner less often.

We are truth-tellers, focused on informing, not alarming our viewers, Licht wrote in a memo to employees.

A less divisive CNN could be more appealing to advertisers and, perhaps more importantly, to cable-TV distributors who have come under pressure to drop politically controversial channels. Of CNNs $1.8 billion in revenue last year, about 60% came from pay-TV providers such as DirecTV and Comcast.

People wrongly think that audience size is the business model for cable news channels, said Andrew Tyndall, author of a website that monitors broadcast television newscasts. So much more money comes from the fees that cable providers pay. The model is to make it unthinkable that CNN would be dropped from the bundle.

CNN is now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., a media giant formed by the recent merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. Growing CNNs business would help the company chip away at its massive pile of debt, while the networks large international presence could provide fresh programming for the companys streaming service, which is in a global race for subscribers with Netflix and others.

Licht, 50, first fell in love with broadcast news at a young age, growing up in Newtown, Conn. He started his career in local TV news in Allentown, Pennsylvania, then jumped to an NBC station in Los Angeles, where he met his future wife, who was working in TV news in San Diego. In 2007, he became the first executive producer of MSNBCs Morning Joe.

Early in his career, Licht struggled to control his temper. If somebody screwed up, I could go off like a roadside bomb, he wrote in his 2011 memoir, What I Learned When I Almost Died: How a Maniac TV Producer Put Down his BlackBerry and Started to Live His Life.

In 2010, at the age of 38, he suffered a brain aneurysm and nearly died. He describes the health scare as an epiphany to let go of the anger. The following year, he moved to CBS, where he became executive producer of CBS This Morning. Five years after that, he became executive producer and showrunner of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Hes been credited with improving the ratings at both shows.

Recently, CNN has been searching for some kind of boost of its own.

At one point last fall, John Malone, a major shareholder in CNNs new owner, told CNBC that he would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists. His comments angered many CNN employees who felt they already did journalism. In December, CNN fired anchor Chris Cuomo after new evidence emerged showing that he was closely involved in helping his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, combat sexual harassment claims. In February, Zucker resigned after failing to disclose a consensual relationship with a longtime co-worker.

By the time Licht took over CNN in the spring, the network was grappling with what one staffer described as an identity crisis, struggling to find a purpose after spending the Trump years doing hour-by-hour critiques of his presidency. In April, Lichts first major move at CNN was to shut down CNN+, a new streaming service, a few weeks after its launch, resulting in layoffs.

I know this organization has been through tremendous change over the last four months, Licht recently noted in a memo to employees, which is why I am approaching this process slowly and thoughtfully as we look at all parts of the operation.

During his first month at CNN, Licht has met with more than 500 CNN employees. Hes gotten together with congressional leaders and President Joe Bidens chief of staff, according to Politico. Hes led CNNs coverage during a hectic news cycle, from the ongoing war in Ukraine to the debates over abortion and gun rights. And hes cut through red tape to fill jobs despite a hiring freeze put in place while CNNs owner completed its merger.

One of Lichts first moves was to hire Chris Marlin  the same friend whose wedding he skipped during Sweeps Week years ago. The two met as high school students in Washington, D.C., during the inauguration for former president George H.W. Bush. As CNNs head of strategy and business operations, Marlins job is to find new revenue sources for CNN. Its a role that surprised some CNN employees because Marlin, a lawyer and former president of Lennar International, a homebuilding company, has minimal experience in the media industry.

Moving forward, Licht is expected to be deeply involved in transforming CNNs morning shows. At an event for advertisers last month, Licht said that we are seeking to be a disruptor of the broadcast morning shows in this space.

So far, Lichts leadership style has been more hands-off than Zuckers, according to multiple CNN employees. He offers fewer suggestions than his predecessor. One staffer said that Zucker ran CNN as if he was the full-time executive producer, while Licht only gets involved in the minutia of news coverage when hes summoned by his subordinates to do so.

Meanwhile, Licht and Marlin continue to explore new business ideas. For years, CNN had avoided having brands sponsor show segments as Licht is considering, because we were hyper-sensitive to potential issues around editorial independence, said Klein, who led CNNs U.S. operation from 2004 to 2010. But such deals are less controversial these days, Klein said. And they could help lure advertisers who are nervous about CNNs controversial content by giving them more control over how their messages are integrated into the programming. In February, Applebees was criticized when one of its ads inadvertently ran directly alongside a dire CNN segment on the war in Ukraine.

Licht is doing a lot of creative rethinking, Klein said. This wont be the last of his outside-the-box ideas.

___

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

Visit bloomberg.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
SAN FRANCISCO  Protesters pray outside a library in New York City as Flame, a drag queen sporting a bright wig and a red gown, entertains the children inside by singing the ABCs, leading a coloring activity and reading books about how it's OK to be different.

Outside Chicago, protesters harass parents attending storytime with their children and proclaim that the staff operating the event came "from the devil."

And in a San Francisco suburb, men invade Panda Dulce's reading at a library's Drag Queen Story Hour, shouting homophobic and transphobic slurs.

At the Ramstein Air Base library in Germany, an event involving a drag queen reading to children in honor of Pride Month was abruptly canceled in May by base authorities, who gave conflicting explanations for why it was called off.

After focusing on transgender athletes and youths, anti-LGBTQ rhetoric is now targeting drag storytimes  conceived as a way to educate and entertain children by appealing to their imaginations  with interruptions and other protests reported across the country in the past two weeks, since Pride Month began.

Organizers of the story hours say that social media accounts are fueling the backlash and that opponents claiming they want to protect children are actually scaring and endangering them. The organizers said they will enhance security but won't stop their programs.

The reading groups have faced pushback from the beginning, but the recent vitriol is new, said Jonathan Hamilt, executive director of Drag Queen Story Hour and the co-founder of the New York chapter.

"Being a part of the LGBT community and a queer person in general, we've always experienced hate and slurs and homophobia and transphobia. That's unfortunately just part of our existence," Hamilt said. "All this feels different and very real, and it feels a bit scarier."

Drag Queen Story Hour, a nonprofit, was started in San Francisco in 2015 by activist and author Michelle Tea. Chapters have since opened across the U.S. and elsewhere. Other organizations with readers in drag have also formed.

As part of Drag Queen Story Hour's programming, drag queens read to children and their parents at libraries, bookstores, fairs, parks and other public spaces to celebrate reading "through the glamorous art of drag."

When the library in San Lorenzo, about 25 miles southeast of San Francisco, held its first Drag Queen Story Hour four years ago, people prayed across the street in protest, said Alameda County librarian Cindy Chadwick.

Last weekend, as the library hosted its second such event, at least five men  one of them wearing a T-shirt showing a rifle and the words "Kill Your Local Pedophile"  walked in and began hurling insults at Panda Dulce as she read to children and their parents, Chadwick said.

"The horrible irony of it was they said over and over, 'We're here to protect the kids.' And it was the kids they were terrifying. The kids were afraid of them, and the kids were there with their parents who had brought them to this event," Chadwick said.

A spokesperson for the county sheriff's office said the men, who identified themselves as members of the Proud Boys, are all residents of the Bay Area. The episode is being investigated as a hate crime.

The Alameda County Library, which continues to receive threats, now plans to host a Pride event each month for the rest of the year, Chadwick said, and the sheriff's office will provide security.

The library event was mentioned on a right-wing Twitter account that, along with other social accounts, has framed drag queens as abusive, depraved "groomers," Chadwick said. The same account shared a promotion for a "Kiddie Korner" at a Pride event in Waukegan, Illinois, that was to include a drag storyteller and dress-up bin.

It resulted in dozens of angry calls and messages, said Nikki Michele, executive director of the nonprofit LGBTQ+ Center Lake County, which ran the event.

"A lot of, you're a groomer, stop grooming children, groomer, groomer, groomer, you're a pedophile," Michele said.

The event was interrupted by protesters who tried to film children and yelled at their parents, Michele said.

In Mahwah, New Jersey, a flyer disseminated online and left on doorsteps and in condo lobbies misrepresented a drag performer as a "known PORNOGRAPHER" who "normalizes PEDOPHILIA AND ABUSE OF CHILDREN."

Detractors called local government offices and the Mahwah Pride Coalition in attempts to shut down its storytime event, said Susan Steinberg, the nonprofit's director. But Angel Lauriano, who performs in drag as Honey Marie, weathered protesters and showed up anyway Monday  in long sleeves  to talk to kids about cats, dogs and their dreams in life.

The protest campaign  as intended  is giving some parents pause about bringing their kids to a space where they could be harassed. But Michele said it's important to be visible.

"That would be a bad show of faith if my own kids weren't even there," Michele said. "But I mean, it did scare me enough that I had that conversation with myself."

Framing LGBTQ people as endangering children builds on the same playbook anti-gay crusaders used in the 1970s, said Don Haider-Markel, a University of Kansas political science professor.

"The term they used at that time was recruitment," Haider-Markel said. "Now they've just switched that to groomers. It's old wine in a new bottle."

It's a strategy conservative candidates are using to motivate white evangelical Christians to vote, according to Randall Balmer, a Dartmouth College historian of American religion.

"The drag queen story hour plays right into their fears that the children are going to be led astray by evil or satanic or alien ideas," Balmer said.

Several politicians have discussed plans for legislation to ban drag shows for kids or punish parents for taking their kids to one. Among them is Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton, a Republican.

"Children don't need to be focused on sex and sexualization, and we need to let them just grow up to be children and let them do that as they're getting closer to being an adult," he said in an interview.

While many drag queens are known for risque and profane acts in nightclubs, Lauriano and others who read to children tailor these performances to be kid-friendly.

"People automatically assume because we do drag, we want to become females or we want to be sexualized," he said. "It's a way to make people feel happy. It's to entertain. It's to make people smile."
People are being encouraged to do their bit to stay well to reduce pressure on the local primary care system already feeling the strain of winter illnesses.

The plea is coming from Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation and its network of more than 30 general practices.

Winter is traditionally a busy time for GPs and their practice teams, with respiratory viruses circulating more freely as people spend more time indoors.

Compounding the problem this season is Omicron in the community, along with other infectious and serious illnesses that will arrive with the reopening of New Zealands borders, such as influenza and measles.

June has seen a resurgence of patients arriving at local GP clinics needing clinical treatment for a number of illnesses. As patient demand climbs, waiting times lengthen quickly.

Pressure is building at general practices, and we know some clinics are facing their own workforce capacity challenges due to Covid and winter illness taking their toll on staff, says Network Services general manager Phil Back.

While GPs welcome the chance to connect with patients face to face, we want to remind people that there are simple measures they can take to reduce the spread of infection in the community, and ease the workload for primary healthcare providers.

The actions are already familiar to people, as they were adopted across the rohe through the past two years of the Covid pandemic, Phil adds.

Be vigilant about wearing a face mask indoors, especially while out shopping or on public transport. Stay home if you are unwell and the simple action of regularly washing your hands also helps safeguard your personal health this winter.

Staying active, eating healthy foods, getting plenty of sleep, and spending time outdoors for mental wellness are additional strategies that everyone can do to boost their immunity.

PHO Clinical Director Dr Claire Isham says the single most important defence that people can take to prevent themselves from infection this winter is immunisation.

This applies to Covid-19, influenza and many childhood illnesses that can lead to hospitalisation or, in serious cases, be fatal.

We encourage everyone to get a Covid-19 booster as it will help prevent serious illness should they get Covid. For whanau, we ask they make sure their children are up to date with the schedule of childhood immunisations, which includes whooping cough and MMR for measles, mumps and rubella.

The 2022 influenza vaccine has been available since April from GP practices and pharmacies, and its not too late to get one, says Claire.

The flu is not a mild illness  about 500 people die of it in Aotearoa in a normal year. Border restrictions mean weve had very little flu in the country over the past two years and our immunity is down. This means we are far more susceptible to a bad flu season this year, especially now that borders have reopened.

Flu vaccines are free if you are aged over 65, aged over 55 and Maori or Pasifika, pregnant, or have a long-term health condition.

Anyone looking after vulnerable whanau is also encouraged to be vaccinated to protect those most at risk.

The vaccine is available at GP clinics, many pharmacies and Rangiora  Tauranga, a vaccination site at Fraser Cover Shopping Centre.
Kawerau mayor Malcolm Campbell has described the Governments Three Waters Reform as the biggest theft of public assets since the 1840s land confiscations.

He also urges anyone who has issues with the reforms, or the Water Services Entities Bill before Parliament, to contact their MP.

The Water Services Entities Bill, the first of a suite of bills to reform New Zealands drinking-water, wastewater and stormwater services, is before Parliament.

The closing date for public submissions is July 22.

If passed, it will create four publicly owned entities that will provide water services in place of local authorities, from July 1, 2024.

The Department of Internal Affairs states the Bill sets out the ownership, governance, accountability arrangements relating to these entities and includes essential provisions for ongoing public ownership and engagement, and safeguards against future privatisation.

Kawerau District Council joined the Communities 4 Local Democracies with 30 other councils.

We all agree with the need for reform. But we do not agree with the current reform model whereby the ownership and management of Councils Three Waters assets are centralised into mega entities. We are committed to finding a better solution and working model.

During annual plan deliberations on Tuesday, Campbell said throughout the consultation period, the community had again raised that they wanted the council to retain the three waters assets and operation.

Weve been getting emails from all sorts of groups about what Kawerau District Council should be doing. We have listened ... and joined Communities 4 Local Democracy due to that.

Kawerau was obliged to conform with Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahutas requests for information about its Three Waters assets.

We might not agree with what [the Government] are proposing but we are obliged to work in good faith with the Government. We are bound by statute.

He said that now was the time to talk to the people who had the ears of those who make the decisions.

If people want to hold this up, dont ask Kawerau District Council or any other council for that matter, he said.

Youve got local MPs and they are the important people to talk to. Humans have got to start pushing back. Stand up for your rights.

As far as co-governance was concerned, he said, our local iwi certainly wont even be in the running for any discussion on this.

Im not saying that [the council] have given up. We are members of a group of 31 local authorities that are fighting back on this, but we are mandated by the minister who has got an agenda.

He said people in the community felt that the council had been withholding information about what was happening.

We havent actually known, from one day to the next, what was going on, up until the mandate.

He said it had been suggested that the council should pull out of its membership of Local Government New Zealand, which has been perceived as siding with the Government over the Three Waters Reform.

That is not an option, he said. They are our family. Like any other big family, we squabble and argue and dont always agree, but to [pull out] would be a travesty for this council, Mr Campbell said. Thats where our numbers lie.

LGNZ president Stuart Crosby explained to Opotiki District Council last month, when Mayor Lyn Riesterer proposed cutting its membership fees, that the group was not on the side of the Government it was simply taking a less adversarial approach toward central Government so it could ensure the best deal for councils.

We have gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure that, in the Governments model, which we have never agreed with and still dont today, that we can claw back as much as we can, Mr Crosby said.

As a result of that, Minister Mahuta has made changes. That would not have happened unless we were in that advocacy space right at the beginning.

Details of the bill and instructions on how to make submissions are available to view at www.parliament.nz.

We encourage people to talk directly to the three Members of Parliament who represent the Kawerau and Eastern Bay region. It is central Government who are mandating the Three Waters reform and they are the ones who now need to hear the voices of the people.

-Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
The retention of much-loved green spaces and additional trees for shade are some of the key features proposed for Waihi Beachs Wilson Park.

Feedback on Western Bay of Plenty District Councils draft concept plan for Wilson Park is now open, and will run until Sunday, July 17, at haveyoursay.westernbay.govt.nz/wilsonpark

Along with the retention of the green space, the community knows and loves, the plans also enable more tree planting on the banks for shade, and power to be supplied to the site to support events taking place.

Councils senior recreation planner Katy McGinity says its great to see that at the heart of the draft concept plan is what the Waihi Beach whanau/family wants.

The community have indicated to us theyd like to see a few changes, but nothing drastic. The theme of maintaining the green space thats already there came through strongly, with the community keen to ensure the natural landscape remains.

We believe this proposal strikes a good balance. The concept reflects the modern needs of our Waihi Beach whanau, and their hopes for the space today while planning for its future use too.

In February, council asked the community what they use the park for, and what could be put in place to ensure it continues to be one of the communitys favourite places.

Were keen to hear what you think of the location, layout and facilities outlined in the draft plan, and whether you think the draft plan provides for all users of the site, explains Katy.

This is your space, and its important that the concept incorporates what you love to do at Wilson Park. The best way to be sure the plans reflect what you want is to korero with our friendly team or share your thoughts online.

Feedback can be provided online at haveyoursay.westernbay.govt.nz/wilsonpark, kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face) on Saturday, July 2, at Waihi Beach Community Centre between 10am and 12pm, or you can fill out a feedback form at the Waihi Beach Library.

Once feedback has been collected, any necessary adjustments to the plan will be considered by the Councillors.

Funding will then be sought through the 2023/24 Annual Plan process and the next Long Term Plan to implement the concept plan.

Feedback is open until Sunday, July 17.
"Estamos trabajando para garantizar la seguridad alimentaria en el pais. Es un reto de esta gestion. Juntos haremos un Gobierno para todos los peruanos", expreso el mandatario @PedroCastilloTe durante un encuentro que sostuvo con la poblacion en la ciudad heroica de #Tacna. pic.twitter.com/zKQPU7kJbL
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YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of his working visit in St. Petersburg, the Presidential Office said.

I am very glad for the meeting and for getting acquainted with you.

I hope you have not regretted for coming to participate in the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.

We are holding this event for already 25 years, in any case it has become a guideline for our country, Russia. I hope for our partners as well.

Armenia is not only our partner, it is also our strategic ally, we appreciate it. We understand what is happening in and around Armenia today. We are determined to develop our partnering relations. We are interested in the situation of the country to be stable and guarantee development.

I hope our meeting today will also contribute to it.

Therefore, I am very happy to see you. Welcome, the Russian President said in his remarks.

In his turn, the Armenian President stated: I have been in St. Petersburg long ago. I was visiting here in Soviet years, it was from the 1980s to 1992. This is an occasion to see how the city has changed and as a former Mayor of Yerevan I can state that the city really looks very good, is so clean and beautiful.

As for the St. Petersburg Forum, I am participating for the first time, but as an economist I have always followed and highly valued it because many interesting and important discussions are being held in terms of economics. Thank you for the invitation.

The Armenian people appreciate your efforts aimed at the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. I can state that your efforts made for stopping the war are appreciated not only by myself personally, but also I know that they are appreciated by the people of Armenia. The end of war was very important. The observation of agreements reached is also very important for us.

I consider it unnecessary to mention our historical friendship because when the relations are brotherly there is no need to say that you are a good brother or a bad brother. The brotherly relations are such, the essence and philosophy are such, it is everything, it is trust, honesty, joint programs and actions which should continue being implemented. This is my position as a citizen, as an individual and as a President, this approach, of course, helps me.

I am sure that our relations will continue in the future as well and we should support it.

The meeting also touched upon a broad range of issues on the Armenian-Russian agenda.
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Smoke from the Calf CanyonHermits Peak Fire forms Pyrocumulonimbus clouds above the Sangre de Cristo Mountains southeast of Taos on Tuesday (June 14).
YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan attended the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Presidential Office said.

The Forum gathers worlds leading politicians, business community representatives, aimed at raising and discussing key matters and finding possible solutions.

The main speakers of the session were Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and President of China Xi Jinping.

During the Forum the Armenian President toured the pavilions, got acquainted with the exhibits. Visiting the Armenian pavilion, the President said he attaches great importance to the presence of Armenia in such forums and highlighted the necessity of preserving it for future years.
RedTerrano BHPian



Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Pune Posts: 753 Thanked: 5,776 Times

Visit to Sant Darshan Museum, Hadshi





Pune - Hadshi

Pune - Hadshi

I travelled on a Sunday and the weather was just perfect. Very sparse traffic and good roads meant an absolutely enjoyable drive.

Note: We left Pune at 0800 hours and it turned out to be the most optimal timing. By the time we were on out way back home, the parking lot was already filling up, and we encountered more cars on the way back. If you want to really enjoy your drive + visit + peace and quiet in the lap of nature, early hours are heartily recommended.



The museum has a huge parking lot. Unfortunately it is not covered and it is some walkable distance away from the museum entrance, so don't forget your umbrellas.



The museum entrance has this massive eagle on display, which gives you an idea of the treat inside.





Museum Entrance Museum Entrance

Entrance is paid, but worth every paisa.

Kiddos can enjoy half ticket.





Entrance ticket

Entrance ticket

You move inside and you start getting an idea of the level of skill and love the artist has put into the effort.





My favourite friend. Bappa.

This pic was not taken crouching down but with the camera at my eye level standing up. I am 6' tall, so you can imagine how massive this moorti is.





Bappa Bappa

Moving forward, you enter a maze like cave. This theme runs all across the museum and it is fun. Besides the lights, the passage is interspaced with coolers (considering it is still summer) as well as audio playing at the right volume. Truly a treat for the senses. And yes, like all sculptures the cave too is artificial.





Cave themed museum Cave themed museum

Meet the Kailaskars.

L-R Dad, Mommy, Kiddo.





Shankar Kailaskar, Parvati Kailaskar, Ganesh Kailaskar Shankar Kailaskar, Parvati Kailaskar, Ganesh Kailaskar

Where there is Mahadev, there will always be Nandi.

Well, almost always. For every rule, there is always an exception. Like Kopeshwar. Read about it here:





Nandi Nandi

Moving on, you meet another family.

For those who are not aware : Bhakt Pundalik was an absolutely devoted son which every parent prays for. One day, he watched them adoringly as they lay on his lap absolutely exhausted. Suddenly, Vithoba, a manifestation of Lord Vishnu appeared. The Lord Himself at his doorstep! Good manners dictated he get up and receive Him properly. But Pundalik's devotion to his parents trumped his devotion for the Lord. So he took a brick which lay nearby, tossed it towards the Lord and said This will have to do for now till my parents wake up. The Lord was so pleased with Pundalik's bhakti towards his parents, that to this day, he is standing on a brick.

Don't believe me? Pay a visit to Pandharpur and check out the Lord with your own eyes.





Bhakt Pundalik Bhakt Pundalik







Shivaji Maharaj meeting Sant Tookaram Shivaji Maharaj meeting Sant Tookaram

This bull is part of the above scene. However, I photographed it up close, because for a moment, looking at it's eyes, I swear I thought it was a real bull.





Chief's sitting bull Chief's sitting bull

The rains have started and lakhs of Varkaris will soon leave to meet their Lord Pandurang at Pandharpur







The Sant Darshan Museum at Hadshi, near Mulshi is hardly an hour or so out of Pune from Chandani chowk and makes for a perfect day trip. Usually one would need to take the Mulshi road to reach, but right now it is a nightmare with multiple construction work is going on. Having suffered that horror recently, I decided to try my luck with the alternate route via Nande village / Symbiosis Hospital and was pleasantly surprised.I travelled on a Sunday and the weather was just perfect. Very sparse traffic and good roads meant an absolutely enjoyable drive.: We left Pune at 0800 hours and it turned out to be the most optimal timing. By the time we were on out way back home, the parking lot was already filling up, and we encountered more cars on the way back. If you want to really enjoy your drive + visit + peace and quiet in the lap of nature, early hours are heartily recommended.The museum has a huge parking lot. Unfortunately it is not covered and it is some walkable distance away from the museum entrance, so don't forget your umbrellas.The museum entrance has this massive eagle on display, which gives you an idea of the treat inside.Entrance is paid, but worth every paisa.Kiddos can enjoy half ticket.You move inside and you start getting an idea of the level of skill and love the artist has put into the effort.My favourite friend. Bappa.This pic wastaken crouching down but with the camera at my eye level standing up. I am 6' tall, so you can imagine how massive thisis.Moving forward, you enter a maze like cave. This theme runs all across the museum and it is fun. Besides the lights, the passage is interspaced with coolers (considering it is still summer) as well as audio playing at the right volume. Truly a treat for the senses. And yes, like all sculptures the cave too is artificial.Meet the Kailaskars.L-R Dad, Mommy, Kiddo.Where there is Mahadev, there will always be Nandi.Well, almost always. For every rule, there is always an exception. Like Kopeshwar. Read about it here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ngry-lord.html (Kopeshwar Temple - The Angry Lord) Moving on, you meet another family.: Bhakt Pundalik was an absolutely devoted son which every parent prays for. One day, he watched them adoringly as they lay on his lap absolutely exhausted. Suddenly, Vithoba, a manifestation of Lord Vishnu appeared. The Lord Himself at his doorstep! Good manners dictated he get up and receive Him properly. But Pundalik's devotion to his parents trumped his devotion for the Lord. So he took a brick which lay nearby, tossed it towards the Lord and said. The Lord was so pleased with Pundalik's bhakti towards his parents, that to this day, he is standing on a brick.Don't believe me? Pay a visit to Pandharpur and check out the Lord with your own eyes.Do zoom in on the Lord's countenance. The artist has magically managed to craft the divinity.This bull is part of the above scene. However, I photographed it up close, because for a moment, looking at it's eyes, I swear I thought it was a real bull.The rains have started and lakhs of Varkaris will soon leave to meet their Lord Pandurang at Pandharpur
On Friday, June 17, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the COVID-19 shots of both Pfizer and Moderna for children between 6 and 5 years old.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC will still need to sign off an authorization before the shots can be administered.

With the recent approval, this means that almost every person in the United States can get vaccinated against COVID-19.

FDA Approves Vaccine for Children

According to CNBC, the Pfizer vaccine was authorized for children as young as six months old to four years of age, while the Moderna shots were authorized for children ages six months to five years. It can also be given to children ages six to 17.

More than 18 million children under the age of five in the United States have been waiting to get vaccinated. They are the remaining age group in the country that hasn't received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Also Read: Johnson & Johnson Single Shot COVID-19 Vaccine Approved by FDA for 18 Years Old and Above

The decision came after the FDA's vaccine advisory committee unanimously recommended on June 16 that the administration authorize the two top vaccine manufacturers for the youngest children in the country.

Now that it has the approval from the FDA, it is the CDC's turn to make a decision. According to NBC News, the CDC's advisory committee will meet on June 17 and vote on June 18 on whether or not the vaccines should be used for children under five years of age.

If all goes well and there are no objections from the experts, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will sign off on the authorization after the committee's clearance. After that, health centers nationwide can start administering the shots next week.

Children under the age of three will get vaccinated in their thighs, while children above the age of four will get vaccinated in their arms.

Potential Side Effects for Children

According to CBS News, several members of the FDA committee noted that side effects from COVID-19 are less common in children than in adults. They believe that the shots should still be available in case the parents want to vaccinate their children.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said during a press briefing on June 17 that the vaccination rate in children is still low, especially for children between the ages of five to 11. Less than 30% of children in that age range have received two vaccine doses.

How the Shots Will Be Administered

The Pfizer vaccine for children will be two doses, and they will be given three weeks apart. It will be followed by a third dose two months later.

The shots are three micrograms each, one-tenth of the dosage given to adults. The clinical trials at Pfizer found that the vaccines are 80% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID in children.

Meanwhile, Moderna will use two 25 microgram doses for young children. That is only a quarter of the dosage given to adults. The shots will be given four weeks apart.

The clinical trials at Moderna found that the vaccines are 50% effective at preventing milder infections. The company said it is testing a booster shot for children that could be distributed around October.

Related Article: FDA Approves Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Despite Fears From Severe Allergic Reactions Reported in UK

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Artemis is set for another "wet dress rehearsal."

According to ANU astronomer and cosmologist Dr. Brad Tucker in his statement with Sky News, NASA's Artemis 1 rocket is poised for another test on Saturday, June 18.

The test comes after a failed launch attempt back in April when the mission's team found several issues with the rocket. Tucker stated that all of the rocket's functions would be tested, except for launching it.

According to him, the wet dress rehearsal could last for 48 hours.

All About the Artemis Mission

On Wednesday, June 15, NASA officials conducted a conference call with the media to provide an update before the wet dress rehearsal on Saturday.

The Artemis 1 stack, which includes an Orion crew capsule and the SLS, was brought out to the Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center located in Florida last June 6.

Since then, mission teams have performed ground communication validations in preparation for the wet dress rehearsal.

Artemis 1 will serve as the very first launch for the SLS and will deliver an uncrewed Orion to the moon and back. This will be the spacecraft's second visit to the launch pad for testing, which will entail fueling the rocket and going through the processes of a real countdown up until T-10 seconds.

Read also: [WATCH] NASA Releases Three Animated Clips for the Upcoming Artemis I Mission

First Attempt

NASA attempted to do the wet dress in early April, fueling the SLS three times over the course of several days. However, after a hydrogen leak and other complications prevented the rocket from being fueled, the Artemis 1 crew decided to return the stack to KSC's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in late April.

Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida were able to repair the SLS vehicle and associated ground systems in nearly a month, as well as gain a head start on several enhancements that had been scheduled for after the wet dress rehearsal.

According to Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, the spacecraft's stack has been completing validation testing for the past week at Pad 39B.

After Artemis 1's reentry to the pad, teams worked for many days to verify services and communication between the SLS mobile launch platform and NASA's command and control systems, as reported by Space.com.

The teams also completed booster servicing procedures this past weekend, including hypergolic fuel loading for the booster hydraulic power unit, which controls the rocket's thrust vector during flight.

The mechanism will be tested within 30-seconds of the upcoming wet dress rehearsal, according to Blackwell-Thompson.

NASA hopes that the wet dress rehearsal will yield positive results and keep Artemis 1 on schedule for the launch window sometime in August, but for now, their main priority is the wet dress.

Related Article: NASA Artemis I Update: SLS, Orion Rocket to Return to Launch Pad 39B in June for Wet Dress Rehearsal

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
India decided to welcome Tesla and the EV maker's CEO, Elon Musk. Mahendra Nath Pandey, an Indian politician and the Minister of Heavy Industries, said that the Aatmanirbhar Bharat policy would not be compromised.

(Photo : Photo credit should read PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)

People visit the electric carmaker Tesla showroom at El Corte Ingles store in Lisbon, on September 1, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA

If you are unfamiliar with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat idea, it is India's campaign to retain the country as self-reliant.

Pandey clarified this detail since Indian residents may have had the wrong idea as the giant automaker entered the country. Based on his statements, the government will not completely rely on the EV maker's technologies.

India Welcomes Tesla, But Will Protect Aatmanirbhar Bharat Policy

According to NDTV's latest report, Elon Musk also explained his plans for India. The billionaire stated that Tesla would not manufacture its EVs in the country.

(Photo : Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during an event to launch the new Tesla Model X Crossover SUV on September 29, 2015 in Fremont, California. After several production delays, Elon Musk officially launched the much anticipated Tesla Model X Crossover SUV.

Also Read: Tesla Seals Multibillion-Dollar Deal With Samsung to Equip Self-Driving Cars with New Cameras

But, he added that this could change if the government allows them to first sell and service Tesla EVs in India. This can be an issue since India imposes 100% import duty on fully imported vehicles.

"The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi has moved ahead swiftly on the Aatmanirbhar Bharat policy and received a very good response on it and we are not going to compromise on that in any way," said Pandey.

The Minister of Heavy Industries clarified that the billionaire and his EV company are welcome in India as long as they follow the government's policies.

Other Problems of Tesla in India

Mashable India previously reported that Manuj Khurana, Tesla India's policy and business development executive, decided to leave the company.

Khurana didn't confirm the reason for his resignation yet. Before he resigned, the Tesla executive asked India to reduce the EV import duty to 40%.

But, it seems like the Indian government will not yield to this. As of writing, India is still forcing Tesla to manufacture its cars in the country before they can start selling them in the Indian market.

On the other hand, the popular Tesla Model Y was able to survive the busy Chinese streets.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk and Tesla are now facing a $258 billion lawsuit because of an alleged dogecoin scam.

For more news updates about the expansion of Tesla in India, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Tesla's CEO Elon Musk Confirms IDRA Group's 9,000-Ton Giga Casting Machine is for the Cybertruck Unibody Shell

TechTimes own this article

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received today U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried, the foreign ministry reports.

The sides touched upon the Armenian-American bilateral relations that are based on common values of human rights, democracy and rule of law, as well as the prospects of expanding the cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Highlighting the positive dynamics in the mutual visits and contacts at an official level, the Armenian FM praised the visit of the delegation of Armenia to the United States this May and the meetings held there, as well as the launch of the activities within the Armenia-U.S. Strategic Dialogue.

Issues relating to regional security and stability were also discussed.

Minister Mirzoyan presented the current developments in the activity of the delimitation and border security commission between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the unblocking of economic ties and transportation communications in the region.

Touching upon the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, FM Mirzoyan highlighted the need for fully resuming the peaceful negotiations for the comprehensive and lasting settlement of the conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, in this context emphasizing the efforts of the U.S. as a Co-Chair country.

FM Mirzoyan also presented the current humanitarian problems caused by the 2020 Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh, particularly the issues on immediate release of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held in Azerbaijan, and the preservation of Armenian cultural and religious heritage in the territories under the Azerbaijani control.

FM Mirzoyan briefed the guest also on the developments in the Armenia-Turkey normalization process. The necessity of taking concrete steps for the normalization was emphasized.
The U.S. on Friday imposed sanctions on Nicaragua's state-owned gold mining company and the chairman of its board of directors over the Central American nation's ties to Russia, AP reported.

June 18, 2022, 12:43 US imposes sanctions on Nicaraguan mining company over its ties to Russia

STEPANAKERT, JUNE 18, ARTSAKHPRESS: The sanctions were imposed on the Nicaraguan mining company, known by its Spanish acronym ENIMINAS, partly because the countrys leaders are deepening their relationship with Russia as it wages war against Ukraine, while using gold revenue to continue to oppress the people of Nicaragua, the Treasury Department said.

These actions are authorized under the current executive order, which targets the Nicaraguan government's violent response to civil protests that began in April 2018, as well as the Daniel Ortega regime's use of violence against civilians and destabilization of Nicaragua's economy.

The executive order was introduced during Donald Trump's presidency.

The sanctions mean that all property and ownership interests held by the company and its chairman that are under U.S. jurisdiction or held by Americans are blocked.

The U.S. government has also issued a general license that will allow Americans who do business with the company to wind down their transactions with it by 18 July. Gold exports from Nicaragua to the U.S. increased 30 percent in 2021, totaling more than $744 million, according to U.S. data.
After a 100-minute phone call with the Minister of Public Administration and Security, the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency resigned the content of the conversation
On June 17, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan visited the 2nd Army military unit, the Armenian Defense Ministry informed.

June 18, 2022, 09:36 Armenia Defense Minister visits north-eastern borderline

STEPANAKERT, JUNE 18, ARTSAKHPRESS: Papikyan visited the military training unit, where the command staff of the military unit presented the existing modern technical means, locally produced equipment and new solutions to ensure the stay of the personnel in the field conditions.

The defense minister observed battalion tactical exercises with live shooting.

At the end of the exercises, the Defense Minister congratulated the personnel and presented commendation awards to a number of military servicemen who showed the best results.

Suren Papikyan also visited the republic's northeastern borderline, visited combat positions, monitored engineering work, inquired about the moral and combat condition of the personnel, living conditions, quality of food provided, and talked to servicemen at the positions.
A carrot dangling on the horizon can be just enough to disrupt the contentment of everyday life.

Just ask Tracey, who is OK with her life despite being a widowed single mom. She works in a factory, following in her family's footsteps.

Now her son is old enough to work in the factory, and all is right in the world. That is, until she's considered for a promotion.

Then life changes.

"She starts thinking that she can be more," said Alana Johnson, who plays Tracey in Swine Palace's production of "Sweat."

Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play will be the professional theater company's first live production in two years, marking an end to its coronavirus pandemic hiatus. The free show opens Wednesday, June 22, in the Studio Theatre in LSU's Music and Dramatic Arts Building.

"Sweat" follows a group of friends who regularly meet up in a Reading, Pennsylvania, bar. The timeline is between 2000 and 2008, and all are factory workers.

+20 Photos: Swine Palace to open 'Sweat,' first live performance after two-year hiatus Swine Palace will returns to the stage on Wednesday, June 22, after a two-year hiatus with a production of Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winni

Some dream of bettering themselves. Others are proud of their loyalty to family tradition in the factory.

But life is always changing, and it isn't long before their trust and friendships are tested by layoffs and protests when they find themselves competing against each other to keep their jobs.

"Sweat is an incredibly incisive and nuanced look at economic disparity in this country and how that unfolds along the lines of class," director G.D. Kimble said. "It tells the story of a close-knit group of friends and family in a factory town and asks, 'What happens when the American dream turns its back on Americans?'"

Kimble is a graduate of the LSU Department of Theatre's Master of Fine Arts program. "Sweat" is his second Swine Palace production after returning in 2018 to direct Alice Childress' "Trouble in Mind."

"Sweat" is a play filled with conversations happening on different parts of the set. Though Kimble guides his actors to stick to the script, the dialogue allows them to inject themselves into the roles.

"It's written in a way that people really talk," he said. "And the MFA students in this show have been working together since they've been at LSU. They're like a family, so they're familiar with each other onstage. That really helps me as a director."

Philosophically, Kimble points out, the story's focus is on the American dream and how equal opportunity to attain it isn't always equal in real-life.

Such is the case with the aforementioned character, Tracey. Alana Johnson sees her character as a woman proud of her family tradition.

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"She's happy in her life and doesn't think about doing anything else until she has a chance at a promotion," Johnson said. "That changes everything."

Johnson is a New York native, actor and comedian who was accepted into LSU's MFA program during the COVID-19 lockdown.

"I wanted to experience somewhere different, and LSU has been a great move," she said.

Fellow cast member, Justin Newell, who plays Chris, has a similar story. He's from Newark, New Jersey, and came to LSU's MFA program by way of Los Angeles.

Unlike Tracey, his character isn't completely comfortable with a factory worker's life.

"His goal is to go to college," Newell said. "I worked as a garbage man, so I know how it is to have a job with heavy lifting."

He also grew up around firefighters in Newark who followed their family members into the job.

"It was like a rite of passage for them, and I understand that rite of passage for the play's characters," Newell said. "And Chris is caught in the middle, because generations of his family have worked in the factory, and he doesn't know if he should go to college or be a laborer."

Do the pending layoffs prompt Chris to make a decision? Maybe. And will the friends hold on to their bond in the midst of the coming changes?

That question can be answered only by joining the friends in the Reading bar, when Swine Palace raises the curtain on "Sweat."

Sweat

Swine Palace's production of Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, June 22-25, and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 26.

WHERE: Studio Theatre, LSU Music and Dramatic Arts Building, Dalrymple Drive.

ADMISSION: Free.

INFO: Call (225) 578-3527 or visit lsu.edu/cmda/theatre.
DUBLIN, May 24, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Azerbaijan Construction Market Size, Trends and Forecasts by Sector - Commercial, Industrial, Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities, Institutional and Residential Market Analysis, 2022-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The construction industry in Azerbaijan is expected to grow by 6.1% in 2022, owing to the continued restoration and reconstruction work in liberated territories, as well as the execution of major energy, transportation and housing infrastructure projects outlined in 2022.

This is in accordance with the 'Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities on Socio-Economic Development' strategic plan, announced in 2021, which aims to increase the regional and global influence of Azerbaijan over the next decade by developing a sustainable framework for economic growth.

Through this, the government plans to harness the use of private capital in the development of new industries by enhancing cooperation between the state and the private sector. Over the medium and long terms, growth in the construction industry is likely to be driven by developments in non-oil sectors, as the government continues its plan to diversify the country's economy and reduce its dependency on oil and gas exports, which currently account for 95% of total export value.

According to government estimates, the country's economy is expected to expand by 3.9% in 2022, driven primarily by growth in the non-oil sector, which is expected to expand by 4.9%. The oil sector is expected to grow by just 1.8%. However, a resurgence in Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases remains a key downside risk to the construction industry's short-term prospects, as the country's vaccination rate remains below 50% of the population - COVID-19 cases in the country have surged since the beginning of 2022

Growth in the construction industry will be supported by investments outlined in the 2022 Budget, in which the government allocated AZN8 billion ($4.7 billion) for capital expenditures. This includes AZN2.2 billion ($1.3 billion) for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of cities and villages, AZN2.9 billion ($1.7 billion) for the construction and reconstruction of social and infrastructure projects and AZN942 million ($554 million) for the reconstruction of liberated territories.

Story continues

The government also allocated AZN5.9 billion ($3.5 billion) for economic activities, AZN3.9 billion ($2.3 billion) for education, AZN1.8 billion ($1.1 billion) for healthcare and AZN261.4 million ($153.7 million) for housing and utilities under the 2022 Budget. In addition, the 2022 Budget also estimated that the total volume of fixed asset investments is expected to rise by 3.4% in real terms, to reach AZN18.5 billion ($10.9 billion) in 2022.

The publisher expects the construction industry to stabilize at 4.3% annual average growth between 2023 and 2026, supported by the development of energy infrastructure. The government expects to invest AZN24.7 billion ($14.5 billion) in the oil and gas sector between 2021-2024. In addition, it aims to increase the total share of renewable energy in the electricity mix to 30% by 2030.

Furthermore, the government plans to strengthen its non-oil sectors through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by increasing its share of non-oil FDI from 2.6% of GDP in 2017 to 4% by 2025.

Scope

Historical (2017-2021) and forecast (2022-2026) valuations of the construction industry in Azerbaijan, featuring details of key growth drivers

Segmentation by sector (commercial, industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities, institutional and residential) and by sub-sector

Analysis of the mega-project pipeline, including breakdowns by development stage across all sectors, and projected spending on projects in the existing pipeline

Listings of major projects, in addition to details of leading contractors and consultants

Reasons to Buy

Identify and evaluate market opportunities using the publisher's standardized valuation and forecasting methodologies

Assess market growth potential at a micro-level with over 600 time-series data forecasts

Understand the latest industry and market trends

Formulate and validate strategy using the publisher's critical and actionable insight

Assess business risks, including cost, regulatory and competitive pressures

Evaluate competitive risk and success factors

Key Topics Covered:

1 Construction Outlook

2 Construction Industry: At-a-Glance

3 Latest News and Developments

4 Project Analytics

5 Construction Market Data

6 Risk Profile

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4t7f62

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220524005620/en/

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Ascension Parish government is considering putting solar panels on the many roofs it owns in hopes of saving taxpayers money on electricity.

A parish councilman says the initiative got its spark after he read news stories about big-box stores that have tried to capitalize on their extensive rooftop square-footage to install solar panels.

"There's going to be money for that sort of thing. What I'd like is to start the discussion to see if it's something the parish could benefit from. We may be able to get grants and funding to put solar panels to reduce our energy costs," Councilman Aaron Lawler said.

There's plenty of federal money to apply for right now. Signed into law last November, President Joe Biden's $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has set aside a $550 million block grant program for renewable energy and energy efficiency for state and local governments. The Build Back Better pla, which stalled in Congress, had more direct credits for solar power.

An analysis made public in January found big-box stores and shopping malls could generate half of their power needs with the full application of rooftop solar panels. They could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 8 million homes and cut 52 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually, according to Environment America, a collection of state-based environmental advocacy groups.

In the name of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, Walmart and Target have both committed to relying fully on renewable power for their operations by the 2030s. They have been installing rooftop and other solar panels at their stores over the past several years to help reach those goals.

By March, Target had installed rooftop and other solar panels at more than a quarter of its stores, the company says.

In Ascension, it's not climate goals that are driving the look at solar power. It's dollars, cents and opportunity.

Like most parish governments in Louisiana, Ascension owns a variety of sizeable public buildings with plenty of rooftop space: two courthouses, an administrative complex, a public works complex, a jail, a warren of buildings, barns and warehouse-sized structures at the sprawling Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, and other buildings spread across the parish.

Lawler, a Prairieville councilman, is not shy about pressing publicly for his policy ideas and taking the current administration to task. He has sometimes clashed with President Clint Cointment and some on the council in pursuit of those goals.

On Monday, for instance, Lawler and Cointment had a sharp debate about the role and cost of a proposed drainage director position that has remained unfilled for eight months. On Thursday, Lawler was the sole vote against $60,000 in office renovations for the administration, calling them an untimely and unnecessary expense.

Despite those kinds of conflicts with the administration, the solar panel idea appears to have at least piqued the interest of other local officials.

Cointment administration officials say they are willing to explore the availability of grants through President Joe Biden's infrastructure package and other sources.

Patrick Goldsmith, Ascension's chief financial officer, said parish finance staffers are finalizing a 12-month average of what the parish's electrical costs are by building, and plan to use those figures as a baseline to examine what kind of benefit solar panels could bring to the parish's bottom line.

A big part of the examination, he said, will have to look at potential subsidies and how they affect savings. He added that the analysis could be complicated because it may have to involve individual metering of buildings to see how savings might be achieved.

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The inquiry may require some expert help, he said.

"So, obviously, a lot of factors, but we're wiling to start that conversation to see if we can save money," Goldsmith told the Parish Council on Thursday.

Solar panels at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center saving big bucks for Ascension Parish government _lowres Photo provided by Ascension Parish -- The Lamar-Dixon solar project consists of a 300-plus kilowatt rooftop system located on three barns

Goldsmith couldn't yet say what the parish spends each year in electricity costs as parish staff were still trying to determine a total figure from power bills spread among a variety of department and facilities.

Several other council members in the same meeting Thursday expressed interest in solar.

Councilman Joel Robert called the concept "a great idea" and set out some of his own goals: consolidating of all the parish's buildings under one power grid, finding a way to sell parish solar power back to utilities, and ensuring the placement of the panels doesn't ruin buildings' architectural aesthetic.

Some parish buildings, like the historic, red brick courthouse in Donaldsonville, have distinctive styles that might clash with the sleek, reflective, rooftop panels.

Robert said the parish may need an architect to look at the design or different kinds of solar technology that are less obtrusive than traditional panels.

+2 Solar panels at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center saving big bucks for Ascension Parish government GONZALES  Solar panels at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center are saving Ascension Parish government about $15,000 to $20,000 per month on electricit

Parish government has already experimented with solar panels. In 2014, the parish installed panels on the roofs of three open-air barns at Lamar-Dixon near Gonzales.

The panels were part of $10.5 million in mitigation projects required under a March 2013 federal consent decree. It settled Clean Air Act violations by the coal-fired Big Cajun II power plant near New Roads.

Officials in the administration of then-Parish President Kenny Matassa said that, by 2015, the rooftop panels and an LED lighting system along a park trail contributed 10% of Lamar-Dixon's power needs. The free energy from the sun was translating into $180,000 to $240,000 in annual savings on electricity, the parish officials said at the time.

The panels remain on the south-facing sides of the pitched roofs for Barns 4, 5 and 6 at Lamar-Dixon.

But Cointment administration officials couldn't say if the panels were still operating or, if they were operating, how much cost-savings the panels were generating for the parish currently. Increases in power demand at Lamar-Dixon and the consolidation of electrical metering there make that calculation difficult, parish officials said.

Council Chairman John Cagnolatti asked Goldsmith to take the lead on the solar power question and Lawler to support those efforts.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the June 19 edition of Sunday Life, which is a special reading issue. See all 14 stories. Anne Tylers books dont feel like novels. Reading them, you feel more like you are in the middle of someones life. The people she chronicles are so real you can almost touch them, yet her stories are far removed from the clash of contemporary events. She has been heralded as the Jane Austen of our age, making up for what her novels lack in plot with rich emotional drama  and a new Anne Tyler is always an event. French Braid, released in March, is her 24th novel and highly anticipated, even though the Pulitzer Prize winner is the last person to make a noise about her books. Im not particularly rooted in the outside world, she says.

She gives few interviews  until 2012 her UK publisher had only met her once, for a lunch. When she does make a public appearance, though, its packed to the rafters with passionate readers (About a Boy author Nick Hornby is

one of her many literary admirers). We are meeting at Annes light-filled home in Baltimore, the city thats the setting for most of her books. She has come to love the hardscrabble city made famous by the TV crime drama The Wire, although she didnt always feel that way. When she moved there in 1965 with her husband, Taghi Modarressi, an Iranian psychiatrist and novelist, she felt very isolated.

We rented a home in a stodgy neighbourhood where old ladies lived in six-bedroom houses, she explains. One neighbour would lean out of the window and yell, Iranians go home! I didnt have any friends until my daughters went to school. I had always wanted to time travel, she adds. I came to think of Baltimore as a time machine that I was just taking a look and wouldnt be here for ever. But now I see Im here for life. It has got so much grit and character. Beneath her gentle demeanour, Anne has a steely core. She dislikes the term cancel culture, but she is horrified by its implications for literature. Im astonished by the appropriation issue, she says. It would be very foolish for me to write, lets say, a novel from the viewpoint of a black man, but I think

I should be allowed to do it. I had always wanted to time travel. I came to think of Baltimore as a time machine that I was just taking a look and wouldnt be here for ever. Loading

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If an incredibly talented person has written novels in the 1930s or 40s and all of a sudden it is discovered that there was something he said or did  even something as bad as sexual harassment  he should be condemned for it, she adds, but I dont see why you should withdraw his novels from publication. We couldnt look at Gauguins paintings, could we? They would have to be destroyed or put away. Later I notice Anne has Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita on her shelves. I ask whether anybody has ever suggested she shouldnt have a male leading character, as in The Accidental Tourist, one of her best-loved books (which became a Hollywood film starring the late William Hurt). No, but I expect it to happen any day now, she replies. Writing is her life, but Anne regards herself as something of an accidental novelist  she began her first when she was stuck at home without a job. I never planned to be a writer at all. For years, maybe even today, sometimes I think, What exactly am I going to do with my life? What is my career going to be? Im only 80, for Gods sake!  Her novels explore families with big secrets and small lies. Parents and children rub along irritably, awkwardly and tenderly. I am fascinated by endurance, she says. Human beings really do lead lives of quiet desperation. Its admirable really. Families are basically the only group that cant easily split up. It is my version of a disaster movie  you put people in a burning building and see how they behave under duress. There has been a bit of a ballyhoo that French Braid mentions COVID-19, but its a stretch to describe it as a pandemic-themed novel, as The New York Times did. My plots are just time, if you think about it, she says. Time passes and eventually somebody will die and somebody will get married. I would love to have a real plot.

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Im not convinced. One of her characters says they dont like murder mysteries because I dont care whodunnit. True, she laughs. I dont care whodunnit. It happened. What can I say? Theyre dead! In French Braid, Mercy has cast aside her longing to be an artist until her children have grown up. Then, bit by bit, she eases herself out of the family home into a clutter-free studio, leaving her good-hearted, salt-of-the-earth husband behind. Sometimes people live first one life and then another life, Mercy tells her grandchild. First a family life then a whole other kind of life. Thats what Im doing. The story echoes Ladder of Years, in which a woman walks out on her family during a beach holiday. I got so many letters from people saying, I always wanted to do that,  Anne says. In Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, my favourite novel, Pearl, the family matriarch, is abandoned by her husband but never finds the right moment to tell the children he has gone. As with a lot of her plot twists, I couldnt help thinking, Well, thats not very likely, until I suddenly remembered something similar had happened to me. I was five years old and visiting Grandma with my mother when I found myself enrolled in a new school. If you look closely enough, everybodys family is strange, Anne observes. She is not sure her characters disappearing acts can work any more. You wouldnt believe how much the existence of cell phones has changed plots, she observes. You cant lose touch with somebody as easily as you used to. You cant lose their phone number, or if you move to a new place everybody still knows how to call you. You wouldnt believe how much the existence of cell phones has changed plots. You cant lose touch with somebody as easily as you used to. Anne resents the tyranny of constant availability. Ive had actual arguments with my daughters and several friends, because I go for a walk every morning and everybody says I should take my cell phone. I just feel like I want to disconnect, but theyve nagged me so much that Ive started putting it in a tiny hanging wallet around my shoulder.

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Years ago she had a T-shirt with the slogan One Hundred Years of Solitude. A woman stopped her and said, I would love to have that!, missing the literary reference to Gabriel Garcia Marquez but enjoying the sentiment.

Perhaps Anne might have won the Nobel Prize in Literature too by now

if her sphere were not so domestic. When she bought her house she was dismayed to find it had a large basement as she had a horror of

filling it up. There is a quiet, airy room upstairs where she writes. Her furniture is tastefully minimalist. She loves art and I wonder if she is like Mercy, but she demurs. No, there is none of me in my novels. We all have private, negative feelings we dont talk about but I dont think I have secrets. No, there is none of me in my novels. We all have private, negative feelings we dont talk about but I dont think I have secrets. Credit:The Sunday Times/News Licensing She is close to her daughters, who live on opposite sides of America  Tezh, her eldest, in Philadelphia, and Mitra in San Francisco. Her marriage was extremely happy, even though it began with a casual Why not? when Taghi unexpectedly proposed. She was 21. He was just perfect for me, but died of lymphoma in 1997. The blows kept coming. A few months later she found out that she had breast cancer, and she was waiting for a double mastectomy when Tezh was diagnosed with a brain tumour. These were frightening times. On the UK radio show Desert Island Discs, she described going to

the hospital for her surgery with Tezh in a head bandage from hers. Sheep May Safely Graze by Bach  one of her husbands favourite pieces of music  came on the radio. It seemed like Taghi was talking to us. She wondered, How am I going to get through life without him? but managed, one cup of coffee and other simple steps at a time. Like so many of her characters, she was obliged to have a second life on her own.

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She also writes with sympathy for men. I was raised with three brothers, all good men, and I had a wonderful father, she says. I wasnt so close to my mother. She was unpredictable. You didnt know if she was going to

be angry or not. I trusted men more. Anne was born in Minnesota, but her early years were spent in a commune in the Appalachian mountains, before her parents settled in North Carolina. The way of life suited her father, a Quaker from birth, but her mother disliked it. When we left I think it was my mother saying, We cant do this.  Objectively, I would say her mother had reason to be cross. The men in her life were pernickety, like Macon in The Accidental Tourist. Most interesting people are a bit on the spectrum, Anne observes. Two of my brothers never let their wives fill the dishwasher because they did it all wrong. I remember my father telling my mother that she did it wrong, too, although he didnt go so far as to take it out of her hands. I worry that I shouldnt have had children, which of course you cant really say. I worry our grandchildren wont thank us. She describes herself as introverted: If Im cast into a hugely disorganised, noisy social situation Im not happy. Yet she was bold enough to study Russian at Duke University in the early 1960s. Then came her rapid marriage to Taghi. If that wasnt an act of rebellion, I dont know what was. My mother kept saying, Dont forget, he could take many wives. Tell her youll always be my favourite one,  he would respond. Taghi, a radical who left Iran under the shah, discouraged her from learning Farsi, but she secretly taught herself the language. It came in useful on her only trip to Tehran, when she found hundreds of his relatives waiting to greet her at the airport.

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Ive recently fractured my tailbone and am balancing on a lumbar cushion to try and stop myself from putting any weight on my coccyx. Strapped to my chest is the reason for the fractured tailbone and the lack of sleep: my three-month-old daughter. Shell only sleep if shes making physical contact with me. Its a strange irony: the book I wrote while sleeping eight hours a night is about an insomniac. Now, with a newborn waking me every hour, I am attempting the edit. I scroll through the chapter. My character, Jo, is having a mental breakdown in a hotel room. Shes alternating between gorging herself at the hotels buffet breakfast, hysterically crying, and double-dosing Temazepam to sleep for 12 hours straight. I envy her. Can you go crazy from sleep deprivation? I type into Google. The answer is a very clear yes. Can you go crazy from sleep deprivation? I type into Google. The answer is a very clear yes. Irritability, delusions, paranoia, psychosis and parasomnia are on the list.

Last night I woke to a shadowy man standing at the end of my bed. When I tried to move, I couldnt. My whole body was paralysed. The man leaned down towards me as his teeth grew long and thin, fanged and ready to bite. I tried to twist my body away but my muscles werent responding. I tried to move my head, but couldnt. My heart had never raced so fast. My baby wailed and I managed to pull myself into full consciousness. There was no man, no hungry nightmare animal. I picked up my daughter and held her to me, feeling like shed saved me from being eaten alive. Google tells me that sleep paralysis is temporarily being unable to move as you fall asleep or wake up. Its a strange slip in the boundaries between sleep and wakefulness in which your dreams become waking hallucinations. Your body thinks youre asleep, so youre unable to move. Apparently intruder hallucinations are the most common during sleep paralysis. Its something that carries across cultures, a kind of shared primal fear. I close my internet browser and go back to my novel. Jo is now working at a mango farm in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Jo opens her eyes but it makes no difference. Its too dark to see. The figure has moved closer to her, towards the end of her bed. She cant see him but she can feel him. The presence radiates heat. Then something twitches against the curve of her calf.

The farmers pre-teen son has put a snake in her bed as payback for an earlier incident in the book. I gape at the page. Was my own waking nightmare not a shared, primal, consciousness-collective experience, but rather my own imagination from when I wrote that scene two years ago? Is my own book literally giving me the worst nightmares of my life? I add an apostrophe, delete a comma and then add it back. Apparently intruder hallucinations are the most common during sleep paralysis. Its something that carries across cultures, a kind of shared primal fear. Would this scene work better in a later chapter? Jo has commented. My editors name is Jo, her assistants name is Jo, the publicists name is Jo, my characters name is Jo. Maybe the line between my novel and my world is slipping. Maybe Im actually asleep and this is all an absurdist dream. Maybe that scene would work better in a later chapter. I decide to leave that bit for later. I scroll through suggested changes. Jo the editor is good at her job; her comments are insightful and full of nuance and emotional intelligence. On the other hand, I am finding the plot of Wheres Spot? hard to follow. As I scroll through the chapter, my brain fogs. I know I can do this. I used to be able to do this. If I could just have more than one hour of sleep at a time Id be okay. Im not greedy, two hours straight would do. Two hours straight would be blissful.

I skip the grammar and go to the next comment. Jo the character is now in the full throes of insomnia and has run out of sleeping pills. Shes met a woman who lives in a small community on the coast and who promises to help her sleep. Jo has no transport, so she considers walking into the orange horizon to try to find her. Logic? Jo the editor has commented. Would anyone really do this? Definitely, I reply. Stet. My daughter stirs on my chest. Tiny fingers twitching, nubby toes flexing. I try to settle her, swaying from side to side on the lumbar cushion and humming Celine Dion but its no use. She looks up at me and grins and I kiss her little bald head and close my computer because I havent lost my mind enough to think Ill be editing another word today. That night, by some unknown miracle, my daughter sleeps. She keeps sleeping. An hour passes. I snuggle into the duvet, ready to slide into delicious, beautiful, miraculous unconsciousness. Another hour passes. Just like my poor character, sleepiness has receded. Im wide awake.
Maybe the darkest film ever made in the classical Hollywood system  I still cant believe [Alfred] Hitchcock got it made  is Vertigo, which is essentially about this older man who fantasises about a woman and what she should be like, a young, beautiful, erotic object, he says. In the 1958 thriller, James Stewart, then 49, plays a retired police officer who convinces a woman he meets (Kim Novak, then 24) to change her clothes and dye her hair so that she can resemble another woman with whom he is obsessed. For us, it leaps out at us and we go, thats very strange. Back then, it was something that even mainstream female audiences would not have been as quick to identify.

The reason more people are now calling out the massive age differences between men and women is because filmmakers  though still largely men  simply cant get away with it so easily any more, says Dr Lauren Rosewarne, who specialises in gender at the University of Melbourne.

[Alfred] Hitchcock made an entire career of this, says film scholar Bruce Isaacs of films like Vertigo, starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, pictured, in which an older man lusts after and controls a younger woman. Credit:Getty

Filmmakers are more cognisant of expectations of audiences, but also backlash from audiences, that dodgy casting decisions or big age gaps in relationships, unless its essential to the plot, are going to be called out [on social media], she says, noting that this has dovetailed with more women making films and the #MeToo movement.

Yet even in the absence of Hitchcocks  and other filmmakers  perverse male characters who control their younger, female counterparts, the trend with regard to male and female stars remains problematic.
The newly elected convenor of the Victorian Greens, Linda Gale, is shell shocked after being ousted from the role over statements she made in 2019 about trans issues.

Gale was elected as convenor one week ago, triggering protest on social media from some members about a three-year-old internal discussion paper she co-authored, titled Trans Exclusionary Rhetoric, Contending Views.

Newly-elected convenor of the Victorian Greens, Linda Gale, has been dumped for statements on trans issues. Credit:Internet

Victorian Greens leader, Samantha Ratnam, tweeted on Friday night that she had instigated the action to have the election result set aside.

I can now reveal that my action was successful and Linda Gale is no longer the Convenor of the Victorian Greens. There will now be a new election for convenor and I urge Linda to not re-contest the election, Ratnam tweeted.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size In an energy market that has collapsed under years of strain, prices have spiked and supply is tight. In the short term, there is little householders can do but find innovative ways to cut energy use. In the long run, we will need state and federal governments to work with regulators and industry to rebuild not just our energy infrastructure, but the market that shapes it. How did we get here? Will price caps help households? And where will it end? Credit:Getty Images How did we get into this mess? And why now? For years, just about the only thing the various voices in the Australian energy sector could agree on was the need for certainty. Fossil giants, renewables advocates, market analysts were all calling for it. But certainty of what? Certainty meant clear energy policy from governments (federal and state). And it was becoming more crucial because the world was changing fast. Every year the cost of renewable energy, particularly solar power, was dropping while worldwide demands to cut greenhouse gas emissions were ramping up. A chief executive could hardly go to a board or investors with a proposal to spend billions on new energy infrastructure without a business case  and without clear government policy, they couldnt build the case. Most of the Australian east coasts electricity comes from a bunch of giant, coal-fired power stations. Theyve blessed the nation with abundant cheap energy and cursed it with among the highest carbon emissions per person in the world.

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And theyve grown old. Once sold into private hands, it slowly became clear to their owners that, in this new world, at the end of their 40-odd years of life the stations would need to be replaced by cleaner forms of energy generation. That shift would cost a fortune and take a generation, even if done right. Done poorly, it would cost more and take longer. Loading But without a government willing to step in and make it happen  to provide certainty via either regulations or a tax on carbon  the transition never happened. (The tax might have worked, says Victoria Energy Policy Centre director Bruce Mountain, because of the incentive it would have created to plough more capital into renewable generation.) Federal party leaders and even whole governments were put to the knife when they flirted with policies that might see people actually have to pay for the new system that was needed. Burnt by the process, they fiddled with the market system that sees power traded between generators, wholesalers and retailers, in a bid to reduce the costs of the transition for householders.Australias system of generating, transmitting and selling electricity became all carrot and no stick  and infernally complex. For this complexity  let alone for failing to provide reliable and affordable energy  the market is a catastrophic wreck, says Bruce Mountain. Meanwhile, the coal generators have lumbered along, backed by an influx of cheap renewables and by gas peakers that could be switched on when there was high demand. But while gas has filled the gaps, it has been costing more as the wells closest to cities have run dry and the export market has grown.

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Encouraged by state governments determined to act on climate, renewables kept flowing in, straining the transmission system, or grid. The Coalition government both grumbled about this and claimed credit for the emissions reductions that renewables caused. Loading The system grew more brittle, more vulnerable to shock. And this year the shocks rolled in  a cold snap, floods that stalled coal mining, plant and equipment sputtering and seizing, and Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine. Prices spiked. The government stepped in to cap them. But that also exacerbated the problem, so fractured is the market. Some generators simply chose to stop producing power rather than doing so at a loss. So, the government ordered them to fire up their plants, opening the door for valuable compensation from the public purse. Finally, this week the Australian Energy Market Operator, one of an alphabet soup of regulatory bodies, pulled the plug and suspended the market. Will that price cap you hear about curb your bill? In short, no  or at least, not by much. Its complicated.

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Regulators rely on two tools to restrain prices when they get out of hand. The first is the price cap that kicked in for some parts for the east coast when prices surged earlier this week. But the cap relates to the price that retailers pay to wholesalers  not to the price you pay for your power. Obviously, by capping wholesale prices, pressure on the price you might expect to pay is relieved. But the money you pay your retailer is not just for electricity. That wholesale price accounts for roughly a third of your power bill. Retail costs add about 10 per cent, but almost half the cost goes into maintaining the network that takes the electron from the coal, solar or wind generators to the power switch in your home. Loading The second mechanism is the default market offer, which is a benchmark price set by different regulatory bodies depending on whether you are a customer in Victoria, or based in the other eastern states. (We told you it was complicated.) This will increase by around 10 per cent in NSW and Queensland and about 8 per cent in South Australia from July 1, which means that the average consumer who relies on this safety net price will pay anywhere between $119 and $227 more for their power this financial year than last. But that increase is just the beginning. It reflects price pressures that the regulator was able to consider when they set the cap  before prices shot to a staggering $15,100 per megawatt hour for a period before the cap kicked in at $300 per megawatt hour this week.

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And there is more. Those generators ordered to provide electricity will be allowed to recover their costs, which will, ultimately, be fed through to households, though those costs might be spread over years rather than months. Credit:Matt Golding Tennant Reed, lead national adviser with Australian Industry Group, says that if before the crisis households were paying around 25 cents a kilowatt hour in total on their bills, this could jump to between 35 and 40 cents once the current crisis fully flows through. That could happen in waves over the next two years, but would mean around a 50 per cent increase in household energy bills. If people have a less pessimistic outlook than that, Id be overjoyed to see their thinking, he says. So what can you do to brace for the shock? The first thing you can do is reasonably simple  shop around among energy providers for the best plan. The governments Energy Made Easy website will help, but make sure the price being advertised is the one youll actually be paying, says Choices Chris Barnes. He recommends calling the company to make sure theyre not going to pull the rug from under your feet and charge higher prices later on.

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Maybe that was a condition of bequest that his name stay on it. As part of his legal claim, Brian says he was abused several times on cadet camps, when Hogan would place his hands around his shoulders and then fondle his genitals. Each year we would go on a cadet camp to site 17 in Seymour. It would be around a week or two. It was winter, so the nights were very cold. A few of us would build this fire and sit around it, recalled Brian. Xavier College declined to comment. Credit:Eddie Jim Hed come along and sit next to you, put his arm around you and put his other hand again on your genitals. He did it to me and some other kids who mentioned it. That would go on for maybe half an hour or so.

Asked about the allegations and whether it would keep Hogans name on the building, Xaviers principal William Doherty and the schools board declined to comment. Brian is taking legal action against the Australian Jesuits, the Catholic organisation which established Xavier. After years of revelations of abuse at Xavier, the school said last year that it wanted to find a new way to support survivors rather than engage in costly legal battles. The alleged abuse at Xavier has had a profound effect on Brians life, including decades of alcohol abuse. Its something that Ive carried with me since my school days. Ive made a hell of a mess of my life, and I believe that its at least partly caused by the abuse at Xavier, he said.

Father Patrick Paddy Stephenson in 1971. Credit:The Age I was actually drinking alcoholically at school before I left. One day (years later), I dont know what happened, but I just decided Id had enough, it was probably the only sane decision Id made for years. That was in 1978. And I havent had a drink since then. He said he had turned things around and later attended university, including completing a masters in applied linguistics: Im now probably as happy as I can ever be, he said. According to his biography, published in 1999 by the Eldon Hogan Trust, Hogan attended Xavier as a boy and inherited significant wealth from his relatives, which allowed him to volunteer at the school as an adult rather than work.

Eldon Hogan in the Xavier College cadet unit. Credit: Why Eldon continued to seek a role at Xavier once he was no longer a student there is indeed the most fascinating mystery of his life, his biographer wrote. There are several theories around Hogans sudden exit from the school in 1963; however, his biographer wrote that he was asked by the school to leave. He was later eased back into the fold, his biography states, before his death at the schools annual Maytime Fair fundraiser for the Jesuits. Hogans car had become stuck on the school grounds and when he crawled underneath to check, the automatic transmission slipped and the car rolled on top of him.

His bequest has also paid for prizes, scholarships, and the publication of several books about the schools history. Eldon Hogan when he became an honourary life member of the Old Xaverians Association. It is not the first time a former Xavier student has made a complaint about Hogan. In 2008, former student David Kelly sent a letter to then-principal Chris McCabe informing him that Hogan was known for touching boys. Like many boys I had to fend off the touches, the genital grabs and the attention in the change-rooms, he wrote in the letter. Kelly told The Sunday Age he received an acknowledgment of the letter, however, nothing had been done about it. He remembered Hogan driving kids in his car to rugby training:

We would always fight not to sit next to him, his hand would slip from the gearstick, he recalled this week. Loading Xavier did not comment on the letter or the Supreme Court proceedings for legal reasons. Maurice Blackburn lawyer Emily Forbes said it was important for people to come forward if they had witnessed any abuse at Xavier. The important thing here is its not easy to speak out against a powerful institution like Brian has, and I commend him for that, she said.
Ambitious climate change targets, ten days domestic and family violence leave and the creation of Jobs and Skills Australia will be the Albanese governments first three pieces of business when the new parliament sits in the last week of July.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age after a month in office, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also revealed Labors national employment summit will be held in late September or early October, the national cabinet will meet again and parliament will sit for four weeks in total before the October 25 budget.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed his governments priorities as parliament prepares to return. Credit:Bianca De Marchi

Albanese also confirmed the legislation to establish a federal integrity commission will be introduced after his governments first budget but before the end of the year, in line with his election promise.

The prime minister has travelled overseas twice in the first month since being elected. First he went to Tokyo for the Quadrilateral dialogue with Japan, the United States and India and then separately to Jakarta, where he heavily emphasised the economic and strategic opportunities for closer co-operation.
Health authorities are warning Australians to make sure attempts to warm up their homes aren't putting lives at risk.

As temperatures plummeted at the start of June thanks to an unwanted cold snap across large parts of the country, many have been doing what they can to keep themselves warm.

However Dr Richard Broome, Director of Environmental Health at NSW Health, said the freezing conditions have coincided with a spike in calls to the Poisons Information Centre related to carbon monoxide poisonings.

One of the main reasons is a lack of education on heaters that cannot be used in the home.

Outdoor heaters cannot be used indoors. Source: Getty

Burning charcoal, BBQ coal outdoor heaters, and portable backup generators are some of the biggest concerns, Dr Broome said.

The carbon monoxide, which is released from outdoor heaters and BBQs, is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas which means you cant know that youre breathing it in.

Even heaters designed for inside can pose a risk if the area they are used is small and not ventilated, such as a single bedroom with the door and windows closed.

Sydneysiders have had a harsh welcome to winter. Source: Getty

Anything that combusts  including fire places and burning coals that doesnt allow the resulting gases to be emitted outside of the contained space, pose a risk, Dr Christine Cowie, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of NSWs Centre for Air Quality and Health Research and Evaluation previously told Yahoo News Australia.

The problem with carbon monoxide is that it is an odourless gas, she said.

There is no advanced warning.

When the gas does take control of the body, symptoms, such as headaches, tiredness and vomiting, are often confused with the flu, Dr Cowie explained, which can in turn prove fatal if not acted on immediately.

NSW Health said anyone who suspects carbon monoxide poisoning should contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.

Story continues

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
New Zealand will start to get jealous soon. In recent times, progressive-minded Australians have often gazed wistfully across the Tasman at our Kiwi cousins. Their liberalism is almost obscene in its sweetness. About 80 per cent of their electricity generation comes from renewable sources. New Zealand was the first self-governed country to grant women the right to vote, and in 1857 it created Indigenous parliamentary seats.

In 1840, white settlers (pakeha) in New Zealand signed a treaty with the Maori people, and for decades Maori language has been interspersed with English in many aspects of public life, including on signs.

The BBC has described the integration of Maori culture a living, breathing and inclusive force thats part of the fabric of New Zealand society, not turned on for tourists or a rugby test warm up.

Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford with their daughter Neve in August 2018. Credit:Derek Henderson

The election in 2017 of a female prime minister (their third) was not met with a misogynistic frenzy, and when Jacinda Ardern had a baby while in office, the only person who was weird about it was an Australian journalist.
Australians would recognise the roots of this scheme. Indeed, the Rwanda Solution is modelled on Australias Pacific Solution. As my colleague Osman Faruqi pointed out this week, Australias (former) high commissioner in London, George Brandis, testified to the British House of Commons about Australias system as the UKs politicians debated the Nationalities and Borders Bill, which produced the Rwanda Solution. A woman protests against the Rwanda deportation flight at Boscombe Down Air Base in Wiltshire, England this week. Credit:Getty Images Britains own scheme, however, went awry this week. Just as the first plane carrying asylum seekers was to take off (the first of perhaps tens of thousands, according to British PM Boris Johnson), the European Court of Human Rights issued an injunction to stop the deportation. The courts intervention was met with howls of outrage from British conservatives, as if the European Court of Human Rights were some dreadful burden imposed by foreigners.

Awkward, really. The European Convention on Human Rights, designed to prevent repetition of the horrors of World War II, was drafted largely under the supervision of Sir David Maxwell Fyfe, a conservative British politician who was one of the prosecutors at the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals. The UK was the first country to ratify the convention in 1951. Lord McNair, a British legal scholar, became the first president of the European Court of Human Rights in 1959. Australians might recognise an echo of the kerfuffle. Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - the very foundation of international human rights law - declares: Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. Australia was one of eight nations involved in drafting this declaration after World War II. Its wording was heavily influenced by Dr Herbert Vere Evatt, the head of Australias delegation to the United Nations. In 1948, Evatt became president of the UN General Assembly, and oversaw the UNs adoption of the Universal Declaration.

You might imagine such an achievement in world affairs would be celebrated in Australia. Instead, Australia has been turning its back on the obligation to help the desperate ever since John Howard ordered Special Air Service soldiers onto the MV Tampa in August 2001 to prevent the ship delivering 433 rescued refugees to Christmas Island. Loading Like Australias solution, Britains choice of Rwanda as a dumping ground is intended to strike fear into the hearts of others who might place their hopes of a new life in crossing the English Channel. It is reminiscent of Australias choice of Cambodia - among the worlds poorest and most corrupt countries - as a place of exile.

Scott Morrison, when minister for border protection in Tony Abbotts government, went to Phnom Penh in 2014 to sign and toast with champagne the deal that cost Australia at least $40 million over four years. Precisely 10 asylum seekers agreed to leave for Cambodia, but soon found themselves cast adrift, the promises of worthwhile new lives unmet. Within a few years, only one of those refugees remained in Cambodia, and there were repeated campaigns to get him to Canada. Cambodia, of course, will forever be remembered as the setting for one of the worlds most brutal genocides. Just like Rwanda. Even now, 28 years after the eruption of killings in 1994, who can whisper the word Rwanda without a shiver? Certainly not Paul Rusesabagina, the man immortalised in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda. He was depicted in the film - controversially to some - as saving the lives of more than 1200 people to whom he gave shelter in the Hotel des Mille Collines.

Loading Having since become an international critic of Kagame, Rusesabagina found himself kidnapped in Dubai and flown to Rwanda in 2020, where he faced trial for terrorism. His supporters say he was tortured and his prosecution was a show trial. This year, this man with numerous awards for humanitarianism, including the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, was sentenced to 25 years jail. Yet Rwanda is back in the international communitys good graces. Why, in a few days the leaders of more than 50 countries will gather for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwandas capital, Kigali, to reaffirm their common values and agree actions and policies to improve the lives of all their citizens.
Collingwood star Jordan De Goey has broken his silence on his latest off-field controversy, hitting out at media over the reporting of his big night in Bali, as a woman seen partying with him came out in support of the player.

De Goey is expected to return to Melbourne on Sunday, the centre of another overseas drama which has cast doubts over the restricted free agents prospects for a big contract.

The Magpies star issued a statement slamming media coverage after footage was posted on social media of him dancing, mimicking a sex act and attempting to expose a womans breast at a nightspot on the holiday island during his mid-season break.

Screenshot of Jordan De Goey in a Bali nightclub during his mid-season break.

It came after De Goey was strongly criticised on radio and TV football talk shows in the 24 hours since the video emerged on a social media account of one of his fellow revellers.
Letter:Promise in the fight against cancer and the potential for Medicaid expansion
CATO  Around an hour away from being a Cato-Meridian High School graduate, Emma Jordan couldn't help but feel sad heading into the ceremony.

Jordan, 17, was with her classmates in an auditorium, awaiting the Cato-Meridian High School Class of 2022 commencement Friday afternoon. The graduate, who plans on studying liberal arts at Cayuga Community College before transferring to a four-year college, said knowing she was about to graduate was bittersweet, although she still noted some excitement.

"I've been wanting to grow up for a really long time but now that it's here, I'm really sad and not really ready for it," Emma said.

Noting, "I'm going to miss everybody here," she felt she missed out on a normal sophomore and junior years, but feels she had a good high school experience overall.

She looked around at her fellow graduates.

"I feel like I'm going to miss them after next year, hopefully I'll still talk to them," Emma said.

The Cato-Meridian Class of 2022 boasts over 55 graduates. Outside of the original Cato-Meridian Middle School entrance, members of the audience stood in attendance after hearing the blasting bagpipe work of Jack Heins of the Syracuse Highland Pipe Band. Two graduates walked out at a time, splitting up to go to one of two sets of bleachers. At one point, the graduating cap of a student at one set of bleachers flew off. A student at the other set picked it up and walked over to give it back to the student who lost it.

Jordan thanked all of the event attendees in a brief introductory greeting. Other speakers included class president Davianna Blanding; high school principal Amy Molloy; Dr. Terry Ward, the Cato-Meridian Central School District superintendent and class valedictorian Katelyn Johnson.

In her remarks, salutatorian Abigail Kennedy asked her fellow graduates to look at the people sitting around them, saying "These are the people we learned from and laughed and struggled with" and said every single graduate accomplished something to be proud of.

"Even if you don't necessarily know the person next to you, I hope you can take a moment to give not only yourself some recognition for what you have done during these past 13 years, but the person next to you as well," she said. "So congratulations, you did it, we did it."

Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Sales of the Volvo XC60 amounted to 3,596 units, down 34.53% year on year, the first on May, 2022 auto sales ranking of Models from Sweden's brands, according to the May sales data of the China Passenger Car Association. Sales of the Volvo S90 amounted to 2,131 units, down 49.30% year on year, ranking second on the list while its YTD sales totaled 10,087 units. May sales of the Volvo S60L reached 1,217 units, decreasing 51.99% year on year and ranking third on the list while its YTD sales were 10,225 units. (Note: Data here refers to sales of cars, SUVs and MPVs made and sold in China.)

 Changes here refer to those of monthly sales 

Welcome to browse Gasgoos website for more information about vehicle sales and production, and May, 2022 auto sales ranking of Models from Sweden's brands.
PAGE  Barrett Friesen steers a motorboat toward the shore of Lake Powell, with the Glen Canyon Dam towering overhead. Pale bathtub rings line the canyons rocky face, starkly illustrating how water levels have slumped in the second-largest U.S. reservoir amid rising demand and a multi-year drought.

The Utah State University graduate student and colleagues are on a mission to save the humpback chub, an ancient fish under assault from nonnative predators in the Colorado River. The reservoir's decline may soon make things worse, enabling these introduced fish to get past the dam to where the biggest groups of chub remain, farther downstream in the Grand Canyon.

On the brink of extinction decades ago, the chub has come back in modest numbers thanks to fish biologists and other scientists and engineers. But an emerging threat becomes evident in early June as Friesen hauls up minnow traps and gillnets packed with carp, gizzard shad, green sunfish and, ominously, three smallmouth bass.

Public enemy number one, he says as lab technician Justin Furby weighs one on a handheld scale.

Smallmouth bass feast on humpback chub in the river's upper section. Agencies spend millions of dollars there annually to keep those intruders in check. The native fish have been safer below Glen Canyon Dam because it blocks the path to the Lower Colorado and the Grand Canyon, some 200 miles (322 kilometers) downstream  but that may not be true for long.

Bass up in Lake Powell generally prefer warmer waters in shallow areas and at the surface. As reservoir levels drop, they are edging closer to the dam and its penstocks  submerged steel tubes that carry water to turbines, where it generates hydroelectric power and is released on the other side.

If large numbers of bass and other predator fish are sucked into the penstocks, survive and reproduce below the dam, theyll have an open lane to attack chub and other natives, potentially unraveling years of restoration work and upending the Grand Canyon aquatic ecosystem.

That stretch of river is the only place native fish still dominate the system, said Brian Healy, fisheries biologist for Grand Canyon National Park. (It) is very unique and we want to keep it that way," he said.

The dam's completion in 1963 was a primary reason the chub nearly died out in the river they had inhabited for millions of years. The concrete barrier disrupted water flow, temperatures and sediments where the fish spawned. The chub is resilient but hasn't evolved to withstand sudden introduction of predatory sport fish.

Although biologically a minnow, the humpback chub can reach 20 inches (51 centimeters) and 2.5 pounds (1.1 kilograms). Silver-sided and white-bellied, with a greenish streak on its back and a distinctive lump behind its head, it prefers calm eddy waters where it feeds on insects.

Its only predator in the Colorado was another native, the pikeminnow, until trout were introduced in the early 20th century to create a sport fishery. Smallmouth bass, even more voracious, arrived in the 1990s.

The chub has gained ground since its listing as endangered in 1967, with about 12,000 in the Grand Canyon's Little Colorado River, a tributary of the Colorado. Scientists estimate thousands more inhabit the main river farther downstream.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year loosened its designation to threatened  no longer a step away from extinction, but still highly vulnerable. Some environmental groups disagree, calling the move premature as the river's plunge heightens predation danger.

As early as this fall, significant numbers of bass and other nonnatives could slip out through the dam, said Charles Yackulic, a U.S. Geological Survey statistician who has developed computer models of the threat.

Under the Endangered Species Act, government agencies are required to operate in ways that will not jeopardize the continued existence of listed animals. That includes infrastructure.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, a branch of the Department of the Interior which operates the dam, is funding Friesen's fieldwork under Utah State's Fish Ecology Lab. The team catches fish, notes length and weight, and examines stomachs to see what fish are eating. Their findings about non-natives near the dam will help federal, state and tribal policymakers fine-tune their strategy. A technical team advising policy makers is expected to release a draft plan containing solutions in August.

One measure under consideration if nonnative predators get through the dam is deploying crews to catch as many as possible. They already do that with brown trout upstream, Yackulic said. But its expensive and not always successful. Native American tribes such as the Pueblo of Zuni consider the Glen Canyon area sacred and oppose killing fish there, any fish.

Zuni do not necessarily make distinctions between native and nonnative life forms, said Arden Kucate, a tribal councilman. Strong stewardship is very much needed, a philosophy that recognizes and treats all nonhuman life forms as sentient beings.

Other options include penning off areas downstream from the dam where chub congregate or installing structures such as bubble curtains to keep nonnatives in Lake Powell away from the penstocks.

Or cold water also could be released from jet tubes deep in the dam to disrupt smallmouth bass spawning downstream, a move that has been successful in other rivers.

We can use the dam essentially as a tool, said Clarence Fullard, a Bureau of Reclamation fish biologist.

That move, however, would sacrifice hydropower generation. To address that, turbines could be installed at the jet tubes  but that would require congressional approval. These steps also depend on having enough cool water in the river. Levels at Lake Powell had been relatively stable for some 15 years, but since 2020, have fallen dramatically.

Where is the water going to come from to support those needed flows? said Anne Castle, a senior fellow with the University of Colorado law school and a former assistant U.S. Interior secretary for water and science.

Wayne Pullan, who oversees the Upper Colorado Basin for the Bureau of Reclamation, declined to speculate, although in recent years, states, tribes and Mexico have taken cuts to their supply, both voluntary and forced.

Were going to rely on those extraordinary relationships and the history we have of cooperation on the river to come up with solutions, Pullan said.

In a worst case scenario Lake Powell falls so far that water doesn't flow past the dam beyond a trickle, a condition known as deadpool. It may be unlikely in the next few years, but planners should be looking ahead to a future in which Lake Powell ceases to exist, said Taylor McKinnon, senior public lands campaigner with the Center for Biological Diversity, an advocacy group.

The prospect is real enough that the Department of Interior is discussing how to protect native fish if that happens, Pullan said.

Humpback chub wouldn't be the only victims, McKinnon said. Deadpool also would slash Southwest communities' water supplies.

"That is a signal of our own self-destruction, he said.

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5 Former Fraternity Brothers Sentenced in Hazing Death of Ohio Student

Five former fraternity members were sentenced Thursday for their roles in the hazing death of a 20-year-old Bowling Green State University student last year.

Stone Foltz, 20, died in March 2021 of alcohol poisoning after a brutal fraternity initiation event in which he was forced into drinking an entire bottle of Evan Williams whiskey.

According to an eyewitness, Foltz finished his bottle in only 18 minutes. He was later found unconscious by his roommate after members of the fraternity dropped him off at his apartment.

Foltzs roommate called 911 and he was rushed to the hospital. He died three days later after he was pulled off life support.

On Thursday, three of the students charged in the case, Jarrett Prizel, 19, of Olean, New York, Daylen Dunson, 22, of Cleveland, and Ben Boyers, 21, of Sylvania, Ohio, were sentenced to jail terms, while two others, Niall Sweeney, 21, of Erie, Pennsylvania, and Aaron Lehane, 21, of Loveland, Ohio, were ordered to serve house arrest.

Prizel was sentenced to 28 days in jail and two years probation after pleading guilty to reckless homicide. Dunson received a 21-day jail term and three years of probation for the same offense, while Sweeney was given a 14-day jail sentence and two years of probation. All three were also sentenced to serve 28 days of house arrest.

Sweeney and Lehane both pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and hazing. They were each sentenced to 28 days of house arrest and two years probation.

Three other former fraternity members have yet to be sentenced.

In a statement Foltzs parents issued on Thursday, Shari and Cory Foltz said that there will be no closure for our family until hazing is permanently eradicated on college campuses.

Cory and Shari Foltz, the parents of a Bowling Green State University student who died in an alleged hazing incident, look on while Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson (L) takes questions from the media at the Wood County Courthouse in Bowling Green, Ohio, on April 29, 2021. (J.D. Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune via AP)

In an emotional plea, Foltzs father asked Judge Joel Kuhlman to sentence the men to the maximum allowed under Ohio law for the death of his son, The Columbus Dispatch reported. In Ohio, reckless homicide is punishable by up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

However, the longest sentence given was Prizels 28 days in jail.

Prosecutors said the hazing incident was a new member initiation process for Pi Kappa Alphas Bowling Green chapter, an event known as Big Little Night.

In the event, new members, also called little brothers, are introduced to mentors, known as big brothers. Prosecutors said that the new members, almost all of whom were under 21, were given a bottle of highly alcoholic liquor and were told to finish it by the end of the night, Law & Crime reported.

A GoFundMe page was made to raise money for a memorial fund by Stone Foltzs aunt last year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News
The whole premise of the American legal system is that everyoneno matter how unpopulardeserves legal representation. John Adams famously defended the British soldiers accused of the Boston Massacre. And he said it was one of the greatest things he ever did for the fledgling Republic that he helped found. And that ethos is just not there to the same degree today.

Was the Supreme Court draft ruling leak indicative of a broader shift in Americas legal institutions?

I sit down with Aaron Sibarium, a writer for the Washington Free Beacon and the former opinion editor of Yale Daily News. Hes been researching how law schools have been impacted by woke ideology.

Law schools have, for many years, been graduating the sorts of people who believe that long-standing legal norms perpetuate oppression and that we are justified in suspending them in order to solve various moral emergencies, Sibarium says.

How will this ideological shift impact Americas legal systems long-term?

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Below is a rush transcript of this American Thought Leaders episode from Jun 18, 2022. This transcript may not be in its final form and may be updated.

Jan Jekielek: Aaron Sibarium, such a pleasure to have you on American Thought Leaders.

Aaron Sibarium: Thank you for having me.

Mr. Jekielek: Aaron, youve been doing some pretty remarkable work. Ive been following you for a while. Basically looking at this woke or sometimes its called Neo Marxist, sometimes its referred to as successor ideology, takeover of American institutions. Back in March, you wrote this piece about essentially the takeover of the legal profession, which wasnt something that Id seen discussed very much. And then we saw the fruits of that, I suppose, when these notes, I guess leaked from the Supreme Court. So I want to actually start there with this piece. You predicted the types of things that might happen, but that one, I think, took everyone by storm. So what actually happened for this unprecedented breach in the Supreme Court system?

Mr. Sibarium: Well, obviously we dont know for sure who leaked it, so this is all speculation, but one of the common hypotheses is that it was a liberal clerk who leaked it, either to pressure the justices to defect and to not overturn Roe or, and I think this may actually be more plausible, in order to gin up public support for Democrats before the midterms. Now, obviously its an unprecedented leak. There have been leaks before, but nothing like the full draft of an opinion in modern history and certainly not the full draft of an opinion as controversial as this one will be.

And so I think a lot of people were asking, how did this happen? Dont Supreme Court law clerks have a sense of decorum and a sense of that these deliberations need to be private? Dont they care about the court being unbiased by public pressure? And it would seem that at least for one clerk, the answer is no. Or at least they dont care about that as much as about achieving a preferred policy or political outcome.

I think this took many people by surprise. I confess, while I was certainly surprised by the magnitude of the leak, it wasnt that surprising to me that it happened in retrospect because law schools have for many years been graduating the sorts of people who believe that longstanding legal norms perpetuate oppression, and that we are justified in suspending them in order to solve various moral emergencies. And certainly a lot of progressives think that the end of Roe would be a moral emergency. So its not terribly surprising to me. It would not be terribly surprising to me if we discover that a liberal clerk leaked this.

Mr. Jekielek: You were at Yale yourself, and you watched actually, while you were in school these types of changes taking place, this type of ideology entering campus. So I guess I want to, before we continue, just give me the background of how you entered this field to speak.

Mr. Sibarium: Sure. So I came into college in 2014, a pretty normal moderate Obama Democrat. I was always anti-political correctness as it was called then, but on all sorts of policy and even cultural questions, I thought, Yeah, the left is right and the right is wrong. Then I became the opinion editor of the Yale Daily News right at the time that the explosion of woke activism began on college campuses.

Yale was the epicenter of this, but it quickly spread to all sorts of elite schools. There was some controversy over Halloween costumes, over cultural appropriation. A professor Nicholas Christakis was confronted surrounded by a huge group of students in the courtyard of one of the dormitories. It was a very big controversy, came to national attention.

And while it was going on, I was the one who had to field and edit everyones op-eds about the controversy, including op-eds from the woke of the woke Yale students. So I got to see how they think up close. I also got to see how they write, the answer in most cases was not very well, and that was all rather startling to me. I think Id already been questioning some of my priors, but that really accelerated my disillusionment with mainstream progressivism.

And then if youre disillusioned with mainstream progressivism, who on campus is going to be friendly with you? Well, its conservatives, right? Even if you dont agree with them on abortion or whatever, theyre not going to call you racist or sexist for believing in free speech. And so just, theres a process of natural social osmosis, where you become friends with people who are dissidents of various stripes, and then that exposes you to those dissident ideas. And I dont know if Id really consider myself a conservative, but certainly Ive been pushed further right by this process. And I think it is safe to say that I am de facto on the right.

Mr. Jekielek: Well just something fascinating Im finding. Youre describing yourself being pushed into being a dissident, being among dissident voices. The people writing these op-eds that youre describing, they see themselves as the dissidents dont they?

Mr. Sibarium: Yeah, they do. And this is actually I think an important characteristic of wokeness. Theres a false consciousness where the people who have taken over all these institutions nonetheless see themselves as victims and maintain that the institutions are in the grips of a white supremacist ideology. Even though of course the institutions are actually in the grip of an ideology that sees white supremacy everywhere and has made its central goal the exorcism of white supremacy, alleged white supremacy from all institutions.

And I think that false consciousness is sincere by and large. Theres some people who are grifters, but a lot of other people genuinely believe it, or at the very least if they disbelieve it on some level, theyre not conscious of the fact that they disbelieve it. And so its really hard to argue with these kinds of individuals. And this is one reason why I think rational argument is not really the solution to the problem.

And for many years, I think that was the way people thought about it. It was, Ah, these kids are irrational. So we just have to persuade them through the light of reason that free speech is good. No, that does not work. Many of these people cannot be reasoned with and the thought process needs to be, how do we take the institutions back?

Mr. Jekielek: Because these are basically articles of faith that these people have, and theyre not going to be dissuaded.

Mr. Sibarium: Yeah. We can get into this. I dont love comparing it to a religion because I think that can obscure certain things, but its certainly that this ideology has religious characteristics. Its very dogmatic. And you think about like trying to persuade a Catholic not to believe in transubstantiation. Its like, what are you going to do? I mean, its like a category error to even think that this is something that someone arrived at through a process of detached, rational argument or that the reasons they hold this view are particularly rational or philosophical.

I mean, its not to say that the view is true or false. Its just to say that if you think that youre going to argue someone out of belief in transubstantiation, its like youre making a category error about what this belief even is and what the point of it is. Reason wasnt really what mattered here. And when people try to argue back by saying, Ah, but youre making a logical fallacy. It was like the two sides were engaged in fundamentally incommensurate epistemic projects. And I think really seeing that and indeed seeing the limits of debate was a big part of what started to change my thinking.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, so what happened? And I mean in the bigger picture and lets talk about the legal profession, because many people saw it in different places and of course there is  critical theory does come from the legal profession. Indeed, I know that. But somehow many of us as were learning, imagine that the legal profession would somehow be more immune just as we imagine the maths or the physics or sciences would be more immune, but it turns out thats not the case, right?

Mr. Sibarium: Right. What happened was the kids who were protesting in 2015 then went to law school, some of them. And then they brought their ideas to law school and their culture to law school. And I would say, look, in 2018, Heather Gerken, the Dean of Yale Law School wrote this op-ed in Time where she said, Yeah, like Middlebury people shouted down Charles Murray, but here at Yale Law School, we dont have anything like that. Because we teach people in the art of the adversarial profession. And then of course, three, four years later, Yale Law School launches an inquisition against a student who uses the term trap house in an email.

It launches an inquisition against Amy Chua, hundreds of students shout down, or attempt to shout down a bipartisan event on free speech that the Federalist Society hosted. Its just one controversy after another. And I think the approximate cause of that is just the population of Yale Law School changed. And the norms just changed. And once the students, a critical mass of students believe in this thing, unless the administration is really willing to stand up to it, it just takes over like that. And Yale Law School certainly has not been willing to stand up to it. And thats not unique to Yale Law School.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, okay. So really its coming from the students? Thats fascinating.

Mr. Sibarium: Yeah. So it is coming from the students. Its also coming from certain mid-level administrators who are in DEI offices and have an institutional incentive to perpetuate this ideology. I mean, I think thats a big part of the story here, that weve institutionalized the activist class, and once that class is institutionalized, theres just no limiting principle on what it will do.

So its a mix of the students, norms changing among the very young and then that trickling up into law schools as those students come to law schools. But its also broader changes in the way all of academia works. All of academia, these DEI offices, theyre everywhere. And then theres this deeper question about how the DEI offices came to be in the first place.

And I think thats partly ideology, but partly also legal incentives. A private school like Yale is not bound by the First Amendment, but it is bound by the Civil Rights Act. And you see the construction of these bureaucracies really began or accelerated in the 90s when civil rights law began to attach more draconian penalties to institutions that were found to have created a hostile work environment.

And before the 90s, there was no sexual harassment training. You just, you didnt have that. And now you have it everywhere. And that the main reason for that is that there was just a change in the legal environment. And then these bureaucracies that started as compliance mechanisms take on a life of their own, they have these self-interested incentives to perpetuate the idea that racism and sexism are everywhere, because otherwise why have that anti-racist anti-sexist bureaucracy? And so its kind of, I think partly legal pressures that set the ball in motion and then a organic process of bureaucratic self-aggrandizement that perpetuates it.

Mr. Jekielek: So its interesting. I imagine if youre in the HR office and you are an adherent of this ideology, while youre hiring somebody through the shared language  or I dont know how it is actually, Im very curious how this works, but probably okay, this persons on my team and clearly my whole purpose is to stack as much as possible with team players, because were all somehow exactly on the same wave length and were going to be able to push this together. So its sort of, I imagine that theres just this critical mass. Because also among in a lot of the academy, its professors, especially in the blank studies like womens studies, blank studies departments. Its become really the dominant ideology in these places.

Mr. Sibarium: Yeah. So it is, although I think the ideology is comparatively more dominant among administrators than professors. And you even see this when you look at statistics, like professors, I mean its like 20 to 1 are liberal, but then if you look at administrators, its like 40 to 1 its just, there are not conservative administrators. This just does not exist anywhere.

Whereas at Yale law or Harvard law, even if the staff or the professors overwhelmingly lean left, the old guard tends to believe in basic norms of free speech and due process and tends to, I think be very upset when administrators trample on those norms of free speech and due process as they have done at some of these universities.

To give you just one example, a lot of the deans, so administrators of law schools encouraged the American Bar Association to make anti-racism training an accreditation requirement for law schools. And they eventually did make something like that a requirement, but it was actually a group of very distinguished Yale Law School professors among others who submitted comments to the ABA criticizing some of these proposals because they were worried that it would infringe upon academic freedom.

So you see this clash between faculty who want more power and are upset that administrators have usurped it from them. And then the administrators who just really dont care what the faculty think. And now for various reasons just are the real loci of power within the universities.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, and I think if I recall at Yale in your piece, theres more administrators than there are faculty now or something like this, right?

Mr. Sibarium: Yes. Yes, there are. At Yale there are more.

Mr. Jekielek: I mean that, theres something going terribly wrong here, or?

Mr. Sibarium: Yeah. I mean, well look, its partly just the self perpetuating, self inflating logic of bureaucracy. Bureaucracies always tend to get bigger. Theres this conservative meme that its easier to tear something down than to build something up. But in the case of bureaucracy, its actually the opposite. Its much easier to create a bureaucracy than it is to get rid of it. And thats a problem.

I think theres always a chicken and the egg issue here, which is like what fueled what, but certainly coincident with the growth of these bureaucracies has been a change in the way students think of higher ed. Its maybe more acute at the undergraduate level than the law school level, but I think it has affected all levels where education is now seen as a consumer good, and the point of going to school is to get a special experience.

Like at all these Ivy league schools, they have tons and tons of amenities for the students. And theyre sold as playgrounds for four years where you can just have fun, get drunk, hook up with a few people. Thats the selling point. As the students come to take on a more consumerist orientation toward the university, the university has in turn taken on a corporate self-conception extends and influences this bureaucratic bloat. So theres two things working at once. You see that the way in which people think about the institution has changed. And then the structure of the institution itself has changed. And these two things fuel each other simultaneously.

Mr. Jekielek: Fascinating. But, and I mean, for people in the system, I mean, its been described by some of the people you interviewed as living in a panopticon. Absolutely every little thing you do, youre aware that it will be recorded and you will be judged based on it.

Mr. Sibarium: Correct. I think that the panoptic effects of social media have combined with the bloat of bureaucracy in a very unhealthy and dare I say, Orwellian way.

Mr. Jekielek: Yeah. But just growing up as a young person in a world where everything you do is measured, recorded. I mean, I dont know. I can think of many things that I did that Im quite happy werent on video.

Mr. Sibarium: Yeah, of course. And part of the other problem here is that it doesnt have to be an explicit transgression of the ideological dogma. It can be anything. And then if you transgress the ideological dogma, this happened at Princeton, Joshua Katz professor writes an oped thats critical of some of the social justice stuff. And then the school newspaper starts digging into his past and unearth these already settled and adjudicated allegations incident where hed slept with a student.

Theyd already punished him for this and said, All right, you served your time. Youre done. Then of course, the school paper motivated by presumably woke ideology and anger at this op-ed digs up the allegations.

Then the school starts reinvestigating him and uses this, among other things uses emails exchanged over many years in order to claim, I think somewhat tenuously that Katz did things that he says he didnt do. And so then they say theyre firing him over, having behaved inappropriately with a student, but the whole new investigation would not have happened but for the initial ideological transgression.

And I think, so technology has made it much easier to come up with pretexts for these kinds of political witch hunts. I mean, people may debate that characterization of the Princeton thing, but I just, as a broader point, its just easier to find something that looks bad about somebody in a world where everything is immortalized with technology. And I think thats just a big, long term structural change thats fueled a lot of this stuff.

Mr. Jekielek: I mean, this whole Joshua Katz case, and I can see youve been following that quite intently, is absolutely fascinating. I mean, theres this one element, for example, that basically theyve been getting rid of their Greek classes and Latin classes and so forth. So they want to switch to other languages, non Eurocentric languages. But it turns out that Joshua Katz is one of the few people who can actually teach these remaining languages. I mean, you cant write that. You cant write this stuff. Its weird, poetic.

Mr. Sibarium: You cant make it up. I mean, its amazing. Hes probably one of 5, 10 people on earth who speak some of these languages because theyre so obscure. Yeah. I mean, as an aside, the whole notion that that Greek and Latin or even Eurocentric languages, I think is somewhat a historical  the very concept of modern Europe and white Europe is just, doesnt really map on very well to the ancient world.

Mr. Jekielek: But they are Western, right?

Mr. Sibarium: Yes, they are. They are Western.

Mr. Jekielek: See, I was using their terms.

Mr. Sibarium: No, I mean, I think you can say theyre Western, but this is another characteristic of woke ideology, the tendency to project modern racial, conceptual and even bureaucratic categories back onto a pre-modern, very non bureaucratized society. Right? The whole, I mean, concepts of race in the United States, many of them were just invented by the federal government in the 70s. Like AAPI.

I mean, theres no biological or really sociological reason why all these discrete Asian groups should go together. But they do because the Office of Management and Budget in the 70s was like, ah, well, we need a way to administer minority, set aside and affirmative action programs, and these activists are pushing to be included. So well, well make up this category and just say it works.

And its nonsense, but its just the demand of pragmatic administration causes all these like fake categories to come into being. And then people try to apply the categories back onto history as if they are these transcendent classifications that all human society falls into. And its just, its just not true.

Mr. Jekielek: In this case, theres this situation where like, and this is, I dont know, is this characteristic of how these woke bureaucracies work? But theyre basically firing him in a very public way, as far as they understand, prior to actually letting him know thats whats going to go down.

Mr. Sibarium: Yeah. So they fired him. They actually, the first he heard of it apparently was when the New York Times reached out about his firing. They hadnt even told him before it was public. And yeah, look, they clearly wanted to make it a public thing because he had offered to resign privately quietly and they rejected his offer and were like, No, we are going to reserve the right to make a big public statement about this, which again you dont know, but to the extent people are speculated that politics was the real reason they were firing him, that is certainly consistent with that story.

Mr. Jekielek: How much of this is performative? This is the question that I keep  like how much of it is for display, for sending a message, all this kind of stuff?

Mr. Sibarium: Certainly a lot of it. I mean, I do think, well, like the Princeton thing certainly is going to communicate a message to people that if you transgress the ideology, it is more likely that your past will be dug up and used against you. I mean whatever you think about why they fired him and whether you take their explanation at face value or not, its very clear that just the causality was that he wrote this op-ed, it was controversial, the controversy generated more scrutiny, and the scrutiny in turn led to this investigation being reopened.

Mr. Jekielek: And just to be clear, he wrote a oped criticizing wokeness.

Mr. Sibarium: Yes, yes. And I would say also to be people honed in on, he called a student group a small local terrorist organization in the context of basically saying that they metaphorically terrorized their peers, and yes, its hyperbolic language, but a lot of the people who he was criticizing used hyperbolic language too, including some of the exact same language of terrorism to describe things that werent actually terrorism.

And in the grand scheme of things, I read a lot of criticisms from both left and right of our current order. Language he used was nowhere near as incendiary as plenty of other language thats used every day on Twitter. So the whole idea that this was extra out of bounds is just silly.

Mr. Jekielek: So what does it look like being a law school student now in say Yale or some of these other schools that are, I guess, deep in the ideology?

Mr. Sibarium: It varies by school. Harvard and U Chicago are probably not as bad as Yale, Georgetown, Stanford, et cetera, just for a lot of weird contingent reasons. But in general, I would say kids are very afraid to say what they really think. Theyre afraid to play devils advocate in the classroom. Ive heard stories about kids being raked over the coals for merely offering like a hypothetical defense of a Scalia descent. Even if you say, I am not endorsing this, Im just saying one could argue that, which is what youre supposed to do in law school. There will be a struggle session where all the kids are like, I cant believe you would say this horribly racist thing.

The adversarial culture thats supposed to characterize law school classrooms, I think has really, really eroded and at a place like Yale, Im sure there are certain professors who are better than others, and you can take classes where the kids are more, there is more open debate, but my sense is that there really is just a imperative to keep your head down if you dont want to experience what some people have called social death. I mean, they use that. A Harvard law professor I spoke to used that term. Thats how he characterized how even liberal students feel about potentially saying something slightly at odds with woke orthodoxy.

Mr. Jekielek: I mean, this is of course will sound bizarre to many people like myself because debate is what is done in the legal profession. Yes. I mean, thats what its about, right? And convincing people of things. How does that square with whats happening?

Mr. Sibarium: Well, I think it has a number of downstream effects and I want to be careful here because some people I think will read this account and think, Ah, so the lawyers are just going to like clam up and like burst into tears at the first controversy in the courtroom and wont be able to do their jobs. And to be honest, I doubt thats really what is going to happen. And I worry that if people act like thats whats going to happen, theyre going to miss whats so dangerous, which is not  if all these kids just like melted down on the first, the moment they got into an adversarial context, well, thatd be great. Theyd have no power. The problem is that they dont actually melt down.

What theyre going to do is I think transform various legal institutions from within, prosecute a substantive ideological agenda through courts and government agencies. And also where the breakdown of adversarialism might be a big deal, is when it comes to like say ethics requirements for the bar, and if you make an off the cuff comment on the courtroom steps and someone perceives it as racist, and then they report you to the bar and you get a harassed with ethics complaints or something. Theres a lot of ways in which you can make the profession less hospitable to opposing points of view.

I think one concrete way this manifests is that in law firms, big law is just not going to take controversial pro bono cases or at least, or they may take ones that we would consider controversial, but defund the police activism I think you can probably get away with doing pro bono stuff, but like someone told me something like, God help you. If you want to file an Amicus brief for Feminists For Life. Theres all sorts of causes like abortion, religious liberty that increasingly big law firms just dont want to touch because their younger staff will get really mad at them and be like, How can we represent X, Y, or Z evil person?

And then the other dynamic is that corporations that work with the firm will reach out to the firm and be like, Were not happy that youre representing this other guy whos problematic. And if Coca-Cola is implicitly threatening to separate with your law firm, I mean, Coca-Cola is a huge client, so youre not going to want to lose them. So theres also economic incentives that force the law firms to avoid controversy.

And thats a problem, right? Because the whole premise of the American legal system is that everyone, no matter how unpopular, deserves legal representation. John Adams famously defended the British soldiers accused of the Boston Massacre. And he said it was the greatest things he ever did for the fledgling republic that he helped found. And that ethos is just not there to the same degree today as it used to be, partly due to these external corporate and even media pressures, but also partly due to the fact that lawyers just no longer believe in the way they used to that everyone deserves representation. And that it is in fact, a very honorable thing to do to defend someone say accused of rape, who you yourself think is guilty.

Its honorable precisely because the justice system only works if even those people who you know are guilty get representation as a matter of course, but that I think requires you to believe in certain institutional premises that increasingly these lawyers dont believe in and that they see as perpetuating all sorts of injustices within the legal system. So its a problem.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, as youre speaking, I cant help think about Marcuses repressive tolerance basically principle. The idea being that whats right is whats ideologically right. And whats wrong, if its not ideologically right, its just always wrong. So, are you foreseeing the legal system being remade in this sort of image?

Mr. Sibarium: I mean, theres going to be pressure on it. Now, I think the good news is that the Federalist Society, there is a conservative legal movement that actually has institutions. And the fact that it has a institutional presence does make it, I think, more effective. So I would imagine that there will always be conservative lawyers and theyre not going to be just totally driven out, but I do think there will be these softer pressures that cause more and more of the elite legal world to coalesce around a particular set of values that really are not liberal and are not the values of your parents lawyers.

Its hard to predict exactly what will happen, but I think yes, youre already seeing it erode. And look, the Supreme Court thing is a good example where if people believe that in the presence of a great moral crisis you can suspend all the norms of the legal system. And people believe that racism and sexism and all these things are current, ongoing moral crises that pervade every aspect of our lives. Well, then thats basically an argument for just jettisoning all the norms that make the legal system work the way it does. And its a bit hard to imagine exactly what that looks like, but its certainly going to be different, I think, than the legal system that weve had for many, many years.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, one way, one obvious way would be your guilt or innocence is determined by your position on the intersectional hierarchy, for example, as opposed to what actually happened.

Mr. Sibarium: Yeah. And you know, I mean the other thing too, and this is zooming out a bit, but even if the law continues to be formally colorblind, even if the law continues to proceed under the norm of innocent until proven guilty, when theres these media show trials and all this institutional pressure outside the law, it only matters so much what the law says. When, for example, I mean, you saw a lot of these states that were doing racial rationing of COVID drugs.

They did back off in the face of legal threats, but they were willing to do it in the first place, even when they were told in some cases that it was illegal, but they just went ahead and did it anyway, because they were like, Oh, just the consensus was just, well, racial preferences in medicine are just what you do.

And so once that becomes just an institutionalized, common sense, almost conventional wisdom law can maybe blunt the worst excesses, but theres only so many lawyers that cant be everywhere at once. If people dont feel a need to follow the law independent of sanctions, if the only reason theyre following it is because theyre worried about not getting in trouble not because they think it has some intrinsic normative weight youre probably going to in practice, see a lot more things happen under the table that are illegal.

And yeah, just saying, Well, but the constitution prevents this. Well, okay. But unless like some enterprising reporter goes and surfaces that Utah is racially discriminating in the provision of life saving care, Utahs still going to discriminate in the provision of life saving care, even when theyre told its illegal. And by the time someone sues them, theyre already going to have been doing that for like a year.

And thats going to effect who lived and died in the state of Utah who had COVID. So its not enough to just even maintain a conservative or anti woke presence in the legal system. You really got to fight the war on all fronts because theres just only so much that the law can do in the face of an overwhelming lawless elite consensus.

Mr. Jekielek: So how far gone are things then?

Mr. Sibarium: Pretty far gone, but in the long run, theres some reason to be helpful. I mean, I do think just the other day I saw Michael Powell, whos a New York Times reporter, came out with a piece about trans women in sports that was I think respectful, but critical of Leah Thomas and some of these cases.

To me, there are signs that theres a lot of dissatisfaction with this ideology. There are signs that, especially when the red wave comes in November, that there are going to be political recriminations. And there is a feedback mechanism that may prevent it from just being a secular straight race to the bottom for how woke we can be. But what worries me is that even if were fine in the long run and eventually theres a blow back and eventually the regime collapses under the weight of its contradictions, it can do a lot of damage in the meantime.

And especially with young people, you see these studies on how young people believe, what they think about free speech. And its just, its very striking that the generation that is about to replace the boomers and everyone as the head of all these institutions, a lot of them really do buy into a much more censorious, much more illiberal set of values around free speech and diversity. And so I dont know if weve really seen peak woke yet.

I think ultimately, what this will depend on is whether this generational title wave of young woke people can be shocked out of their ideology once the cost of it really start to pile up. I mean, I dont think  we havent even begun to see what true defund looks like.

And you saw like in certain cities, all these like woke white liberals were like, Yeah, defund the police. And then, Oh, now crime is up like 300%. Well, maybe we shouldnt have done that. When that thing happens in every institution all at once. And its really this generational tidal wave, youre going to see a lot of cost to the ideology. And I think the costs are going to have to become quite substantial and felt by a very broad cross section of people for there to be some reconsideration of it.

I do think that will happen eventually, but some people will say, Well, but itll happen eventually, Aaron. So why are you worried? Well, the Soviet Union collapsed eventually, but it did a lot of damage in the meantime. And when it collapsed the attempt to pick up the pieces didnt go so well either. I dont think were on the cusp of Soviet totalitarianism or post Soviet Russia. Im not saying that, but the point is just, just because something doesnt last forever doesnt mean it cant do a lot of damage and that you shouldnt fight against it.

Mr. Jekielek: No, I understand. And I mean, its fascinating to see this  I guess it was 2021 really that the place where I saw just society at large becoming cognizant of whats happening was, and Ive heard this story anecdotally I mean literally hundreds of times, parents on zoom listening to what their kids are actually learning in school. I mean, just fascinating.

Mr. Sibarium: Thats the flip side to the panopticon. I mean, I dont like the panopticon, but the way in which disillusioned parents have then turned the panoptic character of our society to their own advantage against these woke school teachers, it may be a reflection of a bad state of affairs in which everything we say is public. But it also does allow for a grassroots pushback to take place. And I do think that with, look, the COVID pandemic in so far as it accelerated the digitalization of everything did arguably provide dissidents of wokeness with more weapons and more knowledge of what was going on.

And I think that is a good thing, and I frankly I think one challenge anti woke people need to think through is that a lot of things that they decry like the panopticon, like cancel culture, et cetera, are in fact effective means of fighting back against wokism. I mean, they just are. Libs of TikTok publicizing these crazy teachers, this clearly does move the needle. I dont love all the laws that states like Florida have passed. But the reality is that when you create a chilling effect, people are like, will this school create a chilling effect to talking about LGBT things? And yes, and I think some of that chilling effect is bad.

I dont want a teacher fired for just saying that theyre in a gay relationship or something, but if the educational institutions are all captured and theyre just saying insane things, and this is part of the curriculum, you do need there to be a chilling effect of some sort to get these institutions to stop.

And you saw with Disney in Florida, DeSantis stood his ground and really went after them and then now you see all these corporations suddenly are like, Ooh, maybe we should be careful about taking positions on issues. Yes, the chilling effect can be bad, but I think people arent being honest if they dont recognize the upsides that certain chilling effects can have.

And ultimately I think a lot of the question here is, what is an acceptable chilling effect? What is justified in the service of combating this ideology? Which itself of course, has all sorts of chilling effects. And when do we start to really go too far and just not just become no better than the enemy, but just create all sorts of problems that no one foresaw and that we really want to stay away from. I think its genuinely a tough question and Im not sure anyone has figured out the right balance.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, so lets talk about that, the constructive tools of fighting back against this ideology. I mean, youre obviously doing a shining of the light on it in all sorts of different ways. Thats your way. These parents obviously the same way, Libs of TikTok. Exactly. So is that is one major way. What else is there?

Mr. Sibarium: Well, so I do think that is actually very effective and Ive been surprised by how many institutions Ive seen backtrack in the face of my reporting, like medical bureaucracies and even Yale Law School. They did some damage control after one of the stories I broke. The issue, the limit is that theres just only so many reporters and you cant uncover everything. And so in order for there to be a really persistent deterrent, it needs to be something more like a law or the threat of DeSantis coming in. Journalists arent powerful enough to create a systemwide deterrent, unless journalists are hegemonically anti woke, which of course is not true.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, I was going to say that many of them are actually on board with the whole thing.

Mr. Sibarium: And thats the problem. I mean yes you can  and now granted you can sometimes get reasonable liberals to admit, okay. Yeah. Trying to ruin a kids life for using an innocent term and email is overkill, but yeah. On a lot of these questions, it is hard to get the New York Times, the media to really like jump down peoples throats in the way that they jump down peoples throats for racism.

And so, yeah, I do think you need to think in terms of incentives and the anti CRT laws are potentially one way of changing the incentive structures. Although, I think they have slippery slope problems and Im also not sure how much they really do because the education establishment is so woke that really, a woke teacher is going to find a way around these laws.

Mr. Jekielek: Its because, well, CRT, right? Its not so much the teaching of that, Well, theres this theory. Its the praxis, its the implementation.

Mr. Sibarium: Exactly. Exactly. And look, honestly people talk a lot about the really crazy anti-white diversity trainings, and sure that stuffs bad, but in some ways whats maybe more consequential, because I suspect more kids actually believe it, is when you present US history in a way where you just emphasize the bads and none of the goods.

You dont even have to say it started in 1619. If what you assign a paper on every month is how X or Y oppressed group worked against their oppressors, thats a valid thing to talk about, but if thats the only thing that a teacher is emphasizing kids are going to come away with a very skewed vision of US history. And thats not the thing that these laws I think are really going to be able to get at.

I alluded to this earlier. I do think that this structural asymmetry in the way civil rights law binds public and private institutions, but the First Amendment only binds public ones. I think that is a big problem and its tough, right? Because civil rights law is also actually a mechanism that can be used to fight back against this. You say, Well, look, the plain reading of the Civil Rights Act is that you cant discriminate on the basis of race. And therefore giving, say like discriminating in medicine, where you give people of color extra points when it comes to allocating COVID drugs or doing these crazy diversity trainings where you inveigh against whiteness, you can use civil rights law as a tool to fight back against that.

But I think the problem is the result of that these asymmetric incentives is that theres just more bureaucracy dedicated to policing racism than there is dedicated to vindicating free speech rights, especially in private institutions like academic, like universities that if not bound by the First Amendment, claim to believe in free speech and academic freedom.

And so, ideally I think you would find ways, if not legal then certainly through coordinated private action, of incentivizing the creation of countervailing bureaucracy, or incentivize the pairing back of some of the woke bureaucracy. Ideally by making the woke bureaucracy more costly. I mean, were at the point where its subsidized and youre not really punished for having lots of DEI people.

If there were more negative consequences to having these massive, bloated bureaucracies on college campuses and elsewhere, I think you would see fewer of them. And that, the very fact that Disney and other companies did blink in the wake of DeSantis really going after them is evidence that they may have their woke employees, but corporations still, they cant totally ignore the demands of the market.

I mean, when theres a real threat to their bottom line, they do tend to recalibrate. So you have to either find a way of clawing back the woke bureaucracy or of creating a countervailing anti woke bureaucracy that serves as a check on institutionalized wokeness.

How you do that, of course, in practice is very complicated. What legal incentives will or will not give rise to this is a matter for prudential debate. And some of it can be done probably through the Presidency, executive orders and the administrative state. I think conservatives should not be so  I mean, were not getting rid of the administrative state. It exists, its going to exist. So Im largely on board with the idea that you should where possible, if theres like a President DeSantis, he should use the power of the administrative state to presumably fight, get back against some of this stuff.

And he wouldnt be doing anything that President Biden hasnt already done where Medicaid is like offering doctors bonuses if they do anti-racism plans. Well, you could just tell Medicaid to not do that. You dont even have to pass a law. Thats an administrative state thing. So theres lots of levers you can pull. And I think the last thing Ill say on this is you need a competent staff of conservative technocrats who know how to pull the levers.

And in some ways, I think thats the biggest challenge. Say what you will about liberals, they generally understand how policy and government works and the people who are most likely to staff these bureaucracies, they just, they happen to be liberal.

So if you want to do something about the direction, these bureaucracies have all gone in, you need there to be conservatives who arent just say, political theorists. Look, I love political theory. I did a lot of philosophy in college. Its great, but it just doesnt give you the technocratic expertise to manage or reform an agency like the CDC. Public health programs may all suck, but you do need there to be public health departments. And if all the people in the public health departments are really woke, youre not going to solve the problem.

So I think that part of the real challenge here is getting a critical mass of smart conservatives to learn how to be administrators of say a public health agency so that within public health, the agencies are just less dominated by wokes. And I think that if there was more of that ideological parody, you would see the institutions behave in a more defensible and mostly neutral way.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, so couple of things. One is, Im thinking of some of the very interesting work that Russ Vought did at the Office of Budget Management under the Trump administration, and people like that who can understand some of the levers so to speak. But the other thing is, I mean, just conservatives generally are much less inclined to want to be in bureaucracy, I think. Its just a kind of a-

Mr. Sibarium: Yes, I think that is true. And I think thats a problem. I mean, part of that may be a contingent feature of American conservatism. Like in Europe, I dont think that aversion is there to the same degree because their European conservatism just for a long time has been more comfortable with the state. And American conservatism, just I think intrinsically has a just knee-jerk discomfort with statism.

Thats positive in many ways. It does put the break on certain kinds of disastrous status policies, but in other ways, I think it can be an obstacle. And at this point, look, the problem is that the smartest conservatives in DC who I know, a few of them are on the hill. A few of them work at think tanks, but a lot of them either are just doing something that makes them money, or theyre doing something like political theory, like getting a PhD. And thats great, but political theory, PhDs rarely end up making policy or staffing, or staffing the administrative state. Its just not very common.

Mr. Jekielek: Aaron, this has been a fascinating conversation. Any final thoughts?

Mr. Sibarium: Yeah. So thing I would want to leave people with is that we often think of wokeness, Neo Marxism, the successor ideology, whatever you want to call it as a mind virus that just reproduces itself autonomously in these institutions has a logic of its own. And that maybe wont be defeated with rational argument, but will be defeated if enough people just have the courage to stand up to it or just develop a spine. You hear that a lot.

And the reality, I think is that, think about the way a virus takes over. There have to be things about the virus that allow it to enter the cells. But there are also things about the cells that make it possible for the virus to enter. Coronavirus, for example, has the spike protein, and the reason it can infect you is because in your nose, you have this protein receptor. And if you didnt have that receptor, you wouldnt be able to be infected with COVID.

And I think thats the way to think about woke capture of institutions. There are maybe features of these ideas, the fact that they appeal to our sense of black and white, moral crusade, people like moral crusades, they tug at peoples heartstrings about race. Theres things about the ideas that do make them potent, but theres also things about the institutions that make it easier for these kinds of potent moral ideas to enter. I think one of those things is this legal asymmetry, as Ive said, where institutions are legally liable for allowing certain kinds of discrimination and harassment, but not for stifling free speech. I think another perhaps more abstract, but important thing is that just bureaucracies by design, they have to make people in the bureaucracy and they have to make social reality legible, right.

They have to be able to quantify racism. And that means that there is always a push to reconceptualize racism as a matter of outcomes, not intent, right. Bureaucracies cant really judge whats in someones heart, but they can totally measure what percentage of Asians, white, Blacks are in bureaucracy. And so just if youre  this idea that racist policy is any policy that produces racial disparities. Thats the Ibram Kendi formulation.

Thats a very convenient thing for bureaucracies to believe, bureaucracies that have been tasked with adjudicating racism, partly of their own free will. And partly from outside forces that have forced them to do this, civil rights statutes, what have you. When youre in that situation, I think theres just a tendency to glom onto ideologies that justify what youre already going to have to do in practice, which is bean count.

The easiest way for bureaucracy to show that its pursuing racial equity is to increase these quantifiable diversity metrics. And so youve come up with an ideology that says that those diversity metrics are what matters. So those are just a few of the ways in which bureaucratic structure can influence an agency or organizations susceptibility to woke politics. And so what I would hope is that people who oppose woke capture of institutions will think less about  spend less time writing these Jeremiahs against wokeness and dismantling it as an ideology, but work on dismantling it as a bureaucratic phenomenon and work on changing the institutional levers that have allowed it to gain power. I think thats really the key.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, Aaron Sibarium, its such a pleasure to have you on the show.

Mr. Sibarium: Yeah. Thank you for having me. This was great.

Mr. Jekielek: Thank you all for joining Aaron Sibarium and me for this episode of American thought Leaders. Im your host Jan Jekielek. Try a 14 day free trial of Epoch TV at ept.ms/freetrialjan.

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Smoke rises from a building near a Sikh temple following a blast in a car loaded with explosives in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 18, 2022, in this still from video. (Social media video via Reuters)

Attack on Sikh Temple in Afghanistans Capital of Kabul Kills 2

KABULAn attack on a Sikh temple in the Afghan capital of Kabul killed at least two people and injured seven on Saturday, following a blast in a car loaded with explosives, officials said, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Grey smoke billowed over the area in images aired by domestic broadcaster Tolo. A Taliban interior spokesman said attackers had laden a car with explosives but it had detonated before reaching its target.

Taliban authorities were securing the site, he added.

There were around 30 people inside the temple, said a temple official, Gornam Singh. We dont know how many of them are alive or how many dead.

Temple authorities did not know what to do, as the Taliban were not allowing them inside, Singh told Reuters.

A spokesman for Kabuls commander said his forces had taken control of the area and cleared it of attackers. One Sikh worshipper had been killed in the attack and one Taliban extremist killed during the clearing operation, he added.

Firefighters try to hose down a fire at a building near a Sikh temple following a blast in a car loaded with explosives in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 18, 2022, in this still from video. (Social media video via Reuters)

Since taking power in August, the Taliban say they have secured Afghanistan, although international officials and analysts say the risk of a resurgence in terrorism remains.

Some attacks in recent months have been claimed by the ISIS terrorist group.

Sikhs are a tiny religious minority in largely Muslim Afghanistan, comprising about 300 families before the country fell to the Taliban. But many left afterwards, say members of the community and media.

Like other religious minorities, Sikhs have been a continual target of violence in Afghanistan. An attack at another temple in Kabul in 2020 that killed 25 was claimed by ISIS.

Indias foreign ministry expressed concern over reports of the attack. We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details, foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.

Saturdays explosion follows a blast at a mosque in the northern city of Kunduz the previous day that killed one person and injured two, according to authorities.

Dozens of people had gathered inside the mosque in the district of Imam Sahib for Friday prayers when an explosive device that had been planted there went off, said Obaidullah Abedi, the Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Kunduz police chief.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack and an investigation was underway.

Last month, in a similar attack at a mosque in the capital of Kabul killed at least five people and wounded 22. In April, a powerful explosion ripped through Khalifa Aga Gul Jan Mosquealso in Kabulduring Friday prayers, killing at least 10 people and wounding as many as 30 others.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh listens during the first day of his confirmation hearing in front of the US Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, on September 4, 2018. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Beyond the Kavanaugh Scare: Dozens of Incidents Targeting Pro-Lifers Nationwide

An armed would-be assassins alleged attempt on the life of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh last week is part of a wave of violence, arson, vandalism, and intimidation targeting pro-life groups and government officials since the leak last month of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade.

There have been more than three dozen such incidents directed at crisis pregnancy centers and churches in at least 20 states and Washington, D.C., according to a tally maintained by LifeNews.com, an anti-abortion site.

These include:

The firebombing of a pro-life pregnancy center in suburban Buffalo on June 7

An arson attack including Molotov cocktails against the headquarters of the pro-life Wisconsin Family Action center in Madison on May 8

Graffiti with the threat, If abortion isnt safe then you arent either, spray-painted on the walls of centers in Washington state.

Extensive graffiti spray-painted on small rural evangelical churches in the Deep South, where some of the deacons protested their congregations were apolitical

A loosely organized group known as Janes Revenge claimed responsibility for several of the attacks, including the apparent arson in Wisconsin and Buffalo. The group, which sometimes attaches the Antifa A symbol to its pronouncements, has called for a night of rage over the pending Supreme Court decision, on a website called The Anarchist Library.

Another group, Ruth Sent Usits name evoking the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburghas published the home addresses of conservative Supreme Court justices on Twitter. While not claiming responsibility for the disturbed gunman arrested near Kavanaughs house, it informed followers where his children and the children of Justice Amy Coney Barrett attend school.

Federal law expressly prohibits pickets or parades  in or near a building or residence occupied or used by any judge, and the House passed a bill this week to expand Supreme Court Police protection to justices families.

The rash of incidents and intimidating behavior is domestic terrorism, said Jim Harden, executive director of CompassCare, a nonprofit that operates the Buffalo pregnancy clinic and two others in upstate New York. Harden and his family relocated Sunday after social media accounts began seeking his home address.

This is new, he said. It was the leak that really sparked this kind of activity.

CompassCare also described the campaign against it as abortion terrorismexpressing heightened fears in a place where a white supremacist terrorist had murdered 10 people just weeks before. FBI agents visited the Buffalo clinic in response to the firebombing, but the organization has heard nothing since from federal authorities. Harden expressed skepticism that theyin contrast with local policehave taken the incident seriously.

Its been eerily silent, Harden said.

In response to the May 2 leak of the draft opinion overturning Roe, which in 1973 legalized abortion nationally, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul earmarked $35 million in protection fundsbut it was to safeguard abortion clinics, which have not been targets of attacks lately.

The Justice Department did not respond to questions from RealClearInvestigations about whether it has classified the multiple incidents as domestic terrorism or assigned a team to an investigation. Janes Revenge has claimed responsibility for the arson and vandalism attack on the Madison office of the Wisconsin Family Action center. Madison police also did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

There have been no arrests made in connection with any of the incidents, which began after Politico published the leaked draft opinion by conservative Justice Samuel Alito declaring that Roe was egregiously wrong from the start.

Harden compared the law enforcement response to the CompassCare attacks to the silence surrounding the person who may have leaked the draft opinion.

There doesnt appear to be anything going on in either case, Harden said.

Chief Justice John Roberts said he had ordered an internal investigation that might identify the leaker, who presumably comes from a very small circle of people who would have had access to draft opinions.

Agreeing with Harden was Rebecca Anderson of 40 Days for Life, an anti-abortion group headquartered in Texas that has worked with an organization also targeted by Janes Revenge vandals: a Lynnwood, Washington, crisis pregnancy center called NextStep.

I dont think these acts of violence are being taken seriously as elected officials arent publicly condemning them, she said. The lack of response from the Justice Department leads one to believe that they pick and choose what qualifies as domestic terrorism based on politics. Our concern is that this will embolden abortion supporters to commit more violence against those who support life.

In contrast, several anti-abortion figures told RealClearInvestigations, local police have been exemplary in their response and attitude.

The police came immediately, and the DC Metro Police have been outstanding, said Janet Durig, executive director of the Capital Pregnancy Center, which saw its front door splashed with red paint and the threatening graffiti tag left by Janes Revenge vandals, If abortion isnt safe then you arent either.

The local authorities are taking this very seriously and are investigating, Harden said. We had cameras trained at all the points of entry so there is videotape evidence. Still, there has been no indication that local authorities have made any progress in their investigations.

The available evidence may be thin. Cameras did capture the vandals at NextStep in Lynnwood, Washington, but the assailant was bundled up like an Antifa extremist and nearly impossible to identify, according to NextStep Executive Director Heather Vasquez. You could tell it was a woman, she said.

The attacks on pro-life centers dont square with an emphasis in major news outlets on the potential for attacks on abortion providers, which do not appear to have proliferated in the past several weeks.

Abortion clinics are secured like fortresses, a USA Today headline blared a week after the Politico story. Advocates fear Roe ruling could spur new attacks.

Reports about the spate of incidents involving anti-abortion centers by both CNN and the Washington Post have stressed that violence occurs on both sides of the abortion debate.

Planned Parenthood said late Tuesday that we condemn violence and hatred in all forms in a statement to RCI that emphasized acts of violence, vandalism, and intimidation from anti-abortion activists and politicians aimed at the organizations health center staff and patients.

The pro-choice National Abortion Federation claimed in a 2020 report that abortion providers receive hundreds of death threats and thousands of hate emails and harassing phone calls each year. There has been one deadly incident at an abortion clinic since 2010the 2015 attack on a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs that left three dead.

The anti-abortion movement does not have an equivalent database regarding threats received by pregnancy centers and religious organizations. In 2012, a left-wing activist entered the Family Research Councils Washington, D.C. headquarters and shot and wounded a security guard.

While violence and intimidation have long characterized the abortion debate, Janes Revenge has promised to escalate the conflict. In its self-titled First Communique published after the Wisconsin attack, it declared:

We have run thin on patience and mercy for those who seek to strip us of what little autonomy we have left. As you continue to bomb clinics and assassinate doctors with impunity, so too shall we adopt increasingly extreme tactics to maintain freedom over our own bodies. We are forced to adopt the minimum military requirement for a political struggle. Again, this was only a warning. Next time the infrastructure of the enslavers will not survive. Medical imperialism will not face a passive enemy. Wisconsin is the first flashpoint, but we are all over the US, and we will issue no further warnings.

This article was written by James Varney for RealClearInvestigations.


California Scheming: The Progressive Leaderships New Plan to Impose High-Cost, Low-Quality Medical Care

Commentary

With a budget surplus of more than $200 million, the California legislature is thinking big, really big, and that means one thing: single-payer government health care, which recently was introduced as AB 1400.

Notes the Los Angeles Times: This measure  would completely change health care coverage for Californians. Insurance companies would be shoved aside. People would be switched from their current coveragewhether private, federal Medicare or Medi-Cal for the poorto a new state-run plan called CalCare.

The purpose is to cover everyone and reduce health care costs by eliminating private insurance overhead and profitand negotiating lower provider fees and drug prices. Thered be no premiums, co-pays or deductibles. And many services would be added, including dental, vision, hearing and long-term care for Medicare beneficiaries.

Of course, there are costs, and the projected cost of such a venture always is going to be front and center. When the California state legislature first began to debate single-payer in 2017, Vox came out with an analysis that set the price tag of this proposed venture at $400 billion a year, or twice the entire state budget at that time. While citing possible costs in the form of dollar outlays can be present, nonetheless, such an analysis creates its own set of problems and tells a very incomplete story, economically speaking. When government policies are enacted or proposed, the discussion forms around the proposed monetary outlays, as though the entire thing were doable provided governments can come up with the necessary funds.

Once projected or anticipated monetary outlays become the subject of the political debate, the questions shift to whether or not governments can take in the money necessary to make the project work, without looking at the much bigger picture of what costs really mean. In the case of completely turning all medical care in California over to a government agency, proponents of single-payer in general attempt to tout alleged cost savings, which are framed in terms of what is currently spent in the present system overall.

The legislative newsletter CalMatters recently reported: A legislative analysis released Thursday estimated single-payer could cost California between $314 billion and $391 billion annually, financed by a series of tax hikes on businesses, workers, and high earners. Single-payer supporters, however, say that sum is smaller than what Californians pay for private insurance. (emphasis mine)

Supporters implication is that nothing would change in the creation and sale of health care services except that the manner of payment would be taxation and everyone would have all the services they need with no price. All that is needed is political courage to vote yes and then to enable the California bureaucracies to install the new system.

Yet that hardly is the case. Single-payer would mean that medical care would be purely a state-run affair, which means that all factors of production going into health care in California would be directed by the political system. (Yes, bureaucrats work for the government, and the last time we checked, government still was political.) If California politicians and regulators are determining the services eligible for paymentand the payment amountsthen they effectively control the entire system.

Such a plan is built upon a single assumption: the systems of medical care would be exactly the same no matter the method of payment, and single-payer is nothing more than a means to make this care accessible to more people, especially people with lower incomes. Mildly speaking, this is what economists might call a heroic assumption.

Anyone who believes that politically directed medical care would be a simple extension of the present systembut made affordableshould look at the behavior of both the state and federal governments during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments essentially commandeered hospital resources, ordering them to be devoted almost exclusively to treating COVID-19 patients.

In heavily populated areas such as New York City, COVID-19 patients were crowded into hospitals, but in rural areas, it was a different story. Hospitals were emptied, and many went out of business because they could not admit patients for other ailments: Weeks ago, hospitals across the country canceled elective procedures, sent non-essential workers home, and ramped up preparation for incoming coronavirus patients. Some big-city facilities have since been swamped by the sick and dying.

Not rural hospitals. Many in the Missouri and Illinois countryside are nearly empty, hospital officials and industry leaders say. Residents are avoiding them out of fear. But coronavirus patients also havent appeared, at least not in the numbers anticipated.

Now, with many beds empty, rural hospital administrators are increasingly worrying about how theyll pay their bills.

Elsewhere, people who needed heart surgery or had scheduled treatments for cancer had those procedures postponed. It didnt matter if they were in dire need. The only thing that matteredat least to medical bureaucratswas clearing the hospitals and redirecting other medical resources to dealing with COVID-19. The value of all other medical resources was driven near zero, not because the actual medical situation required such extraordinary measures, but because government agents wanted to be seen as in charge and leading the fight against a pandemic.

The real cost of how governments dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic was not simply the monetary outlays that came mostly from the federal government (paid out with borrowed money and all that implies), but also the real costs to patients who faced their own medical calamities, including premature deaths, because of denied treatmentsbecause of policies governments imposed.

While some claim that COVID-19 was an extraordinary circumstance that required radical measures, there is no doubt that if California authorities impose a single-payer model, the scope of medical care will change and probably change significantly. Politicians through their medical bureaucrats will demand that medical facilities, along with doctors and nurses, direct resources toward things that score political points with progressive constituencies, such as abortion on demand, COVID-19, monkeypox, or whatever is on the horizon that grabs the headlines.

The real costs of a California program are not the monetary outlays but rather the medical care that will be shoved aside to satisfy political pressure groups. Moreover, the increased state scrutiny that will come from this kind of a system will ensure that administrative actions will be substituted for medical care, as politicians and regulators will act like, well, politicians and regulators.

California progressives have turned their largest showplace cities into sewers of homelessness and crime, and their mismanagement of water resources has become a thing of legend. One only can wait with dread as those same progressives move to do with medical resources what they have done with everything else that has been good in this state.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

William L. Anderson Follow William L. Anderson is a fellow of the Mises Institute and professor of economics at Frostburg State University. He has published numerous articles and papers on economics and political economy in many publications and is a frequent contributor to LewRockwell.com.
Overseas Hong Kong people's groups and former Hong Kong lawmakers launched a joint signature campaign online on June 13, 2022, claiming that the chief executive designate, John Lee Ka Chiu, does not have the peoples mandate and is only a puppet appointed by Beijing.(screenshot from internet)

Hongkongers Launch Petition Not to Recognize CCP, John Lee as Citys Leader

Former legislative councillors and overseas Hongkonger groups have initiated a joint signature programme

A number of overseas Hong Kong peoples groups and former Hong Kong lawmakers launched a joint signature campaign online, claiming that the chief executive designate, John Lee Ka Chiu, does not have the peoples mandate and is only a puppet appointed by Beijing and that he is not recognised as the Hong Kong Chief Executive (CE).

They also do not recognise the dictatorship of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Up till the evening on June 15, 2022 Hong Kong time, there had been about four hundred people participating by signing in. The sponsoring group lamented that under the shadow of the Hong Kong National Security Law, connection with any organisation in Hong Kong had been curtailed and there are no channels for promoting their ideas. But they insist that no matter how insignificant their actions may be, they insist on doing so regardless.

The joint signature campaign was held from June 13, 2022 on change.org. The list of sponsors continues to grow and to be updated. As of the evening on June 15, Hong Kong time, there are six overseas Hong Kong groups and sixteen individuals. Groups like, Hongkongers in Britain (), Scottish Hongkongers (), Re-Water, Hong Kong Committee in Norway, Cardiff Hongkonger Group, are represented.

For individuals, there are two former Legislative Council members, and eleven former District Councillors. This includes former Legislative Council members Nathan Law Kwun Chung (), Ted Hui Chi Feng (); former District Councillors Yau Man Chun (), Daniel Kwok Tsz Kin (), Raymond Chow Wai Hung (), and Carmen Lau Ka Man (). Others include, overseas Lam Chau Ba (), Finn Lau Cho Di, Fermi Wong Wai Fan (), and founder of Hong Kong Unison ().

The joint statement, written in both English and Chinese, is titled, Hong Kong People do not recognise Lee Ka Chiu as the Chief Executive (CE) of Hong Kong. It pointed out that once he is sworn in by the CCP to become the CE on July 1, Hong Kong will be plunging into a police state that suppresses Hongkongers with violence and draconian laws. He is a puppet chief executive appointed by Beijing under the guise of an improved electoral system, where 1,461 election committee members (out of 1500) cast their for votes. This seems an extremely high yes vote of 99 percent, yet if counting the number of eligible voters in Hong Kong this represents a meagre 0.0002 percent.

CE Election Declared Null and Void

The joint statement further pointed out that Lee, a former police officer, not only did not have the mandate of the people, but also encouraged his subordinates to harm Hongkongers brutally. Under his reign over 10,000 people had been arrested during the anti-extradition movement, in which 2,974 were indicted, with 1,815 people having completed their trials, with a conviction rate of 67 percent. There were also cases where more than one hundred people have been imprisoned for more than a year without trial.

The statement also cited Article 45 of the Basic Law, which states that the Hong Kongs chief executive will eventually be elected by universal suffrage, but this, just like the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the CCP claims is only a historical document, and just turns a deaf ear to it.

The statement states at the end, We reiterate that Hong Kong people refuse to recognise Lee Ka Chiu as the chief executive. We also refuse to recognise the dictatorship of the CCP. Hong Kong is Hong Kong, Hong Kong is not China.

Dont Forget to Remember What We Want

The initiating group hope to express the anger of Hong Kong people and remind them to never forget their original intention.

The spokesperson for Re-Water, one of the groups that has been launched by overseas Hong Kong people, said, I hope to gather strength again to express the anger of Hong Kong people, and to tell the world that Hong Kong people will never forget their original aspirations and insist on fighting for freedom and democracy.

Re-Water said that while overseas Hong Kong people are in a relatively safe place, they hope that on the day Lee takes office, they should tell him that You are actually not something that Hong Kong people recognise when you come to power, in that sense he hopes Hongkongers should make their voice heard by signing up. However, under the shadow of the Hong Kong National Security Law, people must be concerned about the possible risks and understand that such an act in Hong Kong is dangerous. Therefore, they can choose not to display their names on the joint website when signing.

The organisation believes that if enough people participate in this signature campaign, when Lee is appointed as the chief executive, it may anger and embarrass the CCP, who will then understand that Hong Kong people,do not tolerate whatever they do.

Do As Much As You Can

It is understood that under the National Security Law, a lot has changed. Anyway, the motto remains Just do what we can do!

Re-Water lamented that this is essentially very different from similar previous campaigns in Hong Kong. In the past, everyone only cared about whether they agreed with the points in the statement. It was relatively easy to find a sponsor and push for a joint signature. But now they must consider whether they should worry also about the effect on the people around them after signing. Especially true is that they have no contact with any organisation in Hong Kong, which means there is one fewer channel to push locally.

Another indication of the difference between this one with previous activities is; after it was started, Re-Water was still unable to share it on social platforms in Hong Kong as it was worried that people in Hong Kong would be at risk of arrest. In fact, those who most want to participate, I believe, are the people in Hong Kong. But because they were worried about the danger, they did not pass it to them to sign, which shows that todays joint signature is fundamentally different from the past.

When asked about the expectations and effectiveness of the joint signing, Re-Water responded that even the big countries could not prevent Putin from invading Ukraine. Compared with that, What can the people of Hong Kong do to beat the giant CCP. They have no way to do anything that is guaranteed to have a positive result. What is your goal? What can you do to the other side. But now if you do nothing, that will be in the CCPs favour. You use, the power of the powerless to express what you think should be right. At present, Hong Kong cannot even do it together. So, no matter how trivial it is, do your best to do whatever you can.

Another former Kwai Tsing district councillor, Kwok Tsz Kin, who initiated the joint signature programme, said that This time the joint signature was initiated by a number of former elected members. Together they hope to point out that although the Hong Kong communist government has conducted an election of the chief executive in Hong Kong, it is different from previous ones that had nominations by citizens. Then the representatives of the Legislative Council and the District Councils were elected by one person, one vote. Even though Lee Ka Chiu got 90 percent of the votes, nobody should be misled and must express their reservations about the legitimacy of this election and that of the resulting chief executive designate.
A man reads a newspaper while sitting on a park bench in downtown Vancouver in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)

Canadians Increasingly Losing Trust in Media, Study Finds

Only 29 percent of respondents indicated that the media is free from undue political influence, compared to 39 percent in 2017

A study on how people globally engage with the news found that Canadians are increasingly losing trust in the media.

A report released June 15 by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that Canadians who place their trust in the news fell from 58 percent to 42 percent over the last four years.

The study is based on an online survey of 93,432 people, conducted in 46 countries at the end of January and beginning of February by YouGov, a UK-based market research company, on behalf of the institute.

Canada ranked 18th in overall trust out of the 46 countries surveyed, which include Australia at 20, the UK at 36, and the United States taking the last spot.

Large numbers of people see the media as subject to undue political influence, and only a small minority believe most news organizations put whats best for society ahead of their own commercial interest, wrote Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, director of Reuters Institute, in the report.

Among the Canadian respondents, only 29 percent indicated that the media is free from undue political influence, compared to 39 percent in 2017. And a majority of 73 percent believe the media is not exempt from undue business influence, an increase of 9 percentage points since 2017.

The report added that dissatisfaction with governments and pandemic fatigue may have contributed to the negative attitudes toward the media, and the perceptions that media outlets have not been critical enough of official sources such as public health authorities.

A February study by marketing consultancy firm Edelman Canada found that 61 percent of Canadians believe journalists and reporters purposely try to mislead them by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations, with business leaders (60 percent) and government (58 percent) not far behind.

In addition, less than half of Canadians view government leaders and CEOs as trustworthy, at 43 percent and 36 percent, respectively, said the Edelman report, which is based on an online survey with over 1,500 Canadians during the period of Nov. 124, 2021.

Meanwhile, the Reuters report noted people around the world are increasingly avoiding news that affected their mood negatively (36 percent), and those that focused too much on politics and COVID-19 (43 percent).

In Australia, 41 percent of respondents said they selectively avoided the news, a jump from 30 percent in 2017. In the UK, the response nearly doubled, from 24 percent in 2017 to 46 percent in 2022. The increase in the United States was more moderate, with 42 percent avoiding the news, compared to 38 percent in 2017.

To win public trust again, media could try to provide factual information and simplify language and better explain or contextualize complex stories, the report suggested.

The need for reliable information, careful context, and considered debate has rarely been greater, but so too has the desire for stories that inspire and give hope of a better tomorrow, the authors wrote.
Workers wash off red paint that was poured on a statue of Captain Cook at St. Kilda beach in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 26, 2022. (Diego Fedele/Getty Images)

Cancel Culture Comes for One of Australias Founding Fathers

Commentary

Recently, efforts have been made to cancel figures linked to the European settlement of Australia.

Statues of Captain James Cook, who discovered and claimed the east coast of the continent in 1770, have been defaced. There has also been vitriol directed at the first governor of the colony of New South Wales, Captain Arthur Phillip, as the invader of Australia, even though he did his utmost to have friendly relations with the Indigenous populations and learn as much about their language and culture as possible. Indeed, on Phillips return to Britain in 1792, two Indigenous men, Bennelong (whose name is given to Bennelong Point in Sydney as well as a federal electorate) and Yemmerrawanne, accompanied him.

Now cancel culture has come for one of the most significant figures in Australias history, a founding father of the nation, Sir Samuel Walker Griffith.

Born in Wales, Griffith came to Australia at the age of eight. He went on to study law at the University of Sydney, became a successful barrister, and then turned to politics, being elected to the Queensland Parliament in 1871. Within three years, he was promoted to attorney-general and oversaw a number of important reforms, including a bill to legalise trade unions.

Griffith was twice premier of Queensland between 1883 and 1893, resigning that year to become Chief Justice. Perhaps the most enduring achievement of his time as Chief Justice is the drafting of a criminal codethe first in Australia, subsequently adopted in other states and in other countries.

Sir Samuel Walker Griffith, the Queensland premier who was the guiding hand behind Australias constitution. (AAP image)

Representing a codification of the English criminal law at the time, Sir Samuel drew inspiration for this from his time in Italy in the 1860s, basing his code on the Italian penal code of the era, known as the Zanardelli Code (after the minister of justice at the time, Giuseppe Zanardelli). An excellent linguist and a man of letters, Griffith also produced the first English translation of Dante Alighieris Inferno some years later in 1908.

During his time as Chief Justice of Queensland, Sir Samuel Griffith was an ardent supporter of federation. Indeed, he produced a draft constitution for a federated Australia that was adopted at the 1897 constitutional convention, at the same time providing advice and support, including lobbying of British politicians to support federation.

Once federation was achieved in 1901, attention turned to the setting up the legal apparatus of the infant nation, and this included the High Court of Australia. Sir Samuel was chosen in 1903 as the first Chief Justice of Australia, serving until 1918.

Therefore, he played an integral role in securing the system of government that has made Australia one of the most stable, prosperous and long-lasting liberal democracies in the world.

In recognition of his work, a university, a city in New South Wales, a suburb in Canberra, and a federal electorate are named after him. Australias foremost legal association, the Samuel Griffith Society, was also named in his honour.

However, now cancel culture is coming for Sir Samuel Griffith. A symposium took place recently at Griffith University in response to a book by controversial author Henry Reynolds. At the event, it was proposed that Sir Samuels name should be removed from the university, the suburbs, and the federal electorate that bear it.

Sir Samuels alleged crime? Being an enabler of massacres by not doing enough to stop skirmishes between Europeans and Indigenous groups during his time as attorney-general and Premier of Queensland. In other words, the argument being made is that Samuel Griffith should be cancelled because of things he didnt do, rather than anything he is accused of having done.

Griffith University is seen in Queensland, Australia. (Kgbo [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons) As noted by the Executive Director of the Samuel Griffith Society, Xavier Boffa, a broader cultural norm is at stake here.

In a newsletter to its members, Boffa wrote, tellingly:

Whatever you think about Samuel Griffith or any other public figurejust as we can acknowledge the talent of great sportspeople, artists, and musicians without necessarily endorsing all of their actions or beliefswe should be able to separate the clear good done by those who came before us from debates about more contestable aspects of their legacies.

Furthermore, it isnt necessary to agree with everything Samuel Griffith did or believed in order to acknowledge and commemorate his immense contributions to our nation. Indeed, Sir Samuel was regarded as a liberal reformer who worked with both conservatives and unions at different times to both ban the importation of foreign labour and used the military to break up strikes and demonstrations.

Whatever Samuel Griffith did or didnt do, a reasonable person can only agree with Boffa. As the primary author of the Constitution and the first Chief Justice of the High Court, Australia and its people owe Sir Samuel a great debt of gratitude for our healthy democracy and system of responsible government, for our federalist structure, and for the constitutional separation of powers and the rule of law.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks in Washington on June 16, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

CDC Recommends COVID-19 Vaccines for Young Children

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on June 18 recommended COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 6 months of age.

We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with todays decision, they can, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDCs director, said in a statement.

I encourage parents and caregivers with questions to talk to their doctor, nurse, or local pharmacist to learn more about the benefits of vaccinations and the importance of protecting their children by getting them vaccinated, she added.

Walensky acted after the CDCs vaccine advisory committee unanimously voted to advise the CDC to recommend all childrensave for those who have contraindications to the vaccinesfrom 6 months through 5 years of age get the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, both of which are built on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.

Before that, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the vaccines, based on recommendations from its advisers.

No COVID-19 vaccines were available to children under 5 in the United States before this weeks events.

Government officials say the age group, comprised of about 19.5 million children, will begin getting the vaccines on June 20.

During the CDC advisory panel meeting, advisers said they view the vaccine as an essential way to protect against COVID-19, even though the shots are largely ineffective against infection by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19.

I feel comfortable in saying that vaccinating will be a benefit, a net benefit. We dont know how much, but it will be a net benefit. So we are making a decision that will help children that we know now will get a certain level of efficacy, Dr. Oliver Brooks, one of the members, said after the votes.

Members spent portions of the meeting discussing how to best convince parents to vaccinate their children. Surveys indicate that a majority of parents with children under 5 will wait until more information becomes available, will not have their children vaccinated unless the vaccination becomes mandatory, or will never have their children vaccinated.

A healthcare worker prepares Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses in Portland, Ore., in a file photograph. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

The clinical trials that led to the current situation, funded by the companies themselves, were based on the controversial immunobridging technique, which involves a comparison of levels of antibodies between young children and a group of adults.

The clinical efficacy against infection was substandard for Modernas vaccine, which is two doses, and unreliable for Pfizers vaccine, which is three doses.

There were no clinical efficacy measurements in terms of protection against severe illness from either trial.

The CDC estimates it will take between 670 and 1,300 vaccinations to prevent a single case of COVID-19 and between 6,150 and 12,300 vaccinations to prevent a single hospitalization.

Bonnie Maldonado, chairwoman of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases, was among those advocating for children to get one of the vaccines.

The AAP strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccines for all infants, children, and adolescents who do not have contraindications for using a COVID-19 vaccine authorized for use in their age. This includes primary series, additional doses, and/or booster doses as recommended by the CDC, she said during the meeting.

Others, though, raised concerns about the vaccines safety and efficacy.

This is the first vaccine to be distributed under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and the first vaccine using mRNA technology to be used in humans, Barbara Loe Fisher, president of the National Vaccine Information Center, told The Epoch Times in an email. There were a limited number of infants and young children studied and there is no safety data on simultaneous administration of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines when given along with other vaccines. The knowledge base is limited and long term effects on immune function are not known.

She urged parents who do get their children vaccinated to not assume symptoms like fever that appear following vaccination are unrelated to the vaccines, and to explore reporting symptoms to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.
Cat kennels were stacked three decks high, crowding the lobby of the Coconino Humane Association (CHA) shelter off of Butler Avenue on Tuesday. Off to the sides sat rat terrariums and guinea pigs in wire cages. The little breathing room left was filled with a smell made from the mixture of wood shavings, kitty litter and pet dander.

A cacophony of mewing, squeaking, combined with the muffled sounds of dog barks and bird calls from elsewhere in the building, made hearing difficult. In every sense, the place was packed to teeth, tails and gills.

When the Pipeline Fire forced the evacuation of more than 2,000 households -- as well as High Country Humane in that area -- CHA took in the displaced animals from the emptied homes. Between the pets and small animals that came to the Butler location and the livestock sheltered at Fort Tuthill, the organization took in more than 550 evacuated animals. Less than two months ago, the CHA offered similar refugee for evacuees of the Tunnel Fire, but this time around, they took in at least double the amount of animals.

This evacuation has now exceeded what we've done in the last 20 years, said Michelle Ryan, executive director of the CHA.

In the crammed lobby of the Butler shelter, each kennel was draped with a towel or blanket.

It doesn't look great, but it gives them a feeling of security to have an enclosed space, Ryan said.

Even in such an extreme situation, the comfort of the animals was a top priority for the CHA staff.

It's a scary feeling when you get uprooted from your home and have to go to a new place, said Kathy Meeks, bleary-eyed as she demonstrated the calm, sweet tone she used to talk to the sheltered animals.

She had been up for hours taking in animal after animal nonstop as the fire forced evacuations through Monday night.

I didnt sleep at all last night, Meeks said.

When asked how she kept up the strength to work through no sleep, she shrugged.

You just do it, she said.

In order to keep the evacuated animals calm at the Butler location, CHA also tried to keep families together. In some cases, that made for odd bedfellows, such as a kennel filled with three dachshunds and one pot-bellied pig cuddled on a bed, or a side room where the pigeons and doves of a bird rescue share the space with the six cats.

These animals are all from one ladys home, Meeks said.

The lengths that CHA went to comfort the sheltered animals worked in varying degrees. Some animals were clearly unfazed  cats that lolled happily and pressed against their kennels for scratches from passerby  others were more frightened and hid wide-eyed in the corners of their cages.

Theyre like people, Ryan said. We all respond to stress in different ways. Some animals are much more resilient and some are less resilient.

The story was the same for the livestock over at CHAs Fort Tuthill location. Charlotte Peterson described how handlers strove to keep the stabled animals at peace through various means, even utilizing stress remedies like lavender-scented essential oils.

For horses, lavender works really well, Peterson said. You can rub it on their mouth or nose and it just calms them down.

She prefers oils and exercise to more intense animal stress treatments, such as medications that can be dangerous and difficult to dose in the proper amount in high-stress situations.

You want to try to avoid those, she said.

But much like the cats back at Butler, the horses at Fort Tuthill showed varying levels of stress resilience. Some seemed perfectly placid. Others, less so.

See where the hole is? Peterson asked as he pointed to a stable door that a stressed horse had been kicking relentlessly. This is stress. This is major stress.

Many of the animals at the Fort Tuthill location were repeat customers that had also been evacuated during the Tunnel Fire, but Peterson said that prior experience was not a determinant of how well animals adapted to the new environment.

Age makes a bigger difference.

Baby animals take it much better, Peterson said. Because the world is new to them. Whereas the adult animals are like, This is not OK. Their brains are developed, they've got their routine.

Training also makes a difference, Peterson said.

My neighbor's horse had never been evacuated before and they did well. But he works them all the time, she said. He gets them in and out of the trailer and he practices with them.

As of Tuesday, some evacuation orders had been lifted and animal owners were already starting to take their animals home. But Peterson made it clear that the CHA shelters would remain open to evacuees as long as the Pipeline Fire remained active  in case conditions should change and new rounds of evacuations were issued.

At both Fort Tuthill and Butler, the representatives of CHA noted that the experience of going through the Tunnel and Pipeline fires in rapid succession has led to some refinement of their process.

Material needs are clear.

Wheelbarrows and hoses, Peterson said. If someone wanted to donate those, that would be fantastic. We would keep them in the emergency trailer so that every time this happens, we would have them.

Over at the Butler location, Meeks said the county donated tents so that they could expand their capacity into the outdoor space. But in evacuation situations, the thing she said they often need is clay cat litter.

We change their litter boxes every day, she said. It adds up.

At both locations, the CHA representatives noted that they received decent community support. Help was particularly appreciated at Butler, where memory of the Tunnel Fire helped them empty their shelter before they could accept the tidal wave of evacuees.

When the Tunnel Fire hit, we didn't know how big that was going to be, Meeks said. So we put it out to all of our volunteers: Come foster. We put all of our animals that were adoptable out in foster and emptied all the kennels so we could take in the fire animals. As soon as the [Pipeline Fire] hit and we got activated, people were here and fostering.

To contact or donate to the Coconino Humane Association, visit https://www.coconinohumane.org/.

Sean Golightly can be reached at sgolightly@azdailysun.com

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Airline passengers without masks prepare to enter a security checkpoint at San Francisco International Airport on April 19, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

CDC Puts Mexico at Highest Risk Level for Travel Destinations Amidst Increasing COVID-19 Cases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) placed Mexico at the highest level for travel destination risk on June 13, advising travelers to be up to date on their vaccinations, or avoid traveling to Mexico.

The popular tourist destination for Americans was moved to level 3 for travel risks on June 13. COVID-19 cases have been increasing in Mexico since May 30, with cases averaging around 4,500 cases in the past week.

Along with Mexico, New Caledonia and the United Arab Emirates were also added to level 3 for travel risks on June 13.

New Caledonian cases averaged 42 cases a day, with no new cases on June 13, while the United Arab Emirates gained around 1,300 new cases on June 13, averaging a bit over 1,000 cases for the past seven days.

On April 18, the CDC overhauled its travel risk rating system. Level 3 is now considered the high category of travel risk, while level 4 is reserved for special circumstances.

A level 3 travel risk means there have been over 100 new cases per 100,000 residents, while a level 4 risk indicates a strong recommendation to avoid the destination.

The news comes as the federal government removed negative COVID-19 test requirements on June 10, for international air travelers coming into the United States.

The CDC will end COVID-19 testing requirement for air travelers entering the country, said the White House spokesman Kevin Munoz on Twitter, adding that it will evaluate its need based on the science and in context of circulating variants.

In recent days, travel industry groups have pressed the Biden administration to end the mandatory testing requirement, describing the rule as harmful and needless.

Several countries have already dropped negative testing requirements to enter their respective countries in recent months. That includes Canada, which in April dropped its pre-arrival testing requirement for vaccinated people.

Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association said that as COVID-19 restrictions on numerous other businesses have been lifted, the travel industry remains disproportionately harmed by this requirement.

Other countries with whom we directly compete for global travelers have removed their pre-departure testing requirements and reopened their tourism economies, putting the U.S. at a serious competitive disadvantage for export dollars, Dow argued in a May 31 statement after travel industry leaders met with White House staff.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and other House Republicans participate in a press conference to discuss the Democrats' spending package at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 2, 2021. (Allison Shelley/Getty Images)

China Has Cornered the Market on Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Jeopardizing US National Security: Rep. Harshbarger

A Republican lawmaker says pharmaceuticals acquired from China are nothing less than medication acquired from the nations enemy. Shes fearful that supply chains could be leveraged against the United States.

Earlier this year, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and colleagues introduced the Protecting our Pharmaceutical Supply Chain from China Act of 2022 (H.R.7121). The legislation aims to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to maintain a list of the country of origin of all drugs marketed in the United States, to ban the use of Federal funds for the purchase of drugs manufactured in the Peoples Republic of China, and for other purposes.

The legislation currently is being considered by the House Subcommittee on Health.

The Epoch Times spoke to Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), one of the legislations seven co-sponsors and a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security. While she considers this piece of legislation to be an important step in the matter, Harshbarger said that to put a stop to having to take Chinas drugs, the United States needs to incentivize American companies to bring the manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) back to this country.

By her estimation, the Chinese regime has basically cornered the market in pharmaceuticals, and H.R. 7121 would help confront Beijings dominance over the United States. Having been a pharmacist for 36 years, Harshbarger said she has been talking about this issue in the halls of Congress for quite some time.

We should never be relying on an adversarial nation for our pharmaceutical needs, she said.

In 2019, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote, Unbeknownst to many consumers  80 percent of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients are produced abroad, the majority in China and India.

In a recent op-ed for Fox News, Harshbarger said, Communist China dominates the global active pharmaceutical (API) and precursor chemicals, antibiotics, and vitamin markets, leaving patients and policymakerseven trained pharmacists like mewith very little visibility into the messy supply chain of essential medicine.

She told The Epoch Times that the Chinese may actually supply up to 90 percent of APIs to the United States. India also imports about 70 percent of its APIs from China, according to a government report. She finds this alarming because India is the main manufacturer of generics for the world.

Harshbarger is particularly concerned because the Chinese regime knows they could cut us off at any time, [and] we would be caught off guard.

Once again, she said, they are an adversarial nation, and they corner the market.

A Broader Plan of Control

Dominating the API industry is potentially part of the Chinese regimes broader plan to exercise control over the United States, Harshbarger said.

When coronavirus reared its head, what was China able to do? she asked. They were able to shut manufacturing downand that affected supply chains.

To that end, in March 2020, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Gallagher noted that a Chinese Communist Party propaganda outlet insinuated that Beijing could cut off supplies of life-saving medicine to the United States at any time, dooming our country to sink into the hell of a novel coronavirus epidemic.

With the upper hand on pharmaceuticals, Harshbarger fears for what will happen in the years ahead should the United States remain reliant on an adversary for APIs.

Thats a demise of a nation, for Gods sake, she said.

Since China could cut off the United States at any time, Harshbarger said that it is absolutely imperative that the U.S. make efforts to reassure its API manufacturing. U.S. companies need to be incentivized to take part in such an effort, she said.

Constituents should be hounding their elected officials to make sure that we incentivize American pharmaceutical companies to bring that manufacturing back over here.

The United States needs to put a halt on putting profits over people, she said.

Its time for America to undo the damage thats been done, [and] become the worlds dominant leader in APIs, Harshbarger said. At this point in time, manufacturing APIs in the United States is a critical piece of national security, and the world needs to wake up to that fact.
An image of Chinese a heavenly maiden was created using different varieties of rice in a rice paddy field during the harvest season in Shenyang, in China's northeast Liaoning Province on Sept. 20. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinas Northeastern Black Soil Grain Field Is Alarmingly Depleted

The fertile black soil in northeastern China, which the Chinese grain community relies on, is in an alarming state of degradation due to over-use. Chinese researchers recently admitted that the area has lost a huge chunk of its productivity.

It is the most important grain commodity base in China, affecting the countrys food security. This grain field is over 107 million acres, which is one-fifth of Chinas arable land; the rice production accounts for at least a quarter of Chinas total grain crop.

That is, this land affects the food reserves that matter to hundreds of millions of people in China.

Alarming Soil Degradation

On June 15, researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said that the rich black soil in the northeastern region has lost 20 percent of productivity, the Chinese media reported.

Significant loss of soil and the organic nutrients in the soil from excessive use of the land are the main causes of the decreased productivity, said the report that came after an inspection by a regime high official.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Partys Standing Committee, led the inspection of the environmental protection in the northeastern province, Heilongjiang, from June 10 to 13.

Li emphasized the importance of sustaining the black soil belt, according to the report by state mouthpiece, CCTV, on June 14.

In fact, China has been continuously losing its rich and fertile black soil for decades. Heavy mechanization and fertilizer use since the early 20th century under the regime increased productivity but also caused tremendous damage to the rich soil.

In 2021, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) released its first White Paper on Black Soil Region in Northeast China, 2020.

The white paper revealed that in the past 60 years, the organic content of the black soil tillage layer has dropped by 33 percent, and in some areas by 50 percent.

A farmer waiting to sell his grain at a state grain reserves depot in Yushu, Jilin Province, China on Jan. 8, 2009. (China Photos/Getty Images)

Black Soil is Poor Farmers Easy Money

To protect the black soil, the regime intends to stipulate heavy punishment for illegal black earth trading and theft. However, as the local poor farmers know, the black soil is black goldeasy money for them. The illegal trading of black soil inside China has formed a highly profitable industrial chain.

For instance, state mouthpiece Xinhua News reported in 2021 a case of illegal black soil trade covering more than 27 acres of soil that generated $53,000.

Considering the fact that any industrial chain would not get an easy pass without the Communist officials recognition and protection, whether the newly stipulated regulation will have any effect remains to be seen.

Fang Xiao contributed to this report.
Chinese Influencer Fined $16 Million for Tax Evasion, as the Regime Tightens Control of Livestreaming Industry

China fined a top social media influencer $16 million for tax evasion. Its the regimes latest punishment of the countrys top online personalties and part of its nationwide crackdown on the livestreaming industry.

On June 16, Fuzhou Municipal Taxation Bureau of Jiangxi Province announced online that it ordered Xu Guohao to pay 108 million yuan (about $16 million) in back taxes, late fees, and fines for tax evasion from 2019 to 2020.

Xu Guohao known as Xu Ze was one of the top personalities on Chinas e-commerce platform Momo from 2019 to 2020, and had 1.3 million followers. He had a monthly income of 11.57 million yuan (about $1.72 million) in November 2019. Xu disappeared from livestreaming after 2020.

According to information on Chinas business search website Tianyancha, Xu has been the legal representative, executive director, and general manager of Jiangxi Zemu Film and Television company, which was founded in December 2020 with registered capital of 200 million yuan (about $30 million).

The communist regime issued a series of regulations to tighten control of online streaming, including strengthening the enforcement of tax laws targeting the industry.

On May 7, four ministries of the regime issued a joint regulation Opinions on Regulating Online Live Rewards and Strengthening the Protection of Minors. It stipulated that the online platform should cancel all the reward lists within one month of the publication of the regulation, and prohibit ranking and recommending of influencers based on the amount of reward points earned, and prohibiting the ranking of users based on the reward amount given out.

Other Chinese popular online personalities promoting products in livestreams have disappeared from social media recently as well.

Livestreaming sessions by Li Jiaqi (R) and Viya (L) are seen on Alibabas e-commerce app Taobao displayed on mobile phones on Dec.14, 2021. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

On June 12, Luo Yonghao, the countrys fourth-ranked livestreaming host announced his withdrawal from all social media and e-commerce platforms. The three most popular influencers in mainland China: Viya, Li Jiaqi, and Simba have also stopped livestreaming.

Huang Wei, known online as Viya, was fined 1300 million yuan (about $210 million) for tax evasion in December 2021. She hasnt been in public view since then.

Afterwards, Li Jiaqi became the lead online personality. On June 3, Li showed a tank-shaped slice of ice cream cake during a livestram. This year marks the 33rd anniversary of the June 4 Tiananmen Square Massacre that happened in 1989 when the military opened fire and killed tens of thousand of unarmed protesters who wanted democracy and were against the communist officials corruption. Lis stream was cut off immediately and he hasnt livestreamed since then.

Li Jiaqi (L) and the tank-shaped slice of ice cream cake that prompted swift censorship from the CCP. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

On June 1, Simba, whose real name is Xin Youzhi, said in an internal company meeting video that he would devote himself entirely to another field, and handed over all his companys business to his assistant. In 2020, Xin criticized Chinese telecom company Huawei for not providing free earbuds to his fans who bought its cellphones on the platform. While the Trump administration had banned Huawei products in the United States, pro-regime Chinese internet users verbally attacked Xin for doing what they saw as similar. The state tax administration targeted other products he promoted online.

Li Yuanhua, a former professor at Beijing Capital Normal University, told The Epoch Times on June 16 that there are various reasons behind the influencers quitting social media platforms.

What the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] is doing is killing the chickens to scare the monkey [a Chinese proverb for intimidation]. Its to show them no matter how influential you are, you are actually under my control, including using tax evasion to punish those people. Werent they evading taxes before? Why didnt the tax department do anything then? he questioned.

The CCP wants to take the money they [the influencers and their companies] earned into its own hands. There are both political reasons and economic reasons for the CCP to suppress them, Li said.

He added that private entrepreneurs are the special targets of suppression by the CCP, which is related to Xis ideology, as he has always wanted to establish large state-owned enterprises. The private businesses and private economy are not under his total control.

He said, China is not a normal society at all, so no matter how famous or powerful these people are, they must serve the CCP. Once the CCP feels that it can no longer control you, or your influence is too great, it will definitely take the opportunity to punish you. 

Dong Guangping, family member of a top military official, told The Epoch Times on June 16 that these social media influencers were suppressed for political reasons.

These platform livestreaming hosts have huge fan bases and have a lot of influence. When they make a statement on the social media platforms, it will soon spread across the country. Therefore, the CCP is very afraid of the power of influence of the platforms. It is absolutely not allowed to exist, if it has any political implication. The CCPs Internet Information administration strictly monitors these platforms, all social media, and apps, he said.

Fan Xiao and Luo Ya contributed to the report.
The government said the Online Safety Bill includes a number of new criminal offences to force social media firms to act on illegal content more quickly. (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Conservative MP Wont Support Adding Health Misinformation to the Online Safety Bill

He says he agrees 'with the intention behind the amendment.'

British politicians on the Committee debating the UK governments proposed Online Safety Bill tried to add an amendment to include health-related misinformation and disinformation as a recognised form of lawful but harmful speech.

On June 14, Conservative Minister Chris Philp said that the government would not support the amendment, though it agrees with the intention behind the amendment.

We agree with the intention behind the amendment. However, the way to handle it is not to randomly drop an item into the Bill and leave the rest to a statutory instrument. Important and worthy though it may be to deal with disinformation, and specifically harmful health-related disinformation, there are plenty of other important things that one might add that are legal but harmful to adults, so we will not accept the amendment, said Philp.

Social media platforms are expected to be forced to remove content that is deemed harmful in the wide-reaching Online Safety Bill, as well as protect freedom of speech.

SNPs John Nicolson and Kirsty Blackman and Labours Alex Davies-Jones and Barbara Keele added an amendment that said the Bill must include content that contains health-related misinformation and disinformation, where such content is harmful to adults.

In 2020 during the pandemic, Labour called for emergency laws to stamp out dangerous anti-vaccine content online.

Writing in Unherd, Mark Johnson, Legal and Policy Officer for the free speech watchdog Big Brother Watch, warned that adding health misinformation to the Online Safety Bill as a category of lawful but harmful speech threatens to open a Pandoras box of censorship.

He noted that the medical consensus changes dramatically, using the high-profile example when Facebook fact-checkers discredited an article in The Spectator, written by the Oxford academic Carl Heneghan, disputing the efficacy of masks.

At the time, Toby Young, Associate Editor of The Spectator and The General Secretary of the Free Speech Union, told Maajid Nawaz on LBC that Facebook was being censorious and authoritarian.

The terms misinformation and disinformation have grown to become part of the political lexicon in recent years, said Johnson. The concepts of being incorrect or misleading have been left behind for alternative terms, with loaded connotations.

Yet they are malleable terms, often deployed in ways to discredit or silence another individuals argument in the course of public debate, he added.

Philp said that The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS)the department responsible for the Billis working to develop a strong operational response to this issue.

We have established a counter-disinformation unit within DCMS whose remit is to identify misinformation and work with social media firms to get it taken down, he added.

A DCMS spokesperson told The Epoch Times that the Bill will not stifle online rights and freedoms.

While in-scope companies will need to tackle criminal activity and protect children, nothing in the bill requires them to remove or moderate legal content accessed by adults, he said.

The Bill includes tough and targeted safeguards for free speech, political debate, and journalism. We will ensure users can appeal the wrongful removal of content, he added.

In May, leading media law expert Gavin Millar QC wrote in a legal opinion for the freedom of expression campaign group Index on Censorship that everyone who uses the Internet will be affected by the British governments upcoming Online Safety Bill and that it will significantly curtail freedom of expression in a way that has profound consequences.

A single misconstrued post or an overzealous algorithm could lead to severe consequences on how UK citizens communicate with friends and family and store precious memories, said Millar.

Lily Zhou contributed to the report.
Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to journalists as he leave federal court in Washington on March 21, 2022. (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Photo)

Cowboys for Trump Founder Sentenced to Jail for Entering Capitol Grounds on Jan. 6

Couy Griffin, the founder of the organization Cowboys for Trump, was on Friday sentenced for entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, with his punishment including 14 days in jail that he has already served in pre-trial detention and so will not face any more time behind bars.

Griffin, who is also on a governing commission in New Mexico, has additionally been ordered to serve 60 days of community service, a year of supervised release, and will have to pay a $3,000 fine.

He was convicted in March on a misdemeanor count of entering and remaining on restricted grounds on Jan. 6, with the judge in the bench trial acquitting Griffin on a charge of disorderly conduct.

Prosecutors during Fridays sentencing pressed for 90 days in jail for Griffin and credit for 20 days already served but the judge in the case refused to impose additional time behind bars.

Griffin has maintained his innocence throughout the trial and sentencing, saying he was unaware that the Capitol grounds he entered on Jan. 6 were restricted. While video evidence showed he breached the grounds, he did not enter the Capitol building.

My actions on Jan. 6 were the result of my faith, Griffin told U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden on Friday, according to Reuters. I received that message to go pray with people.

Couy Griffin, co-founder of Cowboys for Trump, rides a horse in New York City on May 1, 2020. (Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)

Griffin was arrested by the FBI in the weeks following the Jan. 6 incident and charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful entry after video showed him breaching the Capitol grounds, according to the Justice Department.

According to the Justice Department and an affidavit (pdf), Griffin told FBI special agents that he had traveled to the nations capital on Jan. 6 to participate in a protest over election integrity.

When Griffin arrived at the U.S. Capitol, he noticed a large crowd forming around the barricade and said that he was caught up in that crowd, which pushed its way through the barricades and into a restricted area, according to statements he made to federal agents.

Griffin said he didnt enter the U.S. Capitol building at any time and remained on the steps outside during the breach.

During that time, he led a group of protesters in prayer using a bullhorn outside the Capitol building, he said.

Videos of the incident and other open-source materials corroborated Griffins statements, according to the affidavit.

He said that the police never asked him to leave the area, and he exited the U.S. Capitol grounds peacefully.

To date, at least 865 people have been arrested and charged with crimes following the Jan. 6 incident.

Reuters contributed to this report.
China's Defense Minister Wei Fenghe (front left) attends the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 12, 2022. (Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images)

Defense Ministers Wary of Chinas Increasing Threat to Peace in Asia-Pacific Region

New Analysis

Many defense chiefs at the annual Asia Security Summit put the spotlight on Chinas repeated signaling that it will unify Taiwan by force.

Defense ministers and diplomats from over 40 countries were present in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asias most vital security summit that lasted from June 10 to 12.

Speaking at the meeting on June 12, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe claimed that China must fulfill the unification of Taiwan with the mainland.

The communist regime will spare no war and no cost to fight back any interference by outside forces, he said.

Wei stressed a similar resolve when he met earlier with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on May 9.

Although China has been likely accustomed to declaring the possibility of war for years, given the current situation there is now more vigilance among nations.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, after talking with Wei on June 12, expressed strong concern about the Chinese Communist Partys (CCPs) attempt to unilaterally use military force.

In response to recent joint aerial drills by Chinese and Russian bombers around Japan, Kishi described them as a demonstration of force against Japan.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin said on June 11 that the United States adheres to a one-China policy but firmly opposes unilateral changes to the status quo by either side.

Austin criticized the CCPs military activities near Taiwan as posing a threat to regional security.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 11, 2022. (Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images)

Japan, the United States, and South Korea issued a joint statement following their June 10 tripartite meeting, focusing on the importance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned in his keynote address at the forum on June 10, that Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow, calling for maintaining a rules-based international order, pointing to CCPs aggressive ambitions in the Asia Pacific region.

Japan needs to strengthen its military capabilities to help the maritime security of Southeast Asian countries, he added.

Kishidas government has raised the countrys defense budget to two percent of GDP, equivalent to that of members of NATO according to France 24 on June 10.

During his visit to the United Kingdom last month, Kishida said that the war in Ukraine is a Russian attempt to shake the foundations of the international order by force and called on the 40 countries in the Indo-Pacific region to consider it as their own business.

Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 10, 2022. (Roslan Rahman/ AFP)

Not merely verbal threats, the CCP has recently made frequent moves of force in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on June 12 that the CCP is engaged in the largest build-up of the military that we have seen since the end of the Second World War.

He said Australia will maintain its defense spending in order to support regional security and stability under international rules.

Marles told Bloomberg on June 13 that he agreed with Kishida on supporting the rules-based order established after World War II, citing that it underpinned the economic growth of both Asia and Australia.

On May 26, an Australian maritime reconnaissance aircraft was intercepted by Chinese warplanes over the South China Sea, a move the Australian side criticized as an act of intimidation by the Chinese military, Asian Times reported on June 7.

Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on June 11 talked about regional tensions, fearing that some recent incidents in the South China Sea could spiral into larger conflicts if they get out of hand.

On June 6, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned as provocative and irresponsible the repeated interference by Chinese warplanes with a Canadian reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace near North Korea.

The reconnaissance aircraft was assisting the United Nations in the region to monitor North Koreas compliance with its nuclear agreement.
Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing in Washington on April 26, 2022. (Greg Nash/Pool/Getty Images)

Department of Justice Stymies Congressional Attempt to Get Information on Hunter Biden Probe

The Department of Justice (DOJ) headquarters has intervened in a congressional effort to get details on the agencys probe into President Joe Bidens son, Hunter Biden.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a member of the panel, in May asked U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss, who is investigating Hunter Biden, for answers because attempts to get information from the DOJ have met with silence or little information.

Grassley and Johnson expressed concerns over conflicts of interest, including noting that Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicholas McQuaid was a partner with an attorney that has represented Hunter Biden.

They also pointed to information they said indicates that the Biden family may have undue influence over judicial officers in Delaware.

They asked for details such as how many employees under Weiss have recused from the Hunter Biden probe, which involves the younger Bidens business dealings with China among other areas.

Instead of hearing from the office of Weiss, a Trump appointee, the lawmakers received a letter (pdf) dated June 9 sent by Peter Hyun, who is the acting assistant attorney general and is based in Washington.

Hyun noted he was responding to the senators letter to Weiss.

Hyun said the DOJ has previously outlined the agencys policies with regards to ethics and recusal protocols.

While the Department appreciates your interest in this matter, consistent with its policies, it will not be able to provide you with any further information regarding Department officials employment or specific recusal decisions, he said.

With respect to your remaining inquiries, while the Department strives to provide Congress with as much information as possible to satisfy its oversight interests, the Department also has a longstanding policy, spanning Administrations, not to confirm, deny, or comment on individual matters that may be under investigation, except under limited circumstances not applicable here, he added.

We hope this information is helpful. While we are unable to provide anything further on these topics, please do not hesitate to contact us on other matters where we may be able to be of assistance, Hyun concluded.

Hunter Biden said in December 2020 that the U.S. Attorneys Office in Delaware was investigating my tax affairs.

Per DOJ policy, we cannot comment on an ongoing investigation, the office said in response at the time.

Several people have come forward to say theyve been interviewed as part of the investigation, including Lunden Roberts, with whom Hunter Biden fathered a child.

Kathleen Buhle, Hunter Bidens ex-wife, said on CBS News this week that she was interviewed by investigators but had not received a subpoena to testify to a grand jury.

Even if I was subpoenaed, I kept my head so deeply buried in the sand, I honestly have nothing to contribute, said Buhle, who is promoting her new memoir.
(Courtesy of Ngan Chi-sing)

He hopes to show to the international community the multifaceted nature of the movement by interviewing people of different ethnicities and backgrounds. There really are many different age groups, different races too. Each one actually has his own story. Each one represents a distinct group of people.

It all started on June 12, 2019. A large number of Hong Kong citizens surrounded the Legislative Council to protest the second reading of the amendment bill of the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance. The police fired hundreds of rubber bullets and tear gas to suppress the people, which is considered to be the trigger of the anti-extradition movement. The film was released to match the third anniversary of 612. Ngan thought it is very meaningful and very much in line with the theme of the film festival Dont Lose, and Dont Forget. In other words, I want everyone to remember it forever and never forget it.

A film still of Love in the time of revolution(Courtesy of Ngan Chi-sing)

On this, he continued, Compared to those who are in the limelight, this group of ordinary people, who have made sacrifice for Hong Kong are the nameless heroes, and deserve more attention. He emphasized that many people in Hong Kong are still or will be subject to oppression and suffering in the aftermath. The reason we are so fortunate to be here overseas, to a certain extent, may be, just fortunate or by virtue of blessing to be away from probably the blood, sacrifices, or even the lives of many Hong Kong people, especially the young ones.

A Tear Gas Inspired Production

Ngan recalled why he decided to start filming this documentary. It was on June 9, 2019, during the march of one million Hong Kong people, even the subway station in the North Point, traditionally a Deep Red Locale, a synonym of being pro-government, where he was located, was also blocked with huge crowds.

A film still of Love in the time of revolution. (Courtesy of Ngan Chi-sing)

At first, he was there just for making a documentary, never a movie. Suddenly something dramatic happened. It was the beginning of the campaign, so while filming on the street, he did not have any protective gear. Somehow, he was hit by a tear gas canister. There were a lot of tear gas canisters around me, and I was drowned within the tear gas smokes. I didnt even think about whether I would be around in the next minute, or I might be dragged away by the riot police. Suddenly one hand, then a few, pulled me into an umbrella formation. That saved me. I thought it was really amazing at that time.

A film still of Love in the Time of Revolution. (Courtesy of Ngan Chi-sing)

I was there purely as a recorder. I just wanted to see: who are these young people, those on the front lines, facing the police on the streets? What, if anything, do they fear? But I didnt think about these at that moment. I seemed to have already become one of them after their rescue; from that time on, I decided that I shall make something more worthwhile out of this work, not just a record of the scene.

Ngan continued to talk about the difficulties of film production. Because he is not a reporter, he has never studied journalism, and he has never made documentaries.

After experiencing the episode Siege of PolyU () in November 2019, at the beginning of 2020, he found that the police strategy had changed from dispersing to rounding up. He was worried that the original footage would be a risk to the interviewees if the original footage fell into police hands, so he decided to stop going to the protest scene to shoot.

A film still of Love in the time of revolution. (Courtesy of Ngan Chi-sing)

After the CCP implemented the National Security Law in Hong Kong in June 2020, Ngan was worried about the safety of himself and his team and decided to leave Hong Kong for the UK. He said that some of the interviewees were still in Hong Kong and asked them before the film was released if there was really no problem and if they needed to have their faces checkered. One of the interviewees said, Dont worry, dont do that for me. Do it the natural way.

A Love Letter to Hongkongers

Ngan said that He did not think too much about the red lines of the National Security Law when he was making the film. He was a creator rather than a political figure. As the film did not focus on politics, but on emotions and feelings of the protesters. He hopes that this documentary can bring their love and hope to the people of Hong Kong and hopefully to the worldwide audience as well.

A film still of Love in the time of revolution. (Courtesy of Ngan Chi-sing)

He described the film as a love letter from the protesters to Hong Kong, to the Hong Kong people, and to those around them. The title, Love in the Time of Revolution, comes from the graffiti on the streets by the protesters. It is also a famous quote by Dr. Sun Yat Sen, which fits the theme of love letter to Hongkongers.

During the production process, he also felt the love of his family. Born in an immigrant family in mainland China, his mother once described him as a cockroach, a prerogative term used by the police to describe the protesters, for his support of the protest and to film there. She once suffered from depression after knowing her son was about to leave Hong Kong. He could not help crying when later his mother told him to leave Hong Kong and didnt want him to get arrested. She didnt support my creation, but she supported me in general. She wanted me to succeed. Of course, this success means that I may not be able to stay in Hong Kong and go back to see her. But after all she always hopes my work to be successful.

Ngan revealed that  Love in the Time of Revolution did participate in the Visions du Reel Film Festival in Switzerland last April, and has received screening rights inquiries from the UK, the U.S., Taiwan, and other places. He said that the film is still in the early promotion stage and needs everyones support. When more people get to know it, I believe that will be the time when it meets everyone in the cinema for a wider audience.
Efficacy Estimates for Pfizers Vaccine for Young Children Come Under Scrutiny

The efficacy estimates Pfizer has offered for its COVID-19 vaccine for young children are being dismissed as unreliable even as the shot is being readied to be administered to millions of American toddlers and babies.

A Pfizer clinical trial for children aged 6 months to 5 years pegged the efficacy at 80.3 percent overall82.3 percent for children aged 2 to 5, and 75.5 percent for kids 6 months to 2 years.

But those estimates were determined not to be reliable due to the low number of COVID-19 cases that occurred in study participants, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in a statement on June 17.

The estimates were based on just 10 COVID-19 casesseven among kids who received a placebo, and three among those who received the vaccine. All occurred after Feb. 7.

But they were portrayed as evidence the vaccine should be given to children across the country during meetings with vaccine advisory panels for the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week.

High efficacy was observed in the course of this trial, Dr. William Gruber, a senior vice president for vaccine clinical research and development at Pfizer, told panelists during a meeting on Friday.

Gruber also showed a slide presenting the data.

The low number of cases resulted in wide-ranging confidence intervals, which indicate how confident one can be in the numbers.

The claimed efficacy is a meaningless statistic, Dr. Harvey Risch, a professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, told The Epoch Times in an email.

A CDC official acknowledged during one of the meetings that the efficacy could end up being dramatically different than the numbers Pfizer is promoting.

I would really hope in our communications that we not use that 80% effectiveness because my level of confidence in that numberI believe the vaccine is effective; I do not have any idea what that number will actually end up being, Dr. Amanda Cohn, the official, said.

Thirty days after vaccination, this could fall off very quickly, and we just want to monitor it closely, she added.

Dr. Sarah Long, a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the CDC on vaccine recommendations, was among those sharing a similar view on Friday, when the panel heard from Gruber.

I just think we should assume we dont have efficacy data because of the small number of cases, she said.

Long was speaking hours after the FDA authorized the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for toddlers and babies.

The primary endpoints of the trials of the vaccine makers were certain levels of neutralizing antibodies, thought to be a marker of protection against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as SARS-CoV-2, the virus causes COVID-19.

The companies took a subset of trial participants and compared the levels of antibodies that the vaccines triggered with levels recorded in a randomized set of adults from trials conducted in 2020.

Dr. Stephen Hahn, the FDAs commissioner at the time, said in interviews that year that the agency would not authorize any COVID-19 vaccines that werent at least 50 percent efficacious. The agency said that it would expect that a COVID-19 vaccine would prevent disease or decrease its severity in at least 50% of people who are vaccinated.

But it later offered a loophole to drug makers who already had authorized vaccinesthey could use a technique called immunobridging, or compare the levels of antibodies in populations for whom the vaccines werent yet authorized to the levels in adults from previous trials.

Pfizer and Moderna both took advantage.

Pfizer ended up comparing the effect of three doses on kids to the effect of two doses on adults. Moderna stuck with a two-dose primary regimen.

The companies only measured clinical efficacy, or protection against infection, secondarily.

Remember, the efficacy was not a requirement for approval, Gruber said.

Modernas trial found efficacy that was substandard; just 43.7 percent effective in the youngest group, and 37.5 percent effective in the other children, if using the case definition from the trial. Using the CDCs clinical definition, the efficacy improved a small amount, but not much.

Pfizers was pegged much higher, but cant be relied upon, authorities now say.

Dr. Peter Marks, a top FDA official, told reporters on a June 17 call that Modernas data was more mature than Pfizers.

The median followup time for Modernas trial was over two months. Pfizer participants, on the other hand, had a median followup time of just 35 and 40 days, respectively, for infants and toddlers.

The issue stems from Pfizer adding a third dose to its trial because the second dose provided virtually no protection against infection.

I think we will have to wait a little bit longer for Pfizer to have more mature effectiveness data to have to have the kind of confidence that wed like to put out numbers, Marks added.

But officials maintain that the unreliable estimates dont matter.

From FDAs perspective, we would have been confident in the clinical benefit of this three-dose primary series based on the immunobridging alone, even if there were no efficacy data, Dr. Dorian Fink, another FDA official, told the CDC advisory panel.

Risch disagrees.

Immunobridging is irrelevant if there is approximately no serious risk to start with, which is the case for healthy children, he told The Epoch Times.

The CDCs panel is preparing to vote Saturday to advise the CDC on which children under 5 can get the vaccines.

Long, the panel member, indicated she was ready to vote for widespread use, even without any reliable efficacy figures.

I would be comfortable enough with the immunobridging, she said.

Officials and the vaccine companies say getting better effectiveness data will be possible once children in the real world, or outside the trials, receive the vaccines.

Exactly what the vaccine efficacy is after dose three I think needs further data to inform, Fink said. And we would expect to get some of these data hopefully from updated analyses from the clinical trial if more cases are accrued recognizing of course that if the vaccine is authorized, that will result in unblinding of placebo recipients so they can get their three-dose series  and also from real-world effectiveness data.
Meteor Crater and Lowell Observatory will host a one-day public event centered around asteroids and their impact on Earth. Asteroid Day Flagstaff  Big Impact Event will take place on Thursday, June 30, with scientific programs, tours of both facilities, food trucks, local beer, science demonstrations, and night-sky telescope viewing.

Flagstaff Mayor Paul Deasy and Coconino County Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez will be at Lowell Observatory, and Winslow Mayor Roberta Birdie Cano will be at Meteor Crater, to proclaim Asteroid Day as an officially recognized day in both Flagstaff and Winslow, respectively.

Meteor Crater will host daytime events from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m PDT, and Lowell Observatory will host evening activities from 5 p.m. - 11 p.m. PDT. Programs will address various aspects of asteroids  what they are, how scientists look for them, the nature of impacts on Earth, planetary defense issues, and how Apollo astronauts studied Meteor Crater to prepare for their voyages to the impact-scarred moon.

Lowell Observatory is excited to partner with Meteor Crater to commemorate Flagstaffs first Asteroid Day, said Danielle Adams, Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer at Lowell Observatory. Given our proximity to the worlds best-preserved meteorite impact site and the heritage of tens of thousands of asteroid discoveries at Lowell over the years, Flagstaff is the worlds best place to mark Asteroid Day.

The Asteroid Day Flagstaff-Big Impact Event is one of many independently organized activities around the world supported by the United Nations-sanctioned program called Asteroid Day. It is designed to raise public awareness about asteroids and their risks. It was founded in 2014 and features events generally taking place on June 30  the date, in 1908, of the largest recorded asteroid impact on Earth.

Matt Kent, CEO and President of Meteor Crater and the Barringer Space Museum, said, Right here in northern Arizona, we can see the literal impact of asteroids on our planet. What better place to hold an Asteroid Day event than here?

For schedule, ticketing, and other information about Asteroid Day Flagstaff-Big Impact Event, see https://www.asteroiddayaz.com/.

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Home Secretary Priti Patel making a statement on the Rwanda asylum plan to MPs in the House of Commons, London, on June 15, 2022. (PA Media)

European Court Politically Motivated in Grounding UK-Rwanda Flight: Home Secretary

The European court was politically motivated in its decision to effectively ground Britains first flight carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda, according to the UK Home Secretary.

Priti Patel said the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decision to grant a temporary injunction to ground the flight was described as absolutely scandalous.

Youve got to look at the motivation, she told The Daily Telegraph. How and why did they make that decision? Was it politically motivated? Im of the view that it is, absolutely.

The opaque way this court has operated is absolutely scandalous. That needs to be questioned, she said.

We dont know who the judges are, we dont know who the panel are, we havent actually had a judgmentjust a press release and a letter saying we cant move this person under rule 39.

Theyve not used this ruling previously, which does make you question the motivation and the lack of transparency.

In April Patel signed the deal that allowed for asylum seekers who had entered the UK illegallyusually involving crossing the English Channel on a human traffickers boatto be sent to Rwanda and held there while their claims were processed.

Many charities and pressure groups, along with the Labour Party, and some Tory MPs, are opposed to the policy, with many claiming it could violate international law.

The government said all along that it expected a series of challenges in the courts.

Legal challenges to the legality of the policy itself will be processed in coming months.

However, refugee and asylum campaign groups asked judges in British courts to block the first flightto effectively put the policy on pauseuntil challenges to the overall legality had been heard.

The British courts, including the High Court and Supreme Court, ruled in favour of the government, and the flight looked set to go ahead on Monday nightalbeit with only seven people onboard, following various separate successful appeals for particular individuals.

Then, just moments before the flight was due to leave, the ECHR granted an urgent interim measure in regards to an Iraqi national who was due to be on the charter flight. It said the individual concerned should not be removed to Rwanda until three weeks after the delivery of the final domestic decision in his ongoing judicial review proceedings.

That ECHR decision meant that the other six people on the flight now had grounds for their removal orders to be scrapped, effectively grounding the flight and putting the policy on ice.

The last-ditch legal rulings sparked calls by some Tory MPs to pull Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights which the court rules on.

The government has not so far indicated any intention to withdraw, although senior figures have refused to rule out the possibility when asked in recent days.

Attorney General Suella Braverman told the BBC, The government has been clear in the media aftermath of the ruling issued by the European Court of Human Rights that all options are on the table. So were not ruling anything in and were not ruling anything out.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab has suggested the UK will stay within the convention but new laws could ensure that interim measures from the Strasbourg court could effectively be ignored by the government.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly hit out at those bringing the legal challenges, accusing them of abetting criminal gangs.

PA Media contributed to this report
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on gun violence on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 8, 2022. (Andrew Harnik/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Fentanyl Entering US Through Southern Border at Unprecedented Levels: Rep. Higgins

Implementing a new law to punish traffickers of fentanyl and declaring deaths from the drug as a health crisis could curb the damage it is doing to the country.

The Epoch Times spoke to Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) about the growing fentanyl crisis in the United States. The Republican lawmaker represents Louisianas 3rd congressional district, which includes Lafayette Parish. According to the local coroner, there were 32 drug-related deaths in 2015, and fentanyl was not associated with any of them. However, by 2021, the number of deaths rose to 136 and fentanyl was responsible for 101.

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), fentanyl is the driving force of a deadly nationwide epidemic. Preliminary data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that fentanyl was involved in 77 percent of overdose deaths in the United States in 2021, accounting for about 71,000 deaths.

The fentanyl crisis the country is facing right now must be confronted at the local, state, and federal level, Higgins said.

The country has to start working together, he said, adding that the nation needs to confront the border crisis and influx of fentanyl without abusing law enforcement jurisdictional authority, without abusing sovereignty, [and] without abusing rights.

It all has to be done while operating within the parameters of the law and the Constitution, said Higgins. Fentanyl trafficking, in particular, must be attacked passionately and aggressively, he added.

Title 42 Reinterpreted

The Biden administration had hoped to end Title 42 by the end of May. Title 42 was the Trump-era initiative put in place in March 2020 to slow the spread of COVID-19, allowing illegal immigrants to be quickly turned away at the southern U.S. border rather than processed at immigration detention facilities under Title 8 immigration law.

However, a Texas judge recently blocked the cancellation of the public health order that has been used to expel illegal migrants.

While Higgins is pleased with the extension, he said it is time for a reinterpretation of Title 42 within the parameters of the Constitution. According to the lawmaker, the fentanyl crisis can now be more effectively defined as a health crisis than the COVID pandemic.

With regard to Title 42 enforcement, Higgins said, the definition of health crisis needs to be expanded to include the fentanyl crisis, [because] overdoes are certainly a threat to the health of tens of thousands of people.

Stop the Flood

Higgins said, Something has to be done to fight against the fentanyl entering [the United States] through the southern border.

We have lost operational control of the southern border months ago, and fentanyl is entering the country at unprecedented levelsand theres no end in sight, he added.

Higgins is supporting legislation, like H.R.6439, which would make it very painful to traffic illicit fentanyl. The Fentanyl Trafficker Elimination Act would make the trafficking of specific amounts of fentanyl punishable by life imprisonment.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) introduced the bill in January. The bill has been referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Higgins is one of nine co-sponsors of the bill.

He pointed out that it does not take a lot of fentanyl by volume for traffickers to bring enough to create a large volume of street-level pills.

Theres enough coming across the border to produce millions of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills going into every nook and cranny of the country. In 2021, for example, there were over 9.5 million counterfeit pills seized by the DEA. And according to the DEAs office in Phoenix, 40 percent of counterfeit pills seized in Arizona contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.

Higgins places the blame on weak border policies that are allowing illegal aliens with criminal intent to cross the border. These are not the little families or people that cross the border and go find a border patrol agent to turn themselves in to begin their processing for asylum, he said.

Instead, Im talking about the ones that run, which tells me they have bad intentions and are likely plugged into a criminal network.

Kids are dying and it must be stopped, lamented Higgins. Life in prison is what some of these criminals deserve.
Gov. Kristi Noem Celebrates Stoppage of Abortions in South Dakota

The governor of South Dakota celebrated the last abortion clinic in the state putting a pause on performing abortions, saying on social media that she prayed for it to happen.

Abortions have stopped in South Dakota. We have prayed for this day, and now it is here, Gov. Kristi Noem wrote on Twitter on June 16. Now, we must redouble our focus on taking care of mothers in crisis. Help is available for you. Adoption is an option. You are never alone.

The governors comments came after the last Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux Falls stopped performing abortion operations on June 16, while the country awaits a pending decision on Dobbs v. Womens Health Organization that could overturn Roe v. Wade.

Abortion care in our Sioux Falls health center is paused, the organization confirmed on Twitter on June 16. If #SCOTUS overturns the federal right to abortion, abortion procedures must stop in South Dakota immediately. We cant in good faith schedule appointments later this month, because there is a good chance patients would have to go out of state for their abortions by this time.

According to the organizations Twitter page, its Sioux Falls location still provides services relating to birth control and transgender hormone therapy.

On the day of the March for Life parade, Noem announced the text of two draft pro-life bills in a statement on Jan. 21. One of these bills would ban abortion after a heartbeat can be detected in a fetus and a second bans telemedicine abortions in the state.

Every human life is unique and beautiful from the moment it is conceived. Every life is worthy of our protection, worthy of the right to live, said Noem in the January statement. We hope that this years March for Life will be the last and that the Supreme Court will finally protect every unborn life. But until that comes to pass, these bills will ensure that both unborn children and their mothers are protected in South Dakota.

The statement says the number of abortions performed has declined by about 80 percent in South Dakota in the last decade.

The governor also stated in May that she will immediately act to save lives on abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

If this report is true and Roe v. Wade is overturned, I will immediately call for a special session to save lives and guarantee that every unborn child has a right to life in South Dakota, Noem wrote in May after the Dobbs draft ruling leaked.

If this report is true and Roe v. Wade is overturned, I will immediately call for a special session to save lives and guarantee that every unborn child has a right to life in South Dakota. https://t.co/oIiGibCP7B  Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) May 3, 2022

Currently, South Dakota state law prohibits abortions starting from week 23 of pregnancy unless in the case of medical emergencies. The Midwestern state became the second to shutter abortion services after Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed into law a bill that banned almost all abortions after conception.
Gunman Kills 3 Seniors During Potluck Dinner at Alabama Church

VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala.The 70-year-old visitor had previously attended some services at St. Stephens Episcopal Church before police say he showed up for a potluck dinner, pulled out a handgun, and fatally shot three of the elderly participants, one of whom died in his wifes arms as she whispered words of love in his ear.

Church members were spared further violence Thursday evening when one of them rushed the gunman, struck him with a chair, and held him until police arrived, a former pastor said. The suspect, Robert Findlay Smith, was charged with capital murder Friday, the Jefferson County district attorney announced.

The baffling violence in a wealthy suburb of Birmingham stunned a community known for its family-centered lifestyle.

Why would a guy whos been around for a while suddenly decide he would go to a supper and kill somebody? said the Rev. Doug Carpenter, St. Stephens pastor for three decades before he retired in 2005. It doesnt make sense.

All three shooting victims were members attending a monthly dinner at the church, said Carpenter, who still attends Sunday services there but wasnt present Thursday night. A Facebook post referred to the gathering as a Boomers Potluck.

Carpenter said one victims wife and other witnesses recounted what had happened. They said a man who introduced himself only as Mr. Smith sat at a table by himselfas hed done while visiting a previous church dinner.

People tried to speak to him and he was kind of distant and very much a loner, Carpenter told The Associated Press by telephone.

At Thursdays dinner, church member Walter Bartlett Rainey invited the visitor to join his table, Carpenter said, but the man declined. He said Raineys wife noticed the visitor wasnt eating.

Linda Rainey said he didnt have any food and she offered to fix a plate for him, and he turned that down, said Carpenter.

Soon afterward, Carpenter said, the man drew his gun and opened fireshooting Walter Rainey and two other church members. Carpenter said another member, a man in his 70s, grabbed a chair and charged the gunman.

He hit him with a folding chair, wrestling him to the ground, took the gun from him and hit him in the head with his own gun, Carpenter said.

Church members held the suspect until police arrived, police Capt. Shane Ware said. A police mugshot showed Smith with a blackened left eye and cuts to his nose and forehead.

Church members gather for a prayer circle after a shooting at the Saint Stevens Episcopal Church in Vestavia, Ala., on June 16, 2022. (Butch Dill/AP Photo)

The person that subdued the suspect, in my opinion, was a hero, Ware told a news conference Friday, saying that act was extremely critical in saving lives.

Rainey, 84, died at the scene. His wife of six decades wasnt harmed.

We are all grateful that she was spared and that he died in her arms while she murmured words of comfort and love into his ears, Raineys family said in a statement.

Police said Sarah Yeager, 75, of Pelham, died soon afterward at a hospital, and an 84-year-old woman died Friday. Police didnt release her name, citing the familys request for privacy.

Ware said police are investigating what motivated the suspect, who occasionally attended services at the church. Authorities executed a search warrant Friday at Smiths home, less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) away.

Records from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives show Smith is a licensed gun dealer whose business is listed at his home address. Court records show Smith filed a lawsuit in 2008 against Samford University, a private university in metro Birmingham, alleging campus security wrongly detained him and accused him of impersonating a police officer.

Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry told reporters his close-knit, resilient, loving community was rocked by this senseless act of violence. Its home to nearly 40,000 residents, including many businesspeople, doctors, and lawyers who work in Birmingham.

The churchs pastor, the Rev. John Burruss, said in a Facebook post that he was in Greece on a pilgrimage and trying to get back.

The Rev. Rebecca Bridges, the associate rector, led an online prayer service on the churchs Facebook page Friday morning. She prayed not only for the victims and church members who witnessed the shooting, but also for the person who perpetrated the shooting.

We pray that you will work in that persons heart, Bridges said. And we pray that you will help us to forgive.

Thursdays shooting happened just over a month after one person was killed and five injured when a man opened fire on Taiwanese parishioners at a Southern California church.

A message posted by St. Stephens said it would hold Sunday services, adding: We will gather at the Table that has taught so many that love is always breaking through in this world, no matter what we experience, whether it be doubt, anger, loss, grief, or deathbut yet also joy and life.

By Jay Reeves and Kim Chandler
People swim in the river Limmat at Letten, in Zurich, Switzerland, on June 18, 2022. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

Hot Weekend for Europe, Officials Warn of Extreme Fire Risk

BERLINPeople flocked to parks and pools across Western Europe on Saturday for a bit of respite from an early heat wave that saw the mercury rise above 40 C (104 F) in France and Spain.

In Germany, where highs of 38 C (100.4 F) were expected, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach urged vulnerable groups to stay hydrated.

Heat and too little fluids can be deadly for older people, Lauterbach wrote on Twitter. We need to keep an eye on the elderly and those with disabilities today.

Meanwhile, officials warned of wildfires across the western Mediterranean region as high temperatures and a long dry spell made for combustible conditions.

The European Commissions Copernicus Emergency Management Service said the fire risk was extreme and very extreme in much of Spain, the Rhone river valley in France, Sardinia, Sicily, and parts of mainland Italy.

The 27-nation bloc has put 12 firefighting planes and a helicopter on standby to assist countries struggling with major blazes this summer.
Australians are still suffering from the trauma of government health mandates.

In the wake of Australias zero COVID policy, which boasts 95 percent of all citizens over 16 vaccinated and some of the worlds strictest lockdowns, Scott Morrisons government was swept out of power in May. Yet broken businesses and peoples wrecked health struggle to recover.

Some fear they may never recover.

Ask Liz Mann, who was vaccinated and says she hasnt been the same since. Mann, 50, who works in agriculture and runs a farm in northern Victoria, wasnt an anti-vaxxer  she had her yellow fever, Hep-A, and other shots  but decided to pass on the corona vaccine. She had COVID already, she reckons, having suffered prolonged flu-like symptoms in January 2020. So shed have immunity. With her health history of chronic fatigue, a UK study found, she had a 27 percent chance of a severe reaction to Pfizers vaccine. On those accounts, she ought tove been exempt.

None of that mattered.

(Courtesy of Liz Mann)

Per Victorias mandate, to work, shed have to roll up her sleeve. Delaying the inevitable, she tried working remotely from home for two weeks and took another two weeks off, but the mandates loomed. So, she caved, visited the drive-through clinic in Murchison, got the jab, and was told to park and wait 15 minutes in case of aftereffects before driving home.

Her reaction was instantaneous.

I wound down the window feeling like I was going to black out, I honked the horn, turned around and looked at the doctor out my rear vision mirror, she told The Epoch Times. And then I just dropped the seat because I was about to black out. Medical staff at the clinic checked her blood pressure and it was 160 over 100, she said, adding that shes normally low blood pressure. I had trouble standing up at that point, she recalled, and told how chest pains followed. Within about three hours, it felt like Id been kicked in the chest by a horse.

Doctors at the clinic watched on, arms crossed over their chests, and made remarks as she lay outside. Well, wonder what will happen when she has her second vaccine, and I said, Im not having it, Liz recalled. And they had a bit of a laugh and said, Well see about that. I was pretty disgusted actually.

We contacted Murchison Medical Clinic for comment, but they were unable to respond before publishing.

Manns condition showed little improvement in the days and weeks following. She remained lethargic, was bedridden for weeks on end, and was unable to perform daily tasks maintaining the farm. When a tree fell onto a fence and she had to use a chainsaw, the physical strain spurred chest pains, which extended to her face, and she had to call an ambulance. Within two weeks of the jab, other symptoms, including rashes, spontaneous bruising, and a black eye, appeared. On day 41, one side of her face drooped, and she experienced stroke-like symptoms.

Despite all this, Mann couldnt get a medical exemption for her impending second jab  unlike what one would expect with side effects from other drugs like penicillin. Meanwhile, her job demanded it. She refused. They terminated her contract, but the letter they sent made no mention of vaccine stipulations.

The point was moot anyway; she couldnt work. Her health bottomed out.

Mann did eventually get a medical exemption after eight weeks, but couldnt work at the level she once did. Any physical activity, such as tending to her livestock, brought on pain in her chest and face, with some days being lost entirely to poor health.

Adding insult to injury, when Mann was granted a public records request, she saw her doctor had written that she had psychological issues, placing the blame on anxiety. She also found a discrepancy: Her doctors had put in a claim for two doses (was it a double?) while her immunization history showed none.

(Courtesy of Liz Mann)

(Courtesy of Liz Mann)

Liz Manns medical record request yielded doctors notes that she had psychological issues. (Courtesy of Liz Mann)

Yet Mann is lucky in some respects. With her situation, having multiple jobs and the ability to work remotely or outside Victoria, where restrictions are less strict, she can earn a living. Not everyones so lucky.

Nevertheless, if the election proves anything, its that while Australians whove suffered due to health mandates struggle to reclaim their lost health and livelihoods, their collective faith in the medical industry and government may be beyond repair.

I dont trust them anymore. I never want to see another GP in my whole life, said Mann, adding that, even while awaiting her exemption, all the doctors wanted to do was to put the next vaccine in [her]. Its not exactly lucid what lies behind the curtain of absurdities. She posits its very much about control.

There were medical professionals who were forthcoming in varying degrees. Doctors admitted Manns adverse reactions were due to the vaccine, yet referrals to specialists were few and excuses many: Chest pain is nothing to worry about. A nurse did look her in the eye and prod her to speak up  even though many in society arent open to it.

She did just that.

Im not afraid to speak out. I have lost friends over this, said Mann. People dont want to know about this, and it annoys me when you hear from mainstream media about stories of long COVID, but vaccine side effects is a dirty [term] that nobody wants to hear.

In hindsight, faced with that ultimatum again  the jab or no job  would Mann choose differently? I would have said, I dont want the job, and walked away at that point and had my health, she said. I lost the job anyway, so it would have been the same as what happened. But I would have had my health.

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
How many times have you heard someone say, Its okay, I trust my doctor? This happens to us a lot. When we try to share health information with friends, family, or colleagues, we are met with resistance. My doctor says its safe, a family member will say, and I trust my doctor.

On the surface, trusting your doctor seems to make good sense. After all, getting into medical school is highly competitive and medical doctors receive over six years of education after theyve gone to college.

In addition, a 2017 meta-analysis found that patients who trust their health providers have higher patient satisfaction, engage in more beneficial health behaviors, report suffering from fewer symptoms, and even seem to have a higher quality of life than patients who dont. (1)

Other recent research has shown that patients who trust their doctors are more likely to take their prescribed medication, and be more committed to their healthcare institution. (2) (3)

At the same time, however, blind trust is problematic. During this time of turmoil, lockdowns, and ongoing fear-mongering, we have also come to learn that doctors are as fallible as the rest of us.

They dismiss our concerns, make the wrong diagnoses, and prescribe medications that do more harm than good. According to Dr. Ben Marble, speaking at a recent conference for medical doctors providing frontline care to COVID patients, emergency room nurses have dubbed remdesivir, an anti-viral used to treat severe COVID-19, as run-death-is-near because of its toxicity to the kidneys.

This safety concern has also been confirmed in the peer-reviewed literature. But instead of finding less toxic, more effective medications, doctors in American hospitals are continuing to prescribe it. In April of 2022, the FDA granted it full approval as a treatment for COVID-19 for children under 12 and infants as young as 28 days old. (4)

At the beginning of the pandemic, conventionally trained medical establishment doctors offered their patients no treatments for COVID-19 and no hope. As Peter McCullough, a well published cardiologist with over 30 years of experience practicing medicine, told the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee on March of 2021, people diagnosed with COVID-19 were treated like they had gotten a death sentence.

It is unimaginable in America that we can have such a complete and total blind spot [when it comes to treating COVID]. I blame the doctors for not stepping up, McCullough told the committee. We have a crisis of compassion in our country in the medical field, he added later in his testimony.

As McCullough pointed out, conventional doctors failed their patients. They unquestioningly followed cruel hospital protocols that kept people from the bedsides of dying loved ones (whether they were dying of COVID or any other illness), even though myriad studies show that having loved ones in the ICU can actually help people survive, as a recent article in STAT explored.

They defended and enforced hospital policies of allowing no husbands, partners, or loved ones in the birthing room with a woman having a baby, forcing them to give birth alone and unsupported.

Instead of being healers and helpers, many doctors during COVID-19 have been acting like the Borg: the aliens in the fictional Star Trek universe who are unable to think for themselves or maintain any semblance of individuality.

Iatrogenic Errors #3 Cause of Death in America

In May of 2016 a landmark study was published by two researchers in the Department of Surgery at Johns Hopkins that showed that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for over a quarter of a million of unnecessary deaths a year. (5)

At the same time, fewer than 10 percent of medical mistakes are reported, according to researchers at Purdue University. (6)

For people who want to live long healthy lives, it seems, trusting doctors blindly may not help us reach that goal.

In Doctors We No Longer Trust

One should always be suspicious of anyone who says, Trust me, I know whats best for you. And if that person is a harried medical doctor, who is essentially a stranger, and who spends just a few minutes talking to and examining you during a medical appointment, that is all the more reason to be wary.

The average primary care exam lasts only 18 minutes, according to research published in 2021. While iatrogenic mistakes and hurried appointments have been an ongoing problem in conventional medicine, the misguided and unscientific approach many doctors have taken during COVID-19 have served to make things worse. (7)

A Better Way Forward

It does not make sense to put blind trust in any doctor, especially these days. You know your body better than your doctors. You know how you got sick and, its quite likely, you also know how best to heal. What does make sense is to do your own research, find doctors who will partner with you instead of lord over you, bring a patient advocate with you to every appointment, and get a second (or third or fourth) opinion when you are not sure your doctors recommendations are best.

A true story: When Jennifers daughter was a baby she got an angry red rash around her face. Jennifer brought her to the doctor, a family physician named Robert Weitzman, M.D., based in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

Whats wrong with the baby? he asked amiably.

Thats what I came here to ask you! Jennifer protested.

Naw, Weitzman said. I bet you know whats wrong. Then he paused, giving Jennifer the opportunity to speak.

I think she has a staph infection, Jennifer said. An overgrowth of stapholococcus bacteria.

That would be my diagnosis too, Weitzman said. He paused again. So what do you think we should do about it?

Jennifer laughed. Isnt that your jobto tell me? When Weitzman didnt answer, she spoke up: I think she may need an antibiotic. But Id rather not give her one, if I dont have to.

Together they made a plan: Weitzman wrote a prescription for an oral and a topical antibiotic and recommended Jennifer to get it filled in case it was needed. He said he felt comfortable with a wait and see approach. If the rash got worse, or if the baby spiked a fever, they would give her the antibiotics. But they would give it 24 to 48 hours to clear up on its own.

In the meantime, he suggested getting some direct sunlight on the rash to help it dry out. They also talked about how eating too much sugaras a breastfeeding momcan contribute to the overgrowth of bad bacteria. The rash cleared up on its own. In fact, none of Jennifers four children ever took a single antibiotic growing up.

A 2017 study by a team of researchers in Texas about how doctors can better build trust in the doctor-patient relationship identified five actions that can help: 1) provide reassurance, 2) tell patients its okay to ask questions, 3) share lab results with patients and take the time to explain what they mean, 4) dont use judgmental language or act judgmentally towards the patient, and 5) ask patients about their treatment goals and preferences. (8)

We believe that the best doctors are the ones who partner with their patients. The doctors who put patients over profits, who listen as much as they talk, and who are willing to change their minds in the face of new evidence, are those who provide the best care. It is only when our health care providers act in ways that lead us away from fear-mongering and hopelessness and towards lasting and lifelong good health that our trust in doctors will be restored.

Joe Wang, Ph.D., was trained as a molecular geneticist and is now the head of New Tang Dynasty TV (Canada). Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D., is an award-winning science writer and a frequent contributor to The Epoch Times. They invite trustworthy doctors and other healthcare providers to reach out to them with health-related article ideas.

References

1. Birkhauer J, Gaab J, Kossowsky J, et al. Trust in the health care professional and health outcome: A meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2017;12(2). 2017 Feb 7.

2. Qianqian Fan, Adriel Shao En Ong, Mariko Siyue Koh, Kinjal Doshi,

The mediating role of trust in physician and self-efficacy in understanding medication adherence in severe asthma, Respiratory Medicine, Volume 190, 2021,106673,

ISSN 0954-6111, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2021.106673.

3. Durmus A, Akbolat M. The Impact of Patient Satisfaction on Patient Commitment and the Mediating Role of Patient Trust. J Patient Exp. 2020 Dec;7(6):1642-1647. doi: 10.1177/2374373520967807. Epub 2020 Oct 21. PMID: 33457625; PMCID: PMC7786692.

4. Gerard AO, Laurain A, Fresse A, Parassol N, Muzzone M, Rocher F, Esnault VLM, Drici MD. Remdesivir and Acute Renal Failure: A Potential Safety Signal From Disproportionality Analysis of the WHO Safety Database. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2021 Apr;109(4):1021-1024. doi: 10.1002/cpt.2145. Epub 2021 Jan 16. Erratum in: Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2022 Jun;111(6):1343. PMID: 33340409.

5. Makary MA, Daniel M. Medical error-the third leading cause of death in the US. BMJ. 2016 May 3;353:i2139. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i2139. PMID: 27143499.

6. Anderson JG, Abrahamson K. Your Health Care May Kill You: Medical Errors. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2017;234:13-17. PMID: 28186008.

7. Neprash HT, Everhart A, McAlpine D, Smith LB, Sheridan B, Cross DA. Measuring Primary Care Exam Length Using Electronic Health Record Data. Med Care. 2021 Jan;59(1):62-66. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001450. PMID: 33301282.

8. Dang, B.N., Westbrook, R.A., Njue, S.M. et al. Building trust and rapport early in the new doctor-patient relationship: a longitudinal qualitative study. BMC Med Educ 17, 32 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-017-0868-5.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Oil prices in the United States are skyrocketing. Half a million barrels of American oil flow into China daily, but some on Capitol Hill are looking to change that.

Over 90 percent of the American companies operating in Shanghai are expecting less revenue than before. A recent poll highlights the impact of pandemic control.

Teachers are protesting in one of Chinas most culturally-rich provinces. Why? Reports say authorities are cutting their paychecks back down to what they were a decade ago.

Hailstones fall in Beijing. But the ice clumps curious shape caught the attention of Chinese internet users.

A bill aims to overhaul Washingtons policy toward Taiwancovering sanctions, military aid, and diplomatic relations. We break down the highlights.

Bill Introduced to Ban Oil Exports to China Tech Execs Urge Congress on China Bill Poll: U.S. Companies in Shanghai Lower Expectations Teachers Protest Over Significant Salary Reduction Internet Users Remark on Odd Hailstones in Beijing U.S. Lawmakers Push Bill to Revamp Taiwan Policy Politician: Taiwans Missiles Can Strike Beijing, Three Gorges Dam Fmr Real Estate Director Tells Story on Quitting CCP CCP Spying via Coffee Makers: Researcher Pay Cuts for Civil Servants Begin to Sweep China Military Commanders Meet in Japan Hong Kong Floating Restaurant Towed Away

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This disaster is racing toward us like a runaway freight train, and it will be extremely difficult to get out of harms way. Its absolutely crucial to understand what were up against and whos responsible because theres no going back to the old normal.

Patrick Wood, a repeat guest, has spent decades studying technocracy  an invented economic system that the global cabal is currently trying to implement worldwide. He was recently interviewed by The Defender, the Childrens Health Defense newsletter. You will find that interview below. I would actually encourage you to watch that one first, because it provides a really good background of Wood and his work.

This conversation also ties in with an interview I recently did with professor Mattias Desmet, author of The Psychology of Totalitarianism, which will air in a few weeks, so be sure to keep an eye out for that one. While technocracy and totalitarianism have many similarities, there are some differences in perspective, which we will unravel here.

I wish there was something else to talk about, but this is it, Wood says. This is the topic of the day. This is what people need to know and understand.

If we are going to fight back against this enemy, which previously has pretty much been unseen, we must recognize who were dealing with. Period. We cannot provide any defense or offense to push back on this unless we know who the enemy really is and what theyre thinking, whats in their head.

COVID Was Technocracys Coup Detat

While the COVID crisis sent most into a state of confusion, Wood was not surprised by the chain of events that eventually took place. Hed been following the climate change alarmism and the sustainable development agenda for a long time, and as soon as the same people who were promoting climate alarmism jumped on the COVID train, he knew they were connected, and that COVID was going to be used to promote the technocratic agenda.

The same flawed computer models used to convince us climate change will kill us all were also used to incite panic about the lethality of COVID. These computer models are basically rigged to say whatever they want them to say. According to climate change alarmists, mankind should have been wiped off the face of the earth 10 years ago. Yet here we are. The COVID models also failed, missing the mark by miles.

At the time [in early 2020], I said this is technocracys coup detat. Theyre finally making their major global move to do what they said they were going to do for a long time. Now, theyre actually putting shoe leather to it and theyre making it happen, so I called it coup detat early on, Wood says.

Unfortunately, to quote Woods coauthor of previous books, Anthony Sutton, only 2% of people have critical thinking skills, 8% of people think they can think, and 90% would rather die than think. This willful ignorance explains why only 10% of a given population, on average, does not fall into mass formation.

Wood, along with Dr. Judy Mikovits and Dr. Reiner Fuellmich, an international lawyer who cofounded the German Corona Investigative Committee  have formed the Crimes Against Humanity Task Force. The first event will be held in Tampa, FL with guest speaker, Michael Yeadon, Ph.D..

We believe there is a great case to be made that, indeed, crimes against humanity have been committed in the same context and sense that they were discovered at the Nuremberg trials that produced the Nuremberg Code, which is now embedded in the legal system in every nation on earth, [including] our country and every state as well.

Medical experimentation is verboten, period, and yet it has happened anyway, with no informed consent along the way. People are getting sick and dying, the same old drill. What went wrong? Were presenting this case to the American public in person, and I will say the dynamic of talking to a live audience today is a breath of fresh air for me, personally. I think everybody else would say the same thing.

Creating a New Normal on Our Own Terms

While many resist this stance, I and Wood agree that the crisis is not over, and its not going to right itself. No. Itll get worse, and things will never go back to the way they were. Its important to realize that we shouldnt want things to go back to the old normal, however. Because the old normal is what precipitated the many crises were currently facing.

We can fully expect that the partially failed vaccine passport will be replaced by digital identity, which will progress to a central bank digital currency (CBDC). Most central banks in the world will be rolling out CBDCs within the next three to five years.

Digital identity and CBDCs are a disaster racing toward us like a freight train, and itll be extremely difficult to get out of harms way. The past two years will seem like a picnic compared to whats coming.

If my hypothesis is true, January 2020 was the coup detat that started this war in earnest, the hot war, if you will, versus the leading up to it. Lots of bad stuff happened from 9/11 through 2020 that we could point to and say, it looks like somebodys orchestrating this, but it went into a hot war, literally, globally as well, in January 2020. Revolutions never stop with one attack. Thats obvious. Im sure its self-evident.

By Their Words and Actions, You Can Know Them

So, who instigated this global revolution? Whos pulling the strings? Whos the real enemy? Its not the populace. Its not even a specific nation. Its a conglomerate of wealthy and influential people all over the world. But they have a shared philosophy, ideology and agenda. Wood explains:

Whats going on is called The Great Reset of the planet. The Great Reset has become a catchphrase. Most people dont have a clue what it means yet, but its promoted by the World Economic Forum (WEF), which is tightly interlinked and coupled with the United Nations.

This elite group of people represent in mix all of the people that were originally in the Trilateral Commission back in the 1970s. Its the same kinds of people, the same agenda to transform the world into their vision, the way they think things ought to be. These are the people that have orchestrated this whole thing and theyre the ones that are pushing it right now.

Its easy to identify most of the people involved in this. You can look at the Klaus Schwabs and the Bill Gateses [of the world], and the thousand companies that belong to the World Economic Forum. They all have CEOs, board members, et cetera, that are part of the World Economic Forum. Its pretty easy to identify them today.

The idea of The Great Reset is complete transformation of society and individuals that live in this society. The World Economic Forum is boldly talking about both. They talk about this technocratic takeover on one hand, to reform society, that is the structures of society, the institutions, but they also talk about the restructuring of humanity itself.

That is, the merging of technology with the human condition, with the flesh, the changing of genetic code, Humanity 2.0, H+ is another term is used. This is mad scientist type of stuff. The average guy on the street has never been exposed to this.

Its hard to get your head around how evil this whole thing is, and its all uninvited. Nobody asked for it, they just did it. Thats another thing thats really important to understand: This didnt just come out of the blue or fall out of the sky from outer space. This has been in the works for a very long time.

Agenda 21 Laid the Groundwork

In 1992, Agenda 21 was created. That was the genesis of sustainable development. Thats where that doctrine was openly described. The Agenda 21 and the Biodiversity Convention that took place at the same time was the agenda for 21st century.

As explained by Wood, Agenda 21 was foundational in the sense that laid out all the events being rolled out and changes being implemented today. Its just that no one was really paying attention to where things were headed, the ultimate implications of it all. Of course, those who did see the writing on the wall were discredited as crazy conspiracy theorists.

There was a great book released in 1994 called The Earth Brokers. The two authors were scholars. They were also the original environmental crowd. They werent on our side necessarily, but they went to the Agenda 21 conference in good faith, figuring there was going to be some negotiation to dial back the development that was messing with the Third World and try to get the planet back together.

They went hoping to turn some things around, and they came away from the Agenda 21 conference completely disillusioned  In that book, they criticized the Agenda 21 process. They started out by saying something like this: We argue that USAID  the United Nations conference on economic development  has boosted precisely the type of industrial development that is destructive for the environment, the planet and its inhabitants.

We see how, as a result of USAID, the rich would get richer, the poor poorer, while more and more of the planet is destroyed in the process. What can we say, but amen to that. Here we are today. Its exactly whats happened.

The Plan to Own and Control All Life

The Earth Brokers also reviewed what they learned from the Biodiversity Convention, which ran parallel with the Agenda 21 conference. It had the same participants, just two different thought tracks brought together at the same conference.

They wrote about the biodiversity convention, which has become incredibly important today to the United Nations. They said the convention implicitly equates the diversity of life, that is animals and plants, to the diversity of genetic codes. By doing so, diversity becomes something modern science can manipulate. It promotes biotechnology as being essential for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

They redefined the term biodiversity, for one, but they also said the main stake raised by the biodiversity convention is the issue of ownership and control over biological diversity. The major concern was protecting the pharmaceutical and emerging biotechnology industries. That was their assessment.

To which, today, we can say, Bingo! That is exactly what happened back then, and this is exactly the expression today that we see of the genetic takeover of life on planet earth. Theyve gotten the seeds, theyve gotten the plants, theyve gotten the animals.

Today, the technocrats are also moving in on the human genetic code. Chief medical officer of Moderna, Tal Zaks, for example, has stated that Moderna, a developer of the mRNA COVID jab, is hacking the software of life. He described the human genetic code as an operating system, and if you can change that operating system by introducing a new line of code, or by changing a line of code, you can change how the operating system functions.

Since 1992, legislation has been created to protect Big Pharma. You could say the 1992 Agenda 21 was a pre-coup. They laid the groundwork back then to protect the pharmaceutical and emerging biotech industries they knew were coming. And, today, the very genetic makeup of mankind is up for grabs.

Origins of Technocracy

Technocracy dates further back than the 90s, however. Handwritten letters dating to the 1930s reveal some of the originators of the technocratic movement had gotten into an argument with the Hearst newspaper empire, and because of that, they forbade journalists to discuss them or the technocratic ideology. Hence, technocracy went underground and got sort of buried for a few decades. Wood explains:

What happened was, Howard Scott, one of the cofounders of Technocracy Inc., was also the leader of the group at Columbia University when it was housed there in 1932. He had promoted himself as being a certified engineer and one of the intellectual guys that would fit in to Columbia University. He wasnt from Columbia, but he was heading the [technocratic] movement there.

It was discovered, while he was there, that he was a complete fraud. He had no engineering degree at all. He was just a blowhard. He was a promoter  basically a con man  and Nicholas Murray Butler, the president of Columbia  flipped out, and drop-kicked Scott out of Columbia 

By the same token, Howard Scott was out working in the media like crazy, and he worked the Hearst empire to get articles about technocracy published all across the country.

When Randolph Hearst discovered, as Butler did, that he had been taken for a ride and that his media empire had been manipulated, he freaked out and sent out a telegram-type memo to every newspaper in the country, saying, If anybody ever mentions technocracy again, youre fired.

Well, that took care of that. History books have a 25-year lag, typically. Historians dont go back and analyze stuff from last year to write in history books. They go back 25 years and they look around and they read the newspaper articles and whatever, and try and figure out what happened. Thats how they write history.

Well, theres this huge hole on the technocracy movement because it just got dropped out. All of a sudden, theres no newspaper articles. Its just like they disappeared into thin air. The big, highly credentialed scientist and engineers at Columbia who were crowing about technocracy the year before, now, all of a sudden, would not dare mention the word.

Wood eventually discovered a major university archive at University of Edmonton in Alberta, where all of the leaders of the Canadian technocracy movement had combined their papers in the 90s.

The documents were placed in a warehouse where they sat for years on end, until a catalog of them was finally published on the internet. It was a real jackpot. Wood and his wife drove to Edmonton and spent a week sifting through and copying materials. After that, it wasnt very difficult to break down how the technocratic agenda had been moved forward and was being implemented.

Totalitarianism Versus Technocracy

While the outward expression of technocracy will appear as totalitarianism, the control center is not a dictator. Rather than a single person ruling by the decree, technocracy relies on control through technology and algorithm. This is a very important difference. In short, there are no people behind the curtain pulling strings. Theres no individual to blame or hold accountable.

The dictator is an algorithm. Looking at Google over the past couple of years, in particular, we can see this in action. We can also see it in the censorship of social media, and in the social credit system in China.

The so-called artificial intelligence boom has created the possibility of controlling people by algorithm, rather than by political dictate, Wood says. There has been a battle between technocrats and governments ever since technocracy started. Back in the day, they hated government. They wanted to get rid of government. There is still that propensity today.

You see it at the World Economic Forum, you see it at United Nations. They want to dissolve the national governments of the world. Historically, fascism and communism have been instituted by national governments. These entities are on the hit list for technocracy. We saw this, by the way, just recently. There was a conference in Dubai, called the World Government Summit1 [March 29-30, 2022].

It was partly put on by the United Nations and there were a bunch of financial mucky mucks there. There was one in particular, Pippa Malmgren  shes from America, but shes in Great Britain  and she does financial wealth management services for the ultra rich.

She talked about the destruction of the fiat currency system, and she said, when it happens, theres simply going to be a change-over. All the fiat currencies are going to go, and theres going to be an implementation of digital currency. But she also made point that the nation state structures of the world are declining rapidly now. She saw, I guess, that the nation states are the target of destruction. They must go.

This has been in the works for some time. Look at the European Union. While Europe has country borders, the EU member states have virtually no power to do anything anymore. Theyre subservient to the EUs wishes. Thats why a lot of people in Europe call the EU a technocracy, theyre a bunch of technocrat elites  theyre unelected, theyre unaccountable, Wood says.

Nobody can get to them and theyre making decisions for everybody else. So, while the nation states are still there in name, theyve stripped of their sovereignty. The World Health Organization is now also in the process of stripping nations of their sovereignty through the so-called Pandemic Treaty, which will grant the WHO unprecedented power and influence to govern behind the veil of global biosecurity.

We also see the rule of technocracy in companies such as Google, which is meddling in the affairs of nations, oftentimes wielding more power over people than the state itself. So, its important to realize that the enemy is not a nation state.

Todays enemy cannot be compared to anything that nation states have produced in the past, such as fascism, communism or socialism. This is an altogether brand-new entity. So, while technocracy feels like totalitarianism, todays totalitarianism is an outgrowth of technocracy, and cannot be compared to any previous totalitarian regime.

If you look at it in the context of the takeover genetic material on earth, this is the dangerous payload that we face. Its not just the governance part of it. Its not just the scientific dictatorship part of it, where people now can be manipulated in doing things that dont want to do. Were talking about the direct takeover of the human genome.

This is an incredible thing, because that means, potentially, that our genome of humanity could be changed, Wood warns.

Unintended Consequences Are Probable

Now, its quite possible, and indeed probable, that the orchestrators of this technocratic takeover are in over their heads and will end up self-destructing. Theyre playing a game that has never been played before, so theres no telling what unintended consequences might be initiated.

One such unintended consequence could be a world war, and if that happens, gene editing the human genome will become irrelevant, because the living standards of the whole world will be pushed back hundreds of years. Wood comments:

No question about it  World War III or a world war is going to be triggered. Its not in the best interest, for instance, for the World Economic Forum to have a world war. But that doesnt mean it wont happen either. So far, I think the Ukraine war is pretty orchestrated and scripted in many ways to the agenda of the World Economic Forum. But it doesnt mean it couldnt lose control and the thing just goes nuts.

If that happens, I dont know where Id put that on the doomsday clock. Im not really sure, but it is definitely a possible outcome. If it does happen, it will spoil everything for everyone for a very long period of time. As the Bible says, itll take seven years to go through the countryside and bury all the radioactive bones. Thatd be very ugly.

It might not be [a nuclear war]. But it could be. They have the technology. I mean, just look what they can do by launching these pandemics and these bioweapons  Another thing that can happen  and again, were talking about waves of attacks, things that could bring us down and bring about this Great Reset  is some type of a cyber attack.

This has been in the news a lot lately. A cyber attack could be a false flag operation, but it doesnt really matter what it is, whether it is or isnt [a false flag], but some big thing, like taking down the power grid, or taking down JPMorgan Chase and nobody can get their money out for a period of a week.

Something like that would, again, put the fear of God into everybody. Well be back to the fear and panic; well do whatever you say to get safety, et cetera. It will perpetuate the takeover, the coup that were looking at. These are two possibilities, near-term, that are very real. Weve got different scenarios right now, but we know where this group of technocrat actors are going.

We understand their mindset, their philosophy, if you will. I hate to even call it that, but what is in their head? Theres no passion, theres no compassion, theres no love, theres no mercy, theres no grace, theres nothing like that. Its a completely inhuman endeavor to capture mankind into a scientific dictatorship, the likes of which the world has never seen before.

Preparing Can Help Ease Your Anxiety

The Boy Scouts motto is Be prepared, and that is what I would encourage everyone to strive for at this time. Another motto to embrace would be Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Prepare as best you can for any and every contingency. If you can, get out of the big cities and big urban areas. Rural areas where you can build community is your safest bet.

Prepare for sustained food shortages with long-term food storage. Secure a potable water source. Stock up on medical remedies. Prepare for supply chains of all kinds to fail and stock up accordingly. Transition out of fiat currency, either by spending it on things youll need in the future, or buying physical gold and silver.

Prepare for energy shortages, rolling blackouts and the complete shut-down of the power grid. Importantly, dont rely on high-tech solutions. Include low-tech manual backups in your preps. If the thought of all of this scares you, remember that taking action is the best remedy. Knowing youre prepared will ease a lot of anxieties.

Why Free Speech Is on the Chopping Block

Free speech is a universal concept. Everyone, everywhere, have a mind and want to express themselves without being censored or canceled for their views. Free speech is now under attack worldwide, and the truly massive attack on free speech began at the same time as the coup detat started. This is because silencing dissent is required for the full takeover to occur.

These technocrat transhumanist revolutionaries must destroy free speech at the same time that they take over the world, because they have to control the narrative, Wood explains. The attacks on free speech right now are absolutely legendary, off the charts, everywhere on the planet.

If Mattias Desmet is right, and I feel absolutely certain that he is, because I can read a history book as easy as anybody, when free speech is effectively silenced, that is when the killing of the scapegoat begins. Its always the scapegoat that gets killed first. There may be other groups that get mixed in, but the people who are the scapegoat are the ones that will be attacked by the mass formation psychosis crowd.

Eventually, the totalitarian regime will devour its own. Itll kill its own leaders in the name of the greater good. But in the meantime, itll start by culling various scapegoats, one group after another.

Original technocracy from the 1930s, was defined in their own magazine, which was called The Technocrat Magazine. They defined themselves in 1938 as the science of social engineering. That was what they said about themselves.

Technocracy is the science of social engineering and they talked incessantly in their literature about Pavlov and BF Skinner and how they could control people and mold people to the economy, to the utopia that they wanted to build.

Theyve had since 1938, at the very least, to think about how to develop the science of social engineering to be used against humanity. I dont think we need to even think about it any further.

We can feel it today. Its right in our face, every day. Theyre using these techniques against the people of the world to manipulate them, to hypnotize them, to push them into mass formation psychosis. Somebody at the top knows exactly what theyre doing with this. Thats my point.

And, again, tech companies like Google and Facebook play central roles in that effort. I look at Google as the Skynet of the Terminator series. Theyre probably the worst offender of all the technology companies that are accelerating this. They the champions of social engineering. They own DeepMind, the most sophisticated artificial intelligence company on the planet, and theyre clearly using it for nefarious purposes. That said, theyre certainly not alone.

Action Plan Moving Forward

In closing, we need to give careful thought to how we might slow down, block or at least limit the devastation thats been planned for us. At the top of that list, aside from preparing yourself and your family with the essentials for life, is to buck the narrative.

Anytime you feel like youre being given a role to play, just refuse to play that role, Wood says. I dont care what it is, just dont do it. If they say, You need to wear a mask because blah, blah, blah  dont wear a mask. Just dont play the role they give you.

I know, but theres a lot of personal choice here. You got to make a personal decision on what its worth to you to do it. I personally havent worn a mask yet. Its cost me. I havent flown an airplane for a long time. I didnt go a lot of places.

Its important to keep your mouth open, not shut. We need to reestablish human connection again. This has been denied us with all the social distancing and lockdowns and everything else. Get in touch with people. It hurts, I realize, for a lot of people, because relationships have been burned between children and parents and brothers and sisters. Get over it, deal with it.

You have to get out and reconnected with people again, because the future of humanity is in those connections.

Just dont argue with them. If you love them, love them anyway, in spite of where they are. But its also important to get with like-minded people and spend time developing deeper relationships with people. Guys have lost the ability to have best friends, almost universally across the country.

Women are better at having best friends, but theyve been denied best friends because everythings been broken up. Get embedded in a local church and start going to these home fellowships, whatever, where people are meeting face to face and just talk to them 

We have a lot of answers and a lot of tangible things we can help people with. You need to do it, be prepared to do it. When you have the opportunity, open your mouth and help them out. At least, give them some hope, because right now the other side wants you to have no hope. They want to strip all hope away from you so that you will turn to the government or turn to the technocrats for help.

We need to help people with this whole hope business and not to sell hopium, as some people call it, but to give them some tangible help on what they can do right now to put up a defense around their own body, around their own mind or whatever it might be 

This is where we are as a world today  we, on the non-mass formation psychosis side, were all in. Whether anybody else recognizes that as immaterial, but we are all in this. This is the most important civilizational, existential thing that well ever deal with in our lifetime.

It really is that important. Its not something we can just say, Well, its just another problem, kind of like, We had problems with Jimmy Carter. No, its not that kind of problem. This is a bigger existential threat that were facing right now.

We must be dead serious. But theres hope, I will say. And until its over, its not over. We can make a difference and we need to try. We just cant throw up our hands and say theres no point trying, Im going to go home and get drunk. Klaus Schwab told you, with his own lips, that by 2030 you will own nothing and you will be happy. Theyre trying to make it happen. Yes, they are.

One of the reasons, by the way, that the World Economic Forum has met with the United Nations to speed up the agenda, closer on this side of 2030, is because of the mounting resistance around the world to the agenda. Im convinced of this. Ive been watching this since the beginning.

Americans cant have 500,000 people in the street protesting anything, that doesnt happen here. Thats just not our culture. But not Europe, at the drop of a hat, youll get a 100,000 people in the street, all screaming and banging pots and pans and hollering and carrying signs.

I know they see these massive hordes of people that are saying, essentially, Hell, no This has to have an impact on them. I think thats one reason theyre trying to accelerate the program right now and make it happen faster.

To me, thats just kind of a little bit of a sign of resistance is working, and this to me, this ought to tell the resistance to double down  double down right now on whatever it is youre doing. Do twice as much as you did last week or last month and continue to put the pressure on it.

Originally published June 12, 2022 on Mercola.com

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
LA Animal Shelters Run out of Space, Looking for New Homes for Furry Friends

LOS ANGELESLos Angeles Animal Services is asking animal-loving Angelenos to adopt pets from local shelters that are increasingly overwhelmed by a growing influx of medium to large dogs coming under their care, according to officials.

We have taken measures each month to increase pet adoptions, foster homes, transfers of pets to rescue partners, and pets being returned home, Annette Ramirez, interim general manager for the animal agency, said in a June 14 statement. Despite these efforts, the intake numbers continue to outpace community placements.

Los Angeles Animal Services oversees six shelters throughout Los Angeles County, and all of them are currently running out of space for new dogs. In the past several months, the department has seen more pets coming into shelters than moving into new homes.

The spokesperson of Los Angeles Animal Services, Agnes Sibal, said many of the dogs are in the shelter because theyre lost. Some came in because their previous owners are unable to take care of them when moving.

Shelters are often miles away from the owners neighborhood and not necessarily the first place people look when they lose a pet, and some people dont even know the shelter exists, Sibal told The Epoch Times.

The agency is expecting a continued increase in pet intake ahead of Independence Day. Currently, the shelters capacities are at an extreme level. Before hitting the critical level, which is the most severe, residents are encouraged to foster or adopt a pet at one of the six shelters.

Los Angeles Animal Services shelters are at extremely low capacities in June 2022. (Courtesy of Los Angeles Animal Services)

Those who arent capable of fostering or adopting a pet can choose to donate to help pets in Los Angeles get spayed or neutered. Angelenos can also provide temporary shelter for lost pets in their neighborhood while helping with finding the owner or a new home on social media.

When the shelters are running out of space, the agency often partners with animal rescue organizations to facilitate placements, according to the agency. Some pets may be able to find a home in the Pacific Northwest through organizations that transport dogs and cats to other states.

To encourage pet adoption, adoption fees are reduced this weekend for dogs and puppies and waived for cats and kittens.

When you foster, youre not only helping to create life-saving space for sick or injured animals who make their way into our department with nowhere else to go, but youre also giving the dog or cat youre fostering a temporary home setting and a break from kennel life, Sibal said.
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink leaves after a meeting about climate action investments with heads of sovereign wealth funds and French President at the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 10, 2019. (Ludovic Martin/AFP via Getty Images)

Large Private Investment Funds Need Closer Oversight

Large funds pose systemic risk to the U.S. and global financial system

Commentary

Recent news reports that the top Justice Department antitrust lawyer, Jonathan Kanter, is planning to scrutinize large private investment funds practice of rolling up competing companies to create monopolies and oligopolies.

That may be a good idea on the antitrust front, but lets take a step back and look at the risk front.

In 1995, a young trader in Singapore named Nick Leeson, who was supposed to be doing low-profit, high-volume, arbitrage trades on the Nikkei, was approving his own trades. When he entered into a short straddle of the Nikkei and Singapore exchanges, the Kobe Earthquake cratered the markets in the region, causing Leesons trade to fail catastrophically. To hide it, Leeson entered into a number of risky trades that, ultimately, drove his employer, Barings Bankchartered in 1764into bankruptcy with losses of $1.4 billion.

Just 13 years later, another young trader, Jerome Kerviel, engaged in unauthorized trades that cost Societe Generale some 4.9 billion euros (US$7.2 billion). Then, in the same year, 2008, Bernie Madoff became the biggest financial fraudster in history, fleecing investors of as much as $65 billion.

Today, the worlds largest private equity fund, BlackRock, controls upwards of $10 trillion (yes, thats with a T) in investment assets. Thats nearly half the U.S. GDP. It is about one-third more than annual federal expenditures. Its about 10 percent of the total value of the entire U.S. stock market in 2020. It is an enormous amount of money. By comparison, Warren Buffets Berkshire Hathaway and KKR are valued at less than half a trillion dollars. Most other funds, although worth hundreds of billions, are veritable pikers by comparison.

These funds have enormous influence. The annual letters from financiers like Larry Fink and Warren Buffett earn national headlines and are scrutinized by both Wall Street and Washington, and make policy decisions based on them. Nevertheless, these huge funds somehow manage to escape the definition of a Systemically Important Financial Institution, or SIFI.

A SIFI, simply put, is a non-bank entity that, were it to be in material financial distressor the nature, scope, size, scale, concentration, interconnectedness, or mix of its activitiescould pose a threat to U.S. financial stability. In other words, SIFIs are those deemed too big to fail by regulators. They came about after the 2008 financial crisis as part of the sweeping Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Public Law 111-203) that became law in 2010.

Since then, the Financial Stability Oversight Council has designatedand rescindeda number of SIFIs, including insurance companies, finance companies, and other non-bank entities.

But these super-sized investment entities that, simply by their utterances, can influence not only the markets, but social and governmental policy, have none of the governmental oversight of a SIFI.

When Bernie Madoffs scam was finally discovered after decades of malfeasance, Cornell University determined thatin addition to Madoffs own victimspeople who knew his victims, or who were located near where they were located, pulled some $363 billion from investment funds.

Now imagine if a fund the size of BlackRockor even one a tenth its sizewere to have a rogue trader of the likes of Nick Leeson if even a trillion-dollar fund were to be exposed as a Ponzi scheme.

Markets would crater. Peoples pension funds and institutions would run for cover the same as they did when Madoff was exposed, only it would be several orders of magnitude above Bernie Madoff, who was relative small-fry. Not only would markets crater, it might take yearsdecadesto resume public confidence. The financial catastrophe that would follow might even create an existential threat to the republic.

Putting aside for a moment the enormous political influence of a fund as large BlackRock, or even some of its smaller competitorswhich should not be dismissed as the heavy political lift it would becommon sense would dictate a need to oversee some of these funds.

I am, of course, not so naive to believe that a failure of these funds could be prevented by closer government oversight. The SEC missed obvious inconsistencies that should have exposed the scam, and even failed to act when a concerned citizen pointed them out. But the notion that there is a cop on the beat might deter bad actors.

Congress, act! Make funds with $1 trillion or more under management SIFIs.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Louisiana State Senator Calls for Youth Detention Facility to Close After Escapes Embolden an Uprising

BRIDGE CITY, La.A Louisiana state senator is calling for a detention center housing juveniles who have committed violent crimes to be shut down after an uprising of 20 inmates in the facility on Thursday night.

State Senator Patrick Connick, a Republican, told The Epoch Times that the Bridge City Center for Youth (BCCY) wasnt designed to hold violent criminals, having originally been a girls dormitory operated by nuns.

In the last year, there have been 20 escapes, and these arent juveniles who spray paint the side of buildings, Connick said. These are carjackers, rapists, and murderers, the worse of the worst.

At approximately 9:48 p.m. on Thursday, the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office (JPSO) was notified that 20 juveniles had escaped their housing areas and took control of the facility.

Around 40 to 50 deputies from our Patrol Division and Crisis Management Unit (SWAT) responded and were able to secure the facility by midnight, JPSO Captain Jason Rivarde told The Epoch Times. None were able to escape the grounds.

Rivarde said the facility is operated by the state Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ).

One OJJ employee and two juveniles were injured during the uprising, Rivarde said.

Five teenagers had escaped the facility at around 2 a.m., four of whom have been apprehended, with the fifth still at large, according to Rivarde.

There have been a number of escapes, and weve had to help them retake the facility several times over the past couple of years, Rivarde said.

A spokesperson for the OJJ told The Epoch Times that the juveniles involved were transferred to another facility, while BCCY was secured on Friday at 12:45 a.m.

Its an incident that follows a history of escapes and assaults that Connick said exposes a pattern of troubling issues with the facility, one of which is the minimum number of guards who oversee juveniles ranging from 12- to 19 years old.

No one wants to work in a facility where they will get beaten up and hurt by a juvenile with nothing to lose, Connick said.

The riot was triggered, Connick said, by the previous nights escape, which he said, emboldened the other groups to get agitated.

In 2005, state officials attempted to redesign BCCY, which by then had already had a violent history, according to a 2012 article from NOLA.com.

This involved transforming its prison-like conditions into more comfortable, decorative changes that reflected a deeper philosophical shift in rehabilitation based on the idea that teenage criminals are redeemable.

The state OJJ adopted the model used by the Missouri Division of Youth Services, working with that agency and the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF).

The AECF initiated the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI) project in 1992 to establish alternatives to reliance on secure confinement of children through reform strategies.

These strategies are explicit about racial equity to address the glaring overrepresentation of the youth of color in the justice system; youth, family and community engagement; and community-based alternatives to confinement, JDAIs website states.

Connick said the short-term solution, for now, is to get the facility staffed properly, which he said state Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, is working on.

The long-term solution is to remove the violent offenders and get them to a facility where they cant escape, can be controlled, and hopefully rehabilitated, Connick said.
Man, Woman Shot to Death With Children Nearby in Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.A search was continuing for an assailant who fatally shot a man and a woman on a Hollywood street.

Los Angeles police officers were called about 11:10 p.m. on June 16 to Vista Del Mar and Carlos avenues, south of the Hollywood (101) Freeway, where they found the victims a man and a woman in the street suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Annie Hernandez told City News Service.

Ajani Patridge was 40 years old, according to the coroners office. His city of residence was not available. The womans name has not yet been released.

Video footage showed several shell casings on the street in the area of the shooting. According to reports from the scene, the womans children were nearby and unharmed.

The victims were pronounced dead at the scene, Hernandez said.

There was no description of the shooter.

A resident in the area told KNX radio he heard two bursts of gunshots and saw the bodies in the street.

I heard the gunshots, I heard like five gunshots, and I heard like four gunshots, the man said. And then when we came out, well, we heard a scream after the five gunshots, and we heard more.

Security video from a home in the area captured footage of the victims walking in the street with an unidentified man prior to the shooting.
Celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti walks out of a New York court house after pleading not guilty Tuesday in federal court, New York, on May 28, 2019. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Michael Avenatti Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Tax Charges After Swindling Clients out of Millions of Dollars

Convicted lawyer Michael Avenatti on Thursday pleaded guilty in a federal court in Southern California to multiple fraud charges in a case in which he is accused of stealing nearly $10 million from multiple clients.

Avenatti pled guilty to four counts of wire fraud and one count of endeavoring to obstruct the administration of the Internal Revenue Code, and admitted to misappropriating funds from four of his legal clients, the Justice Department announced.

The four counts of wire fraud each related to one of the four matters in which the disgraced lawyer embezzled money that should have been paid to clients.

Avenatti admitted to the conduct charged in the four counts against him which included receiving money on behalf of clients into client trust accounts, misappropriating the money, lying to the clients about receiving the money, and in one case, claiming that the money had already been sent to the client, the DOJ said.

I misappropriated and misused certain of their settlement funds, Avenatti, who has been suspended by the State Bar of California, told the court.

With regards to the one count of endeavoring to obstruct the administration of the Internal Revenue Code, Avenatti told prosecutors he corruptly obstructed and impeded the IRSs efforts to collect unpaid payroll taxes which the government says amounts to $5 million in unpaid payroll taxes for a company he operated known as Tullys Coffee.

U.S. District Judge James V. Selna set Avenattis hearing for Sept. 19. The 51-year-old lawyer faces a maximum sentence of 83 years behind bars.

However, Avenatti, who is representing himself in the case, told prosecutors that he believes the final figure owed in restitution is drastically less than the $9 million stated by the government.

In addition to the five charges he pleaded guilty to in federal court on Thursday, Avenatti also faces a total of 31 counts, including six wire fraud charges, 18 tax-related charges, two counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and four counts of bankruptcy fraud, if the government decides to pursue those charges.

Officials are currently reviewing the case to determine how it will move forward after todays guilty pleas, the DOJ said. If the government does decide to move forward with those counts, Judge Selna will vacate the September sentencing date.

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels, left, stands with her then-lawyer Michael Avenatti during a news conference outside federal court in New York, on April 16, 2018. (Mary Altaffer/AP Photo)

Attorney Michael Avenatti arrives at federal court in New York on Dec. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Michael Avenatti finally admitted what the IRS criminal investigation and the U.S. attorneys office has been saying for several years now: that he committed audacious acts to steal money from his clients to line his own pockets, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Sagel told reporters.

Today is step one before the government decides what to do on the remaining counts, and he will now be sentenced at least on his conduct of violating his duties to his clients and his duties as a taxpayer.

Avenatti is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for two convictions in two separate trials in New York: for attempting to extort up to $25 million from shoemaker Nike and for stealing books proceeds amounting to $300,000 in cash from his former client, Stormy Daniels.

During the Daniels trial earlier this month, District Judge Jesse Furman said that Avenattis conduct was so brazen and egregious and said that he took advantage of a vulnerable victim given her unorthodox career and somewhat unorthodox beliefs, referring to the adult film star Daniels.

The lawyer was also ordered to pay $148,750 to Daniels.

Avenatti rose to prominence while representing Daniels in her lawsuit to break a confidentiality agreement with former President Trump over their alleged one-night affair in 2006. He featured heavily on MSNBC and CNN as one of Trumps leading adversaries.

The lawyer had failed to reach a deal with federal prosecutors last week but said in court papers filed over the weekend in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California that he wanted to change his plea in order to be accountable adding that he had brought embarrassment and ridicule upon myself and innocent third parties, including my family.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Sagel praised Thursdays guilty plea in a statement to reporters on Thursday.

Michael Avenatti finally admitted what the IRS criminal investigation and the U.S. attorneys office has been saying for several years now: that he committed audacious acts to steal money from his clients to line his own pockets, Sagel said. Today is step one before the government decides what to do on the remaining counts, and he will now be sentenced at least on his conduct of violating his duties to his clients and his duties as a taxpayer.
Workers prepare bottled milk in the pasteurization room at Mothers Milk Bank in San Jose, Calif., on June 8, 2022. (Ilene Eng/NTD Television)

Milk Bank Provides During Formula Shortage

SANTA CLARA, Calif.Amid the baby formula shortage, mothers are looking for other ways to make up for the lack of milk. Some are turning to milk banks for help.

Mothers Milk Bank in San Jose was started in 1974 to feed premature infants. Its the oldest operating milk bank in North America. The nonprofit is part of an organization called the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, which establishes the standard for milk banks.

The donors go through an extensive screening, similar to blood donation, and they get tested for infectious disease, Jonathan Bautista, executive director of Mothers Milk Bank, told NTD Television. The other thing that we do is we get consent from the obstetrician, the moms physician, and the babys physician, so that the mom is healthy and the babys healthy, and then shes approved to donate her milk.

The donors milk is shipped or dropped off to get treated and processed for other babies.

They mix the milk from three to five donors into bottles to homogenize nutrients.

In the pasteurization room, the bottles are placed into a water bath and heated to 62.5 degrees Celsius. They remain in the water bath for 30 minutes.

The bottles are submerged and that ensures that the temperature of the water bath envelops the entirety of the bottle, Bautista said.

Then the bottles are transferred into an ice bath to quickly cool them down. Theyre labeled, sealed, and put in a freezer.

During shipping, theyre packed with dry ice, so the milk stays frozen.

A worker packs milk bottles with dry ice to be shipped out at Mothers Milk Bank in San Jose, Calif., on June 8, 2022. (Ilene Eng/NTD Television)

When treated this way, pasteurized human milk has a shelf life of 12 months.

Bautista said they usually see milk shortages during the holidays and the New Year. Shipping delays and weather conditions contribute to the shortage.

But they arent short now.

Were actually seeing a big increase in interest of donor milk, in light of the formula shortages, and were also seeing an increase in the women who want to donate milk also, Bautista said. So its good that were seeing that interest in donating milk, and we want to make sure that our inventory keeps up with the increase in demand that were seeing.

During shortages, the milk bank prioritizes hospitals over outpatients. About 60 percent of their milk goes to hospitals.

Donor milk is used mostly for medical reasons, but mothers may also place an order if their own milk isnt available, is insufficient, or a babys illness would benefit from donor milk.

Bottles of milk wait to be shipped out at Mothers Milk Bank in San Jose, Calif., on June 8, 2022. (Ilene Eng/NTD Television)

Human breast milk has a lot of bioactive components in it that arent contained in formula. And those bioactive components and nutrients are beneficial for all babies, Bautista said.

Most of the milk banks donors are from California, but donations also arrive from across the country.

On June 13, a shipment of 95,000 tins of baby formula arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport from Melbourne, Australia.

Its part of President Bidens Fourth Operation Fly Formula Mission. The delivery should include 380,000 pounds of Bubs Australia infant formula. Thats about 4.6 million eight-ounce bottles.

According to the California governors office, it will hit West Coast shelves on June 20.
Miners Rescued After Being Trapped Underground in East Ukraine: Separatists

Seventy-seven miners were rescued on Saturday after being trapped underground during a power outage and Ukrainians shelling of territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, local officials said.

The miners were underground when power was lost in the Zasyadko coal mine in Ukraines Donetsk region but all were now safe and no one was injured, according to a statement by local separatist officials.

The pro-Russian separatist authority in the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic blamed Ukrainian forces for the shelling. Reuters could not immediately verify the report and there was no immediate reaction from Kyiv.

The separatists seized large swaths of land in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine in 2014, and proclaimed two self-styled peoples republics there. Russia has recognized them as independent states but they are considered part of Ukraine by Kyiv and the United Nations.
People travel on a boat through flood waters following heavy monsoon rainfalls in the Nagaon district in Assam, India, on June 18, 2022. (Biju Boro/AFP via Getty Images)

Monsoon Storms Kill More Than 40 People in Bangladesh and India, Millions Stranded

Heavy monsoon rains have flooded parts of Bangladesh and India, killing at least 41 people and leaving millions more stranded as their homes have been submerged, authorities said on June 18.

At least nine people, including two children, were killed in Indias Assam state, and 2 million others lost their homes in the flood. Two people were reported missing in Hojai and Sonitpur districts, Outlook India reported.

The Brahmaputra River, one of Asias largest rivers, breached its mud embankments, inundating 3,000 villages and croplands in 28 of Assams 33 districts. The rain is expected to continue until June 19.

Assams chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Water Resources Ministry and Irrigation Department would hasten construction of a new alignment of the mud embankment when the flood water recedes.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi contacted Sarma on Saturday to inquire about the flood situation there and promised the state all help from the Central government.

Earlier today, spoke to Assam [chief minister] and took stock of the situation due to floods in the state. Assured all possible support from the centre. I pray for the safety and well-being of the people of Assam affected by flooding, Modi said in a tweet.

Lightning in parts of neighboring Bangladesh killed at least 21 people on Friday, including three children aged between 12 and 14.

Four people were killed in landslides triggered by the heavy rain in Chittagong, local police told AFP.

Bangladeshs Defense Ministry deployed troops to Sylhet and Sunamganj districts on Saturday following the deteriorating flood situation there, the ministrys Inter-Services Public Relations said on its website.

Water levels in all major rivers across the country were rising, according to the flood forecasting and warning center in the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. The country has about 130 rivers.

The center said the flood situation is likely to deteriorate in the worst-hit Sunamganj and Sylhet districts in the northeastern region as well as in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari, and Rangpur districts in northern Bangladesh.

Last month, a pre-monsoon flash flood, triggered by a rush of water from upstream in Indias northeastern states, hit Bangladeshs northern and northeastern regions, destroying crops and damaging homes and roads. The country was just starting to recover when fresh rain flooded the same areas again this week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mother Blames Gascon for Police Officers Death: We Need Law and Order

LOS ANGELESThe grieving mother of one of the El Monte Police officers who was gunned down earlier this week while on duty blamed Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon for allowing the suspect to take a plea deal in a prior criminal case in 2020.

I blame the death of my son and his partner on Gascon, Olga Garcia, the mother of El Monte Police Officer Joseph Anthony Santana, 31, said during a press conference outside of the El Monte Police Department on June 17.

Gascon will never know how I feel. Gascon will never know how he destroyed our families. He wont know how his [Santanas] children feel. Crime is so high in California because criminals dont stay in jail long enough. We need to make criminals responsible for their actions. We need law and order.

El Monte Police Department Officer Joseph Santana, 31, and Cpl. Michael Paredes, 42, were killed in the line of duty during a motel shooting in El Monte, Calif., on June 14, 2022. (Courtesy of El Monte Police Department)

On Friday afternoon, Gascon posted a statement on Twitter in support of the fallen officers:

This has been a terrible week in Los Angeles. We lost two police officers and another was shot and injured. The fallen officers were husbands, fathers, and friends. We know that the families are hurt and devastated by the loss of a cherished family member.

This has been a terrible week in Los Angeles. We lost two police officers and another was shot and injured. The fallen officers were husbands, fathers, and friends. We know that the families are hurt and devastated by the loss of a cherished family member. 1/6 pic.twitter.com/b5pkgJdpe3  George Gascon (@LADAOffice) June 18, 2022

Suspect Justin Flores, 35, died at the scene of the El Monte shooting on June 14.

He was arrested in March 2020 and charged with possession of methamphetamine, along with being a felon in possession of ammunition and a firearm. He pled no contest to possessing the firearm after Gascons office dropped the other charges.

In total, Flores spent two years on probation and 20 days in jail.

The District Attorneys Office issued a statement on June 15 defending the decision.

The sentence (Flores) received in the firearm case was consistent with case resolutions for this type of offense given his criminal history and the nature of the offense. At the time the court sentenced him, Mr. Flores did not have a documented history of violence, the statement read.

The officers were killed around 5:10 p.m. during a shootout at the Siesta Inn, after responding to a report of a stabbing. Both officers died at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

Other critics of Gascon also blame his progressive directives for the death of the officers, arguing his bold reforms have resulted in an uptick in crime. The DA was elected in 2020 on a promise to implement sweeping criminal justice reforms. Some of those changes include: holding accountable law enforcement officers who violate the law, no longer charging minors as adults, eliminating many sentencing enhancements including firearms, ending the death penalty, and removing cash bail for misdemeanors or nonviolent felony crimes.

Farida Baig, whose father Shahid Ali Baig was murdered in 1980, speaks at a press conference by supporters of an effort to recall Los Angeles District Attorney Gascon in Los Angeles on Dec. 6, 2021. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

However, the Recall Gascon effort is picking up steam as the July 6 deadline approaches for the campaign to submit at least 566,857 signatures for verification. If enough signatures are verified, the recall proposal will appear on Novembers General Election ballot. The campaign reports they have surpassed that amount, but they will need an extra 100,000 signatures for cushioning as some will be tossed out during the verification process.

Campaign organizers point to crimes like the recent police deaths as reason to recall Gascon. After the DA in San Francisco was just ousted by recallers during the June 7 primaries, the campaign is hopeful in L.A.

The fact that this individual should have been behind bars if not for Gascons policies is beyond disturbing and makes me sick to my stomach, spokesperson for the recall campaign Tim Lineberger told The Epoch Times. We are praying for the families and loved ones of the officers. This was a horrific and preventable situation that they should never have been in.

A candlelight vigil for the fallen officers will be held the night of June 18 at 7 p.m. at the El Monte Civic Center.
Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow, speaks at the Let the Church ROAR National Prayer Rally on the National Mall in Washington on Dec. 12, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

MyPillow CEO Says Walmart Canceling Him, Pulling All Products From Stores: Its a Disgrace

Walmart Inc. announced on Thursday that MyPillow products will no longer be available at its retail stores a day after Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, said hes being canceled.

In a statement to The Hill, the retailer said while MyPillow products will no longer be available in stores, they can still be bought online.

MyPillow products continue to be available on Walmart.com, the spokesperson confirmed to the paper.

The announcement comes after Lindell said in a series of live-streamed videos on social media that Walmart was canceling his brand. The conservative activist and businessman detailed that the decision will cost the company millions of dollars in annual sales.

Its devastating, this is $10 million a year, minimum, Lindell said.

You hurt my employees, I have to find other work for them, I care about my employees  were like a big family. I am so upset with Walmart for what they did, its a disgrace, he added.

In a phone conversation, the executive vice president of Walmart said to Lindell that the reason behind the products removal is due to ratings being under four stars.

Well, weve got to be honest, the retailers vice president said, according to 100 Percent Fed Up. We have a rating system and MyPillow is under 4 [stars] and we dont accept products under 4 [stars].

Lindell said Walmarts decision is shameful, explaining they have thousands of vendors from China and are pulling down U.S.-made products.

I make all my pillows in Minnesota, the businessman told Insider. What they did is inexcusable! Its cancel culture, he said, adding that hell never accept Walmart again to sell his products.

Lindell also stated that the sales of MyPillow products have never been on a downward trend and are gold for all the box stores.

MyPillow [products] never went down because weve sold 76 million MyPillows, all made right here in my home state of Minnesota, he said.

Walmart has become the latest to join the list of big-box retailers to pull MyPillow products from their stores. In 2021, Bed Bath & Beyond also stopped selling the brand, also claiming the product was not selling enough. Other big-box stores that pulled down the product include Costco, Kohls, H-E-B, and Wayfair.

Most of the listed companies pulled the products from their stores in the days and weeks after the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol last year.

Lindell has always shown support for former President Donald Trump and was advocating for election integrity amid allegations of widespread voting irregularities and election fraud following the November 2020 general election.

The businessman has repeatedly questioned the results of the election on social media. In January 2021, he was temporarily banned from Twitter for repeatedly violating the companys civic integrity policy. A month later, Twitter permanently suspended his account for violating its policy against ban evasion.

From NTD News
Stuffed bears and flowers are gathered at a makeshift memorial outside of Oxford High School in Oxford, Mich., on Dec. 1, 2021. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Oxford High Students Sue for Review, Changes After Mass Shooting

Around 20 students at a Michigan high school where four students were killed in a mass shooting last year have filed a lawsuit against the school district saying their constitutional rights to safety and education were violated.

The law firm representing the students announced the lawsuit on Friday. It names the Oxford Community School District, its former superintendent, and other officials, The Associated Press reported.

The lawsuit demands the school district implement a fully transparent and independent third-party investigation of the actions and events leading up to the shooting and what it calls an end to the practice of concealing and minimizing threats of violence, according to The Associated Press.

Other lawsuits following the shooting have argued the violence could have been prevented.

On Nov. 30, 2021, Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 at the time, allegedly killed four students at Oxford High School, 30 miles north of Detroit. Six in total were shot, including a teacher.

He faces trial in November, charged with murder and terrorism. His lawyers said they will pursue an insanity defense.

His parents are also charged with involuntary manslaughter for providing him with a gun as a gift. They are also accused of breaching their responsibility by refusing to remove Crumbley from the school two hours before the shooting.

On the morning of the shooting, school staff had called James and Jennifer Crumbley to the school and confronted them with distressing drawings done by their son depicting shootings and the words: The thoughts wont stop. Help me.

Crumbley reportedly told school officials that the drawing was for a video game he was designing. In December, school officials said they believed him because of his calm demeanor.

Authorities said the incident warranted searching his backpack, which didnt happen. A prosecutor at the time indicated they hadnt ruled out bringing charges against the school.

The Crumbleys have also been accused of ignoring warning signs about their son, including his fascination with Nazi propaganda and text messages in 2021 in which he told his mother that he thought there was a demon or a ghost or someone else inside the home.

There were also rumors of threats and threatening behavior in the weeks leading up to the shooting that parents say were ignored by school officials, The Associated Press reported.

Alicia Feltz, whose daughter will be a sophomore at the high school this fall, said the school desensitized and diminished the threats that walked alongside our children in the hallways.

None of us want to be here right now, Feltz added. We have kindly and firmly asked for change and now were demanding it.

The latest lawsuit also asks the district to stop returning students to class when they pose a risk of harm to themselves or others.

Crumbley and his parents are being held in the same jail.

This is the latest in a number of lawsuits against the school, many of which allege gross negligence and violation of the Michigan Child Protection Law.
Police patrol outside a Macy's department store at Tysons Corner Mall in Tysons Corner, Va., on June 18, 2022. (Craig Hudson/The Washington Post via AP)

Police: Gunfire at Mall; No One Shot, but 3 Hurt Fleeing

McLEAN, Va.Gunfire rang out during a fight at a northern Virginia mall on Saturday, and police said three people were hurt while fleeing though no one was shot.

Officers were called to Tysons Corner Center on Saturday afternoon for a report of shots fired at the prominent mall near the nations capital, Fairfax County police said, but there was no active shooter situation. A fight had broken out and one man took out a gun and fired it, police said.

Officials didnt announce any immediate arrests, but Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference that he expected to be sharing information with the public soon about those involved.

Know this: We will find, we will capture and we will hold accountable the persons involved in this melee,  Davis said.

Some officers were already at the mall when reports of gunfire started coming in and other officers who were on the road were dispatched to the mall, Police Col. Brian Reilly said.

The officers rushing in as people fled the mall tried to determine whether anyone was injured and if there were any suspects or victims.

Three people were taken to local hospitals with injuries received while fleeing, but no one was injured from gunfire, Reilly said.

Police stand outside a Macys department store at Tysons Corner Mall in Tysons Corner, Va., on June 18, 2022. (Craig Hudson/The Washington Post via AP)

The shooting happened on a second-floor walkway and investigators have found evidence consistent with gunfire and shell casings, he said.

Officers cleared the mall to make sure no suspects were present and helped those who had sheltered in place, Reilly said. The mall remained closed for the remainder of the day and wont reopen until Sunday, according to police.

Detectives are reviewing video from hundreds of cameras inside the mall to determine what happened, Reilly said. It appears that two groups of at least three people each were engaged in a fight when the shots were fired, he said.

News images showed police near the mall, some in helmets and camouflage gear with weapons raised as a precaution. Some people could be seen hugging each other after exiting the mall.
Police barricade off the area after a shooting at the Saint Stevens Episcopal Church in Vestavia, Ala., on June 16, 2022. (Butch Dill/AP Photo)

Police Praise Alabama Churchgoer Who Subdued Active Shooter: Hes a Hero

Police of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, commended a hero church member who subdued an active shooter who killed three people at a church.

The suspect, Robert Findlay Smith, is a 71-year-old man and occasional attendee of the St. Stephens Episcopal Church, according to Vestavia Hills Police Department. The incident happened during a dinner at the church on Thursday night when the suspect at some point pulled out a handgun, striking three victims.

Another attendee at the event subdued the suspect, and held him down until law enforcement arrived, VHPD Capt. Shane Ware said during a press conference on Friday morning.

It was extremely critical in saving lives, Ware said. In my opinion, hes a hero.

The police didnt reveal the name of the hero, but one local news report identified him as Jim Musgrove, a church member who hit the shooter with a chair and wrestled the gun away from the suspect.

The police identified the victims as 84-year-old Walter Rainey, 75-year-old Sarah Yeager, and 84-year-old Jane Pounds. The former one was killed at the scene, and the latter two died after being sent to the hospital.

At the press conference, Ware was asked to explain radio communications between police officers during the active shooter situation, which appeared to indicate that police have dealt with him before and knew where he lived and what he drove.

Ware replied that any police interactions with the suspect in the past are currently being investigated and its premature at this point for him to comment on that topic.

A possible motive is still under investigation, he added.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey released a statement after the shooting, saying, This should never happen.

As we are learning about the shocking and tragic loss of a life at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Vestavia, we want to offer our prayers for the victims family, the injured, and the entire church community, Ivey said. I am glad to hear the shooter is in custody. This should never happenin a church, in a store, in the city, or anywhere. We continue to closely monitor the situation.

The incident comes amid a number of shootings that drew national attention and prompted debates over gun control, including the May 14 attack at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and the May 24 shooting that left 19 children and two adults dead at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school.

In light of the shootings, President Joe Biden pleaded with Congress for a ban on sales of what he called assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

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 laws and red flag laws. Repeal the immunity that protects gun manufacturers from liability. Address the mental health crisis deepening the trauma of gun violence and as a consequence of that violence, Biden said in an evening address from the White House.
Progress on Senate Gun Control Package Stalls as Senators Fail to Reach Final Agreement

After some optimistic signs for Democrats hoping to reach a bipartisan agreement on a gun control package, progress in the negotiations has begun to stall as lawmakers failed to reach a final agreement on the legislative text on Thursday.

Following a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two adults dead, the Senate began to make a concerted push to reach a legislative agreement that could pass the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the upper chamber.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) direct Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to oversee negotiations with Democrats, led by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), for a gun control package.

Despite signs that the negotiations were going wellincluding the unveiling on June 12 of the broad outlines of the legislative packageprogress has begun to slow.

On Wednesday, Cornyn told reporters on Capitol Hill that hes starting to get a little concerned as the group tries to iron out details, including funding for states that have so-called red flag laws in place.

On Thursday, when some lawmakers hoped they could reach a final text on the package, Cornyn told reporters that negotiations had fallen through and would need more time.

He suggested that the setback is because some lawmakers are unwilling to buckle down and make a final decision.

This is the hardest part because at some point you just [have] to make a decision and when people dont want to make a decision, you cant accomplish a result. And thats kind of where we are right now, Cornyn told reporters.

You dont want to give politicians an unlimited amount of time to talk because they will fill the available space, he said. Its fish or cut bait.

I told them Im leaving but Ill be available or by text messages, Cornyn, walking out of Murphys office, added.

If the bill had been worked out by Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) could have had the opportunity to bring it to the floor for a vote next week.

After lawmakers failed to reach a final agreement on the bill, Murphy downplayed the significance of the setback.

That morning Murphy, already prepared for a delay, told reporters, I dont think we have to get it done by today but that should be our goal.

The broad outlines of the plan are well-known and were made public in the negotiators June 12 announcement.

The plan calls for an enhanced review process for younger gun buyers.

For prospective buyers under 21 years of age, the plan requires an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement, according to their statement.

The bill also will provide support for state crisis intervention, protections for domestic violence victims, funding for school-based mental health and supportive services, investment in children and family mental health services, clarification of the definition of federally licensed firearms dealer, penalties for straw purchasing of guns, and telehealth investments.

However, other proposals have been less well-received by Republicans.

For instance, the framework bill also includes a so-called red flag provision, allowing for resources to states and tribes to create and administer laws that help ensure deadly weapons are kept out of the hands of individuals whom a court has determined to be a significant danger to themselves or others, according to a June 12 statement by the group.

Red flag laws have long been controversial among Republicans and gun rights activists, who have expressed concerns that red flag laws deny individuals rights without due process.

Cornyn explained Republicans concerns during an appearance on The First TV on Wednesday.

Cornyn argued that it would be inappropriate to incentivize other states to pass similar laws. States that do not have such laws in place, including Texas, should be able to get financial assistance for other programs, according to the Republican. Some states with red flag laws should not get access to the funding because their laws are not in compliance with the Constitution, Cornyn indicated.

This provision, one of the most substantial concessions sought by Democrats, is in part responsible for slowing the agreement.

There are also disagreements on another provision, an effort to make sure people convicted of domestic abuse and those subject to domestic abuse restraining orders cannot have guns.

A law known as the Federal Gun Control Act bars people convicted of domestic violence from owning a gun, but it does not apply in some cases if a person commits the violence against their boyfriend or girlfriend.

The other issue has to do with the way that nontraditional relationships are handled in terms of domestic violence and misdemeanors. Weve got to come up with a good definition of what that actually means, Cornyn told reporters in Washington.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Biden Admins Push for High-Density Housing Rooted in Racial and Environmental Agendas: Professor

The Biden administration is encouraging local municipalities across the nation to change zoning rules to create higher-density neighborhoods. The plan has elements of the racial and environmental agendas Biden has been advancing on most fronts.

The Housing Supply Action Plan, announced in May, aims to ease housing costs by increasing the housing supply in every community.

One of the most significant issues constraining housing supply and production is the lack of available and affordable land, which is in large part driven by state and local zoning and land use laws and regulations that limit housing density, a May 16 White House statement announcing the plan said. Exclusionary land use and zoning policies constrain land use, artificially inflate prices, perpetuate historical patterns of segregation, keep workers in lower productivity regions, and limit economic growth.

Under the plan, the administration will pressure jurisdictions to rewrite zoning and land-use policies to increase density, by tying federal grant applications to zoning.

For example, this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) gave higher scores for competitive grants totaling nearly $6 billion to jurisdictions that have implemented land-use policies to promote higher density. And, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) evaluates grant applications in part by EDAs environmentally sustainable development investment priorities, which already include infill developmentthat is, new construction on land between existing buildings. Now it will add prioritization of projects that increase density in other ways.

Connecting Zoning to Racism and Climate

The Zoning laws are intertwined with climate change and racial justice, according to Sara Bronin, a professor at Cornell Universitys Department of City and Regional Planning and associated faculty at Cornell Law School who specializes in land use and sustainable development.

She is the founder of Desegregate Connecticut, a self-described pro-home coalition of neighbors and nonprofits advocating for more equitable, affordable, and environmentally sustainable land-use policies in Connecticut and focused on expanding diversity in the housing stock.

Minimum lot reform could foster more equitable, sustainable communities, according to Desegregate Connecticut, because building closer together reduces consumption of resources, reliance on automobiles, and climate risks of sprawl and deforestation.

Smaller lot sizes mean more affordable options for owning or renting, Desegregate Connecticut says. The group also advocates for transit-orientated communities, which are affordable housing developments built near public transport facilities.

Bronin advocates for government-owned, multi-family housing buildings that would cut down greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing car use.

Bronin did not respond to The Epoch Times request for comment on Bidens announcement.

According to Noah Kazisa nonresident senior fellow with the left-leaning Brookings Institution, a Washington-based nonprofit public policy organizationcurrent zoning, which he calls exclusionary zoning, not only harms the environment, but it also reduces the supply and drives up the cost of housing, hurting individuals looking for homes, as well as the overall economy.

Restrictive zoning fuels racial and economic segregation, serving as the mechanism for exclusion and opportunity hoarding by wealthy, white communities, Kazis writes in an article for the Brookings Institution.

Homebuilders support relaxing zoning rules to allow for higher density.

Zoning changes will benefit builders because if you have a four-acre lot and you can put four houses on there, one per acre, youll make more money than if its sold where you could only put one house on four acres. There are places in the country where the zoning requirements are such that you have to have very, very large building lots, Jerry Howard, CEO of the National Association of Home Builders, told The Epoch Times. Thats not the most efficient way to do it, and some of those places arent even in rural America; theyre in suburban America areas that are just trying to preserve what they call their way of life. Zoning is an issue that is very much a linchpin for what the cost of housing will be in any location.

No matter how homebuyers feel about fewer single-family homes and more apartments and duplexes in the housing market, higher density is profitable for those in the housing industry, who are fully behind the zoning changes.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) supports Bidens plan.

For too long, land-use restrictions have driven up the cost of housing for too many, NAR said in a statement in May in response to the announcement of the Housing Supply Action Plan. NAR supports policies encouraging states and localities receiving federal dollars to explore high-density zoning and other land-use rules that lock out families. We also support new grant programs for localities to enact pro-housing policies.

Move to Government-Owned Housing

Apartments in Long Beach, Calif., on Nov. 1, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

But Tom DeWeese, president of the American Policy Center and an advocate of individual liberty and property rights, warns that this smart growth is a political agenda designed to control people.

Bidens plan encourages construction of more multi-family homes, including duplexes, townhomes, and apartments. DeWeese says environmentalists want people living in closer quarters, using less land.

If they get you living in a high-rise apartment instead of in your own single-family neighborhood, they can control your transportationwhere you go. Smart meters can control the energy that you use in your apartment building. Smart meters will tell them all of your habits, how many people are living there, all kinds of information like that comes through them being able to read how youre using energy, DeWeese told The Epoch Times. What youll end up having, as time goes by, is energy curfewsthat at 10 oclock at night, the energy will be shut off. I know this sounds nuts, but this is behind it.

Even now, DeWeese says, apartment complexes are being built without parking spaces. The goal, he says, is to have stores and jobs within walking distance and eliminate the need for cars.

Every single program thats being put in place now, in a major or minor way, is all based on cutting back on that carbon footprint, DeWeese said. Most apartments have private landlords, but more regulations are harming them. Landlords are going out of business like crazy. Ultimately what will happen is, all housing will be government housing.

Bidens plan says it will ensure a greater supply of government-owned homes, and it offers several funding mechanisms to encourage more multifamily housing.

DeWeese says government-owned housing would lower the standard of living.

Think about the low-income people who are already living in government housing, and you hear the horror stories of what theyre living with, DeWeese said. The heat and air conditioning doesnt work. Broken windows arent fixed. There are gangs and all kinds of drug dealers and criminals that are hanging out. Danger everywhere. Why? Because the landlord there is a government bureaucrat who can care less. If you have a private landlord, he cares about his property.

The government should want people to own their own homes, DeWeese says, because private ownership is how people build wealth and stimulate a healthy economy.

How does the average person build their own personal wealth? Working a job every day isnt going to make you rich. Its sustenance. To build wealth, so that you have money to enjoy and to retire on, private property ownership is the means, DeWeese said. You start with a smaller home, you end up buying a bigger one. They always gain in value. And thats how you build personal wealth. And when you begin to cut that out, then people are just subjects.

People living in single-family homes and people living in rural areas are both independent people,  DeWeese said. These create the middle class. And if people are independent, theyre independent of [government] control. You have to look at this as to, who is doing this and what their motivation is. Were dealing with people working on government control in every aspect of our lives. Radical statement, I understand. Prove me wrong.

Beth Brelje Reporter Follow Beth Brelje is an investigative journalist covering Pennsylvania politics, courts, and the commonwealths most interesting and sometimes hidden news. Send her your story ideas: Beth.brelje@epochtimes.us
A federal police officer escorts a suspect toward a river in the area where Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and freelance British journalist Dom Phillips disappeared, in Atalaia do Norte, Amazonas state, Brazil, on June 15, 2022. (Edmar Barros/AP Photo)

Remains of British Journalist Dom Phillips Found in Brazil, Minister Confirms

Human remains found buried in the Amazon rainforest have been confirmed as belonging to missing British journalist and environmentalist Dom Phillips.

The identification was made on Friday, two days after a suspect confessed to killing Phillips and a traveling companion, Bruno Pereira.

That suspect, fisherman Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, earlier in the week led Brazilian police officers to the location of the bodies, deep in the forest.

UK Latin America minister Vicky Ford confirmed on Saturday the remains were those of Phillips, who was doing research in the region.

I am very sad to hear confirmation Dom Phillipss body has been identified, Ford wrote on Twitter. My thoughts are with his family. I am grateful to everyone involved in the searches. We will continue to support Mr Phillipss family, and the Brazilian authorities as the investigations proceed.

Phillips and Pereira were last seen in a remote area of the Amazon rainforest on June 5, when the pair were on a research trip for a book Phillips had been working on.

Brazilian police said on June 15 that Amarildo, who had clashed with Pereira over his efforts to combat illegal fishing in indigenous territory, confessed that he had killed Phillips and Pereira with a firearm, buried their bodies, and sunk their boat.

Phillips has written for The Guardian and The Washington Post. He was researching for a book together with Pereira, who is a former head of isolated and recently contacted tribes at federal indigenous affairs agency Funai.

They were in the Javari Valley, near the border with Colombia and Peru which police say is a key route for drug trafficking.

The remote jungle is also home to the worlds largest number of uncontacted indigenous people, and has been invaded by illegal fishermen, hunters, loggers, and miners.

Greenpeace UKs executive director Pat Venditti described the pair as brave, passionate and determined men who had carried out the vital work of shining a light on the daily threats Brazils indigenous peoples face in defending their land and rights.

Jonathan Watts, the Guardians global environment editor, said his long-time friend Phillips had died in an undeclared global war against nature and the people who defend it.

In an opinion piece, Watts took aim at Brazilian authorities as well as the countrys President Jair Bolsonaro.

The police refused to put a helicopter in the air after the two men were reported missing, and the military said it had the capacity to search but wasted more than a day while waiting for orders, he wrote.

PA Media contributed to this report
Delegates at the Texas GOP state convention in Houston on June 17, 2022, gave U.S. Sen. John Cornyn a thumbs down for working with Democrats to incentivize red flag laws. (Darlene McCormick Sanchez/The Epoch Times)

Some Texas Republicans Boo at Sen. Cornyn on GOP Convention Stage

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) negotiated with Democrats on gun legislation

HOUSTON, TexasScreams of RINO and boos drowned out most of what Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) had to say at the Texas state GOP convention Friday.

Ignoring his critics, Cornyn continued speaking over the din about gun legislation, right-to-life issues, and opposing the Green New Deal, which calls for phasing out fossil fuels.

Many delegates expressed frustration over Cornyns negotiation with Democrats on gun legislation that would incentivize state red flag laws.

Red flag laws allow the government to confiscate guns from those who may harm themselves or others. Many Republicans feel such laws violate the Second Amendment and give the government a tool to disarm citizens.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) tapped Cornyn to negotiate with Democrats to curb gun violence. The bipartisan effort came on the heels of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting where a teen gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in May. President Joe Biden and Democrats are pushing for stricter gun laws.

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)

No red-flag laws, the crowd chanted while calling for Cornyn to get off the stage. Several stood up and gave him a thumbs-down sign.

Lincoln Achilli, a delegate from the Trophy Club area in North Texas, told The Epoch Times the red-flag provision in the gun legislation Cornyn worked on isnt the first time the senator has strayed off the conservative path. He pointed to Cornyns work with Democrats on an infrastructure bill.

Hes consistently wrong, Achilli said. I had such high hopes for him. I dont know what hes thinking nowadays.

Not everyone felt Cornyn was in the wrong. Can you write that some people like Cornyn? asked a delegate who didnt wish to be named. She told The Epoch Times that Cornyn was often in a difficult position in the Senate, and her fellow delegates had been disrespectful.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt told The Epoch Times the shout-down was unusual. Republicans seem split on their support of Cornyn, he said, but sometimes they dont know the details of Cornyns work. Bettencourt said that a core group of Second Amendment advocates had vocalized their frustration during the speech.

Tension within the ranks of Texas Republican leadership isnt new. Some people within the state GOP have been critical of Gov. Gregg Abbott as well.

Abbott was cheered when he spoke at the GOP conventions welcome reception Thursday.

Abbott has not always been in step with state party leaders. Allen West, former chairman of the Texas Republican Party, criticized Abbotts handling of the pandemic.

West later resigned his position to run in the Republican primary for governor this spring. West and two other candidates lost to Abbott in the primary.

L-R: Chad Prather, Lt. Col. Allen West, and Don Huffines are the three leading Republican candidates going up against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the upcoming March 1 primary. (Courtesy of the candidates website)

When Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R-Texas) later took the stage, his message was one of a united Republican Party.

He spoke of when Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) ran in the Republican primary for President of the United States against businessman Donald Trump. Patrick pointed out that while there may have been some friction at first, once Trump was elected president, Cruz and Trump became friends and allies.

He said primaries could cause hard feelings, but Republicans must put those aside. The state GOP needs to come together to defeat Beto ORourke, a Democrat, who is running against Abbott.

We must be a family of one come November, he said. The Democrats cant beat us. Only we can beat ourselves.
Stephen Colbert poses in the press room during the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 19, 2021. (Rich Fury/Getty Images)

Stephen Colbert Staffers Arrested at US Capitol

Staffers from The Late Show With Stephen Colbert were arrested and charged by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) after they were found unescorted in a U.S. House of Representatives building after hours on the evening of June 16, CBS has confirmed.

Staffers were conducting interviews on Wednesday and Thursday for a comedy segment with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, a CBS spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. The interviews were allegedly pre-arranged with congressional aides.

After leaving the members offices on their last interview of the day, the production team stayed to film stand-ups and other final comedy elements in the halls when they were detained by Capitol Police, the spokesperson said.

Triumph is a puppet operated by Robert Smigel, who was reportedly with the group.

The Twitter account for Triumph was posting pictures from inside the Capitol on June 16.

The USCP received a call at around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday night about a disturbance in the Longworth House Office Building, the law enforcement agency said in a statement.

Actor and comedian Robert Smigel performs as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog in the hallways outside the House Jan. 6 Select Committee in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington on June 16, 2022 (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Longworth House Office Building is an office building used by members of Congress.

Responding officers observed seven individuals, unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway. The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day, the USCP said.

People in the group were charged with unlawful entry, according to the Capitol Police.

The agency did not identify any of the people who were charged.

This is an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges after consultation with the U.S. Attorney, the agency said.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Studies Suggest Possible Link of Neuromyelitis Optica Diagnosis After COVID-19 Vaccination

Emergent peer-reviewed studies have highlighted the occurrence of neuromyelitis optica after COVID-19 vaccinations, suggesting that the autoimmune disease may be occurring as a vaccine adverse event.

The studies general findings indicate an occurrence of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) in healthy individuals within around two weeks after Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines. In patients already affected by the disease or a similar neurological autoimmune disease such as multiple sclerosis, an exacerbation of symptoms or relapse was observed.

So far, at least six cases of NMO occurring after COVID-19 vaccination have been reported in case studies around the world. Though some individuals made a full recovery, some were discharged with long-term medications or unresolved symptoms.

Neuromyelitis optica is a rare autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the spinal cord and the nerves in the eyes. Though there is no cure, treatment can prevent future relapses that will do further damage to nerves.

While the cause of the disease is unknown, it is usually triggered by an infection or another autoimmune disease. It can affect anyone at any age, though it is more common in women than in men.

The 5-year survival rate for single attack NMO is 90 percent if treated, and for relapsing (more than one attack) NMO, it is nearly 70 percent.

Symptoms include pain in the eyes, loss of vision, paralysis, weakness or pain in the arms and legs, bladder and bowel problems as well as uncontrollable vomiting and hiccups.

Adverse events are medical occurrences, generally developing within 28 days after vaccination. According to the World Health Organization, any untoward medical occurrence which follows immunization, even one not caused by the vaccine, would be considered an adverse event.

Neuromyelitis Optica Occurring After Pfizer Vaccines

Two studies, one in Turkey and one in Germany suggested that the Pfizer vaccination may have been the trigger for the NMO disorder. The two women affected developed NMO symptoms within 24 hours and 23 days, respectively, after getting the vaccine.

In the Turkish study, a 43-year-old, previously healthy woman developed impaired vision 24 hours after the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

A month after treatment she experienced a second attack, with pain, increased sensation, and tingling on the right side of her body, muscle weakness, and urinary retention.

The doctors diagnosed her with NMO possibly triggered by the administration of the COVID-19 mRNA-BNT162b2 vaccine. She made a near-complete recovery and was put on long-term monoclonal antibody treatment.

The German study examined a 68-year-old woman, who had lived with suspected multiple sclerosis for many years, the primary symptom being mild leg paralysis. After earlier receiving tetanus and pneumococcal vaccines, she had suffered a loss of mobility in her legs, which was treated successfully. However, 23 days after receiving the first Pfizer dose in May 2021, her symptoms were severely exacerbated. She lost the ability to walk and experienced a lack of bladder and bowel control.

The woman declined the second dose of the vaccine and there was no relapse of symptoms.

Neuromyelitis Optica Occurring After Moderna Vaccines

The two Moderna studies both conducted in the United States also involved women. The first patient was a healthy 19 year old; the second was 46 years old with a medical history of vitamin B deficiency. Both showed symptoms within 15 and 2 days of getting the first dose of the vaccine respectively.

The 19-year-old woman had severe weakness in her arms and legs and urinary incontinence after receiving the Moderna vaccine.

After receiving the first dose of the vaccine, the 46-year-old woman suffered weakness in her upper and lower extremities, urinary retention, and decreased sensation, as well as constant, shooting, 10 out of 10 upper back pain. Though her lower limb weakness and urinary retention were resolved, the report indicated that the decreased sensation may have persisted.

Neuromyelitis Optica Occurring After AstraZeneca Vaccines

In Thailand and Brazil, studies detailed adverse reactions after the AstraZeneca vaccines. The Thailand study found a previously healthy 46-year-old woman developed right leg weakness and loss of sensation in her right side ten days after the first dose. Though her leg weakness improved, abnormal sensations persisted.

The latter study examined a 62-year-old woman, with stable NMO for 8 years, who saw a relapse 7 days after her first dose, experiencing a loss of vision in the left eye. Her vision recovered in 3 weeks.

The case studies mentioned above are not exhaustive. Studies also cited the Sinovac and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines in NMO cases occurring after vaccine administration.

The authors of the studies highlighted a need for future research and a high degree of suspicion in diagnosis and intervention. As NMO is a rapidly-progressive disease, if untreated, consequences can be severe, with possibilities of disability and death.

AstraZeneca spokesperson told the Epoch Times that cases of neuromyelitis have been reported rarely following vaccination, with no confirmed causal relationship between the vaccination and this extremely rare event.

We continue to work with regulators around the world to closely monitor safety information from all available sources as part of our routine surveillance, the spokesperson wrote in an email on June 16.

While not all of the cases have concluded a positive link, the findings suggest a possible connection between NMO and COVID-19 vaccination.

The Epoch Times reached out to Pfizer and Moderna for comment.
David Wenwei Chou (L), the 68-year-old Las Vegas man accused of carrying out a shooting rampage at a Laguna Woods church, makes his first in-person appearance in superior court for an arraignment, with Deputy Public Defender Jennifer Ryan in Santa Ana, Calif., on June 10, 2022. (Mark Rightmire/Orange County Register/TNS)

Taiwanese Church Shooting Suspect Is Charged With Hate Crimes

By Hannah Fry

From Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELESA 68-year-old man accused of killing one person and injuring five others at a Taiwanese Presbyterian church in Laguna Woods, California, has been charged with hate crime enhancements, Orange County prosecutors announced Friday.

David Wenwei Chou of Las Vegas had previously been charged with murder, attempted murder, and other felony counts in the May 15 shooting.

Prosecutors this week added a hate crimes enhancement to the murder charge, alleging that Chous killing of Dr. John Cheng, 52, was motivated by race, color, religion, nationality, or country of origin.

Prosecutors also added hate crime enhancements for each of the five counts of attempted murder against Chou.

Chou could face the death penalty if convicted of all charges, which also include four counts of possession of an explosive device, enhancements of lying in wait, and personal discharge of a firearm causing death. He has not entered a plea, according to court records.

The hate crime enhancements were filed after prosecutors reviewed additional evidence, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. Authorities did not provide details about that evidence.

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes last month characterized the shootings as a politically motivated hate incident and said authorities think Chou specifically targeted the Taiwanese community.

Barnes said Chou left notes in Chinese in his car stating he did not believe Taiwan should be independent from China. He apparently had an issue with Taiwanese people because of the way he was treated while living in Taiwan, Barnes said.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has grown increasingly aggressive about reclaiming the democratic, self-ruled island. Within Taiwan, a majority of people favor maintaining the status quo, with some wanting to openly declare independence, and a small minority wanting to someday unify with China.

Chou was born in China and grew up in Taiwan as a so-called waishengrensomeone with recent roots in China. The Taiwanese Presybterian Church is known for its support of pro-independence causes, and the Laguna Woods congregation worshipped in the Taiwanese dialect rather than Mandarin.

Prosecutors allege that Chou entered Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, where the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church rents space, with two 9 mm handguns, several backpacks that contained extra magazines, and four Molotov cocktail-type devices.

He allegedly hid the backpacks in a church banquet hall, chained several doors shut and then mingled with parishioners. The group was there for a luncheon honoring longtime Pastor Billy Chang, who was visiting after two years in Taiwan.

When the gunman opened fire, Cheng, the doctor, fought back and was fatally shot. Five others, ranging in age from 66 to 92, were hospitalized but survived.

After Cheng attempted to stop the gunman, Chang, the visiting pastor, ran up to him with a chair as a weapon.

Chang said he pushed the gunman to the floor, then hogtied him with an electric cord with the help of other parishioners, according to officials and eyewitness accounts.

He got scared. I dont think he expected someone to attack him, Chang said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory groundbreaking ceremony in Shanghai on Jan. 7, 2019. (Aly Song/Reuters)

Tesla Investor Sues Musk, Board Over Accusation of Workplace Discrimination

A Tesla Inc. shareholder sued the electric car maker, Chief Executive Elon Musk, and its board, accusing them of neglecting to tackle complaints about workplace discrimination and harassment, and engendering a toxic workplace culture.

Thursdays lawsuit is the latest against Tesla, which has been accused of racial discrimination and sexual harassment in its factories.

Tesla has created a toxic workplace culture grounded in racist and sexist abuse and discrimination against its own employees, the investor, Solomon Chau, said.

This toxic work environment has gestated internally for years, and only recently has the truth about Teslas culture emerged, he added in the complaint.

Teslas toxic workplace culture has caused financial harm and irreparable damage to the companys reputation.

Tesla did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment outside regular U.S. business hours.

Kendall Law Group PLLC, the lawyers representing Chau, were not available outside regular U.S. business hours.

Tesla has said it does not tolerate discrimination and has taken steps to tackle workers complaints.

The lawsuit accuses the defendantsMusk, 11 Tesla board members, and the companyof having breached their fiduciary duty by failing to address and remedy the red flags concerning internal reports of discrimination and harassment.

This caused Tesla to lose high-quality employees and incur costs for defending cases and settling fines for violations, the lawsuit said.

The case is Chau et al v. Musk et al, US District Court, Western District of Texas (Austin), 1:22-cv-00592.

By Sayantani Ghosh, Kevin Krolicki, and Abinaya V




It may have created less hoopla at home and abroad than that of its two predecessors, yet the launch of the Fujian aircraft carrier on Friday is a landmark in the modernization of the People's Liberation Army Navy.

The first domestically built aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic catapult system to launch aircraft and the third such vessel of the PLA Navy  after the Liaoning and Shandong  shows the country now has the expertise to independently design and build advanced, conventionally powered aircraft carriers.

The Fujian is equipped with blocking devices and has a full load displacement of more than 80,000 tons. That the Fujian was built at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai and both the Liaoning and Shandong were built at the Dalian Shipyard in Liaoning province shows China's two largest shipyards now have the capability to build aircraft carriers.

In the 10 years since the commissioning of the Liaoning in 2012  it was built from the hull of the half-built Admiral Kuznetsov-class Varyag aircraft carrier of the Soviet Union  China has mastered the art of designing and building aircraft carriers thanks to its comprehensive industrial design and manufacturing system.

With the Liaoning as a base for training shipboard aircraft crew, the commissioning of the Shandong in 2019  the first domestically built aircraft carrier modeled on the Liaoning that uses ski-jump launching system which limits the size and number of planes that can take off from a slight ramp  helped the PLA Navy gather valuable first-hand experience in cooperative combat of an aircraft strike group.

With the Liaoning and Shandong being increasingly used for patrolling and drills, China needed another aircraft carrier to increase its deterrence capacity, in order to maintain maritime peace and stability in the region. The Fujian can do that job once it completes its sea trials and is commissioned. In fact, China needs at least three aircraft carriers to protect its shores, maritime territories and strategic interests.

Yet the fact that the PLA Navy has become the largest navy in the world in terms of vessel displacement capacity  which is different from actual combat capacity  does not mean China has changed its defense policy which is purely defensive in nature. The focus of the PLA Navy is not to become bigger but stronger so that it can meet the requirements of the country, and defend its core development interests, as well as sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Since China, despite becoming a big maritime power, remains committed to defending world peace and fulfilling its international responsibilities including undertaking rescue and relief operations during natural disasters and other emergencies, providing humanitarian aid and maintaining security in the seas, the modernization of its navy will go a long way in safeguarding the common interests of all peace-loving nations.
WASHINGTON - JULY 17: Bob Woodward (R) and Carl Bernstein (L) speak on NBC's 'Meet the Press' July 17, 2005 during a taping at the NBC studios in Washington, DC. Woodward and Bernstein talked about Watergate and Woodward's new book on the story of Deep Throat. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images for Meet the Press)

The Media Legacy of Watergate

Commentary

On June 17, it had been 50 years since operatives connected to President Richard Nixons Committee to Re-Elect the President (also known as CREEP) were arrested trying to plant surveillance equipment at the Democratic National Committees headquarters in the Watergate building in Washington.

This was the beginning of the process that was ultimately to drive the president from office a little more than two years later, despite his landslide victory over the hapless George McGovern in that falls presidential election.

As more than one commentator has mentioned since, the irony was that there was no need for the attempted bugging, since Nixon won easily without it. Even at the time, hardly anyone regarded what White House press secretary Ron Ziegler described as a third-rate burglary as any big deal.

No, the Golden Anniversary being celebrated this year isnt that of the Watergate break-in itself but that of the modern media which, after some false starts, finally figured out how to turn the affair into their own foundational mythology.

Henceforth, in the eyes of the media anyway, The Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were to be regarded as the heroes who, through diligent reporting, brought down a corrupt president and therefore served as models for all investigative journalists as well as the basis for the medias now routine assumption of their own moral superiority and unassailability in the political process.

It has long been known that this self-serving media narrative is false. The Woodward and Bernstein source, known at the time as Deep Throat, was a disgruntled FBI agent named Mark Felt who, having been passed over for the top job, fed the reporters information, much of it false, to the discredit of the man who got the top job instead, FBI Director L. Patrick Gray.

Felt also told our intrepid reporters details of a conspiracy theory about a dirty tricks campaign, orchestrated from the Nixon White House, which he seems to have made up out of whole cloth.

None of Felts allegedly leaked information, and therefore none of Woodward and Bernsteins reporting, had anything to do with the wrongdoing that actually led to Nixons resignation in August 1974.

And yet the myth of media heroism in exposing government perfidy lives on.

Between 2017 and 2019, Watergate was cited again and again as the precedent for the medias reporting of the Russian collusion hoaxsometimes called Russiagate in homage to its great predecessoraimed at the presidency of Donald Trump.

And it was a precedent, too, in the sense that both media-reported scandals were based on false information fed to journalists by the FBI in furtherance of its own agenda.

In neither case has there ever been a serious attempt by the media to correct their false reports or to apologize for allowing themselves to be used for nakedly partisan purposes.

One can only conclude that the media have again been willing participants in the partisan effort to discredit a president of the opposing party. Except that, this time, the swarm of new Woodwards and Bernsteins had to have known all along that their information was false.

They didnt care. The fact that they reported it was enough to make it true in their eyes.

Thus, too, all the medias reporting on the Jan. 6 committee of Congress depends on the constant repetition of the Democrats talking point that President Donald Trumps belief that the 2020 election was stolen isnt a sincerely held opinion based on unprecedentedly lax election security in key states but a lie.

How can they possibly know that except by their prior assumption that its a liar who says it?

It seems that in the courts, now, as in the media and the political culture more generally, neither truth nor lies have any independent existence apart from which side is telling them.

I believe that none of this could have happened without the myth of the medias Watergate and the scandal culture that it ushered into our national life.

When Woodward and Bernstein seized the high moral ground on behalf of the progressive media and with little dissent from those who should have known better, they began the process that has brought us to the point at which we have now arrived: the point at which the media and their Democratic acolytes occupy a position not unlike that of the Grand Inquisitors of medieval Spain, with absolute power to decide what is true belief and what is false and must be punished.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
As visitors look through a glass window, restorers work diligently to preserve one of Portugals national treasures. Paints, microscopes, X-ray machines, trays, tools, computers, frames, and tables fill the space, all set up to do this important work.

The St. Vincent Panels under restoration at the National Antique Art Museum of Lisbon. (Courtesy of National Antique Art Museum in Lisbon)

Since June 1, 2020, an international group of experts has been analyzing, scanning, and retouching one of Portugals most important cultural artifacts: the St. Vincent Panels (circa 1470). In Portuguese, the work is known as Paineis de Sao Vicente. Anyone can watch in real-time as conservation experts restore the polyptych (many-paneled painting) at the National Antique Art Museum of Lisbon, Portugal.

Front facade of the National Antique Art Museum of Lisbon. (Public Domain)

It is estimated that originally the artwork may have had 12 panels, with six now lost. The six panels that constitute the work have been separated for the restoration process. Incredibly, most of the wood that supports the panels has survived from the original structure.

International Restoration Effort

The technical difficulty in restoration is to preserve the original work: to repair damage from past renovations and to uncover the original work, while not damaging the painting or giving an incorrect historic or aesthetic result.

Luckily, with the latest 21st-century technology available to conservators as well as experts in other fields, the process is easier. Technical support arrived from two specialized laboratories: the HERCULES Laboratory of Evora University and the Jose de Figueiredo Laboratory of Lisbon, which assisted in analyzing the painting and suggesting how to best restore it using their equipment.

International consultants also arrived to help. Art historians and conservators-restorers came from The National Gallery, London, the University of Ghent in Belgium (Ghent is the city that is home to the renowned Ghent Altarpiece), the Central Institute of Restoration in Belgium, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Prado Museum in Madrid.

The St. Vincent Panels. (Courtesy of the National Antique Art Museum in Lisbon)

Experts first examined every inch of the six panels to record all damage done to the painting over time. This preparatory work determined the best approach to preserve the original composition and rediscover the original bright colors. After registering previous restorations completed before 2020 and any damage caused by time, the restorers began the second phase, which is now in progress.

Since the 16th century, the panels may have had as many as six restorations. The main goal of the restorers and the museum is to not damage the integrity of the painting. Restorers want to bring back the paintings brighter colors and conserve as much of the original piece as possible.

Painstaking Progress

The experts are removing old layers of varnish to see the right chromatic range of the panels and to discover the original colors used in the painting. To see the different layers and use of colors, restorers use UV lights to register any differences in fluorescence; this allows them to recognize the different layers and use of colors.

The left image is the left central panel from the St. Vincent Panels. St. Vincent, clad in red and gold and holding a manuscript, stands in the center surrounded by figures in Portuguese society. The image on the right is from the fifth panel with painted figures of friars, monks, knights, and nobility. (Courtesy of the National Antique Art Museum in Lisbon)

During the UV process, experts noticed blue layers of color under red layers. The blue changed the painting entirely, as red is one of the predominant colors of the panels. Experts also saw all of the retouched areas and materials used throughout different time periods. For example, the painting was cleaned multiple times with an acid pH solution during previous restorations, which damaged some of the painting.

Earlier conservators, before the 1910 restoration, had used varnish layers that didnt correspond to the colors originally used by the painter. The current restoration team applied varnish to parts of the panels to know which parts to clean, to see what colors were actually originally used by the painter, and what was added in later renovations.

The next step for the museum restorers was to use X-rays to reveal things that are invisible to the naked eye. For example, they discovered faces that were painted on top of others. The X-rays guided the experts in selecting what methodology to choose for the specific scanned areas of the panels.

Mysterious Collective Portrait

The panels were discovered in 1882 in the monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora, in the Alfama district of Lisbon. The panels were then put on display at the National Antique Art Museum, after being restored in 1910 by Portuguese painter Luciano Freire.

Sculpture of Nuno Goncalves, royal painter of the court of King Afonso V. (Harvey Barrison/CC BY-SA 2.0)

The panels are attributed to Nuno Goncalves, royal painter of the court of King Afonso V. The paintingoil and tempera on oakis thought to originally be part of the St. Vincent altarpiece in Lisbons cathedral, known as the Se.

Pictorially, the painting is considered one of the first group portraits in 15th-century Europe. Collective portraits were rare during the European Renaissance, and most were not as expressive as this one. The panels are also remarkable because they are one of the few paintings that depict 15th-century Portuguese society.

To this day, there is speculation among specialists regarding the precise identities of the figures and the meaning of the panels as a whole. The artist depicted a large group of figures in this work of art. There are 58 in total gathered around St. Vincent of Saragossa, a third-century martyr and the patron saint of Lisbon. St. Vincent is pictured twice: on each of the two larger, middle panels. On either side are two narrower panels filled with more figures.

First three panels of the the St. Vincent Panels. (Courtesy of the National Antique Art Museum in Lisbon)

The panels show characters of the Portuguese court in the 15th century and Portuguese nobility, as well as knights, friars and monks of different religious orders, counselors, and other unidentified figures. The painting presents a ceremonial, contemplative, and solemn setting, as shown in the poses of figures with hands folded as if in prayer. The social groups have expressive looks, and refined costumes and accessories.

Age of Greatness

Sign at the entrance of the National Antique Art Museum of Lisbon, Portugal. (Public Domain)

The St. Vincent Panels hold great meaning for Portuguese identity because of the period during which it was painted: the Age of Discovery. The Portuguese refer to this time as the Age of Discoveries. It was a time of economic and cultural growth for the nation, and an era of great maritime exploration and expansion. The most common interpretation of this painting is that it celebrates the accomplishments of Portuguese expansion in North Africa during the Aviz Dynasty, Portugals second dynasty between 1385 and 1580.

Multiple figures in the painting point to the Age of Discovery. Most importantly, the paintings namesake, St. Vincent, who was the patron saint of seafarers during expeditions, was embraced by the Portuguese people. According to legend, the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques (circa 11061185), was said to have found the saints relics (remains) and brought them to Lisbon. He is not portrayed in the painting.

Another character possibly portrayed in the panels is Henry the Navigator, one of the most important figures of the early Age of Discovery. In 1895, Portuguese art historian Joaquim de Vasconcelos identified the elderly man wearing a burgundy hat on one of the central panels as Henry the Navigator. However, the identification of many of the characters, including Henry, in this polyptych is still discussed and strongly debated.

To document this historic restoration, the Portuguese newspaper The Public (O Publico) has followed the process for the last three years, in partnership with the museum and the Millennium BCP Foundation (Fundacao millennium bcp). Through video footage, photography, articles, and interviews, the newspaper shares the restoration process with its readers. A team of journalists regularly visits the restoration house to check on the progress, and the paper has a dedicated page on the panels and their restoration.

Restoring the St. Vincent Panels represents a chance to restore an artistic legacy to Portugal.

The restoration process can be seen live at the National Antique Art Museum in Lisbon, Portugal, until Dec. 31, 2022.
The TikTok logo is pictured outside the company's U.S. head office in Culver City, California, on Sept. 15, 2020. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

TikTok Moves US User Data to Oracle Servers

NEW YORK/WASHINGTONTikTok said it has completed migrating information on its U.S. users to servers at Oracle Corp, in a move that could address U.S. regulatory concerns over data integrity on the popular short video app.

The move, which was first reported by Reuters, comes nearly two years after a U.S. national security panel ordered parent company ByteDance to divest TikTok because of fears that U.S. user data could be passed on to the Chinese communist regime.

TikTok is one of the worlds most popular social media apps, with more than 1 billion active users globally, and counts the United States as its largest market.

The United States has been increasingly scrutinizing app developers over the personal data they handle, especially if some of it involves U.S. military or intelligence personnel.

The order to sell off TikTok was not enforced after Joe Biden succeeded Donald Trump as U.S. president last year.

The panel, known as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), however, has continued to harbor concerns over data security at TikTok that ByteDance is now hoping to address, Reuters previously reported.

The White House had no immediate comment while the U.S. Treasury declined to comment.

In March, Reuters reported that TikTok was nearing a deal for Oracle Corp to store its U.S. users information.

Oracle had discussed acquiring a minority stake in TikTok in 2020, when ByteDance was under U.S. pressure to sell the app. The cloud computing giant now stores all of TikToks U.S. user data on Oracle data servers in the United States under the new partnership, TikTok said.

Oracle declined to comment.

Data Security Team

TikTok had previously been storing its U.S. user data at its own data centers in Virginia, with a backup in Singapore. It will now delete private data on U.S. users from its own data centers and rely fully on Oracles U.S. servers, it said.

The Virginia and Singapore centers are still being used to back up the data, the company said.

TikTok has also set up a dedicated U.S. data security team known as USDS as a gatekeeper for U.S. user information and ring-fencing it from ByteDance, a company spokesperson told Reuters.

Led by Andrew Bonillo, who was an executive at TikToks global security department, the USDS currently reports to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, the spokesperson said.

The company is discussing a structure under which the team would operate autonomously and not be under TikToks control or supervision, a source told Reuters.

Another senior executive at USDS is Will Farrell, who was previously working under TikToks Chief Security Officer Roland Cloutier. The USDS team includes content moderation personnel, engineers, and members from user and product operations.

ByteDance is one of Chinas fastest growing startups. It owns the countrys leading news aggregator, Jinri Toutiao, as well as TikToks Chinese counterpart Douyin.

In June 2021, Biden withdrew Trump-era executive orders that sought to ban new downloads of WeChat and TikTok. The Commerce Department is writing new rules on app data security that could potentially lead to restrictions on how apps based abroad use U.S. user data or even ban apps deemed serious security risks.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said last year the administration is very serious about protecting Americans data, but criticized Trumps approach.

Doing some executive order thats meaningless on TikTok is not the way to do it, she said.

By Echo Wang and David Shepardson
Chinese livestreamers Li Jiaqi (R) and Viya (L) are seen on Alibaba's e-commerce app Taobao shown on mobile phones on Dec.14, 2021. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

Top E-Commerce Livestreaming Host in China Left the Platform

Luo Yonghao, a famous livestreamer selling tech and home products online, withdrew from the online business after more than two years of success in Chinese e-commerce. Experts believe that the Partys political taboos have made him quit just as other influential hosts have.

Luo started his e-commerce livestreaming business in 2020, after his smartphone company Smartisan got into debt. He gained popularity from his first three-hour show in which he sold over $15.5 million in goods.

However, Luo said goodbye to his viewers on Chinese social media Weibo, on June 13, claiming hes ready to launch another business in augmented reality technology.

A Strong Livestreaming Market

The livestreaming e-commerce platform has an enthusiastic market in China.

According to Statista, a market research company, live commerce sales revenue is expected to reach 3.5 trillion yuan (about $520 billion) by the end of 2022.

The flourishing business in China is evident by Luos online sales enabling him to repay a good chunk of his $90 million Smartisan debt.

As an entrepreneur, Luo has been an outspoken public figure for his criticism of the Partys censorship. His blog site, bulldog.cn, was one of the most liberal portals in the Chinese social platform.

Luo launched the site, popular with activists, in 2006; but the regime temporarily blocked it in 2007, and completely shut it down in 2009.

Li Yuanhua, a former professor at Beijings Capital Normal University and current affairs analyst, believes that Luos past experience has taught him to withdraw from the public arena at the right time.

Todays Chinese society is atypical. Everyone is at the service of the Party. The influential ones are easily the targets of the regimes political campaign, Li told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times on June 16.

The regime is always wary of losing its control over any public figure, Li stated.

Employees sort packages ahead of the Singles Day online shopping spree, in Huaibei City, Anhui Province, on Nov. 9, 2017. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Top Influential Hosts Silenced One After Another

Luo considered himself to rank fourth among the Chinese e-commerce livestreaming sales celebrities.

The other three would be Li Jiaqi, Viya, and Xinba.

Li Jiaqi, the lipstick king crossed the line on the evening of June 3, which is the night before the anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre, when the regime sent in troops and tanks to conduct the brutal suppression of the students who demanded more freedom on June 4, 1989.

The 29-year old Li, also known as Austin Li, hit a record of selling 15,000 lipsticks in five minutes in 2018.

Li and his co-host presented a slice of Viennetta ice cream cake from the British brand Walls. The cake was garnished with Oreo cookies on the sides, and topped with a chocolate ball and a chocolate stick making it resemble the shape of a tank. Apparently, it was a sensitive image to the regime.

Lis broadcast was cut off immediately, he hasnt returned to the livestreaming platform, and his Weibo account has been inactive.

Before Austin Li, Viya won her livestreaming celebrity status on Taobao, an e-commerce app of Chinese tech company Alibaba.

Viya and Li were considered the two mountains of the Chinese e-commerce livestreaming industry.

However, in 2021 Viya was ordered to pay taxes and fines worth $210.16 million for tax evasion. Immediately, Viya vanished from livestreaming online on Taobao, Weibo, Douyin, and Kuaishou.

Analysts believe that Viyas close ties to Alibaba founder Jack Ma is the reason she was investigated for tax evasion.

The outspoken Ma got himself in trouble for criticizing the regimes financial regulations in 2020. Since then, Beijing has used various fines and investigations, including a $2.8 billion antitrust fine, and the shelving of Ant Groups IPO, to deal with Ma.

Analyst Li Yuanhua believes that what happened to Viya was a typical political issue exploited by the regime in the guise of an economic cause.

He said, Tax evasion is always an easy excuse. We should ask what the taxation department was doing all those years.

Owner Huang Jianqiao at his handbag factory that sells his goods through the Chinese e-commerce site Taobao in Baigou, Hebei Province, April 24, 2014. (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

Likewise, Xinba was a sales king on Kuaishou. On Sept. 26, 2019, he made a record by selling over 156,000 orders of sea duck eggs in just 10 minutes, amounting to $500,000 in sales of a single product.

In 2020, Xinba violated the CCPs political taboo during his livestreaming of a brand the regime is proud of, Huaweis X10 Max mobile phone.

He criticized Huawei subsidiary Honor for not offering a pair of free earbuds to his customers.

Some of the Chinese customers responded that when Trump blocked Huawei in the international arena, Xinba was the only person who dared to block Huawei in China.

Consequently, Xinbas complaint caused the authorities to investigate the other products he promoted, and resulted in the suspension of his livestreaming.

Conflict Between the Communist Regime and the Rich

Activist Dong Guangping told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that the regimes cyberspace administration strictly controls and supervises the e-commerce celebrities and their platforms, apps, and publicity.

Theres a fundamental conflict between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the rich and wealthy, Dong said, referring to the fact that when people get rich, its a threat to the interests of the Party.

The CCP is a gang that aims at money, he said.

Fang Xiao and Luo Ya contributed to this report.
A Philippine flag flutters from BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated Philippine Navy ship that has been aground since 1999 and became a Philippine military detachment on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands, in the South China Sea March 29, 2014. (Erik De Castro/Reuters)

US Backs Philippines Against Chinas Provocative Actions in Disputed Seas

The United States reaffirmed its backing of the Philippines after Manila lodged a diplomatic protest against Beijing over the illegal presence of over 100 Chinese vessels around its territorial zone in Whitsun Reef.

The United States supports the Philippines in calling on the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] to end its provocative actions and to respect international law in the South China Sea, the U.S. State Department said in a statement on Friday.

It said that Washington shares the Philippines concerns regarding Chinas provocative actions in the South China Sea and its massing vessels near Whitsun Reef, which Manila refers to as Julian Felipe Reef.

These actions are part of a broader trend of PRC provocations against South China Sea claimants and other states lawfully operating in the region, the State Department said.

Washingtons remarks came after Manila lodged a diplomatic protest against China on June 9 over the illegal presence of over 100 Chinese vessels in and around Julian Felipe Reef in April.

The Chinese vessels were spotted in the reef less than a year after the Philippines government protested the illegal presence of 200 Chinese vessels in the same area in March 2021, the U.S. Department said.

The lingering unauthorized presence of Chinese fishing and maritime vessels is not only illegal, but is also a source of instability in the region, it said in a statement.

Under incumbent President Rodrigo Dutertes administration, the Philippines have lodged over 300 protests against Chinas illegal activities in the South China Sea, which it refers to as the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines is a U.S. treaty ally under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, but relations have strained under Duterte, who has sought closer ties with China since taking office in 2016.

On June 9, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman met with Philippine President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to discuss the U.S.-Philippine relations, people-to-people ties, economic relations, and commitments to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Beijing claims much of the South China Sea as its own under its so-called nine-dash line. The Hague Tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines in 2016, but China refused to abide by the decision.

Dutertes successor, Marcos, has vowed to uphold the Hague Tribunals 2016 ruling and said that his new administration would talk to China with a firm voice regarding territorial issues.

We will not allow a single square, and maybe make it even more smaller, single square millimeter of our maritime coastal and up to 200 kilometers rights to be trampled upon, he said on May 26, according to the Philippine News Agency.

But Marcos stated that a confrontation with China is the last thing we need right now. The son and namesake of the former Filipino dictator is set to take office on June 30.
Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) attend a welcome ceremony at an airport in Managua, Nicaragua, on July 11, 2014. (RIA-Novosti/Alexei Nikolsky, Presidential Press Service/AP Photo)

US Sanctions Nicaraguan Gold Mining Firm Over Ties to Russia

WASHINGTONThe United States imposed sanctions Friday on Nicaraguas state-owned gold mining company and the president of its board of directors in part over the Central American nations ties to Russia.

The sanctions were imposed against the Nicaraguan Mining Co., known by the Spanish-language acronym ENIMINAS, partly because the countrys leaders are deepening their relationship with Russia as it wages war against Ukraine, while using gold revenue to continue to oppress the people of Nicaragua, the Treasury Department said.

The actions are authorized under an existing executive order that targets the violent response by the Nicaraguan government to civil protests that began in April 2018, as well as the Daniel Ortega regimes use of violence against civilians and destabilization of Nicaraguas economy.

The executive order was imposed during Donald Trumps presidency.

High-ranking members of the Ortega-Murillo regime have benefitted greatly from Nicaraguas increase in gold exports in recent years, due in large part to the outsized role ENIMINAS has played in funneling profits to private sector partners and kickbacks to regime insiders, Treasury said in a statement, referencing Ortegas wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo.

The Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control said Fridays sanctions stemmed from the threats that the company, known in Spanish as Empresa Nicaraguense de Minas, and its leadership pose to the security of the hemisphere.

The sanctions mean that all property and interests in property that the firm and the president of its board of directors have that the United States has jurisdiction over, or are in possession by Americans, are blocked.

The U.S. government also issued a general license that would allow Americans doing business with the company to wind down their transactions with it by July 18. In 2021, gold exports from Nicaragua to the United States increased by 30 percent, totaling more than $744 million, according to U.S. figures.

Sanctions involving the gold trade were also imposed on Russia earlier this year, as the mineral can be swapped for a more liquid foreign exchange that is not subject to current sanctions.

In March, the United States and its allies moved to block financial transactions with Russias Central Bank that involve gold, aiming to further restrict the countrys ability to use its international reserves because of President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine.

Putin has been building his gold stockpile since 2014.

By Fatima Hussein
Wandering Hong Kong Art Exhibition Opens in New York

Professor hopes to follow Jewish example to pass on Hong Kong culture

As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intensifies its control over Hong Kong, more and more Hong Kong people are emigrating overseas. On the third anniversary of the anti-Extradition Movement, organizations of Hong Kongers in different countries are holding exhibitions and community activities to mark the occasion. Joseph Lian Yizheng (), professor of economics and media personality, hoped that Hong Kong people will learn from the Jewish and maintain their cultural legacy after leaving their homeland.

Wandering Hong Kong, an art exhibition organized by Lion Rock Cafe (), is being held in Lower Manhattan, New York, featuring dozens of works of art in various forms, including paintings, installations, and videos. They are works of Hong Kongers from the United States, England, Germany, Taiwan and Canada.

Introduction of Works of Wandering Hong Kong (Jenny Zeng/The Epoch Times)

The Wandering Hong Kong gallery is equipped with a projector showing a number of short films related to democracy and freedom in Hong Kong. (Jenny Zeng/The Epoch Times)

The latest work of Helen, a New York-based painter, expresses history through painting. (Jenny Zeng/The Epoch Times)

Daniel, a member of the Lion Rock Cafe, told The Epoch Times that the exhibition features Hong Kong people from all over the world sharing their creative works wandering around the world. He hoped that dispersed Hong Kong people can reunite in this way. In this free art space, Daniel hoped that they could make their voices heard, record the indelible history of 2019, and express their attachment to Hong Kong and the feeling of restarting in a foreign place.

Daniel also has four photographs of his own in the exhibition (See below). He explained that these four photographs were taken when he returned to Hong Kong recently. Although the Lennon walls had been removed and the words of resistance erased, the memories of Hong Kong people cannot be erased. When he visited the familiar places again, everything was still vivid in his mind.

Photographer Daniels work, titled Looking Back All of a Sudden (), expresses his sadness after the social movement in Hong Kong. (Jenny Zeng/The Epoch Times)

Installation artworks left over from the Repainting the Taikoo Bridge event held in New York during the 33rd anniversary on June 4, 2022. (Jenny Zeng/The Epoch Times)

Photo from the  Repainting the Taikoo Bridge event held in New York during the 33rd anniversary on June 4, 2022. (Jenny Zeng/The Epoch Times)

Hong Kong people from all over the world contribute to the Wandering Hong Kong exhibition. (Jenny Zeng/The Epoch Times)

Artwork Reflecting the 2019 Hong Kong Airport Road during the blockade of the airport by protesters (Jenny Zeng/The Epoch Times)

 Wandering Hong Kong exhibition in Manhattan, New York. (Jenny Zeng/The Epoch Times)

The work of a Hongkonger in Los Angeles expresses the sentiment of wandering in a foreign country. (Jenny Zeng/The Epoch Times)

In 2019, the Hong Kong authorities proposed to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance to extradite Hong Kong people to mainland China, which triggered the Anti-Extradition Movement. Then in 2020, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) pushed through the National Security Law in Hong Kong and pro-democracy activists were arrested, resulting in a wave of emigration from Hong Kong. More than 100,000 Hong Kong people have emigrated to or gone into exile in other countries. On June 12, the third anniversary of the Movement, various organizations of Hong Kong people around the world hosted exhibitions hoping to pass on the culture and identity of Hong Kong people.

Speaking to the Epoch Times, Lian quoted Hungarian-Jewish writer Paul Tabori as saying that almost all exile movements disappear within a generation. He said that when it comes to passing on culture, every second counts. He hopes to learn from the Jewish spirit in recovering their homeland, so that the Hong Kong culture can continue overseas.

Lian continued, After 2,000 years away from their homeland, Jews can still preserve their own culture and identity through 80 generations of inheritance, and eventually take advantage of the opportunity to achieve their dreams.

Lian further pointed out, what made the Jews worthy of learning, was their perseverance in passing on their cultural heritage, on the one hand, and their financial strength to support their efforts on the other. He mentioned that many Hong Kong businessmen who supported the democratic movement have been suppressed by the regime and have exiled overseas. He hoped that the economic system of the democratic movement can continue overseas, maintaining the yellow economic circle in the words of the Hong Kong protesters, allowing the Hong Kong democracy movement overseas to maintain its economic independence.

Recently, Lian and other overseas Hong Kong media professionals organized a seminar Rebuilding Hong Kongs Civil Society Overseas in London, UK, on June 11 and 12, which was also supported by local Hong Kong businessmen.

At the same time, in Birmingham, UK, a group of Hong Kong people organized an art exhibition entitled The Price of Freedom Out of Hong Kong. There was also an exhibition in London, entitled From the Brickyard to the World: The Awakening and Transformation of Hongkongers was also organized by a group of Hong Kong people.

In Melbourne, Australia, the Hong Kong Film Festival opened on June 12 with screenings of films based on the anti-extradition movement, which organizers hope will help preserve Hong Kong culture. In Paris, France, a Hong Kong film festival will open on June 23. LK, an exiled Hong Kong activist who organized the festival, said that Hong Kong emigrants are looking forward to maintaining their identity as Hongkongers, which the Hong Kong government and the CCP are working to eradicate.

In the U.S., NY4HK held an online program Clubhouse on June 12, where Alex Chow Yong-kang (), board member of Hong Kong Democracy Council and student leader of the Umbrella Movement spoke. He pointed out that one country, two systems had ended in Hong Kong, but the overseas Hong Kong community has not given up their struggle for the Hong Kong of their heart. He believed that Hong Kong people in exile should actively participate in community affairs and build community ties, and that they should research on issues related to Hongkongers, continue to tell the stories of Hongkongers identity, values, history, and culture, and promote their own identity.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen in a police van, after he was arrested by British police, in London on April 11, 2019. (Henry Nicholls/Reuters)

WikiLeaks Founder Assange Vows to Fight Extradition From UK to US

LONDONThe wife of Julian Assange vowed to fight using every possible legal avenue after British Home Secretary Priti Patel on Friday approved the WikiLeaks founders extradition to the United States to face criminal charges.

Assange is wanted by U.S. authorities on 18 counts, including a spying charge, relating to WikiLeaks release of vast troves of confidential U.S. military records and diplomatic cables which Washington said had put lives in danger.

His supporters say he is an anti-establishment hero who has been victimized because he exposed U.S. wrongdoing in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that his prosecution is a politically motivated assault on journalism and free speech.

His wife Stella said Assange would appeal after the Home Office said his extradition had been approved as British courts had concluded it would not be unjust or an abuse of process.

Were going to fight this. Were going to use every appeal avenue, Stella Assange told reporters, calling the decision a travesty. Im going to spend every waking hour fighting for Julian until he is free, until justice is served.

His brother, Gabriel Shipton, told Reuters the appeal would include new information not previously taken to the courts, including claims made in a report last year of plans to assassinate him.

Originally, a British judge ruled Assange, 50, should not be deported, saying his mental health meant he would be at risk of suicide if convicted and held in a maximum security prison.

But this was overturned on an appeal after the United States gave a package of assurances, including a pledge he could be transferred to Australia to serve any sentence.

The Home Office said the courts had not found that extradition would be incompatible with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and to freedom of expression, and that he would be treated appropriately.

The Australian-born Assange has been involved in a legal fight in Britain for more than a decade and it could now go on for many more months.

He has 14 days to appeal to Londons High Court, which must give its approval for a challenge, and he could ultimately seek to take his case to the United Kingdom Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Chilling Message

Were not at the end of the road here, Stella Assange said, calling Patels decision a dark day for press freedom and for British democracy.

Nick Vamos, the former head of extradition at Britains Crown Prosecution Service, said verdicts were regularly overturned by the High Court. Assange would be able to claim again it was politically motivated and use new evidence, such as his allegations the CIA had plotted to assassinate him.

The CIA has declined to comment on his claims.

I think he might get some traction, Vamos told Reuters.

WikiLeaks first came to prominence when it published a U.S. military video in 2010 showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff.

It then released hundreds of thousands of secret classified files and diplomatic cables in what was the largest security breach of its kind in U.S. military history.

U.S. prosecutors and Western security officials regard Assange as a reckless enemy of the state whose actions imperiled the lives of agents named in the leaked material.

He and his supporters argue that he is being punished for embarrassing those in power and faces 175 years in prison if found guilty, although the U.S. lawyers have said it would be more like four to six years.

Allowing Julian Assange to be extradited to the U.S. would put him at great risk and sends a chilling message to journalists the world over, said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty Internationals secretary general.

The Australian government said it would continue to tell London and Washington that the case had dragged on for too long and should be brought to a close.

The legal saga began at the end of 2010 when Sweden sought Assanges extradition from Britain over allegations of sex crimes. When he lost that case in 2012, he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where he spent seven years.

When he was finally dragged out in April 2019, he was jailed for breaching British bail conditions although the Swedish case against him had been dropped. He has been fighting extradition to the United States since June 2019 and remains in jail.

During his time in the Ecuadorean embassy, he fathered two children with his now wife, who he married in Belmarsh high-security prison in London in March at a ceremony attended by just four guests, two official witnesses and two guards.

By Michael Holden
Since the death of George Floyd, the awareness of the Juneteenth holiday has soared in Connecticut and elsewhere.

All the recognition is out there, said Don Harris, who sits on the state Board of Education. People are out there talking about it. People are out there celebrating it.

Data from Google Trends about search interest in the word Juneteenth shows the holiday was barely searched prior to 2020, even on June 19.

In 2019, between June 16 and June 22, Google Trends gave Juneteenth a 9 out of 100 on the interest scale in Connecticut. During the same period in 2020, the value was 72. In 2021, the value maxed out at 100, meaning peak popularity for the term.

Awareness of Juneteenth, which recognizes the emancipation of enslaved people on June 19, 1865, became more widespread after Floyd was killed by a Minnesota police officer in May 2020, setting off a worldwide Black Lives Matter movement. While most protests have subsided, many Connecticut municipalities are holding first and second annual Juneteenth events this year, despite the holiday existing since 1866.

During those two years, people were reacting to George Floyd, said Martha Brackeen-Harris, who is a consultant who advises organizations like the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education.

There was a call that school districts and companies needed to hire a [diversity, equity and inclusion] person and that happened as a reaction, but as more and more people saw the value of it and started to learn and do some self work and reading, it has changed from being reactive to the right thing to do and even proactive as they see our country will continue to become more diverse.

Many history books may not have caught up with the increased recognition around the holiday, but some educational leaders in the state are filling in the gaps.

Public Act 19-12 passed the state Legislature in 2019, requiring all public high schools to offer courses in African, Black, Puerto Rican and Latino studies. In the first year of the curriculum, more than 1,000 students participated this academic year.

It hit most school systems last September with the understanding it becomes mandatory next year, said Harris, who is also on the board of directors at CABE. Juneteenth is definitely a part of that curriculum.

Increased societal awareness about Juneteenth is a side effect of a larger trend of having more access to information about diversity and inclusion, much of which is coming from the schools.

Even among students who are not Black, students want to know because its their history too, Brackeen-Harris said. Many students want to know things. They dont want things held from them.

Brackeen-Harris has been holding webinars and conversations at school districts across the state about how to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion topics into the classroom.

Weve been teaching about critical thinking in math and all the subjects, so they are used to saying, Hmm, I wonder what this is about and how this happened, Brackeen-Harris said.

While many students will already be off for summer break, Juneteenth is now an official school and state holiday in Connecticut that will be recognized on Monday.

The work of creating equitable education spaces doesnt end with increased Juneteenth recognition. Amy Dowell, state director for Democrats for Education Reform, said the organization has been working to recruit teachers from diverse backgrounds.

One of the things that we have been focused in on right now is resource equity and how it relates to teacher shortages and which districts are able to retain teachers and recruit teachers competitively for hard-to-fill spots, like [special education] teachers, and math teachers and things like that, where certain districts are struggling to really fill those roles, from year to year, and how we can tie efforts to recruit more teachers of color into Connecticut schools, Dowell said.

This weekend, towns across Connecticut are holding Juneteenth parades and festivals, such as East Hartford, which will hold its first Juneteenth celebration on Saturday.

The woman behind the celebration, Rosamond White, said shes been attending Juneteenth events at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford for years. Its only recently that the holiday has become mainstream in East Hartford.

Ive always known about Juneteenth, said White, chairperson of the commission on culture and finance in the mayors office. For me, what this does with the holiday and everything else, it says we are actually learning and exploring a lot more history and understanding each other.

White credits the dialogue around the holiday and diversity in general for the increased recognition.

All of our histories are intertwined in what makes this beautiful country, White said. It is important we all understand it so we understand this country, this flag, is freedom for all.

At the East Hartford event, which will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, a variety of local artists, vendors and performers will spread out on the town green in a family-oriented setting.

The students should learn American history: The good, the bad and the ugly, White said. That would be Juneteenth and everything else.
NORWALK  Maria Fe Luque wants to remind her fellow graduates that theyve already overcome so much in their journey to high school graduation and they are prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

Weve been through so much together. Ive heard so many people say that despite missing a year and a half, weve still been able to bounce back, said Fe Luque, who was selected as the Kevin M. Eidt Distinguished Student Speaker for the Norwalk High School and P-TECH Norwalk graduation ceremony on Friday.

Fe Luque, who was born in Peru and immigrated to America around age 5, is excited to attend Harvard University in the fall. She already enjoyed a welcoming experience at the school during its admitted students weekend known as Visitas, a play on the schools motto, Veritas. At college, she plans to get a degree in American studies while also pursuing an interest in religious studies.

The Kevin M. Eidt Distinguished Student Speaker also awarded Fe Luque a $2,500 scholarship from Kevins Fund. Norwalk High School memorialized its distinguished student speaker for Kevin Eidt when it moved from GPA to a Latin Honors system.

The graduating senior shared her message of resiliency as well as how she deals with the daily pressures of school and life, what she expects from her fellow graduates, and the moment that led her on the path shes taking to Harvard.

Q: What do you do to de-stress?

A: Hanging out with friends. Theres just something about sharing an experience with someone else. I remember this one thing my sister told me, If youre doing something, just worry about that thing. Live in the moment  and you will not regret it.

Q: What excites you about your future?

A: Something that really excites me is Im going to be entering the world with a clean slate, almost. Im really excited of how open minded Ill be to take everything in whether its in education or experiences at Harvard or after that, too. Im excited to see who the person is I become from all that Ive learned.

Right now, I dont know much. Although I do know enough to graduate, I dont know much about the world. Im just excited to see how the world works and to understand the people who have spoken to me, how they view the world. I want to view the world through my own lens.

Q: What scares you about your future?

A: What scares me is how much I dont know. I will make mistakes, I will veer off my path, but I hope we are resilient, and we will bounce back. Everyone has to make mistakes, but its more than that. Its everyone has to try and fail and try and fail and I know I will do that, but Im excited for what that result will be after trying and failing and trying and failing and how I will end up at the end of the day.

Q: What is your message to your fellow graduates?

A: We are all resilient. With this resiliency, we will carry that onto the next chapter of our lives. Weve overcome so many things this year from the pandemic from having to wear masks to taking them off, to that one week where we all got COVID after New Years Eve. My overarching theme is resiliency. To remind them to put your heart and soul into everything and only good will come from it.

Q: What expectations do you have for your generation?

A: I expect my generation to be the one that of course not only brings positive change but also makes a lot of people become aware of others opinions. I think we as a society, were close minded and we dont care about the other and their thoughts. I want my generation to be open to it all, to take it all in, to assess thoroughly with an open mind. I really think going through a pandemic, going through all these things, I think we have so much potential to create good things out of what we went through, suffered through.

I see leaders in our group and everywhere  in Brien McMahon, in other schools. I see leaders and as we graduate, I know were proud of what weve done, and I want us to continue to be proud of what well become. I know there is change coming and were all leaders in the making for a real, truly better tomorrow.

Q: What advice do you have for underclassmen?

A: Two simple words: Be brave. Be brave in what you try. Be brave in what youre scared to do. Be brave in everything and never give up. The least you can get is a no, and even then you can keep on trying. Being brave, it makes you strong. It makes you confident. But being brave gives you the power to do the unimaginable. What you think you cant do. It makes the impossible possible.

I say be brave a lot. Those are some words that my grandma always told me. In Spanish of course  se valiente. She was a teacher for 70-plus years. Shes no longer with us, but I know she would want me to tell you this and tell my class this.

Q: What was a defining moment in your life?

One moment that definitely changed my perspective and made me focus on my academics was my oldest sisters graduation. She graduated from UConn in 2016. I was like 11 or 12, still very young to understand the entirety of it. I remember being in this huge stadium and impatiently waiting for her to finally go up. But I didnt know what that meant. When she finally went up, she was in this white cap and gown and she was cheesing, smiling everywhere. Getting her diploma, taking a picture with the backdrop of UConn. From then, I started questioning it and realizing that its a right of passage.

She inspires me a lot because she came here at the age of 16 and still managed to graduate on time  and went to UConn, which is amazing. It was amazing for our family.

I just saw my other sister graduate from Boston College last month. Now, I actually understand. That one was also very rewarding. Now its my turn.

emily.morgan@hearstmediact.com




(Global Times) During recent times the international community has been witnessing the increasing strategic rivalry between the collective West and a group of states including Russia and China as well as a split between Western and non-Western world. This trend accelerated after the Ukraine crisis started in 2014 and had a drastic boost after the beginning of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine on February 24.

The US and its allies imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia trying to isolate that country from the global community. However, this policy has backfired. Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said that the West had isolated Russia but in doing so has been isolated from the rest of the world. His statement confirms the fact that the spilt between the collective West and non-Western world has really widened and there is an ongoing process toward multipolarity.

In this context the role of BRICS has become even more important at any stage of its existence for two reasons. First, it is a tool for its participants to preserve their independence in the political and economic decision-making from the West. Second, BRICS is an entity that ensures stability in the world affairs. It is aimed at making a geopolitical split less confrontational and smooth. It is a kind of insurance for the rest of the world when the West makes mistakes and destabilizes the situation.

Western entities including the G7, NATO or AUKUS are aimed at preserving dominance of the collective West led by the US. During recent trilateral meetings at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi of Japan and South Korean Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup claimed that they saw challenges to the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific in very much the same ways and shared determination based on their common interests and common values, to take actions together to bolster deterrence security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. In fact, these futile attempts are designed at pushing non-Western states to the global political periphery.

On the eve of the upcoming BRICS summit, it is appropriate to look again at this influential entity and Russia's participation. Russia is pursuing constructive goals in the framework of three spheres, namely economic, political and security, and humanitarian areas.

Russian leadership shares the common approach that BRICS' activity should be aimed at raising the entity's effectiveness through solidarity and engagement. It should have an inclusive character. Russia disagrees with the Western promotion of the world order based on the rules adopted by the West without consent of the non-Western countries. Unlike Western states, Russia's activity within BRICS focuses on the strengthening of the central role held by the UN, G20 and international law as a whole.

In the face of growing strategic rivalry, Russian leaders and their BRICS partners share the necessity to make global governance institutions more representative involving states from the non-Western world. It is important that developing countries as well as states with shaping markets should be involved in the global decision-making. In this respect BRICS is a guarantee of such opportunity and Russia will do its best to bolster such steps inside BRICS. Russia is interested in coordination of BRICS's position on crucial international issues at the key international forums. This synergetic approach will be more effective to deal with such issues.

Facing the current economic crisis, BRICS is acting as a pillar of stability in the world for non-Western countries. Russia and China came out against illegal Western sanctions and believe that BRICS can play a constructive role in resisting US attempts of applying its domestic law to punish disloyal countries. One of the ways to soften impact of Western sanctions and outside interference is to minimize using Western national currencies in payments among BRICS members. This move can be bolstered by the activity of the New Development Bank (NDB) and Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) that are supposed to give BRICS and developing countries more independence from IMF and the World Bank thus buttressing multipolarity. Russia will promote adherence to the WTO rules that are being breached by the West. It is vital as by doing so BRICS will protect developing economies that are vulnerable to Western economic malpractice.

The author is deputy head of the International and National Security Department, Diplomatic Academy, Moscow.
The storms in the early morning hours on Friday were challenging for Ameren Illinois.

Even though Ameren Illinois had already activated its Emergency Operations Center at 6:30 a.m. and had crews on standby, the storm was a unique challenge, causing the outages of about 53,000 customers across Illinois.

Most of those outages started in the counties of St. Clair and Madison and stretched southeast to the Kentucky border.

By 5 p.m. Friday, power was restored to 34,000 customers.

Once Ameren Illinois accessed the damages and realized the storms didnt extend north, crews from northern Illinois were brought to help, as well as crews from Missouri, Ohio and West Virginia.

It takes us several hours to access the damage and determine if we need outside resources, Ameren Illinois spokesperson Brian Bretsch said.

When restoring power, Ameren Illinois first prioritizes Tier 1 customers, which are your critical infrastructure facilities like hospitals, water treatment systems and police departments.

Then, the restoration crews look at maps of circuits to determine what the fix next that restores the most power in one area, until its eventually narrowed down to the neighborhoods that only have one or two houses without power.

Theres no one magic fix we can do to bring back several thousand customers at once, Bretsch said. Its a slow process.

This storm was challenging because the outages were in small pockets and not just a large area.

"This storm has been particularly challenging," said David Wakeman, Senior Vice President, Electric Operations and Technical Services, Ameren Illinois. "Our crews are dealing with downed trees and limbs and significant damage to the distribution infrastructure that delivers power directly to local neighborhoods. These local outages require crews to assess each area and repair the services individually."

Customer safety is of utmost importance, particularly when severe weather occurs. Ameren Illinois urges customers to take precautions to protect themselves and their families, including staying away from downed power lines and immediately reporting any downed lines to Ameren Illinois.

During extremely hot weather, check on friends, neighbors and relatives who may be especially vulnerable to high temperatures, such as those who are older, have medical issues or do not have air conditioning.

Consider going to an air-conditioned place during the hottest times of the day. Options may include the home of a friend or neighbor, a shopping mall or a public building. Some communities may have temporary cooling centers. Ameren Illinois will provide information on cooling centers as the information becomes available.

In addition to staying as cool as possible, it is important to drink plenty of water or other liquids that do not contain caffeine, alcohol or large amounts of sugar. Never wait until you are thirsty to drink.

Keep shades, curtains and blinds closed during the day to reduce effects of solar heating.

If you are using a portable generator, place it outside and away from doors or windows.

For more information, visit the Ameren Illinois website.
Golden Apple, a nonprofit committed to preparing, supporting and mentoring aspiring teachers, inducted more than 360 aspiring educators from across the state into its 2022 class of Golden Apple Scholars.

The induction ceremony was held June 4 at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Targeted toward high school seniors, as well as freshman and sophomore college students, the Scholars program provides participants with a robust support network, paid summer professional development, classroom teaching experience, job placement support, up to $23,000 in financial support and mentoring from award-winning teachers.

Our Scholars program provides life changing, holistic support to individuals with the determination and drive to become highly effective teachers," said Alan Mather, president of Golden Apple.

"It also has the ability to make a material difference in the dire teacher shortage that were experiencing. This Scholars class is taking a powerful first step toward impacting the lives of students in Illinois.

Illinois is currently facing a devastating and worsening teacher shortage crisis, making programs such as Scholars, which prepares next generation educators, more important than ever. According to a recent report released by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents, 88% of school districts statewide reported having a teacher shortage problem last year, up from 77% in 2020.

The Scholars program is designed to remove barriers that exist to entering the teaching profession and 97% of Scholars find employment within 90 days after graduation. Between placement assistance helping Scholars find the right school-of-need for them and mentoring services in their early years in the classroom, 82% of Scholars stay in teaching beyond their first five years.

Also, 55% of the newly inducted class of Scholars are incoming high school seniors, while 45% are transitioning from a community college or were already in a bachelor's program. Collectively, more than half of all Golden Apple Scholars are first generation in their families to attend college and approximately 50% are people of color.

The Scholars class of 2022 will play a meaningful role in filling teacher vacancies across the state in future years, especially in critical subject areas, like bilingual education, STEM and special education, said Alicia Winckler, CEO of Golden Apple. I look forward to watching this cohort progress through the program and become the highly skilled and dedicated teachers that Illinois students need and deserve.

Over the summer, Scholars will participate in Golden Apples Scholar Institute, a rigorous, multi-week teacher preparation program. Some of this summers 11 Scholar Institutes kicked off June 5, with others set to begin in future weeks and extend through July 28.

Scholar Institutes are geographically dispersed throughout the state. This summer, more than 1,000 Scholars will attend Scholar Institutes where they will prepare to become highly effective teachers.

For more information on the Scholars program, visit www.goldenapple.org/scholars.
A $4,000 grant from Landmarks Illinois to repair the roof of the Granite City Fire Museum is just part of a much larger plan to renovate the museum and the building next door to it.

Landmarks Illinois has awarded $24,500 in matching funds to eight preservation projects across the state. A total of $16,000 was awarded to four projects through the Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Program. That includes the grant for the Granite City Fire Museum, which was built in 1904 and used as the citys first city hall, police station and firehouse.

Ive lived here for 51 years, including 24 years with the police department, and I knew the museum existed, but I had never been in the building, Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson said. Larry Zotti (unofficial curator of the museum) is a longtime friend of mine and he has been involved with it, so I got in touch with Larry, and I told him I wanted to see the building.

The city owns the building, but I knew that Larry had maintained it for many years. I met Larry at the museum and Rick Daily (building and zoning administrator for Granite City) went with me. We toured the building and we saw that it was a gem that our residents should be able to enjoy.

While touring the building, which is located at 1411 19th St., Parkinson and Daily realized that it needed a lot of work.

Its such a historic building, not only for Madison County but also for the region as a whole, said Parkinson, who was an arson investigator for the police department. It required support to get the maintenance of it where it needed to be. Much to Larrys credit, he put in a lot of money out of his own pocket to keep this place going through the years.

I reached out to Paula Hubbard (grant writer for Granite City) and she started looking for grants. The first one she came up with was from Landmarks Illinois.

The building has a lot of sentimental value for Zotti, who has been a collector of firehouse memorabilia since he was a little boy.

I drove by the building one day back in 1991 after I had just bought an old firetruck and I needed a place to put it, Zotti said.

I talked to a gentleman who was an alderman and he said he would see what he could do, and thats how I ended up with the building. The city put some money into it to get it up to snuff and Ive been in there since 1992.

The museum is a collection of old firetrucks and fire-related memorabilia, photos and gear.

Over the last 30 years, Ive watched the building deteriorate in certain areas, plus some prior damage from the building next door with a mishap they had, Zotti said. There is a lot that needs to be done, but it was Granite Citys first city hall, police station and firehouse and it has a lot of historical value.

It was horse house originally because the building was built prior to having motorized firetrucks. The police department was in the back side of it. Where the jail used to be, prisoners would climb up to the top bunk and they would scratch their names on the wall, and you can still see them there today.

Once Parkinson realized there was a need for funding to repair the building, things moved quickly. Hubbard said that Zotti suggested applying for a grant from Landmarks Illinois.

Hubbard noted that some bids are out for the repair of the roof at the Fire Museum. Brick facade works needs to be done on the exterior of the building and the older boiler system and HVAC system need to be replaced as well.

Together Larry and I wrote the grant and at the same time, Rick Daily used a drone to take pictures of the exterior of the building, Hubbard said.

Hubbard added that the city will be using other sources, including additional grants from Landmarks Illinois, to provide more funding for renovation of the two buildings.

We will have to continue applying for funds from Landmark Illinois if we want them, Hubbard said. We are eligible for specific monies for this particular project. Its preservation work that they are interested in and there are some standards that we have to abide by.

Were using whatever funds we can to make sure that the building is safe, Parkinson added. Water has caused a lot of damage to it, so were looking at replacing the whole roof on both buildings. Were utilizing grant money to do these projects. This isnt taking money from roads that need to be fixed or curbs that need to be repaired because were doing millions of dollars of that right now.

The city offices moved out of the building in 1929, when the current city hall was built, and the entire building became a firehouse. The firehouse was in service until 1960, when a new station was built.

In addition to the city hall, police station and firehouse, the building once housed the city council chamber and the city jail.

Zottis pride and joy is a 1922 fire engine that Granite City bought brand new.

I used to play on it when I was a little boy, said Zotti, who is 71. I was able to get it back in 1987 and my father and I restored it for four and a half years just before he passed away, and its sitting in the same spot right now in that engine house that it was when it was delivered in 1922.

The building next door to the Fire Museum, meanwhile, is the former home of an Elks Lodge and a Moose Lodge and has been vacant in recent years.

We took on the idea of this being a legitimate museum for people to enjoy and we saw the opportunity to buy the building next door to expand it, Parkinson said. We can have kids parties there and have an event space for kids.

In the near future, well be looking for grant money for that and grant money to expand the firehouse into a multi-use facility. Wed like to add more memorabilia and perhaps include some police-related items as well. Wed like to rent it out for fire-themed birthday parties and hold civic events there.

In doing research, Hubbard found two possible construction dates  1904 and 1908  for the building next to the Fire Museum. In either case, both buildings date from the same era, making them a good candidate for a joint renovation project.

No other city administration until right now had taken an interest in working closely with Larry to restore the museum building, Hubbard said. Mayor Parkinson took the initiative to meet with Larry and he got excited about the potential of the building. We only had a week to complete the grant, but we were able to do it.

No mayor took this project on because they didnt have the money or the wherewithal to bring in somebody like Paula who can go out and find money that the city taxpayers dont have to account for, Parkinson added. To not only see the value of what Larry has done through the years but also to bring someone like Paula into the project and into the city is what the citizens of Granite City need.

Parkinson added that anyone in the community who is interested in working with the renovation of the two buildings should call City Hall at 618-452-6214.
Dear Sir/Madam,

Hello All,

Broadcast date: 15 Jun 2022.

I am here to complain about the recent interview Jamal Osman conducted with Al-shabab. I find this report to be a promotion for Al-Shabaab. This demonstrates how irresponsible behaviour of journalists negligently fuelled the events. Journalists like Jamal Osman wished to introduce a fresh new dimension to their stories, as if they were not dramatic enough, and by doing this unnecessarily endangered human lives. What is required is accountability: thinking about the consequences of reporting. This is because Jamal Osman on the 16th of June was interviewed by a (Somali Journalist) and he stated that " Some Somali officials that works for the Somali government have connections with Al-Shabab" I have already seen some Somali officials asking Jamal Osman to bring the evidence of the people that works for the Somali government that have connections with the terrorists. The effect that the mass media can have in promoting terrorism, its perpetrators and whatever vile ideology inspires them. A piece of extremist propaganda might reach tens of thousands of people naturally through their own channels or networks, but the moment a national TV channel publishes it in full then it has a potential reach of tens of millions. We must recognise this as harmful to our society and security.

The reality is that every terrorist we have dealt with has sought inspiration from the propaganda of others, and when they cant find it on Facebook, YouTube, Telegram or Twitter they only have to turn on the TV, read the paper or go to one of a myriad of mainstream media websites struggling to compete with those platforms.

Its driving decent people out of the debate and off the internet, creating a permissive environment capable of pushing the most extreme ideologues over the edge. Imagine the report Jamal Osman he said " a third of the country is controlled by Al Shabaab" Jamal Osman or his team are expected not simply to report whatever the terrorists are saying. It is the media's duty to exercise some judgment and scrutinize the terrorists' messages. The media need not play into the hands of terrorism, serving their interests and their political agenda

Society needs to look carefully at itself. We cannot simply hide behind the mantra of freedom of speech. That freedom is not an absolute right, it is not the freedom to cause harm.

I would like to invite editors to debate this with the survivors of terrorism and those of us trying to counter it. To provide terrorists the publicity they need to inform the public about their operations and goals. Indeed, democracy is the best arena for those who wish to reach their ends by violent means. Violent movements and individuals recognize the "democratic catch" - The media amplify and personalize crises. But journalists should strive to resort to responsible terminology that does not help the terrorists in their attempt to undermine the democratic order.

The Journalist is expected to refrain from making dangerous speculations about the terrorists' plans, government response, hostages' messages, and other matters. Speculations might hinder crisis management.

Regards


Like previous administrations, the Buhari administration's approach to democracy cannot be defined as vigorously people-oriented, responsive, responsible, pro rule of law, for human rights, and civic participation. Under these types of negative elements, the common people find themselves under expanding poverty, limping development efforts, and problematic democracy. People who are dissatisfied, who are hungry for justice and fairness, resort to various acts of lawlessness and extremism. In a place where people wish and hope to gain from various types and levels of corruption and where people feel helpless and pained, such an environment provides a clear opportunity for terrorists to exploit the anger and frustration.

In a country where one side of the country, the people and their leaders demonstrate superiority of faith and religion and agreement when it matters most, the other side betrays each other's trust, sells each other out for personal gain, pawns their people's political future for personal gain, betrays collective agreement, allows themselves to be sabotaged, and acts as tools to be used against their people's interests. As such, disunity, confusion, and cluelessness become the drivers of an unstable economy and an undemocratic environment. In fact, Nigeria will increasingly remain unstable, insecure, and powerless in empowering its population under these destructive conditions.

The new Electoral Act was supposed to guide the on-going election season and campaigns. Instead, the electoral process beginning with the primaries showed markers of vote buying, delegates swapping, pressured substitution, ethnic, religious, and sentimental considerations.

It is clear that a national type of policing has failed as the leaders and VIPs come before the community in terms of safety and security. While it is absurd to think that a national police chief stationed in Abuja, the nations capital, can effectively enforce policing for 200 million citizens, the politically and traditionally corrupt leaders welcome such an arrangement as such are against a decentralized police system, like state police.

In a society where the taste for standards of professionalism and leadership accountability is bitter, in the wake of any gross and multiple security failures, no one sees the affected leaders personally resigning or being forcibly fired. On June 5, 2022, a mass shooting and bomb attack occurred at a Catholic church in the city of Owo, Ondo state. By now, all security and law enforcement chiefs should have been given two options; to resign or be terminated, as they remain poor fits in terms of true leadership.

What about this: Central Bank of Nigeria governor Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, blazingly exhibited partisan politics by trying succeeding President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 in spite of the fact, such awkward behavior could be dangerous and compromise the autonomy of the apex bank. He is still in office as of this writing. So called leaders continue to show disrespect for constitutional rules, a continuous attitude of contempt and disregard for the people they lead, and they do it with condescension. The madness of annual, incessant, indefinite, or lingering strikes by public university staff and stiff fights with the federal government has continuously damaged the university system. Acts of lawlessness and barbarity that were widespread in ancient times and the Middle Ages are now common with citizens beheading and setting each other ablaze for various religious and nonreligious allegations.

In the recently scheduled primary elections, it is not uncommon for someone who emerged as a winner to be replaced with a name that did not contest due to influence or threats from the powerful.

As long as there is an ethnic, religious, and corrupt approach to governance, better opportunities for all will not be there. The menace of terrorists will grow. So-called leaders in various states and Abuja, refuse to put national interests ahead of personal interests, anxiety and apprehension increase, an enabling environment becomes almost nil, and agitation for self-determination deepens. The 2023 elections will be held, in large part, in February and March of 2023. Let's see what happens. I worry. There are too many ideological, physical, egotistical and yeye (absurd) threats to our young democracy.

I wish there was a way to conduct national therapy for the collective mess up, but meanwhile, each Nigerian needs to reckon with their approach to the Nigerian space, take a check on their own attitude regarding their actions in society and other surroundings.

John Egbeazien Oshodi, who was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria to a father who served in the Nigeria police for 37 years, is an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult and 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. He is 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]y
Nigerian Association of Women Journalists, Ebonyi state chapter said picking women as running mates by governorship candidates of the various political parties for 2023 election will engender equity, justice and fairness in the nation's politics.

The Chairperson of the Association, Comrade Nkechinyere Oginyi who made this remarks at a press Conference in Abakaliki called on governorship candidates of various political parties across the country to choose women as their running mates.

Comrade Oginyi described women as nation builders, adding that empowering women politically will bring cohesion in the country.

Oginyi maintained that women who have served the nation in various capacities performed creditably and urged men to give women more opportunities in the political space.

She said "as critical stakeholders, NAWOJ Ebonyi, makes bold to say that Nigeria cannot be advocating for an inclusive society, when all gender are not given equal opportunity to access political power to contribute to nation-building.

"The time to show sincerity to an inclusive society has come and we urge all gubernatorial candidates in Ebonyi State, to pick women as their running mates in the 2023 governorship election.

"There is no gain saying the obvious, that women are nation builders and empowering a woman, is empowering a whole nation.

"We have had notable women who were either appointed or elected to head different offices and they all distinguished themselves in their various endeavors.

"NAWOJ Ebonyi, however, commends the governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, for running a government where women are given prominent positions in the state.

"He is the only governor that has the highest number of women in his state executive council.

"The only governor that has a woman as the Chairman, Association of local Government of Nigeria, (ALGON). He has given women a voice in the state, as he has also empowered many.

"However, women deserve more, which is why we are calling on all gubernatorial candidates in various political parties in the state to give women the opportunity to contribute more to the development of Ebonyi State".

The Chairperson called on the masses to get their permanent voters cards to vote for the candidate of their choices in the general election.
With monkeypox cases on the rise in Europe, Canada and the U.S., state and local health experts Thursday warned Nebraska residents and health care providers to be on the lookout for the virus and the rash it typically causes.

Dr. Matthew Donahue, Nebraska's state epidemiologist, said more than 2,000 confirmed monkeypox infections have been reported across 36 countries that normally don't experience the illness. As of Thursday morning, 84 cases had been confirmed in 19 U.S. states and territories. At the top of the list are New York and California with 16 cases each and Illinois with 10. Nebraska's nearest neighbor reporting cases is Colorado with four.

Nebraska and neighbors Iowa, Kansas and South Dakota so far have not identified any cases. But at the current pace of identifications in the U.S., he said, health officials should expect to find it in Nebraska at some point. It may already be in the state.

"It's not clear right now how big this monkeypox outbreak is going to be," Donahue said. "So to get in front of this, we need people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox to speak up and tell their doc, so we can help you get a test."

While the outbreak comes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, there are significant differences. Not only is testing already available through the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory, there also are treatments and vaccines for monkeypox.

"We have more tools to be able to stop this thing than we had at the beginning of COVID-19," Donahue said.

And while researchers still are learning about the severity of monkeypox and its possible long-term effects, no deaths and few hospitalizations have been reported in connection with the outbreak, unlike with COVID-19. "That's very reassuring to me," he said.

Reports indicate that a disproportionately high number of cases so far have been among gay and bisexual men who have sex with other men.

"It's important to talk about that so that those who might be in harm's way know to watch for symptoms of monkeypox," he said. In addition, anyone who has had close contact with someone who is infectious also is at risk.

Dr. Jessica Jones, an infectious diseases physician with Methodist Health System, said monkeypox currently is being spread through close, intimate personal contact with people who have monkeypox, and particularly through contact with one of the monkeypox lesions.

The virus also can be spread through respiratory droplets during interactions at close proximity, generally 6 feet or less for three hours or more, she said.

Dr. Angela Hewlett, an infectious diseases specialist with Nebraska Medicine, said monkeypox is presenting differently during this outbreak than what has been documented in the past.

In classic monkeypox, the virus has an incubation period of between four and 21 days but generally appears between a week to 10 days, said Hewlett, medical director of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit. Typically, a patient has fever, headache and body aches before a rash develops a few days later. That classic rash starts as a red, flat rash on the body and face and progresses to a more characteristically pox-like rash.

During the current outbreak, however, patients may have one lesion, or sometimes a handful, and they may appear only in the genital area where they may be confused with other sexually transmitted diseases. Patients may not have other symptoms.

Jones said anyone who suspects they have monkeypox should isolate and call their primary care provider and make appropriate arrangements to be evaluated. That way, clinics are prepared to safely evaluate that patient.

Dr. Renuga Vivekanandan, chief of infectious disease at CHI Health and Creighton University, said health care providers who suspect a case should contact their local health department, which can explain how to collect swabs and arrange for testing through the public health lab.

Both the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state health department have posted alerts for clinicians regarding monkeypox.

Vivekanandan said vaccination for monkeypox is not recommended for the general public. But post-exposure vaccines may be in order for those who have been exposed.

Donahue said vaccines are available through the CDC from the national stockpile and can be moved to the state quickly if necessary.

"No one really knows how far this has gone already and how far it could get," he said. "But if we're going to stand a chance of stopping this, we need people to watch for that rash, call their docs and talk to their docs about that rash, and then get that test done."

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"A president of Igbo extraction is not just another good idea that checks off the boxes of fairness and promoting harmony. Nigeria will derive many positives on the account of it alone. However, a president of Igbo extraction, nation-building or independent statehood is not an end in itself. There are countless studies and historical pieces of evidence that point to the fact that mental depiction of a perfect state is an elusive eldorado. Even civilised nations still have several unmet needs to grapple with. The thinking, which has unfortunately become popular in the southeast, that there is a one-size-fits-all solution is misleading. No one solution will permanently solve the agitations in the hearts of men. Political perfection is a constantly changing goalpost. As long as people still have breath in their nostrils, there must be yearnings in their hearts that will remain unsatisfied by the state, no matter how hard it strives. Neither Igbo presidency nor Biafra, nor restructuring, nor the release of Nnamdi Kanu can satisfy the yearnings in the hearts of south-easterners. Not even all of them put together. That is not to say that good governance and equity demands should not be made. I have personally been making such demands and I encourage all healthy conversations that are aimed at moving the needle of governance and justice further. We should however approach these matters with humility and the understanding that we cannot achieve perfection with one stroke, no matter how ambitious. That understanding alone will deal with a lot of the passions and extremism that have unfortunately characterised these discussions."

Chima Christian is a member of the opposition People's Democratic Party. He ran for the office of the State Publicity Secretary of the Anambra State chapter of the party. In this interview with our correspondent, the public policy analyst sat to discuss the just-concluded primaries, defections, separatist movements and insecurity in the southeast. The interview is excerpted below.

Q: Can you provide us with some insights into some of the developments at the PDP that led to the exit of some members like Peter Obi?

Political participation is a voluntary one. And people have different reasons for joining or leaving political platforms. This is especially more so in Nigeria where there are no clear ideological markers of identity that separate party A from party Z.

Q: As an upcoming leader in the party, what's your personal assessment of the processes that produced Atiku Abubakar as the party's presidential flag bearer for the 2023 election?

PDP presidential primaries did not produce the outcome I and many young Nigerians wished to see. That milk has been spilt and I see no need to cry over it. I have however taken notes of the missed opportunity and lessons learned.

Q: Many believe the PDP appears to have betrayed the southeast by not keeping faith with the zoning arrangement. What's your take on this?

The sentiments are there. My feeling is that the PDP placed petty partisan interests ahead of weightier considerations of fairness, equity and justice. Even while we south-easterners lament, there is also a need for us to ask heady questions. For instance, what role did fellow south-easterners play or did not play that guaranteed this electoral outcome?

Q: The likes of Ebonyi Governor, Dave Umahi left PDP when he discovered that the party was not ready to zone its presidential ticket to the southeast. Don't you think he has been vindicated?

My appraisal is that Gov. Dave Umahi outperformed his southeastern peers on several indices of governance. That personal assessment of him has not changed simply because he decided to leave our party to try his luck elsewhere. What I did not appreciate is the way he went about speaking ill of the party that gave him all his political opportunities so far, including the one he currently enjoys.

That said, the relationship that exists between Gov. Umahi and President Muhammadu Buhari is not a secret. In leaving the PDP, Umahi made a calculated attempt to leverage his relationship with Buhari to further his presidential aspirations on the platform of the APC seeing that his chances were not as bright in the PDP. That is political pragmatism and I do not fault him for that. His gamble did not pay off however. Not for him personally nor indeed for the other presidential hopefuls of southeast extraction in the APC.

As to your question of whether Umahi has been vindicated, result of the presidential primaries of the APC does not suggest so.

If indeed Umahi left the PDP to pursue Igbo agenda as claimed, he would have also left the APC to join forces with the only party that has presented a credible Igbo candidate. Umahi was and is still pursuing a personal, not a collective aspiration. That does not make him a bad person. The weak attempt to present himself as a champion of the Igbo race should however be consigned to the dustbin of history where it rightly belongs.

Q: Governor Nyesom Wike accused southern governors of betrayal in the aftermath of his loss of PDP presidential ticket to Atiku. Do you think his position was justified given that many expected them to rally behind the return of the ticket to the south?

My interpretation of Gov. Nyesom Wike's interview during which he heaped blame on his southern brothers but went silent on the shocking betrayal of his friend Aminu Tambuwal is that Wike missed a huge opportunity for self-introspection.

The manner Gov. Wike went about his campaign in the south was widely reported. His comments, for the most part, lacked the grace expected of a presidential aspirant. Instead of closing ranks and building consensus with his southern brothers, Wike went about as if he did not need the support of the south or if he can commandeer such support with brute force.

Wike's approach reeked of arrogance. He had issues with nearly all his brother governors and presidential aspirants from the south. Instead of lobbying and watering the ground for future collaboration, Wike carried on with so much hubris as if he had not only won the primaries but had been sworn in as the president of Nigeria already.

If Wike is looking for who betrayed him, he should first look into the mirror. His presidential ambition was largely betrayed by his untamed character and uncouth language. Secondly, Wike should point some fingers up north where he had spent a considerable amount of resources and goodwill in the service of the 2019 presidential aspirations of his friend Aminu Tambuwal. Given what Wike had spent in the service of his friendship with Tambuwal and how Tambuwal returned the favour, it should be obvious who betrayed Wike in Abuja. Wike remains our brother nonetheless. A loss of this magnitude could be devastating, especially given the confidence that preceded it. I am praying for him. I hope he finds the time to reflect and mend fences with some of his brothers and sisters whom he roughed up in his quest for power.

Q: Given that a large chunk of PDP faithful in the southeast seem to have followed Peter Obi to the Labour Party, what do you think of the party's chances at the next presidential poll?

I believe that our party the PDP threw away a huge opportunity to reclaim the power it lost in 2015. The damage done, especially in the southeast which has all the while been its most loyal voting bloc is nearly irreparable.

However, the general election, in my estimation, will go to who works the hardest. Peter Obi's Labour Party has a lot of organic energy and goodwill going for it. The PDP will have to work extremely hard to roll back certain disadvantages. Even while we work hard to win, my prayer is for the peace and progress of the country regardless of the outcome of the general elections.

Q: The PDP in Anambra State and southeastern states appear to be battling to remain united ahead of the 2023 general election. Do you see the party faring better than 2019 in the geopolitical zone?

If I am to be honest with you, the PDP will be lucky to get even 5 percent of the total votes cast in the southeast during the 2023 presidential election. This will not necessarily be so in other elective positions. The emergent reality is that many voters in the southeast presently have their favourites running for different elective positions on different political platforms. These favourites used to be clustered in one political party. That is no longer the case in the southeast. However, the southeast as a voting bloc is more sophisticated than it gets credit for. Voters down here know how to sort through the ballot and vote different parties for different elective positions. While the bandwagon effect may assist one or two candidates, nearly all of them will rise and fall on their individual capacities.

Q: What's your take on the security crisis rocking the southeast?

The security issues in the southeast were both foreseeable and preventable. But the political leadership of the southeast failed yet again. Abuja-controlled security resources became lethargic and unresponsive to the security demands of the country. This included the southeast which had an often exaggerated but potent threat of terrorists masquerading as herdsmen. Seeing how Benue state, for instance, had been overrun by terrorists and the accusations of federal government's duplicity coming from the government of Benue State, it became apparent that the southeast needed a homegrown security outfit to fill in the gap.

While the southwest responded with Amotekun, southeast political power players did not show as much commitment and decisiveness. So separatists, who I suspect have always nursed an armed agenda, saw an opportunity to plant themselves as that credible alternative given the halting reaction of southeast political leadership. People like us forewarned that such amorphous non-state actors who are not accountable nor can indeed be held to account is an uncontrollable experiment.

Today, the chickens have sadly come to roost. Armed agitators and other mutants who their activities inspire, instead of becoming the promised solution, became in and of themselves the biggest security threat to the southeast.

Even as we make a little room for the oft-repeated excuse of foreign operators masquerading as agitators just to make nonsense of the agitation, those pushing fiery anti-establishment rhetorics in the pursuit of their stated political agenda must also take some form of responsibility for what is happening in the southeast today.

Q: Governor Chukwuma Soludos government is now battling hard to tame the rampaging unknown gunmen. How would you assess the government's intervention so far and the result?

Gov Chukwuma Soludo has since learned that problems like unknown gunmen do not respond to beautiful speeches alone. Thankfully, Soludo is already the chief promoter of what could be best described as Akwaetenomics or homegrown economics. There is no other way, Anambra state must go beyond merely giving support to federal authorities to independently acquiring state capacity to protect its citizens. As a necessary first step, the state's vigilante services must be reinvigorated. Then after the country comes out from the governance distractions of 2023, Soludo should work with other leaders of the southeast to revitalise Ebubeagu or float a new regional security outfit. There is also a need for Soludo's government to implement the recommendations of Anambra EndSARS Panel. The panel made far-reaching recommendations on some of the injustices that contribute to the insecurity we see in Anambra today.

Beyond Soludo, members of the National Assembly must find the boldness to review certain aspects of our laws. For instance, the Amotekun experiment is beginning to reveal the ineffectiveness of arming vigilantes with pump action guns while expecting them to successfully combat aggressors armed with AK-47s and even more lethal weapons. It will be a difficult conversation, but the south and the middle belt can muster the numbers to push through such important amendments to our constitution.

Q: What do you consider the way out of this crisis?

There is an economic side to this. There is a legal side to it. There is a structural side to it. There is a justice and fairness side to it. There is a political side to it. There is information management and perception side to it. There is a citizen participation side to it. Unpacking these will take a standalone interview. My short answer is that all units must supply if we are to get ourselves out of this mess.

Q: Between Igbo Presidency and Biafra which one do you think is the solution to the Igbo nation?

A president of Igbo extraction is not just another good idea that checks off the boxes of fairness and promoting harmony. Nigeria will derive many positives on the account of it alone.

However, a president of Igbo extraction, nation-building or independent statehood is not an end in itself. There are countless studies and historical pieces of evidence that point to the fact that mental depiction of a perfect state is an elusive eldorado. Even civilised nations still have several unmet needs to grapple with.

The thinking, which has unfortunately become popular in the southeast, that there is a one-size-fits-all solution is misleading. No one solution will permanently solve the agitations in the hearts of men. Political perfection is a constantly changing goalpost. As long as people still have breath in their nostrils, there must be yearnings in their hearts that will remain unsatisfied by the state, no matter how hard it strives.

Neither Igbo presidency nor Biafra, nor restructuring, nor the release of Nnamdi Kanu can satisfy the yearnings in the hearts of south-easterners. Not even all of them put together. That is not to say that good governance and equity demands should not be made. I have personally been making such demands and I encourage all healthy conversations that are aimed at moving the needle of governance and justice further.

We should however approach these matters with humility and the understanding that we cannot achieve perfection with one stroke, no matter how ambitious. That understanding alone will deal with a lot of the passions and extremism that have unfortunately characterised these discussions.

Q: The call for restructuring of Nigeria vs self-determination which do you consider the best option to save the country from implosion?

Restructuring and self-determination are not mutually exclusive terms. Publicly discussing them, especially self-determination, should also not be treated as a taboo. All civilised discussions on the continued existence, peace, progress and governance structure of Nigeria should be accommodated.

But the issue with Nigeria's civic space is that some discussions have been placed beyond the limits of civilised discourse. Since moderate voices have been practically barred from openly discussing these issues, extremist voices have stepped in and taken the lead.

If you think of it, it does appear that Nigeria prefers to deal with extremists than moderates. And that accounts for the several manifestations of extremism you see in Nigeria today. When Nigeria is ready, there are moderates available to engage in the difficult but necessary conversations that must be had about the future of this country. For now, it appears that we have to keep playing this dangerous game of brinkmanship.
A successful Anambra businessman, identified as Arinze Muoneme has been killed in his base in the South Africa by unidentified gunmen.

It was gathered that Mr. Muoneme, who hailed from Nanka in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, was killed right in front of his wife's shop, last night.

He was waiting to drive his wife and children home from her shop where she sells food; and, while reversing his car, a gang of arm-bearing men stormed there immediately, asked of him, located him in his car, and shot him four times right inside his vehicle, and zoomed off immediately in their white car, a source from the area said.

As I am talking to you now, his corpse is still there in his car, the source added.

According to the source, the gunmen did not request anything, but only kept saying We'er looking for your husband! We're are from Durban! We're from Durban! Where's your husband? when they arrived the scene.

A wailing female voice, suspected to be that of Muoneme's wife, was also heard in the background of a voice note recorded at the scene.

Late Muoneme was said to be the Vice Chairman of the association of Nanka indigens residing in the South Africa.

The cause of his murder is yet to be known, and the identities of his murderers yet to be unraveled.
2022  The world is convulsed by greed, lasciviousness, tyranny, covetousness, violence, poverty, exploitation and other social pathologies. The ides of consumerism, mercantilism and materialism have made these seem pervasive and inevitable. The mentality of self with the dominant motivation of accumulation of wealth and appropriation of resources at all cost is widespread. The proclivity to share, care and empathize has been subsumed by the compulsive desire for endless and needless accretion. The principle of social solidarity and brotherhood is extinct as people neither cares about each other nor their society and the predilection to reap off, fleece and exploit is mindboggling. The troikas of corporate hawks, wealthy folks and politicians have practically vacuumed every naira they can into their pockets leaving in the wake unprecedented pauperization and the most widened income and wealth inequality gaps in the history. The accentuation of ethnicity, religion and clannishness and the subsequent division of people along these lines created additional obstacles on the path of promoting collective harmony and progress leading to needless suffering, festering injustices, widening inequalities, ethnic squabbles and religious crises which has accelerated the solidification of national atrophy.

The states abdication of its cardinal role to promote the welfare and rights of its citizens worsens the already grim situation, we now have an anthology of governments and officials whose positions are insidiously at variance with collective interests across both the global north and south. The traditional utilitarian dictum- greatest good for the greatest number has been jettisoned as the basic and inalienable rights of citizens are now treated with an admixture of disdain and levity. The relevance and existence of political authority through fair and good governance, formulation and implementation of programs and policies, enactment and enforcement of laws and enjoyment of rights and related benefits that would elicit full citizenry participation, prosperity and contribution and eventually collective societal well being is mainly to extend the frontiers of common good

This speech is about common good which i severally defined as acting for overall societal benefit,espousing laudable bigger picture ideal and engendering collective prosperity. Common good emphasizes creating the right avenue for individuals to self actualize by supporting the accomplishment of mutual goals. It connotes a humane means of balancing the rights of individuals to wealth with the needs of the vulnerable and less privileged. The primary concept of common good as advocated by Pope John XXIII in Mater et Magistra is explained in terms of the sum total of social conditions which enables people, either as groups or as individuals, to easily fulfill their aspirations. French Philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau in his work the social contract argued that society can function only to the extent that individuals have interests in common and that the exit goal of any state is the realization of common good. The subsistence of a just social order that can guarantee peace, progress, equity, and security of society by ethically suitable means is at the core of common good.

Common good in this sense are selflessly undertaken actions aimed at accruing benefits to others without anticipating rewards, being beholden or demanding servitude from the intended beneficiaries. More specifically, it is linked with empathy which is rooted in the innate capacity of humans to genuinely feel and share the joy, pains and sufferings of others. It goes beyond mere cognitive perception of how others feel to include real emotional impacts like being sad in response to others grief; happiness in response to their joy; downcast in response to tragedy and celebrating in victory which helps to expand self identity to social linkages such that what happens to others somehow affects us and personal wellness is linked to collective well-being. This universally applicable ethically desired and humanly enriching trend stems from the growing interdependence of humans and interactions between people and society as means of profoundly fostering the optimal and even progress of persons constituting the agglomeration of society

The common good entails respect for individual and group social well-being and advancement which are outcomes of just and stable societies. The institution of justice is related to protecting rights, sustaining liberty, maintaining order, promoting welfare, resolving conflicts and participating in collective decision-making which are paramount to common good. Also key to the above is the availability of and accessibility to essentials like food, clothing, health, work, shelter, family, friends, education and culture. Unless it would vitiate itself, common good implies and requires the recognition of the intricacies of society, the inexorableness of its growth and the fundamental rights of its constituents as its principal value

Humans exhibit diverse behaviors; some find solitude unbearable, while others prefer to be individualistic. But what cant be disputed is the preponderant inclination for companionship to enjoy a kind of camaraderie together that cannot be enjoyed alone. Human life has inherently social dimensions. Optimizing adolescence and navigating adulthood entails socialization and imbibing human attributes which requires the companionship of other humans. The rapport between and humans and their community is reciprocal and the practical utility of common good rests on the vital plank of the collective duties of humans as responsive, perceptive and active members of the community. The more people strive to secure common good analogous to the real happiness, aspirations and welfare of their fellow humans, the more they create strong bonds of candor, chords of solidarity and shared sense of belonging that transcends the ordinary.

The prevalent national disinterest in common good and societal progress foretells something on the future horizon that does not augur well for Nigeria as a nation. Nigerians must strive to harness the immense potentials and strengths inherent in its diversity. We must seek a consensus arrangement of living and coexisting in unity and develop the attributes of sharing and being bound by a common fate. We must strive towards preventing ethnic, nepotistic and religious identities from obscuring our shared identity as people with the oneness of mankind and the consciousness of the human spirit. Regardless of differences, we must speak the same language of progress and profess the same religion of peace, while recognizing that we are not enemies, but friends with bonds of affection seeking mutual goals of peace, progress and stability that exceeds other primordial considerations that have made affliction an endemic quality to the nations character.

Individual and collective avarice has been toxic to Nigeria. Therefore, our focus must shift to promoting fair-play, justice, domestic tranquility, general welfare and liberty which dovetail intocommunion in good living. Headlines about the gargantuan numbers of Nigerians in poverty, facing insecurity, existing in crisis situations, being killed daily and living as internally displaced persons is a travesty in Africas biggest and wealthiest nation. Nigeria must be a society of progress, not a society of spectacle. Let us change the Nigerian landscape by closing the gaping hole between the reality of what we have become and the fiction of who we are supposed to beThe preponderance of low income citizens in any nation is not only embarrassing, but an insignia of impoverishment and faltering of democracy. The Nigerian conversation must be directed towards defending the cornerstones of democracy in terms of championing citizenship equality, welfare and participation, ending the institutionalization of injustice, preventing suppression, insecurity and intolerance and making Nigeria a space of freedom and rights where basic rights and true freedom of all citizens freedoms of speech, conscience, occupation, choice and association and the complementary responsibilities are respected

Nigerians need to recapture the ideals of social equanimity by uniting around the themes of mutuality, respect, open-mindedness, empathy, rule of law, justice and rights. Let each of us individually and collectively change the narrative and stop the insidious culture of the unquenchable thirst for power and wealth, let us try to be less avaricious, less acquisitive, less selfish, less materialistic and less tribalistic, more empathetic, more considerate, more altruistic and more panoramic and channel the required candor, enthusiasm and energy to make the average Nigerian the epicenter and sacred space in our constitution. Lets go back to the days of old when we were all our brothers keepers and ethnicity, religion, status and clan was irrelevant. The clear message is that passion and involvement for common good is a veritable solution to genuine and inclusive socio-economic and political growth and the development of a country that can work for all of us irrespective of ethnicity, religion, status, gender and political belief

Tinuoye Adekunle Theophilius is a Labour Educator at Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin, Nigeria, and also an external faculty associate at the Global Labour Research Centre, York University, Ontario, Canada.
Last tigers rescued as Phuket Zoo closes for good

PHUKET: Workers this week started cutting apart the cages at Phuket Zoo and the buildings are to be demolished as the owner-operator has confirmed that the site will be razed to become a coconut plantation.

animalstourism

By The Phuket News

Saturday 18 June 2022, 10:00AM

The zoo is to be demolished and the site is to be used as a coconut plantation. Photo: WFFT

The zoo is to be demolished and the site is to be used as a coconut plantation. Photo: WFFT

The zoo is to be demolished and the site is to be used as a coconut plantation. Photo: WFFT

One of the tigers rescued from Phuket Zoo enjoys the new home at WFFT. Photo: WFFT

One of the tigers rescued from Phuket Zoo enjoys the new home at WFFT. Photo: WFFT

Suriya Tanthaweewong, 42, Phuket native and owner of the Phuket Zoo, told The Phuket News this week that he doubted he would ever return to operating a zoo  even if tourists return in large numbers.

Phuket Zoo is closed. Now, we are planting coconut trees in the area to change the use of the land. The former zoo area was 30 rai. We are transforming the whole area into a coconut plantation, Mr Suriya said.

Now there are no animals left. We have already found homes for all the animals, and we probably wont come back to operate a zoo again, he added.

Mr Suriya blamed the COVID pandemic for the closure of the zoo, which had been operating for 26 years. Phuket Zoo had been in operation since 1996. The main reason for this closure was the impact of COVID-19. We started to close at that time [in 2020]. We could not bear the cost because there was no income from tourists coming in, he said.

Over the years, the zoo had gained a notorious reputation among animal lovers around the world for the conditions the animals were kept in.

Asked what he would like Phuket Zoo to be remembered for, Mr Suriya said he did not want to mention the past. Lets just adjust according to the current situation, he said.

The move to dismantle the cages and raze the buildings follows the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), led by Edwin Wiek, successfully rescuing 11 tigers and two bears from the zoo.

They are now all at our facilities. However, we are still to rescue six macaques and one gibbon, for whom we still need to raise funds, Mr Wiek told The Phuket News.

For now all tiger enclosures are ready and open for the tigers to explore, but we are also needing to build one more enclosure, in case that some of them are unable to stay together. All tigers are now in total sharing four enclosures, he said.

TIGER RESCUE

Preparations for the rescue operation to safely take into care 11 tigers from the zoo  touted as the largest single tiger-rescue operation in Thailands history  began early this year.

Staff at WFFT, based in Phetchaburi, first created two enclosures, one nine rai and the other 10 rai, each with ponds and trees and space for the tigers to roam

In marking the rescue of Mukda, a 19-year-old Bengal tiger rescued from Phuket Zoo, WFFT last Sunday (June 13) noted, This is Mukdas FIRST time outside in a natural habitat. This is the magical difference we make, together!

This approximately 19-year-old Bengal tigers life story is a bit of a mystery, but we can only assume she was born in a zoo and has only ever known concrete cages. Just look how mesmerised she is by her new-found freedom.

Mukda was one of three tigers safely rescued from Phuket Zoo earlier this month. The other two  Baithong and Mena  have also taken to their new home with enthusiasm.

Mr Maruay, rescued from Phuket Zoo, is absolutely loving his new life Please join our Tiger Care Team today, and help these majestic animals get the essential care they need after so many years at Phuket Zoo, WFFT said on June 10 in its appeal for ongoing financial support to continue to provide care for the animals.

Maruay arrived at the sanctuary along with fellow tiger Mee Mee. Their rescue was followed by that of three other tigers: Rambo, Pong and Paeng

After a long journey to WFFT, were pleased to update you that the three newest tigers: Rambo, Pong and Paeng are all doing well. We look forward to sharing more updates on them and hopefully soon, theyll be outside enjoying their expansive habitats and first taste of a semi-wild life. We want to thank our supporters again for making this happen, WFFT said gratefully on June 9.

At WFFT, they have pools to swim, grasslands to hide in and expansive habitats to rediscover their natural behaviours, the wildlife welfare organisation said.

BEAR NECESSITIES

While the international spotlight has been on the rescue of the tigers, WFFT has also taken into care two bears from Phuket Zoo who had lived their whole lives in small cages. One is an Asiatic black bear more than 20 years old, and the other a Malayan sun bear more than 10 years old, WFFT explained in a release appealing for funds to safely keep the bears in good health.

Funds are needed to build liveable enclosures for the bears, and to feed them. Please help us build them the enclosures they so deserve with a lake, shelters, trees to climb and natural terrain  so they can start to overcome their trauma and learn to be bears again, WFFT urged in its appeal.

We urgently need to raise the funds to build the Phuket Zoo bears enclosures here at WFFT. Each enclosure will cost around 14,000 euros. Will you please give a gift today, so these bears can finally get the natural, spacious homes and care they urgently need?

Ongoing support is also needed to feed and care for the tigers, Mr Wiek told The Phuket News.

Feeding the tigers requires four to five kilogrammes of meat every day, Mr Wiek explained. Mostly chicken, with different meats added on different days, such as pork and beef, he said.

The animals will also need regular medical and health checks, he added.

To learn more about WFFT, or to help support the sanctuarys new inhabitants, visit the official WFFT website at www.wfft.org.

Additional reporting by Chutharat Plerin
Phuket airport holds fire drill

PHUKET: Phuket International Airport employees took part in a fire drill at the airport office building yesterday morning (June 16) to refresh their knowledge of how to respond to a real emergency.

Safetytransporttourism

By The Phuket News

Saturday 18 June 2022, 01:06PM

Phuket International Airport Deputy General Manager for Operations and Maintenance Manat Sotharat presided over the official part of the exercise and delivered his opening remarks at 9am.

The employees than practiced evacuation procedures while fire response teams did their part by entering the smoke-filled building and dousing the fire.

Phuket International Airport reminded in a Facebook post that such drills are to be conducted at least once a years so employees know what to do in case of a real fire and feel confident.
South African caught smuggling cocaine at Phuket airport

PHUKET: Customs officers at Phuket International Airport have arrested a South African man caught smuggling 1.49kg of cocaine, estimated to be worth B4.47 million, in 155 capsules in his stomach.

drugscrime

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Saturday 18 June 2022, 09:15AM

Customs officers at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok on Monday seized 15.7kg of cocaine valued at about B47mn hidden in the bottom lining of pieces of luggage being brought into the country by three Brazilians. Photo: Customs Dept

Customs officers at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok on Monday seized 15.7kg of cocaine valued at about B47mn hidden in the bottom lining of pieces of luggage being brought into the country by three Brazilians. Photo: Customs Dept

Customs officers at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok on Monday seized 15.7kg of cocaine valued at about B47mn hidden in the bottom lining of pieces of luggage being brought into the country by three Brazilians. Photo: Customs Dept

Customs officers at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok on Monday seized 15.7kg of cocaine valued at about B47mn hidden in the bottom lining of pieces of luggage being brought into the country by three Brazilians. Photo: Customs Dept

The South African man arrested at Phuket airport was found to be smuggling 1.49kg of cocaine in 155 capsules that he had ingested. Photo: Customs Dept

The South African man arrested at Phuket airport was found to be smuggling 1.49kg of cocaine in 155 capsules that he had ingested. Photo: Customs Dept

The South African man arrested at Phuket airport was found to be smuggling 1.49kg of cocaine in 155 capsules that he had ingested. Photo: Customs Dept

The South African man arrested at Phuket airport was found to be smuggling 1.49kg of cocaine in 155 capsules that he had ingested. Photo: Customs Dept

The news came through an announcement by Customs spokesman Chaiyut Khamkun yesterday (June 17), confirming that Customs officers had seized a total of 17.19kg of cocaine worth about B51.47 million in two incidents in the past two weeks.

The 29-year-old South African man was traveling from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and landed at Phuket airport at about 12:30pm on June 9, Mr Chaiyut explained.

A baggage inspection found nothing illegal, but officers were suspicious that the man might be smuggling drugs into the country by passing through Customs after swallowing the contraband.

No explanation was given as to why Customs officers thought this.

The man was taken to Thalang Hospital, where an x-ray confirmed the officers suspicions. Many foreign objects of a round, oval shape were identified to be in his abdomen.

The man subsequently admitted to swallowing capsules containing drugs. At that time which drug had been consumed had not been confirmed, Mr Chaiyut continued.

However, the patient Customs officers later confirmed the man had swallowed 115 capsules altogether containing 1.49kg of cocaine, estimated to be worth B4.47mn, he said.

The South African man has since been taken to Sakhu Police Station, located just south of Phuket airport, and charged accordingly, Mr Chaiyut confirmed.

Then on Monday this week (June 13), Customs officers at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok arrested three people arriving from Brazil who were caught with 15.7kg of cocaine hidden in the bottom lining of their pieces of luggage.

The drugs seized was valued at about B47mn, Mr Chaiyut said.

The three entered the country with five items of luggage, which officers searched and scanned by x-ray, he said.

The inspections discovered the cocaine in packages that were wrapped with plastic as the inner layer and then wrapped with black carbon paper used for copying documents.

All three were charged for attempting to smuggle the drugs into the country, Mr Chaiyut confirmed.
Three charges pressed against Lithuanian man in trans murder case

SURIN: Police have pressed three charges against a Lithuanian man in connection with the death of his transgender girlfriend whose body was found in a locked room at her house in Prasat district.

crimemurderpolicesex

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 18 June 2022, 03:45PM

Lithuanian suspect Marius Kunickas, 32, is arrested in Pattaya early on Wednesday (June 15) in connection with the death of Thiraphong Lamluea in Surin. Photo (supplied): Wassayos Ngamkham / Bangkok Post

Marius Kunickas faces charges of physical assault causing death, concealment of a body and theft. Additional charges are possible pending the outcome of DNA tests, reports Bangkok Post.

Mr Kunickas, 32, is currently being detained at the Prasat police station in Surin, where police brought him after his arrest in Pattaya early Thursday (June 16). On Saturday (June 18) they were seeking court approval to detain him for 14 days while they continue their investigation.

The Lithuanian man is suspected of involvement in the murder of his transgender girlfriend Thiraphong Lamluea. He has denied the charges.

The body of Thiraphong, 31, was found inside a closed room at her two-storey house in tambon Kang-an around 4.30pm on Wednesday (June 15). The body was wrapped in a thick blanket that left her legs bare. There was a strong smell and it was believed she had been dead at least a week, said Capt Sanee Chimngam, a duty officer at the Prasat station at that time.

During questioning, Mr Kunikas denied murdering Thiraphong even though witness statements and surveillance camera video focused on him as the culprit.

Thiraphongs mother, Wandee Lamluea, 47, earlier told police that Thiraphong had brought her foreign boyfriend to Prasat district twice. On the second visit in late May, the man stayed at Thiraphongs house for one week and drank a lot of beer, she said.

On May 26, Ms Wandee said, the man brought a case of beer to her house and drank it with her. She noticed what looked like bloodstains on his legs, and also saw some bruises.

He told her that a bottle had toppled and broken and pieces of glass had cut his legs, Ms Wandee said. She had no reason to doubt him and they drank together until about 9pm, when he left. Thiraphong had not joined them.

Police have obtained surveillance camera video showing a car rented by Thiraphong left at the Prasat district bus terminal, where he was seen boarding a bus to Rayong.

Forensic police have collected tissue samples from Mr Kunicas for DNA testing to compare with DNA samples in bloodstains, secretions and fingerprints in Thiraphongs house.

If his DNA samples match with those collected from the house, investigators would seek court approval for a formal arrest warrant, said a police source.

The cremation of Thiraphong will be held at a temple in Prasat district on Sunday (June 20).
WTO agrees to lift COVID vaccine patents, but is it too late?

GENEVA: The World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed yesterday (June 17) to temporarily lift patents on COVID-19 vaccines after two years of bruising negotiations, but experts expressed scepticism that the deal will have a major impact on global vaccination inequality.

CoronavirusCOVID-19healthVaccine

By AFP

Saturday 18 June 2022, 11:56AM

World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (centre) delivers her speech during the closing session of a WTO Ministerial Conference at the WTO headquarters in Geneva yesterday (June 17). Photo: Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

The unprecedented agreement, sealed by all 164 WTO members after late-night overtime talks, will grant developing countries the right to produce COVID vaccines for five years without the consent of the right holder.

Since October 2020, South Africa and India have called for intellectual property rights for coronavirus vaccines to be temporarily lifted so they can boost production to address the gaping inequality in access between rich and poor nations.

But yesterdays compromise fell short of their earlier requests that the waiver apply to all countries - and also cover COVID tests and treatments.

Under the terms of the new deal, WTO members have six months to decide on whether to extend the measures to cover the production and supply of COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics.

This does not correspond to the initial request, said Jerome Martin, the co-founder of the Drug Policy Transparency Observatory, pointing to the fact that the deal only includes developing countries.

We have to see what it does in the field, but it is not ambitious at all, he told AFP.

Disappointing

James Love, director of Knowledge Ecology International, said it was a limited and disappointing outcome.

The fact that the exception is limited to vaccines, has a five-year duration and does not address WTO rules on trade secrets makes it particularly unlikely to provide expanded access to COVID-19 counter-measures, he said in a statement.

The pressure this week was to reach consensus in order to make multilateralism look like it works, which seems to have been the main justification for producing this decision.

Max Lawson, co-chair of the Peoples Vaccine Alliance and Oxfams head of inequality, singled out Switzerland, Britain and the European Union for blocking anything that resembles a meaningful intellectual property waiver.

The conduct of rich countries at the WTO has been utterly shameful, he said.

The agreement also disappointed the pharmaceutical lobby group IFPMA, which warned that dismantling patent protections would strangle innovation.

The single biggest factor affecting vaccine scarcity is not intellectual property, but trade. This has not been fully addressed by the World Trade Organization, said IFPMAs director general Thomas Cueni.

And while vaccine doses were scarce early in the pandemic, that is no longer the case.

Nearly 14 billion doses had been produced worldwide as of mid-June, according to research group Airfinity.

As supply soars, some vaccine makers like the giant Serum Institute of India have stopped producing doses due to falling demand.

Yet many developing countries still lag far behind the rest of the world in vaccination rates.

While 60% of the worlds population has received two vaccine doses, that number falls to 17% in Libya, eight percent in Nigeria and less than 5% in Cameroon, according to the World Health Organization.

Our focus now is to ensure we address demand by persuading global procurers for vaccines to source from African producers, the South African government said in a statement.

Pharma groups have said that the logistics involved in distributing vaccines in developing countries is a far bigger hurdle to rolling out doses.

Wealthy countries failed

Even India, which fought long and hard for the waiver, expressed doubts about whether the final compromise deal would have an effect.

Earlier this week, Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that my own feeling is, not a single factory, not one, will ever come up with the agreement that we are finally trying to negotiate and which may get approved.

It is just too late, he said in a statement.

It marks the first time the WTO has temporarily lifted patents on vaccines, though in 2001 it set up a compulsory licensing mechanism for HIV treatments.

Francois Pochart, a patent specialist at the August Debouzy law firm in Paris, said that the new WTO agreement is a step forward compared to those compulsory licences.

Countries can decide on their own without having to make a request. The real novelty is that this waiver allows the country that produces the vaccine to also export to other markets, to another eligible member, he said.

But Christos Christou, the president of Doctors Without Borders, branded the deal a devastating global failure.

Despite lofty political commitments and words of solidarity, it has been discouraging for us to see that wealthy countries failed to resolve the glaring inequities in access to lifesaving COVID-19 medical tools for people in low- and middle-income countries.
A Nebraska man who helped his wife kidnap her grandchildren in order to teach their mother a lesson was sentenced Wednesday on a weapons charge to eight years in federal prison.

Tanner J. Leichleiter, 32, of Tekamah was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for Nebraska for being a drug user in possession of 10 firearms, including an assault rifle. Leichleiter was found not guilty of kidnapping at trial, but he pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of firearms.

On April 20, 2020, Leichleiters co-defendant, Nora Gilda Guevara Triana, requested that Leichleiter take her two grandsons, ages 4 and 7, without car seats or shoes from Tekamah to Kansas "to teach their mother a lesson," according to information provided by prosecutors. Leichleiter loaded the children into the vehicle, along with marijuana, a pit bull, and 10 firearms that were scattered throughout the vehicle.

Drugs and guns were within reach of the children throughout the interstate trip, prosecutors said. An Amber Alert was issued, and Leichleiter, who is the children's stepgrandfather, was located with the children after a farmer in the area recognized Leichleiter and his vehicle from the alert.

At his sentencing hearing, Leichleiter disputed that the circumstances of his firearm possession amounted to child abuse for a sentence enhancement. U.S. District Judge Brian C. Buescher disagreed and found that Leichleiter had no regard for the childrens safety and that his case was an extreme example of illegal firearms possession.

Guevara Triana, 44, was previously found guilty by a jury of the kidnapping and received a sentence of eight years, four months in federal prison. The boys' mother, Karen de la Garza, testified Guevara Triana told her that Tanner was going to take the boys because I didn't love them, because I didn't deserve to be their mother. She said that I wasn't going to be able to see them ever again ...

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Tekamah Police Department, Sedgwick (Kansas) County Sheriff's Office, and the police department in Wichita, Kansas.

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The Omaha Police Department plans to issue citations to more than 90 people who they say participated in or gathered to watch illegal street racing.

Police said they used surveillance and other means to identify 18 people speeding while racing, 13 people driving recklessly and 60 people who entered closed parking lots to watch races, according to a press release. In the coming weeks, they will issue citations to those identified.

Racing on highways and reckless driving are both misdemeanors. Remaining at a property after it is closed is a civil infraction.

Police said they observed an increase in illegal street racing and reckless driving since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveillance and enforcement will continue throughout the summer.

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP)  The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center introduced a fresh face to its collection of animatronic storytellers recently.

The new exhibit, York Comes to Life, portrays a slave of Capt. William Clark, who along with Meriwether Lewis, led the cross-country journey that first passed through what today is Sioux City in 1804.

York, the first person of color to be represented in animatronic form at the interpretive center, joins five other talking figures: President Thomas Jefferson, who commissioned the exploration of territories acquired in the Louisiana Purchase, Sgt. Charles Floyd, the only Corps of Discovery member to die during the journey, Seaman, a Newfoundland dog who was the only animal to complete the entire three-year trip, and Lewis and Clark.

Tracy Bennett, executive director of the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, described the addition of York as a long time coming.

He needs to be considered just as important a member of the expedition as everybody else, Bennett told the Sioux City Journal. He really helped the communication from Lewis & Clark with the Native Americans because they found him so fascinating, and they couldnt believe this big, tall, Black man in the Native American culture. They believed there was something important to the color of your skin, and the darker your skin was the more... ability you had to communicate with higher powers.

Bennett said the York figure also adds to the centers story of Floyds last days.

York was very essential in nursing Sgt. Floyd when he was dying, Bennett said. We thought he would be a great addition to the story here.

A grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa and Missouri River Historical Development in the last year gave the center enough funds to complete the York exhibit. The rough cost of the project was $60,000.

It has been almost 10 years since the center introduced a new animatronic. Planning for the York exhibit began five years ago. Throughout the process, local leaders and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) were consulted to ensure that the exhibit accurately and respectfully represented Yorks story and appearance.

We wanted to run it through our community that it would be done correctly, and be something that would honor York, Bennett said. Obviously he was a slave, and was not necessarily treated justly after the journey, he did not receive his freedom right away, and when he did it was a long time coming. And so, we wanted to be tender with his story as we put the animatronic together.

In terms of the physical setting, facilities manager Joe Hlas used materials from the surrounding area to recreate what the Corps of Discovery Expedition may have encountered.

I just sprinkled sand that I sifted from outside, he said. All this sand came right from the river. Its possible that some of this sand, York might have stood on. The inclusion of the gun with Yorks animatronic is of special importance. Guns were rarely given to slaves, but York had earned the groups trust enough to carry one.

The voice over for the York animatronic was done by West High School graduate Antoine Smith, who is currently on Broadway in MJ: The Musical, starring as Motown records founder Berry Gordy.

Bennett says Smith was very glad to be able to perform the voice lines for Yorks animatronic.
TUPELO, Miss. (AP)  Sometimes the biggest tool law enforcement has to calm a volatile situation is a 1-inch-diameter pin.

When officers respond to a call, they dont know if an irate person is just upset, high on drugs or struggling with a mental issue.

But Crisis Intervention Team training helps arm officers with the skills and techniques to not only recognize when a person they encounter could have a mental issue, but also with the knowledge of how to calm that person down and find a peaceful resolution. At the end of the 40-hour course, taught by both medical and law enforcement officials, the graduates receive a gold pin showing they are Crisis Intervention Team members.

Officers wear these pins on their chests, just above their name tags, so that people can see them and know these officers can and will help them.

A lot of people in the system know that pin and that can bring the level of confrontation down, said Mary Stacy, a therapist and CIT instructor with Lifecore Health Group, a Tupelo-based company with the stated goal of providing health care for individuals suffering from behavioral health discovers, development disabilities and chemical dependencies.

The company also provides CIT training to Northeast Mississippi law enforcement agencies.

Lt. Jason Putt, a deputy sheriff with the Lee County Sheriffs Department and the CIT coordinator for Tupelo-based Region III Chemical Dependency and Addiction Services, said most mental health agencies have posters showing enlarged images of the pin and explaining its significance. He said he has been on calls and seen people make a beeline to himself or another officer wearing a CIT pin.

The concept of crisis intervention training was created more than a generation ago in Memphis. Since then, whats known as the Memphis Model  a system in which law enforcement agencies have teams of officers trained to de-escalate potentially dangerous situations involving people with mental or behavioral illnesses or substance abuse issues and then possibly escort them to facilities for further evaluation  has slowly spread across the country.

Roughly five years ago, the concept began gaining ground in Mississippi.

The Lee County Sheriffs Office and the Tupelo Police Department had officers take part in the standard CIT training course. Later, several of those officers received further training to become certified trainers themselves, allowing them to share their skills within their departments.

The coronavirus pandemic put the training on hold for a couple of years, but things have recently picked back up. The course is limited to just 14 officers at a time, and there have already been a pair of courses this year. Another course is planned for July.

Although officers touch briefly on mental health and how to deal with people having mental issues during the standard 12-week police academy, the week-long CIT course takes the information and the techniques they already know a step further.

Besides teaching officers how to recognize the signs and symptoms of someone suffering from a behavioral disorder or substance abuse issue, the CIT instruction deals with interacting with consumers both vocally and through body language.

This latter element  how an officer physically presents himself or herself  is more important than most people likely realize.

Lee County Deputy Sheriff Bryan Pounders said people react on a subconscious level to the way an officer stands or holds their hands. Its more than just having the officers refrain from placing their hands on their weapons while speaking to the person.

If my hands are behind my back, they are wondering what I am doing back there, Pounders said. If my arms are crossed, I am closed off and wont listen. But if my hands are open, it says I am open and will listen to them.

During CIT training, instructors use role-playing to act out scenarios. They try to make the situations as realistic as possible by having actors scream and/or antagonize the officers as they work, or by having multiple people trying to speak with the officer simultaneously.

At the conclusion of each scenario, there is a debriefing.

We grade their performance, Stacy said. How was the tone of their voice? Were they assertive but not aggressive?

She said the officers must have the right temperament for this type of work. Pounders agreed, noting that the officer has to change the way they talk to someone because when emotions are high, logic is low.

You are not going to logic them out of an emotional crisis, Pounders said. If they get stressed, they will dwell on an issue, and they can go from just being anxious to having an anxiety attack.

The CIT training also shows officers that there are options for resolving a conflict beyond simply arresting someone and carrying them to jail.

Putt said a CIT officers goal when approaching a consumer  their word for someone in a crisis situation  is to resolve the situation peacefully and by getting the person the help he or she needs.

Our goal is to de-escalate, Putt said. If he or she is high on the crisis scale, if we can de-escalate it, we have succeeded.

He noted that a lot of times, if the officers can de-escalate the situation on the scene, the person can leave and go home. After all, they are not criminals.

We teach officers how to deal with the mental issues, Putt said. It is a disease, no different than someone with heart disease or diabetes.

If the person cant go home, there are options other than jail.

The most obvious is the Crisis Stabilization Unit in Tupelo. It opened as a four-bed facility in the fall of 2018 and has since doubled in size. By this summer, officials hope to complete an expansion to 16 beds.

There are also CSUs in Corinth, Batesville and West Point.

The units are designed for brief stays  to allow anyone carried there to rest, recover and, if needed, resume taking any necessary medications.

Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson likes the options that both CIT and the stabilization unit give his deputies.

This allows us an avenue. We dont have to look for a criminal angle, Johnson said. We dont have to wait for them to commit a crime. This gives us the option of taking them into custody and getting them help.

And changes in the laws are opening up more possibilities. Not long ago, even if a person who committed a felony was assessed with a mental health issue, they were considered a criminal and sent to jail with access to mental health care taken away.

Thats no longer the case.

Now, we have a way to assess the situation and determine that it was the mental health issues that led to the crime and still get them help, Johnson said.

Although CIT training is still largely limited to large police and sheriffs departments, Stacy would like to see smaller departments take advantage.

Most law enforcement officials will admit that a majority of the crime they see is drug-related. But many times, the drugs are masking underlying mental health issues. Training officers to better respond to a breadth of situations will only help improve safety for both them and the people they serve and protect.

Small though it is, thats the power of the pin.

Even folks on drugs, a lot of the time, it is mental, Stacy said. They are taking drugs because they are not coping well. With the rising prices and the uncertainty of the times, depression and anxiety go hand in hand. Mental health issues are out there.
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DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  Army troops were called in to rescue thousands of people stranded by massive floods that have ravaged northeastern India and Bangladesh, leaving millions of homes underwater and severing transport links, authorities said Saturday.

In India's Assam state, at least nine people were killed in the floods and 2 million saw their homes submerged, according to the state disaster management agency. Lightning strikes in parts of neighboring Bangladesh have left at least nine dead since Friday.

Both countries have asked their militaries for help as more flooding looms with rains expected to continue over the weekend.

In Sylhet in northeastern Bangladesh, on the banks of the Surma River, children sat on a window of an inundated house while other family members gathered on a bed inside their flooded home, some wondering how to make it through the ordeal.

How can we eat (in this condition)?" said Anjuman Ara Begum, standing in the water inside her kitchen. "We are living on muri (puffed rice) and chira (flattened rice) and other things given by people. What else can we do? We cant cook.

Flights at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet were suspended for three days as floodwaters almost reached the runway, according to Hafiz Ahmed, the airport manager. The Sylhet Sunamganj highway also was flooded but motorbikes were moving along.

Water levels in all major rivers across the country were rising, according to the flood forecasting and warning center in Dhaka, the capital. The country has about 130 rivers.

The center said the flood situation is likely to deteriorate in the worst-hit Sunamganj and Sylhet districts in the northeastern region as well as in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Rangpur districts in northern Bangladesh.

The Brahmaputra, one of Asias largest rivers, breached its mud embankments, inundating 3,000 villages and croplands in 28 of Assams 33 districts across the border in India.

We expect moderate to heavy rainfall in several parts of Assam till Sunday. The volume of rainfall has been unprecedented, said Sanjay ONeil, an official at the meteorological station in Gauhati, Assams capital.

Several train services were canceled in India amid the incessant downpour over the past five days. In southern Assams Haflong town, the railway station was underwater and flooded rivers deposited mud and silt along the rail tracks.

India's army has been mobilized to assist disaster response agencies in rescuing stranded people and providing food and other essentials. Soldiers used speedboats and inflatable rafts to navigate through submerged areas.

Last month, a pre-monsoon flash flood, triggered by a rush of water from upstream in Indias northeastern states, hit Bangladeshs northern and northeastern regions, destroying crops and damaging homes and roads. The country was just starting to recover when fresh rains flooded the same areas again this week.

Bangladesh, a nation of 160 million people, is low-lying and faces threats from natural disasters such as floods and cyclones, made worse by climate change. According to the U.N.s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, about 17% of people in Bangladesh would need to be relocated over the next decade or so if global warming persists at the present rate.

___

Hussain reported from Gauhati, India.
ALTON  The 31st Annual Alton Juneteenth Celebration kicked off Saturday with a first-time procession of motorcyclists, led by Alton Police, from Lincoln Douglas Square to James H. Killion Park.

Sunday, June 19, marks the 157th anniversary of the last African-Americans being freed in 1865. Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, it would be two and half more years before Union troops marched into Galveston, Texas, and freed the last slaves in the last southern state.
FLORENCE, Ala. (AP)  Wendell Gunn assured the Florence Rotary Club that he had made good on a promise to himself.

I promised myself I was going to write this speech out, Gunn said, at the start of his remarks as the speaker at a meeting. And I did, 10 times.

He crumbled up each speech, threw it away and started again before ultimately deciding to address the club with no notes.

I asked Dr. Kitts, What do they want to hear? Gunn said, referring to University of North Alabama President Ken Kitts, who was in the audience with his wife, Dena. He said: Tell your story.

Gunn did just that in a talk that prompted a rousing standing ovation at its conclusion.

His talk spanned a story that came full circle, from the day in 1963 when he became the first Black student at then-Florence State to the present, which sees him as a member of the University of North Alabama Board of Trustees.

UNA officials  and many attended Mondays meeting to hear Gunn share his tales  said they have not been able to find another example nationwide of a student who integrated a university and ultimately became a trustee.

Gunn shared memories of walking into the registrars office at Florence State and asking for an application. That ultimately produced a meeting with Florence State President Ethelbert Brinkley Norton, who told Gunn he was not authorized to admit him.

Norton followed that up by saying the only way he could admit Gunn would be through a federal court order. Looking back, Gunn believes Norton said that in an attempt to direct him toward the path of being admitted.

He gave me the application and told me to talk it over with my parents, Gunn said.

His parents contacted famed civil rights attorney Fred Gray, who had represented Rosa Parks and the Rev. Martin Luther King. Gray told him to apply and Gunn got in.

He majored in chemistry and even joined the choir, finding himself performing the tenor solo portion of I Wonder As I Wander during a campus visit by Gov. George Wallace.

This was during the era of Wallaces failed schoolhouse door stand to try to prevent black students from admission at the University of Alabama. After Gunns performance, Wallace surprised him when he walked over to Gunn on stage, shook his hand and told him he did a good job.

Gunn also remembers being surprised when his named was called as recipient of the Physics Achievement Award at Honors Day at the end of that school year.

The audience started to applaud, and I was shocked again, he said.

Gunn said that moment overwhelmed him to the point that he lost his composure while the applause only grew.

Within a minute the whole gathering was standing up and applauding and cheering for what must have been four or five whole minutes, he said. Every time I tell that story, I still feel what I felt 60-odd years ago. I didnt know until that moment how much tension I had been carrying with me for eight months, because I had adjusted to it and didnt remember.

Gunns remarkable story didnt end after graduating with a chemistry degree in 1965. It only began, as he furthered his education at the University of Chicago. He has worked as a finance professional, a vice president at Chase Manhattan Bank, and an assistant treasurer at PepsiCo.

He also served in the White House as a senior advisor, special assistant for international trade, to President Ronald Reagan.

Gunn said he wrote a letter to the editor while working at Chase Manhattan in 1976 in response to an answer Reagan gave to a question on how he was going to communicate with African-Americans.

Reagan, who was running for president, replied there are not many Black people in the Republican Party.

Gunns letter stated Reagan should have responded that we all benefit by a strong economy, and that tax cuts for individuals and businesses across the board would be beneficial.

In 1980, Reagan again ran, this time winning. Gunn was surprised when his transition team approached him about joining his staff. Gunn went to the White House to talk with them. He had planned to turn them down until he was taken to the Oval Office and met Reagan.

He shook my hand and said welcome aboard, Gunn said, adding with a laugh, I thought, What just happened?

As he looked back on that first year at Florence State, Gunn said he does not consider himself brave, although he did receive some unpleasant phone calls when word that he was applying for admission started to circulate.

I didnt remember being afraid, the Tuscumbia native said. I didnt think I was. Nothing in the life that I had in Tuscumbia and the Shoals made me think that anything bad was ever going to happen, regardless of what happened in other places.

Brave? I never thought I was brave. I may have been unaware. I may have been naive. I may have been so focused on chemistry and physics.
Woot

While many people are focused on smart watches from Samsung or Apple, old-school watches are still popular, and the beloved brand Casio has a great sale on their G-Shock series.

For starters, you have the CASIO Men's G9300-1, an entry-level G-Shock watch for $147.99 rather than the usual $192 list price. It comes with a thermometer, digital compass, and moon graph (if you ever needed it) and is water-resistant down to 660 feet. The case is made of resin which makes it shock resistant, and the digital window is made of minerals that also helps keep it secure.
Environmental testing near the site of a massive chemical fire in Omaha found some contaminants at concerning levels in standing water but not in soil, ash or debris or on surfaces.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it found heavy metals and volatile organic compounds above a level of concern in water pooled at and near the Nox-Crete plant. The agency did not specify what chemicals or in what amounts.

Residents have been worried about soil pollution and other contamination from the fire. Though the test results may begin to address some of those concerns, they dont answer one of the biggest questions for people whose health may have been affected by the fire: What was in the smoke they breathed? No air sampling was done during the fire.

The three-alarm fire at Nox-Crete on May 30 led to a voluntary evacuation of the neighborhood. The local response has been highly criticized by neighbors who said they had difficulty getting information and that the evacuation was poorly handled.

The company is near 20th Street and Woolworth Avenue.

The only notable contaminant found in soil samples was lead, according to the EPA. The lead likely comes from Omahas 100-plus years as a center for lead smelting and refining, according to the EPA. The lead test results are consistent with previous testing at Nox-Crete, and the results have been forwarded to the EPA division overseeing Omahas lead cleanup.

Representatives of the EPA could not be immediately reached for comment.

The EPA said in its press release that it has forwarded the test results to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, which is leading the investigation into any contamination at the site. A representative of the NDEE could not be reached for comment.

The fire occurred May 30. The EPA took the samples June 1-3.

The EPA selected the sample locations through air modeling and its own on-site observations and by talking with residents and state and local responders.

The agency said the analysis was based on a list of chemicals potentially stored at the facility and through discussions with local and state responders.

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Job Title: Programme Policy Officer (Home Grown School Feeding)

Organisation: United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

About US:

United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the worlds largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need. In emergencies, WFP gets food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After an emergency, WFP uses food to help communities rebuild their lives. On average, WFP reaches more than 80 million people with food assistance in 80 countries each year. The organization has the global footprint, deep field presence and local knowledge and relationships necessary to provide access to food and contribute to lasting solutions, especially in many of the worlds most remote and fragile areas.

Job Summary: To provide effective technical and operational support to the school feeding programme that meets the objectives of WFP food assistance needs. She/he will be responsible for any school feeding related issue implemented in the Uganda Country Office.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Lead the effective management of school feeding programme in Uganda in internal and external coordination with relevant stakeholders and cooperating partners. Ensure that leadership of this role enables innovation, flexibility, and adaption to shifting circumstances

Provide overall technical backstopping and guidance on the implementation of Home-Grown School Feeding programme to the Area Offices

Liaise with Food Systems/Resilience unit to ensure the activity implementation is in line with WFPs corporate guidelines, feeds into policy and strategic discussions  Identify capacity gaps at national and sub national levels and search for innovative solutions

Management and guidance of staff and focal points designated for the School Feeding programme ensuring that the operational and implementation plan are organised, reporting is effective, engagement with partners and relevant stakeholders is supportive.

Provide support and capacity building where necessary, to ensure this is implemented smoothly.

Regular oversight missions to the selected provinces within the area of responsibility  acting as the focal point for higher-level engagement with relevant internal and external stakeholders. Joint oversight missions and coordination with relevant WFP staff from other departments.

Liaise with relevant internal operational units for follow-up on tasks related to finance, supply chain, procurement, reporting, external engagements, partnerships, and relevant regional and HQ engagements.  Problem solving of any challenges that present a risk to WFP, its partners, and the project by providing innovative and forward-looking solutions.

Compilation of reports that encompass all programmatic aspects of school feeding.

Representation of WFP and school feeding at any UN or humanitarian/development coordination meeting and working groups.

Engagement with other UN or NGO bodies that are implementing complimentary or related programming in responsibility.

Contribute to the development of strategic and innovate solutions for the scale up and diversification of future school feeding mechanism.

Other as required.







Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

The ideal candidate for the job placement should hold an advanced University degree obtained from a recognised education institution in any of the following areas: Education, International Affairs, Economics & Planning, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences, or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses

A minimum of seven (7) years relevant working experience coordinating or managing programmes in reputable organisations in any of the following areas: Education, Agriculture, Livelihood, Nutrition, Policy, or any other related area.

An understanding of the principles, issues and global frameworks relating to school feeding health and nutrition;

Experience in undertaking similar or related studies; Familiarity with the Uganda policy environment on education, school feeding, health and nutrition, knowledge of education systems strengthening,

Experience working with government entities

Excellent analytical, communication and drafting skills are required; Maturity, initiative, courtesy, tact and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds

Ability to work under tight deadlines.

Language: Fluency in both oral and written communication in English essential.

Functional Capabilities

Capability Name Description of the behaviour expected for the proficiency level

Programme Lifecycle & Food Assistance Displays ability to identify the main hunger problem at the national or subnational level to design and implement context-specific programmes that integrate complex analysis and the full range of food assistance tools.

Transfer Modalities (Food, Cash, Voucher) Demonstrates ability to analyse and consolidate quantitative and qualitative information from different sources (e.g., market studies) to inform transfer modality selection and programme development.

Broad Knowledge of Specialized areas (i.e. Nutrition, VAM, etc.) Demonstrates the ability to interpret basic data in the context of WFP specialised fields to contribute to technical programme design, implementation and monitoring.

Emergency Programming Displays ability to translate understanding of programme principles in emergencies and protracted conflict situations into relevant, effective, and context specific approaches.

Strategic Policy Engagement w/ Government Develops thorough recommendations using multiple inputs (e.g., government counsel, research, own experience) to strengthen national or subnational entities and government owned food and nutrition security programmes.

How to Apply:

All candidates who wish to join the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in the aforementioned capacity should apply online at the online portal link below.

Click Here

Deadline: 1st July 2022

For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline
Two Massachusetts residents have pleaded guilty to their roles in a drug trafficking ring that included the sale of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl out of a market
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Light rain early. Then remaining cloudy. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Light rain early. Then remaining cloudy. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.
Just over 1,000 years ago, Erik the Red, a fiery-tempered Viking, was exiled from Iceland to an inhospitable country 750 miles away. He called it Greenland to try to attract fellow settlers.

The idea did not work. Greenland may be the world's largest island, more than twice the size of France and Germany combined, but, even today, fewer than 60,000 people call it home.

Most of them live in the south of the country, where temperatures range from around minus 10C in winter to 8C in high summer. Although far from balmy, southern Greenland has a number of attractions, including sought-after metals and minerals, from gold to copper to rare earths.

Gold rush: AEX Gold is set to produce precious metal in Greenland, 1,000 years in the wake of Erik the Red

The presence of these commodities has long been known to mining experts. Now, however, the case for digging them out of the ground has taken on a new urgency, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's growing antagonism to the West have forced governments around the world to think about how to make sure they can buy what they need when they need it.

This turn of events is likely to play neatly into the hands of AEX Gold, a Greenland-based mining firm whose assets cover nearly 3,000 square miles across the south of the country.

AEX shares are 44p and should increase substantially over the next three years as chief executive Eldur Olafsson moves the firm from exploration to commercial production.

Born in Iceland and a geologist by training, Olafsson is just 37 years old. But he has spent his career in the commercial world and has built a reputation for energy and smart thinking.

Ten years ago, Olafsson started to look at Greenland, particularly the south of the country, where the weather is less prone to extreme cold and mining can be carried out all year round. In 2014, he acquired the Nalunaq gold mine and the seeds of AEX Gold were sown.

Nalunaq had already been in production for several years but the previous owner had run out of money at a time when commodities were at a low ebb so finance was hard to find.

Olafsson and his team calculated that, with a bit of cash and a lot of patience, they could expand and develop Nalunaq, while acquiring mining rights in the surrounding areas too.

Everything was going well. Then Covid hit. Plans to bring Nalunaq back into production by 2021 were delayed and Olafsson had to reconsider his strategy. But this pause for thought should work to investors' advantage.

Initial work already suggested that Nalunaq could produce 250,000 ounces of extremely high-grade gold, with each ton of rock producing more than 18g of the precious metal, compared to average gold-mining grades of around 6g per ton.

Further drilling and exploration at Nalunaq suggest the amount of gold on site is substantially higher. New figures will be produced within the next 12 months and the mine should be in production by 2024.

At the same time, AEX has acquired several other assets, where surveys and initial analysis indicate serious quantities of gold, including Vagar Ridge, which has already been touted the Fort Knox of Greenland.

To expand AEX assets beyond gold, Olafsson last month acquired a series of new licences, which considerably increase the group's exposure to metals and minerals including nickel, copper and rare earths. Reflecting this move, AEX will be changing its name to Amaroq Minerals within weeks.

The firm has just signed a 36million joint venture with Acam, a deep-pocketed investment firm, to bring those sites into development over the next three years.

Acam is backed by Louis Bacon, a US billionaire who built his fortune by investing in firms with promise, so his support is a vote of confidence in Olafsson's plans.

Further reassurance comes from the governments of Greenland and Denmark, both of which own a 3.4 per cent stake in AEX. Olafsson is a large investor too, with a 4.5 per cent stake in the business, so he is committed to make it work.

Midas verdict: AEX is an early-stage mining company run by a dynamic entrepreneur. As such, the shares are not without risk. But the business is well backed, the company's assets are extensive and initial signs are promising. At 44p, the shares could deliver significant rewards.

Traded on: AIM Ticker: AEXG Contact: aexgold.com or Camarco on 020 3757 4980
Hands on: Tin is a critical component of solder, used to make electrical connections

The green revolution needs mountains of raw materials  copper to help conduct electricity, lithium to make batteries, rare earth elements for wind and solar power.

But one element of the clean energy cocktail is rarely mentioned: tin.

Yet tin is a critical component of solder, which is used to make electrical connections.

Without solder, electric vehicle batteries would not charge, machines would not be able to connect to the internet, even mobile phones would not work.

Solder accounts for more than half of global tin consumption and demand is expected to increase at a rate of knots, as pressure grows on businesses and households to go green.

The average combustion engine car, for example, uses 400g of tin. An electric vehicle uses 1.5kg. That is one of the reasons why forecasters state that tin production needs to rise by almost 25 per cent, from 380,000 to 480,000 tons a year by the end of this decade.

It is a big ask, particularly as mining giants have largely steered clear of tin since the price abruptly crashed more than 30 years ago.

First Tin intends to help bridge the gap between supply and demand. The company has two key assets  a tin mine in Saxony, the mining capital of Germany, and another in New South Wales, Australia.

Each is expected to produce 3,000 tons of tin annually by 2025, with production from these and other sites rising to close to 10,000 tons per annum by 2030.

Much needs to be done over the next three years but chief executive Thomas Buenger is determined to succeed and confident that he will. This optimism might seem overblown, if Buenger were a newcomer to the industry. But he has decades of experience, most recently as a board member of Aurubis, one of the largest metal companies in the world.

The mine sites are compelling too. The German mine, Tellerhauser, sits in an area widely explored by former East Germany and the Soviet Union.

They had every intention of developing the site but the fall of the Berlin Wall interrupted their plans  and the mine lay dormant for decades. Now First Tin is taking over where the Communists left off.

The group does not just plan to come into production soon but to do so in as environmentally friendly a way as possible, minimising waste and using electric vehicles for transportation.

The story is repeated in Australia, at Taronga, a site acquired last year and already making considerable progress in the move towards production. Pace is important.

According to the International Tin Association, only 11 tin mines are likely to come into production over the next few years. Two of the largest are Tellerhauser and Taronga and Buenger hopes to make them even bigger through continued exploration and development work.

The tin price has come off recent highs but, at $32,000 (26,000) a ton, it is still substantially ahead of average prices between 2005 and 2020 and metal experts believe it will stay at or near current levels.

First Tin expects to be a low-cost producer so it should prove highly profitable once it moves into production.

Midas verdict: First Tin floated on the stock market in April at 30p. Today the shares are 18p. The price fall reflects wider concerns about economic growth and, like AEX, First Tin is prey to worries about early-stage mining groups. Yet the decline seems overdone. The shares are a buy at current levels.

Traded on: Main market Ticker: 1SN Contact: firsttin.com or 020 7389 5010
City investors are betting on a fall in the price of International Airlines Group shares amid fears of air travel chaos this summer.

Holiday travel plans were thrown into turmoil last month after thousands of flights were cancelled.

Now British Airways' parent has been hit by a blitz of short-sellers  traders who borrow shares under contract and make a profit if the price falls.

Under pressure: British Airways' parent has been hit by a blitz of short-sellers

The number of IAG shares out on loan has soared to its highest for more than a year  more than 10 per cent of the group's stock, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

That is double the amount recorded in May and significantly higher than the 1 per cent on loan a year ago, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. The value of shares held by short-sellers is around 580million.

The activity has coincided with the company's share price falling to its lowest level in two years. It is the latest headache for IAG after disruption across the group over recent months, including at Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling.

BA has been one of the worstaffected airlines due to staff shortages and IT breakdowns. It has been forced to slash its capacity by 10 per cent to cope, despite rising demand.

IAG bosses were quizzed on the rising number of short positions during the company's shareholder meeting in Spain last week. Chairman Javier Ferran said IAG was not alone in being targeted by short-sellers.

He suggested the increase was down to the sector being hit by the rising price of jet fuel, the war in Ukraine and the uncertain economic outlook globally.

Ferran accepted the figure was 'higher than usual', but said the short positions will fall as the industry's prospects improve.

Analyst Alex Paterson, at investment bank Peel Hunt, said: 'An instinct for a hedge fund manager when they see very high oil prices is to short airlines because they use a lot of fuel.'

The prospect of strike action at BA is also likely to be scaring off investors, Paterson warned.

He said its long-distance flights could also weigh on costs. 'The difference between IAG and the other London-listed airlines is that it does long haul. It's also exposed to Heathrow Airport, where costs have gone up a lot.'

Just over a quarter of shareholders at the meeting failed to back plans to boost the financial rewards of chief executive Luis Gallego.

Despite the investor opposition, Gallego is in line for a pay package of 4.7million if he hits all his targets in 2022.

IAG declined to comment.
The founding family of defence giant Cobham has raised the alarm over a flurry of sensitive deals as the Government prepares to escalate its probe into the sale of Ultra Electronics.

Lady Cobham, the daughter-in-law of founder Sir Alan Cobham, has warned against 'auctioning off' high-tech firms Ultra, Inmarsat and Meggitt in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

The deals are being closely monitored on both sides of the Atlantic. Decisions on the trio of aerospace and defence takeovers are expected later this year and are being investigated by Kwasi Kwarteng's Business Department.

Threat: Strategic UK firms are being bought up and swiftly sold on or broken up

However, The Mail on Sunday understands Ministers are considering closer scrutiny of the planned purchase of Ultra by US private equity firm Advent. The 'phase two' investigation on whether the deal would threaten Britain's national security could deal a hammer blow to the 2.6billion takeover.

Ultra is regarded as a strategically important company because its work includes making enemy submarine-hunting sonobuoys.

Cobham was the first in a succession of deals targeting some of Britain's most cutting-edge firms. The activity has attracted the ire of the likes of former Defence Secretary Michael Heseltine and the one-time head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Lord West.

Critics want the Government to use its powers to block more deals on grounds of national security. They are particularly concerned that private equity firms take ownership only for a few years, before selling businesses on again.

Advent is buying FTSE250-listed Ultra through what remains of its Cobham business.

But Lady Cobham told The Mail on Sunday 'no one should be taken in' by the fact Cobham is fronting the takeover  as the ultimate owner is a private equity firm.

'They sold off most of Cobham within 18 months of buying it, and are bound to do the same to Ultra if the Minister waves this through,' she said. 'The threat from Russia and China is growing and we should be investing in our domestic defence capability, not auctioning it off.'

Concerns: Lady Cobham's family firm was split up

The Mail on Sunday previously revealed that Advent had agreed to set up a separate board of directors solely to oversee Ultra's contracts with the UK Government, to ease national security fears.

Undertakings thought to have been secured by Kwarteng, who swiftly intervened in the deal when it was announced last year, include maintaining Ultra as a standalone entity that cannot be merged with Cobham. It is believed Advent initially wanted to merge the two, then float the enlarged group within a couple of years.

Kwarteng is thought to be concerned by a threat from US authorities to limit defence cooperation with Britain if it blocks the Ultra takeover.

But talks are believed to have stalled over proposals to install a Government appointee on the board.

Despite pledging to be a long-term investor in the company, which pioneered air-to-air refuelling technology, Advent carved Cobham up and sold much of it off within 18 months. The Government had secured a range of guarantees, including a promise to keep the UK headquarters and to alert the Government if it planned to sell off parts of the business. But campaigners, including the Cobham family, say that failed to protect it. Foreign suitors have also swooped on fellow defence and aerospace firm Meggitt and satellite group Inmarsat.

US aerospace giant Parker-Hannifin is set to buy Meggitt for 6.3billion and another US firm, Viasat, is poised to pick up Inmarsat for 5.4billion. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng called in the Ultra and Meggitt deals last summer and is investigating both under the old Enterprise Act.

The Inmarsat deal is being scrutinised under a new law, the National Security and Investment Act, which hands Ministers sweeping powers to investigate tie-ups and investments in 17 sensitive sectors.

An Advent spokesman said: 'Advent is committed to backing the Government's national security imperatives, with over 500million invested in Cobham's research and development and strategic initiatives during our ownership, and all defence asset disposals kept within the Five Eyes community of our closest allies.'

A Viasat spokesman said it was 'committed to invest heavily in its UK business'.
Founder: Rococo's Chantal Coady

The Queen's favourite chocolate brand Rococo has changed hands in a snap deal with the group behind Illy coffee, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The sale could breathe new life into the brand under Prestat Group, the confectionery arm of Italian firm Gruppo Illy.

Rococo was created by entrepreneur Chantal Coady in 1983 when she opened a shop on the King's Road in Chelsea, South-West London.

London-based Prestat itself supplies the Royal household and has been granted two Royal Warrants, by the Queen and the Queen Mother. It has bought three of Rococo's five London shops, in Marylebone, Chelsea and Belgravia, and taken on all 60 of its staff and management.

There are rumours that founder Coady, 63, who left the company after falling out with its previous investor and chief executive Rupert Morley, could be reinstated as creative director.

The company has been sold for just 100,000 in a so-called 'pre-pack' deal the same day it was put into administration.

It marks the second time Rococo has gone bust in three years. It collapsed after struggling to meet rents and repay a 1million Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan. The CBILS loan was taken out in May last year through a subsidiary of a boutique Chelsea lender called Cyan Finance, which is among Rococo's biggest secured creditors.

The Mail on Sunday reported last month that Coady had launched legal action against Rococo's banker NatWest and insolvency firm BDO over a longstanding loan agreement.

If she loses the claim, she and husband James Booth face losing their South London home, which they put up as security.

A source close to Coady said: 'What happened to Chantal has cost her dearly and changed her life irrevocably.

'But she is glad that Illy is now in charge as there is now a strong chance Rococo can thrive again.'

New chief executive Micaela Illy said: 'We were very fortunate to be able to acquire the brand and build on the unique Rococo legacy.'
Bentley has set aside a bonus of almost 2million for staff as it shrugs off the consumer squeeze.

About 2,000 workers at the luxury car maker will receive an average of 1,000 from the special bonus next month.

The payment for factory floor staff comes as Bentley sales thrive despite motor industry supply chain disruption.

Boost: About 2,000 workers at the luxury car maker will receive an average of 1,000 from the special bonus next month

The unexpected payout is a reward for good performance and does not relate to the cost-of-living crisis. The company said sales and forward orders remain strong despite rising materials costs and the Shanghai lockdown.

Chief executive Adrian Hallmark said: 'We have made more money and we are sharing a bit.'

Volkswagen-owned Bentley posted record results earlier this year.

Profits hit 325million after it sold 14,659 cars. It is now investing 2.5billion into the business as it moves to selling only electric vehicles.

It assembles cars, which have features including finely-crushed diamonds in the paintwork, in Crewe, Cheshire.
Earlier this week, as Columbus was bracing for the Yellowstone River to crest, a pair of older men were working quickly to carry sandbags across the road to their property and set up a flood barrier.

It was slow going, said Melanie Koassan, a volunteer from Columbus who's helping lead relief efforts for Stillwater County.

Someone saw the men struggling with the sandbags and asked if they needed help. The two men requested a few more hands and within the hour 30 people had arrived, helping the two men build a 4-foot wall that was three sandbags deep around their house.

"I can't tell you how wonderful Columbus and Stillwater County (residents) have been," Koassan said. "The volunteer response has been incredible."

For those who want to help, opportunities are abundant.

United Way of Yellowstone County has partnered with JustServe, the localized service and volunteering network for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to help direct materials and volunteers to relief efforts in Stillwater, Carbon, Park and Gallatin counties.

Those wanting to volunteer or donate can visit either the United Way or JustServe website to find out where help is needed and sign up.

Stockman Bank set up the Montana Flood Relief Fund on Thursday and seeded it with $10,000. The bank will then match every donation it receives up to $15,000.

"I have not seen widespread flooding like this in my lifetime," Bill Coffee, CEO of Stockman Bank, said in a statement. "The damage is devastating and we want to do what we can to help our fellow Montanans recover and rebuild."

The Greater Gallatin United Way is directing volunteer efforts for the Gallatin region, including Livingston and Gardiner, and has set up the SW Montana Flood Relief Fund to collect donations. People can donate through the fund's mobile app or by texting "Flood22" to 41444.

In Carbon County, the Red Lodge Area Community Foundation is taking donations at its website, rlacf.org for the Carbon County Disaster Relief Fund and Red Lodge Fire Rescue. Those donations will "support efforts to manage the flooding, affected individual and family emergency needs, and future recovery efforts."

Also taking donations is the Bank of Red Lodge, which is matching donations up to $25,000.

Needs are dramatic in Red Lodge and throughout the smaller communities in Carbon County. Likewise Gardiner, where the highway to Yellowstone National Park was washed away, has become a dead end at the top of Paradise Valley.

Both communities have vowed to reopen and have called on tourists to visit this summer.

Residents in Stillwater County worry they might be forgotten.

Up the Stillwater River from Columbus are the small mountain communities of Absarokee, Roscoe, Fishtail and Nye. Further down the valley is Reed Point, which was also hard hit.

"Roscoe is our biggest hurt," said Jamie Locke, an Absarokee resident and local coordinator for JustServe. "Roscoe has not gotten much outside help."

Coordinators are hopeful that will change as volunteers are organized and marshaled to work. Already Koassan has seen an outpouring.

The Rockin' J gas station in Absarokee has donated 1,000 gallons of red dye diesel to help in the cleanup and rebuilding efforts. Stillwater Lumber has donated pallets of water and Sam's Place Casino has been donating food.

In fact, volunteers will gather on Saturday to pack up sack lunches for first responders, volunteers and residents displaced by the flooding with the food donated by Sam's.

Individual residents from as far away as Helena have shown up with donations.

"We've had people from all over the state," Koassan said.

Those wishing to donate goods can drop them off at the Stillwater County Pavilion at 328 E. 5th Ave. N., in Columbus. Koassan asks that those who plan to deliver goods call her first at 406-426-8079 to ensure someone will be there to receive the delivery.

The Columbus Community Foundation Fund has been set up at Yellowstone Bank and Project Hope in Columbus, which is also taking donations, has clothing, diapers, pet food, toiletries and food for little or no money, Koassan said.

"I think we'll get the help we need," she said.

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As war rages in Ukraines east, Kyiv received a major boost on Friday when the European Union recommended that it become a candidate to join the bloc, foreshadowing a dramatic geopolitical shift in the wake of Russias invasion.

At a summit next week, EU leaders are expected to endorse the recommendations by the blocs executive for Ukraine and neighbouring Moldova.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Twitter the bravery of Ukrainians had brought an opportunity for Europe to create a new history of freedom, and finally remove the grey zone in Eastern Europe between the EU and Russia.

As diplomacy advanced with Brussels, intense fighting continued in the eastern region of Donbas, where Russia seeks to solidify and extend recent gains, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a surprise visit to the capital, Kyiv.

Zelenskiy said in a nightly televised address that the decision of EU member states remains to be seen, but added: You can only imagine truly powerful European strength, European independence and European development with Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the decision while wearing the Ukrainian colours, represented by a yellow blazer over a blue blouse.

Ukrainians are ready to die for the European perspective, she said. We want them to live with us the European dream.

Russian President Vladimir Putin railed at the West, the United States in particular, in a grievance-filled speech in St Petersburg, but sought to play down the EU issue.Advertisement  Scroll to continue

We have nothing against it, he said. It is not a military bloc. Its the right of any country to join economic union.

However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia was closely following Ukraines EU bid, especially in the light of increased defence cooperation among the 27-member bloc.

Ukraine applied to join the EU four days after Russian troops poured across its border late in February. Within days it was joined by Moldova and Georgia, smaller former Soviet states also contending with separatist regions backed by Russia.

Although only the start of a process that may run for years and require extensive reforms, the move by the European Commission puts Kyiv on course to realise an aspiration seen as out of reach just months ago.

One of Putins stated objectives in launching what Moscow calls a special military operation that has killed thousands of people, destroyed cities and sent millions fleeing was to halt the Wests eastward expansion via the NATO military alliance.

But Fridays announcement underlined how the war has had the opposite effect: convincing Finland and Sweden to join NATO, and now the EU to embark on potentially its most ambitious expansion since welcoming Eastern European states after the Cold War.

Heightening the global showdown, Russian media broadcast images of what they said were two Americans captured while fighting for Ukraine. I am against war, the men said in separate video clips posted on social media.

POST-SOVIET GENERATION

EU membership is not guaranteed  talks have been stalled for years with Turkey, a candidate since 1999. But if admitted, Ukraine would be the EUs largest country by area and its fifth most populous.

Ukraine and Moldova are far poorer than current EU members and have recent histories of volatile politics and organised crime, in addition to their conflicts with Russian-backed separatists.

But in Zelenskiy, 44, and Maia Sandu, 50, they have pro-Western leaders who came of age outside the Soviet Union.

Johnson, the latest in a string of foreign leaders visiting Kyiv, offered training for Ukrainian forces and said Britain would stand by the Ukrainian people until you ultimately prevail.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the West not to suggest peace initiatives with unacceptable terms, in an apparent reference to remarks this month by French President Emmanuel Macron that finding a diplomatic solution requires not humiliating Russia. read more

Instead, Kuleba wrote in an online article in the magazine Foreign Policy, the West should help Ukraine win, not just by providing heavy weapons but by maintaining and increasing sanctions against Moscow.

The West cannot afford any sanctions fatigue, regardless of the broader economic costs, he wrote. It is clear that Putins path to the negotiating table lies solely through battleground defeats.

Since Ukraine defeated Russias bid to storm Kyiv in March, Moscow has refocused on the eastern Donbas region, which it claims on behalf of separatist proxies, and its forces have used their artillery advantage to blast their way into cities in a punishing phase of the war.

Russia is taking a pounding too.

Its military is suffering heavy casualties after concentrating the vast majority of its available combat power to capture Sievierodonetsk and its sister city, Lysychansk, at the expense of other axes of advance, Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said in a note on Friday.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Rwandan police on Friday shot and killed a Congolese soldier who crossed the border and fired at security forces, Rwandas army said, as fighting intensified 50 km (30 miles) away between Congos military and rebels it says are backed by Rwanda.

The Central African neighbours have been locked in a diplomatic crisis since the M23 rebels launched a major offensive in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last month.

Rwanda denies Congos allegations that it supports the guerrillas, whose leadership hails from the same Tutsi ethnic group as Rwandan President Paul Kagame, or that it has sent troops into eastern Congo.

As fighting picked up again between the rebels and Congos army on Friday, M23 fighters shot down a Congolese military helicopter, according to M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma and a Congolese army source.

The incident at the border took place earlier on Friday when a Congolese soldier crossed into Rwanda from the Congolese city of Goma and fired an AK-47 rifle at Rwandan security personnel and civilians, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) said.

Two Rwandan police officers were injured before an officer on duty fired back at the soldier, who was killed 25 metres inside Rwanda, an RDF statement said.

Congos government said it was monitoring the situation but did not provide details about the incident. It ordered the border with Rwanda closed each day at 3 p.m. from Friday on, several hours earlier than usual.

ANTI-RWANDAN SENTIMENT

In Goma, about 50 km southwest of the main fighting, hundreds of people on foot and riding motorcycles trailed the ambulance carrying the soldiers body while chanting hero, hero. Some shouted anti-Tutsi slogans and called Kagame an assassin.Advertisement  Scroll to continue

Anti-Rwandan sentiment in Congo is widespread, a legacy of Rwandas two invasions of eastern Congo in the 1990s and continuing influence in the region. Rwanda says its actions have targeted ethnic Hutu militiamen responsible for the 1994 genocide of more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

The M23 is waging its most sustained offensive since capturing swathes of territory in eastern Congo in 2012-2013.

The group captured the town of Bunagana, on the border with Uganda, earlier this week and made further gains on Friday, taking the town of Tshengerero to the east and bringing down the army aircraft, its spokesman Ngoma said.

The army fled and the helicopter started to bomb us. So we fired on it and we got it, he said.

The head of a local civil society group and a Congolese officer confirmed Tshengereros capture.

In a statement, Congos government called on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to pressure Rwanda to withdraw its troops from Congo ahead of a summit of the Commonwealth, which Kigali will host next week.

It also welcomed a Kenyan proposal to deploy a joint East African military force to eastern Congo, but said it would not accept Rwandan participation.

Rwandas government spokeswoman, Yolande Makolo, told reporters Rwanda would contribute troops to the regional force and called for dialogue with Congo.

SOURCE: REUTERS
School buses have always been part of my life. Beyond my days as a student, I spent many hours with transportation staff as a Ballston Spa school district administrator.

After retirement, however, I found school bus delays annoying  the frequent stops, the long wait while the flashing lights insist I stay put. But this morning, I willingly waited as I watched a father walk his young son across the street to the open bus door where they lingered for a long goodbye.

The hug was mutual, before the boy with his backpack climbed the steps of the big yellow bus that would take him to school. And, hopefully, bring him home again. A final wave before the bus pulled away.

I thought of the song "A Whole Lot of Rain" written by Bob Warren after the horrific Sandy Hook massacre. "When you drive them to school and you kiss them goodbye, you must always believe that youll see them again."

I wondered again why nothing of consequence to stem gun violence has been done in the 23 years since Columbine.

During my tenure as an administrator, I helped students learn how to hide from a possible armed gunman. I assisted with lock-out and lock-down drills. We'd lead little kids to the school basement and tell them to be very quiet so no one could hear them.

Like Anne Frank hiding in the attic.

Although only practice, the kids were nervous. We adults still believed Columbine was a freakish one-off perpetrated by high school misfits.

Since Columbine, there have been 14 mass shootings in American schools, with more than 311,000 children experiencing gun violence in school. Yet "thoughts and prayers" seem to be all some elected officials are willing to offer, blocking even minimal legislation to protect kids. Thats a sinful deflection of human responsibility. Like the friend who offers to pray for me when Im sick but doesnt bring me soup.

Ken Olin, director of the television drama "This is Us," recently tweeted, "We dont need moments of silence. We need relentless noise."

A cardiac nurse, correlating current events with blood pressure, confessed that she was unaware of the Uvalde school shooting for several hours, despite having a school-age son. It happened so soon after the Buffalo tragedy that she didnt realize there had been yet another abominable occurrence. She was ashamed of her ability to tune it out. Thats the insidious danger  not having to vomit when we hear another child was blown apart in school by an AR-15.

How have we become so inured to gun violence in this country? Or has that always been the case?

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.

Even though modern-day guns and bullets werent yet invented when the Second Amendment was written, any effort to curtail their use is viewed as a violation of our Founding Fathers intent. Despite what we know about their character flaws, theyre currently held in higher esteem than our children.

In America, guns hold sanctity over childrens lives. Over human life. Somehow, God has been correlated with the right to kill the other. Consider the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Salem Witch Trials, the Holocaust. On television, we witness insurrectionists with weapons intended to kill elected officials, proclaiming its Gods will. What a perversion of the divine nature thats in each one of us!

When watching the memorial service for the victims of the Buffalo carnage, I was struck by the mourners ability to still praise the Lord while in the depths of despair, no doubt well-cultivated faith after years of unjustifiable oppression.

I suggest we now lift our eyes to Capitol Hill to pass legislation that will help us feel safe in our schools, churches, malls, movie theaters, streets.

I dont distinguish between God and other life forms; for me, theres no separation of spirit. Its up to our collective divinity to bring justice to our world. We can pray that humanity chooses a better way, but that isnt enough: We must demand Congress pass life-saving legislation, vote, attend public meetings, and speak up. Make a "relentless noise."

Otherwise, we are complicit.

Jesus disgust with the money changers, turning over their tables, is the perfect image for us to hold in our minds during prayer. Decisive action is mandatory unless were willing to say a long goodbye to our kids every morning and kiss human decency goodbye forever.



Patricia A. Nugent is the author of They Live On: Saying Goodbye to Mom and Dad and editor of the anthology "Before They Were Our Mothers: Voices of Women Born Before Rosie Started Riveting. Her latest book is "Healing with Dolly Lama: Finding God in Dog" about an unwanted puppy that became a muse.
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VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. (AP)  The 70-year-old visitor had previously attended some services at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church before police say he showed up for a potluck dinner, pulled out a handgun and fatally shot three of the elderly participants, one of whom died in his wife's arms as she whispered words of love in his ear.

Church members were spared further violence Thursday evening when one of them rushed the gunman, struck him with a chair and held him until police arrived, a former pastor said. The suspect, Robert Findlay Smith, was charged with capital murder Friday, the Jefferson County district attorney announced.

The baffling violence in a wealthy suburb of Birmingham stunned a community known for its family-centered lifestyle. It also deepened the unease in a nation still reeling from recent slaughter wrought by gunmen who attacked a Texas school, a New York grocery store and another church in California.

Why would a guy whos been around for a while suddenly decide he would go to a supper and kill somebody? said the Rev. Doug Carpenter, St. Stephen's pastor for three decades before he retired in 2005. It doesnt make sense.

All three shooting victims were members attending a monthly dinner at the church, said Carpenter, who still attends Sunday services there but wasn't present Thursday night. A Facebook post referred to the gathering as a Boomers Potluck.

Carpenter said one victim's wife and other witnesses recounted what had happened. They said a man who introduced himself only as Mr. Smith sat at a table by himself  as he'd done while visiting a previous church dinner.

People tried to speak to him and he was kind of distant and very much a loner, Carpenter told The Associated Press by telephone.

At Thursday's dinner, church member Walter Bartlett Rainey invited the visitor to join his table, Carpenter said, but the man declined. He said Rainey's wife noticed the visitor wasn't eating.

Linda Rainey said he didnt have any food and she offered to fix a plate for him, and he turned that down, said Carpenter.

Soon afterward, Carpenter said, the man drew his gun and opened fire  shooting Walter Rainey and two other church members. Carpenter said another member, a man in his 70s, grabbed a chair and charged the gunman.

He hit him with a folding chair, wrestling him to the ground, took the gun from him and hit him in the head with his own gun, Carpenter said.

Church members held the suspect until police arrived, police Capt. Shane Ware said. A police mugshot showed Smith with a blackened left eye and cuts to his nose and forehead.

The person that subdued the suspect, in my opinion, was a hero," Ware told a news conference Friday, saying that act was extremely critical in saving lives."

Rainey, 84, died at the scene. His wife of six decades wasn't harmed.

We are all grateful that she was spared and that he died in her arms while she murmured words of comfort and love into his ears, Rainey's family said in a statement.

Police said Sarah Yeager, 75, of Pelham, died soon afterward at a hospital, and an 84-year-old woman died Friday. Police didn't release her name, citing the family's request for privacy.

Ware said Smith and the three victims were all white. He said police are investigating what motivated the suspect, who occasionally attended services at the church. Authorities executed a search warrant Friday at Smith's home, less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) away.

Records from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives show Smith is a licensed gun dealer whose business is listed at his home address. Court records show Smith filed a lawsuit in 2008 against Samford University, a private university in metro Birmingham, alleging campus security wrongly detained him and accused him of impersonating a police officer.

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.

Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry told reporters his close-knit, resilient, loving community was rocked by this senseless act of violence. It's home to nearly 40,000 residents, most of them white, including many businesspeople, doctors and lawyers who work in Birmingham.

The churchs pastor, the Rev. John Burruss, said in a Facebook post that he was in Greece on a pilgrimage and trying to get back.

The Rev. Rebecca Bridges, the associate rector, led an online prayer service on the church's Facebook page Friday morning. She prayed not only for the victims and church members who witnessed the shooting, but also for the person who perpetrated the shooting.

We pray that you will work in that persons heart, Bridges said. And we pray that you will help us to forgive.

Bridges, currently in London, alluded to other recent mass shootings as she prayed that "our culture will change and that our laws will change in ways that will protect all of us.

Thursdays shooting happened just over a month after one person was killed and five injured when a man opened fire on Taiwanese parishioners at a Southern California church. It also came nearly seven years to the day after an avowed white supremacist killed nine people during Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

A message posted by St. Stephens said it would hold Sunday services, adding: We will gather at the Table that has taught so many that love is always breaking through in this world, no matter what we experience, whether it be doubt, anger, loss, grief, or death  but yet also joy and life."

___

AP writer Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this story.
New York Power Authority

ALBANYThe New York Power Authority recognized two Amsterdam High School students who created the winning designs in the DRIve EV Downtown bumper sticker contest to promote electric vehicle driving in New York.

The top vote-getting design will be printed and distributed at NYPA community events around the state, the power authority said in a statement.
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Even as a college student, Joseph Bowman was willing to push boundaries so that all people could get a quality education.

Bowman was known, by the end of his life, as the man leading the charge to digitize libraries to improve access for underserved communities. For that work, the New York State Librarys Research Library has been renamed in his honor.

Bowman's legacy began in 1969, long before the internet made digitization possible.

That year, Bowman, 18, and other University at Albany students chained the doors to the administrative building in a peaceful yet provocative protest, as the college officially described it during a 40th-anniversary celebration.

Black Student Alliance students had formally asked for an African American history course that could be taken by all students, not just upperclassmen who had taken required prerequisites. There had been no action for two months, so in January 1969, they met with university President Evan Revere Collins. He quickly realized administrators had never submitted the request.

The students were upset; I believe they were justifiably upset. This looked to them like a breach of faith, and it was easy for this group of students to feel that the breach of faith was deliberate, Collins told the University Senate.

Telling the students that their request hadnt gone through the proper channels did not help.

They chained shut his doors the next Monday and a hundred students rallied outside.

We were nervous, probably scared, but determined to get the quality education that all students deserved, Bowman said later.

Collins took their side and decided the college needed much more than one course. The college ended up creating the Department of Afro-American Studies and expanded the Educational Opportunity Program to help 300 disadvantaged students earn a degree, up from 134 students the year before.

When the New York State Librarys Research Library was renamed after him, his biography briefly mentioned that early work.

He was instrumental in creating the African American Studies Department at the University at Albany during his undergraduate tenure, where he earned a bachelors degree as well as a masters in Library Science and Secondary Education, the biography said.

It was a glimpse of what hed do later in life, officials said.

Dr. Bowman impacted the lives and futures of countless students, organizations, and communities in New York State through his work as an educator and Regent, Commissioner Betty Rosa said in a statement.

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For the rest of his life, he continued to work for equity in education.

By the 1980s he was thinking about how to harness the computer age for students who didnt have access to huge libraries or the most advanced materials.

He earned a masters in educational technology in 1983, a masters in computers and education in 1984 and a doctorate in communications and technology in education in 1991 as he researched how to make a difference with new technology.

He is credited with bringing free public Internet to libraries and getting many Black, Indigenous, Hispanic and poor students into STEM fields through free college programs while in secondary school.

He was the director of the Science Technology Entry Program, which led to colleges tutoring underrepresented students to prepare them for college and increase their participation in STEM fields. Colleges also provided advanced coursework and research opportunities  all for free to the student.

He was also a member of the Board of Regents for nine years. He died in 2013 at age 62 after a long illness.

Regent Bowman devoted himself to championing equitable access to educational technology and ensuring all young people and adults have the tools and skills needed for success, said Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young Jr. in a statement before the library renaming.

His work ensured that students of color and those who are economically disadvantaged are included in the vision for how technology can be used to transform teaching and learning.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker made hissssstory Thursday by officially announcing the new state snake.

The eastern milksnake is now the slithering serpent of the Land of Lincoln with the signing of House Bill 4821. A 7th-grader in Carterville, Illinois, located on State Route 13 between Carbondale and Marion, initiated the effort.

Gentry Heiple did all the research and chose the eastern milksnake after growing interest in how a bill becomes a law. He presented his idea to the House of Representatives State Government Administration Committee who gave unanimous consent.

I decided to do this bill to try and highlight the good and importance of snakes all over, Heiple said in a press release. And by doing this I was able to visit the capitol and meet some of the most important people in Illinois. And I am very grateful and appreciative of all the people who supported me and voted yes on the bill.

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.

The eastern milksnake is found all across Illinois, living in fields, woodlands, rocky hills and river bottoms. The milksnake ranges from 24 to 36 inches in length, has smooth scales, large blotches with brown or black borders and a "Y" or "V" shaped mark on its head. It is not a poisonous snake and some are even bred as pets.

Earlier this month, Pritzker also awarded the efforts of elementary and middle school students and named the official state rock.
WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (AP)  About 20 students at a Michigan high school where four students were killed in a mass shooting say their constitutional rights to safety and education have been violated and that they want changes to ensure security at school, a law firm representing them said Friday.

The federal lawsuit filed Friday names the Oxford Community School District, its former superintendent and other officials. It seeks an independent review and policy changes, including increased transparency and communication from the district.

The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment from the district.

Ethan Crumbley, 16, has been charged with murder and terrorism in the Nov. 30 shootings at Oxford High School, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Detroit, that also left six other students and a teacher wounded. He faces trial in November.

His parents are accused of providing him with access to the gun he used and are awaiting trial for involuntary manslaughter.

The students' lawsuit demands the school district implement a fully transparent and independent third-party investigation of the actions and events leading up to the shooting" and what it calls an end to the practice of concealing and minimizing threats of violence."

The lawsuit doesn't seek financial damages. Other lawsuits following the shooting have sought millions of dollars, saying that the violence could have been prevented.

The latest lawsuit also asks the district to stop returning students to class when they pose a risk of harm to themselves or others.

On the morning of the shooting, Ethan Crumbleys parents were summoned to the school and confronted with his drawings of a handgun and the words: The thoughts wont stop. Help me. Authorities said the parents refused to take him home after the 13-minute meeting.

Rumors of threats and threatening behavior in the weeks leading up to the shooting were ignored and minimized by school officials, said Alicia Feltz, whose daughter will be a sophomore at the high school this fall. They desensitized and diminished the threats that walked alongside our children in the hallways."

None of us want to be here right now, Feltz added. We have kindly and firmly asked for change and now we're demanding it.

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The parents supporting their children in the lawsuit are known as #change4oxford. Several told reporters that the Oxford School Board has repeatedly declined a review by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessels office.

The district announced last month that it was hiring a law firm and an independent investigations firm to conduct its own review.

My fear, now, is they will use attorney-client privilege to withhold pertinent information for the review," said April Ventline, whose son attends Oxford High. "I dont have faith or trust we will get a clear and honest review.

___

For more of the APs coverage of the Michigan school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/oxford-high-school-shooting

___

This story has been corrected to show Feltz's daughter will be a sophomore this fall, not a freshman.
The Natrona County GOP is set to decide Tuesday whether to call for the resignation of Wyoming Republican Party Chairman Frank Eathorne following multiple controversial revelations about him.

Members of the Natrona County Republican Party have drafted a resolution that requests Eathorne's "immediate resignation." The draft asserts that "Frank Eathorne has consistently failed to represent the values of the vast majority of Wyomingites and during his tenure has divided the Party and failed in his duty to support all elected Republicans."

The resolution cites a number of reasons for why he should step down, including court records that indicate Eathorne, as a police officer in Worland in 1994, barged into a coworker's home while drunk and armed and tried to convince her to have sex with him.

The resolution also calls out his presence on restricted grounds at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Eathorne had said immediately following the Jan. 6 riot that he made a "brief stop in the vicinity" of the Capitol property, but photos published last month showed he got much closer to the building.

"Whereas Frank Eathorne has repeatedly lied to the people of Wyoming as well as members of this Central Committee," the draft reads. "When asked about his involvement in the January 6th, 2021 insurrection, he repeatedly said that he went to the rally, walked down the street and retired to his hotel before any violence or destruction of property started. Not only was he a member of the mob, he has done nothing to condemn the insurrection  an attempt to overthrow the election."

The resolution also notes that Eathorne is a member of the Oath Keepers, a militant right-wing organization (Eathorne maintains he is only a passive member), and once accepted $109,000 in agricultural subsidies. It will be introduced at the county party's central committee meeting Tuesday evening. It needs a majority to pass.

"Being a member of the Oath Keepers is not acceptable," said Natrona County GOP state committeeman Dr. Joe McGinley. "To participate in that group, it goes against the principles of the Republican Party."

McGinley -- who is arguably the most outspoken dissenter against the Wyoming Republican Party -- and Rep. Joe MacGuire, R-Casper, are behind the resolution. A resolution can be written by any member of the central committee and does not need to be voted on to be introduced.

"If you take on the responsibility of leading an organization, you take on a higher standard," McGinley said. "It's embarrassing to the Republican Party and its embarrassing for the state. We don't want to just let this slide under the rug."

Neither MacGuire nor Eathorne immediately responded to request for comment.

Natrona County Republicans have regularly clashed with the state party over the past several years. They sued the state GOP over bylaws that require each county party to pay dues to the state party or lose their delegates to the state GOP convention. A judge recently threw out Natrona's suit, but the county party plans to appeal, McGinley said.

Recently, the Laramie County Republican Party also started to butt heads with party leadership, which resulted in Laramie County losing nearly all its delegates to the state GOP convention over a bylaw violation.

Leadership from both Laramie and Natrona counties say the rules are being selectively enforced against them because they've stayed more true to traditional Republicanism and have resisted the hard-line path that the state party has taken under Eathorne's leadership.

Natrona's resolution on Eathorne mentions this fracturing of Wyoming Republicanism.

"Whereas Frank Eathorne, during his tenure, has overseen the divide of the Party, the elimination of Natrona County delegates and the last minute unseating of Laramie County delegates while turning a blind eye to the transgressions of other Counties," it reads.

Laramie County GOP Chairwoman Dani Olsen said she has not heard any discussion of a resolution on Eathorne in her neck of the woods.

"If someone did decide to bring a resolution, it wouldn't be on an agenda until August at the earliest," she said.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis.

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Racks of costumes for filming HBOs The Gilded Age are filling up the Troy Atrium again  and the production of the hit Julian Fellowes series is moving out from Troy to include Albany and Cohoes.

While schedules and locations arent completely set for Albany, Cohoes and Troy, the production is expected to be setting up and filming for three months this summer. Scenes are expected to be shot from Aug. 1 to 26.

Were excited, said David Bryce, owner of the Troy Atrium at Broadway and Third Street in Troy where HeyDay Productions LLC has begun setting up and contractors are in and out of the building. This spot was the center of costuming and prepping the extras in 19th-century period clothing for filming,

The production will work out of the atrium from June 13 to Sept. 2. Filming is anticipated to begin in August at several locations in Albany and Cohoes for the first time. In Troy, familiar locations such as the former Illium Cafe on Monument Square and homes around Washington Park will again appear in the show.

Fellowes, who created the popular Downton Abbey series, is the creator and writer of The Gilded Age. Both dramatic series emphasize their historic authenticity. The Gilded Age is set in late 19th-century New York, several decades before the action of Downton Abbey, which opened with news of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 and portrayed the lives of British aristocrats through the late 1920s.

The First Presbyterian Church at Willett and State streets in Albany will see filming in August, said Jamie Mamone, the church administrator, on Friday. Mamone said dates are being firmed up and that shes looking forward to seeing the period costumes and horses and carriages. The church is on the east side of Washington Park, which has often been the site of movie and television productions.

Grant Wilfley Casting began advertising this week for extras to work on the second season at sites around the region. The company was the source for extras who worked on the first season of filming in Troy.

Spindle City close-up

Cohoes strong core of Gilded Age architecture from the late 19th century drew the HBO series producers to its streets. Mayor Bill Keeler and Theresa Bourgeois, director of operations, said the city has been working with the producers for a year to bring the show to film in the small city.

It fits in with our beautiful historic buildings. Were thrilled about The Gilded Age,  Keeler said.

Cohoes officials said they promised the producers they would not identify any locations of possible filming. When asked if the city-owned Cohoes Music Hall would be featured, Keeler replied with a mischievous smile and said, Stay tuned.

Location scouts plunged into Cohoes last year. There was speculation that Harmony Mills, converted from manufacturing to apartments, with the nearby worker housing on School and Cataract streets was being scrutinized.

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Its cool. Its exciting to think theyll be filming on your street, said Erin Roditis, of School Street.

Keeler said having the series in Cohoes would promote the city to an international audience, bring more visitors and shoppers to city businesses and restaurants and be an exciting experience for residents. The mayor said the producers decision to come to Cohoes reflected his administrations effort to restore and preserve historic properties and to publicize the citys history.

Take 2 for Troy

Mayor Patrick Madden and his staff have been preparing for the return of the series that settled in Troy for filming in May and June 2021. They havent received final plans for when and where production will take place.

Recalling the first season that debuted earlier this year, Madden said, My favorite scenes were in the (Troy Savings Bank) music hall.

The mayor said the series caught the beauty of the music hall, which could not be shown as well using the green screen special effects used in so many television and movie productions.

Downriver, a new Peacock mystery starring Natasha Lyonne is being shot on location in the Beacon area.
GLENS FALLS  A bar conversation I had at the beginning of last week became a vivid if inadvertent affirmation of the need for plays like two I attended in the following days that take on difficult parts of our nation's history.

Sitting at a restaurant bar with a friend of like-minded political persuasion as cable news silently showed coverage of that day's congressional hearing about the Jan. 6, 2021, breaching of the U.S. Capitol, I remarked that the committee's findings were what I'd expected to hear, often worse, but it was a necessary airing and holding to account for an unprecedented and sickening incident in our country. For the two of us, both journalists, such belief is part of our core conviction of the importance of getting something on the record and on view for the public.

A stranger sitting nearby interjected: "It's just showboating and a massive waste of millions of our taxpayer dollars that will change nothing."

My friend and I exchanged a glance that said, basically, "Well, here's to a peaceful evening disrupted," and we started a conversation, trying a variety of tactics, but the stranger wouldn't budge: The attack, he said, has been blown out of proportion; former President Trump wasn't responsible; and the congressional committee  all allegedly multimillionaires as a result corruption, despite their low-six-figure salaries  were exploiting the situation for their own benefit. And nothing would change.

I thought of this argument as I watched the national touring production of the Aaron Sorkin adaptation of "To Kill a Mockingbird," a searing indictment of racial injustice in 1930s Alabama that retains an of-the-moment resonance in today's America. It runs through Sunday at Proctors in Schenectady.

And I thought of it again during Friday's performance of Adirondack Theatre Festival's production of "The Chinese Lady," the first show of the 28th season for a company dedicated to presenting new and recent work. The play, which had its world premiere at Barrington Stage Company four summers ago, is author Lloyd Suh's fictionalization of the true story of Afong Moy, who was brought from China to the U.S. in 1834 as a 14-year-old girl and spent 30 years on display in museums and circus sideshows around the country.

Said to be the first Chinese woman in America, Moy was supposed to help promote cultural understanding, though the manner in which it was done is cringe-inducing today. At the center of the stage is a raised, curtained circular platform that, when opened, reveals a Western idea of what a Chinese room might have looked like 200 years ago, with furniture, artwork, vases, silks and more. (The set is by Misha Kachman.)

A seated Moy (superbly played by Sami Ma) tells the audience:

"This room in which I am seated is intended to be representative of China, just as I am intended to be representative of The Chinese Lady: the first woman from the Orient ever to set foot in America, and yet this room is unlike any room in China, and I am unlike any lady to ever live."

Twice a day, six days a week, assisted by her interpreter, Atung (Whit K. Lee, excellent), who is invaluable to the play, she "performs": sits, eats, drinks tea and walks on her tiny, 4-inch-long bound feet for a gawking audience that diminishes over the years. During her lifetime  official records for Moy end in the 1850s, but Suh's play imagines her living in the U.S. into the 20th century  Chinese immigrants went from having Americans consider them exotic but harmless to being a group exploited to build the transcontinental railroad to, by the late 1870s, a people so feared that whole communities were killed en masse by vigilantes, and the federal government banned the immigration of Chinese laborers from 1882 until 1943.

At ATF, "The Chinese Lady" is being directed by Shannon Tyo, who played Moy in the Barrington Stage production, which was revived at the Public Theater in Manhattan earlier this year. A bold, strong and unusual play, it has the actors speak directly to the audience  sometimes as if contemporaries from the play's era, at others as if we're today's theater audience.

Almost all of the play's scenes start the same, with Atung opening the circular curtain around Moy's room, and her words begin similarly. As "The Chinese Lady" progresses, however, Moy's attitude changes from youthful excitement and optimism to despair deepened by decades of routine and the certainty that she hadn't improved cultural understanding at all. In fact, she witnessed firsthand as racial divides widened, their animosities manifesting more viciously.

And so we are here today. Hate crimes against Asian American increased 339 percent from 2020 to 2021, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. Also last year, only 3 percent of attacks on Asians in New York City resulted in a conviction for a hate crime, as reported by the Asian American Bar Association of New York.

That's why we need plays like "The Chinese Lady" and "To Kill a Mockingbird." That's why Shakespeare has Hamlet tell a band of actors that a play's purpose is to to hold "the mirror up to nature: to show virtue her feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure.

If one video of a sea turtle with a plastic drinking straw stuck in its nostril can galvanize a movement toward wider use of paper straws, then I have to believe theater can make a difference.

In "The Chinese Lady," Atung explains that stories and symbols gain larger meaning if we believe they are true, even if, as in the case of the Liberty Bell and its fabled fissure, that's not actually what happened.

Atung says, "Like cracks in a bell or a story of when it first rang, we embellish and interpret, perhaps not in pursuit of the literal truth but some other more intangible truth about ourselves and the nature of truth itself."
WFO BOSTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, June 17, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

Severe Weather Statement

National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA

302 PM EDT Fri Jun 17 2022

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN WINDHAM COUNTY IS

CANCELLED...

The severe thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out of

the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

The National Weather Service in Upton NY has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northern New London County in southern Connecticut...

* Until 345 PM EDT.

* At 301 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from near West Greenwich to near Ledyard Center, moving

east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect wind

damage to trees and power lines.

* Locations impacted include...

Jewett City, Norwich, Colchester, Salem, Ledyard, Griswold,

Lebanon, Preston, Lisbon, Sprague, Bozrah, Voluntown, Ledyard

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.

Center, Montville and North Stonington.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground

lightning is occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately.

Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can

hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, The Advocate.
New Jersey Transit has suspended rail service into and out of New York City after a day in which dozens of trains were canceled because of a lack of available engineers
The threat of an abandoned railroad bridge over the Yellowstone River collapsing has shuttered a portion of Highway 89 northeast of Livingston.

Meanwhile, crews will be dispatched to the Beartooth Highway on Monday to begin rebuilding six sections that were washed out.

Floodwaters gushing down the Yellowstone River since Sunday have eroded the soil around the Highway 89 North Railroad Bridge, which runs parallel to the highway as it passes over the river. That erosion has prompted officials to shut down the highway until the integrity of the railroad bridge can be assessed.

Its still a lingering question of whether it will collapse, said Kate Wilson, public information officer with the County Assist Team assigned to Park County. Its been quite some time since the bridge has been in use  Its more of an iconic piece in town.

Wilson said the highway bridge will like stay closed through the weekend, as crews will need to wait for the river level to drop in order to fully assess the integrity of the bridge. Should the railroad bridge collapse, she said, it could damage some of the surrounding infrastructure. However, its impossible to know exactly what will happen should the bridge crumble.

The historic Carbella Bridge, running across the Yellowstone River to access Tom Miner Basin between Livingston and Gardiner, was completely washed away by the onslaught of water Monday.

Downstream, the Highway 89 bridge at the Point of Rocks fishing access site was compromised by flooding. Crews should have that route reopened by the coming week, said Lori Ryan of the Montana Department of Transportation.

Where Highway 89 was underwater at Yankee Jim Canyon has been reopened. Travelers can access Gardiner via Highway 89 south from Livingston to Emigrant, then cross the Yellowstone River to the Highway 540 frontage road to avoid the bridge near Point of Rocks and travel on to Gardiner. The road from Gardiner on to Yellowstone National Park, however, remains closed indefinitely.

The CAT team in Park County is currently assessing the total damage inflicted by the river, including the number of homes damaged and lost. Wilson said homes were definitely lost in the flood, but teams are still trying to determine the exact number.

Crews working to rebuild the Beartooth Highway won't have to worry about the switchbacks that climb up the Montana side and drop back down to Cooke City on the Wyoming side. The 11,000-foot high pass survived the flooding with only minimal damage like rock and mudslides that will be easily cleaned up.

The roadway is an important tourist artery for Red Lodge and Cooke City, communities dependent on summer visitors for the majority of their income.

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Recently a fun note found it's way to us that speaks to the rising level of frustration on local streets.



Take this with a grain of salt . . . But . . . Check the call for volunteers . . .



"Register voters in a place, a gas station, that constantly reminds all of us -- elections have consequences. The Republican Party will register voters at an Overland Park gas station on Saturday, June 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.



"By law, voter registration drives must be nonpartisan, so participants will not be allowed to encourage voters to sign up for a particular party."



Now . . .

AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH REPUBLICANS, THIS STRATEGY IS BRILLIANT!!! SIGNING UP ANGRY VOTERS PAYING TOP DOLLAR FOR GAS WILL LIKELY WORSEN MIDTERMS FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY LOYALISTS!!!



Take a peek at the party invite via www.TonysKansasCity.com screen-cap . . .

Further reading . . .

What gas prices do - and don't - tell us about the economy Gasoline is the only product in modern-day America whose price is listed on giant signs almost everywhere you go. Most people, even if they don't drive, probably have a pretty good sense of what gas costs - currently averaging $5 a gallon nationwide.

As gas prices soar, thieves steal thousands of dollars' worth of gasoline to sell, authorities say With the nationwide average price of gasoline hitting $5 a gallon, and prices expected to continue to rise, thefts of gasoline are being reported across the country, and according to police, it's not just a few gallons being siphoned from vehicles.

White House considering sending gas rebate cards to Americans: report The White House is reportedly floating the idea of gas rebates for U.S. residents due to record gas prices. A White House official told FOX Business that the administration has not ruled out the distribution of gas rebate cards.

Developing . . .
Today's quick reminder that humanity confronts increasing complexity and challenges moving forward.



Also . . . Please use a condom.

Check-it . . .



Monkeypox has been here before, including the Kansas City metro.



The first outbreak in the United States, in 2003, affected six Midwestern states, including Kansas and Missouri, when people became sick after coming in contact with pet prairie dogs that had been infected by animals imported from Africa. The current outbreak is also linked to Africa, where monkeypox is endemic in about a dozen countries.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

How Kansas, Missouri and prairie dogs were involved in first U.S. outbreak of monkeypox State health officials in Kansas and Missouri have not identified any local cases of monkeypox, a viral infection that has now been reported in nearly 20 states, the largest outbreak in U.S. history. But monkeypox has been here before, including the Kansas City metro.

CDC advises people who think they've been exposed to monkeypox to socially distance while they 'masturbate together' to avoid spreading the disease The CDC issued sex guidance for people who think they might have been exposed to monkeypox. The recommendations include socially distanced masturbation in order to avoid spreading the virus. "Masturbate together at a distance of at least 6 feet, without touching each other," the CDC says.

CDC issues new guidance on monkeypox symptoms as U.S. cases balloon The U.S. has reported 72 cases of monkeypox across 18 states in the last month, making it the country's largest monkeypox outbreak ever. That total has grown significantly since the beginning of June, when just 19 cases were confirmed.

Developing . . .
A nasty golden ghetto story gets worse and reveals more threats to Johnson County students by way of an ALLEGEDLY disgraced Catholic school teacher.



Here's the latest . . .



On Friday, Johnson County prosecutors charged the 45-year-old with 24 additional charges of breach of privacy.



His charges carry accusations of possessing images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.



According to court documents, he is also accused of installing a concealed camera to record images of two victims who were nude or partially undressed, so that he could view those images without the victims consent.



The initial crimes are alleged to have happened between January 2019 and September of this year. The 24 new charges are alleged to have happened between August 2016 and October 2021.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Michael and Emma met up a few years after their first date. Had they matured enough for it to work this time? Dating Diaries
RTHK: UK PM warns of 'Ukraine fatigue' as battle grinds on

Bolstered by support from allies, Ukraine vowed on Saturday to prevail against Moscow as it battled Russian assaults near a key eastern city and multiple locations came under shell and missile attack.

European Union countries are expected at a summit next week to grant Ukraine EU candidate status following a recommendation from the bloc's executive on Friday. That put Kyiv on course to realise an aspiration that was seen as out of reach before Russia's military campaign began in February, even if actual membership could take years.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Friday and offered training for Ukrainian forces. Back in Britain on Saturday, he stressed the need to avoid "Ukraine fatigue" after nearly four months of war.

"The Russians are grinding forward inch by inch and it is vital for us to show what we know to be true, which is that Ukraine can win and will win," he told reporters.

"When Ukraine fatigue is setting in, it is very important to show that we are with them for the long haul and we are giving them the strategic resilience that they need."

On the battlefields on Saturday, Sievierodonetsk, a prime target in Moscow's offensive to seize full control of the eastern region of Luhansk, was again under heavy artillery and rocket fire as the Russian forces attacked areas outside the industrial city, the Ukrainian military said.

Rodion Miroshnik, of the self-styled separatist administration of the Luhansk People's Republic, posted a video on Telegram of what he said was a large orange-coloured cloud, adding that he could not tell if the blast had occurred in or near the city.

Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian attacks on towns just south of Sievierodonetsk were repulsed by Ukrainian forces, although the situation in satellite villages was "difficult."

"The Russians have thrown all their reserves in the direction of Sievierodonetsk and Bakhmut," he said in an online post. "They are trying to establish full control over the regional centre and to cut the Lysychansk-Bakhmut highway. They're having no success, they are dying en masse."

Gaidai said the city of Lysychansk was under constant shelling but remained fully in Ukrainian hands, although a "quiet" evacuation was underway, and humanitarian convoys were being brought in daily. He said a key highway out of the city was now impassable due to Russian shelling.

To the northwest, several Russian missiles hit a gasworks in Izium district, and Russian rockets rained on a suburb of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, hitting a municipal building and starting a fire in a block of flats, but causing no casualties, Ukrainian authorities said. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-06-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Veterans suffering from exposure to toxic burn pits and Agent Orange stepped closer to health coverage Thursday as the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved granting free medical coverage to five decades of people who have served in the military.

By an 84 to 14 vote, lawmakers passed the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022. Robinson was an Ohio National Guard soldier who died from lung cancer in 2020, a decade after tours to Kosovo and Iraq.

If signed into law, the bill would be the broadest expansion of military health benefits in decades. U.S. Sen Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, carried the bill in the Senate.

Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, departed Washington D.C. earlier in the week and wasnt voting Thursday. He attended a VFW convention in Billings and toured flood damage in Red Lodge the day of the vote. In a press release, Daines said of veterans "it is our duty to ensure they have the care and services they need when they return home."

The Department of Defense estimates there are at least 3.5 million veterans potentially exposed, basically everyone who served after Sept. 11, 2001. There are at least 22 different health problems related to burn pit exposure, many not materializing until years later. The number of Montana veterans exposed to toxic substances is as high as 60,000, or roughly two-thirds of the veterans living in the state today. Montanas veterans make up 10.6% of the state population, third highest in the nation as a percentage.

There's always a cost of war and that cost was never fully repaid. So, I've got one question. Are we willing to show these millions of veterans that we have their back, Tester asked lawmakers before the bills passage. Are we willing to admit that we didn't live up to the promise made to veterans like Will Thompson and Heath Robinson?

Thompson is a retired Army sergeant who needed a lung transplant because of damage from breathing smoke from toxic burn pits. He testified earlier before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee about the absences of VA coverage for toxic exposure.

Tester also mentioned Robert Hunter of Bozeman, a Vietnam veteran who was diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance, or MGUS, stemming from Agent Orange and dioxin exposure. A precursor to cancer and other medical complications, MGUS has been minimally covered by the Veterans Administration, despite being a recognized condition.

The bill now returns to the House, where lawmakers had passed an earlier version with a larger spending package of $30 billion over 10 years. U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale, a Montana Republican, voted against the earlier toxic exposure bill. The House is expected to take the Senate version up next week.

Thursday, President Joe Biden indicated he would sign the bill if approved by the House and Senate. Bidens son, Beau, a veteran who died from brain cancer in 2016, was exposed to burn pits. Biden called for the passage of the toxic exposure bill during his State of the Union Address. He noted that the bill also allows residents of Camp Lejeune to seek reparations for exposure to toxic water during a 30-year period from 1950 to 1980. Several toxic exposure deaths are associated with the Marine Corps base in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Montana veterans exposed to toxic substances is as high as 60,000, or roughly two-thirds of the veterans living in the state today.

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Phil Seibel has joined The Bismarck Tribune advertising staff as the managing director.

Seibel began his duties June 6, working with the advertising and marketing team to serve businesses in the community as well as throughout the state of North Dakota.

Seibel, a Minnesota transplant, will be based in Bismarck full time. He has worked over a decade in digital marketing, primarily working for community newspapers. Seibel enjoys working with businesses to understand their needs and help them find successful solutions to help them grow.

Seibel is finishing up his previous commitment to a regional role for Lee Enterprises. Seibel, his wife, and their three children are looking forward to making Bismarck their home.

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Up to 70% of crew members of Russias Vasiliy Bekh tugboat have been hit.

The relevant statement was made by the South Operational Command on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

In the Black Sea, as a result of the accurate work of different defense units in southern Ukraine, the enemy fleet has lost its tugboat Vasiliy Bekh, which delivered ammunition, weapons and rashist personnel to Snake Island. Despite having the Tor surface-to-air missile system on board, the tugboat was turned into a floating bonfire. According to the preliminary data, 70% of crew members were hit. The fate of the rest is unknown. Enemy vessels are attempting to conduct a rescue operation, the report states.

According to the South Operational Command, the situation in the operational zone is remaining tense but stable. Russian troops continue to conduct hostilities along the defense lines. Meanwhile, the enemy did not create new attack groups and did not take active actions.

The Russian military continue to fire missiles at Mykolaiv. In the morning of June 17, 2022, two enemy cruise missiles hit two districts of Mykolaiv. Apartment blocks, private cars, industrial and production facilities were damaged. Reportedly, one civilian was killed and six injured, including a child. Rescue works are underway.

In addition, this morning Mykolaiv Regions Shyrokove community and Bereznehuvate community have come under enemy fire. Information about casualties and the damage caused is yet to be checked.

Last night two civilians were injured in Russias shelling of Parutyne, Mykolaiv Region. In the Shevchenkove district, three household buildings caught fire after Russias shelling.

In Kherson Region, the situation is remaining tense in the temporarily occupied settlements of Beryslav District. Continuous hostilities, destroyed houses, ruined social infrastructure, mine-infested fields, roads and bridges  these are the effects of the Russian world in the most of settlements in such communities as Vysokopillia, Novovorontsovka, Kalynivka, Velyka Oleksandrivka, etc.

Meanwhile, when completing fire missions, the Ukrainian rocket and artillery units eliminated 36 Russian troops and destroyed eight enemy armored and motor vehicles.

One Russian submarine, two missile ships and three large landing crafts are staying in the northwestern part of the Black Sea and, thus, the threat of missile strikes is persisting.

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Russians struck the Kremenchuk oil refinery: 6 to 8 missiles were launched on the night of June 18.

Dmytro Lunin, Head of Poltava Regional Military Administration, reported on the attack on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

The strike was launched during the air alert in the morning, which was signaled in most regions of the country.

The official noted that other infrastructure facilities were also attacked. The details will be provided later.

"Kremenchuk is again under enemy attack. From 6 to 8 Russian missiles hit the refinery and other infrastructure facilities. Details will be provided later. The threat of strikes remains. Stay in shelters!" the official wrote.

It is currently unknown whether there are human casualties.

On February 24, Russia launched a new phase of the eight-year war against Ukraine  the full-scale offensive. The enemy massively shell and bomb peaceful Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages. The Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Territorial Defense Forces, and the entire Ukrainian people are effectively resisting Russian troops and inflicting heavy losses on them.

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The Command of Ukraine Army's Medical Forces has called on the media not to publish detailed information about hospitals.

"During wartime, it is not necessary to name a medical institution and a settlement where it is located in video reports and articles. Why? Because the enemy is interested in destroying medical facilities in which servicemen are being treated to go rejoin the army ranks," the command said.

The Medical Forces urge journalists to not show medics' faces in their reports so as not to put them in danger. Medical facilities should be shown without distinctive features that would allow the enemy to identify and locate them. It is worth using generalized descriptions as the military media do: "one of the hospitals in Ukraine" or "one of the hospitals in the country's south."

The enemy may use an online search engine but Google Maps doesn't tell you what kind of surgeries are conducted in the facility or which doctors performs them. Neither does the search engine reveal the flow of the wounded, thank a specific medical institution for saving lives, or disclose its location and role in the healthcare system under martial law, reads the post.

"Currently, simply trust the military that publishing detailed information about a medical institution, where wounded military and civilians are treated, puts everyone at risk -- the institution, its doctors, and patients. It was a video about one of the regional hospitals in a big city, broadcast this morning on the nationwide telethon, which prompted this post. The video disclosed all the details as if it was shot for the enemys intelligence," said the Medical Forces command.

The Medical Forces have also published the "before" and "after" photos of the field hospital following the publication of the report about its work.

As reported by Ukrinform, at least 12 doctors have been killed and 47 have been seriously injured in Ukraine since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian government suggests that the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) introduce sanctions against Russias Rosneftegaz and its affiliated enterprises, namely TatOil.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The sanctions will include the blocking of assets and prevent these companies from pulling their capital from Ukraine.

In a transparent and legal way, the state is working to seize all the assets related to the aggressor, Shmyhal stressed.

A reminder that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree to enact the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC), dated May 11, 2022, On the Forcible Seizure of Property Belonging to the Russian Federation and its Residents in Ukraine.

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Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte had a telephone conversation with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday evening.

Together with the Minister of Defence Ollongren, I just spoke with President of Ukraine Zelensky on how the Netherlands can further help through arms deliveries and about the state of play concerning Ukraines EU candidate status, Rutte posted on Twitter.

: Together with the Minister of Defence Ollongren (@DefensieMin), I just spoke with President @ZelenskyyUa on how the Netherlands can further help through arms deliveries and about the state of play concerning Ukraines EU candidate status.  Mark Rutte (@MinPres) June 17, 2022

In turn, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky thanked for the support for granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership and informed Rutte about the situation on the front.

A busy & productive day ended with a conversation with @MinPres. Thanked for the support of granting  candidate status for  membership. Informed of the situation on the front. Discussed security support for . Thanked for 's substantial aid. We hope it'll be continued.    (@ZelenskyyUa) June 17, 2022

As Zelensky said in his latest address, Ukraine is currently one step from the beginning of full-fledged integration with the European Union.

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The capital of Austria, Vienna, has become a safe haven for Russian agents.

Thats according to Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, who spoke with LIGA.net, Ukrinform reports.

"Vienna has become another capital where Russian agents hide out. It just teems with them. This has developed historically," Danilov said.

Read also: Austrian President considers it necessary to grant Ukraine EU membership candidate status

He also suggested that former lawmaker and pro-Russian politician Yevgeny Murayev may have fled to either Vienna or Moscow.

As reported, the Eighth Court of Appeal of Lviv today ruled to ban the activities of the Nashi Party, led by Yevgeny Muraev. Former MP Murayev was previously designated as traitor by the Chesno corruption watchdog nonprofit. According to the court ruling, the property of the Nashi Party and all its branches shall be seized by government. The judgment can be appealed in the Supreme Court.
Germany will continue to support Ukraine in its just war against Russia.

This was stated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Saturday in a Kanzler Kompakt address, Ukrinform reports.

The Chancellor noted that Russia has attacked Ukraine, which means that the war is going on again in Europe. Many people have already died, many househoulds, many cities and villages have been destroyed. Scholz said after he boarded a train in Poland together Italys Prime Minister Mario Draghi and French President Emmanuel Macron, he set out for Kyiv. Upon their arrival, the politicians visited Irpin near Kyiv and witnessed the destruction caused by Russian invaders there.

"Terrible," commented the head of the German government.

According to the Chancellor, Scholz and his colleagues made it clear that Europe would continue to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine.

We will continue to provide financial resources. We will help with recovery. We will continue to supply weapons that are essential to protect Ukraine's independence. And we imposed economic sanctions and trade restrictions against Russia to stop its invasion and withdraw troops, Scholz said.

He said that presently it means the "association of solidarity and prospect." Since many people fight for freedom and democracy in Ukraine, they want to know what else is needed to bring Ukraine to Europe.

"We said that Ukraine needs the status of a candidate country," the Chancellor said. He recalled that this will be discussed in Brussels Thursday. "And we will try to get 27 yes votes for a specific decision, a joint decision of the European Union, which also opens this prospect," Scholz said.

The leaders of four European countries (Germany, France, Italy and Romania) visited Kyiv and Irpin on June 16. At a press conference after negotiations with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, they all confirmed their support for granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate status but warned of a long way of reforms on the path to the membership.
Alexei Ogarev, former CEO of Rosvooruzhenie State Corporation, which later merged with Promexport to become Rosoboronexport, was found dead in a Moscow suburb.

This was reported by Ukrinform with reference RIA Novosti.

Russian media clarify that Ogarevs body was found in his home in the elite residential area of Gorki-2. The cause of death is yet to be determined, while no signs of violent death have been reported so far.

"According to preliminary data, the mans death is not of a criminal nature. However, the exact cause of death will be determined by examination. A pre-trial inquiry has been initiated, said Olga Vradiy, a senior assistant to the head of the Moscow regions investigation office.

Alexei Ogarev headed Rosvooruzhenie in 1999-2000. He also served as Russia's permanent envoy to the OSCE, deputy head of the presidential administration, and deputy secretary of the security council. It is known that at one time, Ogarev studied with Alexei Dyachenko, the in-law of Russias first president, Boris Yeltsin (after marrying his daugher Tatiana).

Since the outbreak of Russias full-scale war with Ukraine, a number of high-profile deaths have been recorded involving Russian high-ranking officials and businessmen.
Two Detroit men have been convicted of leading a drug trafficking organization that targeted three American Indian reservations in North Dakota.

Brothers Baquan Sledge and Darius Sledge were found guilty after a 12-day trial in U.S. District Court in Fargo, according to U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl. Both men were convicted of continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy and drug counts.

This case is part of Operation Blue Prairie, an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation into the multistate trafficking of oxycodone.

Authorities have said the enterprise headed by the Sledge brothers was responsible for bringing tens of thousands of oxycodone pills to three reservations in the state since 2015 -- Turtle Mountain, Spirit Lake and Fort Berthold.

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The sale of a couple thousand acres of prime North Dakota farmland to a group tied to Bill Gates has stirred emotions over a 1932 law meant to protect family farms and raised questions about whether the billionaire shares the states values. State Attorney General Drew Wrigley has asked the trust that acquired the land to explain how it will satisfy the states anti-corporate farming law. It prohibits all corporations or limited liability companies from owning or leasing farmland or ranchland, with some exceptions. Wrigley says the inquiry is a matter of course and not meant to stick a finger in the eye of Bill Gates. The state's agriculture commissioner, Doug Goehring, says he's heard from people who feel they are being exploited by the ultra-rich.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Friday said the government had launched a Rs 7 billion fund to support innovation in various sectors

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jun, 2022 ) :Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Friday said the government had launched a Rs 7 billion fund to support innovation in various sectors.

"Researchers and scientists are our national assets and innovation is the key to future economic success," he said during a meeting with a delegation of Centre of Excellence Molecular Biology (CEMB), Punjab University, according to a press release.

The minister said the development budget for Higher Education Commission (HEC) had been increased by 68% in the new budget to promote the higher education sector, which was neglected by the previous government.

CEMB Director Dr Kausar Malik apprised the minister of the research and new BT cotton seed development by the center, which was virus resistant and high yielding variety, and could add Rs 173 billion value to Pakistan's agriculture.

He said the CEMB had submitted a proposal for establishment of cGMP compliance pilot scale production facilities to promote commercialization of laboratory research.

"The project is aimed at improving the human skill base of the populations through training in cGMP compliance pilot scale production, investment in education; increasing higher education coverage; increasing investment in R&D; and building research and education networks with other universities," he added.

The minister directed to submit PC-1 of the project, observing future battles would not be fought in battlefields, rather in classrooms and laboratories. "So whosoever will have better classrooms and productive laboratories will win in the future. This is the future frontier of the knowledge economy."
TEHRAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jun, 2022 ) :Iran has called for the complete removal of western sanctions on Syria, Tasnim news agency reported Friday.

Ali Asghar Khaji, a senior advisor to Iran's foreign minister for special political affairs, emphasized the need for the lifting of all sanctions on Syria without any political preconditions or discrimination.

Khaji made the remarks at a meeting with the Turkish delegation at the 18th Astana conference on Syria in Kazakhstan's capital Nur-Sultan on Thursday. Astana is the former name of Kazakhstan's capital.

He said U.S. presence in the east of the Euphrates River in Syria is "illegal," calling for "an end to the plundering of Syria's natural resources" by the United States, according to the report.

In another meeting with the UN delegation in Nur-Sultan, Khaji urged the United Nations and the international community to step up humanitarian assistance to Syria.

Representatives of Iran, Russia and Turkey discussed the latest developments pertaining to Syria at the conference which was held from Wednesday to Thursday.
Santa Clara, Cuba, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jun, 2022 ) :There is a new sight on the streets of Havana: increasing numbers of electric vehicles whizzing among the old American cars so emblematic of the Cuban capital.

As fuel shortages and US sanctions take their toll, and even though electricity generation can be spotty, Cubans are turning to smaller, cheaper, plug-in alternatives.

"Gasoline? Imagine. After 50 years battling to get hold of it, I don't even want to smell it anymore!" taxi driver Sixto Gonzalez, 58, told AFP atop the shining, electric-blue quadricycle with which he moves through the streets at a top speed of about 40 kilometers (25 miles) per hour.

Gonzalez has abandoned his old, combustion-engine car -- one of about 600,000 registered on the island of 11.2 million people, according to official data.

The last time he tried to fill it up, he stood in a queue for eight hours.

By far the majority of cars in circulation in Cuba are American models from the 1950s -- before sanctions started -- and compact Ladas from the Soviet era.

Newer models are practically impossible to lay one's hands on and come with a hefty price tag of between about $20,000 and $100,000.

The quadricycle Gonzalez bought, by comparison, can be obtained for between $4,000 and $8,000 and though slower, can get four or five people from Point A to Point B.

Also increasingly popular are electric motorbikes -- of which there are an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 in Cuba -- and three-wheelers all the more frequently seen dragging a carriage full of passengers or goods.

- 'Museum on wheels' - In a once-abandoned Soviet-era truck factory in the central city of Santa Clara, about 100 workers of the company Minerva assemble electric vehicles with parts imported from China or Vietnam.

The objective for 2022 is to produce 10,000 electric motorbikes, Minerva boss Elier Perez told AFP -- double the factory's previous record -- as well as 2,000 three-wheelers.

"I had to buy one because the fuel ran out and the queues are endless," said Raul Suarez, a 52-year-old security guard who got himself an electric motorbike.

"I have to be able to get around.

" Not only are cars prohibitively expensive and scarce, but public transport in the capital is a daily ordeal for many.

Half of buses are out of service for a lack of tires and batteries that cannot be imported due to US sanctions, said transport ministry official Guillermo Gonzalez.

Havanans sometimes wait for hours for a bus to get to work or back home.

At the same time, fuel shortages have worsened since the US reinforced its six-decade-old economic blockade of the communist island in 2019, preventing the arrival of fuel tankers from Venezuela, a Cuban ally.

Petrol supply plummeted from 100,000 barrels a day to about 56,000 barrels per day on average in 2021, said Jorge Pinon, a Cuban energy policy expert at the University of Texas.

Three years ago, the government began to promote the use of electric cars, introducing them to state-owned companies to be used by workers.

"Cuba is a museum on wheels," said Gonzalez of the abundance of decades-old gas guzzlers.

It is hoped that a rollout of electric cars will lower "fuel consumption... and at the same time reduce pollution," he added.

- Like a fridge - But electricity supply, too, is a concern.

For weeks now, Cubans have had to deal with regular cuts, sometimes lasting hours at a time, due to generation failures and maintenance work on thermoelectric plants.

And in a bid to make up some of the shortage, the authorities have turned to generators that use up much of the limited diesel stock.

"There has never been a situation as difficult as the one we have now, and there are still three months of summer to come," said Pinon, alluding to the annual warm-weather rise in demand for energy to run air conditioners.

Ramses Calzadilla, director of strategy at Cuba's energy ministry, said he was confident that electricity generation would be restored to full capacity shortly and insisted the situation did not threaten the burgeoning electric vehicle sector.

"An electric motorcycle uses about as much energy as a refrigerator," he told AFP, and can be charged quickly and cheaply between programmed power cuts.
GRAND FORKS  Within North Dakotas lignite coal seams lie a number of materials needed to produce touch screens used on cellphones, guidance systems for missiles, and motors and batteries for hybrid vehicles.

Researchers know that rare earth elements such as neodymium and lanthanum exist in the states coal, but they want to figure out whether it is feasible to put them to use.

A lot of these materials are more abundant on earth than gold, said John Kay, an engineer with the Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. What makes them rare is wherever you find them, they are not in very high concentration. It makes it difficult to extract them in any quantity.

Kay heads a group of 20 people at the EERC who will work for the next year to gauge the potential for an industry surrounding rare earth elements, critical minerals and carbon ore in North Dakota. Rare earth and critical elements exist on the periodic table and are associated with organic structures left over from plants that, over the course of millions of years, have decomposed to form coal.

Many who work in coal are eager to learn their findings. Several coal mining companies and operators of coal-fired power plants have chipped in money to support the $2.45 million project, which has received a $1.1 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy and a $750,000 grant through the North Dakota Industrial Commission.

The head of research for the group lobbying for the state's coal industry is hopeful the EERCs work, coupled with other projects in the state, will show that North Dakota has the components necessary to put the states coal to greater use.

You can extract and process rare earth elements from North Dakota sources like lignite. You can also look for opportunities to start industries to make some of the products that require rare earth elements, said Mike Holmes, vice president of research and development for the Lignite Energy Council.

Beyond fuel

When many people hear the word coal, they think youre talking about a fuel, but were trying to move beyond that, Kay said.

There are multiple reasons why. The coal industry faces economic challenges from natural gas and renewable power. Advocates say the production of critical minerals and rare earth elements could help maintain and create coal-related jobs. The federal government, meanwhile, wants to develop domestic sources of the minerals, which are in high demand by the electronics, defense and automobile industries, among others.

Most of the worlds supply of rare earth elements comes from China, which also manufactures products that make use of the materials. Over the past 13 years, China has enacted production and export quotas and at times halted exports to certain countries or threatened to cut off supplies in response to geopolitical incidents, according to a report published by the North Dakota Geological Survey earlier this year.

One of the factors that will determine the feasibility of producing the elements in North Dakota is whether prices remain high for the materials, the report says.

Perhaps the least predictable variables are the future market prices for each of the critical mineral commodities, which normally fluctuate according to supply and demand, it says. The ever-increasing speed of technological innovation creates difficult-to-forecast new and shifting applications for many mineral commodities.

Digging in

Several entities in North Dakota have dug into the topic in recent years, including the Geological Survey, which has been collecting samples of lignite across western North Dakota since 2015 to examine for rare earth and critical elements.

Much of that work has involved collecting samples from southwestern North Dakota where lignite with high concentrations of uranium was mined in the 1950s and 1960s. Other UND research has focused on active coal mines, which exist northwest of Bismarck near communities such as Underwood and Beulah.

The types of rare earth and critical elements differ from mine to mine, according to Kay.

Even within a mine it will sometimes vary foot to foot, he said.

The Geological Survey report concludes that some North Dakota lignites contain high to extremely high concentrations of elements that are considered highly promising or are already economically produced from coal: the rare earths, molybdenum, uranium, magnesium, zirconium, vanadium and gallium. Still, Only a small portion of North Dakota lignites have been investigated, and the statistical likelihood is that the most enriched or thickest bed of enriched lignite remains undiscovered.

Holmes said it would be ideal to produce the elements from coal at an existing mine to take advantage of synergies and spend less money extracting.

But a new site isnt out of the question, if the materials were abundant there and the economics panned out.

Once mined, coal would need to be processed with chemicals to extract the rare earth and critical elements, likely with a liquid solution. Then those elements would need to be separated from the solution before they could be used to manufacture a product.

Its not like what you see in the movies where theyre digging up gold and theyre finding nuggets, Kay said. Were not finding nuggets. Were not finding flakes. We have to actually chemically extract it.

Work underway

Twelve other teams like the one at EERC have assembled across the United States with federal funding assistance to evaluate the potential for critical minerals and rare earth elements in their regions.

Along the way, I would expect across the United States we are going to find areas that are going to work very well for this and there are going to be areas that show potential down the road when technology improves, but maybe arent ready yet, Kay said.

While much of the work in North Dakota so far has focused on lignite coal, researchers are tasked with evaluating the potential in all energy waste streams. In North Dakota, that means researchers could look at saltwater, a byproduct of oil production, as well as coal ash.

The EERC crew is focused on the Williston Basin, an energy-rich area that extends from western North Dakota into Montana and South Dakota.

Various teams within the EERC have taken on different tasks -- everything from examining what knowledge gaps exist, to which waste streams to evaluate, to where processing and manufacturing should take place.

As a state, we would love to do everything right here, Kay said, explaining that the more work that can be done in North Dakota, the more it benefits the economy and encourages training for high-skilled labor within the state.

Once the EERCs initial research wraps up in a year, the state could seek to pursue additional work supported by the Energy Department and, ultimately, begin extracting the elements for production.

But the researchers have much to learn first if they are to accomplish all that.

Theres a lot of technology that still has to be developed to be able to do this effectively, Kay said. Were right on the front edge of making this happen.

Reach Amy R. Sisk at 701-250-8252 or amy.sisk@bismarcktribune.com.

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Rio de Janeiro, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jun, 2022 ) :British journalist Dom Phillips and his Brazilian guide, whose disappearance in the Amazon some two weeks ago sparked an international outcry, were killed by gunfire, Brazilian police said Saturday.

A day after investigators identified remains found buried in a remote part of the Amazon as those of Phillips, officials said a second set of remains belonged to his guide, Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira.

Authorities said both men were gunshot victims -- Phillips, 57, struck by a single shot to the chest, Pereira, 41, by three shots, one to the head -- with ammunition typically used for hunting.

Pereira, an outspoken defender of Indigenous rights, had received multiple death threats.

The two men went missing on June 5 in an isolated part of the rainforest rife with illegal mining, fishing and logging, as well as drug trafficking.

Ten days later, a suspect took police to a place near the city of Atalaia do Norte in western Amazon state, where he said he had buried bodies. Soon after, the suspect's brother was also detained.

Police on Saturday said an additional suspect in the case, whom they identified as Jefferson da Silva Lima, also known as "Pelado da Dinha," had turned himself in at the police station in Atalaia do Norte.

Commissioner Alex Perez Timoteo told news site G1 that evidence and testimony collected so far indicated that the suspect "was at the scene of the crime and actively participated in the double homicide that occurred.

" On Friday, police said they believed the perpetrators had "acted alone, without there being an intellectual author or criminal organization behind the crime." Activists have blamed the killings on President Jair Bolsonaro for allowing commercial exploitation of the Amazon at the cost of the environment and law and order.

For his part, Bolsonaro sought to lay blame at the door of the men themselves for undertaking a "reckless" trip in an area where Phillips was "disliked." - 'Not just two killers' - Phillips, a longtime contributor to several leading international newspapers, including the British newspaper The Guardian, was working on a book on sustainable development in the Amazon with Pereira as his guide.

Pereira, an expert at Brazil's indigenous affairs agency FUNAI, had received multiple threats from loggers and miners with their eye on isolated Indigenous land.

The Univaja association of Indigenous peoples, which had taken part in the search for the men, rejected the police's conclusion that the killers had acted alone.

"These are not just two killers, but an organized group that planned the crime in detail," Univaja said in a statement.

The group claimed authorities had ignored numerous complaints about the activities of criminal gangs in the area.
Diplomatic Insight Group organized 5th Global Ambassadors Award ceremony to acknowledge the services of ambassadors, diplomats, heads of an international organization, businessmen for promotion of people to people contact, business, trade and constructive bilateral relations with their respective states

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jun, 2022 ) :Diplomatic Insight Group organized 5th Global Ambassadors Award ceremony to acknowledge the services of ambassadors, diplomats, heads of an international organization, businessmen for promotion of people to people contact, business, trade and constructive bilateral relations with their respective states.

Apart from Ambassadors, Heads of the UN organizations and different business groups were also given awards said a news release issued here on Saturday.

These Awards are given annually on behalf of the people of Pakistan to acknowledge the services of outstanding Foreign Ambassadors, Diplomats served in Pakistan and Pakistani businessmen for their contribution in furthering Pakistan's trade and economic relations a global scale. The awards are meant to encourage the momentous and tireless work of awardees for promoting the political, economic, cultural, education, people-to-people contacts, and development works. The awards recognize nominees for outstanding achievements in furthering the softer image of Pakistan and vice versa.

The winners of this exclusive award have been selected by a committee of distinguished experts from various backgrounds.

Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood,Federal Minister for State and Frontier Regions graced the occasion as chief guest and presented awards to the award winner.

While speaking on the occasion, Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood saidthat Pakistan is seeking friendly ties with all the countries of the world. Pakistan is a growing economy and a land of opportunities for the world to invest and collaborate for a peaceful and better world. Farhat Asif, Chairperson of Diplomatic Insight Group, made welcome remarks while memorizing her journey as the founder of Diplomatic Insight Group spanning more than a decade and efforts go on in close coordination with foreign diplomatic missions.

Meanwhile, she thanked participating global ambassadors for accepting appreciatory awards from the people of Pakistan.

During the awards, Diplomatic Insight Group launched the Global Business Alliance (GBA).The list of the awardees of the Global Ambassador Awards includes Adam Mulawarman Tugio, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesiato Pakistan, Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic ofIran, Andreas Ferrarese Ambassador of the Republic of Italy, Ibrahim Almadani Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, YerzhanKistafin, Ambassador, Republic of Kazakhstan, Al Sheikh Mohammed Omar Ahmed AlMarhoon Ambassador of Oman, General (Retd) "Ahmed Jawad" A. A. Rabei,Ambassador of the State of Palestine, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin FaisalAl-Thani, Ambassador of Qatar, Yuki Takemoto, Representative of UNAIDS in Pakistan, Chris Kaye, Representative, and Country Director, WFP Pakistan,Ambassador Naghmana Hashmi, Former Ambassador of Pakistan to EU and China,Kanwar Muhammad Tariq, Consular General of Paraguay, and Yasin Joyia, HonoraryConsul General of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Punjab,Pakistan.

Additionally, the receivers of the awards also included the representatives of business entities Hatim Yaqoob Tabani, the Director ofTabani Group of Companies, Zeeshan Ahmed Siddiqui, and Kabuljon K. Sabirov, Director of the Centre for Public Diplomacy of Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan.

Many Ambassadors,diplomats, and other important civil society leaders and personalities attended the ceremony.
(@FahadShabbir)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a message for the first-ever International Day for Countering Hate Speech, said Saturday that the phenomenon incites violence, undermines diversity and social cohesion -- threatening the "common values and principles that bind us together." "It promotes racism, xenophobia and misogyny; it dehumanizes individuals and communities; and it has a serious impact on our efforts to promote peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development," Guterres said, adding that words can be weaponized and cause physical harm

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jun, 2022 ) :UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a message for the first-ever International Day for Countering Hate Speech, said Saturday that the phenomenon incites violence, undermines diversity and social cohesion -- threatening the "common values and principles that bind us together." "It promotes racism, xenophobia and misogyny; it dehumanizes individuals and communities; and it has a serious impact on our efforts to promote peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development," Guterres said, adding that words can be weaponized and cause physical harm.

The escalation from hate speech to violence has played a significant role in the most horrific and tragic crimes of the modern age, from the antisemitism driving the Holocaust, to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, he said.

"The internet and social media have turbocharged hate speech, enabling it to spread like wildfire across borders," the UN chief added.

The spread of hate speech against minorities during the COVID-19 pandemic has further shown that many societies are highly vulnerable to the stigma, discrimination and conspiracies it promotes.

In response to this growing threat, three years ago, Guterres launched the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech - a new framework to support Member States in countering the scourge, while also managing to respect freedom of expression and opinion.

It was undertaken in collaboration with civil society, media, technology companies and social media platforms. And last year, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue to counter hate speech  and proclaimed the International Day.

"Hate speech is a danger to everyone and fighting it, is a job for everyone," the UN chief said.

"This first International Day to Counter Hate Speech is a call to action. Let us recommit to doing everything in our power to prevent and end hate speech by promoting respect for diversity and inclusivity".

In a sign of how the phenomenon is becoming an increasing problem, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet and UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Nderitu, expressed their "deep alarm" on Friday, over the hate speech that is fueling violence against civilians, in long-running clashes between the M23 rebel group and Government forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In a joint statement, the two top officials called for the uptick in attacks against civilians to stop immediately.

"We call on all parties to respect international human rights law and international humanitarian law," they stressed.

The UN senior officials singled out that hate speech and "incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence nationwide" - directed specifically against Kinyarwanda speakers  was an important factor, as the DRC Government has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23.

"Hate speech fuels the conflict by exacerbating mistrust between communities," they said.

"It focuses on aspects that have previously mattered less, incites a discourse of 'us vs. them', and corrodes social cohesion between communities that have previously lived together".

So far, the UN said it has documented eight cases of hate speech and incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence and it has been spread by political party figures, community leaders, civil society actors, as well as the Congolese diaspora.

"Times of heightened political tensions and armed conflict tend to correlate with increased use of hate speech and incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence," the two top officials stated.

"Hateful messages heighten the risk of violence, including atrocity crimes targeting specific groups of people (and) should be roundly condemned by the highest national authorities and curbed." Both women leaders encouraged Parliament to expedite the adoption of the bill on "racism, xenophobia and tribalism" to strengthen the legal framework to address and counter hate speech.
A court in military-ruled Myanmar sentenced a close colleague of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to 21 years in prison on Friday after finding him guilty of corruption, a legal official said.

Zaw Myint Maung is a second vice president and spokesperson of Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party, which won a landslide victory in the 2020 general election but was prevented from returning to office for a second five-year term when the army seized power in February last year.

Widespread protests met the militarys takeover and Myanmar has been mired in violence and civil unrest since then.

The military sought to justify its takeover by saying there was massive voting fraud in the election, an allegation that independent poll watchers disputed. The ruling military council has said it may hold a new election by August 2023.

However, the Union Election Commission, with members appointed by the army after it seized power, could dissolve the National League for Democracy if it rules it committed election fraud.

Suu Kyi was arrested and is being tried on multiple charges, including corruption, that her supporters say are politically motivated to discredit her and legitimize the militarys seizure of power. She has already been convicted of several less important offenses.

The military government has also arrested many other leaders of her party, which could cripple its attempts to challenge the military in new polls. Charges against them include treason, corruption, incitement and flouting coronavirus regulations.

A statement from the National League for Democracy released last month said 917 party officials and members have been arrested and 701 are still being detained by the military.

Zaw Myint Maung has been a core member of the party since its inception and won a seat in a 1990 election that was voided by the army. He has been jailed at least twice before last year for his political activities

He won election to the lower house in 2012 and state parliament in 2015, after which he was appointed chief minister of Mandalay, a central region considered the countrys heartland.

Like many colleagues, he was arrested by the military on Feb. 1, 2021. He has been held at Mandalays Obo Prison, where his trial was held in closed chambers.

The court found him guilty on five corruption counts, said a legal official familiar with his cases who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to release information.

He said Zaw Myint Maung pleaded not guilty to three charges of accepting bribes that went for medical treatment -- he suffers from leukemia -- and two that he abused his position as chief minister in acquiring land for party offices. Each charge carries a maximum punishment of 15 years imprisonment.

The legal official said his lawyers are likely to appeal the courts ruling.

Zaw Myint Maung has already been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted on charges of violating coronavirus restrictions, sedition and election fraud, and is to be tried on another election fraud charge.
We have had 250 mass killings in 2022 and we arent even halfway through the year. It is obvious that there is no such thing as sanctity of life in the United States.

A bipartisan committee of 20 senators -- 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats -- has been meeting and has come up with a draft that they hope will be ready by June 26.

The draft has been hailed as a great breakthrough for bringing sanity to the gun culture. If adopted, it will be worse than no legislation at all because it is no breakthrough, just a suspension of hostilities until the National Rifle Association decides on a strategy to undermine it.

The NRA says it will support anything that doesnt encroach on the Second Amendment. That means it will not accept compromises. The drafters acknowledged that the gun restrictions would be modest but the mental health provisions will be important.

The mental health argument is nothing but a clever maneuver to sidetrack the gun issue into a dark hole where the issue cannot be resolved. That has been a human strategy since Adam and Eve grew apples.

For the past months, the Republicans and Democrats have been at loggerheads over the gun issue. Both sides have dug in and will not likely turn their spears into plowshares.

Opponents of direct gun regulation have suggested that we preempt mass killing with red flag laws in which a judge authorizes law enforcement to take guns away from dangerous people. If I was the sheriff, I would insist on a bulletproof vest and a 15th century iron shield. If the person has already been designated as dangerous, the life of any enforcing officer will be in jeopardy.

Besides, the draft only encourages states to adopt the red flag laws. Why not a federal red flag law? Because the policymakers know that states have a way of running away from the tough stuff and will come up with 50 levels of enforcement or nonenforcement. You can bet that there will be no red flags in North Dakota.

The drafters stayed away from outlawing the AR-15s after Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said he needed an AR-15 to shoot prairie dogs. As kids we used to shoot gophers with one shot. Now we know how Thune deals with problems.

It would be better if they passed nothing because all of the hurrahs will lead people to believe that something has been done and the gun problem is solved, when the legislation will accomplish nothing.

Since all of the folks who think the gun is more important than lives, lets accept their argument that its not a gun problem but a mental health problem. Its time to call their bluff.

North Dakota is a gun state, so there must be a lot of people who would support a dramatic program for mental health to head off gun legislation. It would be in their interest to go to the next session of the Legislature and support a $100 million program for mental health. Since the NRA believes the problem is mental health, perhaps it would write the bill for us.

But to be effective, the program must finance more potential psychiatrists and other mental health professionals and locate them in the wide geographic spaces that are barriers to better mental health services in rural areas.

Next, the state needs to look into the future and start screening school children for anxiety disorders. That wont be cheap, but this is being done in some schools to head off more serious mental problems in adulthood.

Lets see whether those shouting its mental health will put their money where their rhetoric is, because it wont be cheap.

Lloyd Omdahl is a political scientist and former North Dakota Democratic lieutenant governor.

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A high-profile environmentalist and anti-coal campaigner in Vietnam has been jailed for two years on tax evasion charges, her NGO said on Saturday.

Nguy Thi Khanh, a globally recognised climate and energy campaigner, was sentenced in Hanoi on Friday, a court official confirmed to AFP without giving any further details.

The 46-year-old -- who was arrested in February "on a tax evasion accusation", according to state-owned media -- had been among the few in the communist nation challenging the government's plans to increase coal power to fuel economic development.

Khanh, the first Vietnamese winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize, had convinced officials to strip 20,000 megawatts of coal power from the national energy plan by 2030.

"From her contribution to Vietnamese society and her works, the verdict given to Khanh was too harsh," her environmental NGO GreenID told AFP, referring to the two-year sentence for tax evasion charges.

Michael Sutton, the Goldman Environmental Prize executive director, called for Khanh's release.

"We believe that the legal charges levelled against her are part of a wider effort to silence environmental leaders in Vietnam," said Sutton.

Prior to her detention, Khanh had said she wanted Vietnam to scale back its ambitious coal plans in favour of more renewable energy options.

In a 2020 interview with AFP, she acknowledged the risks of her activism.

"When we got global recognition, vested interest groups recognised who their enemy is, and they are very powerful," she said.

Khanh's imprisonment comes as raids targeting corrupt officials and those implicated in economic scandals have intensified.
The lone gunman who opened fire at a potluck dinner Thursday at a church in Alabama, killing three people, was stopped from doing further damage when another diner struck him with a folding chair and held him until the police arrived, a former pastor at the church told The Associated Press.

The Jefferson County district attorney said Friday the 70-year-old suspect, Robert Findlay Smith, has been charged with capital murder for the attack at Saint Stephens Episcopal Church in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills.

AP reports that one of the victims died in his wifes arms as she whispered words of love in his ear.

"This should never happen -- in a church, in a store, in the city, or anywhere, Governor Kay Ivey said after the shooting.

According to the churchs website, a Boomers Potluck dinner was scheduled for Thursday evening. The announcement of the event on the site encouraged people to bring a dish to share and invited people to simply eat and have time for fellowship.

Thursdays church shooting is the latest in a series of recent shootings in the United States that have again sparked debate about the need for gun reform. Last month, 10 Black people were killed in a racist attack on a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. Later in the month, 19 elementary school children and two adults were killed by a gunman in Uvalde, Texas.

Thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington on Saturday to call for stricter gun control measures.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.
Afghanistans Taliban authorities said Saturday at least two people were killed and seven others wounded in an early morning militant assault on a minority Sikh temple in the capital, Kabul.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Abdul Nafi Takor told reporters a member of the Sikh community and a Taliban security personnel were among the dead.

Takor said a group of gunmen had lobbed hand grenades at security guards at the entrance before storming the place of worship in the Kart-e-Parwan neighborhood.

Taliban security forces quickly surrounded the temple and engaged the assailants in a gunfight, killing all of them and ending the siege.

Local television stations aired footage showing heavy gray plumes of smoke rising from the area.

Takor said the militants attempted to drive an explosives-packed car into the crowded area, but it exploded before reaching its intended target, causing no casualties.

An official at the temple, Gornam Singh, told reporters there were 30 people inside the building at the time of attack.

No group immediately took responsibility for the violence.

There were around 300 members of the tiny Sikh community in Afghanistan before the fall of the largely Muslim country to the Taliban in August.

Community members and media reports said many Sikhs had left the country for India before the Taliban takeover and the rest have been unable to do so because of problems securing Indian visas.

A regional affiliate of the Islamic State group, Islamic State Khorasan Province, has recently increased attacks against minority Shiite Muslim Afghans and other religious minorities, killing scores of people.

The group claimed an attack on another Sikh temple in Kabul in 2020 that killed 25 worshippers.

The new Taliban rulers say they have largely eliminated Islamic State Khorasan Province bases in Afghanistan but repeated attacks in recent days raise questions about the official claims.

India's External Affairs Ministry said it was "deeply concerned" about reports of the attack.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments," ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.

Some information for this report came from Reuters.
Australia's new foreign minister on Thursday made New Zealand the first stop on her third Pacific trip in a month as Canberra steps up efforts to counter Chinas growing influence in the region.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong is promoting her administrations stronger ambition on curbing greenhouse gas emissions as evidence that Australia shares the South Pacifics primary security concern: climate change.

Australia formally committed Thursday to reducing emissions by 43% by the end of the decade. The previous government, which lost power in elections last month, had pledged to reduce emissions by only 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Many countries in the region have been concerned about Australias previous position on climate, Wong said at a joint news conference with her New Zealand counterpart, Nanaia Mahuta, in the New Zealand capital, Wellington.

We do have some ground to make up and we want to demonstrate we bring ... stronger and more ambitious commitments on climate because we actually think it matters and more resources and more energy, Wong added.

Mahuta said she agreed with Wong that the Pacific is a contested space.

So, by working together, it will be important to ensure that we work alongside the Pacific as they define their priorities, but also the way in which we partner with the Pacific on their biggest issues like climate change, like economic resilience, Mahuta said.

On Friday, Wong became the first Australian minister to visit the Solomon Islands since its government signed a security pact with China that many fear could lead to a Chinese naval base being established less than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) off Australia's northeast coast.

Wong described her talks with Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare as constructive and wide ranging.

Australias view does remain that the Pacific family should be responsible for our security and the Pacific familys more than capable of providing that security, Wong told reporters in the capital, Honiara.

I welcomed Prime Minister Sogavares reassurances that there will not be a military base nor persistent military presence here in Solomon Islands, and I welcome his assurance that Australia remains Solomon Islands first security partner of choice and first development partner of choice, she added.

Sogavares office did not immediately respond to the APs request for comment.

Australian police have been in the capital, Honiara, maintaining peace since riots in November last year.

Australia on Thursday announced drought assistance for Kiribati, which was one of eight nations visited by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a recent influence-building South Pacific tour.

Australia will provide an initial 675,000 Australian dollars ($473,000) to support the installation of 100 solar distillation units to provide safe drinking water after the Kiribati government declared a state of disaster Wednesday.

Wong visited Samoa and Tonga around the same time as Wangs tour. She flew to Tokyo within hours of being sworn into office May 23 for a security summit attended by leaders of the United States, Japan, India and Australia.
Before disappearing in Brazil's Amazon rainforest, Bruno Pereira was laying the groundwork for a mammoth undertaking: a 350-kilometer (217-mile) trail marking the southwestern border of the Javari Valley Indigenous territory, an area the size of Portugal.

The purpose of the trail is to prevent cattle farmers from encroaching on Javari territory  and it was just the latest effort by Pereira to help Indigenous people protect their natural resources and traditional lifestyles.

While Pereira had long pursued these goals as an expert at the Brazilian Indigenous affairs agency, known as FUNAI, he worked in recent years as a consultant to the Javari Valley's Indigenous organization. That's because after Jair Bolsonaro became Brazil's president in 2019, FUNAI began taking a more hands-off approach toward protecting Indigenous land and people  and the government unapologetically promoted development over environmental protection.

Deeply frustrated, Pereira left the agency and embarked on a more independent  and dangerous  path.

He was last seen alive June 5 on a boat in the Itaquai River, along with British freelance journalist Dom Phillips, near an area bordering Peru and Colombia. On Wednesday, a fisherman confessed to killing Pereira, 41, and Phillips, 57, and took police to a site where human remains were recovered; they have since been identified as the two men.

Pereira spoke several times with The Associated Press over the past 18 months, and he talked about his decision to leave FUNAI, which he felt had become a hindrance to his work. After Bolsonaro came to power, the agency was stacked with loyalists and people who lacked experience in Indigenous affairs, he said.

"There's no use in me being there as long as these policemen and army generals are calling the shots," he said by phone in November. "I can't do my work under them."

As a technical consultant for the Javari Valley's association of Indigenous people, or UNIVAJA, Pereira helped the group develop a surveillance program to reduce illegal fishing and hunting in a remote region belonging to 6,300 people from seven different ethnic groups, many of whom have had little to no contact with the outside world. He and three other non-Indigenous people trained Indigenous patrollers to use drones and other technology to spot illegal activity, photograph it and submit evidence to authorities.

"When it came to helping the Indigenous peoples, he did everything he could," said Jader Marubo, former president of UNIVAJA. "He gave his life for us."

Indigenous expert

Like Pereira, Ricardo Rao was an Indigenous expert at FUNAI who, in 2019, prepared a dossier detailing illegal logging in Indigenous lands of the Maranhao state. But fearful of being so outspoken under the new regime, he fled to Norway.

"I asked Norway for asylum, because I knew the men I was accusing would have access to my name and would kill me, just like what happened with Bruno," Rao said.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly advocated tapping the vast riches of Indigenous lands, particularly their mineral resources, and integrating Indigenous people into society. He has pledged not to grant any further Indigenous land protections, and in April said he would defy a Supreme Court decision, if necessary. Those positions directly opposed Pereira's hopes for the Javari Valley.

Before taking leave, Pereira was removed as head of FUNAI's division for isolated and recently contacted tribes. That move came shortly after he commanded an operation that expelled hundreds of illegal gold prospectors from an Indigenous territory in the Roraima state. His position was soon filled by a former Evangelical missionary with an anthropology background. The choice generated outcry because some missionary groups have openly tried to contact and convert tribes, whose voluntary isolation is protected by Brazilian law.

Key colleagues of Pereira's at FUNAI either followed his lead and took leave or were shuffled to bureaucratic positions far from the demarcation of protected lands, according to a recent report from the Institute of Socioeconomic Studies think tank and the nonprofit Associated Indigenists, which includes current and former FUNAI staff.

"Of FUNAI's 39 regional coordination offices, only two are headed by FUNAI staffers," the report says. "Seventeen military men, three policemen, two federal policemen and six professionals with no prior connection with public administration have been named" under Bolsonaro.

Route into the territory

On the day they went missing, Pereira and Phillips slept at an outpost at the entrance of the main clandestine route into the territory, without passing by the Indigenous agency's permanent base at its entrance, locals told the AP.

Two Indigenous patrollers told the AP the pair had been transporting mobile phones from the surveillance project with photos of places where illegal fishermen had been. Authorities have said that an illicit fishing network is a focus of the police investigation into the killings. Police said in a statement Saturday that Pereira's death was caused by three gunshot wounds, two to the abdomen and one to the head, with ammunition typical of hunting.

Pereira's killing will not stop the Javari territory's border demarcation project from moving ahead, said Manoel Chorimpa, an UNIVAJA member involved in the project. And in another sign that Pereira's work will endure, Indigenous patrollers' surveillance efforts have begun leading to the investigation, arrest and prosecution of lawbreakers.

Before his career at FUNAI, Pereira worked as a journalist. But his passion for Indigenous affairs and languages  he spoke four  led him to switch careers. His anthropologist wife, Beatriz Matos, encouraged him in his work, even though it meant long stretches away from their home in Atalaia do Norte, and their children. More recently, they were living in Brazil's capital, Brasilia.

The Indigenous people of the region have mourned Pereira as a partner, and an old photo widely shared on social media in recent days shows a group of them gathered behind Pereira, shirtless, as he shows them something on his laptop. A child leans gently onto his shoulder.
Federal police said Friday that human remains found in Brazil's remote Amazon had been identified as belonging to British journalist Dom Phillips, who went missing almost two weeks ago along with a Brazilian Indigenous expert in a case that drew world attention.

Additional remains found at the site near the city of Atalaia do Norte have not yet been identified but are expected to belong to Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, 41. The pair were last seen June 5 on their boat on the Itaquai River, near the entrance of the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, which borders Peru and Colombia.

"The confirmation [of Phillips' remains] was made based on dental examinations and anthropological forensics," federal police said in a statement. "Work is ongoing for a complete identification of the remains so we can determine the cause of death, and also the dynamics of the crime and the hiding of the bodies."

The remains were found Wednesday after fisherman Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, nicknamed Pelado, confessed he had killed Phillips, 57, and Pereira, and led police to the site where the remains were found. He told officers he used a firearm to commit the crime.

Police also arrested Pelado's brother, fisherman Oseney da Costa de Oliveira.

The remains arrived in Brasilia on Thursday for forensics work.

The area where Phillips and Pereira went missing has seen violent conflicts between fishermen, poachers and government agents.

Federal police said others may have participated in the crime but that organized criminal groups did not appear to have been involved.

UNIVAJA, the local Indigenous association for whom Pereira was working, criticized that conclusion. It said in a statement the investigation had not considered the existence of a criminal organization financing illegal fishing and poaching in the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory.

"That was why Bruno Pereira became one of the main targets of this criminal group, as well as other UNIVAJA members who received death threats," the statement said.

President Jair Bolsonaro, a frequent critic of journalists and Indigenous experts, has drawn criticism that the government didn't get involved fast enough. Earlier, he criticized Phillips in an interview, saying without evidence that locals in the area where he went missing didn't like him  and that he should have been more careful in the region.

His main adversary in October's election, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said in a statement that the killings "are directly related to the dismantling of public policies of protection to Indigenous peoples" and are "also related to the current administration's stimulus to violence."

The efforts to find the pair were started by Indigenous people in the region.

Indigenous people who were with Pereira and Phillips have said that Pelado brandished a rifle at them on the day before the pair disappeared.

Official search teams concentrated their efforts around a spot in the Itaquai River where a tarp from the boat used by the missing men was found. Authorities began scouring the area and discovered a backpack, laptop and other personal belongings under water Sunday.

Authorities have said a main line of the police investigation into the disappearances has pointed to an international network that pays poor fishermen to fish illegally in the Javari Valley reserve, which is Brazil's second-largest Indigenous territory.

Pereira, who previously led the local bureau of the federal Indigenous agency, known as FUNAI, took part in several operations against illegal fishing. In such operations, as a rule, the fishing gear is seized or destroyed, while the fishermen are fined and briefly detained. Only the Indigenous can legally fish in their territories.

While some police, the mayor and others in the region link the pair's disappearances to the "fish mafia," federal police have not ruled out other lines of investigation, such as drug trafficking.

The case has put a global magnifying glass on violence in the Amazon.

Earlier Friday, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said Phillips and Pereira were "murdered for supporting conservation of the rainforest and native peoples there."

"We call for accountability and justice  we must collectively strengthen efforts to protect environmental defenders and journalists," Price said.

Protests calling for justice for Phillips and Pereira are scheduled to take place in several Brazilian cities over the weekend.
Legendary civil rights leader Bayard Rustin and three other men who were sentenced to work on a chain gang in North Carolina after they launched the first of the freedom rides to challenge Jim Crow laws had their convictions posthumously vacated Friday, more than seven decades later.

We failed these men, said Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour, who presided over the special session and at one point paused to gather himself after becoming emotional.

We failed their cause and we failed to deliver justice in our community, Baddour said. And for that, I apologize. So were doing this today to right a wrong, in public, and on the record.

Speaking to about 100 people in the gallery, Baddour noted they were gathered in the same second-story courtroom in the historic courthouse where the men were initially sentenced.

On April 9, 1947, a group of eight white men and eight Black men began the first freedom ride to challenge laws that mandated segregation on buses in defiance of the 1946 U.S. Supreme Court Morgan v. Virginia ruling declaring segregation on interstate travel unconstitutional.

The men boarded buses in Washington, D.C., setting out on a two-week route that included stops in Durham, Chapel Hill and Greensboro, North Carolina. As the riders attempted to board the bus in Chapel Hill, several of them were removed by force and attacked by a group of angry cab drivers. Four of the so-called Freedom Riders  Andrew Johnson, James Felmet, Bayard Rustin, and Igal Roodenko  were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct for refusing to move from the front of the bus.

After a trial in Orange County, the four men were convicted and sentenced to serve on a chain gang. Rustin later published writings about being imprisoned and subjected to hard labor for taking part in the first freedom ride, which was also known as the Journey of Reconciliation.

Renee Price, chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, told the audience that the special session resulted from research by Baddour and his staff that was launched after a previous anniversary of the case.

We are here, 75 years later, to address an injustice and henceforth to correct the narrative regarding the Journey of Reconciliation and that segment of American history, Price said.

In 1942, five years before the Chapel Hill episode, Rustin was beaten by police officers in Nashville, Tennessee, and taken to jail after refusing to move to the back of a bus he had ridden from Louisville, Kentucky, author Raymond Arsenault wrote in the book Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice. A pioneer of the civil rights movement, Rustin was an adviser to the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and was instrumental in organizing the March on Washington in 1963.

Dr. Adriane Lentz-Smith, an associate professor and associate chair in the department of history at Duke University, described Rustin as a shepherd and a shaper of the 1960s movement. But Lentz-Smith said his role in the struggle eventually diminished over concerns that his being gay and a former member of the Communist Party could hurt the movement.

He was deliberately moved out of the spotlight, Lentz-Smith said. The very things that make him remarkable and admirable to us ... in 2022 made him profoundly vulnerable then, she said.

Rustins partner, Walter Naegle, spoke by Zoom Friday and said Rustin and the three men werent fighting for their own good will, but for all of us ... Their faith and their consciences compelled them to act.

Amy Zowniriw, Roodenkos niece, told the courtroom that her uncle was the epitome of a moral and righteous citizen, yet he was put in jail for sitting next to his dear friend, Bayard Rustin.

Last month, five District Court judges marked the 75th anniversary of the arrests of Rustin and the three other men in Chapel Hill by reading a statement of apology.

The Orange County Court was on the wrong side of the law in May 1947, and it was on the wrong side of history, the statement read. Today, we stand before our community on behalf of all five District Court Judges for Orange and Chatham Counties and accept the responsibility entrusted to us to do our part to eliminate racial disparities in our justice system.
In a packed Ethiopian prison last November, charity worker Tesfaye Weldemaryam cried out in delirium for two weeks. To make space for Tesfaye to lie down, said a cellmate, other prisoners huddled together in the darkness, their legs aching from constant standing.

Tesfaye, 36, was one of nearly 3,000 ethnic Tigrayans who were crammed into 18 squalid cells in the southern town of Mizan Teferi. Across Ethiopia, Reuters has identified at least a dozen other locations where thousands more Tigrayans have been held without trial as the government battles a 19-month-old insurgency that began in the northern Tigray region.

The United Nations estimates that more than 15,000 Tigrayan civilians were arrested between November and February alone, when emergency laws were in force. Reuters reporting, including interviews with 17 current and former detainees and a review of satellite imagery, indicates that the total number of arrests is at least 3,000 higher than the U.N. estimate. A senior Tigrayan opposition figure, Hailu Kebede, told Reuters he estimates the figure is in the tens of thousands.

The reporting also reveals that some 9,000 Tigrayans are still in detention, contradicting government assertions that most have now been released.

They were crowded into makeshift facilities, including an old cinema, university campuses, a former chicken factory, an industrial park, a construction site and an unfinished prison that was intended to hold convicted criminals, the news agency's reporting demonstrates. The detainees included women and children.

Most facilities were crowded and dirty, said current and former detainees of a dozen different centers, lawyers and family members. Beatings were common. Some sick prisoners were denied medical treatment for weeks, these people said, while others were forced to bribe guards to get medicines. Reuters confirmed many aspects of the accounts of jail conditions with priests, medical workers, local officials and through satellite imagery. Some of the people interviewed declined to be identified for fear of retribution.

At least 17 Tigrayan detainees have died, Reuters reporting shows. Tesfaye is one of them. By the time he received treatment for malaria and meningitis in December he was too ill to respond, said a medic who cared for Tesfaye in hospital.

Reuters sent detailed questions about the number of prisoners, conditions, and deaths to the federal police, the justice ministry, the prime minister's office and other national and regional government officials. The justice ministry referred questions to the police, which did not respond. Nor did the others.

The detentions of Tigrayans came in waves. The first began in November 2020 after the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), a guerilla movement turned political party, seized military bases in Tigray. The second started in July 2021, when Tigrayan forces forced Ethiopia's army to withdraw from Tigray. The most recent came last November after Tigrayan forces invaded two neighboring regions and advanced towards the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

The findings from this first detailed account of the detentions show that the treatment of Tigrayan civilian detainees has fallen far short of international norms. They also raise questions over the government's use of emergency powers during its war with the TPLF, according to some international observers. Some analysts say the arrests have tarnished the image of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose commitment to democracy when he came to power in 2018 won him international praise and offered a break with decades of iron-fisted rule by the TPLF.

Tigrayans make up only 6% of Ethiopia's population of 120 million  one of more than 90 ethnicities and nationalities. But for nearly three decades, until 2018, the TPLF dominated a government that also detained tens of thousands of people without charge.

Last November, as TPLF forces neared the capital, Abiy declared a state of emergency, allowing suspects to be held without trial. Emergency rule stayed in force until mid-February.

Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has said most of the detentions appeared to be ordinary Tigrayans. In November, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission expressed concern that people were being arrested because of their ethnicity.

Many Tigrayans say they were held by police after speaking their native language or showing an identity card with a Tigrayan name, as Reuters previously reported. In a town called Abala in Afar region, which borders Tigray, three residents said the Tigrayan population was arrested en masse and loaded onto trucks. Two witnesses put the number of people arrested at around 12,000. Reuters couldn't independently verify the figure.

Ethiopia's government and police insist they only target suspected supporters of the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Hailu, the foreign affairs head of opposition party Salsay Weyane Tigray, accused the government of "rounding up Tigrayans solely based on their ethnicity," a view shared by the TPLF.

Malaria and squalor

Tesfaye was an office worker for Catholic charity the Salesians of Don Bosco in Addis Ababa before his arrest on Nov. 5, his family said. Around a dozen Tigrayan employees of the charity were detained at work that day, two of those held said. No reason was given, and Tesfaye's colleagues were released a few months later without charge. The charity declined to comment for this article.

Ten days after his arrest, Tesfaye was a passenger on a snaking convoy of between 60-80 large buses that ferried prisoners from an overcrowded five-block jail in Addis Ababa to an unfinished prison in the town of Mizan Teferi, 560 km to the southwest. It took nearly the whole night to get there, said five prisoners who traveled with Tesfaye.

The prison in Mizan Teferi had freshly painted yellow walls and newly mown grass  and a watchtower and barbed wire perimeter. It stood empty, waiting for its first transfer of convicted criminals, said the prison's acting head Getnet Befekadu. Instead, it received busloads of Tigrayans, former prisoners said.

The interior wasn't yet finished; there was no plumbing, so river water was treated with purification tablets. Water was so scarce, detainees said, they were often frantic with thirst. Prisoners were given two 15-minute bathroom breaks a day, but often the queues were so long or prisoners so sick that inmates would soil themselves while waiting.

The jail's 18 cells, each about 5 meters by 6 meters, were packed: One prisoner told Reuters there were 183 men in his windowless cell; another said there were 176 in his. A guard at Mizan Teferi told Reuters each cell was originally designed to hold between 70 and 80 people.

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment sets a minimum standard of four square meters per prisoner in a multiple-occupancy cell. The cells at Mizan Teferi held more than 20 people per four square meters.

Getnet, the acting head, said the facility housed 2,900 prisoners and that two additional office rooms were eventually used for prisoners with tuberculosis and hepatitis.

Prisoners were tormented by lice, pests and disease, inmates said. Getnet said authorities did their best to care for inmates, providing "conducive conditions." He didn't elaborate.

A Tigrayan public employee, who was arrested on Nov. 4, described life in the jail. "It was very crowded; we could not sleep on our backs. We slept head to toe like sardines. We had no mattress, no blanket," he said.

Tesfaye was desperately ill in jail for two weeks, a fellow prisoner said. When staff finally took him  feverish and unconscious  to Mizan Tepi University Teaching Hospital, he could not be saved from the malaria and meningitis that sickened him, said Dr Gizaw Wodajo, the hospital's medical director.

Reuters identified at least four people who died after falling sick in Mizan Teferi. Getnet, the acting head of the prison, referred Reuters to the hospital for information on deaths.

A former detainee, a medical worker who was freed in late January, said each time prisoners perished their cellmates would cry out. "We usually heard cries at night. We heard them shouting, 'my brother, my brother'." In the morning, word of who had died would spread when prisoners were allowed out of their cells to collect water.

Malaria is endemic in the area where the prison lies, Gizaw said. But to his knowledge, the facility hadn't been sprayed with insecticide to kill the mosquitoes that spread the disease. Nor did inmates have mosquito nets. Prison authorities didn't comment.

Hagos Belay, a bank security guard, was admitted to hospital on Dec. 25. Two weeks later, he died of malaria and meningitis  diseases that can be treated with drugs if caught early. Prisoners said there were no medicines for many sick inmates. Gizaw said local officials and the International Committee of the Red Cross did eventually find money to pay for treatment for some prisoners. The Red Cross declined to comment, saying their global access to prisoners depends on their confidentiality. Getnet said that prisoners were given all assistance possible.

A third prisoner, 17-year-old Anwar Siraj, died before he reached the hospital, said Gizaw, adding that the cause of death was unclear. Anwar wasn't Tigrayan but Oromo, said a fellow prisoner. Oromos were also caught up in the government crackdown after an Oromo rebel group announced an alliance with the TPLF last August.

A fourth man, 24-year-old Gebregziabher Gebremeskel, died within weeks of his release from Mizan Teferi. A relative described him as a quiet young man who used to sell mobile phones on the streets of the capital. Gebregziabher became ill with malaria while he was in jail, but did not receive medical treatment, the relative said.

Reuters spoke to a doctor who cared for Gebregziabher at a hospital in Addis Ababa. The doctor said the young man was seriously ill with cerebral malaria when he arrived at the hospital two weeks after his release from jail. He died 10 days later. The doctor, who asked not to be named, said Gebregziabher must have been infected in prison since the disease isn't present in the capital and takes between a week and a month to incubate.

The doctor said he treated three other prisoners from Mizan Teferi for the same disease. All three told the doctor the only way to get hold of medicines in the jail was by paying for them.

Imad Abdulfetah, a director at the state-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, told Reuters the commission repeatedly tried and failed to get access to the prison in Mizan Teferi. Asked about this, Getnet did not respond.

Makeshift prisons

Mizan Teferi was not the only facility where prisoners died. Nor was it the only facility that was ill-prepared to receive crowds of Tigrayan detainees.

For around eight months, Tigrayans were held at an agricultural facility at Wachemo University, in the town of Shone, 220 km south of the capital. A spokesman for Shone district, Alemayehu Bakera, told Reuters there were 1,200 Tigrayans at the campus. He denied they were detained, describing the facility as "more of a shelter for them to stay."

All the Tigrayans were migrants who'd been repatriated from Saudi Arabia in 2021, Alemayehu said, under a bilateral agreement between the countries. Saudi Arabia did not respond to requests for comment about the detentions. The Tigrayans held at the university were transferred from Shone to Addis Ababa in early April and released, according to Alemayehu.

A former detainee at Wachemo University told Reuters the facility had enough food and water, and people could move around freely. But prisoners had to buy their own medicines, often pooling money to do so.

At least two prisoners died there this year  a man and a woman  said four people with direct knowledge. These sources included a university official and Melak Mihret Aba Teklemichael, head of nearby St. George's Church, where they were buried.

Alemayehu, the Shone district spokesman said, "We don't know about reports of death."

A lawyer who was working to try to free detainees told Reuters that, based on his conversations with people in the facility, 100 women and 10 babies were among those held there. Reuters couldn't independently confirm the lawyer's figures. Melak, the church head, said several women had given birth at the facility.

Thousands of Tigrayans from Abala, the town on the border between the Tigray and Afar regions, were rounded up by an Afar regional force in December, loaded onto trucks and driven to Soloda College in the nearby town of Semera, witnesses said.

A source briefed on the matter said 7,000 to 12,000 people are still detained at the college. The Red Cross tweeted last month that it provided aid to 9,000 displaced people in Semera. It declined to give further details when contacted by Reuters. Two prisoners confirmed to Reuters that they received aid from the agency.

Jean Bosco Ngomoni from the UN refugee agency's Semera office, told Reuters that "limited service provision coupled with overpopulation do not allow decent living conditions."

The men were beaten when they were first detained, three prisoners said. Men and women are separated by a fence, and many families are living under tarpaulin in the yard.

One prisoner told Reuters that 63 detainees at the college had died, including 11 infants. He shared with Reuters a list of those who had perished, compiled by inmates. In interviews, other prisoners confirmed three of the names.

Where names were missing on the list, the inmates entered whatever other details they had  such as "worked at the mill," or "twin infants."

A priest at nearby Afar Semera St. John's church said he had participated in burials of seven or eight people from the camp. Reuters could not determine if those deaths were included in the list.

Satellite pictures of the facility appear to show its compound crowded with blue and white plastic rectangles consistent with prisoners' descriptions of living under plastic tarpaulins.

The Afar regional government didn't respond to requests for comment.

Maximum security

Many Tigrayans who were arrested in Addis Ababa were held for days or weeks in the capital's Aba Samuel maximum security prison before being bussed south to other facilities.

One Tigrayan inmate estimated there were around 1,500 Tigrayan civilians there when he was held in the early days of November.

The numbers then grew, said four other prisoners.

One of them, a 28-year-old man, said he was held with 36 other Tigrayans in a 70-square-meter cell  twice the number of prisoners allowed under the Council of Europe's minimum standard. He said the number of detainees had reached about 3,100 at the facility when he arrived on Nov. 27. He shared hand-written notes with Reuters tabulating the numbers, which he said he recorded based on conversations with other prisoners.

A week after he arrived, he said, 140 more Tigrayans arrived from a detention facility in the town of Awash Arba, in the Afar region, so thin they "looked like famine victims." By that time they had already been held in Awash Arba for five months, he said.

Beatings from guards were frequent, this man said. When his cellmates thought guards might come, they piled on any extra clothes to try to cushion the blows.

He shared a video with Reuters that showed a crowded courtyard in Aba Samuel in January. Satellite imagery provided by Maxar Technologies and reviewed by Reuters matched the prison's layout, stairwell configuration, a drain and markings on the concrete floor.

He and another man  interviewed separately  both said they witnessed an incident in which a guard beat prisoners with a piece of scaffolding so hard that it broke in half.

Another former prisoner, a businessman, provided pictures of himself before imprisonment looking fit and healthy and thin and haggard after release. Food was scarce  sometimes one piece of bread per day  he said.

Two other prisoners held there in January told Reuters that later Oromo prisoners were also detained in Aba Samuel.

Elsewhere in the capital, other Tigrayans were held at packed police stations or makeshift sites for months. One lawyer who visited six detention centers said he saw people held in overcrowded police stations, two private storehouses and a former chicken factory, where he said the stench was unbearable.

One 34-year-old said he was held for 38 days at a detention center with a watchtower called Gotera Condominium complex in Addis Ababa  previously used to house drug addicts and the homeless. Numbers fluctuated between 800 and 2,000 people, he and another prisoner said.

Reuters journalists witnessed hundreds of family members lining up outside the facility in December, waiting to take in food to loved ones. By mid-February, the complex was deserted. Street vendors said the prisoners had all been recently released. Reuters spoke to three prisoners who had been held there and said they had been freed.

Across Ethiopia, most Tigrayans were quietly released in January or February, after the Tigrayan forces retreated back into their region. Others were freed in March or April. But thousands remain in detention in Afar.

Following a ceasefire declared in March, the war has reached a stalemate. The military is unable to hold Tigray; Tigrayan forces cannot hold territory they seized outside it. Abiy said this week his government is considering talks with the TPLF.
For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine.

The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT:

10:30 p.m.: Ben Stiller arrived in Poland to raise awareness about the need to help refugees who have fled the war in Ukraine. Stiller, a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, posted a statement on Instagram: I hope you'll follow along and share your own messages of support for people who have fled their homes in Ukraine and for people who have been forced to flee all over the world.

9:12 p.m.:

8:25 p.m.: Roman Ratushny was a leading figure in Ukraine's pro-European Maidan movement, an anti-corruption activist who fought Russian forces with the Ukrainian army, Agence France-Presse reported. On Saturday, thousands of people in Kiev's Independence Square paid tribute to the "hero" who was killed in the country's east at the age of 24. Ratushny died on June 9 near Izium, in the Kharkiv region, where Ukrainian forces are confronting the Russian army.

7:12 p.m.:

5:54 p.m.: Boris Johnson has said Ukraine deserves to host next years Eurovision song contest and that he hopes it will be able to do so despite the ongoing war with Russia, The Guardian reported.

4:18 p.m.: Boris Johnson reaffirmed Britains support for Ukraine, cautioning against Ukraine fatigue as Russias invasion enters its fifth month, The Sunday Times reported.

In an article for The Sunday Times, Johnson said Ukraine's foreign backers should hold their nerve to ensure it has "the strategic endurance to survive and eventually prevail. He also offered Ukraine a ramped up military training program to help in its fight against Russian forces, the paper reported.

3:38 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took a working trip to the Odesa region, where he inspected the trauma department of an Odesa hospital and talked to wounded servicemen undergoing treatment at a medical facility.

2:15 p.m.: Ukraine first lady Olena Zelenska gave an interview to the British newspaper The Guardian, in which she spoke, in particular, about the situation of Ukrainian families during the war.

1:48 p.m.: Western-supplied heavy weapons are reaching Ukraine's front lines. The Associated Press reports that it was given access to witness Ukrainian troops fire U.S.-supplied M777 howitzers on Russian positions in the eastern Donbas region. A Ukrainian military lieutenant told AP that the weapon is raising soldiers' spirits because it's easy to use, fires fast and is precise. However, Ukrainian officials said they still need more Western weapons to push back Russian forces.



12:18 p.m.: Ukraine and Russia exchanged five prisoners Saturday, The Kyiv Independent newspaper reports. Five Ukrainian civilians were traded for five Russian prisoners of war, according to Ukraines Defense Ministry, the newspaper reported. Four of the civilians were captured during fighting in the Kyiv region.

11:46 a.m.: Ukraine's prime minister says a reconstruction plan for his country will be unveiled in July, The Kyiv Independent newspaper reports. The Reconstruction Plan of Ukraine-United 24, will see each partner country focus on rebuilding a particular region or industry, the newspaper quoted Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal as saying. "Denmark has already agreed to take charge of the restoration of Mykolaiv, the Baltic countries of the Zhytomyr Oblast, and Portugal of rebuilding Ukrainian schools," The Kyiv Independent tweeted.

10:21 a.m.: Russia's defense ministry said Saturday that they have destroyed oil refining and fuel storage facilities in the areas of Kremenchuk, in central Ukraine and Lysychansk, which is located across a river from the key city of Sievierodonetsk. Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the facilities were intended to supply equipment to the Ukrainian military in the Donbas region.

9:18 a.m.: A top EU official is the latest to warn that the world is at risk of famine due to Russia's blockade of Ukraine grain shipments and Moscow's decision to limit its own exports.

"Russia's conscious political choice is to weaponize grain exports and use them as a tool for blackmail against anyone that opposes its aggression in Ukraine," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote Saturday on his official blog, according to Agence France-Presse.

Borrell said that a "global food catastrophe" is possible if a solution isn't found soon.

7:53 a.m.: "Fierce battles" with Russia are raging in villages near the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk, according to Ukrainian authorities, Agence France-Presse reported. Russian troops have been trying to take control of Sievierodonetsk for weeks.

"Now the most fierce battles are near Sievierodonetsk. They (Russia) do not control the city entirely," Sergiy Gaiday, the governor of the eastern Lugansk region, said on Telegram. "In nearby villages there are very difficult fights -- in Toshkivska, Zolote. They are trying to break through but failing. Our defenders are fighting Russians in all directions. Recently, they shot down a plane and took captives."

Gaiday also reported that Russian troops are heavily shelling Lysychansk, a city across a river from Sievierodonetsk, that is still controlled by the Ukrainians.

7:41 a.m.: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a rare trip outside of Kyiv on Saturday to visit the war-damaged city of Mykolaiv, Agence France-Presse reported. It was the Ukrainian leader's first visit to the southern city since Russia invaded Ukraine almost four months ago. The president's office published video of Zelenskyy surveying a badly damaged high-rise resident building and holding meetings with local officials.

5:52 a.m.: The latest intelligence update from the U.K. defense ministry says that Russian forces appear to be aiming to gain more ground in the Donetsk Oblast and to take the Sievierodonetsk Pocket.

As part of this, the Russians say they're trying to evacuate civilians through humanitarian corridors. The update notes, however, that Russia in the past has used such corridors to "manipulate the battlespace and impose the forced transfer of populations." And as a result of that, Sieverodonetsk civilians are likely to be wary.

If the civilians don't evacuate, the update warns, Russia "will likely claim justification in making less of a distinction between them and any Ukrainian military targets in the area."

5:11 a.m.: TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew was pressed by Republican senators over reports the social media site had allowed Russian state-approved media content but barred other videos, Reuters reported.

"Recent reports indicate TikTok has allowed Russian state media to flood the platform with dangerous pro-war propaganda. No company should find itself in the position of amplifying the Kremlins lies, which fuel public support for Russias war of choice in Ukraine," said a letter signed by Steve Daines and signed by John Cornyn, Roger Wicker, John Barrasso, James Lankford and Cynthia Lummis.

The senators wrote they were "deeply concerned" that TikTok "is enabling the spread of pro-war propaganda to the Russian public, which risks adding to an already devastating human toll for both Ukrainians and Russians, Reuters reported.

The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. TikTok said in a statement to Reuters that the company was looking forward to continuing to engage with members on these issues and answer their questions.

4:10 a.m.: The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S. think tank, says that Ukrainian forces are likely launching a counteroffensive north of Izyum. They aim to disrupt supply lines and pull Russian forces away from offensive operations toward Slovyansk.

Additionally, the institute's latest update notes, unconfirmed Ukrainian sources say that the Kremlin has fired Colonel-General Andrey Serdyukov, head of the Russian airborne forces, due to poor performance.

3:15 a.m.: Russia has reduced natural gas to Europe for a third day as countries have worked to ease their dependence on Russian supplies amid the war in Ukraine, The Associated Press reported. Friday saw significant reductions to the fuel that powers industry and generates electricity in Europe, which also have hit Germany and Austria. Russia told Slovakia's state-controlled gas company that it would reduce gas flow to the country by 50%, the AP reported. Russian energy giant Gazprom also told Italian gas company Eni that it would supply only 50% of the gas requested for Friday. France is no longer receiving any natural gas from Russia.

2:16 a.m.: VOA's Jeff Seldin reports that U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, told the Defense One Tech Summit he fears Russia will turns to weapons of mass destruction.

"They don't seem like they're going to walk away" Turner said. "They seem like they're going to escalate." Turner said Russian President Vladimir Putin is "acting like a murderous thug," and that Moscow's demeanor is more akin to what one would expect from North Korea.

1:08 a.m.: Lithuania has told the Russian region of Kaliningrad that it will block the import and export of a large number of goods by rail because of Western sanctions, regional Governor Anton Alikhanov said, according to Reuters. The region -- home to the Russian Baltic Fleet and a deployment location for nuclear-capable Iskander missiles -- is sandwiched on the Baltic coast between Lithuania and Poland, both NATO members, and has no land border with Russia, Reuters reported.

Alikhanov said the clampdown would affect between 40% to 50% of the products that are imported to and exported from Russia through Lithuania. Among the goods that would be affected are building materials, cement and metal products, he said, according to Reuters.

12:02 a.m.: The eastern Ukrainian city of Lysychansk was heavily shelled by Russian forces on Friday and there were many dead, Governor Serhiy Gaidai told Ukraine's public broadcaster. Gaidai later said in an online post that a key highway out of the city was now impassable.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Two long-wanted Abu Sayyaf militant commanders accused of beheading two kidnapped Canadian tourists and a German in the southern Philippines have surrendered to authorities, officials said Friday.

Almujer Yadah and Bensito Quitino gave themselves up to military officials in Jolo town in southern Sulu province and surrendered their assault rifles, Sulu military commander Major General Ignatius Patrimonio and other security officials said. The officials did not provide details of how and when the surrenders were arranged.

The two were briefly presented in a news conference in an army camp in Jolo and later turned over to police.

Sulu provincial police chief Colonel Jaime Mojica said they will face multiple murder and other criminal charges, including violation of the country's anti-terrorism law. The militants are accused of beheading the hostages after failing to obtain large ransoms they had demanded.

They also were involved in other ransom kidnappings and bomb attacks, Mojica said.

Canadian tourists Robert Hall and John Ridsdel were abducted by Abu Sayyaf gunmen from a marina on southern Samal island along with a Norwegian and a Filipino in September 2015 and taken to jungle camps in Sulu.

Hall and Ridsdel were beheaded by the militants months later after the deadline for payment of the ransoms passed. Videos released by the militants showed the victims being brutally killed in front of an Islamic State group-style black flag. The Norwegian and Filipino hostages were eventually freed.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the time that he was horrified by the killings and affirmed Canada's refusal to "pay ransoms for hostages to terrorist groups, as doing so would endanger the lives of more Canadians." He said Canada was working with the Philippine government "to pursue those responsible for these heinous acts and bring them to justice, however long it takes."

Other key suspects in the kidnappings and killings of Hall and Ridsdel were killed earlier in clashes with Philippine forces.

Mojica said the two militants were also involved in the 2017 beheading in Sulu of German hostage Jurgen Gustav Kantner. Abu Sayyaf gunmen seized Kantner at gunpoint and killed a woman sailing with him off neighboring Malaysia's Sabah state. Villagers later found a dead woman on a yacht with a German flag off Sulu's Laparan Island.

The United States and the Philippines have labeled the Abu Sayyaf a terrorist organization for kidnappings, beheadings and bombings. The small but brutal group emerged in the early 1990s as an extremist offshoot of a decades-long Muslim separatist rebellion in the southern Philippines, the homeland of minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic nation.

The Abu Sayyaf has been weakened considerably by decades of military offensives, surrenders and infighting, and is currently estimated by the military to have fewer than 200 armed fighters, but it remains a national security threat.
Sunday is Juneteenth, commemorating the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Black people in the United States were informed of their freedom, and to celebrate, NASA is premiering a new documentary about Black astronauts. Titled "The Color of Space," it features a roundtable conversation between seven Black current and retired astronauts: Stephanie Wilson, Victor Glover, Jeanette Epps, Leland Melvin, Bernard Harris, Robert Curbeam, and Bobby Satcher, The discussion was moderated by the first Black woman to lead a NASA research center Vanessa Wyche, director of the Johnson Space Center. Watch it on Sunday starting at noon EDT on NASA TV, the NASA app, NASA social media channels, and, of course, NASA.gov. From NASA:

The documentary also features recordings of conversations between the astronauts and students in middle school, as well as students enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The astronauts spoke with the students about the unique path achieved by Black explorers within NASA, offered personal stories of hope and resilience, and gave advice to the future generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers.

"At NASA, we explore space and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity. To do this, we must attract the brightest minds that reflect the American public," said Wyche. "In this documentary, our former and current Black astronauts share their journeys to space and offer personal stories of courage and resilience. I hope this film will inspire all NASA's future engineers, scientists, and explorers to reach for the stars, as we work to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis."

The documentary also includes rare archival footage and interviews with Guion 'Guy' Bluford, the first Black man in space; Charlie Bolden, retired astronaut and first Black NASA administrator; former astronauts Alvin Drew and Joan Higginbotham; and Ed Dwight, America's first African-American astronaut candidate.

Black Americans made contributions to America's space program since before the agency's founding. Although unsung heroes like the Hidden Figures made invaluable contributions to the space program and NASA's overall mission, it took many years for the first Black American to break the color barrier and hold the title of astronaut.
Violent protests against a new army recruitment plan in India flared Friday as angry youths set ablaze at least a dozen passenger trains, vandalized government offices, buses and police vehicles and burned tires on highways and blocked them in many states.

This follows protests which erupted across the country Wednesday, a day after Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party-led government announced the Agnipath (Path of Fire in Hindi) scheme to recruit men and women ages 17-21 for the armed forces on a four-year contract. Until now, new noncommissioned recruits have served for an average of 17 years.

Many of the protesters were young men who aspired to military careers as a path out of poverty. They carried Indian flags and shouted, Roll back Agnipath. We dont want short-term jobs. We want permanent jobs.

The protests rapidly spread Thursday after it was announced that the Agnipath recruitment would begin this month.

Violence reached Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarkhand, Jharkhand and other states.

The protesters fought pitched battles with security forces in many states and at least one youth was killed when police fired on protesters who set fire to a passenger train in the southern state of Telangana. The protesters were mostly young men across the country, but in New Delhi some women, mostly from the leftist student union, had also joined the protests, demanding a rollback of the recruitment plan.

A middle-aged train passenger died, apparently of a stress-triggered heart attack, after the train was set ablaze by protesters in the eastern state of Bihar.

Short-term recruitment plan

Under the plan, about 46,000 soldiers will be recruited annually, and at the end of the four-year tenure 25% of them will be retained for longer terms, and the rest will be forced to retire, the government announced. Those who lose their jobs after the four-year contract will be offered a lump sum of 1.1 million rupees ($14,100), but unlike other retired armed forces personnel, they will not receive any other pension benefit.

Many youths who are training in hopes of joining the armed forces said that they are disappointed with the scheme. They said that if they join the military, they want to be in the job until they retire and do not want to be jobless again after four years. They are demanding that the government cancel the Agnipath plan and resume recruitment through traditional methods.

With 1.4 million personnel, Indias armed forces is the worlds second-largest, after China. Every year, 50,000-60,000 young men join the forces in search of long-term jobs. With no recruitment in the past two years because of the pandemic, those frustrated jobseekers have launched the protests against the short-term recruitment plan. Women are employed mostly in noncombatant roles, and 3% to 6% of those joining the forces are women.

In many locations, the protesters directed their anger at the federal ruling party, BJP. In Bihar, which has witnessed the most widespread violence in the past two days, protesters vandalized and burned offices of BJP and the homes of senior BJP leaders, including state BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal.

Protesters threw stones at police, who fired tear gas shells at them. In the Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh, a BJP-ruled state, protesting youths vandalized and torched a police outpost.

Images aired on television showed that in many places, police, who were far outnumbered by protesters, did not act against the youths and were even chased away by the stone-throwing protesters.

A police officer from Samastipur in Bihar told VOA that the situation was beyond our control."

The protesting men are targeting public properties, and they are thousands in number. We are just a few hundred at the most. Their number seems to be swelling, said the officer, who asked not to be identified because he is a junior officer, not allowed to speak to the media.

Authorities have suspended internet services in Bihar and Haryana to try to curb the spread of protests.

Opposing views

While announcing the Agnipath plan, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that it was designed to strengthen the security of the country.

The Agnipath scheme is a truly transformative reform which will enhance the combat potential of the armed forces, with [a] younger profile and technologically adept soldiers, Singh tweeted.

Opposition leaders, military veterans and even some leaders of Modis ruling BJP party said that the plan would lead to more unemployment in the country where joblessness is already a crisis. They have urged the government to review the scheme.

A youth from the Bettiah district in Bihar told VOA that the protesters would not rest until the government rolled back Agnipath.

For the past three years, I have been training very hard to join the army. But I want a guarantee to be in the job for 20 or 30 years, if I succeed. I never want to be forced to retire after four years and be jobless again, Pramod Kumar, 20, said.

Our protest will continue until the government rolls back this short-term recruitment scheme.
Editors Note: In 2018, Syrian reporter and VOA contributor Nawroz Rasho fled bombing in her home city of Afrin. She is now one of more than 100 million people displaced worldwide. From her new home in the Shabha camp for internally displaced people or IDPs, Rasho, 31, continues to report on the lives of those around her. The following has been translated from Kurdish and edited for length and clarity.

Afrin is beautiful. It has mountains and forests all around and is known for its abundant olive trees and fine olive oil.

From 2012, the region was under the control of Kurdish forces. We had certain newfound freedoms. My journalism at that time centered on reflecting the beauty of Afrin and covering the new political dynamics that were unfolding.

But war and displacement after Turkish forces invaded in 2018 turned my life upside down.

I had no choice but to join thousands of other residents who sought safety in a nearby mountain area, hoping to return when the situation calmed. While there, I continued to report.

My father and a brother stayed behind. But our home is close to the Turkish border and it came under shelling.

A relative called to break bad news: my father was killed during a Turkish bombardment.

I was devastated. The war was overwhelming, and I couldnt process the situation.

My fathers death made me realize even more how important journalism is. It made me understand how journalists, under these circumstances, become part of the story. They can be victims too.

I realized that journalism, for people like myself, is more than just a job.

I became a displaced person along with thousands of Afrin residents, scattered in at least six displacement settlements throughout northern Syria.

I didnt know what the future would hold, but I thought that living in this camp, in Shahba, would be temporary.

I had the chance to leave the camp and the country. But what made me stay and resume my journalism was that I had experienced the same difficulties as other displaced people.

I saw many stories that needed to be told and shared with the world.

Refugees and forcibly displaced people have many stories that go beyond the flight from home. Each one of us has a story that represents the plights of refugees anywhere in the world.

My reporting became a bridge to connect the displaced with their relatives on the outside. It has changed many peoples lives.

For instance, in 2019 I reported on a man named Jiwan.

In 2016, while fighting against Islamic State militants in northern Syria, he lost his left hand and eye.

When he arrived in the camp, he had no prospect for a good future. But he found passion for playing the drums.

Despite his physical disability and the tough conditions in the camp, he nurtured his newfound passion for music.

It took a lot of convincing before he agreed to an interview. He wasnt sure he was ready to appear in front of a camera.

But after VOA published his story in Kurdish and English, it moved a lot of people and encouraged Jiwan to continue his music.

The publicity led him to holding small concerts and participating in wedding parties inside the camp. He is a well-known drummer now.

These stories make me believe in the power of journalism and the positive impact it has on many people, even under the most difficult circumstances.

Of course, being a reporter who lives in a displacement camp is challenging.

My colleagues and I dont have a proper space and adequate equipment. Electricity and internet access are always an issue.

But we turned a tent into a media hub where we try to create a better working environment and a sense of camaraderie.

If there is one thing that gives me hope and keeps me going, it is undoubtedly telling the stories of my fellow displaced residents.
Human rights observers and lawyers for the Maasai people are pressing Tanzanias government to halt plans to forcibly evict tens of thousands of the Indigenous nomads from their ancestral land at the eastern edge of the Serengeti National Park.

Last week, a violent clash broke out after government surveyors and security forces began to demarcate 1,500 square kilometers of land that Tanzania reportedly would turn over to a United Arab Emirates-based firm to manage as a game reserve for commercial hunting. The area encompasses migratory routes for wildebeest, zebra and other wildlife.

The confrontation June 10 took place in Loliondo, part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where video footage circulating on social media suggests at least scores of Maasai had clustered to protest the new boundary. Tanzanian security forces used tear gas and live bullets to disperse the Maasai, who as herders routinely carry spears, bows and arrows.

The Tanzanian government said a police officer was killed. At least 31 Maasai  18 men and 13 women  were treated for bullet wounds at the Narok County Referral Hospital just across the border in Kenya, Dr. Catherine Nyambura told VOA.

The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that the demarcation could bring more violence. Cordoning off the area for a game reserve would imply evictions from Ololosokwan, Oloirien, Kirtalo and Arash villages, which could displace up to 70,000 Indigenous Maasai, it said in a press release following the clash.

It said its rights experts were deeply alarmed by the reported use of live ammunition and have grave concerns about continuous encroachment on traditional Maasai lands and housing, accompanied by a lack of transparency in, and consultation with the Maasai Indigenous Peoples, during decision making and planning.

The U.N. account noted the government actions followed a closed-door meeting at which the Arusha Regional Commissioner announced its plan to impose the new boundary.

The confrontation also comes as the East African Court of Justice is expected to make its final ruling June 22 on the Tanzanian governments decadeslong efforts to move the Maasai. In 2018, the regional court issued an injunction against eviction.

Onesmo Olengurumwa, head of the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition, said the evictions are intended to make way for the Otterlo Business Corp. The UAE-based company is expected to offer trophy hunting and safari tourism.

The government made an error in the beginning, Olengurumwa said. It should have reached an agreement with locals and in writing that we carry out demarcation, but we are not taking your land, only setting boundaries. If that had happened, the community would not have worried and demonstrated.

Government defends actions

Tanzanias government has said it believes the area is overpopulated with humans and livestock, creating stress on the wildlife that serves as a tourism magnet. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism was the countrys largest source of foreign exchange, the second-largest contributor to the gross domestic product and a major source of jobs, according to the World Bank.

Chief government spokesman Gerson Msigwa told VOAs Swahili Service he was not aware of a court order against evicting the Maasai, but there is nothing else the government has done except conserving the environment.

I want to make it clear that what we are doing in Loliondo is one of our responsibilities to conserve the environment, Msigwa said. And its not only being done in Loliondo but all over the country, to show people where to stop in their human activities and where its designated for wild animals. The area under contention, 1,500 square kilometers, is very important to the nation. Its a water catchment area. As a country, we must protect [the] interests of the nation.

Following last Fridays clash, local people and the rights group Survival International have reported police going to Maasai villages and questioning people believed to either have been involved in the demonstration or who shared images of the confrontation. Survival International said in a news release that police allegedly beat a 90-year-old man whose son recorded video.

Asked about the allegation, Msigwa said, The government is very much annoyed with information circulating that there are people who were injured. He brushed off the notion of injuries and said the government was looking to arrest and prosecute groups of people pushing the community to resist government plans to conserve the area and cause mayhem.

Maasai resistance

Many of the Maasai had fled on foot into nearby Kenya, where at least part of the border features a series of waist-high markers set amid the grasslands, allowing easy movement by humans and wildlife.

Patrick Ole Ntutu, a Maasai leader, said his people did not recognize boundaries in their ancestral lands. The boundary between Kenya and Tanzania was erected by colonialists. We dont consider that a boundary, he told VOA.

Meanwhile, Martin Ole Kamwaro, lead attorney for the Maasai, said the legal team was considering filing a case against Tanzania with the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

We will certainly move, as directed by our leader, to file and institute legal action against the Tanzanian regime for violation of human rights, Kamwaro said. We will not tolerate that kind of abuse.

The U.S. ambassador to Tanzania, Donald J. Wright, tweeted that tensions over Loliondo were part of a discussion Thursday with Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.  I asked the PM to work with stakeholders to peacefully and equitably resolve the situation, Wright wrote.



Multiple rights groups, including the Indigenous Peoples Rights International and Survival International, have condemned the Tanzanian governments eviction plan and called for its immediate halt. Amnesty International issued a statement this week denouncing what it called an unlawful, forced eviction that is shocking in both its scale and brutality.

This report originated in VOAs Swahili Service. Contributors include Idd Uwesu reporting from Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, and Hubbah Abdi reporting from Nairobi, Kenya.
A celebrated Ukrainian medic whose footage was smuggled out of the besieged city of Mariupol by an Associated Press team was freed by Russian forces on Friday, three months after she was taken captive on the streets of the city.

Yuliia Paievska is known in Ukraine as Taira, a nickname she chose in the "World of Warcraft" video game. Using a body camera, she recorded 256 gigabytes of her team's efforts over two weeks to save the wounded, including both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers.

She transferred the clips to an Associated Press team, the last international journalists in Mariupol, one of whom fled with the footage embedded in a tampon on March 15. Taira and a colleague were taken prisoner by Russian forces on March 16, the same day a Russian airstrike hit a theater in the city center, killing around 600 people, according to an Associated Press investigation.

"It was such a great sense of relief. Those sound like such ordinary words, and I don't even know what to say," her husband, Vadim Puzanov, told The Associated Press late Friday, breathing deeply to contain his emotion. Puzanov said he'd spoken by phone with Taira, who was en route to a Kyiv hospital, and feared for her health.

Hoped for negotiations

Initially the family had kept quiet, hoping negotiations would take their course. But The Associated Press spoke with Puzanov before releasing the smuggled videos, which ultimately had millions of viewers around the world, including on some of the biggest networks in Europe and the United States. Puzanov expressed gratitude for the coverage, which showed Taira was trying to save Russian soldiers as well as Ukrainian civilians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Taira's release in a national address.

"I'm grateful to everyone who worked for this result. Taira is already home. We will keep working to free everyone," he said.

Hundreds of prominent Ukrainians have been kidnapped or captured, including local officials, journalists, activists and human rights defenders.

Russia portrayed Taira as working for the nationalist Azov Battalion, in line with Moscow's narrative that it is attempting to "de-Nazify" Ukraine. But the AP found no such evidence, and friends and colleagues said she had no links to Azov, which made a last stand in a Mariupol steel plant before hundreds of its fighters were captured or killed.

The footage itself is a visceral testament to her efforts to save the wounded on both sides.

A clip recorded on March 10 shows two Russian soldiers taken roughly out of an ambulance by a Ukrainian soldier. One is in a wheelchair. The other is on his knees, hands bound behind his back, with an obvious leg injury. Their eyes are covered by winter hats, and they wear white armbands.

A Ukrainian soldier curses at one of them. "Calm down, calm down," Taira tells him.

'I couldn't do otherwise'

A woman asks her, "Are you going to treat the Russians?"

"They will not be as kind to us," she replies. "But I couldn't do otherwise. They are prisoners of war."

Taira was a member of the Ukraine Invictus Games for military veterans, where she was set to compete in archery and swimming. Invictus said she was a military medic from 2018 to 2020 but had since been demobilized.

She received the body camera in 2021 to film for a Netflix documentary series on inspirational figures being produced by Britain's Prince Harry, who founded the Invictus Games. But when Russian forces invaded, she used it to shoot scenes of injured civilians and soldiers instead.
South Africa on Saturday hailed a WTO agreement to allow developing countries to start producing their own COVID vaccines following a near two-year battle.

"We secured an agreement. It was a strongly fought agreement," said Minister of Trade Ebrahim Patel, who along with India and NGOs had been calling for an intellectual property rights waiver on COVID-related treatments.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced a relaxation of intellectual property restrictions on vaccines Wednesday in a move aimed at a providing more equitable access to shots but which many observers criticized for being limited in time and scope.

After months of wrangling, and talks going down to the wire this week to win over some major players in pharmaceutical manufacturing to a compromise, the United States and China finally clinched the deal by agreeing on which countries would benefit from the waiver.

Both South Africa and India had been vocal in their demands for such a move which they said was needed to stop "vaccine apartheid."

According to the WTO, 60% of the world's population has received two doses of the COVID vaccine but there are glaring examples of inequity with only 17% having been inoculated in Libya, with the figure at 8% in Nigeria and less than 5% in Cameroon.

In a statement, the South African government saluted a waiver designed to provide local vaccine manufacturers with the right to produce either vaccines or ingredients or elements that are under patents, without the authority of the patent holder, hailing this as a notable step forward  even if limited to five years.

Pretoria added that "to scale up the production on the continent, further partnerships will be needed including access to know-how and technologies.

The accord for the time being excludes, however, tests and costly therapeutic treatments against COVID on which the WTO is to pronounce in the coming six months.

Commercialization in Africa will be a challenge, however.

Durban-based South African pharma giant Aspen, which clinched a deal last November with U.S.-based Johnson & Johnson to manufacture a "made in Africa for Africa" Aspen-branded COVID vaccine Aspenovax, said last month it could pull the plug owing to lack of orders.

"Our focus now is to ensure we address demand by persuading global procurers for vaccines to source from African producers," said Patel.

South Africa has three sites under the aegis of Aspen in Durban, Afrigen in Cape Town and Biovac, also in Cape Town, which makes the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Afrigen's biotech consortium makes the messenger RNA shot based on the Moderna formula, the first to be made based on a broadly used vaccine that does not require the developer's assistance and approval.
Afghanistans Taliban have alleged the United States is blocking their way to securing international recognition for the Islamist groups new government in Kabul.

The insurgent-turned-ruling group seized power last August and installed an all-male interim administration following the end of almost 20 years of U.S.-led foreign military intervention in the war-torn South Asian country.

As far as recognition by foreign countries is concerned, I think the United States is the biggest obstacle, chief Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said when asked to explain whether his groups policies or any country was responsible for the delay in winning the legitimacy.

It [America] does not allow other countries to move in this direction and has itself not taken any step on this count either, he said, while responding to reporters questions via a Taliban-run WhatsApp group for reporters.

Mujahid claimed that the Taliban had met all the requirements for their government to be given diplomatic recognition.

He asserted all countries, including the United States, need to realize that political engagement with the Taliban is in everyones interest. It would allow the world to formally discuss the grievances they have with the Taliban.

Mujahid insisted Taliban leaders want better bilateral ties with the U.S. in line with the agreement the two countries signed in Doha, Qatar, in February 2020. Washington also needs to move toward establishing better ties with Kabul, he said.

"We were enemies and fighting the United States so long as it had occupied Afghanistan. That war has ended now.

No recognition

No country has yet recognized the Taliban as legitimate rulers of the country, mainly over their harsh treatment of Afghan women and girls. The group is also being pressed to govern the country through a broad-based political system where all Afghan groups have their representation to ensure long-term national stability.

Since taking control of Afghanistan 10 months ago, the Taliban have suspended secondary education for most teenage girls and prevented female staff in certain government departments from returning to their duties.

The Ministry for Vice and Virtue, tasked with interpreting and enforcing the Talibans version of Islam, has ordered women to wear face coverings in public. Women are barred from traveling beyond 70 kilometers unless accompanied by a male relative.

The Taliban have rejected calls for removing the curbs on women and Mujahid also defended them. The orders regarding women are in accordance with [Islamic] Shariah, and these are the rules of Shariah, he asserted.

The Taliban are religiously" obliged to implement Islamic Sharia to counter practices that Islam prohibits, Mujahid said, without elaborating.

"Hopefully Afghan women will also not make demands for things that are against the principles of Islam.

Afghanistans immediate neighbors and regional countries also have urged Taliban authorities to ease their restrictions on women before they could consider opening formal ties with Kabul.

[An] inclusive ethnopolitical government should be the first step toward this. We make no secret of this, and we say so outright to our Afghan partners, Zamir Kabulov, Russian special envoy for Afghanistan, said earlier this week, when asked whether Moscow was close to giving the Taliban legitimacy.

Additionally, scholars in many Islamic countries have disapproved of the Talibans ban on female education and other policies limiting womens access to public life.

Al-Qaida presence

Mujahid claimed neither al-Qaida nor any of its members are present in the country, saying they all left Afghanistan for their native countries after the October 2001 U.S.-led military invasion.

Washington blames leaders of the terrorist network for plotting the September 11, 2001, attacks on America from the then-Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

At the time, only three countries  Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates  had recognized the Taliban. During their rule from 1996-2001, the group had completely banned women from public life and girls from receiving an education, leading to Afghanistans diplomatic isolation.

Mujahid reiterated Kabuls resolve that it will not allow anyone to threaten the U.S. and its allies by using Afghan soil. We are ready for this, but only if further steps are taken to build mutual trust and strengthen political ties.

A United Nations report said last month the Taliban continued to maintain close ties with al-Qaida, pointing to the reported presence of the network's core leadership in eastern Afghanistan, including its leader, Ayman al-Zawahri.

The report noted, however, that neither al-Qaida nor the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) is believed to be capable of mounting international attacks before 2023 at the earliest, regardless of their intent or of whether the Taliban acts to restrain them.
A third suspect in the murder of British journalist Dom Phillips in the Amazon rainforest was arrested Saturday, Brazil's federal police said.

Jeferson da Silva Lima was on the run, but he surrendered at the police station of Atalaia do Norte in the remote Javari Valley bordering Peru and Colombia.

"The detainee will be questioned and referred to a custody hearing," federal police said in a statement.

A forensic exam carried out on human remains found in the region on Friday confirmed they belonged to Phillips. The remains of a second person, believed to be indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, were still being studied.

Phillips, a freelance reporter who had written for the Guardian and The Washington Post, was doing research for a book on the trip with Pereira, a former head of isolated and recently contacted tribes at federal indigenous affairs agency Funai.

They vanished on June 5 while traveling alone through the region by boat.

The police so far have arrested Amarildo da Costa Oliveira, a fisherman who confessed to killing the two men, and his brother, Oseney da Costa, who was taken into custody earlier this week.

Federal police said Friday that the killers acted alone, information the local indigenous group Univaja contested, adding it had informed officials numerous times that there was an organized crime group operating in the Javari Valley, a wild region that has lured cocaine smugglers, as well as illegal hunters and fishers.

Police sources told Reuters the investigation is focused on people involved in illegal fishing and poaching in indigenous lands.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump Friday sharply criticized the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, in his first appearance since the committee began its public hearings.

Speaking to a gathering of religious conservatives in Nashville, Tennessee, Trump said, "Let's be clear, this is not a congressional investigation -- this horrible situation that's wasting everyone's time.

This is a theatrical production of partisan political fiction that's getting these terrible, terrible ratings and they're going crazy," he added.

The hearings have laid out how the attack on the Capitol occurred and Trumps role in it by inviting his supporters to come to Washington and fight like hell to keep him in office.

In the latest day of hearings, on Thursday, witnesses presented testimony that Trump repeatedly pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to thwart Congress from certifying that Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, even after being repeatedly advised that it was illegal to do so.

Pence was presiding over Congress as lawmakers were in the initial stages of the state-by-state count of Electoral College votes to verify Bidens victory when about 2,000 Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to disrupt the proceeding.

Trump, in private and publicly at a rally near the White House just before Congress convened, implored Pence to reject the electoral count from states where Biden narrowly won and send the results back to the states so that Republican-controlled legislatures could order another election or submit the names of Trump electors to replace those favoring Biden.

Pence, a Trump loyalist during their four years in the White House, refused Trumps demands, saying his role was limited by the Constitution to simply open the envelopes containing the Electoral College vote counts from each state.

Trump criticized Pence again on Friday for failing to stop the vote certification, saying, "Mike Pence had a chance to be great. He had a chance to be, frankly, historic.

However, he said, "Mike did not have the courage to act."

The House committee investigating the attack showed a brief video clip Thursday of Marc Short, who served as Pence's chief of staff, saying that Pence told Trump many times that he did not have the authority to overturn the Biden victory.

Pence counsel Greg Jacob described to the committee how a conservative Trump lawyer, John Eastman, tried to convince Pence that he had the legal authority to unilaterally upend the election. But Jacob said Eastman eventually conceded that the Supreme Court would likely unanimously reject his legal theory.

Earlier this week, the House panel showed videotaped testimony from numerous White House and political aides saying they told Trump on election night to hold off on declaring victory, advice he ignored when he declared victory in the early hours of Nov. 4, 2020.

Former Attorney General William Barr and numerous aides have told the committee that in the weeks between the election and the insurrection, they told Trump his election fraud claims were baseless and that he had lost the election.

Trump continued to assert Friday that he won the 2020 election and insisted that he did nothing wrong after the vote.

He hinted that he would again run for president, asking the cheering crowd Would anybody like me to run for president?"

On Monday, Trump issued a 12-page statement calling the Jan. 6 investigation an attempt by Democrats to prevent him from running again for president in 2024.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
Tunisian judges decided Saturday to extend their national strike for a third week in protest of a decision by President Kais Saied to sack dozens of them, the judges said.

Saied dismissed 57 judges June 1, accusing them of corruption and protecting terrorists  charges that the Tunisian Judges' Association said were mostly politically motivated.

Judges suspended their work in courts June 4 and said the president's decisions were designed to control the judiciary and its use against his political opponents.

The judges decided unanimously to extend the strike for a third week ... to hold a day of rage in which the judges will protest in the streets in their uniforms," Mourad Massoudi, the head of the Young Judges Association, told Reuters.

He said members of the judges association had decided to stage a hunger strike against the decision to dismiss them. Another judge, Hamadi Rahmani, confirmed the decision.

Saied's move heightened accusations at home and abroad that he has consolidated one-man rule after assuming executive powers last summer. He subsequently set aside the 2014 constitution to rule by decree and dismissed the elected parliament.

Saied says his moves are needed to cleanse the judiciary of rampant corruption and that he does not aim to control the judiciary.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet this week accused Afghanistans ruling Taliban of stripping women and girls of their fundamental rights and freedoms and rendering them invisible in public life. Her report was submitted Wednesday to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Bachelet told the council that Afghans are experiencing some of the darkest moments in a generation. Since the Taliban authorities took control in August, she said, the country has been plunged into a deep economic, social, humanitarian, and human rights crisis.

She pointed to a dramatic erosion of womens rights and freedoms since the Taliban assumed power. She said secondary school for girls has been banned, depriving more than a million of an education and a future.

She said women are forced to wear a hijab in all public places, are barred from employment, and cannot participate in public and political life. She said womens freedom of movement has been severely restricted.

Let me be clear: what we are witnessing today in Afghanistan is the institutionalized systematic oppression of women," Bachelet said. " Afghan women are rapidly facing the worst-case scenario many feared. While Afghanistan has ratified a number of international treaties  the de facto authorities remain far from complying with those international obligations, in both policy and practice, to respect and protect the rights of women and girls.

In the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, conflict in the country dropped significantly and security improved. However, this positive effect has faded. Bachelet said attacks against dissident groups and ethnic and religious minorities have increased. She said civilians have been killed and injured at schools, places of worship, marketplaces, and on public transport.

She said human rights violations have increased.

There are serious allegations, which require verification, that civilians have been exposed to violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings and torture," Bachelet said.

The Taliban could not respond to Bachelets charges because the United Nations does not recognize the legitimacy of its rule. However, Nasir Ahmad Andisha, the previous Afghan governments ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva was allowed to speak and corroborated the information contained in Bachelets report.

He meanwhile called on the outside world not to abandon Afghans, saying millions are suffering from acute hunger, lack of basic services, malnutrition, and disease.
Over the last several decades, Dr. Christiane Northrup has built a career as a major player in women's alternative healthcare and healthcare advocacy. Johnathan Jarry of McGill University describes Dr. Northrup's early career:

An obstetrician-gynecologist by training, Northrup rose to fame as a New York Times bestselling author of books like Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause. She was platformed by Oprah Winfrey on many occasions and was named by Reader's Digest in 2013 as one of the 100 most trusted people in America.

According to the Conspirituality Podcast Episode 7: Doctoring COVID: Christiane Northrup's Great Truther Awakening, during her career,

She has persuasively argued for lower-intervention childbirth, an end to circumcision, and policies that place family unity at the heart of health care. She's known and loved for challenging her medical training with faith-based values and an intuition framed as feminine (if not feminist) and "sovereign." Northrup draws on astrology, feng shui, chakra theory, and "vibrational" healing as modes of resistance to what she sees as medical patriarchy.

Toward the beginning of the first year of the pandemic, in early Spring 2020, Northrup began her "Great Awakening" that quickly catapulted her to the status of one of the most famous and influential COVID "truthers" and spreaders of COVID misinformation. She currently has 563,000 followers on Facebook, 116,000 followers on Twitter, 80,000 YouTube subscribers, and 78,000 subscribers on Telegram. She sells books, herbs, and other wellness products on her website and hosts keynotes and workshops on a variety of topics, including "Dodging Energy Vampires," "Making Life Easy," "The Wisdom of Menopause," and "Goddesses Never Age." Conspirituality Podcast Episode 7: Doctoring COVID: Christiane Northrup's Great Truther Awakening (July 9, 2020) explains that the resistance to the mainstream medical system that she had built her early career around

began seamlessly intersecting with COVID trutherism in April (2020), when she started posting daily Facebook sermons to her half-million followers. The series is called "The Great Awakening"  a phrase first used to describe 18th-century American spiritual revival movements, but was recently co-opted by QAnon conspiracists to describe the inevitable triumph of Trump over the Deep State. Northrup's sermons, combined with her posts of the debunked Plandemic docmentary, Tony Robbins interviewing anti-vaxxers, and a podcast with Andy Wakefield in which she called COVID a "flu" and expressed concern about Bill Gates taking over public education, give a rich glimpse into the seduction of conspirituality in the hands of a wellness matriarch. Most recently, Northrup has strengthened her alignment with QAnon by posting a trailer for a follow-up to a key recruiting video. With up to a dozen QAnon supporters running for office in November, Northrup is positioned to nudge middle-class white wellness women with money into a cult that believes Trump is a messianic figure.

Johnathan Jarry of McGill University describes Northrup's dangerous and irresponsible views on the pandemic, which include advocating against both vaccines and masks, and calling into question whether COVID-19 is even real:

Her views on the COVID-19 pandemic, shaped by her mantra that "it doesn't make sense," are unscientific, reckless and asinine. Rarely have I witnessed such a smorgasbord of gobbledygook from someone who once had an active medical license. She does not believe vaccines are necessary if your body is healthy and has spread unsubstantiated fears about safe vaccines throughout her career. She has claimed that the COVID-19 vaccines will target specific chromosomes that act as the seat of our empathy, an utterly absurd and unscientific statement. She believes that artificial intelligence has somehow been incorporated into these vaccines (complete nonsense) and that this A.I. will integrate itself into our DNA. She warns her viewers that the injection of patented vaccines inside our body will turn us into the property of the patent holders. Funny how I have not heard her say the same for artificial heart valves, pacemakers and insulin pumps. But before you call her an anti-vaxxer, know that she believes the term is meaningless and that it was coined by Big Pharma. In the same breath, she declares that "conspiracy theorist" was a phrase invented by the CIA, which is apparently run out of China. She read about it, you see. Northrup admits to having dozens of people over at her house during the pandemic for "peaceful protests" that are linked to two organizations she participates in, Make America Free Again and Millions Against Medical Mandates. She frequently invites her viewers to disobey the rules during the pandemic to show everyone that it's all a scam, and to stop watching mainstream media news because their broadcast contains a flicker meant to hypnotize you. She recommends pseudoscientists, health gurus, and discredited news sources like Joe Mercola, Andrew Wakefield, and InfoWars, all the while avoiding posting links to specific websites. As social media companies unevenly clamp down on misinformation, accessing contrarian sources online has been turned by Northrup into an Easter egg hunt that sets up a hero's journey for her fan base. Her videos are not unlike the Q drops of the QAnon movement: filled with somewhat vague references that make viewers want to complete a quest to become part of the inner circle.

Sam Kestenbaum, writing for The Washington Post, describes that Northup, along with eleven other public figures, were named the "disinformation dozen" in the spring of 2021 by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, as these figures were responsible for spreading and amplifying almost all of the anti-vaccine content circulating through social media and other online settings:

("The cost of allowing her to remain on these platforms has been paid for in the number of lives lost to covid-19," the group's director, Imran Ahmed, said.) The White House put pressure on social media companies to kick the "disinformation dozen" off their platforms. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, disputed the center's findings as overblown, but eventually stripped Northrup of her Instagram. In a podcast interview, Northrup said she lost access to PayPal and Venmo. She soon migrated to alternative social platforms, like Telegram, where her following has soared past 80,000. (Many of her Facebook videos were taken down, but her page, with 565,000 followers, remains. Her Twitter account, with 115,000 followers, is active.)

Her being censured has not stopped her from spreading misinformation and lies, however. Kestenbaum continues by describing how she continues to ramp up her lies and rhetoric about vaccines:

Meanwhile, an Oklahoma businessman named Clay Clark recruited Northrup for a roadshow organized to protest pandemic health orders. As part of these events, which tour mostly Pentecostal churches across the country, Northrup joined speakers including pillow salesman Mike Lindell and politico Roger Stone. Reached by phone, Clark said, "Dr. Christiane Northrup is on an unapologetic search for truth, and one of the only doctors I could find speaking out." Clark also shared footage of a recent tour stop in Arizona. In it, Northrup bounded onstage and said, "The covid shot is a murder weapon. There is no reason to take it," and watched as the crowd rose in applause.

Journalists Nathan Bernard and Andy O'Brien, in an article for Mainer, argue that it is difficult to measure just how much damaging Dr. Northrup's views have been to public health:

How many Warriors of the Radical Light have been infected with the coronavirus, and have then infected others, because they've taken Northrup's quack advice that social distancing and masks are harmful?

In addition to her dangerous COVID-19 views, Northrup has also been an advocate of far-right politics. She has embraced QAnon and believes, like fellow conspiritualist Lorie Ladd, that Donald Trump is a "massive and powerful lightworker." Nathan Bernard and Andy O'Brien argue that:

In the weeks leading up to Election Day, Northrup's rhetoric became increasingly militant. She's called on county sheriffs to refuse to enforce state lockdowns and mask mandates. Invoking the language of the white supremacist group Posse Comitatus and the far-right Sovereign Citizen movement, Northrup believes sheriffs, by virtue of being elected, are the highest law-enforcement officers in the land, with the power to invoke the 10th Amendment against any measures they deem unconstitutional.

She was also an advocate of the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. While she did not go to the event because she was "doing a cleaning fastin a video afterward Northrup heralded the date as a 'fateful day of epiphany.'"

Two years since first discussing Dr. Northrup, in their most recent episode, Episode 108, Downeast with Christiane Northrup (June 16, 2022), the hosts and guests of the Conspirituality Podcast trace Northrup's trajectory over the last two years of the pandemic, and speculate about whether she is making the transition from online queen of the disinformation dozen, to real-life cult leader:
Here's a summary of Uyghur-related news around the world from this week.

Groups seek resignation of UN human rights chief over China trip

Two hundred thirty rights groups called on Michelle Bachelet to resign, criticizing what they called her whitewashing of Beijing rights abuses against Uyghurs, Tibetans and other ethnic minorities.

China tech giant accused of being complicit in Xinjiang abuses

Cameras from China surveillance company Hikvision were used to track and detain Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities, according to surveillance technology trade publication IPVM.

Israel joins UN statement against Beijings mistreatment of Uyghurs

Israel joined 47 countries in signing a declaration at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday, condemning Beijings repression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.

UN rights chief spoke to no detained Uyghurs, relatives on China visit

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday that she was not able to speak to any Uyghurs currently detained or their families during her visit to China.

56 Uyghurs currently detained by Thai authorities

Thailands civil society organizations are demanding that Bangkok refrain from returning Uyghur refugees detained in the country to China and send them to safe countries instead.

Bachelets decision to step down seen as victory by rights activists

Rights activists who called on U.N. rights chief Michelle Bachelet to resign for not sufficiently condemning Chinas mistreatment of Uyghurs on a recent trip declared a huge victory after she said she wouldn't seek a second term in August.

Volkswagen urged to examine rights abuses at plant in Xinjiang

Volkswagens supervisory board urged the company to closely examine human rights abuses in Xinjiang, where VW has operated a plant since 2013. In 2019, VW chief executive Herbert Diess said that he was not aware of mass detention of Uyghurs in the region.

News in brief

Two Uyghur Americans found out about their relatives' and friends detention in China from a recently leaked Chinese government documents called Xinjiang Police Files.

Quote of note

"Anger, frustration, despair and anguish all bubbled up within me as I looked upon the mugshot of my cousin. I could tell she was handcuffed," said Anwar, a Uyghur American who asked that only his first name be used for fear of political retaliation. "We had grown up together, and to me, she was my little sister. She was just a typical Uyghur mother, caring for her children and trying to provide them with the best."
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a rare trip outside Kyiv to visit the war-damaged city of Mykolaiv in the south while the worst of the fighting continued in the eastern Donbas region.

Heavy battles are raging in villages near the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk, according to Ukrainian authorities. Russian troops have been trying to take control of Sievierodonetsk for weeks.



"Now the most fierce battles are near Sievierodonetsk. They (Russia) do not control the city entirely," Serhiy Haidai, the governor of the eastern Luhansk region, said on Telegram. "In nearby villages there are very difficult fights  in Toshkivska, Zolote. They are trying to break through but failing. Our defenders are fighting Russians in all directions.



Haidai also reported that Russian troops are heavily shelling Lysychansk, a city across a river from Sievierodonetsk, that is still controlled by the Ukrainians.

Russia's defense ministry said Saturday that Russian forces have destroyed oil refining and fuel storage facilities in the areas of Lysychansk and Kremenchuk, located in central Ukraine. Russia said the facilities were intended to supply equipment to the Ukrainian military in the Donbas region.

Front line visit

Zelenskyys visit to Mykolaiv was the Ukrainian leader's first to the southern city since Russia invaded Ukraine almost four months ago.

The president's office published video Saturday of Zelenskyy surveying a badly damaged high-rise residential building and holding meetings with local officials. He also visited soldiers on the southern front line.

The presidents office did not say when the visit took place.

EU membership



Ukraine appears to be on a path to membership in the European Union.



The head of the EU said Friday that Ukraine should be formally considered for candidate status.



Zelenskyy applauded the decision in a tweet Friday. "It's the 1st step on the EU membership path that'll certainly bring our Victory closer," he tweeted.



The recommendation is the first step in the long process of becoming a member of the 27-nation bloc. EU leaders will meet later this month to consider the commission's recommendation. The commission also recommended candidacy for Moldova, though not for Georgia.



Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he is not opposed to Ukraine joining the EU because, unlike NATO, the EU is not a military alliance.

"We have nothing against it. It's their sovereign decision to join economic unions or not. ... It's their business, the business of the Ukrainian people," Putin said.



Ukraine applied to join the EU just days after Russian troops invaded the country.



Americans missing in Ukraine

Russian state television showed video Friday of two Americans who went missing last week while fighting in Ukraine. The video seems to confirm that U.S. military veterans Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh, both from Alabama, are Russian captives.

The two men volunteered to go to Ukraine to fight the Russians.

Drueke spoke to the camera from what appeared to be an office and sent a message to his mother.

Mom, I just want to let you know that Im alive and I hope to be back home as soon as I can be, he said. So, love Diesel for me. Love you.

Diesel is Druekes dog.

His aunt, Dianna Shaw, said Drueke used a key word and gesture in the video that he and his mother set up when he was serving in Iraq so she would know that he was OK.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy applauded the European Commission's recommendation to grant Ukraine candidate status for European Union membership, while Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed the West for imposing sanctions on Moscow but played down the EU decision.

Putin spoke Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he accused the West of "colonial arrogance" and trying to crush Russia with sanctions he described as "stupid."

However, he said he had "nothing against" Ukraine's bid to join the EU.

"In the current situation, against a backdrop of increasing risks for us and threats, Russia's decision to conduct a special military operation was forced  difficult, of course, but forced and necessary," Putin said.



He said the U.S. is trying to change "the course of history," and he accused the West of fanning anti-Russian sentiment and of "active military appropriation of Ukrainian territory."



He spoke as Russia continued its offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Ukraine's military said Friday the attacks continue in the key cities of Sloviansk and Sievierodonetsk. Russia and its allies say they control about half of Donetsk and nearly all of Luhansk, the two regions that make up the Donbas. Sievierodonetsk and surrounding villages are in the last part of Luhansk that Ukraine still holds.

Ukraine joining EU?



The head of the European Union said Friday that Ukraine should be formally considered for candidate status.



"We all know that Ukrainians are ready to die for the European perspective," said Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission's president, while wearing a jacket in Ukraine's national colors. "We want them to live with us the European dream."



Early Friday, Zelenskyy tweeted that he commends the decision, adding, "It's the 1st step on the EU membership path that'll certainly bring our Victory closer."

The recommendation is the first step in the long process of becoming a member of the 27-nation bloc. EU leaders will meet later this month to consider the commission's recommendation. The commission also recommended candidacy for Moldova, though not for Georgia.

Putin said Friday he is not opposed to Ukraine joining the EU because, unlike NATO, the EU is not a military alliance.

"We have nothing against it. It's their sovereign decision to join economic unions or not. ... It's their business, the business of the Ukrainian people," Putin said.

Ukraine applied to join the EU just days after Russian troops invaded the country.

SEE ALSO:

Natural gas cuts



France is the latest country to be completely cut off from Russian natural gas. Moscow also has reduced supplies by half to Italy and Slovakia. Germany and Austria have also been hit. Europe gets about 40% of its gas from Russia.

The European nations are stockpiling their reserves to prepare for winter, as they use less gas during the summer. The EU wants its members to have their gas storage at 80% capacity, at least, by November.

Russia previously cut off natural gas to Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Americans missing in Ukraine

President Joe Biden said Friday that he doesn't know the status of three Americans who are reportedly missing after volunteering to go to Ukraine to fight against the Russians.

We don't know where they are," he said. "Americans should not be going to Ukraine now. I'll say it again: Americans should not be going to Ukraine."

Russian state television showed video Friday of two of the missing men. It identified them as Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh.

The RT television report said the men were being held by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.

On Thursday, in an interview with The Associated Press, Biden said he's willing to pay a political price for his support for Ukraine. The United States imposed tough sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine, and gas prices have since skyrocketed.

Biden said he is making decisions as commander in chief and not as a politician.



"I'm the president of the United States," he said. "It's not about my political survival. It's about what's best for the country."



Biden said there could be chaos in Europe if Russia keeps moving deeper into the continent without being challenged.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) senior leader, Tendai Biti, and several other party members were on Friday attacked by suspected Zanu PF activists in Murambinda amid political tensions in Zimbabwe.

In a tweet, CCC Harare West said,  Hon @TendaiBiti, Gilbert Kagodora and a group of our community organizers were violently attacked by suspected ZANU PF youths at an unsanctioned road block close to Murambinda. Political violence against our members must stop!

CCC could not give any further details with indications that some Biti was not hurt in the attack.

Zanu PF spokesperson, Mike Bimha, was unavailable for comment as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone.

Suspected Zanu PF activists recently allegedly killed CCCs Moreblessing Ali, whose remains were dumped in a disused well in Nyatsime Beatrice. The suspected killer, Pius Jamba, is in police custody and has since appeared in court facing charges of murder.

At the same time, CCC activists Langelihle Zonda Dube of Bulawayo and Edison Chinembiri of Zengeza were allegedly killed by Zanu PF members. The ruling party has distanced itself from the death of Ali, Dube and Chinembiri.

CCC senior member, Job Sikhala, and lawmaker Godfrey Sithole are in remand prison facing charges of inciting violence.

Zimbabwe is expected to hold harmonized elections next year with Afrobarometer releasing a survey recently indicating that CCC leader Nelson Chamisa would beat President Emmerson Mnangagwa if an election was held today.

In a tweet on Saturday, Chamisa said, HOPE..Its not easy to carry the hopes of all generations and the entire nation. Our parents in the rural areas are pinning their hopes on us. The task is huge. Friends, help me to pray for wisdom and strength to deliver a New Great Zimbabwe!WIN we shall!
In its judgment Ecodefence and others v. Russia (no. 9988/13 and 60 others), passed on 14 June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemned the Russian law on foreign agents.

This law requires associations which receive funds from abroad and engage in political activities to register accordingly with the administration and to reference it in all their publications. It also includes various accounting obligations.

This law was adopted by the Duma in the context of the color revolutions orchestrated by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), in particular the orange revolution in Ukraine.

The ECHR deemed the wording of the law to be too vague, allowing for an inconsistent and abusively restrictive interpretation. According to the Court, the law does not define the links between foreign funding and political activities, nor does it distinguish distinguish between the associations themselves and the individuals who run them.

Several judgments by the ECHR have given the impression of an anti-Russian bias. It is indeed surprising to note the interpretation it gives to freedom of expression in Manannikov v. Russia (the Court recognized the right of a Russian citizen to disrupt a pro-Putin demonstration by displaying a placard saying Putin, better than Hitler!) and in Karuyev v. Russia (the Court recognized the right of a Russian citizen to spit on the official portrait of the Russian President).

After the Russian intervention in Ukraine, the Council of Europe stripped the Russian Federation of its right to vote. The Duma then decided to withdraw from the European Court of Human Rights, which is an organ of the Council of Europe. Since 15 March, Russia no longer considers itself bound by the decisions of the ECHR.
The leaders of the three major countries of the European Union, Mario Draghi (Italy), Emmanuel Macron (France) and Olaf Scholz (Germany) called on President Volodymyr Zelensky (Ukraine) in Kiev.

All three have publicly urged for Ukraine to be granted the status of candidate state without delay, in view of its joining the European Union.

The three men reaffirmed their support for Ukraine, but were careful not to mention a "Russian withdrawal".

According to Die Welt, the three heads of state and government also privately pressed Ukraine to negotiate a quick way out of the crisis with Russia. Germany, France and Italy are suffering heavy consequences from the war and cannot afford to see it last.
Photo-Illustration: Vulture

Two years ago, Minneapolis burned after a policeman there murdered George Floyd. Just months prior in Louisville, Kentucky, the police had killed (but not murdered, prosecutors insisted) Breonna Taylor. Those injustices went viral, amplified by a world-disrupting, inequality-exacerbating pandemic, and sent people into the streets to protest and set the city alight in discontent over the treatment of Black people at the hands of the state. In the so-called racial reckoning that followed, police officers were charged (or not) and convicted (or not) for their misconduct and politicians responded to chants of defund the police by giving the police even more money under the guise of community engagement. As these losses mounted, a consolation prize emerged: Juneteenth, long a Black Texas celebration of the end of slavery, became the latest vacation day. Corporations gave their employees the day off. Instagram infographics littered the nations phones. And in 2021, the Biden administration made Juneteenth a federal holiday.

This year, were faced with the emergence of Juneteenth ice cream at Walmart, Juneteenth-themed watermelon salads, Juneteenth decorations on Amazon and at Party City, and even active fights over Juneteenth trademarks (involving the Walmart ice cream). But the legacy of Juneteenth  Juneteenth National Independence Day, Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Black Independence Day, call it what you will  is much more than an opportunity to barbecue. On June 19, 1865, more than two years after Abraham Lincoln had manumitted all Black people in the Confederate states, Union Army general Gordon Granger announced the news of freedom to enslaved people in Texas, who were the last in the formerly Confederate South to get word. The next year, beginning in the Black churches of Galveston, Texas, Juneteenth began as an observation and celebration of this belated end to bondage. The fine print: This commemoration of slaverys end is a lesson in how its evil persisted.

To stave off the brain freeze of your Juneteenth ice cream, those of us without ties to Galveston (or Texas or any other baked-in familiarity with this holiday) could take a minute to deepen our understanding of the days place in our ongoing struggles for liberation. This non-exhaustive list of great works on the subject  all a bit more substantial than a Juneteenth greeting card  will help you do just that.

Part I BEFORE 1863 If, as Toni Morrison has written, nothing highlighted freedom  if it did not in fact create it  like slavery, it would stand that our close reading of freedom must begin with the narratives of the enslaved. As they show us, it often took fugitivity (and, often, more and worse) to secure ones freedom from the formidable grasp of captivity.

Barracoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo, by Zora Neale Hurston It is perhaps fitting that a list dedicated to the celebration of slaverys official end in the U.S. begins with the oral account of Cudjoe Lewis, long believed to be the last survivor of the Middle Passage. Lewis was one of more than 100 kidnapped Africans stashed in the hold of the slave ship Clotilda and smuggled from Benin to Mobile Bay, Alabama, in either 1859 or 1860 (its hard to say), decades after Congresss formal 1808 ban on the importation of African slaves. Hurston tells Lewis: I want to ask you many things. I want to know who you are and how you came to be a slave; and to what part of Africa do you belong, and how you fared as a slave, and how you have managed as a free man? He responds: Thankee Jesus! Somebody come ast about Cudjo! I want tellee somebody who I is, so maybe dey go to tell everybody whut Cudjo says, and how I come to Americky soil since de 1859 and never see my people no mo. Eager to be asked, Lewis shared his experience of alienation and enslavement with Hurston, whose sensitive transcriptions add a new texture to our existing archive of slave narratives.

Flight to Canada, by Ishamel Reed, and Beloved, by Toni Morrison Taking to fiction to confront the limits of and unmake our concrete understanding of slavery, the literary development of neo-slave narratives muddy the border between enslavement and emancipation through narratives that address the problem of self-possession. Reeds enslaved protagonist declares, Here I am, involuntarily, the comrade of the inanimate, but not by choice  I am property. I am a thing. Morrisons Sethe, a fugitive slave haunted by both slavery and freedom, understands that freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another. Though these novels often explore the harrowing conditions of the peculiar institution through humor (The devils country home. Thats what the South is, one of Reeds characters remarks) and haunting (124 was spiteful. Full of a babys venom. The women in the house knew it and so did the children, opens Beloved), they push readers to consider the psychic toll of slavery and how its material cost to the mind defies tone and time.

Part II FREEDOM RINGS HOLLOW The social momentum which led to Juneteeths federal appropriation has transformed it into a festive footnote, a citation of American political progress that fails to ask what it means for the government to claim emancipation as a victory while many inheritors of slaverys legacy remain dubious, if not outright disdainful. After all, for those who had been enslaved in Union states, legal and literary word of emancipation would not come until later in 1865 with the ratification of the 13th Amendment. And what did the Texas proclamation matter to the enslaved people who were held in bondage in Indian Territories until 1866 (the same year Juneteenth celebrations began)? What do we make of slaverys resilience? How has it undergirded our freedom?

Scenes of Subjection, by Saidiya Hartman Explicitly concerned with the elusiveness of free ground, this groundbreaking text  to be reissued later this year by W. W. Norton with a new preface by Hartman, a foreword by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, and afterwords by Marisa J. Fuentes and Sarah Haley  sets the complex stage of terror under slavery and its influence on scenes of Black self-making in the 19th century. Calling us to consider the nonevent of emancipation in a country where freedom did not abolish the lash, Hartman frames the question of liberation on terms that center on the terrible spectacle of bondage that lingers in our discourses of redress, resistance, and individual rights.

The Known World, by Edward P. Jones Joness historical novel follows Henry Townsend, a freeman born to former slaves, as he takes up the charge of liberty as a challenge to brutality. For Henry, freedom is best affirmed in contrast to the unfree, and thus, he dreams of running the perfect plantation  one that exceeds the standards set by the white enslavers who came before him: Henry had always said he wanted to be a better master than any white man he had ever known. He did not understand that the kind of world he wanted to create was doomed before he had spoken the first syllable of the word master.

On Juneteenth, by Annette Gordon-Reed The Black Texans who created the Juneteenth holiday did so as the celebration of the freedom of people they had actually known. As Gordon-Reeds work shows, this intimate and regional specificity cannot be severed from the celebration. Fusing memoir and rigorous research, the Texan author proposes a new telling of her states legacy, one which centers the significant influence enslaved Africans and their descendants have had on the political, geographic, and social shape of the Lone Star State.

Palmares, by Gayl Jones In this runaway-slave narrative set in Brazil, where slavery was not abolished until 1888, Jones conjures Almeyda, an escaped slave who takes leave of her Portuguese captors to join the historic 17th-century Brazilian maroon society that the book is named for  only to discover that some still occupy the position of slaves even among the maroons. Nobrega, one of those slaves of Palmares, remarks on the contradiction, I am not a free woman  I have no free ground to hold. Every ground I walk on is the same. Indifferent to the fate of Palmares, whose members faced constant threats of Portuguese land conquest and re-enslavement, Nobrega remarks, Why should it matter to me if Palmares is no more? As Joness novel shows, the unbound possibility of slavery beyond the plantation and the narrative of emancipation in the U.S. can be neither settled nor singularly confined to Juneteenth.

The Long Emancipation: Moving Toward Black Freedom, by Rinaldo Walcott The issue of freedoms lag is precisely what marks the narrative legacy of Juneteenth as precarious. Challenging the popular understanding of emancipation as a singular event that secured Black freedom, The Long Emancipation presents the issue on a global scale weighed by slavery and colonialism, in which the end of bondage could be said to be buffering at best. Posing the long emancipation as a more accurate description of the chasm between freedom and manumission, Rinaldo Walcott contends that, the conditions of Black life, past and present, work against any notion that what we inhabit in the now is freedom.

Juneteenth, by Ralph Ellison An incomplete manuscript that was edited and published following Ralph Ellisons death, Juneteenth embodies the essence of unfinished business embedded in its title. Giving voice to a righteous skepticism about the holidays presumed meaning, the protagonist, a Black Baptist preacher, retorts in a sermon (at a Juneteenth gathering no less), Theres been a heap of Juneteenths before this one and I tell you therell be a heap more before were truly free! And though the scope of the novel is not centered on the observation of Juneteenth, its characters  a race-baiting, white-passing Black senator and the aforementioned preacher who raised him  live out the ambiguous legacy of emancipation through a complex melding of ambivalence, anguish, and ambition.

Part III BETWEEN EMANCIPATION AND LIBERATION Because the 13th Amendment of the Constitution grants the continuation of slavery through the language of penalty, no one has sharpened our collective critical eye toward the political economy which threatens emancipation like incarcerated Black writers and the stories of incarcerated people. It comes as no surprise that allegories and allusions to the structure of prison populate Black literary musings on emancipation across genre and form. Just as the prison (in figures of speech, fact, and fiction) points us to a contemporary language of slaverys afterlife, Juneteenth invites us to read emancipation more critically and celebrate the political conviction such a re-education demands.

American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin, by Terrance Hayes It is not enough to love you. It is not enough to want you destroyed, Hayes writes in this collection of seventy poems concerned with themes of American politics as they secure his own implied and impending death. Embracing the language of assassination  a murder that, due to the influential status of its victim, gives death new meaning  his poetics work to reconstitute the meaning of a land of the free predicated on deadly pursuits. Speaking to violence and capture as distinguishing elements in the formation and future of the U.S., the poet names a sense of confinement at the level of the nations literary form: an American sonnet that is part prison, part panic closet, a little room in a house set aflame.

Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson, by George Jackson, and Assata: An Autobiography, by Assata Shakur Jackson writes, When I revolt, slavery dies with me. I refuse to pass it down again. The terms of my existence are founded on that. Shakur likewise asserts that after a while, people just think oppression is the normal state of things. But to become free, you have to be acutely aware of being a slave. Framing slavery in terms of a consciousness forged by criminality, the writings of Black activists who have suffered the conditions of being locked up, compel us to unlock our minds toward the psychology of state violence and a legal apparatus that preserves anti-Blackness.

The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead In Colson Whiteheads novel, inspired by the horrifically unstable distinctions between school and prison for mid-century Black youth, the teenage protagonist, Elwood, shakes his head when he listens to a 1962 recording of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s sermon at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Los Angeles. On the record, the reverend declared, Throw us in jail, and as difficult as that is, we will still love you  We will wear you down by our capacity to suffer, and one day we will win our freedom. For Elwood, a Black boy abused at a racist reform school, this request for love prior to liberation is unfathomable: What a thing to ask. What an impossible thing.

Part IV IMAGINING FREER FUTURES Throughout popular culture, Black creatives have made use of the language of slavery and emancipation to address their fraught relationships to their identities and crafts in industries shaped by racial capitalism. From Prince writing the word slave on his face in 1993 during a contract dispute with Warner Bros. to Anita Bakers declaration on obtaining the masters to her albums last year that shed retired from the plantation, the issue of freedom has shown itself foundational to the conflicts faced by Black artists who look back as they try to help create new paths forward.

The Meaning of Mariah Carey, by Mariah Carey and Michaela Angela Davis Mariah Careys memoir features a comparison of her former Bedford, New York, marital home (a 33,000-square-foot mansion on 51 acres where she was plagued by anti-Black bigotry, constant surveillance, and emotional abuse) to the nearby Sing Sing Correctional Facility: No matter how prime the real estate, how grandiose the structure, if its designed to monitor movement and contain the human spirit, it will only serve to diminish and demoralize those inside. After Careys personal Sing Sing has burned to the ground, the R&B artist responsible for 2005s best-selling album The Emancipation of Mimi, declares, I have had to emancipate myself several times. Even the most glamorous among us cannot deny the glaring fault lines in our flimsy talk of freedom.
In the continuing drama relating to Elon "Pedo Guy" Musk's performative management style being a distraction to employees at his government-subsidized SpaceX legal experts have weighed in, and the retaliatory firing of employees for writing a letter about working conditions in the company is not easy to defend.

The Verge:

The most difficult part of retaliation cases is often proving that an employee really was fired in retaliation for speaking up, but SpaceX has made it easy to show the connection. In her note to employees after the firings, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell made clear that the employees had been terminated specifically because of their involvement with the letter, which she characterized as "overreaching activism." Even if SpaceX tried to deny it, the simple timing of the firings  coming less than 24 hours after the letter itself  makes the connection hard to ignore.

"This could very much be seen as retaliation for speaking up," says Mary Inman, a whistleblower attorney at Constantine Cannon. "What does this say to workers? It basically says, we don't want to hear from you."

SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.
They're Black. They're proud. And they won't be intimidated.

That was the message of Buffalo's Black community on Saturday as hundreds marched down Genesee Street in celebration of Juneteenth.

Photos: 2022 Juneteenth Parade After a two-year hiatus, the Juneteenth Parade is back in Buffalo

"We are still here," said Donald Jones Jr., who grew up on the East Side. "And we're going to keep coming out."

People clad in the red, black and green of the Black liberation flag celebrated the date in 1865 when a Civil War general arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform the country's last enslaved people that they were officially free.

Exuberance coursed through the sun-soaked crowd gathered at Genesee and Moselle streets for the Juneteenth parade, which kicked off the two-day festival at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. This was, after all, the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 that the Juneteenth Festival was held in person.

"I just think that this is great, especially since we werent able to do this for a couple of years," said Jason Jackson of North Buffalo. "Its great to get people out here and have something thats ours."

But the pain and sadness of last month's racist massacre at Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue was evident. The names of 10 Black Buffalonians who were gunned down by a white supremacist were displayed on a float in the parade. Some remarked that  had they chosen to do their shopping at a different time on May 14  they could have been victims.

"As a Black man, why cant I just live my life?" Jackson said. "Why is it that my mere presence irritates people so much to the point that they have to gun us down in cold blood? The amount of things you cant do being a Black person in the United States, you add grocery shopping to that list. You cant even do that."

Jackson, who is Black, noted that his wife is white and his son is mixed-race. He attended the festival Saturday because he said he wanted to encourage students at the nearby B.U.I.L.D. Community School, where he is an administrator. He said lawmakers need to pass reforms to keep weapons out of the reach of hateful extremists, especially near schools.

"Dont get me wrong  I love my country. But when you look at places across the globe, its just like, man ... they dont have the same problems that we do," Jackson said. "The amount of hate thats being spewed."

One block away, a large flatbed displayed a sign calling for an end to white supremacy, perhaps the most visible reference to the massacre. Nearly a dozen young girls in the bed of a pickup truck also held signs that stated "END WHITE SUPREMACY: Juneteenth is about POWER to the PEOPLE."

"This is beautiful," said Yvette Callahan, 48, of Buffalo. "The kids, the grandkids, the great-nieces: bring em all out."

There were no calls for violence or retaliation. Instead, Callahan said she would respond to the actions of Payton Gendron, the accused Tops shooter, with love and compassion.

"Maybe if he had a little more love in his life," Callahan said of Gendron, "then who knows. You never know what sparked him to get him to where he is at. Love conquers evil every time."

As Callahan organized her young sign-holders from True Bethel Baptist Church, Mayor Byron W. Brown told onlookers that he would work to make Buffalo a national model for how to recover from a traumatic event.

"Hate will not prevail," the mayor said. "Evil will not prevail. Love and unity will prevail. This community will be built up."

State Attorney General Letitia James, who marched in the parade, quoted Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, where King stated, "With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope."

"Let us all remember that we are stones of hope," James said. "Let us all lift up those 10 individuals who have gone away. Let us march on and continue to focus on our struggle, and let everyone know, that inequity still exists in South Buffalo, East Buffalo, and that all of us have a responsibility and a duty to do more, but weve got to do it together. This is not just the responsibility of the African American community."

Donald Jones Jr. and Breanna Jones grew up on the East Side and now live in Cheektowaga. They said it was important for them to bring their four children to Juneteenth as a show of support against racism and hate.

"We have to keep being out here for our people and our community, and letting everyone know, you cant hide from this and just tuck your tail and run," Jones said. "You've got to stand up and stand forward."

Both Joneses said parents are also responsible for rooting out hate and preventing their kids from growing into isolated and vengeful people who bring violence to society.

"Thats why you have to watch what your kids are doing," Donald Jones said, referring to the Tops shooter. "You have to be there for them and be around and make sure. I can tell you one thing: If one of my kids was playing around with crap like that, I would know."

Callahan said the Juneteenth parade was proof that while the Tops shooter killed 10 members of the Black community, he failed in his attempts to crush its spirit.

"Its going to bring us closer together," she said. "One person cannot stop the show."

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SANTIAGO, Chile  With jokes, upbeat Caribbean music and vacation scenes of sun-kissed beaches and palm trees, Haitian influencers on YouTube and TikTok advertise charter flights to South America. But they are not targeting tourists. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Instead, they are touts for a thriving, little-known shadow industry that is profiting from the U.S. government sending people back to Haiti, a country besieged by gang violence.

More than a dozen South American travel agencies have rented planes from low-budget Latin American airlines -- some of them as large as 238-seat Airbuses -- and then sold tickets at premium prices. Many of the customers are Haitians who had been living in Chile and Brazil before they made their way to the Texas border in September, only to be expelled by the Biden administration and prevented from seeking asylum. They are using the charter flights to flee Haiti again and return to South America.

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Some, clearly, plan to make another try to enter the United States.

Rodolfo Noriega of the National Coordinator of Immigrants in Chile said Haitians are being exploited by businesses taking advantage of their desperation. They are at the end of a chain of powerful businesses making money from this circuit of Haitian migration, he said.

The airlines and travel agencies say they work within the legal norms of the countries where they are operating from and are simply providing a service to the Haitian diaspora in South America.

The thriving business model was revealed in an eight-month investigation by The Associated Press in partnership with the University of California, Berkeleys Human Rights Center and its Investigative Reporting Program.

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This story is part of an ongoing Associated Press series, Migration Inc, that investigates individuals and companies that profit from the movement of people who flee violence and civil strife in their homelands.

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Haitians sick of the deprivations of their island home resettled in Chile or Brazil, many after Haitis catastrophic 2010 earthquake. Then, last fall, struggling as the pandemic hit local economies and beset by racism, thousands decided to make their way to the Texas border town of Del Rio. There, they ran afoul of a public health order, invoked by the Trump administration and continued under the Biden administration, that blocks migrants from requesting asylum.

Authorities returned them not to South America, where some of their children were born, but to their original homeland -- Haiti.

Some interviewed by the AP said they feared for their lives there and wanted to return to South America. But airlines had stopped direct commercial flights from Haiti to Chile and Brazil during the pandemic; their remaining option was the charters.

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The charter flights from Haiti became a lucrative business as restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus decimated tourism, according to the travel agents. Planes arrive empty to Haiti but return to South America full.

From November 2020 until this May, at least 128 charters were rented by travel agencies in Chile and Brazil for flights from Haiti, according to flight tracking information, online advertisements matching the flights to agencies and other independent verification by the AP and Berkeley.

The Brazillian and Chilean travel agencies said in interviews that they pay anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000 to rent an aircraft. At that rate, the three airlines that rented planes for 128 charter flights between Haiti and either Brazil or Chile would have been paid a total of anywhere from $12 million to $25 million. Meanwhile, prices for one-way tickets from Haiti to Chile have more than doubled in eight months, from $625 to more than $1,600.

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Since taking office in January of 2021, the Biden administration sent back more than 25,000 Haitians to Haiti despite warnings from human rights groups that the expulsions would only contribute to Haitis travails and feed more Haitian migration to Latin America and the U.S.

Not all of the passengers on the charters had tried to immigrate to the U.S., but based on interviews with dozens of travel agents, Haitian migrants and advocates, and an analysis of flight data using the Swedish service Flightradar24, it is clear that the charters have become a major means to flee Haiti.

Some who took charter flights back to South America have headed north again on the network of underground routes that wind through Central America and Mexico and that ultimately lead to the United States, according to immigration attorneys, advocates and interviews with dozens of Haitians.

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Many of the Haitians go back to Chile and Brazil, rather than places close to the U.S. like Mexico, because they have visas and other legal paperwork to get into those countries. And having lived there, they can find jobs quickly to make money for the trip north.

Some, like Amstrong Jean-Baptiste, also have children who were born in South America.

The 33-year-old father of two, spent $6,000 on a harrowing trip from Chile to Texas, only to be sent back to Haiti.

He had knives pulled on him, forged rivers that carried others away to their deaths and encountered highway robbers. In the end, he said the Haitians were handcuffed and treated like animals by U.S. immigration authorities. His son caught pneumonia in the immigration detention center.

As he waited in Port-au-Prince for a charter flight back to Santiago, news from northern Chile underscored why he wanted to go to the United States in the first place: A demonstration against immigrants drew thousands of protesters who turned violent and destroyed the belongings of migrants living in a camp.

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Would he try to go to the U.S. again? He did not rule it out.

The risks are so numerous that this shouldnt be an experience to repeat, he said. However, one should never say never.



Gisela Perez de Acha, a supervisory reporter for Berkeleys Human Rights Center and its Investigative Reporting Program. Katie Licari is a recent Berkeley graduate journalism alum.

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Watson reported from San Diego, Daniel from New York. Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat in San Diego; Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Adriana Gomez Licon in Miami; and Gonzalo Solano in Quito, Ecuador; also contributed to this report. University of California students Zhe Wu, Mar Segura, Grace Luo, Gergana Georgieva, Jose Fernando Rengifo, Pamela Estrada, Freddy Brewster, Sabrina Kharrazi, Jocelyn Tabancay, Imran Ali Malik reported from Berkeley, along with Human Rights Center Investigations Lab director Stephanie Croft.

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In George Bernard Shaws prophetic comedy The Apple Cart, a fictional King Magnus fights an attempt by Prime Minister Proteus to deprive him of the right to influence public opinion through the press. He wants a cipher for a sovereign. The King threatens to abdicate and stand for election himself  in the knowledge that the British monarchy is more popular than any dreary or opportunist politician.

Back in the real world, the royals are supposed to never complain, never explain. The Queen is famous for her discretion and dutifully dull pronouncements. Yet her heir, Prince Charles has been taking a leaf out of King Magnuss book. He has been telling friends that the governments controversial policy of deporting to Rwanda asylum seekers and migrants who have been smuggled illegally into Britain is appalling, according to a piece in The Times of London.

The number of migrants who have crossed the Channel from France in tiny, unseaworthy vessels since 2108 has risen above 50,000, with more than 10,000 so far this year, according to government figures. The scheme to fly them to Rwanda is intended to act as a deterrent to others  and give reassurance to voters that the Tories claim to protect Britains borders can be translated into practice.

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The senior leadership of the Church of England has already denounced the plan as an immoral policy that shames Britain, but its traditional for the bishops to elide their liberal political views with the Bible against the Tories. Not so, the monarchy, which usually avoids a scrap with No 10.

Charless office at Clarence House has not denied his remarks, although a spokesperson insists that he remains politically neutral. This is constitutionally the case, but not in actual fact.

The Prince of Wales is known to chafe against his restraints. Thats only human for a 73-year old man who has been kept waiting for the top job for decades. But then his mothers superhuman silence on the burning issues of the day is also what endears her to her people and prevents schisms deepening around the royals for all their foibles and pratfalls.

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It may not be long before Charles III takes the place of the 96-year old Elizabeth II. So the unpalatable fate that beckons is that he must learn to be dull, too.

The Prince may think that Prime Minister Boris Johnson  the wily latter-day Proteus in this drama  is on the backfoot after the Partygate scandals and the subsequent resignation of his second ethics adviser, Christopher Geidt, this week. Ironically, Geidt was ousted by Charles and his scapegrace brother Prince Andrew from his previous job as the Queens chief adviser when he tried to restrict their freedoms too tenaciously.

Still, Geidts advice holds good. The heir to the throne would be wise not antagonize his prime minister needlessly  Johnson has seen off most of his critics during his turbulent career and notoriously holds a grudge.

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And Johnson has friends. The tabloid press are cheerleaders for the Rwanda policy. They regard Charless enthusiasm for fads like homoeopathy and organic food as eccentric. In a cost-of-living crisis, more than one commentator has observed that organic food is good to eat, provided that you have a princely income.

It was thought that Charles had learned his lesson 10 years ago after it was revealed that he was in the habit of sending black spider letters  named after his idiosyncratic spiraling script  offering advice to ministers on matters from environmentalism to planning rules. A freedom of information request by The Guardian forced their publication. The paper sneered that the letters show behind the curtain, most of the time, Prince Charles behaves more as a bit of a bore on behalf of his good causes than as any sort of wannabe feudal tyrant. But the letters might be seen as harbingers of problematic royal behavior.

Take the timing of the Princes latest apparent intervention: The European Court of Human Rights stopped the governments first official flight to Rwanda on the tarmac last week in order to deliberate the legality of the policy. Tory MPs and their press friends are furious. By no coincidence, Charles heads off next week to Rwanda, which hosts the Commonwealth Heads of Government. The United Nations High Commissioner has praised Rwandas record on taking refugees from other war torn African countries. Paul Kagame, its president, who brought peace to his country after the genocidal attacks on the Tutsis in the 1990s, has long been the poster boy for British aid. Critics, however, say his recent human rights record has been appalling, too.

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The governments policy does divide political opinion along sharp lines. A majority of Conservative voters and Brexit supporters are in favor of the 120 million ($146 million) scheme, while Labour voters and Remainers generally oppose it. The latest opinion poll conducted for the Tony Blair Institute shows that more than half rightly suspect that the scheme wont work. Israel and Denmark have tried to offshore asylum seekers without success, though the European Union pays Libya to detain migrants and asylum seekers in miserable detention camps.

Refugee and immigration policy remains a hot-button issue for voters and the latter was a major factor behind the Brexit vote. So Charles should keep out.

Britain has only just emerged from the divisions created by the toxic EU referendum campaign. The nation a fortnight ago celebrated 70 years of the Queens reign in a display of unity that impressed many foreign observers plagued by partisan politics of their own.

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Geidts advice is going unheeded by both his former masters. Last week, Prince Andrew, now disgraced by his former association with the convicted sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, tried to barge his way back into the limelight. It was only the threat of a walk-out by Prince William, Charless eldest son, that got his uncle pulled from a royal line-up.

Like it or not, the Prince of Wales must act as his brothers keeper. At the conclusion of the Apple Cart, the prime minister backs down  but the ultimate contest between King and the political class is left unresolved. The Prince of Wales, seeking a succession which will reassure as well as invigorate, will have to perfect the hardest act of all for a natural intervener: minding the Firms business, not everyone elses.

More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion:

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The Queen Has Had Far More Triumphs Than Failures: Martin Ivens



A Multiplicity of Britains Under One Queen: Adrian Wooldridge



Confessions of an Accidental Monarchist: Howard Chua-Eoan

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Martin Ivens is the editor of the Times Literary Supplement. Previously, he was editor of the Sunday Times of London and its chief political commentator.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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3 killed, 8 wounded in West Bank shootout Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians and wounded at least eight others early Friday during a military operation in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military said its forces came under attack and exchanged fire with militants. The military said it raided two locations in search of weapons. At the first, it says soldiers fired back after Palestinians opened fire and hurled explosive devices at them. On their way to the second location, they exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen in a vehicle, the army said.

The military has been carrying out near-daily raids in the occupied West Bank since a string of attacks earlier this year killed 19 people in Israel. Many of the arrest raids have been launched in and around Jenin.

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The military said the troops confiscated rifles, a submachine gun and other equipment from inside the vehicle.

Heavy exchanges of gunfire could be heard in videos circulated on social media. Later, footage on social media showed a bullet-riddled vehicle with bloodstains.

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British journalist's body identified

Police in Brazil announced Friday that human remains retrieved from an isolated location in the Amazon forest belonged to British journalist Dom Phillips.

Phillips had been traveling by boat in early June with Bruno Araujo Pereira, an expert on the countrys Indigenous people. A fisherman this week confessed to killing both men and led investigators to the spot where the remains were buried.

Authorities did not announce whether the other remains belonged to Pereira, but tests are continuing. No cause of death has been confirmed.

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 Terence McCoy



Former Canadian priest arrested in students assault: Canadian police arrested a 92-year-old retired priest accused of sexual assault more than 50 years ago at one of Canadas residential schools for Indigenous children. Royal Mounted Police Sgt. Paul Manaigre said police arrested Arthur Masse for the assault of a 10-year-old between 1968 and 1970 at Ford Alexander residential school in Manitoba. In Canada there is no time limit to report a sexual assault. Masse was released on conditions and is due to be in court next month.



Building collapse leaves 6 dead in Egypt: A building collapse in Cairo killed six people, authorities said, as rescuers at the scene searched through the rubble. It was not immediately known what caused the collapse. The capital citys deputy governor, Ibrahim Abdel-Hadi, said in a statement released by the Interior Ministry that one family of six was believed to have been inside the six-story building when it gave way in the early hours of Friday morning.

Rwandan police kill Congolese soldier after attack: Rwandan police shot and killed a Congolese soldier Friday who crossed the border and fired at security forces, Rwanda's army said, as fighting intensified 30 miles away between Congo's military and rebels it says are backed by Rwanda.

 From news services

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Celeste LeClair-Coleman has no memory of her father. She was born six months after the death of Mitchell LeClair, a World War II Navy veteran killed in 1955 while helping to build the Skyway, a tragedy that occurred while he worked alongside his own dad and LeClairs brother.

The loss created what Florence Mickie Golba, one of LeClair-Colemans older sisters, describes as a yearning in the siblings. LeClairs family was originally from Kahnawake, a Mohawk community in Quebec known for generations of ironworkers who have earned their paychecks in "high steel" on city skylines.

Golba can remember her fathers wake, his casket in the living room, but nothing of her dad as a living man. Only June Mahfoud, the oldest sister who was 8 when LeClair died 67 years ago, retains vivid memories of how she and Golba would sit on his back and laugh as he did pushups.

While that loss equated to a lifetime of pensive Fathers Days for the siblings, this one will be different. A Skyway quest started by LeClair-Coleman and joined by the families of two other men who died building that bridge will culminate at 11 a.m. on June 29.

Civic officials plan to raise a sign at the intersection of Main and Perry streets, not far from where the LeClairs lost their dad. Travelers at that spot, maybe heading toward Canalside, will soon be driving, walking or biking on Skywalker Way.

After all these years, Golba said, well finally get what weve been striving for."

The LeClair sisters and their relatives will be joined by the families of ironworkers Gatlin White, born into the Seneca Nation's Cattaraugus territory and a veteran of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, and Daniel Smith, who spent much of his childhood in an orphanage overseen by Father Nelson Baker.

Those men all died in separate falls in 1955, during Skyway construction in the teeth of strong winds from Lake Erie. Patricia White Hancock was a little girl when her brother Gatlin was killed. He never had any fear of heights, and she said he was employed as an ironworker at Bethlehem Steel when he was assigned to help erect the towering bridge across the Buffalo River.

He died on Jan. 4, 1955, when he was bolting a stringer beam high in the air, then fell onto Ganson Street.

Weve been waiting, and this will be beautiful, Hancock said of the ceremony, speaking of herself and another sister, Jacqueline White Gibson. As for Fathers Day, Hancock said it only amplifies the sense of loss about her brother, who  like Daniel Smith  had no children when he died.

He didnt have time, Hancock said of Gatlin, who was only 22.

Asked about the catalyst behind the effort, Mahfoud and Golba both pointed at once to LeClair-Coleman, of Buffalo, who was born within days of the Skyway's opening. She has guts, said Mahfoud, the oldest sister. While their mother was not born into the Haudenosaunee, Joyce LeClair made sure her girls maintained an emotional and spiritual bond to their native heritage after losing their dad, including summers with their grandparents at the Six Nations of the Grand River territory, in Ontario.

Their grandfather, haunted by the day his son fell at the Skyway, became LeClair-Coleman's best way of imagining the father who never had the chance to hold his youngest daughter. But she said she finally came to terms with that lifelong absence while she was teaching at Buffalos Native American Magnet School 19, where Fran Hill, a Mohawk, was a legendary educator.

She was like a mentor to me, LeClair-Coleman said. It was Hill who inspired her to do a school display on native ironworkers that included images of Mitchell LeClair, only 30 when he died, and the passionate response from children and teachers led LeClair-Coleman to pursue a memorial.

With her sisters, she always equated the Skyway with their dad. Raised Catholic, they would make the sign of the cross when they passed over it in childhood. It left them to contemplate the legacy of a guy Golba described as a husband, a father, a veteran, an ironworker, a son, a brother, to which Mahfoud added:

And he sacrificed his life.

They realized the larger community might not understand the kind of loss associated with building the high places of the city. Six years ago, when LeClair-Coleman began a drive for a public Skyway memorial, her older sisters offered their full support.

Almost immediately, they found allies. They met Gatlin White's family through the vibrant connections that tie together the Haudenosaunee. LeClair-Coleman, it turned out, had taught Gatlins great-niece in Buffalo.

As for Smith, LeClair-Coleman said his relatives became involved after seeing a news clip about the effort on television. Mark Weber, Smith's great-nephew, said it is "unbelievable" that the ironworkers will be publicly honored after so many years.

Families hope for Skyway memorial to 'high steel' workers who died on job The ironworkers who helped build the Skyway in the 1950s were in the crosshairs of the unpredictable winds of Lake Erie. Now, the families of those who lost their lives during the bridges construction are looking for a permanent tribute to

The memorial sign will be easily visible, Weber said, "and will do justice to these men who gave their lives."

The original dream was renaming the bridge itself in honor of the skywalkers, a nickname often used to describe Mohawks and other native workers in high steel. But tumultuous debate about the future of the Skyway made the plan a long shot, and then the pandemic brought everything to a halt.

The notion of a Skywalker Way, LeClair-Coleman said, revived the conversation. It came about through a Buffalo Common Council resolution offered by council member Mitch Nowakowski, and LeClair-Coleman also expressed thanks for the patience and diligence of council legislative assistant Derek Smith.

In a statement released through chief of staff Becca Castaneda, Nowakowski offered gratitude to LeClair-Coleman for sticking with the mission. He said the event will be a way to honor the courage of the ironworkers killed on the job, to recall their military service and to remind the larger community of the rich Haudenosaunee heritage in high steel.

LeClair-Coleman, for her part, said she is not done. One of her earliest contacts was Tom Halligan, business manager for Ironworkers Local 6 in West Seneca. Halligan and Joe Barnashuk, a union administrator and historian, recently showed me a union hall memorial that lists the names of about 100 Western New York ironworkers who died along the skyline or in steel plants or raising tall bridges.

I look at it from this perspective: These are the guys who built this city, said Barnashuk, who put together the memorial. The list, which slows down dramatically in the decades after new safety regulations were set in place, holds the names of the three men from the Skyway, and Barnashuk and Halligan spoke with reverence of that collective sacrifice.

To LeClair-Coleman, the entire region - knowing the tale - could appreciate the same emotion. It seems logical to her that anyone who is moved by the great skyscrapers, bridges and towering landmarks of Buffalo would also understand the high price paid by many families in helping those monumental structures come to be.

In a community that loves to celebrate epic architects, LeClair-Coleman envisions a memorable downtown sculpture to honor all those who died raising brick-and-mortar dreams into the air, a tribute that would mesh with the soul of this town.

For now, on this weekend, she will allow herself some peace. The June 29 ceremony at the Skyway is expected to memorably wrap together elements of labor and military service and native culture, and members of all three families hope the new sign will cause larger reflection on what they lost in the building of that bridge.

In one way, it has already done the seemingly impossible: For the first time in her life, Mitchell LeClairs youngest kid is absolutely sure she found a gift her dad would love, on Father's Day.

Sean Kirst is a columnist with The Buffalo News. Email him at skirst@buffnews.com.

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SpaceX, the private rocket company, has fired employees who helped write and distribute an open letter criticising the behaviour of chief executive Elon Musk, said three employees with knowledge of the situation.

Some SpaceX employees began circulating the letter, which denounced Musks activity on Twitter, on Wednesday (US time). The letter called the billionaires public behaviour and tweeting a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment and asked the company to rein him in. Musk is currently closing a $US44 billion ($63.5 billion) deal to buy Twitter.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Credit:AP

By Thursday afternoon (US time), SpaceX had fired some of the letters organisers, according to the three employees and an email from Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceXs president and chief operating officer. In her email, which was obtained by The New York Times, she said the company had investigated and terminated a number of employees involved with the letter.

The letter, solicitations and general process made employees feel uncomfortable, intimidated and bullied, and/or angry because the letter pressured them to sign onto something that did not reflect their views, Shotwell wrote. We have too much critical work to accomplish and no need for this kind of overreaching activism.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Just over a year ago, French actor Benjamin Voisin told me his life was a series of fiery whims, a quote he attributed to the 19th-century critic Charles Saint-Beuve. The young actor, already exhibiting an unmistakable star power, was sitting alongside Felix Lefebvre, his co-star in Francois Ozons Summer of 85, in which they played teenagers who fall in love on holiday in Normandy: two young, good-looking guys with the world at their feet, alternately waxing philosophical and cracking each other up. Voisin, the older of the pair by a couple of years, already seemed destined for big things. But when I asked about his hopes and ambitions, he was reluctant to look too far ahead. Freedom is the most important question for me, as an actor, he told me, throwing in the quote about fiery whims. These whims have carried him a long way. At this years Cesar awards  the French Oscars  Voisin was named best male newcomer for his lead role in Lost Illusions, adapted by writer-director Xavier Giannoli (Marguerite) from the classic Balzac novel, and opening here next week. From top left: Benjamin Voisin with Felix Lefebvre in Summer of 85; at last years Venice Film Festival; and with Cecile de France in Lost Illusions. Credit: Voisins character, Lucien de Rubempre, is among the best-known figures in French literature: the archetypal young man from the provinces, who arrives in 1820s Paris with few credentials but determined to make his name by any means he can. Starting out as an idealistic poet, Lucien is tempted by the glitter of high society and at the same time forced to detour into hack journalism  which, as portrayed by Giannoli, bears a strong resemblance to what is now known as clickbait.

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When I interviewed Voisin for the second time early this year, Lost Illusions had recently been released in France, despite being shot in 2019. Two-and-a-half years is a long time when youre in your early 20s (Voisin is 25 now). I was a kid; I was young, he says, only half-jokingly. Im not any more. So what can he remember about those far-off days of youth? Nothing, nothing, he says cheerfully in rapid English, contrasting this lapse of time with the immediacy of theatre, where his career began. With actors on stage, youre in front of people that are looking at you, and then you can share real moments  but with cinema, and its a bit more with COVID stuff, you do a movie, and you have to wait more than one year to have the reception of the public, you know what I mean? So this is very strange. Not only does Voisin profess to remember little about the Lost Illusions shoot, its not even clear if hes seen the finished film. When the question is posed, he avoids answering outright while indicating that in general, he doesnt enjoy watching himself. Benjamin Voisin and Vincent Lacoste in Lost Illusions. Credit:Palace Films He is, however, gratified about having his whole family witness his success, not only my parents but my grandparents. too. So theyve all seen the film? Six times, I think. This is family, man.

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Loading As an interview subject, Voisin is bashful in some ways but confident in others, and above all filled with enthusiasm  an endearing mix of traits that carries over into his performance as Lucien and makes the character hard to dislike, for all his unscrupulous behaviour. Its not hard to see why he was given the part within 24 hours of auditioning (after just three hours preparation). The enthusiasm comes through especially strongly when Voisin discusses his Lost Illusions co-stars, many of them big names in French cinema  including the biggest of them all, Gerard Depardieu, as an illiterate grocer turned publisher. By Voisins account, the man lived up to the legend. The first time I met Depardieu, I think, was in his big red truck, and he let me try his wine, rose, at 7.30 in the morning. So Im like, yeah, this is really Gerard Depardieu. From there, a friendship blossomed. Hours in bars, in restaurants. As for Xavier Dolan, who plays one of Luciens literary rivals, Voisin still sounds a little starstruck. Dolan was so humble, my God! Hes already a star, hes a big director, hes used to being every year in Cannes. On the set, he was really an actor, like I want to do my part, and thats it. Voisin is also glowing about the films two female leads  Cecile de France, as Luciens outwardly respectable upper-class mistress, and the relatively unknown Salome Dewaels, as a younger woman from the Parisian theatre (shes very new, like me  my little Belgian, as I like to call her).

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When I speak to her separately, de France in turn has high praise for Voisin, who is in nearly every scene. When he starts, hes very pure, hes living in this natural environment, and then he sullies his conscience, he becomes the bete noire of Paris, she says. So its a really broad arc. Whats amazing is that you always believe. You believe that hes the hero and that hes the anti-hero. To me, its obvious that hell have a really long and amazing career. Loading If Lucien is gradually corrupted, this reflects the nature of the society he moves through, itself corrupt on every side. Does any of this resonate with Voisins own experience, at the time of shooting or after? While he doesnt answer directly, he agrees that the film is more than just a period piece. I liked the way that Giannoli wanted to make a modern movie  obviously show this period but also make us think, what the f---, this is the same story about us. In the novel, he adds, all the same themes are present. The question is, is money the new religion? And the answer? Well see. I think the film is going to be modern in 50 years. Since playing Lucien, Voisin has shot a couple more films, including last years The Mad Womens Ball, streaming on Prime Video. He also found time for a beautiful journey on motorcycle around the west part of France and says he has fallen in love a thousand times.

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The differences between the two countries are also evident in our media. An avid consumer of news and current affairs, Ferguson says American news is very loud, it seems to make a lot of noise. If you move around the country, travelling through airports or hotels, its on all the time, she says, so you have to work to get away from it. She is pleased to see recent changes in CNNs approach, a reversal from the more partisan news style of the Trump era. Theres an attempt to dial that down  to move in the direction of not alarming the public when you dont need to alarm them. Sarah Ferguson preparing for an interview for her Revelation series. Credit:ABC To her mind, Australias media sits somewhere between the more aggressive British style and the sometimes slightly folksy style Americans adopt. I wonder what being away has taught her about journalism. I think about the craft all the time and its individual by individual, but you cant beat a good, simple question, no matter where you are and no matter what the topic. And I just need to be reminded, like everybody, that a good, simple question is the key to a good interview.

The difficulty is rigour takes time, she says: there is an advantage to a longer interview. We face the same danger America has faced, which is if your interviews are too short, you cant get past the talking points. Politicians in particular being the most important people we need to hold to account  you need time to construct an interview that breaks down those evasive responses. Weve all gone through a period of thinking shorter is better; I dont agree. That notion was underpinned by the assumption viewers or listeners would zone out if pushed for lengthy periods. Ferguson says its the opposite, that audiences have a lot of tolerance for listening to people talk. TAKE 7: THE ANSWERS ACCORDING TO SARAH FERGUSON Worst habit? Starts with wet towels on floor and goes from there. Greatest fear? Birds inside house (Tippi Hedren horror). The line that stayed with you? Never mind manoeuvres, go straight at em. Jack Aubrey quoting Horatio Nelson. Biggest regret? Not calling my mother enough. Favourite room? Edit suite when its all working. The artwork/song you wish was yours? Almost any Rothko. Id say Picasso but I couldnt keep it out of view. One Rothko seems fair. If I could solve one thing... The real list is too long, so lets start with people using their phones on loudspeaker in public. People still find it really fascinating if its well done, if its really engaging. I think weve misunderstood the audiences attention span and panicked at the thought that an audience cant sit through a long interview. The Washington stint was an unexpected diversion, when China refused to grant her a visa back in 2020. Since being based in the US, she has reported on the January 6 attacks, the Murdoch media, especially Fox News and its role in the US election  which she described as one of the most significant stories of the time  and the war on Ukraine.

In 2018, Ferguson penned On Mother, a beautiful reflection on her relationship with her English mum, Marjorie, who she credits with imbuing in her a thirst for knowledge, a love of words and, most importantly, love, support and strength of character. She never said dont move so far, or it would make me happy if you came home, or even that it was hard for her. Ferguson with her mother Marjorie. Credit:Courtesy of the ABC Her mothers unexpected death was the catalyst for the book; Ferguson used her forensic journalistic skills during the coroners inquest to reveal a series of errors that had catastrophic results. She also wrote a book inspired by the documentary series of the same name Revelation, with Jones, about paedophilia in the Catholic Church in Australia, and The Killing Season, about Labors leadership ructions under Rudd and Gillard. Ferguson argues that the rate of change we are experiencing at the moment creates an ideal context for a shake-up of the intellectual framework of society. And when you get that shake-up, she says, new ideas are possible.

New formulations about how humans relate to each other, how groups of humans form into societies or in commerce, in the arts, in every field. It feels like the status quo ante is up for grabs in every way. As presenter of ABCs Four Corners. She cites the awakening of peoples sense of what American society should look like after the death of George Floyd. It feels like Australia is alive with possibilities  it feels like so many certainties are being interrogated. It doesnt mean that everything from the past is wrong or needs to be swept away, but to question the way we relate to one another at its most basic level creates a very exciting intellectual environment. That why I want to come back. Loading On the eve of the ABCs 90th anniversary, Ferguson says while its not perfect, the national broadcaster is a place of creativity and brilliance and that it creates this wonderful intellectual space that belongs to everyone in Australia. The ABC is about true public service; it should be witty, sharp and smart, she says. It should always be a little bit rebellious, a little bit cutting edge, reaching for the boundary of human expression in art and journalism.

That mission is what inspires her: the boundless possibilities every day, the challenge to understand whats going on in the world. Understanding that all of these systems that mankind has created, they are just that. They are ideologies and systems that weve created. None of them existed until we created them, and they are all imperfect, and they should all be being rattled all the time. You have to take the audience on a journey and if they trust you, theyll relax and youll be able to go so much further to those moments of glorious truth  or at least get some answers to the questions on the day, she says. Trust is everything: hard won, easily lost. All those things we have come to understand about it. And in Australia, we do still have quite high levels of trust. Here [in America], its so obscenely partisan that trust is limited. Loading Her passion for her work is palpable. There are moments in filming or editing when you know something magical has happened, she says. It doesnt happen all the time  its a highly imperfect business, but every now and again all the pieces come together  a brilliant piece of cinematography, or an edit or an idea, and you know youre sitting on something brilliant and its like a great piece of music and your heart just soars. It sounds like I am madly enthusiastic about it, but I am.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Brendan Cowell has never been called up for jury duty before, but having just spent almost half a year watching a murder case unfold in the new drama The Twelve, he thinks hes done his time. Ive definitely done it now, he says laughing. And thats what Ill be saying if I ever get the letter. Ill be like, I did five months [of jury duty] in 2021-22. Sam Neill was the lawyer and so was the lady from Janet King. Its late March and Cowell is on his lunch break. They are in the middle of the shoot for The Twelve and hes been spending his time sitting in a wooden box built in the middle of a sound stage in Sydneys Artarmon. Its a room at the (fictional) Parramatta Supreme Court, where the actors  judge, jury, accused, lawyers and spectators  and camera crew sit on the inside, while on the outside are the sound and make-up crew, who are perched on chairs with make-up kits slung around their waists. They are watching Marta Dusseldorp, who is playing prosecutor Lucy Bloom, on the monitor, as she delivers another flawless take. And while the camera is focused firmly on Dusseldorp, over her shoulder you can see Cowell and 13 other actors sitting quietly: sometimes their heads nod, sometimes they write something down. They are the jury of The Twelve, tasked with determining the fate of Kate Lawson (Kate Mulvany), an artist who is accused of killing her 14-year-old niece Claire. Sam Neill (centre) as barrister Brett Colby, who is defending Kate Mulvanys character Kate Lawson (far left) in a murder trial in The Twelve. Based on a Belgian drama, the 10-episode series focuses as much on the stories of the men and women of the jury as it does on the case. How will their lives determine the fate of Kate Lawson? They will judge her not only on the evidence, but on the way she looks, appears and behaves. Even her shade of lipstick will come under scrutiny.

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As Neills smooth defence barrister, Brett Colby, warns: The jury is everything. (If you are wondering why there are 14 jurors when the show is called The Twelve, its because 12 is the number of people on a standard jury, with two extras empanelled as back-ups in case the trial goes longer than three months.) The show begins on the first day of the trial, as the 14 jurors are chosen. They are a mixed bag  a widower, a devout Catholic, a woman who believes horoscopes may determine the case, an indigenous student, a wealthy heiress, an alpha-male businessman and an Uber driver from Iraq, among others. All jostle for position in the jury room, all look each other up and down. Cowell plays Garry, whose I-love-the-dog-track dress sense and down-at-heel circumstances come from a gambling addiction that makes him an easy mark for outside influences on the case. And even though the murder trial is fictional, what struck Cowell was the enormity of situation. I remember coming to [director] Dan Nettheim on the first day with the jury  and this is just a really stupid actor comment  and saying this would be incredibly overwhelming walking into this murder case of this young girl, says Cowell. And going on Garry  I live in that shitty little flat in Glebe, Ive got two greyhounds  and I have to decide who killed this person? And suddenly, I kind of took a breath in, and I spoke about it to the whole cast. Like, when weve just found out what the case is, lets all take a breath when we enter the jury room because its not a traffic fine, you know, and its going to affect lives.

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Early on, Garry is dismissed by some of his fellow jurors, who mistake his friendliness for nosiness. And thats Garrys greatest trick, says Cowell, he is not who he appears to be. Cowells character Garry is initially dismissed by some of his fellow jurors, who mistake his friendliness for nosiness. Credit:Ben Symons/Foxtel Im not putting Garry into a familiar dead-shit archetype, says Cowell. Hes a very emotionally intelligent man. Hes a very capable man. Hes a wise fella. Hes just got a disease. And when theres a green light, he goes 100 miles an hour with everything. He doesnt comprehend balance. And its a very topical question in society: If you do bad things, does that make you bad? Or can you still be good and do bad things? Joining Cowell in the jurors box is Brooke Satchwell, who plays Georgina, a mother-of-three who tries to dodge jury duty and whose unstable home life brings to bear on the case, too. The 14-person jury in The Twelve must decide if Kate Lawson murdered her 14-year-old niece. Shes in different states of fragility and vulnerability, says Satchwell of Georgina. So questions of integrity, particularly when it comes to the care of a child, deeply affect her. And anything of a more volatile nature is starting to creep into her understanding of her own situation.

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So there is quite an emotional aspect, as someone who potentially, until this point, has kept all of their emotions very strongly compressed and, and suppressed in a way that they cant be used against her. And that means during the various testimonies throughout the court case, some of her responses perhaps arent as rational, or more governed by emotion, which is what the most fascinating aspect of all of this is: how on earth we are expected to pass judgment on someone, particularly for something as diabolical as murder? Brooke Satchwell, centre, plays mother-of-three Georgina in The Twelve. Credit:Brook Rushton/Foxtel Satchwell is a big fan of the Flemish-language original, De Twaalf, which she describes as having a thermal texture. Its incredibly human, she says. That living, breathing, closeness of observing a person reacting in a situation and experiencing it, theres a lot of space for that, which is a really captivating thing to watch on screen, to see someone navigate a situation rather than dramatic plot point, dramatic plot point. And while court cases should be the last bastion of truth  that is, after all, what everyone is there to discover  Cowell says there is just as much room for opinion. Weve just had four different witnesses tell a very different story about the same thing, he says. And thats because were getting towards the crescendo. You start with facts, everyones presenting facts, but hang on, the facts arent the same. Reminds you of certain American presidents, you know?

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Its up to us to decipher [the truth] from the life that weve lived, on what our values are. Who is telling the truth? Garry, not so much because Garry has motive, but everybody else is reacting to it emotionally. And that doesnt necessarily mean theyre saying the truth. Loading Which is the brilliance of the show  the ripple effect through the lives of juries, and you go home with the jury members. And you see why theyre taking stuff personally, but that can really, really cloud their judgment. So I think everybodys pretty baffled by the end because of their own shit. And while we do get to see the jurors lives outside the courtroom, a lot of the acting work is just sitting in the background, listening to the evidence presented before them. Half of the time they are not even on camera, so what exactly are they doing? Listening acting is my favourite thing, says Satchwell, before conceding but I am getting a lot of work done. Ive finally embraced technology and I am very happily sitting there and getting a lot of work done in between takes. And for Cowell? Its a great way to get paid, he says, laughing. What did you do today, darling? I sit there and watch Marta Dusselldorp and Sam Neill talk. And hanging out with Brooke Satchwell. You know, its not awful.

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I have always believed that an individuals sexuality is their own business and should be of interest only if there is a reasonable prospect that you might have occasion to proposition that individual for sex. Which is why I am disappointed when someones sexuality becomes news. And more so in the past week when it became clear Rebel Wilson had cause to fear her sexuality might be revealed by this masthead without her permission.

Rebel Wilson with girlfriend Ramona Agruma. Credit:Instagram

But it also made me wonder about the many other private revelations which are still tolerated, even celebrated, despite dubious public interest.

In the late 1980s and early 90s, outing was in vogue. Activists, believing themselves to be crusaders on behalf of the gay community, dragged prominent gay people out of the closet. Armistead Maupin, author of the iconic and groundbreaking Tales of the City about gay culture in San Fransisco, defended outing as a means of lifting the stigma of homosexuality, by being matter-of-fact about it.

Maupin publicly outed his friend and erstwhile lover, the actor Rock Hudson, after Hudson had appeared emaciated on a talk show. The actor was succumbing to AIDS at a time when the disease was a death sentence, so in a sense, it was a double outing.
In other words, the mine is a stranded asset. This is Australias future if it remains reliant on carbon fuels. The country itself would become a stranded asset, an investment dead end, a political pariah. The other was the decision by one of the worlds seven oil supermajors, BP, formerly known as British Petroleum, to take the lead in building a huge green hydrogen plant in Western Australias Pilbara region. BP announced it had bought 40 per cent of the planned project, the Asian Renewable Energy Hub. It has potential to be one of the worlds biggest renewable energy ventures. The price wasnt disclosed. But the estimated cost of building the complex is $US36 billion ($51 billion). Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and WA Premier Mark McGowan after the first national cabinet meeting. Credit:Rhett Wyman The plan is to install 1700 wind turbines and 25 million solar panels to produce 1.6 million tonnes of green hydrogen a year from water. The hydrogen would be sold in Australia and exported. The investment reflects our belief that Australia has the potential to be a powerhouse in the global energy transition, said BPs head of low carbon energy Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath.

This is Australias future as it joins the worlds greatest investment boom. Australia can become a superpower in the new energy world of renewables. But it also can become a global economic superpower by using its super-cheap renewables to power manufacturing. This was the vision set out in Ross Garnauts 2019 book Superpower: Australias Low Carbon Opportunity. Loading The Coalition under Tony Abbott sold Australia the fiction that renewables were dangerous. Because it worked politically in 2010 and 2013, the Coalition never was able to wean itself off the fairy tale that coal was the future. Even when it tried. Remember when the then energy minister, Josh Frydenberg, painstakingly negotiated the National Energy Guarantee under the Turnbull administration? He managed to win the support of the Liberal party room for the policy. Schott says Australia would not have suffered its power crisis this week if that policy had been put in place. But this commonsense policy was instantly vandalised by the deniers and fabulists of the Liberal and National parties. By destroying the NEG, they destroyed the Turnbull prime ministership.

Australias stunning failure to modernise was not a result of partisan politics, says Malcolm Turnbull. It was actually the result of fights within the Coalition, he says. The problem with energy at the federal level essentially was a consequence of right-wing Liberals and Nationals, backed by the Murdoch media and the fossil fuel lobby, relentlessly opposing any action to reduce emissions. The advent of the Albanese government is Australias opportunity to break out of the museum of stranded assets and move towards the value-added world of a prosperous renewables future. Kerry Schott is an authority on the energy industry. Credit:Oscar Colman But Albanese doesnt have a moment to waste. He and his Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, are blaming the Coalition for the chaos and cost of the energy crisis. And fair enough, too. But if the power failure persists, Peter Duttons opposition will blame Albanese and his renewables plan. Already, the Coalition is threatening to oppose the governments updated emissions target  a 43 per cent cut to 2005 levels by 2030  in the parliament. And Albanese only just formally committed Australia to this target this week. The government says it can implement it regardless, by using regulation. But the climate wars live on and the Coalition will use any opportunity to discredit renewables.

What to do? Loading The first thing is for Bowen to fix the short-term crisis. He needs to capitalise on the current drama to create the impetus  the burning platform  for change. Hes started well. He brought together all the state ministers and they jointly agreed to several useful initiatives. Such as a national plan for a transition to a renewables-based electricity grid. This sounds so basic  and it is  yet the Coalition never managed one. They aim to produce a specific plan when they meet next month. And the ministers ordered the AEMO and the Energy Security Board to proceed at pace with the development of a capacity mechanism. A capacity mechanism?

Think of it as an insurance policy to supply immediate back-up supplies, says Schott. It pays for firming capacity to be on standby. This can be gas, battery or pumped hydro. The supplier is paid to keep capacity ready. So when a power shortfall looms, extra capacity can be thrown into the system immediately to keep the lights on. Loading The Coalition suggested this sort of mechanism, too, but it didnt get through under the last government because a lot of the industry and a couple of the states  NSW and the ACT  were suspicious that the feds would use it to keep coal in the system unnecessarily, explains Schott. Angus Taylor was aware of the need for it but just couldnt get the co-operation of fellow ministers and industry. Yet now the state and federal governments have agreed to create a capacity mechanism that doesnt include coal. Bowen said it should support new technologies and by that I mean I support storage and renewables being a particular focus of a capacity mechanism. Another outcome of the state and federal energy ministers meeting was to instruct AEMO to start storing gas for emergency use. Useful perhaps, but very limited.

There is another important short-term option  the trigger. The federal energy minister has an existing trigger to order more gas into the market. If Bowen pulls this supply trigger, he can order gas producers to divert export gas into the domestic market. But the procedure to do so takes six months. Loading Bowen doesnt intend to use it. Instead, he is quietly exploring the creation of a slightly different trigger, a price trigger. If a price ceiling is breached, he could pull the trigger to order gas into the market. He could design it to work fast. Once he had the power, he might not even need to use it. The threat alone could have the effect of motivating the gas companies to keep the domestic supply flowing. There have been voices calling for a gas reservation, a rule requiring gas producers to reserve a fixed share of their output for the local market. In Western Australia, a 15 per cent gas reservation has worked well. The trick here is that Bowen could create one, but couldnt apply it to existing gas supplies, only new ones. And that would be a slow and uncertain process with no effect for a long time. Rather, the gas price trigger is where the action is, as an informed source put it. At the same time, Bowen must put in place the longer-term solutions contained in Labors election policy. The rewiring the nation plan and powering Australia policy.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean says he is incredibly concerned about the impact a recession in the US could have on the states economy, but has warned rising interest rates and global economic uncertainty do not mean government spending should be limited.

In an interview with the Herald ahead of delivering his first state budget on Tuesday, Kean said the states finances were still in recovery mode after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Treasurer Matt Kean is interviewed about his upcoming state budget. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

He also warned of a likely decline in house prices as the Reserve Bank lifts interest rates to keep inflation in check.

So much of the communitys wealth is tied up in the values of Sydneys property market, and NSWs property market, so that will obviously flow through to consumer confidence and business confidence and have an impact on the broader economy, Kean said. So this is a great concern for me.
Geneva: Since Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala took over as head of the World Trade Organisation last year, one of her main bugbears has been the negotiating style of member countries, which she says is ineffective, inflexible and needs to change.

The WTO, a global organisation that regulates international trade, is often accused of being outdated and unproductive, criticisms Okonjo-Iweala has sought to address directly since taking the helm as its director-general.

You have to talk to each other. And that means there has to be compromise; no one side will get 100 percent of what they want, Okonjo-Iweala chided at the start of the WTOs biennial ministerial conference this week.

Trade pact selfies were allowed but World Trade Organisation Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, second right, banned monologues. Credit:Pool AFP

The conference overran by two days but delivered the biggest package of multilateral trade deals since the Uruguay Round of Talks that launched the organisation 27 years ago. It also created new global trading rules, related to fish subsidies, for only the second time in its history.
Washington: Donald Trump has defended his role in the US Capitol attack, denying that he incited the riot while accusing his former vice president and attorney-general of being too weak to help him overturn the 2020 election.

In his first public appearance since the January 6 congressional hearings began, Trump also branded the investigation against him as a sham; described what happened at the Capitol that day as a simple protest that got out of hand; and insisted there was not one shred of evidence to support the view that he engaged in an unlawful conspiracy.

Donald Trump gave his strongest hint yet that hes ready to run again for president. Credit:AP

Theres no clearer example of the menacing spirit that is devouring the American Left than the disgraceful performance being staged by the Unselect Committee, Trump said, using the nickname he has given the January 6 Select Committee, which consists of seven Democrats and two Republicans. Theyre con artists.

Speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalitions Road to Majority conference in Tennessee, Trump also gave one of his strongest signals yet that he was planning another tilt at the White House in 2024, seemingly undeterred by the probe against him.
A bicyclist was killed and two others were seriously injured when a driver of a car crashed into them as they were biking on South Park Avenue near the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino Friday night, police said.

The incident took place just before 9 p.m. Friday.

Police said the driver of a Chrysler sedan was westbound on South Park when it hit a woman as she was riding her bike by the casino. The Chrysler kept going and hit two more women who were riding their bicycles near South Park and Columbia Street. The car then hit a vehicle parked near South Park and Mississippi Street and that vehicle in turn struck another parked vehicle.

The Chrysler finally stopped near the final crash.

The first bicyclist who was hit was taken to Buffalo General Medical Center where she was later pronounced dead. She was identified as a 29-year-old Buffalo woman.

The two other bicyclists, a 27-year-old woman from Getzville and a 32-year-old woman, were taken by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center. They were listed in serious condition, police said Saturday.

Investigators are trying to determine whether the driver of the Chrysler, a 33-year-old woman, suffered a medical emergency before the crashes.

Police have not filed any charges.

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Critics are condemning as inappropriate a Northtowns auction that features for sale World War II-era Nazi paraphernalia and the same model of assault rifle used in the Tops Markets attack.

The items are set to go on sale Saturday, the final day of a three-day auction at Schultz Auctioneers, though online bidding already has begun.

"However they frame it, they are making a profit on a horrific history. And there's no avoiding that," said Despina Stratigakos, professor of architecture and vice provost for inclusive excellence at the University at Buffalo, who has studied the burgeoning market for Nazi memorabilia. "And it is a thriving business, because there is a lot of money to be made."

The items from Nazi Germany feature Adolf Hitler's political manifesto "Mein Kampf" and other books about the Third Reich, a banner with a swastika and Iron Crosses and other military awards.

There's also an antique water sprinkler adorned with a caricature of a Black man.

Additionally there are two AR-15 style rifles, including the Bushmaster XM-15 model, which is the type of weapon purchased by the avowed white supremacist charged in last month's mass shooting on Jefferson Avenue.

"Just the fact that these guys are doing this a few miles from where 10 people were massacred shows their insensitivity and their willingness to do anything for a dollar, OK? That's just outrageous," said Garnell Whitfield Jr., the former Buffalo fire commissioner whose mother, Ruth, was killed May 14.

Schultz did not provide a comment for this article but this is not the first time Schultz and other area auction houses have sold similar items.

Firearms, military paraphernalia and items from a category often labeled as "Black Americana" are regularly listed  and purchased  at auction. Veteran auctioneers say they follow the law in handling weapons and the listings reflect the interests of collectors then and now.

"I have sold those pieces because my fiduciary responsibilities to the estate," said Stephen Phillips, owner of the Lodge Auction House in Buffalo, speaking of "Black Americana" items that some families have invested in for decades. "My responsibility is to make the estate the most money I possibly can."

Schultz Auctioneers is among a collection of businesses owned and operated by Kelly Schultz along the Clarence-Newstead border, including Kelly Schultz Antiques and the popular Great Pumpkin Farm.

Schultz Auctioneers' latest auction began Thursday and continues through Saturday. The antique estate auction boasts nearly 1,400 lots across categories including jewelry, art, toys, furniture and rare books.

A Rochester-area man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reached out to The Buffalo News after scrolling through the listings and seeing items that troubled him.

The man initially had emailed Schultz Auctioneers after seeing three Nazi-related items listed for sale in April.

"Nazi items and imagery are incredibly hateful and distasteful. You may have a legal right to sell these items but your choosing to do so makes me question your judgement and values," the man wrote, asking Schultz to commit to a policy, at the least, of not selling reproduction Nazi items.

The man followed up with The News after seeing the Nazi German items, the sprinkler and the assault rifles listed this week.

The lots in question, all listed for sale online and in person Saturday, include:

Is it appropriate to sell items from the period when Nazis held power in Germany?

The Jewish community opposes the resale of Nazi paraphernalia and others items that glorify a culture that perpetrated large scale genocide and the murder of six million Jews and millions of global citizens," Rob Goldberg, CEO of the Buffalo Jewish Federation, said in a statement.

UB's Stratigakos noted the sale of Nazi-related items is prohibited in Germany, leading to a robust illegal market for the goods there.

She said this memorabilia, a portion of it brought back to this country by U.S. Army veterans as war souvenirs, remains surprisingly popular and collectors have varied reasons for purchasing the items.

"I wouldn't want to go anywhere near it," said Stratigakos, author of "Hitler at Home," a study of the dictator's residences. "But for some people, that connection to history is something that they want to have."

And the Rev. Mark Blue, president of the Buffalo chapter of the NAACP, is concerned about both the Nazi memorabilia and the sprinkler, which shows a Black man wearing a straw hat and overalls with the water nozzle coming out of one of his knees.

The item has an opening bid of $50 and Schultz Auctioneers has previously sold similar items featuring caricatured images of Black men, women and children on postcards, Valentine's Day cards and other memorabilia dating back to the late 1800s.

"These artifacts, to me, should be destroyed. They shouldn't be sold," Blue said.

The assault rifles raise their own issues.

Auction houses can obtain licenses to legally sell such weapons. Local auction houses can't under state law sell assault rifles to New Yorkers, unless the resident has a federal firearms license. Out-of-town buyers must pick up the weapon at a licensed dealer in their own state, where a required background check would take place.

State Sen. Ed Rath, R-Amherst, emphasized that any auction house must follow state law in selling these weapons.

"That's really my main perspective on this is making sure that we are applying, successfully, and enforcing, successfully, the existing laws on the books with regards to gun sales," Rath said.

But Blue and Whitfield both say it's not appropriate to sell an assault rifle, particularly the Bushmaster model, so soon after the Tops massacre.

Wilson Curry, who has worked in the industry for 47 years, is known for selling a variety of vintage and collectible weapons but said he rarely lists for sale the types of assault rifles used in the Buffalo and Uvalde mass shootings.

"Those of us in the business, that run a legitimate firearms business, we grieve along with the rest of the country, trust me on that," said Curry, owner of Williston Auctions in Wales Center.

Phillips, owner of the Lodge Auction House, said he stays away from assault rifles, too.

"I don't even like handling it, personally," said Phillips, a former Schultz vendor who emphasized he's discussing his own business practices.

Phillips said he tries not to cater to extremist collectors.

"You know, for the young kids that do nothing but watch videos, it's important for them to realize what happened before so that it never happens again," he said. "So, I would actually list it, but I wouldn't say 'Nazi Party.' I would list it as 'German, World War II, 1940s.'"

Curry said he would sell Nazi German weaponry but not memorabilia. "That's not our genre," he said.

Curry said he has an estate auction coming in August that will feature a number of "Black Americana" items, including a hand-carved, post-Civil War marionette and other caricatures.

Curry said the items are part of the historical record and, he added, many of his best customers for them have been Black.

"I've never had anybody give me any grief over 'em," he said.

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Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Mostly cloudy and muggy with a few showers and a thunderstorm in the morning, then some afternoon sunshine and turning less humid late in the day. .

Tonight

Becoming mostly clear, cooler, and comfier.
WASHINGTON  Buffalo will be home to a new $11 million Veterans Affairs Medical Research Facility thanks to the efforts of Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer.

Schumer, a New York Democrat, announced Friday that the research facility was included in a bill passed by the Senate this week that provides health coverage to veterans who were exposed to smoke from burn pits and other environmental hazards. Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, also a New York Democrat, was the leading advocate of that measure, called the Honoring Our Promise To Address Comprehensive Toxins (PACT) Act.

VA proposal for new hospital in downtown Buffalo faces long, tough road "The aging Buffalo VAMC will be replaced with a rightsized facility proximate to Buffalos health care corridor in order to increase synergies with neighboring providers and resources," the VA said in its recommendations to a congressionally mandated commission reviewing the agency's health facilities.

The research facility, which will be located in a yet-to-be-determined location, will mean the VA's local research will no longer be done in an aging building constructed before the computer era. Instead, it will be located in modern space designed specifically for research.

What's more, the move will open up space at the Buffalo VA Medical Center on Bailey Avenue to allow the VA to expand its surgical and intensive care operations there.

This funding will foster groundbreaking research, create good-paying jobs, and help reduce wait times and give improved direct care to the thousands of veterans in Western New York and the surrounding areas," Schumer said. "I will always fight to make sure our Buffalo veterans get the care they need, whether that means bringing new health care investments to the area or fighting to preserve those that are already here.

Michael J. Swartz, director of the Buffalo VA Western New York Healthcare System, said the new facility will help modernize the VA's research program while allowing for improvements at the VA hospital, including the construction of new operating suites.

"Including this funding in the PACT Act helps jumpstart these improvements by at least one year," Swartz said.

The move will happen even though the VA is considering building an entirely new hospital at or near the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, although that sort of move is more than a decade away.

The new research facility is expected to be finished much sooner than that, given that funding for it will be included in the 2023 federal budget.

'A huge, huge issue': Vets raise parking concerns about VA hospital at medical campus Some of the veterans are not happy about it being down at the medical corridor," said Marlene Roll, the national and state legislative chairperson for Veterans of Foreign Wars. "It just means fighting the traffic further in."

That came as good news to local veterans advocate Patrick W. Welch.

"I am very pleased to see this additional investment in our Buffalo VA Medical Center which will increase the research capabilities there and provide additional surgical and ICU option, Welch said.

The $11 million is a relatively small part of the PACT Act, a bipartisan effort to give Iraq War veterans and others who had been exposed to burn pits and other deadly toxin the full VA health benefits they had been denied. The bill now goes to President Biden for his signature.

"By establishing a presumptive service connection for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins, this legislation will finally ensure our nations finest will no longer be forced to jump through unnecessary hoops or carry the burden of toxic exposure alone," Gillibrand said.

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Buffalo police officers Friday evening shot a man whom investigators suspect of fatally shooting another man on Broadway and then firing at the officers' police car, Buffalo police said in an emailed statement released just before 10 p.m.

The suspect, whose name has not been released, was taken to Erie County Medical Center for his injuries. Police did not say how serious his injuries are.

The incident began just before 7:20 p.m. near the intersection of Broadway and Sear Street.

The officers, who are assigned to the Ferry-Fillmore District (C-District), "were on routine patrol when they pulled up on a male shot multiple times," police said, citing "initial reports."

The man who had been shot was declared dead at the scene.

Then, the suspect in the shooting "shot at officers at close range through the patrol vehicle windshield," police said in an emailed statement.

Police chased after the suspect on foot and shot at him. He was then taken to ECMC.

Police asked motorists to stay away from the area due to the investigation.

Detectives with the Buffalo police homicide unit and the internal affairs unit are investigating.

Police have not released the names of anyone involved in the incidents.

"It is way early in the investigation," said Thomas H. Burton, an attorney representing both officers. "Every indication is that this was a righteous use of deadly force. When the details come out it is clear these officers avoided being shot by a hair's breadth."

According to department protocol, the officers were examined at ECMC, Burton said.

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Although she always planned to raise her family in the Roman Catholic church, Janelle Vielfaure didnt expect to have to cope with the fallout of a global pandemic while her children were infants.

Although she always planned to raise her family in the Roman Catholic church, Janelle Vielfaure didnt expect to have to cope with the fallout of a global pandemic while her children were infants.

As a newly married couple, we always imagined going to church every Sunday and our kids growing up among other families, says the mother of three young daughters.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Janelle and Eric Vielfaure spent most of the last two years at home with their children, now ages four, two and nine months old, rarely attending services because of gathering restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19.

We didnt have that at all.

Instead, Vielfaure and her husband Eric spent most of the last two years at home with their children, now ages four, two and nine months old, rarely attending services because of gathering restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Now back in the pews at their home parish of St. Boniface Cathedral, Vielfaure realizes that not only did her young children miss out on worship experiences, but many other parishioners missed seeing her family every weekend.

I did notice when we started coming back the elderly people gravitated toward us, she says of the response of older parishioners.

It just makes their day to see our kid and every Sunday they come to us and say they are happy to see us.

Making up the nucleus of any congregation, families of all shapes and sizes will be celebrated in a big way on Sunday, June 19, at an outdoor mass at St. Boniface Cathedral, marking the conclusion of the World Year of Families in the Catholic Church. Sponsored by the dioceses of Winnipeg and St. Boniface, the event precedes a worldwide gathering of families in Rome on June 26.

This is a really great opportunity to get together as a community and celebrate families, says organizer Sophie Freynet-Agossa, co-ordinator of marriage, family and life service for the Archdiocese of St. Boniface.

Times have been hard for families, and I think families need to celebrate.

Freynet-Agossa attended the previous world meeting of families, held in Philadelphia in 2015.

The morning begins with a rosary prayer at 10 a.m. and mass in French and English at 10:30 a.m. presided by Archbishop Albert LeGatt and Rev. Ward Jamieson, marking the first time in three years a large public event has been held at the Cathedral.

Sundays event, which falls on Fathers Day, will also feature readings in many of the languages spoken in the diocese, including Vietnamese, Tagalog, Ukrainian, Eritrean and Spanish.

That inclusion speaks to the diversity of Roman Catholics in Manitoba, says Andrew De Leon, who moved to Canada from the Philippines two decades ago and now attend St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic parish.

We should be united and celebrate Christ as a family, says De Leon, one of the readers for the Sunday mass.

Its a more visual representation to who we are as families of different cultures.

Living in a multi-generational household of five adults, De Leon says Filipino culture views family as broad, flexible groups, including friends, neighbours and distant relatives.

I think we are called to be in community with other people and not be exclusive, says De Leon.

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When theres a need in a family, everyone pitches in, and everyone comes to your aid.

That sense of pitching in led Diane Belanger to organize a teen-specific liturgy during the Sunday masses at St. Boniface Cathedral a month ago. After seeing more families attend once restrictions eased, she now offers a short liturgy and discussion time in the cathedral basement specifically for teens, attracting about 20 each Sunday.

Im amazed about it and the people in the parish are amazed about it, says Belanger, catechism co-ordinator for French parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Boniface.

They (the teens) are the church of today and tomorrow and we have to do something for them.

In addition to Sundays large celebration, the Archdiocese of St. Boniface plans to hold another community event on Friday, July 1, when it reprises the annual Canada Day multicultural mass and celebration on the Cathedral grounds, last held in 2019.

brenda@suderman.com
JASPER, ALBERTA - Parks Canada says a grizzly bear cub has been orphaned after its mother was fatally stuck on a highway in Jasper National Park.

Tourists take in the views from the newly opened Glacier SkyWalk near the Columbia Icefields in Jasper National Park, Alta., Wednesday, May 7, 2014. Parks Canada says a grizzly bear cub has been orphaned after its mother was fatally stuck on a highway in Jasper National Park. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

JASPER, ALBERTA - Parks Canada says a grizzly bear cub has been orphaned after its mother was fatally stuck on a highway in Jasper National Park.

A news release from Parks Canada says the mother was with her cub on Highway 16, about five kilometres east of the Jasper townsite, late Thursday night when a commercial transport truck hit her.

The release says the truck driver reported it to Parks Canada dispatch and remained at the scene until help arrived.

The cub was located early Friday, the release says, and appeared to be doing well.

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It says Parks Canada staff will closely monitor the cub in the days ahead.

It says the cub is old enough that it has likely learned some of the tools needed to survive on its own, and that removing or relocating bears is always a last resort.

"Removing wildlife from the landscape can have serious impacts on overall future bear populations and their viability, and relocating bears can increase the potential for conflict with other bears and reduce their chance of success," Parks Canada explained in the news release.

Parks Canada reminds motorists to help avoid collisions with bears by obeying posted speed limits, and by slowing down in areas of traffic congestion or when wildlife is spotted.

It also asks people to adhere to park wildlife viewing guidelines by staying in vehicles in the presence of roadside wildlife, and to report any serious or unsafe wildlife issues.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2021.
A coalition of concerned parents and community and religious leaders on Friday criticized a measure by the New York State Board of Regents to ease high school graduation requirements for students who are scheduled to graduate this month but failed Regents exams.

Students who passed their courses  and earned at least a 50% on their Regents exams  can earn a "local diploma" through a special determination process that was approved Tuesday by the Board of Regents.

Buffalo School Board approves pre-K for 3-year-olds in the district The Buffalo School Board on Wednesday unanimously approved an agreement with Say Yes Buffalo to establish a pilot program that would offer prekindergarten classes for 3-year-olds in the district. The classes would be held at community schools in the district, according to School Board Member at-large Larry Scott.

The provision affects high school seniors scheduled to graduate this month. The New York Equity Coalition, a statewide coalition that includes the Buffalo Urban League, Say Yes Buffalo and District-Parent Coordinating Council of Buffalo, issued a statement urging the Board of Regents not to make the measure permanent, calling the measure "rooted in the soft bigotry of low expectations."

Making it permanent would result in more students leaving high school unprepared to succeed in college or the workforce, said education activist Samuel L. Radford.

"It really is a disservice to us as taxpayers and a disservice to us as parents and students," Radford said at a news conference Friday in Bethesda World Harvest International Church in Buffalo.

Others who joined him at the news conference also opposed lowering the state's graduation standards.

"First of all, I think it is an insult to our community that we continue to dumb down education when it comes to Black and brown children," said the Rev. Michael Badger of Urban Think Tank.

Many students who graduate unprepared from Buffalo Public Schools will have to enroll in remedial courses when they get to college, he said.

"That means that the money that should be spent on college courses is spent on courses that they should have had in high school," he said. "The means also, for poor children, that by the time you graduate, five to six years later, you have more debt than the average student."

Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes had a similar observation, noting many of the unprepared students would fail to earn a college degree.

"You can't teach people how to live and how to work by lowering standards," she said.

Graduation rates in Buffalo have been inflated by the high number of exemptions approved for students who failed to pass the required number of Regents exams over the past two school years, Radford said.

In 2020, he said, 22% of students in Buffalo graduated with at least one exemption compared with only 2% of students who graduated from the Clarence School District.

"This is not compassion for our children," Badger said. "Compassion for our children is to ensure that they can read and write on grade level, and that they graduate college and are career ready."

Latrice Martin, a parent who spoke at the news conference, opposes easing the graduation standards.

The mother of three Buffalo Public Schools students said she took her 13-year-old son to school daily because he was not being picked up by a school bus during the pandemic. Martin said she did not want a blemish on her son's record of perfect attendance since kindergarten. Her son will attend Leonardo da Vinci High School in the fall.

"I am not for this," Martin said. "If he does not meet those standards, it is my job as his mother to make him level up."

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Freelance Winnipeg writer Sarah Lawrynuik travelled to Ukraine in May to cover the ongoing invasion by Russian forces.

KYIV  Early in the morning of Feb. 24, Dzvinka Ohrodynk clicked the button on the side of her phone, lighting up the screen.

"I saw a message from my friend and he said, OK, it started."

In those early hours, Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine and began shelling cities with long-range missiles.

Ohrodynk, 24, knew this was possible. Her bag was already packed. She had worked with the Canadian Armed Forces as a translator since 2018 in the western city of Lviv. When Canadian soldiers and officials pulled out of the country earlier in the month, she continued to do some translation work for the embassy, but now it was time for a career shift; she was off to the front lines of Russias renewed war with Ukraine to work as a medic.

"I already had my huge backpack packed and all the stuff I needed in one place. I had a bath. I was pretty calm and I was just waiting for my friend to pick me up and to go to the base because it was all arranged. I think we were preparing ourselves since, lets say, December. We were hoping that nothing would happen, but we were still preparing ourselves for the worst," Ohrodynk said.

As was learned with the Canadian militarys withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the locally-hired staff are typically left behind with little to no support when a mission is suspended. In Afghanistan, a more extreme example played out, with local translators targeted by the Taliban. But with Ukraine under attack, the lives of three young women who worked as translators for the Canadian military rocketed in different directions.

The first time Ohrodynk was exposed to trauma medical aid was when she was translating courses for the CAF as they trained their Ukrainian counterparts in a bilateral training mission called Operation UNIFIER. That mission began in 2015, shortly after Russia annexed Crimea and began backing an uprising in eastern Ukraine. She decided to sign up for additional combat medical training herself, thinking it would help her with her translation work. But she soon realized she excelled in these skills.

"I wasnt planning to do anything (with that training). Like, I always thought that being in the military and going to the war is for some super-humans," she said. "But after that week, I realized that if I can do this, then maybe I can try helping more. Because translation was my way to use my skills to help the country. But then I just thought, OK, maybe its time to give a more direct contribution to this common good."

In her last year of working as a translator  when she had vacation time  she covertly headed to the front lines to work as a medic in the eastern provinces. That role became full time with this years widespread invasion.

Early on, she worked in the Kyiv region as Russian forces pressed in on the capital. She wasnt in Bucha or Irpin  where Russian soldiers actions are now being investigated for war crimes, including torturing and taking civilians hostage, and execution-style killings  but from what shes seen, it was equally as gruesome in the other surrounding communities. For the first days, with no cell phone service, she and her team were flying blind, unsure of where they were, or what hospital had space for civilian or military patients.

The first three months of the conflict have left her a changed person.

SARAH LAWRYNUIK PHOTO Nastia Stafeichuk and her husband Serhii with their three-month-old daughter, Marharita.

"We were talking about it, me and some other medics in my team, and you just have to switch off some parts of your personality. You have to just switch off those parts that are building plans for the future," she said.

Ohrodynk sits near a fountain in the centre of Kyiv for the interview. Its a brief reprieve. Since Russian forces withdrew from the attack on the capital in early April, her unit has been enrolled in intensive training courses before they will be redeployed in the east. Shes only in Kyiv to visit a close friend in the military hospitals intensive-care unit.

It was a jarring and complicated feeling to be in Kyiv and see how life has pretty well gone back to normal in the city, she said, with the exception of the semi-regular echo of the air-raid siren blaring through the streets.

"At first, it was even irritating in a way. Previously, I was in another city, and it was really irritating to see people just living their normal lives, having their coffees and stuff. But then, I understand that its selfish to demand or to ask civilian people not to live their normal lives. Its something I gave up my normal life for others to have. So Im glad. Im super-glad to see how people are just going on a date, and just observing people chatting in the streets, having their coffee, just seeing kids play."

Her visit to her friend in the ICU  a friend she says is more like a brother to her  is the first person shes seen from her regular life since the war started. Shes thought about visiting her family who are safe in the west, but it feels like it would just be too difficult.

"To be honest, I dont even want to go there, just, you know, not to spoil everything because its complicated for them as it is. If I go there, then I have to leave again, itd be much more difficult. So I just stay away."

Nastia Stafeichuk, 27, wasnt working for the Canadian Armed Forces when the invasion began. She had taken a maternity leave, following two years of assisting Canadian troops, to care for her three-month-old daughter, Marharita. Now, half of her babys life has been as a child displaced by the conflict, with parents struggling to make ends meet in this new reality.

On Feb. 24 the family of three lived in Kherson, a city on the southern coast of Ukraine that has been fully occupied by Russian forces since March 2. Last month, the Russian government began issuing Russian passports in the region and shifting the currency from the Ukrainian hryvnia to the Russian ruble. But Nastia and her husband, Serhii, didnt wait to see how things would play out in Kherson; they left immediately when Russian shelling began.

"I woke up at 5:20 a.m. on Feb 24. I was going to feed my baby. But then I heard explosions and I thought, Is it fireworks? Or whats happening?" Stafeichuk remembers. "Then I went to (social media site) Telegram and I saw people are just texting in the group chat. Theyre just naming districts and saying, Do you hear that? Explosions. Explosions. I called to my husband, Wake up, wake up. Its war."

They hopped in the car with their daughter and headed inland in a long line of vehicles fleeing the region. They didnt know where they were going, but with no family anywhere else in the country save for Kyiv, which was also under constant attack, they eventually settled on the central western city of Vinnytsia.

"We decided to rent this hotel room and my husband was driving all night long and I was feeding my baby and the road was crazy because of all the people who were leaving. It was just a big column then all cars were detoured in a different direction. We didnt know why. So we just followed the column, we just thought, If people are going this way, then yeah, its probably OK," Stafeichuk said.

Prices for accommodations were steep. It became obvious in short order that they were going to run out of money. The couple had the rough equivalent of $270 to their name when the invasion started. Theyd been planning for their future, buying things for their new baby and a new, safer car. They hadnt been saving for an evacuation.

Making matters worse was that her husband lost his job overnight. Hed worked on a fishing vessel that operates in international waters, and since fighting-aged men cant leave the country, he cannot return to work to provide for his family.

SUPPLIED Iryna Manzholenko had never set out to serve in the military and intended to teach English, but when the opportunity presented itself to use her skills to serve her country, she jumped at it.

The International Labour Organization estimates five million jobs have been lost in Ukraine since the end of February, and should the conflict continue, that number could rise to seven million, which would account for roughly a third of the countrys workforce.

But almost immediately the texts from Canadian soldiers started coming, and while the CAF did not offer support, individuals she knew did. They offered to help her financially as she and her husband tried to find an apartment and cover costs that were rising quickly as supply chains ground to a halt.

"It was a big help because we really needed it and they supported us in that moment. And one even invited us to his home," Stafeichuk said.

But the idea of leaving her husband at the border and leaving for a different country alone was never something she realistically considered.

To try to support his family, her husband Serhii started working as an Uber driver. But in a matter of weeks, Ukraine was hit with a gas shortage. Most stations along the road have their price signs zeroed out. When theres the occasional station with gas, the lines of vehicles extend down the road.

On one day, Serhii waited in line for eight hours, only to be turned away when the station ran out. So hes headed back to the drawing board for work and Stafeichuk has had to start trying to find people online looking to learn English, so she can run some classes to cover the bills.

And the bills are big and unpredictable in the midst of a conflict. Initially, Stafeichuks mother stayed behind in Kherson, not wanting to leave her home or the city. But in early May, after the Russians had taken control of the city, Stafeichuk paid a local driver $200 to get her mother out.

"The drive, its like for 60 kilometres," Stafeichuk said. "And people took about $200 just to leave, to make it out alive. And its like crazy money for people whove lost their jobs, who are in queues every day just to buy some bread and flour and everything else."

For Stafeichuk, her reprieve is taking her daughter to the pool and letting her splash around. She takes videos of Serhii and Marharita playing in the water, a precious scene that wouldnt have been possible if shed fled across the border.

"Its the one thing that brings me peace."

Iryna Manzholenko, 23, worked with CAF for two years and had even relocated to continue working for them from the southern port city of Mykolaiv to Kyiv in December 2021.

Manzholenko had never set out to serve in the military, but rather shed studied English and completed her masters degree and intended to teach English, but when the opportunity presented itself to use her skills to serve her country, she jumped at it.

"I was always interested in the military sphere and in military activity. However, as a civilian, there are very few options for how you can get into it. And so I was very excited to work, especially with NATO representatives, and to assist our security forces in some kind of way," Manzholenko said.

SARAH LAWRYNUIK PHOTO Nastia Stafeichuk and her husband Serhii with their three-month-old daughter, Marharita.The family has found it a struggle to make ends meet.

She worked both as an adviser and an interpreter for the armed forces, assisting with training as the Canadian, British and Americans all brought personnel over on bilateral training missions between 2015 and 2022. But when CAF withdrew from Ukraine in early February, local staff were left in the lurch.

"They just left. No notice, no nothing. So I expected maybe a bit more explanation or a bit more care when they left. Not just leaving and thats it," Manzholenko said.

With no work and the threat of war looming large, Manzholenko returned to her hometown to stay with her brother, three hours outside of Kyiv. And then came Feb. 24.

"I remember the day because I was supposed to go with my brother to complete some (errands) early in the morning. And thats why I woke up earlier and I woke up to a lot of messages and some of them were actually from the Canadians because I still stay in touch with them," she said.

While her hometown was not targeted by Russians, another NATO country hired Manzholenko to do translation work for them in Gdansk, Poland. By March 1 she too had fled the country.

But that work dried up. Manzholenko again found herself without work, without a plan, in a foreign country. So, she decided to apply for a Canadian visa.

"I was not very set on it from the beginning when the war started; like, some friends from Canada were, like, If you want to come, if you feel unsafe, youre welcome here. They were very supportive, but I didnt see the need. But then, just because of the circumstances that I ended up here in Poland, I decided to try," she said.

In mid-May, after several weeks of waiting, feeling frustrated that she could neither go back to Ukraine or forward to her next destination, her visa and work permit was approved and she plans to travel to Canada later this month. The federal government says 115,000 Ukrainians have had visas approved and more than 30,000 have already arrived in the country since February.

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But even this decision to start her life over comes with guilt and a feeling of abandoning her family, friends and country, Manzholenko said.

"I talked to a friend and he said a very smart statement to me. He said, Find your fighting ground. And that really hit me because I do not need to necessarily go and grab a gun and go to battle to fight for my country. I can use the skills that I have to assist my country," she said.

"And so how I help myself cope is through talking about whats happening in Ukraine, like, sharing information on social media."

Several years ago, Manzholenko had spent a year in the United States as part of the exchange program. As a result, program alumni were given the opportunity to intern in Ukrainian ministries.

"I expressed an interest that I would like to be a part of some military-related ministry. And so right now Im helping out with the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine. So this is kind of a way for me to cope with this struggle and this guilt that Im having."

 Special to the Free Press
Rogers Communications Inc. will sell Freedom Mobile Inc. to Quebecor Inc. for $2.85 billion in a deal it hopes will appease federal regulators opposed to its proposed takeover of Shaw Communications Inc.

A woman walks past a Freedom Mobile store in Toronto, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016. Rogers Communications Inc. says it will sell Freedom Mobile Inc. to Quebecor Inc. for $2.85 billion in a deal it hopes will appease the concerns of federal regulators about its proposed takeover of Shaw Communications. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Rogers Communications Inc. will sell Freedom Mobile Inc. to Quebecor Inc. for $2.85 billion in a deal it hopes will appease federal regulators opposed to its proposed takeover of Shaw Communications Inc.

The cash-free, debt-free deal was announced late Friday and will see Quebecor buy all of Freedom's branded wireless and internet customers, as well as its infrastructure, spectrum and retail locations.

The parties were working to reach a deal for weeks, while the Competition Bureau has been seeking to block the $26-billion Shaw merger over concerns it would substantially prevent or lessen competition in wireless services.

Rogers, Shaw and Quebecor argued their agreement would effectively address those concerns and keep alive a "strong and sustainable" fourth wireless carrier in Canada because the deal would expand Quebecors wireless operations nationally.

This agreement between proven cable and wireless companies will ensure the continuation of a highly competitive market with robust future investments in Canadas world-class networks," said Tony Staffieri, president and chief executive of Rogers, in a release.

Shaw CEO and executive chairman Brad Shaw labelled the deal "an important milestone in our bold and transformative journey to join together with Rogers."

Meanwhile, Pierre Karl Peladeau, president and chief executive of Quebecor, called the agreement "a turning point for the Canadian wireless market."

"We have always believed that for there to be healthy competition in wireless services only a player with a proven track record can successfully enter the market," he said in the same release as Staffieri.

"This is a value-added transaction for all consumers and the Canadian economy."

Quebecor beat out several other parties to reach the deal.

Globalive Capital signed a network and spectrum sharing agreement with Telus Corp. in May to boost its bid to purchase Freedom. Formerly known as Wind Mobile, Freedom was founded by Globalive founder and chairman Anthony Lacavera in 2008.

Quebecor's offer was $900 million less than Globalive's bid, Lacavera said in an email to The Canadian Press.

He claimed Rogers didn't accept his bid because Globalive would be a long-term competitor, whereas Quebecor's Videotron is a regional cable company that cannot risk retaliation from the Big Three  Rogers, Telus Corp. and BCE Inc.

"Rogers is afraid to compete," Lacavera said. "They have shopped this deal to a succession of billionaire friendlies and friendly parties who wont compete with them (and) are willing to sell Freedom back to them at any time."

Eastlink, a Halifax-based telecommunications company, and New Brunswick-based rural internet provider Xplornet Communications Inc. were also said to be interested in Freedom.

The Rogers-Shaw transaction announced in March 2021 already has approval from the shareholders of Shaw and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

However, it remains subject to review by the Competition Bureau and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.

The Competition Bureau expanded its opposition to Rogers' proposed takeover of Shaw in new submissions made to the Competition Tribunal on Friday.

In legal filings released after markets closed, the agency challenged Rogers' claims about efficiencies and said acquiring its closest rival is anticompetitive and would harm consumers through higher prices, lower quality services and lost innovation.

It also argued the proposed sales of Shaw's Freedom is "not an effective remedy'' because it won't replace the growing competition Shaw Mobile would deliver in Alberta and British Columbia and would make Freedom "a subsequently weaker competitor'' than it would have been.

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The bureau said the efficiencies Rogers claims the deal will create are insufficient to offset the anticompetitive effects and are "speculative, unproven and unlikely to be achieved ... or are grossly exaggerated.'' It added that stated efficiencies are based on "unrealistic assumptions and flawed methodologies.''

The Competition Bureau also said a subsequent increase in prices would result in wealth flowing from low- and moderate-income groups to shareholders including ultrarich members of family ownership groups of the companies.

Five weeks of Competition Tribunal hearings on the matter are scheduled to begin the week of Nov. 7, followed by written and oral arguments.

-- with files from John Cotter in Edmonton

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2022.

Companies in this story: (TSX:RCI.B, TSX:SJR.B, TSX:T, TSX:BCE)
EDMONTON - The 97 Hot Pot restaurant in Edmonton's Chinatown used to be crowded on weekends, with some customers lining up and craving slow-cooked veggies, lamb and beef.

Director of Chinatown BIA, Wen Wong, pictured in Chinatown in Edmonton, Alta., on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. The core area of the city's Chinatown has seen a rise in violent crime. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

EDMONTON - The 97 Hot Pot restaurant in Edmonton's Chinatown used to be crowded on weekends, with some customers lining up and craving slow-cooked veggies, lamb and beef.

But that hasn't been the case lately.

Manager Vincent Lau says the killings of two workers from nearby shops last monthand years of social disorder in the century-old downtown neighbourhood have scared away many regulars.

"Business has died down significantly in the last few weeks," said Lau, who lives a 15-minute walk from the restaurant.

"Chinatown has been here for a long time, so it's sad to see. Being able to have a safer area would welcome more guests and more citizens to this part of the city."

Wen Wong, executive director of the Chinatown and Area Business Association, said the district in the McCauley neighbourhood has been deteriorating over the last 20 years.

The decline worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the oldest bakery in the community was burned to the ground and multiple other cases of arson and vandalism followed.

Edmonton police said there has been an increasing trend of violence, disorder, and property crime in areas including Chinatown, the downtown, and the transit system.

Wong said years ago, many Chinatown businesses stayed open late into the night to serve a busy clientele. Many close now by 6 p.m. and, during the day, operate with their doors locked so customers have to knock to get in.

"We surveyed our members and close to 100 per cent said Chinatown is extremely dangerous, especially at nighttime," said Wong, adding he doesn't walk outside at night.

Lau said the killing of Ban Phuc Hoang and Hung Trang a few blocks away from his restaurant has made it difficult to attract customers. Hoang was working inside his electronics store when he was attacked. Trang was found dead outside the autobody shop where he worked.

Lau said some of his larger male workers have been regularly walking servers out to their cars after shifts "because we're scared of what might happen."

Wong said addiction and mental health issues have worsened and more people have been in the area to access nearby social service centres.

Volunteers have been collecting as many as 300 needles a month in the community, which is just a few blocks from Edmonton's safe drug consumption sites, he said.

"I don't understand why and how safe injection sites and these centres were all placed near Chinatown," Wong said.

"We have a lot of homeless who come in and they don't want to leave," Lau added.

"We have to call the police, which sometimes takes up to an hour. By that time, they have made a mess."

Wong said he counted 150 businesses operating at the start of the pandemic and today there are about 120.

Children of many of the business owners tell their parents they don't want to continue running their family shops because of how challenging it has become, he said.

"We are having less and less Chinese owners, because they are getting old. It's hard for the Chinese community."

Lau and Wong agree two solutions would help Chinatown become the colourful, tourist-friendly and vibrant neighbourhood it was once: more security and fewer social service centres in the area.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi announced a plan last week to address crime. It includes $1 million to revitalize Chinatown, grants for businesses to upgrade their security, more public washrooms downtown and help for owners doing cleanup.

In the long term, the city plans to urge the province to stop releasing mental health patients and those released from provincial corrections facilities onto the streets. This, after questions have been raised about why the man charged with killing Hoang and Trang was dropped off in Edmonton by RCMP when a bail condition stated he could only be in the city for an addictions treatment program.

The city also wants to decentralize social services now concentrated near Chinatown over five years.

Edmonton police said it is also creating a strategy to increase community safety along with more officers in downtown areas.

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Wong said 12 security officers in cars, on bikes and on foot have been patrolling the area from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week since the funding was released. It will cover their costs for up to six months.

He's not sure about what will happen after that.

"We hope we will see a big change for the better."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2022.

---

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
The Assembly of First Nations says it has voted to suspend National Chief RoseAnne Archibald.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald speaks during a news conference ahead of a Tk'emlups te Secwepemc ceremony to honour residential school survivors and mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, in Kamloops, BC., on Thursday, September 30, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The Assembly of First Nations says it has voted to suspend National Chief RoseAnne Archibald.

The AFN's executive committee and board of directors say in a release Friday that her suspension is effective immediately pending the outcome of investigations into four complaints against her.

It says Archibald's suspension was prompted by public statements she made Thursday that breached her obligations to the AFN and are contrary to her oath of office, the AFN's code of conduct and its Whistleblower Policy.

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The AFN says Archibald has been ordered not to discuss the investigation publicly and is prohibited from attending its annual general assembly and chiefs assembly meeting next month.

In a statement Thursday, Archibald said she was being "undermined, discredited and attacked" for trying to clean up corruption in the AFN.

In her statement, Archibald called for a forensic audit and independent inquiry into the conduct of the AFN over the last eight years.

Regional Chief Paul Prosper, an AFN spokesman, said Friday in a statement that it is regrettable that it had to take this severe action "but we had no other choice."

"The National Chief has committed serious breaches of her obligations to the AFN through unfounded and unsubstantiated public attacks on the integrity of our organization and our employees that will only serve to undermine the good work we do as we continue to serve our First Nations communities," he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2022
A group of residential school survivors from Indigenous communities served by the Archdiocese of Saint Boniface will travel to Alberta to see Pope Francis speak when he visits the Prairie province in late July.

A group of residential school survivors from Indigenous communities served by the Archdiocese of Saint Boniface will travel to Alberta to see Pope Francis speak when he visits the Prairie province in late July.

A total of 55 representatives, about seven from each community, will be selected by the chiefs and band councils from the communities to travel by bus to Alberta. Transportation and accommodations will be paid for by the archdiocese.

Survivors will come from Poplar River, Berens River, Bloodvein, Little Grand Rapids/Pauingassi, Hollow Water, Manigotagan and Sagkeeng/Fort Alexander.

They will be accompanied by Archbishop Albert LeGatt, who said he looks forward to "spending time on the bus getting to know each other, to be with one another, to establish relationships."

For LeGatt, the visit is an opportunity to highlight the "changing and improving quality of the relationships" between the Roman Catholic Church and Indigenous people in Canada.

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The papal visit "is a gift that opens doors," he said, adding the Pope is "carrying a message of reconciliation and walking in harmony" with Indigenous people.

LeGatt encouraged those unable to go to Alberta to see the Pope to follow along via the media, "to be present for those moments."

After the Pope returns to Rome, Canadian Roman Catholics are invited "to inform ourselves, particularly from Indigenous voices and perspectives, to thus open ourselves up, to read Indigenous literature, to hear Indigenous stories, and to connect, one on one, with Indigenous people in our communities."

The papal visit (during which Pope Francis will make stops in Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit), LeGatt added, is "one step in the long journey of reconciliation which remains at hand."

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Winnipeg said they are also making plans for taking residential survivors to Alberta, but nothing is finalized.

faith@freepress.mb.ca
The Progressive Conservative government will spend more than $16 million to add desperately needed staff to the provinces long-term care sector, appealing to Manitobans to join the pandemic-weary workforce.

The Progressive Conservative government will spend more than $16 million to add desperately needed staff to the provinces long-term care sector, appealing to Manitobans to join the pandemic-weary workforce.

Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Scott Johnston said the new money will go towards recruiting and hiring 350 health-care aides and 72 registered and licensed practical nurses to Manitobas 125 licensed personal care homes.

Were here to reinforce our governments commitment to seniors in the province of Manitoba, Johnston said Friday, during a media event outside Deer Lodge Centre in Winnipeg.

The funding will come from the departments new $55-million budget, and will increase staffing ratios to 3.8 hours of resident care per day from 3.6, Johnston said. It is the position of the department and the government that we continue to increase.

For years, personal care home operators and health-care unions have called for staffing ratios to be increased to 4.1 hours of resident care per day. The minister did not say what the departments preferred ratio would be, but noted a needs assessment is underway.

Once we finish that evaluation, well have more of an understanding of exactly what degree we want to go to, Johnston said.

However, Health Minister Audrey Gordon acknowledged adding the promised 400-plus workers to boost staffing ratios will take time. She said a pan-Canadian solution to shortages within health care is required.

At the provincial level, (we) are working diligently to ensure that were using all the strategies that we can employ to make health care an attractive place to work, Gordon said. We want to see more individuals coming into our health-care system.

Implementing a robust workforce plan for care homes and increasing staffing levels were two of the 17 recommendations put forward by Lynn Stevenson, a former B.C. associate deputy minister hired to investigate the deadly COVID-19 outbreak at Maples care home in Winnipeg in fall 2020. Seventy-four staff and 157 residents were infected, and 56 people died.

The province will also spend $1.5 million on tuition supports and to provide recruitment incentives. An unspecified portion of the funding will go towards improving oversight for medical services and infection prevention and control.

Kathy McPhail, chairwoman of the Stevenson review implementation team, appealed to people searching for a career to consider the personal care home sector, adding financial supports may be available.

Although we would all like to see new staffing resources, all of them there immediately, the system requires time to educate and train staff and those tuition and recruitment investments are key to that effort, McPhail said, adding the government know more workers will be needed.

These are the building blocks of the transformation of personal care homes in Manitoba.

Manitoba Association of Residential & Community Care Homes for the Elderly vice-chairwoman Laurie Cerqueti said funding and recruiting additional staff is a step in the right direction. Cerqueti expects to see some improvements to staffing in the short term, but said there remains a long way to go.

As much of were glad to see funding for all of these other things, operational funding has been non-existent for probably the last 15 years, and when you look at how the cost of things has risen over the last year alone it is significant, Cerqueti said. It is difficult for operators to balance a budget.

The funding is the first investment in staffing in 15 years, Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba executive director Jan Legeros said, and is welcome news for the sector. However, additional spending to improve the quality of life for residents is needed.

Our seniors need to be engaged and active, Legeros said. They could, with the assistance of occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers, rehabilitation and recreational staff in long-term care enjoy a much higher quality of life.

The seniors minister said a boost to operational funding for personal care homes is under consideration by the provincial government.

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Meantime, CUPE 204 president Debbie Boissonneault said the new positions will likely be filled by temporary and uncertified health-care aides already working in the system.

We need full-time, permanent staffing increases, and we need mandatory legislated minimum staffing requirements in long-term care, Boissonneault said Friday.

The union, which represents health-care support staff, voted in favour of a strike last summer, after going five years without a contract. Negotiations are currently in mediation.

Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew said the provincial government has fought health-care workers and reduced training opportunities.

We know seniors need more direct care hours, and government should be aiming to meet the four-hour ratio, Kinew said. Seniors deserve a government that tackles the staffing shortage in PCHs immediately, not sometime in the future.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca
His lawyer argued he was so drunk he had no memory of the events that took place on that fateful night.

His lawyer argued he was so drunk he had no memory of the events that took place on that fateful night.

But the facts remain. On the evening of Saturday, July 15, 1950, Henry Malanik, 48, shot and killed Winnipeg police Det.-Sgt. James Edwin (Ted) Sims, 42, in a home at 19 Argyle St. in Point Douglas.

Winnipeg police Det.-Sgt. James Edwin (Ted) Sims who was shot and killed by Henry Malanik. (Supplied)

Malanik was tried, convicted and ultimately hanged 70 years ago  on June 17, 1952  giving him the dubious distinction of being the last person executed in Manitoba.

There is no way to romanticize the awful events of that horrific night. Somewhere in the police archives there is surely a faded file filled with black-and-white crime scene photos that paint a sombre and bloody portrait of the murder and mayhem Malanik committed.

Sims was a rising star in the police, a detective who was active in the community, respected by his colleagues and loved by his family. Although the tides on capital punishment in Canada were already tumultuously turning, there was little sympathy for Malanik and the resounding sentiment was that anyone responsible for the murder of a police officer should come to the end of their life at the end of a rope.

Although he wasnt a hardened career criminal like the often desperate cop-killers who typically make headlines for their heinous acts, Malanik, a plumber by trade, wasnt without his problems.

Born in Ukraine, he came to Winnipeg as a child in 1912 and had only a Grade 4 education. He was convicted of several break-and-enters at age 17, but stayed out of trouble until 1950.

Henry Malanik the last man to be executed in Manitoba. (Supplied)

That year, only a few months before the fatal shooting, Malanik and his best friend, Adolph Kafka, became involved in a bitter love triangle involving Kafkas wife; a drunken brawl with gunfire presumably ended their friendship. Both men pleaded guilty to discharging firearms and each received $50 fines.

In a twist of fate, the guns seized in the fracas were returned to Malanik by the police; one was the shotgun he used to kill Sims.

On the night of the shooting, Malanik attended a wedding where he consumed a significant amount of liquor, including a home brew, to the point he was kicked out of the event for fighting with the accordion player from the band Stan and His Range Riders.

Emboldened with whisky courage, Malanik climbed in his 1941 Dodge and drunkenly drove to his ex-friends home a few blocks away. There was a fight, and he ended up stabbing Kafka three times with an army dagger before fleeing, according to reports from the time.

The Headingley hangings (By execution date, name, age and crime). Sept. 3, 1931: John Strieb, 45, triple murder Feb. 1, 1932: James McGrath, 24, killed wife, 19, with butcher knife Feb. 2, 1932: Joseph Veroski, 34, robbed and murdered traveller Feb. 3, 1932: Andrew Bodz, 56, beat his wife to death click to read more (By execution date, name, age and crime). Sept. 3, 1931: John Strieb, 45, triple murder Feb. 1, 1932: James McGrath, 24, killed wife, 19, with butcher knife Feb. 2, 1932: Joseph Veroski, 34, robbed and murdered traveller Feb. 3, 1932: Andrew Bodz, 56, beat his wife to death July 12, 1933: Fred Stawycznyj, 45, murdered his illegitimate infant child Sept. 1, 1933: Peter Piniak, 26, murdered Martha and Eddie Squarok May 21, 1934: Julian Komarnicki, 35, axe murder May 22, 1934: Andrew Orichowski, 58, axe murder of wife Feb. 12, 1935: George Jayhan, 34, shot and killed Winnipeg police officer Aug. 21, 1936: John Pawluk, 49, murdered his wife Nov. 20, 1936: Ian Murray Bryson, 22, shot Const. Charles Gillis Jan. 27, 1938: Peter Kidala, 36, axe murder Feb. 16, 1939: William Kanuka, 40, double murder and attempted robbery Feb. 16, 1939: Peter Korzenowski, 28, double murder and attempted robbery Feb. 16, 1939: Dan Prytuula, 31, double murder and attempted robbery May 8, 1941: Nick Zhiha, 19, robbed and threw man from a train July 24, 1944: Albert Victor Westgate, 43, strangled woman Feb. 8, 1946: Baldwin Jonasson, 47, murdered 16-year-old girl April 16, 1948: Lawrence Deacon, 35, murdered taxi driver Nov. 5, 1948: Clarence George, 33, murdered his female lover Nov. 19, 1948: Michael Angelo Vescio, 22, sexually assaulted and murdered two boys May 9, 1950: Camille Allarie, 32, shot his husband-and-wife employers May 9, 1950: William Lusanko, 20, suffocated woman during robbery Jan. 17, 1951: Walter Stoney, 39, murdered his wife June 17, 1952: Henry Malanik, 48, shot Winnipeg detective during a domestic dispute (Manitobas last execution) Source: Canada Death Penalty Index Close

Two uniformed officers arrived at the scene and took Kafka to the hospital, where he was treated and released.

Three detectives, led by Sims, also arrived to investigate. While interviewing the remaining occupants  Kafkas wife, her parents and someone renting a room  Malanik burst into the home in a fit of rage with a 12-gauge shotgun, which he had hidden away nearby. The unarmed Sims pleaded with him to drop the gun.

"The detective cried, Dont be a fool, man. Put that gun away," the Winnipeg Free Press reported.

Malanik hesitated a second before pulling the trigger, blasting Sims with both barrels in the stomach at point-blank range. A second officer, acting detective William Anderson, was wounded. The third, acting detective John Peachell, returned fire.

Malanik was shot three times, with wounds to his left hand, shoulder and hip. He was, reportedly, laying on the floor next to Sims, sobbing and repeatedly begging the officer not to die.

"DETECTIVE SLAIN IN GUNFIGHT" screamed the Free Press front-page headline on Monday, July 17, accompanied by the underline "Exchange of Shots Wound Second Officer and Suspect."

The front-page coverage was extensive, featuring photos of the slain officer, detectives Anderson and Peachell and Malanik. It also included a photo of the bullet holes from inside the house, a photo of a Free Press reporter gazing at the spot outside the house where the wounded Anderson collapsed and a drawing of the homes layout, marking where the shooting occurred, where a window was blasted out and where Sims collapsed.

Sims, a 20-year veteran, was in charge of the overnight detective detail that night. When the chaos ended, he became the first slain Winnipeg officer since 1940.

The Free Press set the stage in a second front-page story:

As he walked into the detective department at Rupert avenue police headquarters at 11:45 p.m. Saturday, a phone message was received of a stabbing at 19 Argyle avenue.

He turned to two acting detectives, William H. Anderson and John H. Peachell.

"Youd better take this call, sadfellows."

WINNIPEGPOLICEMUSEUM.CA A map of the crime scene from the Winnipeg Police Museum website.

But then, thinking they would need help, he decided to join them.

Sims, hailed as "one of the most efficient members of the detective department," according to Chief Const. Charles MacIver, "had no chance to draw a gun."

MacIver went on to say Sims was a great loss for the force.

"He had a marvellous memory and knew every member of the citys underworld after he had once seen them. He never forgot a criminals face or his history."

Sims died the following morning, but Anderson survived. Malanik made a full recovery.

It was first believed Anderson was originally caught by the spray from the shotgun blast that killed Sims.

According to an article about the murder of Sims on the Winnipeg Police Museums website, former Winnipeg police officer and historian Jack Templeman wrote that it was later determined Anderson was shot accidentally by another officer, Const. J. Slot.

SUPPLIED Malanik (right), escorted by police. At the conclusion of the four-day trial on Oct. 21, 1950, the jury took just 40 minutes to return with a guilty verdict.

At the time, rookie officers were not permitted to carry guns, but it was suspected Slot had a pistol in his possession and, mistaking the plain-clothes detective for a suspect, shot him in the neck and abdomen when responding to the call for backup. Slot was subsequently fired for breaching regulations and falsifying his report.

There was little doubt, however, who shot Sims.

Malaniks lawyer, Harry Walsh, tried unsuccessfully to have him tried for manslaughter, arguing his clients extreme drunkenness at the time meant he was unable to form the intent for murder.

One witness, Dr. Gordon Burland, who treated Malanik at the Winnipeg General Hospital (now part of Health Sciences Centre), told court he could smell alcohol on Malaniks breath and that he was loud and difficult to control.

However, at the conclusion of the four-day trial in October 1950, the jury took just 40 minutes to return with a guilty verdict. The front-page Free Press headline summed it up succinctly: "Malanik To Die Jan. 17."

Nearly two years after the Argyle Street shootout, Malanik was hanged at Headingley shortly after 2 a.m., on June 17, 1952.. (Corrections Museum of Manitoba)

A second trial was ordered after a successful appeal. Two appeal judges quashed the murder conviction, reducing it to manslaughter. The other three judges called for a new trial.

Malanik took the stand in his defence in May 1951, saying he had blacked out due to excessive drinking at a wedding party. The next thing he remembered was waking up on a stretcher.

"How can I say if I remember anything or not?" an agitated and tense Malanik told court. "I have been in the death cell for nine months. I hardly remember if Im even existing."

The jury deliberated for nine hours before returning with a murder conviction. He was sentenced to be hanged at Headingley Jail. His lawyer appealed, again arguing Malanik couldnt form intent due to excessive drunkenness.

Coverage of Malanik's execution from the June 17, 1952 Winnipeg Free Press.

In total, Malanik was granted five execution stays before his appeals ran out.

Nearly two years after the Argyle Street shootout, he was hanged at Headingley shortly after 2 a.m., on June 17, 1952.

The death merited a 16-paragraph story on Page 8 of the Free Press, under the headline, "Malanik Dies On Gallows After Prayer."

According to the story, Malanik entered the execution chamber 30 seconds before he was hanged.

He smiled at prison officials as he walked to the gallows and then recited the Lords Prayer with his spiritual adviser, Salvation Army Maj. Stanley McKinley, who had been a regular visitor while Malanik awaited his fate during the trials and appeals.

Malanik was dressed in a white shirt and brown trousers.

Capital punishment in Manitoba Nearly two years passed from the night of the bloody shootout to Henry Malaniks date with the hangman. Justice in 1928, however, was much swifter. Earle Nelson, a.k.a. the Strangler, believed to be the first serial killer in North America, killed 24 women in the United States and left a trail of victims from San Francisco to Chicago. Manitoba was Nelsons first  and last  Canadian stop. click to read more Nearly two years passed from the night of the bloody shootout to Henry Malaniks date with the hangman. Justice in 1928, however, was much swifter. Earle Nelson, a.k.a. the Strangler, believed to be the first serial killer in North America, killed 24 women in the United States and left a trail of victims from San Francisco to Chicago. Manitoba was Nelsons first  and last  Canadian stop. He murdered Winnipegger Lola Cowan, 14, and another local woman in a 24-hour span. A massive manhunt that took the city by storm ensued. The terror lasted until the Strangler, described in the pages of the Free Press as a pathetic-looking man with a hound-dog face and vacant stare, was caught a week later in the village of Wakopa, in southwest Manitoba. He was hoping to return to the States; the border was only 10 kilometres away when he was caught. Nelson was tried and convicted in a Winnipeg courtroom and hanged in the Vaughan Street Jail only 60 days later. Joseph Michaud, a young soldier from Quebec City stationed in Winnipeg, was the first person to be tried, convicted and executed in Manitoba in August, 1874 for brutally killing a man after a night of hard drinking in the many saloons operating at the time on the citys burgeoning Main Street. Michaud was described as a good man who changed terribly when imbibing. Following his execution, where a large crowd was on hand and a black flag fluttered atop the jailhouse, fellow soldiers carried his coffin from the gallows to a nearby cemetery for burial. Perhaps the most disturbing piece of Manitoba capital punishment history surrounds the controversial case of Lawrence Deacon, who was convicted in two separate trials of murdering Winnipeg taxi driver Johann Johnson. Despite a number of unsuccessful appeals by his lawyer, Harry Walsh, Ottawa rejected pleas and ignored petitions with more than 15,000 signatures and ultimately refused to commute the death sentence. The evidence against Deacon was circumstantial at best, and the lone witness for the Crown had a beef with him and continually changed her story. Longtime Free Press reporter William Morriss wrote in his memoir in 1997 that he witnessed six men hanged at Headingley Jail while covering trials and executions for the paper  and that he strongly believed Deacon was innocent of the crime. Deacon, 35, was hanged at Headingley on March 31, 1948. In October, 1970, Thomas Shand was sentenced to hang for murdering Winnipeg Police Detective Ronald Houston, with execution set for June 10, 1971 at Headingley Jail between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. Shand was the second person that year to receive the death sentence from a Manitoba jury. Clifford Lurvey was convicted of killing St. Boniface Police Const. Leonard Shakespeare in March 1970. Both killers sentences were commuted to life. Although he was spared the noose, Shand was the last man sentenced to hang in Manitoba. A total of 52 people were executed in Manitoba between August 1874 and June 1952, when Henry Malanik became the last man executed in this province. Only one woman was executed in Manitoba; Hilda Blake was hanged at the Brandon jail Dec. 27, 1899, for shooting and killing another woman in a fit of jealous rage. The last two people executed in Canada were Ronald Turpin, 29, and Arthur Lucas, 54, convicted for separate murders, at 12:02 a.m. on December 11, 1962, at the Don Jail in Toronto. The last person sentenced to death in Canada was Mario Gauthier on May 14, 1976, for the murder of a prison guard in Quebec. He received a reprieve on July 14, 1976, when the House of Commons finally voted 130-124 to abolish the death penalty with the exception of some National Defence Act offences. At the time, there were 11 men on death row in Canada, all of whom had their sentences commuted to life in prison. From 1867 to 1976, Canada sentenced 1,481 people to death and executed 710 of them. A 2012 survey conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion in partnership with the Toronto Star found that 63 per cent of Canadians surveyed nationwidebelieve the death penalty is sometimes appropriate, with 61 per cent believing capital punishment is warranted for murder.  Willy Williamson Close

His executioner  believed to have been Camille Branchaud, who was on the Quebec government payroll as a hangman  was reportedly wearing a colourful Hawaiian shirt and a black beret. Branchaud executed people in other areas of the country on a contract basis.

There were about 40 witnesses present.

Malanik was described as looking healthy; he had gained weight while behind bars, some observers suggested.

His weight, it turned out, was misjudged by the hangman, resulting in his jugular being severed  causing blood to spurt from his neck.

He was pronounced dead two minutes later by the provincial coroner.

Willy Williamson is a Free Press editor and a former Manitoba corrections officer.

willy@freepress.mb.ca
Winnipeg needs a "tree trust" to preserve its canopy, says mayoral candidate Shaun Loney.

He announced Friday that if he is elected mayor on Oct. 26, he would establish an independent group to get funding from philanthropic foundations and the federal government for organizations that protect the citys trees.

"I certainly commend council for increasing the tree budgets, but we need to do something entirely different, were losing our tree canopy rather rapidly," Loney told the Free Press.

This year, the city increased its urban forestry operating budget by $2.3 million to $38.8 million.

Loney promised to work with council to ensure the "tree trust," which would be mandated to employ workers from disenfranchised backgrounds, "allows the city to begin to treat trees as infrastructure."

"When we treat trees as infrastructure, we can see that it becomes like pavement and pipes, and a lot more money is dedicated toward trees," he said. "Were able to acknowledge the financial benefits that trees provide the city failure to keep up with replacing the trees is actually reducing city revenues by reducing property values."

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Mayoral candidate Shaun Loney wants to establish an independent group to get funding from philanthropic foundations and the federal government for organizations that protect the citys trees.

In response, mayoral candidate Scott Gillingham, currently councillor for St. James, said a trust model would create risks.

"I think that the city would not be able to focus capital and management and other parts of resources theres a lot we can do to improve services around establishing new trees and protecting our tree canopy, but I dont think that a trust model, which would move it more outside the citys jurisdiction, would be the way to go," he said.

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He wouldnt give details about his campaigns approach to tree preservation.

Trees Winnipeg spokesman Matt Vinet said while Loneys idea seems positive, the city should focus on removing trees infected with Dutch elm disease in a timely matter. When trees marked for removal arent cut down right away, Vinet said, the disease spreads faster.

"We have a huge canopy of elm trees in the city that I dont think anybody realizes are going to be completely gone in 10 years at this rate," he said.

There are hundreds of diseased trees marked for removal that were supposed to be taken down months ago, he said, and he hopes the next mayor chops away at the backlog.

"Were about to start surveillance and tagging trees in 2022. Theres still trees sitting with elm bark beetles in them, theyre carrying Dutch elm disease, from 2021," he said.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca
The woman walked out of the doctors office that day feeling violated.

It was 2011, she was 19 and she had an appointment for her first full physical exam with the physician shed been seeing since she was a baby. But she knew he wasnt supposed to touch her that way.

"I asked him to stop," she said. "He was just very reassuring, very calm, (saying) This is what a physical is.  It was very sick."

Afterward, she told her family and friends what happened. Many believed her but some minimized her concerns and discouraged her from going to the police, she said. They said it would be a difficult process for her, considering it would be her word against a prominent physicians.

"I felt like I had no power," she said.

Doctor timeline: 1990: Arcel Bissonnette begins practising medicine in Manitoba. 2001: The alleged assaults begin, according to court documents. Sometime on or prior to Jan. 8, 2019: At least one person makes a complaint to the College of Physicians and Surgeons Manitoba regarding concerns about Bissonnette. click to read more 1990: Arcel Bissonnette begins practising medicine in Manitoba. 2001: The alleged assaults begin, according to court documents. Sometime on or prior to Jan. 8, 2019: At least one person makes a complaint to the College of Physicians and Surgeons Manitoba regarding concerns about Bissonnette. Jan. 8, 2019: In response to the complaint, CPSM has Bissonnette sign a voluntary undertaking accepting the following condition on his licence: A female attendant must be present during a breast or pelvic examination of a female patient. He is required to post a notice about this condition in his practice. Still, for three patients, the alleged sexual abuse continues, according to court documents. Nov. 5, 2020: Ste. Anne police arrest Bissonnette, charging him with six counts of sexual assault. The alleged offences involve female patients and took place between 2004 and 2017 while he was working at the Ste-Anne Hospital and the Seine River Medical Centre. Police did not say how long Bissonnette was under investigation but referred to the probe as lengthy. Nov. 6, 2020: Bissonnettes practitioner profile is removed from the colleges website. A court condition bars him from practising medicine and the college also asks him to sign another voluntary undertaking stating he wont practise medicine. When physicians cease practising, the college wipes their online profiles. Oct. 21, 2021: Police charge Bissonnette with 16 more counts of sexual assault. Sainte-Anne Police Chief Marc Robichaud said more patients came forward with allegations of abuse after his 2020 arrest. According to court documents, the alleged offences spanned 19 years, taking place between 2001 and 2020. Resources for survivors of sexual violence: Klinic Community Healths 24-hour sexual assault crisis line can be reached at 204-786-8631. The SANE program at Health Sciences Centre can be reached by 204-787-2071 and asking for the SANE on-call nurse. More information at klinic.mb.ca and hsc.mb.ca/emergency. Close

So she stayed silent for nearly 10 years. But after learning through news reports in November 2020 that her doctor  Arcel Bissonnette  was charged with six counts of sexual assault involving patients, she knew she needed to come forward. By October 2021, she was one of at least 16 more women who had reported allegations of sexual assault to police. Bissonnette, who is in his early 60s, is now charged with 22 counts of sexual assault for alleged incidents spanning nearly 20 years in both Ste. Anne, a community 45 kms east of Winnipeg where he practised, and Lorette, located just southeast of Winnipeg, according to court documents.

None of the allegations have been proven in court and he is presumed innocent. Bissonnettes lawyer did not respond to requests for comment. Bissonnette was released on bail and his medical licence has been suspended.

The woman, who cant be named due to a publication ban, was stunned to recently learn someone had raised concerns about him with the physician watchdog, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM), nearly two years before he was arrested. The college responded to the complaint by placing gender-based conditions on Bissonnettes licence in January 2019. (She stopped going to Bissonnette after the alleged sexual abuse a decade ago.)

If shed known someone else had raised concerns, she would have gone to police sooner, she said.

The Seine Medical Centre in Ste. Anne, where Dr. Arcel Bissonnette had his office. (Katie May / Winnipeg Free Press)

Instead, the regulatory body kept those concerns secret, allowing Bissonnette to continue practising for another year and 10 months. According to a Free Press review of court documents, three of the eventual 22 charges are dated to alleged incidents during that time, despite a condition placed on him by CPSM requiring him to have a female chaperone present while conducting breast and pelvic examinations on female patients.

The secrecy surrounding this case and others is the subject of a Free Press investigation into how the CPSM handles allegations of physician misconduct. Critics argue the colleges approach places the protection of physicians ahead of patients, leaving patients potentially exposed to everything from inappropriate behaviour to criminal offences. One advocate for survivors of sexual violence said the college has "failed" patients.

CPSM registrar Dr. Anna Ziomek declined to be interviewed for this story. The CPSM would only respond to questions by email.

In a submitted statement, Ziomek said disciplinary action has been imposed only in a small number of cases and that there are other ways to ensure patient safety.

"CPSM ensures qualification requirements for licensure are met, sets high standards of competence and practice, and monitors the quality of the practice of registrants, all of which contribute to patient safety," she said in the statement. "We are continuously reviewing our processes to identify where improvements for quality care and patient safety can be made, including our Standards of Practice."

We are continuously reviewing our processes to identify where improvements for quality care and patient safety can be made, including our Standards of Practice.  Dr. Anna Ziomek, CPSM registrar

Critics say its imperative the college updates its practices and that the province overhauls legislation governing the college  the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA), which covers all of Manitobas regulated health professions  to guarantee transparency and better patient protection.

Currently, much of how the college handles physician misconduct happens behind closed doors. What is known is that when the college receives a complaint, it takes one of four steps: resolves them through "facilitated communication;" refers them to the colleges complaints committee; refers them to the investigation committee; or dismisses them. Even if the complaint is possibly criminal in nature, the college typically only reports matters to police if they involve minors.

The colleges official mandate speaks mostly to its role in regulating the profession and ensuring its members are meeting standards set out by law. However, the college also said its role is to protect the public and "promote the safe and ethical delivery of quality medical care by physicians in Manitoba."

One critic argues the very foundation of the colleges structure  self-regulation, or doctors overseeing doctors  commits the college to prioritizing physicians and their interests over patients.

"The system is fundamentally broken," said Paul Harte, a Toronto-based medical malpractice lawyer.

The government, or an independent oversight body, would be best positioned to take over regulatory duties, said medical malpractice lawyer Paul Harte. (Tijana Martin/ Winnipeg Free Press)

Self-regulating professions are inherently flawed, he said, in that there is often little external oversight and those in charge are elected by their peers, leading to a greater incentive to maintain the status quo, rather than pushing for transparency and stricter discipline. The government, or an independent oversight body, would be best positioned to take over regulatory duties, Harte said.

In her statement, Ziomek said the CPSM is "bound to operate within the framework of the RHPA."

"We exercise the provisions that allow for transparency to their full extent. We recognize some improvements can be made, but overhauling the RHPA extends beyond CPSMs medical regulatory authority and can only be amended by the Legislative Assembly."

Health Minister Audrey Gordon declined an interview request. An unnamed government spokesperson said it would be "inappropriate" for her to "comment on a specific case."

Harte, meanwhile, said the focus should be on victims of abusive physicians and what could be done to stop them. The Bissonnette case specifically raises questions about how CPSM operates, he said.

"The public is left to simply trust without verification that the system is working," Harte said. "And then when you have situations like Bissonnette come up, the public is left wondering, Well, what happened?"

Harte believes the college should make all complaints against physicians public. Such a move would pull back the curtain on what they are accused of and how the college is handling the complaints. For example, even if a physician regularly receives similar complaints that are eventually dismissed, making that information public could at the very least suggest to patients they should be on the alert, and should compel the college to examine underlying issues, such as poor communication with patients, Harte said.

Either way, Bissonnettes patients deserved to know more, he said.

A second victim, who alleges Bissonnette sexually assaulted her for nearly 15 years, agrees, saying patients should have been warned he was under investigation.

"I dont understand the oversight," she said through tears.

Sonam Khangura, a frontline worker with Vancouver Rape Relief, said the colleges current practices serve to protect physicians, leaving patients vulnerable to harm.

"The college of physicians had a duty to protect women and they failed," Khangura said.

Khangura said the college should have immediately contacted patients and informed them about why Bissonnette was required to have a condition on his licence. Then, the college should have done a "quick and thorough" investigation to assess the matter and resolve it appropriately, she said.

Christy Dzikowicz, executive director of the Toba Centre, which works with survivors of child abuse in Manitoba, agrees the CPSM needs to be more transparent.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Christy Dzikowicz, executive director of the Toba Centre. The centre works with survivors of child abuse in Manitoba. (Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press files)

"If we ever want to prevent these things from happening, we have to take misconduct allegations seriously," Dzikowicz said. "If they felt it was serious enough that (Bissonnette) had to have a female chaperone with him, then that sounds serious enough to share with the clients that he serves."

Lorian Hardcastle, an associate professor with the University of Calgarys faculty of law, said patients deserve to know if serious complaints have been lodged against their physician. Firstly, it promotes trust with patients, and secondly, it can encourage potential complainants to come forward.

"Its important for those people who  theyre not sure if they want to report, theyre not sure if theyre misinterpreting the situation  for those people to be able to go and look and, if theres been something in the past, that might be the thing they need to embolden them to report," she said.

That doesnt happen in Manitoba.

CPSM spokesperson Wendy Elias-Gagnon said in accordance with the RHPA, the college makes public final disciplinary decisions after an investigation has concluded, but not details of allegations prior to the decision being released. And those investigations can take longer than a year.

"There is currently no process in place for notifying a physicians patients of an investigation (and) we cannot alert other potential complainants due to the privacy requirements of the RHPA," Elias-Gagnon said in an email.

The CPSM also refuses to reveal details about the initial complaint it received against Bissonnette, including the nature of the complaint, if multiple complainants came forward and when the complainant(s) reported, citing "confidentiality reasons" under the RHPA. The college will only say it received at least one complaint relating to "concerns," which led to Bissonnette signing a "voluntary undertaking" restricting his licence in January 2019.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba Investigation Committee Policy Interim Suspension and Imposition of Conditions (2019) (Winnipeg Free Press)

The condition required Bissonnette to have a female attendant present during breast or pelvic examinations of female patients. He was required to post signage informing patients of as much in his practice and the college was also required to note the condition on his online profile. The CPSM said it was not aware he breached any conditions of the restrictions on his licence, nor has it "received allegations of misconduct occurring" while the restriction was in effect.

The colleges policies state such conditions are meant to protect patients, pending the outcome of an investigation.

But one of the victims said patients deserve to know about serious allegations against physicians so they can make informed decisions about their health care. Instead, she was kept in the dark.

"Im just super f-----g angry," she said.

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The other victim who alleges she was sexually assaulted in 2011 said she feels guilty, thinking she could have stopped him sooner.

She said she "absolutely" would have reported what allegedly happened to her, had she known others were allegedly enduring what she went through  had the CPSM made the initial complaint public. Shes outraged the CPSM never suspended his licence, something that the colleges policies state is an interim option.

In response, the college said courts in Canada have decided "regulators such as CPSM should not impose interim suspension based on allegations alone." Its unclear what court cases the CPSM is referring to.

Thats not good enough for the victim.

"Why would you let a predator practise?" she asked.

katrina.clarke@freepress.mb.ca
Three men are facing charges after police targeted a scrapyard in a four-month investigation  dubbed Project Precious  into sales of stolen catalytic converters, as thefts skyrocket in Manitoba.

Three men are facing charges after police targeted a scrapyard in a four-month investigation  dubbed Project Precious  into sales of stolen catalytic converters, as thefts skyrocket in Manitoba.

Heavily armed officers from the Winnipeg police tactical support team were involved in a raid at a lot in the Rural Municipality of Springfield, just east of the city, on June 2.

City police spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon said people at the scrapyard were suspected of buying "large quantities" of stolen converters and trafficking them for a "lucrative" sum.

"Over the four months, (officers) learned that (scrapyard) was a prevalent player in taking these stolen catalytic converters and then selling them to a third party, so thats how both the buyer and seller were profiting," McKinnon said at a news conference Friday. "Sellers were profiting quite well."

Converters are part of a vehicles exhaust system, converting pollutants to less toxic material. Theyre valuable because they contain trace amounts of precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium.

CHRIS KITCHING / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Tactical officers were involved in the raid because the scrapyard is large and "its always better to be safe and well prepared," police spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon said.

Witnesses said they saw police at Backyard Auto and Truck Parts, located at 2216 Springfield Rd. between Day and Redonda streets, around 10 a.m. on June 2.

A man, who asked not to be named, saw officers with rifles while unmarked police SUVs were parked in front of the scrapyard.

"I had no idea what was going on," he said.

Photos provided to the Free Press show tactical police at the scrapyard and an officer using a vehicles hood to support his rifle at a neighbouring property.

The scrapyards gates were locked Friday. Phone calls were not answered.

Officers allegedly found 13 converters during the raid. Police alleged the business was involved in sales that dealt with "multiple" converters at a time.

SUPPLIED Photos provided to the Free Press show tactical police at the scrapyard and an officer using a vehicles hood to support his rifle at a neighbouring property.

McKinnon said police seized documents for transactions, $12,500 in cash, nine grams of cocaine with a street value of $900, about 300 grams of cannabis worth $3,000 and two grams of magic mushrooms valued at $300.

Tactical officers were involved in the raid because the scrapyard is large and "its always better to be safe and well prepared," she said.

Two Anola men, aged 35 and 48, are facing a range of charges related to stolen property and drugs. Both were released on a notice to appear in court.

Winnipeg resident Robert Jeffries Lytle, 43, was charged with possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 and failing to comply with a release order. He was held in custody.

Lytle has convictions for possession of property obtained by crime, theft, assault with a weapon and drug possession, court records show.

He faces unrelated and outstanding charges of operating a motor vehicle while prohibited and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle for an alleged incident Sept. 18, 2020.

SUPPLIED Three men are facing charges after police targeted a scrapyard in a joint four-month investigation  dubbed Project Precious  into alleged sales of stolen catalytic converters.

The Winnipeg police property crime unit led Project Precious and the Springfield Police Service assisted.

The probe was given its name based on the precious metals that make converters so profitable.

Springfield police said it first became suspicious of a business about 18 months ago. Being a small service with only four members, it didnt have enough resources to do a large-scale investigation on its own.

It turned to the RCMP and Manitoba Public Insurance to pursue investigative avenues. Months later, Project Precious "led police to the same business, confirming everyones suspicions," said Springfield police in a release.

For theft victims, it can cost hundreds or more to replace a converter. For thieves or traffickers, sales of stolen converters can net hundreds or thousands of dollars, with thefts in Winnipeg quadrupling in the last year, said McKinnon.

MPI figures show theft-related claims in Manitoba have soared since 2020, when there were 336.

MPI reported 1,564 claims in 2021 and 1,248 in the first five months of 2022.

A total of 336 incidents were reported to Winnipeg police in 2020, followed by more than 1,600 in 2021.

Police are working with the province and MPI "on the best way to target the thefts," said McKinnon.

"It isnt always very easy to catch the thieves as its happening," she said, noting how difficult it is to prevent thefts. "This is a crime of opportunity and, unfortunately, if your vehicle is targeted its nothing that you did wrong."

A CAA Manitoba spokesperson said there isnt a "foolproof way" to secure a converter to a vehicle.

If possible, the spokesperson said, people should use surveillance cameras or motion-sensor lights, or park in a locked garage to deter thieves.

Drug addiction is fuelling the rise in thefts, police said.

"Property crime is an opportunity to help feed the addiction in terms of getting money for what youre trading in," said McKinnon. "This was a means of money for people likely involved in methamphetamine and other drug (addictions)."

She assured the public that officers are committed to tackling the problem. The service would welcome legislation with a measure that requires unique identifiers to be etched onto converters to make it easier to identify owners.

"Until there is something to trace a stolen catalytic converter back to an owners vehicle, theres not really any way to say this belongs to any vehicle," said McKinnon.

NDP MLA Jim Maloway has introduced a private members bill that would require auto dealers to etch a vehicle identification number on the catalytic converters of every new and used vehicle it sells.

In December, the province introduced the Scrap Metal Act, which targets sellers and buyers to halt trafficking of stolen auto parts.

Sellers will be required to show government-issued identification and a photo of their face, and write down a description of the piece of scrap metal and how they acquired it.

It isnt always very easy to catch the thieves as its happening. This is a crime of opportunity and, unfortunately, if your vehicle is targeted its nothing that you did wrong.  WPS spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon

Scrap dealers will be barred from purchasing the metal without the information.

For some items, dealers will be required to record a sellers licence plate number. The information must be stored for at least two years.

Police must be notified of any suspected stolen parts. The law would allow officers to inspect scrapyards and carry out enforcement of the act, also known as Bill 9, without a warrant.

In a statement, Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen said the recently passed act is expected to be proclaimed "very soon," as regulations are being finalized.

"I appreciate the work of the Winnipeg Police Service, together with MPI and Manitoba Justice, in working to stem the theft of catalytic converters, which is a problem across North America," he said.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching
After months of intense debate over Covid-19 mask rules, emergency health regulations and the fate of the Ellicott Creek dam, Williamsville residents on Tuesday head to the polls for a hotly contested Village Board special election.

Four people are seeking two board seats, and the contrasts among the candidates are stark.

Running mates Mary Lowther and Dan DeLano are former Williamsville mayors who tout their years serving on the Village Board and on volunteer committees. They say they're running to refocus the board on issues that matter more to village residents.

Under Mayor Deb Rogers, the board has taken strong positions against state and county Covid-19 restrictions, including a recent discussion of an emergency public health order that spurred comparisons to authoritarian human-rights violations.

"I think it just reflected badly on our community, or poorly on our community, and I think it's going to be important to mend some of those fences and to have everybody be proud of the village," Lowther said. "Again, I'm not sure people are proud of where they live right now."

Rogers is not on the ballot, but her allies Dave Sherman, the deputy mayor and a retired journalist, and John Ariola, a political newcomer, are. Sherman and Ariola have sharply criticized public health rules but promote a message of "commonsense," business-friendly Williamsville government.

It's the third year in a row that this community of 5,400 is seeing a fiercely competitive contest for trustee positions. And Tuesday's election could produce a shift in control of the board.

"Look, my opponents are running based on the fact that they have combined 20 years' village government experience," Ariola said. "And I don't look at that as a positive  I look at that as a negative."

As recently as 2019, all four candidates for village office ran unopposed.

But by 2020, three declared candidates sought a single Village Board seat and last year, four candidates battled over two trustee posts.

Tuesday's special election is for two seats with a year remaining in their terms.

In April 2021, Al Yates stepped down and Rogers named Sherman to replace him. Then, in January, Matthew Etu, abruptly resigned, citing Rogers' "toxic" behavior, and the mayor appointed Matt Carson.

Sherman is running for re-election but Carson is not, saying family considerations drove his decision.

Lowther and DeLano jointly announced their candidacies in March. Their campaigns have the backing of the Community First Party, the same ballot line on which Trustees Eileen Torre and Christine Hunt ran.

DeLano is a former trustee, deputy mayor and mayor who opted not to seek re-election in 2019. He is now chair of Williamsville's Tree Board.

Lowther is the first woman to serve as mayor, from 2005 to 2011, and prior to that served as a village trustee. She is now village historian and president of the Williamsville Historical Society.

Lowther and DeLano said they were motivated to run because Rogers and her allies were spending too much time on nonlocal issues like Covid-19 mask rules.

"There's other things to work on. And that's what should have been going on all along over the last couple of years," DeLano said, "rather than taking on things that this village essentially had no say in."

DeLano pointed to the board's initial vote to challenge a $300 fine imposed by the Erie County Health Department after Rogers and other attendees at the Jan. 10 Village Board meeting defied the masking requirement. This raised the prospect of hefty legal fees before Sherman switched his vote, allowing the village to pay the fine.

"When they essentially thumbed their nose at the county, that was the last straw for me," DeLano said.

Sherman said the Village Board hasn't ignored pressing municipal concerns.

A longtime Williamsville volunteer firefighter, Sherman said his decades as a reporter and editor for the Bee Newspapers gave him an up-close view of what does, and doesn't, work in local government.

One issue that's flared up recently in Williamsville is the village's decision not to put the Ellicott Creek dam into operation this spring.

This has highlighted the tension between property owners along the channel section that's rapidly drying out as a result and upstream homeowners who fear flooding when the dam is in operation. The board has applied for a grant to study a long-term solution to the issue, meaning nothing will happen before 2023 at the earliest.

Sherman conceded some residents have asked him to explain his remarks from the May 9 Village Board meeting.

That's when he read from Anne Frank's "The Diary of a Young Girl," written during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, to illustrate his objections to provisions in a state emergency health order outlining when New Yorkers diagnosed with, or suspected of having, an infectious disease must isolate or quarantine.

Representatives of the local Jewish community addressed the board at the following meeting.

"I think that the damage that was done has been repaired," Sherman said, "and I wouldn't say it's forgotten, but I think it's been resolved."

Ariola has decried pandemic-era regulations at numerous recent meetings, making a point of handing out copies of the Constitution to Rogers and the trustees at one such session.

A financial adviser, Ariola highlights his credentials as a small-business owner. He has not previously run for office or volunteered at the village level.

"Let's put it this way: I have very little respect for politicians and never wanted to be one," he said. "And I hope that's not what I turn into."

As his Twitter account makes clear, Ariola opposes gun control legislation, doubts the 2020 election was conducted fairly and questions the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Ariola said respecting property rights and ensuring sufficient funding for the fire department are among his motivations for seeking local office.

"You fix your home, you fix your school, you fix your neighborhood and you fix this whole country," he said.

Like Sherman, Ariola has the backing of the Harmony Party, the same party that supported Rogers.

The mayor inspires strong opinions from proponents and critics alike but it's not known how much of an effect she will have on the final outcome.

"Well, I think Deb has stepped back a step. Rightly so," Sherman said. "You know, the election is not about her. She's not on the ballot."

Ariola is hoping for, and expecting, a higher-than-typical turnout. A victory by Lowther, DeLano or both would shift control of the board away from Rogers and her allies.

"It's easy to be beholden to someone who appoints you to a position," Lowther said, referring to Sherman and Carson, "and I think that that's going to change after the election."

Voting takes place from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Village Hall, 5565 Main St., with the two top vote-getters winning the contest.

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Long ago, the crops must have made their way north, carried along trade routes that linked every forest and plain and coast, spreading from what is now widely known as Mesoamerica to the regions east of the Great Lakes. Maize, beans and squash.

Long ago, the crops must have made their way north, carried along trade routes that linked every forest and plain and coast, spreading from what is now widely known as Mesoamerica to the regions east of the Great Lakes. Maize, beans and squash.

To the Haudenosaunee, they became known as the Three Sisters, and those who farmed them thrived.

What those farmers knew then is that the three crops work together as if they were one. The corn stalk gives the beans a tall ladder to climb up to the sun; the beans hold nitrogen in the soil, which helps the corn; and the squash surrounds them both with a shady, prickly ground cover that guards moisture and keeps nibbling mammals at bay.

Dr. Roger Dube, a physicist and professor emeritus from the Rochester Institute of Technology, has spent his whole life in the mainstream science world. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)

Planted this way, the three crops produce phenomenal yields, more than growing any one of them alone, and producing in a spot all the essential amino acids humans need, plenty of carbohydrate energy and a strong dose of protein. This innovation was powerful; as the Three Sisters flourished, so did the cultures and populations of the peoples that planted them.

When Europeans arrived, they observed this style of farming but did not adopt it. European farming preferred single crops planted in orderly rows. It would be hundreds of years before their science would learn what the Haudenosaunee and other peoples long knew about the benefits of the Three Sisters; before that, they werent much interested.

"Instead, they keep plowing single rows and keep doing monoculture, which then exhausts the soil, and then they have to add fertilizer, which runs off into the streams, and then you get algal blooms," Roger Dube says, shaking his head. "It just goes on and on and on. Its very frustrating, when you have something that clearly works, thats clearly sustainable.

"But theyre not going to do it, because its not the way its always been done."

"My feeling is that the fusion of traditional ecological knowledge and Western science methodology should rapidly lead the researchers to much more holistic solutions to problems."  Roger Dube

Dube, a physicist, uses this example sometimes, when he speaks about the marginalization of Indigenous science. He used it again Wednesday morning, when he spoke to a packed hall at the University of Manitoba, where scientists, educators and students from across disciplines had gathered for the Turtle Island Indigenous Science Conference.

The conference was a landmark event, bringing more than 350 people to the U of M to hear talks from over two dozen researchers. The range of topics they presented on was vast  from Navajo mathematics to analyses of key ecological information encoded in Indigenous tongues  but all of it bore the same message: science is only enriched by Indigenous perspectives.

"My feeling is that the fusion of traditional ecological knowledge and Western science methodology should rapidly lead the researchers to much more holistic solutions to problems," Dube says. "Theyre not going to fall down this hole that says we have to cut down all this type of tree, and then they end up with some system thats totally out of balance."

Dr. Roger Dube holds a leaf of bitter lettuce which has long been used by Indigenous peoples as a pain killer. This plant grows in abundance in North America and is just one example of how Indigenous people have a understanding of the health benefits from the natural environment. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)

Dube, who is Mohawk and Abenaki, has spent his whole life in the mainstream science world. A professor emeritus at the Rochester Institute of Technology, he earned his PhD from Princeton and studied space weather and artificial intelligence; but he always saw how that world was skeptical, at best, of what Indigenous approaches to learning had to offer.

"They think its hocus-pocus," Dube says, bluntly. "Thats exactly the attitude. They think of this as, Ah, youve got your bones and your feathers go away. They just dont have a lot of respect for it, because its not that Western methodology theyve been taught to respect."

That skepticism, he thinks is, in part, rooted in a pervasive image of pre-contact Indigenous societies as static.

"If youre in the sciences and youre Native, youre going to be challenged," he says. "The attitude is, We brought you all of this technology, you gave us nothing except land. Thats how they view the situation, like nothing was happening (before contact). They didnt know how to farm, theyre just hanging out and hunting in the woods when they need to. Thats it."

Yet retained knowledge, oral histories and archeological evidence paint a much different picture, one that Dube emphasizes in his talks. Prior to European arrival, Indigenous societies were hubs of accelerating innovation and knowledge generation, of constant invention, of research gathered from distinct methods of observation that remain in the cultures today.

Dr. Roger Dube says he always saw how that world was skeptical, at best, of what Indigenous approaches to learning had to offer. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)

Colonialism damaged the pace of those innovations, and in many cases, sought to outright erase them. For instance, the Maya produced thousands of books to preserve their advanced knowledge of the stars and the movement of planets; the Catholic Church destroyed most of those books, naming them "lies of the devil." Only four are known to have survived.

What other knowledge was dismissed, or destroyed? And as Indigenous methodologies were summarily marginalized, what opportunities never even had a chance to blossom? Indigenous approaches to learning, Dube points out, tend to be holistic; he gives an example in which elders were able to identify a struggling watersheds problems better than scientists did.

But how to bring those views together? The biggest challenge for the establishment, Dube thinks, will be how to accept work that makes room for Indigenous spirituality. But even here, he thinks, there are ways to build bridges; in a way, the question isnt one of faith but one of perspective. Spirit can be an invitation to examine relationships from a different vantage.

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"Theres going to be a tremendous amount of resistance, skepticism and unwillingness to accept that as (a) valid thing," he says. "What do you mean? Clouds dont have a spirit. Yet when you include that, it helps you develop a more complete world view, when you think of things in that fashion that they have a purpose, as if theyre sentient and trying to do something.

"If you think of them that way, it gives you a much more balanced view of the entire picture that youre looking at."

So the work for Indigenous science now, Dube says, is to continue to amass evidence that establishes the credibility of this fused approach in the eyes of the establishment. To that end, conferences such as the one at the U of M this week can help, he thinks. And someday, that could pave the way for creative solutions to the most pressing problems of our generation.

"The more we can get young Native students to begin to apply their Native way of knowing to the sciences, one of these days in the not-too-distant future, some Native student is going to come up with a breakthrough thats going to shock everybody," Dube says. "I have no idea what that might be, nor do I know how long its going to be.

"But when that happens, all of a sudden theres going to be a really wide awakening that, Oh my God, how is it even possible that this person came up with this? You need that ability to demonstrate that we are creative on a level thats on par with, or even beyond, what the rest of the world is doing."

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca
Youve got questions. Ive got answers. Ive also got no promises on how satisfying the answers will be. To wit 

Q: What on earth is going on with Ale Asylum? If they were so broke they were going to sell everything at auction months ago, how are they still open and making new beers? (Ive asked some of the bar staff there and they are as clueless as the rest of us.)

 Wendy ODonnell,

@madgal72

A: When I asked for questions, I knew this was going to be one of them, and I wish there were more to report, but the story is essentially the same as the last time we heard about the Madison brewerys impending sale last August.

That update, coming on the heels of a dire-sounding initial report, was that the brewery was indeed up for sale and would go to a liquidation auction in October if no buyer was found.

In the days after that news broke, though, Asylum co-founder Otto Dilba told me several prospective buyers had emerged, all of whom wanted to continue the brand after the sale.

One of those buyers  Dilba remained tight-lipped on that buyers identity  is now, finally, in the final stages of purchasing the brewery.

We have the buyer, its just taken longer than we thought, Dilba said. Were still as excited to move this thing forward as we were back then.

Although the brewery closed its kitchen, the taproom remains open and its been mostly business as usual  what Dilba called continuation mode  as far as brewing and planning for future releases. Hush Money IPA and 12 oz. Curl pilsner returned in the spring, and Kaboom Yo IPA slides into the summer seasonal role.

The taproom expanded its hours in late spring, and Dilba said the kitchen will reopen after the sale goes through. Of course, things do have to change at Ale Asylum, and Dilba said the new owner already had plans to expand the brewerys portfolio beyond the traditional but often hop-forward beers that it traded on in its first 17 years.

He mentioned specifically sours and bigger beers including imperial stouts. The way I read that is to take a look at the lineup of a newly successful brewery like Eagle Park Brewing and its milkshake IPAs, smoothie sours and pastry stouts. Im guessing shipments of fruit and vanilla will be en route to Ale Asylum soon after the deal closes.

And, like, forgive us for being skeptical, but after months and months  this deal will close, right?

All signs point to this acquisition going through, Dilba said.

Q: If you could eliminate one beer style from existence, why would it be smoked beers?

 @VanBerf

A: I long ago gave up being righteous about beers that I think should not exist, but yeah, if I had to pick my least favorite style, it would be rauchbier, the light lagers brewed with heavy doses of smoked malts that are the distinctive style of Bamberg, Germany. I dont mind a light touch with smoke in bigger beers  stouts and porters, chiefly  but on these otherwise nearly naked beers, its way too much for me.

So imagine my surprise, Mr. Berf, last weekend at the (phenomenal again) Lager & Friends festival when I found a smoked lager that I ... well, kinda liked?

It came courtesy of Dovetail Brewery, of course, a smoked version of their outstanding helles that was judicious enough on the smoke to come clearly through on the exceptionally light, delicate base beer without requiring you to go looking for it. It was clearly well done, but ... I dont know, Berf, it still tasted like Band-Aids to me. I just dont like it.

And thats OK. Other people do like it, and thats great. I dont need to banish rauchbier to the Upside-Down of the beer world. Ill just order the regular helles.

Q: Whats your favorite porter?

 Rob Ebert, @RobEbert

A: I wish this were a harder question with a more nuanced answer, Rob, but its Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald, in all its dark, flinty mocha glory. Its in my fridge right now. If youre looking for a porter more of the lighter brown/English persuasion, Ill go with Door County Polka King.

Got a beer youd like the Beer Baron or Draft Queen to pop the cap on? Contact Chris Drosner at chrisdrosner@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @WIbeerbaron. Contact Katie Herrera at cellaredkatie@gmail.com or on Twitter @CellaredKatie.
The attorney at the center of former President Donald Trumps scheme to overturn the 2020 election discussed bringing a Wisconsin lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court as part of the plan, recently disclosed emails show.

Regarding the likelihood of the U.S. Supreme Court hearing 2020 election challenges, attorney John Eastman reportedly told Wisconsin-affiliated attorney Kenneth Chesebro on Dec. 24, 2020, the odds are not based on the legal merits but an assessment of the justices spines, and I understand that there is a heated fight underway, according to emails shared with The New York Times.

For those willing to do their duty, we should help them by giving them a Wisconsin cert petition to add into the mix, Eastman added, referencing making a request for the nations highest court to hear a Wisconsin case as the two sought to pave Trumps way to serving a second term.

Chesebro  a pro-Trump lawyer whos a defendant in a lawsuit for advising Republicans who posed in several states including Wisconsin as fake Trump electors  reportedly responded saying the odds of action before Jan. 6 will become more favorable if the justices start to fear that there will be wild chaos on Jan. 6 unless they rule by then, either way.

Chesebro did not respond to a request for comment.

Five days after Eastmans email, Chesebro and two other Wisconsin attorneys asked the nations highest court to allow the states Republican-controlled Legislature to decide the election because, they argued, Wisconsin officials wrongfully counted at least 50,125 absentee ballots in heavily Democrat areas ... more than enough to have affected the outcome of the presidential election in Wisconsin.

That was after the Wisconsin Supreme Court turned down their election challenge, Trump v. Biden, just over a week before Eastmans email was sent.

But that last-ditch request Chesebro made along with Trump attorneys James Troupis and R. George Burnett failed when the U.S. Supreme Court denied the request on Feb. 22, 2021. That was over a month after then-Vice President Mike Pence certified the results of the 2020 election despite pressure from Trump to do otherwise.

On Dec. 30, 2020, six days after Eastmans first email, Trump lawyers based in Indiana asked for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a separate case, Trump v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, also alleging the counting of tens of thousands of invalid absentee ballots in Wisconsin. That petition was denied March 8, 2021.

They knew from the beginning that this was all about state law, and it was all about state courts, and they only start talking about the U.S. Supreme Court after its clear that they lost in the state courts, said Jeffrey Mandell, an attorney with the liberal law firm Law Forward, about the viability of the U.S. Supreme Court petitions.

This really was not a good-faith belief that they have strong legal claims, but that this was about creating confusion about trying to subvert the outcome of an election, because this was really political, Mandell said.

But by the time Trump attorneys were hoping for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their cases, Mandell said, the Trump team was at the, lets throw anything we can at the wall and see if anything sticks kind of phase. And so, while my guess is that their primary thinking was about the Trump v. Biden case, Im sure that they were more than happy to use the other case as well.

Eastman asked then-Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani to be put on the pardon list after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, a member of the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the efforts to overturn the election revealed Thursday. Chesebro is now a defendant in a Wisconsin lawsuit for advising 10 people who signed paperwork attempting to hand Wisconsins Electoral College votes to Trump.

Ryan called for orderly transition

In addition, testimony provided by Marc Short, who served as Pences chief of staff, unveiled on Thursday by the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, reveals former House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Janesville Republican, told Short and Pence that Pence did not have the authority to block Joe Bidens certification.

Speaking in a closed-door meeting with the committee, Short said he received a call from Ryan notifying him that Pence did not have the power to halt Bidens certification.

Speaker Ryan wanted to call and say you know, you dont have any greater authority and I said to him, Mr. Speaker, you know, Mike  you know he recognizes that, Short said in a closed-door testimony that aired Thursday. And we sort of laughed about it and he said, I get it. And he later spoke to the vice president to, I think, have the same conversation, Short said.

Wisconsin lawsuit

A handful of Democrats, including two official presidential electors, filed a lawsuit last month against the 10 Republicans who signed paperwork attempting to hand Wisconsins Electoral College votes to Trump, alleging that, by doing so, the individuals played a role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

The lawsuit, filed by attorneys with liberal law firm Law Forward in Dane County Circuit Court, alleges that the 10 Republicans and the two attorneys who advised them broke several criminal and civil laws when they met at the state Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign official-looking documents asserting that Trump won the state.

The lawsuit seeks more than $2.4 million in damages, including $2,000 fines for the Republicans and their attorneys, and up to $200,000 in punitive damages for each plaintiff. Plaintiffs in the case include lawfully elected Wisconsin electors Khary Penebaker and Mary Arnold, as well as Bonnie Joseph, who is listed in court documents as someone who objects to Defendants unlawful interference in Wisconsins participation in the Electoral College.

The lawsuit follows a March decision by the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission to unanimously deny a complaint filed by Mandell that sought sanctions against the 10 Republicans, including Republican commissioner Robert Spindell, who signed the official-looking documents. The lawsuit also lists Chesebro and Troupis, a former Republican-appointed Dane County judge.

The meeting of Republicans occurred following advice from attorneys with close ties to Trump. Documents have underscored efforts by those in Trumps inner circle to circumvent the Electoral College process in several states, including Wisconsin, following the 2020 election, despite recounts and court decisions affirming that Biden defeated Trump in the battleground state by almost 21,000 votes.

The Republicans have said the meeting was to preserve their legal options amid litigation surrounding the election. Chesebro sent a memo to Troupis on Nov. 18, 2020, detailing the Republicans eventual plan to pose as electors.

The meeting took place on the same day that the Democratic slate of Wisconsin electors convened in the Capitol to deliver the states 10 electoral votes to Biden. It also occurred after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Biden had won the election and a month after Wisconsin county clerks canvassed the presidential election results.

Other complaints

Law Forward also filed a complaint with the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office and another with the Office of Lawyer Regulation  the agency that handles complaints against lawyers in Wisconsin  against former state GOP chair Andrew Hitt, who also signed the paperwork. The U.S. Department of Justice is also looking into the matter.

Hitt and fellow signer and 8th Congressional District GOP chair Kelly Ruh were subpoenaed earlier this year by the U.S. House committee. The committee subpoenaed individuals in six other states where similar documents were signed.

The committee is examining whether Republicans were trying to present Pence with conflicting slates of electors so that he could have thrown the election to a House vote that would have handed the election to Trump, something Pence refused to do.
Five Democrats are competing for the top spot in a Democratic-leaning Assembly district in western Dane County where the winner would likely spend their term preventing Republicans from overriding vetoes rather than implementing liberal legislation.

Covering much of western Dane County as well as some of Iowa and Green counties, the 80th Assembly District has been held by retiring longtime Rep. Sondy Pope, D-Mount Horeb.

Candidates vying for the seat are Verona City Council president Chad Kemp; Dane County Sup. Mike Bare, also of Verona; Mount Horeb gun safety activist Anna Halverson; Belleville Village Board president Dale Yurs; and former corrections officer Doug Steinberg, of Oregon.

The winner of the Aug. 9 Democratic primary will face the winner of a Republican primary, but is all but certain to win the seat in November. The 80th District has a 35-point Democratic lean, according to an analysis by Marquette Law School research fellow John Johnson.

The candidates bring with them different qualifications and different levels of public service experience.

Kemp said he would work with Republicans in the Legislature to get more young people involved in the trades. As proof of his bipartisanship, Kemp said he worked with the Verona City Council and city staff across party lines to maintain city services amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not every member of the council got everything that we wanted, but we had to find a way to compromise to pass a budget that was fair and served the community best, he said in a statement.

But Kemp said hes unwilling to compromise with Republicans on abortion.

A woman should be able to make the health care decisions, including reproductive health care, that are best for her and her family, he said.

Bare, who was an aide to former Democratic U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, said he learned the value of bipartisanship when Feingold worked with Republicans on climate change and creating an AIDS relief program for Africa. He said hes since worked on bipartisan justice and health reform efforts in his role working for social service organization Community Advocates.

I will not budge on keeping schools safe and properly funded, ensuring our democracy is healthy and functional, and guaranteeing access to our basic rights, including voting, reproductive freedom, internet access, housing, health care, and more, he said, adding theres bipartisan agreement to some degree on each of those issues.

Bare touted having worked, in some capacity, in local, state and federal government. He also said he is unique in being a small-business owner, which gives him perspective on wages and benefits, supply chains, vendor relations, budgeting and accounting, our states unemployment system, business taxes, and how businesses interact with government.

Halverson, an organizer with the gun safety advocacy group Moms Demand Action, said there are some issues  access to broadband and affordable housing for example  where there has been some bipartisanship.

I am enough of a realist to recognize the challenges of serving in a Legislature controlled by extremists, she said.

She slammed the Republican majority as out of step with the majority of Wisconsinites who support Roe v. Wade, who support universal background checks, and who want fair maps and responsive government.

Halverson highlighted her endorsement from gun safety advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. She also said her experience in working with people with disabilities helped her understand the challenges in providing community-based services.

Yurs said he wants to work across party lines to end the epidemic of gun violence, to create opportunities for access to quality healthcare, especially mental healthcare, and to ensure that all of Wisconsins kids get equitable access to an excellent public education.

He said he would be immovable in the Legislature on fighting for workers rights, protecting a womans right to abortion, protecting LGBTQ+ communities, combatting climate change, bolstering equity in public education, upholding health care as a human right and fighting for fair maps and easy ballot access.

As for what makes him unique, Yurs said, in part, As a teacher, dad, and former volunteer firefighter, I bring the fierce compassion and sincere care for others that our system of government needs right now.

Steinberg, a quality control technician at Franklin Electric who formerly worked for the state Department of Corrections, said he wouldnt budge on his abortion rights stance but said he would work with Republicans on Election Integrity if that is their true agenda.

He also said he would work with them on gun control laws.

I would make it my job to help them understand the need to go a little further, positioning the law to cover a larger number of situations protecting more innocent people, he said.
After a St. Louis company that provided rides for Wisconsin patients on Medicaid generated complaints, the state tried twice to shift to a different vendor.

The first time, the company, MTM, won an appeal and extended its contract. The second time, MTM failed to block the move, and the state in November began a new contract with San Diego-based Veyo.

Now, MTM is purchasing Veyo, bringing uncertainty to Wisconsins non-emergency medical transportation system, or NEMT. The program serves about 22,000 people, many of them with disabilities, and costs $124 million a year.

The Department of Health Services says Veyo will need to continue service improvements specified in its three-year, $370 million contract, regardless of ownership. MTM announced the acquisition June 8, pending regulatory approvals.

DHS is working with MTM and Veyo to understand specifics of the transition, as we did not initiate it, spokesperson Elizabeth Goodsitt said. There is no change in the contractual obligations Veyo currently has to provide NEMT services to members.

NEMT services will not be interrupted leading up to or during this transition, Goodsitt said. The phone number to schedule rides will remain the same: 866-907-1493.

How much the move will affect consumers is unclear. People on Medicaid who dont have family or friends to take them to medical services covered by Medicaid must go through the states vendor for transportation.

A state audit in 2015, prompted by complaints against MTM and its predecessor, LogistiCare, found more than 4,000 no-shows and more than 55,000 late rides in less than a year. Last year, MTM provided about 266,000 trips a month and had an average of 365 substantiated complaints a month, according to DHS.

Between 2015 and 2021, DHS assessed $200,000 in damages against MTM, similar to fines.

People have also had problems with Veyo, said Kit Kerschensteiner, director of legal and advocacy services for Disability Rights Wisconsin.

I dont know that weve heard anything all that different from Veyo, Kerschensteiner said. From what we can tell, its six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Many complaints involve canceled rides, difficulty scheduling rides and frustration with the appeal process over denied rides, Kershensteiner said.

DHS hasnt made performance data about Veyo available, with Goodsitt saying it will be posted online soon. In a presentation in May to Wisconsins Transportation Advisory Council, Veyo said it provided 690,000 rides from January to March and had 2,142 substantiated complaints during that period.

MTM spokesperson Michele Lucas said, Our goal is zero disruption in service, and we are committed to delivering a seamless integration for DHS, Medicaid members and all stakeholders.

Veyo spokesperson Jessica Williams declined to comment Friday.

In 2011, the state replaced county-based medical transportation programs for people on Medicaid with a statewide system, saying the move would centralize ride management and save money. The operator runs a call center and subcontracts with paratransit services, cab companies, bus systems, independent drivers and others to provide rides.

LogistiCare, which ran the program beginning in 2011, ended its three-year contract early, saying the company was providing more rides than expected, especially in the Milwaukee area where volume was double what was projected.

MTM started a five-year contract in 2013. In 2018, the state said it planned to award a five-year contract to LogistiCare. MTM, which ranked third among four bids, appealed, saying two members of a six-person state evaluation committee didnt attend the companys oral presentation.

In 2019, the state Department of Administration agreed that the committee members absence was a state code violation. It ordered the health department to rescind its intent to contract with LogistiCare, and the MTM contract was extended.

In February 2020, DHS issued an intent to contract with Veyo, Goodsitt said. An MTM protest was unsuccessful, she said, leading to the switch to Veyo last November.

Goodsitt said the new Veyo contract requires changes, including a dedicated unit to handle rides related to critical appointments such as dialysis and cancer treatments; updated online scheduling, including a mobile-friendly portal, and complaint submission; better call center service; and timely trip assignments to transportation providers.

DHS does not plan to amend the contract or remove these required improvements, Goodsitt said. Our top priority at that time, as it is now, was to make sure that members were able to access safe and reliable transportation to medical appointments.
Since the tragedies on Jefferson Ave. and in Uvalde TX, as is usual after such incidents, the cries go out for more gun control laws and bans on certain classes of firearms.

A recent letter in the Buffalo News piqued my interest. The writer puts forth the idea that the Founders intent with the Second Amendment was to allow citizens to own a flintlock, black powder, single shot rifle or musket. He also opines that the Founders could not have foreseen our modern firearms.

While they could not see into the future, they were educated, intelligent people. They would have been aware of the progression of weapons to that time. From stone axes and spears to the broad sword, to the bow and arrow, the long bow, and the cross bow. They would have known of the advent of black powder which led to the development of explosives, cannons, and the evolution of handheld firearms to their time.

To think that they would have believed the progression of arms would stop there is ludicrous at best. And remember, when they wrote the Second Amendment, they werent returning from a hunting trip, they had just finished a war of independence against a tyrannical government.

When it comes to more gun control laws, why dont we try enforcing the thousands of laws already in place.

Philip Kaczmarek

Cheektowaga
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends and addresses the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in virtual format upon invitation, June 17, 2022. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday attended and addressed the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in virtual format upon invitation.

Xi pointed out that the world is faced with major changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, economic globalization is facing headwinds, and there are unprecedented challenges to the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At a time when the international community is so keen about achieving more equitable, sustainable and secure development, we should seize opportunities, meet challenges head-on, and work on the implementation of the Global Development Initiative to build a shared future of peace and prosperity.

Xi said that, first, we need to foster an enabling environment for development. It is important that we follow true multilateralism, respect and support all countries' pursuit of development paths suited to their national conditions, build an open world economy, and increase the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries in global economic governance, with a view to making global development more balanced, coordinated and inclusive.

Second, we need to strengthen development partnerships. It is important that we enhance North-South and South-South cooperation, pool cooperation resources, platforms and networks of development partnerships, and scale up development assistance, in order to forge greater synergy for development and close the development gap.

Third, we need to advance economic globalization. It is important that we strengthen "soft connectivity" of development policies and international rules and standards, reject attempts at decoupling, supply disruption, unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure, remove trade barriers, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, tackle the worsening food and energy crises, and revive the world economy.

Fourth, we need to pursue innovation-driven development. It is important that we unlock the potential of innovation-driven growth, improve the rules and institutional environment for innovation, break down barriers to the flow of innovation factors, deepen exchanges and cooperation on innovation, facilitate deeper integration of science and technology into the economy, and make sure the fruits of innovation are shared by all.

Xi pointed out that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy  its strong resilience, enormous potential and long-term sustainability  remain unchanged. "We have full confidence in China's economic development. China will continue to promote high-quality development, expand high-standard opening-up with firm resolve, and pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation," he said.

China stands ready to work with Russia and all other countries to explore development prospects, share growth opportunities, and make new contributions to deepening global development cooperation and building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi added.

The plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was held in an online plus offline format in St. Petersburg, Russia on June 17. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart K. Tokayev, among others, attended the event.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends and addresses the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in virtual format upon invitation, June 17, 2022. [Xinhua/Chen Qiang]

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua)  Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to deliberate on a report on the rectification of problems discovered during an inspection over financial institutions.

The CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core attaches great importance to the inspection, and regards the work as a strategic institutional arrangement for advancing self-revolution of the CPC and exercising full and rigorous governance over the Party, said the meeting.

Recognizing the progress in the inspection and rectification of the financial institutions, the meeting said some major problems and risks have been resolved, while violations of Party disciplines and laws have been punished.

The meeting called for deepened understanding of financial work principles and enhanced Party leadership over the financial work to forestall and defuse financial risks and carry out further reform and innovation.

The meeting stressed strict adherence to relevant disciplines, and urged a long-term mechanism to provide a strong political guarantee for the healthy development of the financial sector.

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping will host the 14th BRICS Summit in Beijing on June 23, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced here Friday.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying said the Summit will be held in virtual format under the theme of "Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development."

Hua said President Xi will host the High-level Dialogue on Global Development in Beijing on June 24. The Dialogue will be held in virtual format under the theme of "Foster a Global Development Partnership for the New Era to Jointly Implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," and BRICS leaders and leaders of relevant emerging markets and developing countries will attend the event.

President Xi will attend the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum in virtual format and deliver a keynote speech on June 22, Hua said.

(Source: Xinhua)
Aerial photo taken on March 6, 2020 shows a truck carrying straws and preparing for afforestation at the Babusha Forest Farm in Gulang County, northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Fan Peishen]

BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua)  When speaking of President Xi Jinping's attention to the prevention of desertification, Guo Wangang, a veteran afforestation worker in his 70s, has first-hand experience.

In August 2019, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited the Babusha forest farm in northwest China's Gansu Province where Guo and his colleagues work.

Located on the southern edge of the vast Tengger Desert, the farm and its surrounding area was once plagued by severe sandstorms. In Chinese, "Babusha" means "sand in eight steps." It is derived from a local saying describing the area's harsh climate  the sand is only eight steps away from one's doorstep.

To hold back the invading desert, Guo's father and five fellow farmers in 1981 established the forest farm after signing a land contract with the local government. They vowed to green the sandy area even if the goal would take generations to materialize.

In autumn 1982, Guo gave up a steady job to follow in his father's footsteps. Today, about 40 years later, Guo has afforested 257,000 mu (about 17,133 hectares) of land with his colleagues, making the forest farm a shining "emerald" in the sand.

As a leader who attaches great significance to environmental protection, Xi holds the efforts of Guo and his colleagues in high regard.

Holding his hand, Xi commended Guo and his colleagues for their decades of efforts in taming the desert. "You folks are the paragons of our time, we all should learn from you," he said.

Aerial photo taken on March 6, 2020 shows people making straw checkerboard sand barriers in Gulang County, northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Fan Peishen]

Giving his praise to the workers, Xi compared them to Yu Gong, the protagonist of an ancient folktale. In the story, Yu Gong was determined to improve his family's living conditions by "removing" two mountains in the way to his home.

The folktale is being told by generations of Chinese, and Yu Gong is now remembered as a symbol of strong will and unyielding determination.

In many ways, the work of Guo and his colleagues is similar to that of Yu Gong's, which is reshaping the landscape for a better life.

Seeing the workers nearby planting grass in the sandy soil, Xi chatted with them to learn more about the living conditions of local residents and the techniques of sand fixation.

"I'll give it a shot," Xi said as he picked up the plow and joined their work. In a short while, he dug a trench about two meters long and amazed everyone with his proficiency with agricultural tools.

Desertification control constitutes an important part of China's environmental protection efforts. Its significance, as well as Xi's attention to it, was noted on many occasions and in many documents.

In 2021, when Xi discussed a coordinated ecological protection strategy with fellow lawmakers at the top legislature's annual session, he pointed out that "sands" should be added in the strategy which originally featured only mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, and grasslands.

Speaking of the matter, Xi recalled how he once instructed local authorities in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to strengthen pollution control upon receiving reports on the discharge of sewage into the Tengger Desert from surrounding areas.

A fundamental purpose for environmental protection, including the management of deserts, is to improve people's lives. Just as Xi said when chatting with the afforestation workers, "The goal of controlling desertification is to secure better lives."

Over the year, China has made remarkable achievements in afforestation. Today, the country's area of desertified land has been shrinking by an average of 2,424 square kilometers every year, and forest coverage rate has risen to about 23 percent.

For Guo and his colleagues, their efforts being recognized means a lot. When watching Xi's 2020 New Year Address, they were especially touched when spotting a picture of them together with Xi placed in the president's office.

Managing the desert has shielded local villages and farmlands from endless sandstorms, granting them more opportunities to develop and prosper, said Guo. He added that economic crops are now being grown to help boost local income.

In 2022, Guo is optimistic about keeping up the good work. "There has been a lot of rain in the spring and soil moisture state is good," he said. "We are expecting to afforest another 35,000 mu of land."

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua)  President Xi Jinping has led resolute combat against desertification, with "a historic change" made amid the country's passionate exploring for ways to curb the expansion of deserts.

More than half of China's manageable desertification land has been restored over the past decade, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) said on Friday, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

A historic change happened simultaneously. People were no longer forced into a corner by the desertification but managed to contain it through afforestation.

The desertified land area in China has been reduced by more than 4.33 million hectares since 2012. A series of significant projects gradually built a green ecological barrier along the sandstorm line in northern China. In particular, the three primary sandy areas of Maowusu, Hunshandake, and Horqin, and the surrounding areas of the Kubuqi Desert, have been transformed into an oasis.

Such achievements came along as President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to adopt a holistic approach to the conservation and restoration of mountain, river, forest, farmland, lake, grassland, and desert ecosystems.

He emphasized bringing "deserts" into the work for ecological conservation when joining a deliberation with national lawmakers from north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2021.

China has bolstered sand control credentials by making tremendous efforts to improve relevant laws, exploring new techniques, and launching greening projects.

Xi personally walks the talk, devotes himself to the groundwork, and pushes the agenda in person.

Knowing Desertification Control Well

Sand control is always a topic during Xi's discussions with lawmakers from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region during the country's annual national legislative meetings.

He urged the region boasting of forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and deserts to take an integrated approach to improve local ecology in 2019 and debriefed a lawmaker last year on preventing deserts in Bayannur from encroaching the Yellow River in the east.

During these discussions, he underlined the importance of creating top-level designs in ecological treatment and doing good research work, warning that inadequacy could lead to results poles apart from what was supposed to be achieved.

Xi has conducted multiple field trips to areas severely hit by sand damage, including Ningxia, Gansu, and Hebei.

During a 2019 visit to Babusha Forest Farm in the northwestern province of Gansu, he joined local people plowing the sandy land. Using a trench digger skillfully, Xi plowed a two-meter-long trench in the sandy area with the workers in a few moments.

Babusha Forest Farm, located in northwest China's Gansu Province, had long been plagued by severe sandstorms. After years of sand control, the dry and barren land is now covered by vegetation.

Seeing the enormous transformation in this place, Xi praised the workers as "modern-day Yu Gong" for their persistent efforts in controlling sand and transforming the desert into an oasis. Yu Gong, the protagonist of an ancient folktale, determinedly tried to move mountains blocking the path in front of his home and eventually succeeded.

When the president delivered his New Year's speech in 2020, Guo Wangang, a worker from the forest farm, felt a warm flow through his heart as he saw on the screen the picture he had taken with the president and other farm workers on the bookshelf in the back.

Like Babusha Forest Farm, green miracles have been seen in many other deserts in the country over the years. Thanks to afforestation efforts, 64 million hectares of trees have been planted in China over the past decade. The country's forest coverage has reached 23.04 percent, up 2.68 percentage points from 2012.

Earlier data showed the area of desertified land in the country has shrunk by an annual average of 242,400 hectares. It indicates a reversal from the late 1990s when desertified land expanded by 1.04 million hectares annually.

Contributing to a Green World

Desertification remains one of the most pressing issues facing humankind. Data shows that more than 2 billion people from 167 countries and regions are still under desertification threat.

Thanks to years of sand control efforts, China has been quite prominent globally, with the Kubuqi Desert being an excellent case.

The Kubuqi Desert is China's seventh-largest desert, situated in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. About 30 years ago, the desert was a "sea of death" for even birds. The constant expansion of the desert forced many people to migrate. Those who remained lived mostly under the poverty line.

But years of greening efforts made more than 646,000 hectares of desert lush green, with restored biodiversity and noticeably improved ecology. These efforts also lifted more than 100,000 people out of poverty.

In 2015, the Kubuqi afforestation community won the Champions of the Earth award, the highest environmental honor of the United Nations.

"Containing desertification in the Kubuqi desert offers China's experience in environmental treatment as well as achieving the 2030 Agenda goals," Xi said in a congratulatory letter to the 7th Kubuqi International Desert Forum in 2019.

The Kubuqi model has been the epitome of China's years of exploration in scientific desertification control. Over decades, China has enacted laws to prevent and control desertification. These include the world's first law to tackle desertification and the ban on natural forest logging, building a green barrier in the legal system.

Key ecological projects, including protecting shelterbelt and natural forests, especially those in the northwest, northeast, and northern China and along the Yangtze River, have also been carried out, turning more barren soil into oases.

In addition, China actively fulfilled its obligations under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, carried out exchanges and cooperation with Belt and Road countries, and established an international knowledge management center for desertification prevention and control.

"We do everything we can to conserve the ecological system, intensify pollution prevention and control, and improve the living and working environment for our people," Xi said at the Annual Meeting 2022 of the World Economic Forum.

Looking forward, China will continue to ban the use of the most vulnerable desertified lands, strengthen the development of national desert parks, and optimize the compensation system for desert ecological protection.

By 2025, China will have a total of 2 million hectares of desertified land sealed off for protection, with more than 6 million hectares of sandy land newly treated and 1.3 million hectares of rocky-desertification land harnessed, said the NFGA.

(Source: Xinhua)
The city of Dover is situated in Kent County in the US State of Delaware. Dover is the state's capital and second-largest city and has a significant past that paved the way forward in America's history. As of today, this capital city hosts the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity races at the Dover Motor Speedway. Its central location sees visitors from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey, and the city serves as a logistical placement for the Dover Air Force Base. Furthermore, the city features an abundance of green spaces. There are 27 parks available for public use that allure nature enthusiasts and birders who observe the many migratory species.

Geography And Climate Of Dover

The NASCAR Xfinity Series teams take to the track at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware. Editorial credit: Grindstone Media Group / Shutterstock.com

Dover is situated in Kent County in the US State of Delaware. Dover lies on the St. Jones River in the coastal plain of the Delaware River. It also serves as the chief city of the "Dover, DE, Metropolitan Statistical Area." The city covers a total area of 58.78 sq. km, of which 58 sq. km is occupied by land and 0.78 sq. km is covered by water.

According to the Koppen Climate Classification, Dover experiences a humid subtropical climate. The city has four seasons, with warm summers and cold and snowy winters. Over a year, Dover collects precipitation over 111.3 days from rain and snow. The warmest month is July, with an average high of 30.6 C and the coldest month is January, with an average low of -2.4 C.

History Of Dover

Legislative Hall in Dover, Delaware. Editorial credit: Nagel Photography / Shutterstock.com

Known as the Lower Counties of Delaware, Dover was founded to be a court town by William Penn. Thus, in 1777 the status of the state capital was removed from New Castle to Dover due to its central proximity to the rest of the state. Additionally, it was considered a safe location from invading British forces during the revolutionary war. The downtown square of Dover is known among locals as the green, and it served as a rallying place for troops and patriotic events. Near the green, one can find the Cenotaph dedicated to the famous Revolutionary War hero, Caesar Rodney. He had many distinguishable achievements in Dovers history and the early history of the United States. Rodney was one of the founding fathers and signers of the Continental Association and Declaration of Independence. Locally, he served as an officer in the French and Indian Wars and American Revolutionary War, as well as a continental congressman and President of Delaware. Dover served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, with conflicting views on the slave trade. This was primarily due to its proximity to pro-slave Maryland and the free states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The Population And Economy Of Dover

A Shooting Star subsonic jet trainer is displayed at the entrance to the Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware. Editorial credit: Charlotte Evelyn / Shutterstock.com

Dover has a population of 38,640 inhabitants and a population density of 642.79 people per sq. km. The median household income is $63,489, and the gross monthly rent is $1,038. On the cost of living index, Dover is rated at 93.6, whereas the state of Delaware is 102.7. Yet, 24.36% of the population lives below the poverty line.

The unemployment rate is 10.3% and whereas the US unemployment rate is 6.0%. The top industries that make up that economy are healthcare and social assistance accounting for 15.8% overall, retail trade for 15.3%, and educational services are 15.0%. The Dover Air Force Base is located three kilometers outside of Dover and is a major employer of the city. It was developed from a municipal airport into a US Army Corp base following the attack on Pearl Harbor. As of today, the Air Mobility Command Museum operates outside of Hangar 1301 at the Dover Air Force Base. It is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places and has 33 airframes, of which the Douglas C-47A is the most notable aircraft in the collection.

Attractions In Dover

Old State House

The Old State House in Dover, Delaware.

The Old State House was erected in 1791 and operated as the Capitol Building until 1933. It is an example of Georgian architecture, and visitors can see the 18th-century courtroom and chamber of the state legislature. The purpose of the Old State House is to preserve Delawares history and its impact on the development of the United States. It contains several significant artifacts, including portraits of notable commodores from the War of 1812 and a portrait of George Washington by Denis A. Volozan. The Old State House is free to the public, and tours are available.

Silver Lake Park

Silver Lake in Dover, Delaware.

Silver Lake Park is 74 hectares of green space found in the heart of Dover. Although swimming is not permitted at this time, there is a sandy beach and some other activities that visitors can participate in. These include grilling, biking, hiking, fishing, and a fitness course. Nonetheless, there are pavilions available to the public. Boating and fishing are the most popular activities, with a boat launch in the park. Commonly caught species include blue gill, catfish, largemouth bass, carp, crappie, striped bass, and white perch. Due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, Silver Park attracts birders who enjoy observing the migratory and songbird species.

A capital city and home to Caesar Rodney, one of the founding fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence, Dover is critical in America's history. As such, these historical influences can be spotted throughout Dover with the Old State House, the Green, and the Cenotaph. However, it is the bigger events like NASCAR that draw crowds from all over North America with the allure of CUP and Xfinity series at Dover Motor Speedway. Moreover, this quaint community is best known for its abundance of green spaces and the many birds that call the Atlantic Coastal Plains home.
Conflict is easier when others fight our battles. Mercenaries, dating to ancient Greece, Asia and Africa minimize direct risks. To some, they are a means to fight evil. To others, they allow cowards to fight without risk to themselves. Generally considered tools of war, a broader definition helps explain extreme politics. This exemplifies the old adage: politics makes strange bedfellows.

People with moderate views decry the undue influence of extremists in both major parties. Leftists see right wing extremists as pure evil. Some on the right see increasingly unaffordable spending and unbridled government expansion as existential threats. Both vote almost straight tickets, even while disagreeing with many they vote for.

Why? Many feel they are choosing between the lesser of two evils. They will support a mercenary politician to battle those they fear even more. It is a shame that most citizens who support sound fiscal policies, true equal opportunities for all and a willingness to compromise on controversial issues have limited, if any, voice in candidate selection or policy making. But they see extremists on the other side as more dangerous than extremists in their own party. So, they support the  mercenaries of their party.

Until the emergence of an alternative party grounded in the center, we will wonder how anyone could support such obviously bad politicians. There will continue to be support for the street fighting mercenaries who would otherwise be condemned for the danger they truly are. We either need a strong third party, or a major overhaul in both major parties.

We need this as soon as possible. In the meantime, we are best served with divided government, where neither party, controlled by their extremes, can enact their dangerous ideas. Even then, there must be limits on presidential powers such as executive orders.

Larry Beanan

Tonawanda
A 71-year-old man arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting two parishioners and injuring another at an Alabama church small-group meeting on June 16 was subdued and held down by an attendee of that meeting, police said.
Company faces nearly $1.2 million in federal penalties for failing to evacuate miners after fire broke out in southern Illinois coal mine
Japanese delegation visits North Wales to see regions low-carbon energy potential

A delegation of representatives from the Japanese Wind Power Association have been visiting North Wales this week to see some of the exciting developments under way in the region.

The association was established in 2001 and includes representatives of some of the leading wind power companies in Japan.

The group of 27 delegates spent three days in the region and their tour included learning about new and existing projects.

They visited M-Sparc, Minesto, Faun Trackway, Mona Lifting, both North Wales ports, Mostyn Hall, Prysmian Cables, Offshore Renewable Catapult, Jones Brothers Engineering, Work-place Work-safe and AMRC Cymru .

Minister for North Wales Lesley Griffiths said: Im pleased the Welsh Government has supported the visit from the Japanese Wind Power Association.

We have seen exciting developments come to fruition here in North Wales including M-Sparc and AMRC Cymru which provide a base for companies to explore the latest technologies.

North Wales in particular is well-placed to lead the way in low-carbon energy generation and useful relationships will be formed for the future through this visit.

I am delighted they also had the opportunity to taste and drink our local produce, including a visit to Penderyn Whisky Distillery.

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said: There are close links between North Wales and Japan.

We know, for example, of a particularly close relationship with the town of Conwy with the first and only twinning between two Unesco World Heritage sites  Himeji Castle in Hyogo and Conwy Castle, which they visited during their tour as well as hearing about the culture and the language.

The visit from the delegation gives the opportunity to further strengthen that relationship and learn from each other in the field of low-carbon energy generation.

We hope we can share our learning with them as Wales hosted the first offshore wind projects in the UK.

I would like to thank all those involved in this visit for their time and efforts in supporting this tour and we look forward to hosting further delegates from Japan over the following months.

The General Manger of Japan Wind Power Association (JWPA), Yoshinori Ueda, said: We came to Wales to have a greater understanding of the offshore wind industry, as the first offshore wind projects took place off the coast of North Wales.

We had the opportunity to learn and see these projects as well as learning about future opportunities in Wales.

The offshore wind industry is in its infancy in Japan and we have a great interest in developing our partnership with Wales in this sector and low carbon, building on the strong relationship we have already established.

This was the first trip to Wales for the most of Japanese Wind Power Association members.

Over our three days here in North Wales we have heard from the manufacturing industry, from developers and from port owners and we will now take this information back with us to digest. We look forward to working with Wales again.
Police in North Wales issue Parkour warning after reports of youngsters causing criminal damage

Police in North Wales have issued a warning over youngsters taking part in Parkour after reports of criminal damage.

Officers say they have become increasingly aware of youths taking an interest in free-running locally.

It has led to reports of criminal damage to buildings in connection with Parkour and of a child being badly injured.

North Wales Police have now put out safety advice aimed at the parents of youngsters taking part in free-running.

The regions police force said: If you think your child is interested in parkour, please advise them to keep away from abandoned buildings and to follow the below safety tips:
Trintignant appears on stage in 1964

Jean-Louis Trintignant, one of France's best-known actors who starred in more than 100 films, has died aged 91.

Trintignant featured in Three Colours: Red, Z, The Conformist and Amour - which won an Oscar and the Palme d'Or.

The star gained huge public sympathy in France in 2003, after his daughter Marie was beaten to death by her rock star boyfriend.

He died early on Friday in the southern Gard region "surrounded by loved ones", his wife told the AFP news agency.

Born on 11 December 1930, Trintignant grew up during the adversity of World War Two and was sent as a young conscript to Algeria, then a French colony.

Trintignant's challenging early years were thought to explain his willingness to succeed in challenging roles, including thugs and criminals, through a career spanning more than six decades.

His first major screen appearance was opposite Brigitte Bardot, with whom he reportedly had a brief and much talked-about relationship while making 1956 romance And God Created Woman.

Trintignant was generally noted for avoiding the limelight, telling French newspaper Nice-Matin in one of his final interviews that fame "didn't interest" him.

He was, however, able to bring to bear his passion for motor racing - notably appearing as a driver in 1966 title A Man and A Woman.

Trintignant at Cannes Film Festival in 2019

The 2003 death of Trintignant's actress daughter Marie - and the murder conviction for her musician boyfriend Bertrand Cantat - stunned France, and Trintignant was pictured sobbing at her funeral.

Decades previously, Trintignant had lost another child, Pauline, as a baby.

After a career spanning more than six decades, which included efforts at directing, a cancer-weakened Trintignant made his final appearance at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.
In a pair of related cases in which the decisions were announced June 13, the US Supreme Court upheld the challenge by Biden administration lawyers to three lower court rulings that entitled non-citizens to request a bail hearing while waiting for their objections to deportation to be resolved.

Immigrant families held in overcrowded Border Patrol detention center in McAllen, Texas [Credit: OIG]

Because of these reactionary rulings, thousands of immigrants who pose no danger and no risk of flight, and who are asserting credible legal claims to remain in the United States, will remain jailed under medieval conditions as their cases wind through the backlogged and indifferent immigration courts.

In a third case decided on June 8, Border Patrol agents, perhaps the most thuggish of all federal law enforcement officers, were granted broad immunity from constitutionally based lawsuits for excessive force, brought by US citizens.

Antonio Arteaga-Martinez was arrested in 2018 after six years in the United States, while awaiting the birth of his first child, because he entered without documents. An asylum official found credible Arteaga-Martinezs claim that he would face persecution and torture if deported to Mexico. Arteaga-Martinez sought to be reunited with his family while his petition for a withholding of removal order worked its way through the immigration courts, followed by the inevitable appeals.

Writing for eight of the nine justices, the leading liberal, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, reversed the lower court ruling requiring the federal government to provide a bail hearing within six months, at which an immigration judge could consider traditional criteria for releasing someone in exchange for the posting of a cash bond, such as danger to the public or risk of flight.

Sotomayor, indifferent to the devastating impact that indefinite imprisonment for immigration violations has on working families, based her decision on a pedantic, result-driven reading of the governing statute, which, she added, could be changed. Sotomayor left open the option that Arteaga-Martinez could present a constitutional challenge on remand to the lower court.

Stephen Breyer dissented, writing that a 2001 case, Zadvydas v. Davis, resolved the issue, preventing the government from detaining immigrants indefinitely. If deportation was not likely in the reasonably foreseeable future, immigrants must be released absent some good reason to detain them, Breyer wrote. Arch-reactionary Clarence Thomas agreed that Zadvydas was controlling, but instead urged that the earlier decision be overruled.

The second case, Garland v. Aleman Gonzalez, involved two class actions filed on behalf of non-citizens jailed for more than six months. Both lower courts issued class-wide injunctions ordering bail hearings on the grounds that due process rights were being violated.

Reactionary Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, did not just rule that the lower courts were wrong, but that the detainees had no right to bring the lawsuit in the first place. He wrote that federal law generally prohibits lower courts from entering injunctions that order federal officials to take or to refrain from taking actions to enforce, implement, or otherwise carry out specified statutory provisions.

Despite her simultaneous ruling against the statutory right to bail hearings, Sotomayor dissented, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Breyer, on the grounds that Alitos ruling made it impossible for people to band together in challenging government misconduct that could not be challenged individually. She wrote that the ruling will leave many vulnerable noncitizens unable to protect their rights.

These reactionary rulings occurred against the background of a surge in arrests along the Mexican border. US Customs and Border Protection announced there were 239,416 arrests in May alone, a pace of nearly three million detentions annually. The mass arrests are fueled in large part by the Biden administrations failure to terminate the unconstitutional Title 42 summary exclusion policy, instituted by the Trump administration, which effectively abolishes the right to asylum on the southern border of the United States.

In the previous weeks case, Egbert v. Boule, Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the right-wing majority, ruled against Robert Boule, a US citizen who runs the Smugglers Inn, a bed-and-breakfast that abuts the Canadian border.

Boule was a paid government informant who found himself at odds with Erik Egbert, a local Border Patrol agent. While arguing over a Turkish guest legally in the United States, Egbert threw Boule against a car and then slammed him to the ground. When Boule filed a formal complaint, Egbert used his government connections to retaliate by triggering a tax audit.

Boule filed a federal lawsuit under the well-known 1971 precedent Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents, which authorizes claims for money damages against federal officials based on constitutional violations. Right-wing justices have been attacking and restricting Bivens for decades. Although Thomas declined to straight-out overrule Bivens, his opinion reduced its scope to the approximate size of a postage stamp.

While the facts may seem somewhat trivial, the decision has far-reaching legal consequences.

Thomas referred at length to Alitos 2020 decision in Hernandez v. Meza, a sickening case where the Supreme Court declined to create a damages remedy for an excessive-force claim against a Border Patrol agent who shot and killed a 15-year-old Mexican national across the border in Mexico.

Although Bivens was decided two years after Chief Justice Earl Warren retired, it stands as one of the landmark decisions from the relatively brief period in the last century when the Supreme Court was popularly perceived as an institution that protected democratic rights. Thomas, speaking for the reactionary majority, wrote not only that Bivens would likely be decided differently today, but that we are now long past the heady days in which this Court assumed common-law powers to create causes of action.

Finally, Thomas wrote, In Hernandez, we declined to authorize a Bivens remedy, in part, because the Executive Branch already had investigated alleged misconduct by the defendant Border Patrol agent... Boule nonetheless contends that the Border Patrols grievance process is inadequate because he is not entitled to participate and has no right to judicial review of an adverse determination. But we have never held that a Bivens alternative must afford rights to participation or appeal... Thus here, as in Hernandez, we have no warrant to doubt that the consideration of Boules grievance against Agent Egbert secured adequate deterrence and afforded Boule an alternative remedy.

In other words, because a law enforcement agency rubber-stamps the actions of its employees, without rights to participation or appeal, there is no need for a lawsuit.
Events this week highlighted the potentially catastrophic failure of Australias energy market, dominated by profit-driven power generation, distribution and retail companies. People in several states were threatened with blackouts because electricity-generating companies withdrew supply.

Eraring Power Station [Source: Wikimedia]

The crisis could still leave tens of thousands of households without power in the midst of a severe cold snap. In the states of Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) the supply shortfall last week was projected to be 1,454 megawatts and 1,726 megawatts respectively.

Blackouts were only narrowly averted after the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) initially intervened under its Reliability and Emergency Reserve Trader (RERT) scheme to pay some corporate energy consumers to reduce their demand.

This bandaid solution alone will result in millions of dollars of public money being handed over in compensation to the affected consumers.

So acute was the energy supply problem, that not just households but public hospitals were asked to cut down on usage, including not using appliances and turning off potentially vital equipment not in continuous use.

Significantly, the supply shortfalls rapidly emerged after AEMO initially imposed temporary price control caps of $300 per megawatt-hour (MWh) as wholesale electricity prices continued to soar, averaging more than $675 per megawatt-hour.

That measure was supposed to exercise some meagre control over the giant companies that own the countrys major power generators, such as Origin Energy, AGL and EnergyAustralia, whose overriding concern is making profits and enhancing shareholder value.

Power companies began withholding available capacity from the electricity market, claiming that the cap was too low to cover their costs because of the soaring global prices of coal and gas, largely produced by the US-NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine.

The generators clearly intended to force AEMO to instruct them to make capacity available to the grid, entitling them to millions of dollars in compensation under the National Electricity Rules.

Such compensation is much higher than that for losses occurred or operating under the $300 MWh cap, which requires an application to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AMEC).

Backed by the Labor government, AEMO ultimately suspended the spot market for wholesale electricity for the first time since 1998. Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the federal government would back any moves by AEMO, supposedly to have reliable supply in the grid.

According to the Australian Financial Review, this would result in AEMO compensating companies to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in the current quarter alone, on top of the almost $100 million it paid to generators during 2021 after directing them to put more supply into the market.

AMEC chairwoman Anna Collyer said companies who apply for compensation would be protected from losses. Not surprisingly, Australian Energy Council chief executive Sarah McNamara, who represents 20 electricity and gas businesses, said they supported AEMOs decision.

There are now three compensation schemes for generators: one for those directed to enter the market before the market suspension, one for those operating at a loss before the market suspension and, now, one for those operating in the suspended market. On top of this is the RERT scheme, where companies are either paid to cut their power usage or to provide alternative supplies, such as diesel standby, to the grid.

While the multi-billion dollar power companies are laughing all the way to the bank, the cost of the massive compensation they have conspired to grab will be passed on by electricity retailers to working class households and small users, who are already struggling to meet soaring electricity bills.

AEMO chief executive Daniel Westerman declared it was impossible to operate the system under current conditions while ensuring reliable, secure supply of electricity.

Right now, Westerman stated, we see the market is not able to deal with all the factors thrown at it. Frankly, those factors are quite extreme, ranging from generators that are both planned and unplanned outages, very high demand.

What are these factors? Above all, the rapacious generating companies withholding capacity from the market to drive up the price of electricity on the spot market and then extort millions of dollars in compensation.

A guaranteed supply of electricityan essential requirement for life in a modern society, especially in increasingly severe weather conditionshas been further undermined by faltering power infrastructure. This is due to the lack of investment in maintenance by the power companies, particularly in the ageing coal-powered generators they acquired through the privatisation of these previous state assets.

Several key generators were out of action or operating at reduced capacity. There were multiple outages at Liddell and Bayswater power stations in NSW and problems with three units at Callide and three at Gladstone in Queensland. Though the latter remain state-owned, they operate under the pressures of the privatised electricity market.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attempted to blame the previous Liberal-National government. You cant fix a decade of inaction in 10 days, he said. This is a direct result of a failure to invest, of a failure to have an energy policy.

However, the decades-long rampant profiteering revealed again in the crisis is the outcome of a process put into train in the 1990s by the Keating Labor government. It initiated the privatisation of the generation, distribution and retailing of electricity in order to lay the foundations for the National Electricity Market, which became operational in 1998.

This drive was accelerated under the Gillard Labor governments 2012 Energy White Paper, which demanded that state governments privatise the remaining electricity assets, then estimated to be worth more than $100 billion.

Labors claims that privatisation would produce competition and provide incentives to power producers to be efficient, resulting in lower electricity prices, have proven to be a monumental fraud.

Moreover, while delivering bonanzas to the financial markets and associated businesses, this process has been accompanied by the destruction of thousands of jobs and the slashing of working condition across the sector to ramp up profits and investor dividends.

This offensive has been facilitated every step of the way by the trade unions. Again and again, they worked to divert the widespread popular opposition that erupted, including among power workers, to limited protest activity and bankrupt appeals to governments to change course.

In 2008, for example, the previous NSW Labor government announced it would sell the state-owned retail corporations of Energy Australia, Integral Energy and Country Energy, and lease the generation corporations, Delta Electricity, Eraring Energy and Macquarie Generation.

While calling limited protests and work stoppages, the unions participated in a sham consultation process enshrined in the NSW and federal Labor Party platforms that was designed to stifle workers opposition and ultimately rubberstamp the ongoing privatisation of public services.

Today, many former and current union officials sit on the boards of electricity sector investors, such the Australian Super and IFM Investors superannuation consortium, which owns 50.4 percent of Ausgrid, a NSW electricity distributor.

The threat of power shortages and blackouts that impact directly on the life and wellbeing of tens of millions of people can be answered only by the working class in a conscious struggle to reorganise society to meet need, not profits.

This requires the building of a network of rank-and-file workplace and community committees, totally independent of the unions, to organise the fight for a workers government that will place the power industry, along with all essential utilities and the banks, under public ownership and democratic workers control.
Demonstrating that he remains the dominant figure in the increasingly fascistic Republican Party, Donald Trump delivered the headline speech on Friday at the three-day Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to the Majority conference.



The annual event, held this year from June 1618 in Nashville, Tennessee, featured hundreds of Republican politicians and their Christian supremacist allies, virtually all of whom warmly embraced the aspiring dictator.



Speakers at the event included several of Trumps former cabinet officials and Republican co-conspirators, none of whom, more than 17 months after the January 6, 2021 coup attempt, have been held to account for trying to install a fascist dictatorship.

In their speeches, the Republican politicians lamented that their leader was no longer in office and promoted the lie that the 2020 election was stolen or otherwise rigged, in the process justifying the attack on the U.S. Capitol.



The appearance of hundreds of Republican operatives and dozens of politicians at the pro-Trump event explodes the narrative put forward by President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party that there is an honorable section of the Republican Party, committed to defending democracy from Trumps crazies.

This effort to exonerate the Republican Party and cover up the extensive support in the military, police and intelligence apparatus for the attempted overthrow of the election and the Constitution has been on display in the three hearings held thus far by the Democratic-controlled House Select Committee on January 6.

If Trump is the 2024 presidential nominee, there is no question that virtually the entire Republican Party will support him and back any and all extra-constitutional means he will employ to return to power and impose his fascistic agenda.



In his speech which lasted more than 90 minutes, Trump attacked the unselect committee as a one-sided witch-hunt that was pushing an insurrection hoax. He claimed, falsely, that January 6 was not an insurrection because there were no guns recovered at the Capitol.



Ignoring the massive evidence, including new information released in the hearings, of a coordinated conspiracy over many months to overturn an election defeat and establish a personalist dictatorship, Trump repeated the transparent lie that the siege of the Capitol to block certification of the Electoral College vote was simply a protest that got out of hand.



Trump reiterated his eulogy for QAnon adherent and Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot by police to prevent her from breaking into the House chamber and enabling the mob to seize and likely kill lawmakers targeted by Trumps brown shirts.

Nobody was killed, Trump declared, except for a wonderful young woman named Ashli Babbitt, who was viciously shot and, in my opinion, for absolutely no reason by a police officer.



Trump promised that if he becomes president in 2024, he will consider pardoning the January 6 political prisoners, who he claimed were being treated worse than terrorists and murderers.



He attacked weak Republicans, such as former Vice President Mike Pence and former Attorney General William Barr, for bailing on his efforts to overthrow the government.



On Thursday, the Committee revealed that Trumps mob was at one point a mere 40 feet away from Pence during the attack on the Capitol. In a stunning closing statement, retired federal Judge J. Michael Luttig warned that Trump and his allies would attempt to overturn the 2024 election in the same way they attempted to overturn the 2020 election.



In his speech, Trump dismissed Luttigs statements and said Pence had a chance to be great. Pence had a chance to be historic, but just like Bill Barr and the rest of these weak people ... Mike did not have the courage to act.



Trump demanded that after the Republicans take back control of Congress in the 2022 midterm elections they begin investigations and promptly issue subpoenas against his political enemies, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Select Committee members Liz Cheney and Adam Schiff.



Appealing to the religious zealots in attendance and neo-Nazis watching internationally, Trump and other speakers attacked LGBTQ+ people and public school teachers as sexual deviants and groomers.



Our children are captives to unhinged Marxist educators who are pushing inappropriate sexual, racial and political material on our children from the youngest possible age, said Trump.

The Republican campaign against LGBTQ+ people has been taken up with vigor by the partys fascist supporters. The Washington Post reported that a study released Thursday by the conflict-monitor group ACLED found that anti-LGBTQ activity, including demonstrations and attacks, increased more than four times from 2020 to 2021, from 15 incidents to 61.



Last week, 31 fascists with the group Patriot Front were arrested for conspiracy to riot at the Pride in the Park event in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. That same weekend, Proud Boys stormed the Drag Queen Story Hour at the San Lorenzo Library in Oakland, California, and threatened Kyle Chu, whose drag name is Panda Dulce.



One of the richest Republicans who spoke at the Faith and Freedom event was Trumps former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. The Michigan billionaire and opponent of public education resigned two days after Trumps coup failed, citing violence at the Capitol. However, like most Republicans, after taking the measure of Joe Biden and the Democrats feckless response to the coup, she has since embraced Trump.



Other speakers included former US Ambassador and Kansas senator Sam Brownback and Trumps Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Nikki Haley, Trumps Ambassador to the UN, who has since distanced herself from the former president, also spoke.



At least two of Trumps Republican co-conspirators in the House, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio and former congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas, spoke at the conference, as well as Florida Rep. Michael Waltz and Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw.



Another notable speaker at the conference was Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, niece of Utah Senator Mitt Romney. Earlier this year, the RNC passed a unanimous resolution declaring Trumps coup legitimate political discourse, while at the same time passing a resoution to censure Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the only two elected Republicans serving on the House Select Committee into January 6.



Prior to Trumps speech, several Republican senators spoke, including Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn, both of Tennessee, Rick Scott (Florida), and Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham, both of South Carolina.



Graham was effusive in his praise of the ex-president and his gangster persona, telling the assembly, You know what I liked about Trump? Everybody was afraid of him  including me.




New Pacific Metals said the one rig drill program is targeting a broad gold zone identified by the company and historical drilling

New Pacific Metals (TSX:NUAG, NYSE:NEWP) Corp said it has commenced a 6,000-metre (m), one-rig drill program at the Silverstrike project in Bolivia targeting a broad gold zone identified by the company and historical drilling.

The company has previously identified near-surface broad zones of silver mineralized in altered sandstones to the north, with similarities to New Pacifics Silver Sand project located 450 kilometres northwest of the Silverstrike project.

New Pacific said it has also identified a near-surface broad silver zone that occurs near the top of a 900 m diameter volcanic dome of ignimbrite units with the intrusion of rhyolite dyke swarm and andesite flows and a broad gold zone occurs halfway from the top of the dome in the Silverstrike Central area.

Based on the company's field mapping, chipping sample and limited historical drilling results, the company interprets the gold zone as very similar to the gold discovery in the Carangas Project that the silver-rich zone sits at the top of the system stacking on top of the gold mineralization in volcaniclastic sediments that intruded by rhyolitic porphyry dyke swarms, New Pacific said in a statement.

The company has a 98% interest in the project with its Bolivian partner and said that it will cover 100% of the future expenditures on exploration, mining, development, and production activities.

New Pacific Metals (TSX:NUAG, NYSE:NEWP) is a Canadian mining company exploring and developing silver and gold deposits in Bolivia.

Contact the author Emily Jarvie at emily.jarvie@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @emilyjjarvie
This week's new releases include albums from Soccer Mommy and Luke Combs, the the action comedy "The Man From Toronto," and the 10-episode, coming-of-age comedy "Gordita Chronicles."
For the sixth year in Columbus, the Columbus Diversity and Inclusion Summit will return on June 28 at Central Community College Columbus Campus from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The summit's purpose, according to Centro Hispano's Welcoming and Belonging Coordinator Elizabeth Rodriguez, is to educate community professionals. The theme this year is "Develop, Engage and Initiate."

"It's a gathering for education, for HR professionals, senior leadership and practitioners of diversity and inclusion," Rodriguez said.

The summit comes as a collaborative effort to start conversations among business leadership about how to best understand what diversity and inclusion mean and the best ways and reasons to implement them. Rodriguez said that this has been the goal from the beginning.

"They started this wanting to educate, especially in the workforce, engaging them as to what diversity is and how to go about it in the workforce," Rodriguez added.

Jessica Caban, events and administrative coordinator for the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, said the summit falls into the chamber's interests because diversity is a key part of commerce and community.

"We want to support workforce development and from the human resources standpoint, working with a diverse group of people, it's important to have that foundation of being able to work with different groups of people," Caban said.

The Nebraska Public Power District and Columbus Area Human Resources Association (CAHRA) both sponsor the event as well. Amanda Henry from CAHRA will speak at the event on "why diversity, inclusion and engagement can't be ignored."

"The first part we're going to talk about is how you recruit, where you recruit, how to make sure you don't have an unconscious bias," Henry said.

Henry added that many people have some unconscious bias, and her segment will discuss how to overcome that bias when recruiting and why a workforce should be diverse.

This year, the summit will comprise of mostly lecture-style education, with some breakout discussion sessions and a "lunch-and-learn" format similar to a panel or forum. Speakers come from many backgrounds and will all speak on diversity and inclusion in some respect.

Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce President Dawson Brunswick said the summit is beneficial to the community because it helps attendees make the community more welcoming.

"It's a great event. It's beneficial and I think Columbus continues to grow because we continue to welcome people here," Brunswick said. "What the D&I summit does is provide a great wholesome experience on what more we can do."

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A Lancaster couple faces charges after police said they traveled to Upper Allen Township following an online argument and threatened victims with a gun last week.

Harvey Segarra, 32, and Cassandra Ortiz, 25, were charged with felony prohibited possession of a firearm and misdemeanor terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault and disorderly conduct after the incident on June 10.

Upper Allen Township Police said the couple traveled to a residence in the 900 block of Sheffield Avenue to confront the victims about an argument on social media. During the incident, Segarra had a physical fight with one of the victims, according to police.

After that fight, Segarra returned to his vehicle, produced a loaded handgun and threatened the victims, according to police. The two fled the area prior to police arrival and were not immediately located, police said.

During the investigation, police determined Segarra is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Police obtained arrest warrants for the pair, and they arrested them at their residence on Thursday without incident.

Both were arraigned, and while Segarra remains in Cumberland County Prison on $75,000 cash bail, bail for Ortiz was reduced from $75,000 cash to $15,000 unsecured, and she was released. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 23.

Email Naomi Creason at ncreason@cumberlink.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelCreason.

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Anderson, South Carolina

Getty Images / Bryan Powell / 500px

Greenville, South Carolina has been getting quite a bit of buzz latelyand for good reason. Its emerging food scene, array of museums, and walkable downtown are just a few of the reasons it was named the South's Best City on the Rise in 2022. But travel 45 minutes southeast towards the South Carolina-Georgia border, and you'll find another town more than worth a weekend away. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Anderson is a small town with big energy that you need to add to your Southern travel bucket list today.

Once known as the Electric City thanks to its pioneering use of hydroelectric power, Anderson has remained every bit of that spark more than 100 years later. Its location near the Blue Ridge Mountains and one of the Southeast's largest recreation lakes means there's plenty by way of outdoor recreation to explore, from freshwater fishing and boating to hiking and biking.

When you're ready to slow your roll, a leisurely stroll around Anderson's historic district shops and restaurants is a great option. Then, you can round out your trip by hunting down all the local treats of the Piedmont region, from handmade truffles and homegrown honey to craft whiskey and farm-fresh goat cheese. Here are 10 things you must do on a visit to the Friendliest City in South Carolina.

Palmetto Distillery

Courtesy of Palmetto Distillery

Do a Tour and Tasting at Palmetto Distillery

The fun started more than a decade ago when brothers Trey and Bryan Boggs opened South Carolina's first legal moonshine distillery in Anderson. Since then, they've grown the collection of spirits at Palmetto Distillery to include not only award-winning flavored moonshines (Try the Pina Colada, Peach, or Salted Caramel), but also a line of craft whiskeys and ready-to-drink cocktails. Tours are free (no reservations required) and typically end with a choose-your-own-adventure tasting where you can decided between a traditional tasting (9 flavors for $10 with a $5 credit for whatever you decide to take home), flight ($5), or single sample ($1).

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Lake Hartwell

Courtesy of Big Water Marina

Spend a Day on Lake Hartwell

Ask any Anderson local where their favorite place to spend a day is and they'll likely reply with Lake Hartwell. The 56,000-acre lake is one of the biggest recreation lakes in the Southeast and is well-known for its world-class fishing. Catch catfish, bream, crappie, and bass from the 100-foot fishing pier at Sadlers Creek State Park, or book a trip with one of many local fishing guides who are guaranteed to have you reeling in trophy bass in no time. If fishing isn't your fancy, head to Big Water Marina and take your pick of watercrafts. They've got everything from kayaks, paddle boards, and hydrobikes to pontoon boats.

Anderson Arts Center

Courtesy of Anderson Arts Center

Immerse Yourself in the Arts at the Anderson Arts Center

Art enthusiasts should plan to spend ample time at downtown's Anderson Arts Center. The massive complex is a hub for the visual and performing arts. The complex features several rotating exhibitions, as well as the Bay 3 Artisan Gallery, a cooperative gallery of local artists who represent a variety of different mediums. If you'd like to get a little more hands-on, sign up for a workshop or class hosted regularly at the center. The center is also home to The Market Theatre Company, a community theater group that pulls off an impressive year-round schedule of musicals, plays, and productions for the public.

Downtown Anderson Courthouse

Courtesy of the City of Anderson

Explore the Historic District

One of Anderson's crowning jewels is its bustling 16-block Historic District. Allot a few hours to explore this area and see where your whims take you. History buffs will want to look out for Anderson County Courthouse, the P&N Railroad Depot, the Anderson County Museum, and a 1764 Revolutionary War cannon called Old Reformer. Modern mavens will love the eclectic mix of locally owned specialty shops, boutiques, breweries, and restaurants. Just off Main Street, pay a visit to Carolina Wren Park, a hub for community activity including open-air concerts, block parties, movie screenings, and other outdoor events. Don't forget a sweet treat at CocoBon Chocolatier, an artisan truffle and chocolate shop that's been a local favorite since opening in 2007.

Bleckley Inn

Courtesy of The Bleckley Inn

Stay at the Bleckley Inn

When visiting Anderson, there's no better home base than The Bleckley Inn. The city's only boutique hotel, the Bleckley offers 22 well-appointed rooms in the heart of downtown. The renovated historic building features dramatic 10-foot ceilings, original heart pine flooring, and classic Southern decor. For the full experience, book reservations at the hotel's Restaurant 151, a Southern American eatery with a special emphasis on South Carolina-grown ingredients and produce.

Split Creek Goat Farm

Courtesy of Split Creek Goat Farm

Visit Split Creek Goat Farm

At its heart, Anderson is a rural community. For a foray into the farm fresh, a visit to Split Creek Goat Farm is a must. The goat dairy is home to 350 goats who provide the milk for Split Creek's nationally acclaimed, award-winning goat cheese, fudge, and yogurt. The farm shop is open every day except Sunday, but if you'd like to take a self-guided tour of the operations be sure to visit between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday or Saturday. In addition to finding Split Creek's legendary products, you can also find produce and food from other South Carolina businesses.

Sullivan's

Courtesy of Sullivan's

No vacationand especially no Southern vacationis complete without a meal to write home about. In Anderson, you'll have plenty of options to choose from. Sullivan's Metropolitan Grill is the place to go for an upscale evening out. With its white tablecloths and elegant architecture, you'd never know the building opened as a hardware store in the late 1800s. Dinner options range from Lowcountry classics like Shrimp and Grits, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Sullivan's Hush Puppies to Italian-inspired Short Rib Bolognese and Black Truffle Ravioli. For top-notch cooking in more casual digs, head to Mama Penn's for a Southern-certified meat 'n' three experience and Creekside Bar-be-que for slow-smoked ribs, brisket, and pork using recipes passed down for generations.

Get Delicious Eats at a Local Restaurant

Magnetic South Brewing

Courtesy of Magnetic South Brewing

Go Brewery Hopping

Make a toast to a trip well spent with a pint at one of Anderson's hip craft breweries. Carolina Bauerhaus uses local yeasts, regional hops, and seasonal fruit to create an ever-rotating menu of small-batch beers, ciders, and wines. Be on the lookout for seasonal brews like the Bradford, a sour ale brewed with Bradford watermelons. Electric City Brewing Company is a brewery, coffee shop, and cafe all in one. On-tap options range from a 10% spiked seltzer to a Blood Orange IPA. Complete your downtown brewery tour at Magnetic South, a brewery on downtown's Main Street that opened in September 2021. The brewpub encourages visitors to stay for a while. The large taproom features arcade games, a pool table, and plenty of room to relax over a pint and specialty cast-iron pizza.
Bill Maher has a beef with Millennials, specifically those who inhabit the newsroom of the Washington Post.

Reviewing the recent Twitter war between WaPo reporter Felicia Sonmez and the other members of that newsroom  a flame battle that eventually saw Sonmez fired and another reporter put on a months leave without pay  Maher said the joke tweet that instigated it was something that has been going on for eons. Yet the unlicensed daycare center that is the newsroom didnt find the humor in it.

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Can you imagine a world that allows jokes you dont like? Of course, the leadership folded like a Miami condo, he said, falling back on the tired trope that the tweet did not reflect the institutions values, free speech not being one of them.

Maher then broadened the WaPo conflict into a larger takedown of the generation that now is coming into its own in the workplace as Baby Boomers retire.

You think my generation is an eyeroll, Maher said. Let me tell you about the younger generation. Your sense of entitlement is legendary, he said, also attacking your attention span and work ethic, specifically the unqualified little shit who doesnt understand why hes not a producer yet. He added that the WaPo story had such resonance because we all know the stereotypical players in it.

Millennials complain that they havent taken over yet, Maher said. But thats because the Boomers are reluctant to turn the world over to them for incidents like the WaPo wars.

The crybabies are still winning, Maher said. They complain they havent taken over yet. The fact that the Posts response was to punish one of their best reporters shows the kindergarten is still in charge.

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In 1972, the Watergate break-in happened, a story basically scooped by the WaPo. I have to wonder how the Posts newsroom of today would handle that. All this time blubber-tweeting. Dont you have anything better to do? Arent you supposed to be reporters digging up stuff? This is why youre not in charge. If someone named Deep Throat called today and wanted to meet, this crew of emotional hemophiliacs would have an anxiety attack and report to HR they didnt feel safe.

Maher did take hope in the fact that the WaPo eventually did fire Sonmez. Maybe theres a line. That generation has to find that line and move it closer to sanity. Because democracy dies in dumbness.

Earlier, Mahers guest was Emmy winning writer Danny Strong, producer of the Hulu limited seies Dopesick, about the opioid epidemic. His strongest moment was when he insisted that members of the Sackler family absolutely should face prison time for their manufacturing role and lies in the opioid crisis.

The panel discussion was dominated by podcaster Krystal Ball, a far leftist who would hardly let Maher or guest author and James Kirchick talk.

The most interesting moment of the talk was when Maher was asked whether he thought Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would be better than ex-President Donald Trump. Yes, I do, he said. He wont be poop-tweeting and having feuds with Bette Midler.

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Scott Olson

The son of 86-year-old Buffalo massacre victim Ruth Whitfield has told The Daily Beast that he hopes this years historic Juneteenth celebration will serve as a call to action to those in power around gun control and race relations in the U.S.

Were not going to go quietly into the night, declared Garnell Whitfield Jr. We built this country. We deserve to be treated with equity, with humanity and we demand it. Were not asking for it. Were not begging for it. And we intend to do something about it

Its pretty ironic that we sit in 2022 celebrating our freedom from slavery, but were not celebrating our equality, he said. This proliferation of white supremacy, proliferation of inequities within our society, inherent in our society, the struggle continues.

We understand that we've got a long way to go. Just like with the gun legislationwe have to celebrate that somethings being donebut its far from what needs to be done. And so our work continues.

Whitfield said Buffalos Juneteenth will be bittersweet for him as it will be the first time his mother will not be watching the former fire commissioner march from the sidelines.

You know, my mother stood in the crowd and cheered as we walked by every year. 34 years in the fire department and she never missed the parade, Whitfield told The Daily Beast. She wont be there in the crowd this year. So many others wont be there in the crowd this year. And so, you know, its a memorial to them that we come together. Not just to celebrate, not just to have fun, but to vow to work to bring about substantive change.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff arrive for the funeral service for Ruth Whitfield in Buffalo, New York. KEVIN LAMARQUE

On Sunday, Buffalos Black community will be celebrating their 47th Juneteenth, one of the largest celebrations of its kind in the nation.

The holiday, first celebrated in Texas, marks the dateJune 19ththat enslaved African Americans there were told they were finally free.

This years events will be particularly important organizers say, coming after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and just one month after a racist gunman murdered 10 Black community members at East Buffalos Tops supermarket.

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On Wednesday, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland visited with shooting victims and family members and announced that federal prosecutors have brought hate charges against the gunman.

Flowers are left at a makeshift memorial outside of Tops market in Buffalo, New York. Scott Olson

But for Buffalonians, Juneteenth and Black liberation have deep roots, from far before presidents in Washington D.C. paid notice to the June event.

Murray Holman, a member of the Juneteenth board, told The Daily Beast that the organizers wanted to acknowledge the victims of last months massacre while still allowing locals to enjoy a fun day out with their families.

Holmanwho runs the Stop the Violence Coalition in Buffalo and is head of security for Buffalo Juneteenthwas one of the first community members at the scene of the shooting last month.

It is a joy to see families come up to see the children marching on this day. Thats a highlight itselfthe new generation taking on the task for the old generation. Its not one thing that [sticks] out. It is just a powerful moment.

Local Pastor James Giles said while it is impossible to dismiss the trauma and tragedy of May 14, he hopes the Juneteenth celebrations will be a counter effect to the massacre.

If everybody has a good time theyre going to spread that and thats what the hope is. Thats what the hope is for me, he said.

This is the first year that Juneteenth will be a federal holidaysigned into law by President Joe Biden last year following nationwide protests against racist policing and police brutality in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law in the East Room of the White House on June 17, 2021 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer

Jalonda Hill, the founder of local nonprofit Colored Girls Bike Too, says the historic event will be a special moment for Black people in Buffalo, which she says has a very powerful and dynamic history.

If you look at history you had Harriet Tubman, who was in Buffalo. You had people like Frederick Douglas, and the underground railroad and its connection to Canada. You had a lot of safe spaces specifically for the underground railroad but you also had the Green Book, she said, referring to places where Black families could safely stay the night.

I think right now making all of these different connections to Black history, to mass shootings and racist terrorist attacks, and how it connects to that history but also to Black culture and how we celebrate and how we grieve to make those connections and then reach solutions that materialize into systemic change said Hill.

Hill says that this year, Juneteenth must represent real change in the form of reparations. She believes direct compensation must be paid to those descended from enslaved Americans and called on allies to support Black-led businesses and nonprofits.

Its only then when we can see true, true, true, Black joy. I mean, we have it right now of course because you can never really keep the Black community down. But I think that its time for Black people to be truly liberated in this country and a good start is like reparations and getting what were owed. 

Dakari Singletary, 27, who will attend the celebration to reach out to youth for his programs at nonprofit Candles in the Sun which runs a variety of initiatives and mutual aid for underprivileged Buffalonians looked forward to celebrating and eating at his favorite jambalaya food truck, but echoed Hills hope that real change will overshadow any empty symbolism this weekend.

He noted Buffalos segregation and redlining, and the previous apathy of white organizations to Juneteenth.

Black people in Buffalo have always had to be resilient, said Singletary. I think this tragedy did more for white Buffalo than Black Buffalo. We already knew what existed, said Singletary. It shouldnt take a massacre to occur for you to realize the entitlement and the blessings you have on your life to pass on to others. And it often gets lost here [in Buffalo].

Garnell Whitfield, Jr. testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Examining the Metastasizing Domestic Terrorism Threat After the Buffalo Attack. Bill Clark

Ultimately, Whitfield Jr, who just returned from urging Capitol Hill to take charge on gun violence, agrees: As a man who has spent his whole life in public service, he said, it is those in political power who need to take action.

Im not an exception and Im wonderfully blessed to have had that opportunity [to speak to congress]. But what the heck am I supposed to do when my mother gets gunned down like an animal? he said.

Whitfield explained those that died in the massacre were the best of theecommunity members with huge webs of connectionwhose deaths have reverberated far beyond their own lives. And he intends to keep pushing forward as a living memorial for his mother.

I dont care if they are Democrats or Republicans, they took oath of office, they all owe us more than we have. They all owe us their considerations, they owe us their humanitythey owe us that, said Whitfield. So everybody and anybody in power, if youre not working, to bring about these kinds of changes, then they should not be where they are.

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A Cocoa woman has been charged with grand theft after investigators said she took about $15,000 from an adoption agency for her newborn, but then refused to give up the child to its prospective parents, state police said Friday.

April Stormy Norris, 33, had signed a contract in August 2020 with Ellen Kaplan Adoptions to give up her child to a couple through the agency, police said. The would-be parents paid $11,362.72 to the agency, which gave the money to Norris to spend on "rent, phone bills, car repairs, and other expenses," according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

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FDLE investigators found, however, that Norris had no intention of giving her child up to the prospective parents.

After Norris gave birth, she switched doctors, told hospital workers not to talk to the agency or the prospective parents, and stopped talking to the agency completely, FDLE said. The Kaplan agency claims it lost about $15,000, police said.

FDLE charged Norris with grand theft Friday. Norris is currently in the Brevard County Jail. The Department of Children and Families placed the child in foster care sometime in 2021, FDLE said.

Norris had already been charged in December with possession of firearms by a convicted felon, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, use or possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of firearm ammunition.

Amira Sweilem is the data reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Sweilem at 386-406-5648 or asweilem@floridatoday.com.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Adoption theft: Cocoa woman took money from adoption agency, kept child
A ban on abortions after 15 weeks takes hold on July 1 and many Floridians will celebrate its application. Unique from other states, the law neither outright bans the procedure nor deputizes citizens for enforcement.

This moderation, we think, reflects the broad spectrum of political views in our state. Women, after all, will still be able to see their doctors and have the full array of medical options available to them through the first trimester.

A quick point, though: Medicaid eligibility in Florida excludes adults who are generally healthy. Single mothers need to make less than $6,800 a year in order to qualify. Women on their first pregnancy are eligible, but need to allow up to 30 days for their Medicaid application to process.

Once that is complete, a pregnant woman should be in the clear to see an OB/GYN. Northern Florida, however, is the front lines for hospital closures.

Across the country, hospitals have found the cost inherent in covering large regions of uninsured patients to be too high. This is why they have closed at a faster rate in states that have not expanded Medicaid coverage. The closures of Campbellton-Graceville Hospital, Regional General Hospital, Shands Live Oak and Shands Lake Shore Regional Medical Centers exemplify a trend of shrinking access most acutely felt in non-expansion states.

Florida legislation banning most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy drew protests at the state Capitol during the legislative session.

How does this relate to a 15-week abortion ban? Results from the Turnaway Study show that women denied an abortion because they were over the gestational age limit are more likely to be in poverty four years later, less likely to be employed full time and feel less equipped to take care of children they already have. Most importantly, this is in comparison to women who were just on the other side of that term-limit line when at the doctors office.

We fear the combination of not expanding Medicaid and imposing a 15-week restriction will severely affect women throughout Florida and that our region is especially at risk. On July 1 and every day thereafter, a subset of Floridian women will incur divergent and lasting socioeconomic and personal fates because of the 15-week line in the sand.

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The lack of a state public health insurance option for single adults, we feel, increases the likelihood women will be too late for the term limit and experience years of unnecessary hardship.

Isaac Smith and Rene Kronlage are University of Florida medical students.

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This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Isaac Smith, Rene Kronlage: Florida Medicaid, abortion laws caiue harm
The Miss Tennessee Scholarship Competition returns to Memphis this month.

The competition, run by the Miss America Organization, will be held for a second year at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts on June 23-25. The winner will receive a scholarship to her educational institution and have the opportunity to represent Tennessee in the Miss America competition.

Contestants from across the state will arrive in the Bluff City on Sunday and spend the week touring Memphis sights before the competition begins Thursday, including a Downtown trolley ride, The Peabody hotel's Duck Walk and a parade down Beale Street.

Were beyond blessed because of Memphis embracing us, said Janie Albright, chief of staff for Miss Tennessee. Theyre our champions.

Miss Nashville 2021 Tally Bevis is officially crowned Miss Tennessee during the final of the scholarship competition at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, July 3, 2021.

In 2021 the competition was held in Memphis for the first time, with Miss Nashville Tally Bevis crowned Miss Tennessee 2021. Bevis will attend this years ceremony to crown her successor and pass on the sash.

MISS TENNESSEE 2021: Miss Nashville Tally Bevis wins Miss Tennessee 2021

WHAT TO KNOW: Everything you need to know about Miss Tennessee as the competition comes to Memphis

Along with the 36 Miss Tennessee contestants, this year Memphis will host the 20 contestants for the 2022 Miss Tennessee Outstanding Teen Competition for girls ages 13 to 18, as well as the 40 girls ages 6 to 12 participating in the TriStar Princess mentorship program.

Adding in the family members and supporters accompanying the contestants results in a tourism boost for the area.

"We love having them here," said Kevin Kane, president of Memphis Tourism. "It's an honor to have them in our city, experiencing Memphis and seeing what we're all about."

The top five competitors await to hear who will become the winner of the Miss Tennessee during the final of the scholarship competition at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, July 3, 2021.

The decision to move the competition to Memphis came after Jackson, Miss Tennessees previous home for more than 60 years, lost the license to host it. The original plan was for the competition to move every year, but after going to Knoxville in 2019 and having to cancel the event in 2020 due to the pandemic, Albright and her husband, Joe Albright, the CEO of Miss Tennessee, decided to spend the next two years in the Bluff City.

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Albright said she and her husband often came to Memphis and enjoyed the sights and history, so they wanted to be able to share that with the contestants, many of whom have never been to Memphis. She also encouraged Memphians to attend the show and enjoy the performances.

Wed love for local citizens to come and see because its a salute to them, Albright said.

Contestants from Miss Tennessee 2021 pose for a photo with Peabody Duck Master Kenon Walker in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, July 1, 2021.

Miss Bluff City Fair Diana Moseley, 19, echoed that statement.

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MISS TENNESSEE IN MEMPHIS: Seeing the Memphis sights: Miss Tennessee contestants get a taste of the Bluff City

We love having people support us, she said. Because that money goes to scholarships for young women and lets them go through college.

Moseley, a Murfreesboro native and musical theater student at the University of Memphis, will be representing Memphis and vying for the title of Miss Tennessee.

Miss Music City Kelsey Hollis performs during the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Competition at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, July 3, 2021.

She will be joined by young women, ages 19 to 26, from across Tennessee as they share their talents, personalities and social impact initiatives on stage, hoping to win the crown, the scholarship money and the honor of the title, something Moseley doesn't take lightly.

Its being a leader in your community," she said. "When you are Miss Bluff City Fair or Miss Tennessee, you have certain responsibilities you then take on.

Both the new Miss Tennessee and the new Miss Tennessee Outstanding Teen will be crowned at the finals on June 25.

Tickets for the June 23-25 events are available for purchase on the Cannon Center website.

Niki Scheinberg is a news intern at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at monika.scheinberg@commercialappeal.com.

Miss Tennessee Competition

When: 7-10 p.m. June 23-25

Where: Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, 255 N. Main St.

Tickets: One-night tickets cost $40-$75, a three-night package costs $160-$200; visit the thecannoncenter.com to purchase tickets

Details: misstennessee.org

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Miss Tennessee 2022: Memphis hosts competition for second year
PHILADELPHIA  A Vets for Trump co-founder arrested after driving a Hummer containing weapons and ammunition to a site where votes were being counted in Philadelphia in November 2020 will remain free to await trial despite violating bail conditions.

A judge at a hearing Friday said that Joshua Macias had violated bail conditions through social media posts made under another name.

Common Pleas Judge Lucretia Clemons said she could have revoked bail but instead chose to warn Macias, 43, of Chesapeake, Virginia, to stay off social media."

Prosecutors say Macias and co-defendant Antonio LaMotta planned a mass shooting as the presidential election hung in the balance but were thwarted by an FBI tip about their travels. Macias was charged with carrying a gun on a public street without a license and trying to interfere with the election.

District Attorney Larry Krasner had asked this week that Macias be held in contempt because of video that shows him meeting with top leaders of two-far right extremist groups in Washington the day before the Jan. 6 riot.

We need to radically reconsider whether Joshua Macias is a midsized fish or a shark. I believe he is a shark, Krasner said at a news conference Monday.

Defense lawyers William J. Brennan and Alan Tauber, who played videotaped character statements in court Friday from several evangelical pastors and fellow veterans, said Macias was not a danger to anyone. They said he did not enter the U.S. Capitol after attending the rally for Donald Trump on Jan. 6.

He's not been charged in any matters related to Jan. 6, he's never been in trouble before and he poses no danger to the community, Brennan said.

Both Macias and LaMotta are scheduled for trial in October.

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Prosecutors have added hate crime allegations to attempted murder charges filed against a suspect who opened fire at a Taiwanese American church luncheon last month in the US.

The 68-year-old gunman, David Wenwei Chou, is accused of killing one person and wounding five others at a shooting at the church in Orange County, California, on 15 May.

The suspect allegedly attacked a gathering of members of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods.

At a news conference after the incident, Sheriff Donald Barnes said Mr Chou, originally from China, had acted alone and was motivated by anger over political tensions between China and Taiwan. He had no apparent ties to the church.

The accused gunman reportedly sent a seven-volume journal entitled Diary of an Independence-Destroying Angel to a Chinese-language newspaper prior to the attack.

In addition to being armed with two handguns, officials alleged Mr Chou locked church doors with chains, attempted to superglue locks and tried to nail at least one door shut. Magazines of ammunition and incendiary devices were found at the scene, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Mr Chou was tackled shortly after the gunfire erupted by one of the churchgoers, Dr John Cheng. Authorities said the 52-year-old husband, who died from a gunshot wound while charging at the accused shooter, likely saved the lives of dozens.

The suspect was initially booked on one felony count of murder and five felony counts of attempted murder. However, prosecutors on Friday added hate crime allegations to the mix.

Authorities said David Chou, the accused gunman in Sundays deadly attack at a Southern California church, was a Chinese immigrant motivated by hate for Taiwanese people (Orange County Sheriff's Department)

In May, the FBI opened a federal hate crime investigation into the shooting, according to Kristi Johnson, assistant director in charge of the bureaus Los Angeles office.

Authorities said that part of what supported their theory were the notes they found in Chous car, where hed indicated that he didnt believe Taiwan should be independent from China.

Communist-ruled China, a country that views democratic Taiwan as a breakaway province, has ramped up calls for unification in recent years while the island nation  which the US does not have diplomatic relations with but shares a robust unofficial relationship with  continues to challenge the mainlands influence.

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Community members said they were shocked such violence had come into their community.

I could not even imagine something like this could happen here, Charlotte Hsieh, an organist at the church, who left about an hour-and-a-half before the shooting started, told The New York Times. Im just as shocked as anybody.

The shooting came just a day after 10 people were killed in a white supremacist mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York in May.

This is upsetting and disturbing news, especially less than a day after a mass shooting in Buffalo, US representative Katie Porter, whose district is nearby, wrote on Twitter at the time. This should not be our new normal. I will work hard to support the victims and their families.
"Pages of history" features excerpts from The News Journal archives including the Sunday News Journal, Wilmington Morning News and the Evening Journal.

June 19, 1983, Sunday News Journal

First U.S. woman in space says thrill matches Disneys best

A female voice came floating down from space Saturday, after the shuttle Challenger roared into Earth orbit with a crew of five astronauts  four men and Sally K. Ride, the first American woman to fly into space.

Have you ever been to Disneyland? Ride asked Mission Control Center in Houston. Well, this is definitely an E ticket, a reference to the high-priced ticket that Disneyland used to sell for admittance to its best rides and attractions.

Front page of the Sunday News Journal from June 19, 1983.

She and astronauts Robert L. Crippen, Frederick H. Hauck, John M. Fabian and Norman E. Thagard flew into orbit as the shuttle began its seventh trip.

Among the women watching Rides journey into space history at the Kennedy Space Center were feminist author Gloria Steinem, film star Jane Fonda, a half-dozen congresswomen and a dozen prominent American businesswomen including Chase Manhattan Vice President Elaine Bond and First Boston Managing Director Carol Eininger.

DELAWARE NASA CONNECTION: This Middletown High School alum set his sights on the stars. Now he works for NASA.

June 21, 1975, Evening Journal

Jaws: Top grossing, engrossing  and gross

Jaws, if youll pardon the pun, will put teeth in the summers movie business. And gray hair on its audience.

The $8 million film about a marauding great white shark off a resort colony is geared to be  and will be  the years top grossing film. Like The Exorcist and The Godfather before it, Jaws will be THE picture to see, and everyone will oblige the producers.

Page 12 of the Evening Journal from June 21, 1975.

Quite simply, Jaws is the most terrifying, totally engrossing picture of the year  perhaps of any year.

Its terror is not that of some google-eyed, web-footed Creature from the Black Lagoon or giant mutant ants or even of a colossal ape. Instead, its terror is the truth  knowledge that anyone is shark bait in salt water of virtually any depth. The average shark attack occurs in 3 feet of water, 10 feet from shore.

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As presented by 27-year-old director Steven Spielberg, Jaws shoots for action and shocks, not messages, from the deep.

The real star is the white plastic shark, nicknamed Bruce by its creator, former Disney special effects chief Robert A. Mattey. Mattey built three robot sharks  one to turn left, another right and one to swim underwater  at $150,000 per shark.

Despite the security of the movie theater, the sharks every appearance draws screams from the audience.

Even the old master, Alfred Hitchcock, might skip a heartbeat or two over Jaws.

CATCH UP ON HISTORY: News Journal archives, week of March 27

June 22, 1956, Wilmington Morning News

Miller refuses to name Communists, will marry Marilyn Monroe

Playwright Arthur Miller put on a real life drama in two acts today by (1) announcing he will marry Marilyn Monroe and (2) publicly acknowledging he had erred by supporting Communist fronts.

I would not support a cause dominated by Communists, he said.

The Capitol was the backdrop for the drama: Miller, 40, tall and lanky in a navy blue suit and smoking a pipe, was center stage before the House Committee on un-American Activities.

Front page of the Wilmington Morning News from June 22, 1956.

The Pulitzer Prize winner told the committee he wanted a passport to go to England to see about production of a play and to join the woman who will be my wife.

It was during a recess he told reporters he would marry the curvaceous Marilyn with the blonde hair before she goes to London July 13 to make a movie.

Now the man who wrote such plays as Death of a Salesman and The Crucible will marry the pinup girl of the troops.

The committee called Miller to talk about why he was denied a passport in 1954 on the ground that his travel abroad would not be in the best interests of the United States.

I was never under Communist Party discipline, Miller said. As for contributing to front groups, I wouldnt deny that  Im here to tell the truth.

Then the question came for Miller to name others who had been at what he said he understood to be meetings of Communist writers in 1939 or 1940.

I could not use the name of another person and bring trouble on him, Miller said.

State slated to get $41,418,000 as share under big road bill

Delaware is expected to get $41,418,000 for federal-aid highways over the next three years, under provisions of the huge highway bill on which House and Senate conference committees finished work June 21.

Everything is set for the measure, a $32,900,000,000 project, to become law by July 1. Both the House and Senate probably will approve the conferees report next week, and President Eisenhower is expected to sign it at once.

It is the biggest road-building program in history.

Chief among the new revenue raisers will be a one-cent-per-gallon increase in the present two-cent federal tax on gasoline.

Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: News Journal archives Arthur Miller Marilyn Monroe Jaws Sally Ride
A person hangs from the balcony in the Senate chamber on Jan. 6 after rioters broke into Capitol and interrupted the counting of electoral votes.

Which one of us will ever forget the images of our politicians hiding on the floor between rows of chairs in the Senate Chamber, quaking with fear and reaching for gas masks?

Jan. 6 should be a reminder that the people we send to Washington are merely human like the rest of us. When faced with a raging mob intent upon disrupting the ballot count and causing physical harm, the politicians ran for cover. Can you name one member who stood his/her ground and was willing to face the insurrectionists? I certainly cant, but the sight of them being chauffeured to safety is emblazoned in my brain.

A man yells inside the Senate chamber on Jan. 6. On Tuesday, in the same room, lawmakers will hold an impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, who is charged with inciting the mob.

I wonder how many sought counseling after such an horrific ordeal. Which members continue to suffer from PTSD? Do they have recurring nightmares, and are they fearful of entering the Capitol? In their rush to seek a secure hiding place, they forgot everything except saving their own hides. They even forgot about the all-important ballot box as they were being scurried to safety. Although some children were present as guests of their parents, most individuals under siege that day were adults.

Sharon Kennedy, a local columnist who is often featured in the Sault News and Cheboygan Daily Tribune.

They expected to be protected by the Capitol police and other law enforcement. Can you imagine the outrage that would have resulted if 19 armed officers had milled around a hallway and ignored the politicians cries for help? What if aid had refused to come because the situation was too dangerous and the politicians were on their own? What if no one had escorted the Vice President to a bunker but had left him to fend for himself? Would he be alive today?

It should be obvious Im drawing a comparison between the events in Washington on Jan. 6 and in Uvalde, TX on May 24. It took me a few weeks to decide how I wanted to broach this subject. Then I received an email saying June is PTSD awareness month, and the answer became clear. The majority of our senators and representatives are old. Even if they have PTSD, they might not recognize it.

U.S. Capitol Police Sgt. Harry Dunn tears up as a video of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is played during a public hearing of the House select committee investigating the attack is held on Capitol Hill, Thursday, June 9, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) ORG XMIT: DCAH482

Older people often have a variety of physical and mental ailments. PTSD might not be as obvious as Alzheimers or rheumatoid arthritis or clinical depression. This is not to downplay the seriousness of post-traumatic stress disorder, but only to point out that Washington politicians have vast resources at their disposal for this condition as well as all the others.

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However, what about the children of Uvalde who survived the carnage? How will their parents and caregivers reassure them its safe to return to school regardless of where classes are held? How many years will it take to calm the startle response when a car backfires? When will they lose the fear of being shot in a classroom, church, grocery store, mosque or Walmart? Will the young survivors ever trust law enforcement again?

Serena Liebengood, widow of Capitol Police officer Howie Liebengood, cries as she attends a House Select Committee hearing to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol, in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on June 9, 2022.

The youngsters had no one to escort them to a safe place. If the people hired to protect politicians had declined to do so and if Pence had been hung or Pelosi shot, what would have been the response from their peers? I imagine something more concrete than a moment of silence and announcing, Our prayers and thoughts are with you.

Maybe, maybe not. Regretfully, that, too, is human nature. We tend to resume our daily activities and forget the trauma and PTSD children involved in any mass shooting will carry for a lifetime.

 To contact Sharon Kennedy, send her an email at authorsharonkennedy.com. Kennedy's latest book, The SideRoad Kids: Tales from Chippewa County, is available from her, Amazon, or Audible.

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Sharon Kennedy: Running for cover in Washington
(Getty Images)

Brad Pitt as Neo? Josh Hartnett as Batman? Halle Berry as the lady that drives the bus in Speed? Believe it or not, all of the above would have happened if those actors had said yes. Dive into the history of Hollywood and most incredibly famous characters were nearly played by someone else. Those early and ultimately aborted casting decisions just dont tend to get talked about.

Sometimes, though, actors are very open about the high-profile parts they turned down, and the pangs of regret left behind once those films are actually made.

Imagine a world in which Leonardo DiCaprio was the star of a beloved drama about the porn industry and not Titanic, or Reese Witherspoon didnt play Legally Blondes Elle Woods. Shudder. Here are 13 actors who turned their nose up at iconic movies, only to feel very silly about it later on.

Denzel Washington in Se7en

Asked in 2012 if there were roles he turned down that he should have taken, Washington answered quickly: Se7en and Michael Clayton. The Oscar winner said that Tony Gilroys corporate thriller Michael Clayton was the best material I had read in a long time  I was nervous about a first-time director, and I was wrong. George Clooney ended up playing the role instead.

While Washington didnt offer an explanation as to why he turned down Se7en (it is unclear if he would have played the veteran detective or the cocky rookie, embodied in the end by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, respectively), it may have been for a similar reason: director David Fincher had only directed one film before Se7en, and that was the disastrous Alien 3.

Oddly, Washington ended up starring in a number of Se7en-esque serial killer thrillers made in the aftermath, including 1999s The Bone Collector and 2021s The Little Things.

Leonardo DiCaprio in Boogie Nights

Leonardo DiCaprio as prolific porn star Dirk Diggler? It could have happened. In 2008, DiCaprio confirmed that he turned down the starring role in Paul Thomas Andersons Boogie Nights  which ultimately made Mark Wahlberg a star  in order to do Titanic instead. He had a meeting with Anderson about the role, but got spooked by the filmmakers relative lack of experience at the time. Boogie Nights was Andersons second film after 1996s little-seen Hard Eight.

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Boogie Nights is a movie I loved and I wish I wouldve done, DiCaprio told GQ. Asked whether hed reject Titanic instead if he could go back in time, DiCaprio was stumped. Im not saying I would have. But it would have been a different direction, career wise. I think theyre both great and wish I could have done them both  The truth is, if Id not done Titanic, I wouldnt be able to do the types of movies or have the career I have now, for sure. But it would have been interesting to see if I had gone the other way.

Madonna in The Matrix

Madonna has never been one for regrets, instead admirably sticking by creative decisions even if they get her jeered at, laughed at or criticised. But she did fess up to one movie role she shouldnt have been so quick to dismiss. I turned down the role in The Matrix, she told Jimmy Fallon during a TV appearance this year. Can you believe that? I wanna kill myself. Thats, like, one of the best movies ever made. A teeny-tiny part of me regrets just that one moment in my life.

Madonna didnt confirm which role she turned down in the 1999 film, but presumably it was the female lead Trinity, who was ultimately played by Carrie-Anne Moss. During the same interview, Madonna also confirmed rumours that she turned down the role of Catwoman in Batman Returns, and Nomi Malone in the notorious Showgirls. I saw them both, and I regret that I turned down Catwoman, that was pretty fierce. Showgirls? No.

Brad Pitt in The Matrix

Speaking of The Matrix, Brad Pitt has also expressed regret about turning down the role of Neo. I took the red pill, he joked in 2020, referencing the choice in the film between having total clarity or remaining in blissful ignorance. I come from a place, maybe its my upbringing, [where] if I didnt get it, then it wasnt mine. I really believe [the role] was never mine. It was someone elses.

Keanu Reeves ended up playing Neo, of course, while Pitt suggested during the same interview that The Matrix is just one of the massive movies he said no to. If we were doing a show on the great movies Ive passed on, we would need two nights, he joked.

Will Smith and Brad Pitt both waved goodbye to the role of Neo in The Matrix' (Philippe Desmazes/Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Will Smith in The Matrix

And just to drive home the fact that very few actors seemed to any faith in The Matrix, Will Smith also turned down the starring role. In 2019, Smith confirmed a long-standing rumour that he rejected the Neo part in favour of a far less adored movie.

On his YouTube channel, Smith recalled meeting directors Lana and Lily Wachowski but struggling to understand their ideas for bullet-time, or the slow-motion effect that Neo masters in the movie.

So I made Wild Wild West [instead], Smith confessed, referencing the notorious 1999 flop that he has spent more than 20 years regretting. Im not proud of it.

He did, however, argue that he wouldnt have been as good in the role as Reeves. Keanu was perfect, Laurence Fishburne was perfect, so I probably would have messed The Matrix up. I would have ruined it, so I did yall a favour.

Matt Damon in Avatar

I still cant watch Thelma & Louise it still kills me

Michelle Pfeiffer

While Damon hasnt explicitly said that he regrets turning down James Camerons Avatar, he references the decision enough to suggest it still stings. In 2007, Damon was wooed by Cameron with the promise of not only starring in the film but also pocketing 10 per cent of the films gross. Avatar, which eventually starred Sam Worthington, ended up becoming the highest-grossing film in history. Meaning  drumroll, please  Damon lost out on an estimated $200m (148m).

Ive left more money on the table than any actor, he told GQ in 2019. He added that his biggest regret is that it may have been his only opportunity to work with Cameron. He works so infrequently  I realised in having to say no that I was probably passing on the chance to ever work with him. So that sucked and thats still brutal. But my kids are all eating. Im doing OK.

Christina Applegate in Legally Blonde

Its hard to imagine Legally Blondes Elle Woods as anyone other than Reese Witherspoon, but it was actually Christina Applegate who was first approached to play her. Applegate revealed in 2015 that she turned down the part as she thought it was too similar to the character she played on the long-running sitcom Married with Children.

I got scared of repeating myself, she said. What a stupid move that was, right? [But] Reese deserved that. She did a much better job than I ever could, and so thats her life, thats her path.

In a strange twist of fate, both Witherspoon and Applegate ended up playing sisters to Jennifer Anistons Rachel on Friends.

Michael Keaton in Groundhog Day

Like a Legally Blonde without Reese Witherspoon, its also difficult to imagine Groundhog Day without Bill Murray. But he wasnt the studios first choice for the part of an acerbic weatherman stuck in a time loop. Rather, Michael Keaton was approached.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in 2014, Keaton admitted that he had read the script in the early Nineties but didnt get it. Of the character, Keaton said: This guy sounds like the kind of wry, sardonic, glib young man Ive played  and it ended up being so great. But you cant do it better than Bill Murray did it.

Josh Hartnett in Batman Begins

Josh Hartnett has been open about turning down a role that would have transformed his life and career. In 2015, he admitted that Christopher Nolan had sought him out to play Batman, but that fear got the better of him. I was so focused on not being pigeonholed and so scared of being considered only one thing as an actor, he told Playboy Magazine.

He realised hed made a mistake when Nolan cast his eventual Batman, Christian Bale, in his Batman Begins follow-up The Prestige. I decided [Batman] wasnt for me. Then he didnt want to put me in The Prestige. They not only hired their Batman for it, they also hired my girlfriend [Scarlett Johansson] at the time. Thats when I realised relationships were formed in the fire of that first Batman film, and I should have been part of the relationship with this guy Nolan, who I felt was incredibly cool and very talented.

Josh Hartnett in 2006, not at the premiere of The Prestige' (David Livingston/Getty Images)

Michelle Pfeiffer in The Silence of the Lambs

In the early Nineties, Michelle Pfeiffer reportedly turned down a long list of massive roles, from Thelma & Louise and Pretty Woman to Basic Instinct and Sleepless in Seattle. While she said in 2017 that she had to turn down Thelma & Louise due to a scheduling conflict (I still cant watch it  it still kills me), shes admitted to regretting turning down The Silence of the Lambs, as it meant she didnt get to work with the late filmmaker Jonathan Demme more than once.

Demme directed Pfeiffer in 1988s Married to the Mob, and always envisioned her for the role of rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling. But Pfeiffer got cold feet. I was trepidatious, she told The New Yorker earlier this year. There was such evil in that film. It was that evil won in the end, that at the end of that film evil ruled out. I was uncomfortable with that ending. I didnt want to put that out into the world.

Jodie Foster ended up winning an Oscar for the role.

Halle Berry in Speed

Sandra Bullock has Halle Berry to thank for inadvertently making her a star. While promoting the 2019 sequel John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum, Berry admitted that she could have starred alongside Keanu Reeves decades earlier, as she was nearly cast in the runaway bus thriller Speed.

I was offered Speed before Sandra Bullock, Berry told Entertainment Tonight. I stupidly said no. But in my defence, when I read the script the bus didnt leave the parking lot.

Bullock ended up playing Annie, who is tasked with driving a bus rigged with explosives. Berry said that she came to regret turning down the part. I see the movie and Im like, arrrghhh.

Bruce Willis in Ghost

Willis and Demi Moore were a couple at the time they were both sent the script for the romantic drama Ghost in 1989  but only one of them ended up doing it. While Moore starred alongside Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg in the film, which became the highest-grossing film of 1990, Willis found the whole concept confusing. A dead man attempting to help his grieving girlfriend move on while simultaneously solving his own murder? Pfft.

I just didnt get it, Willis told The New York Times in 1996. I said, Hey, the guys dead. How are you gonna have a romance? Famous last words. Just to punctuate his regrets, the Die Hard star dubbed himself a knucklehead for passing up the role.

Eddie Murphy in Who Framed Roger Rabbit

The number of famous roles Eddie Murphy has played is almost as long as the number he turned down. He thought Ghostbusters sounded like a crock when he was offered it in the early Eighties, rejected Rush Hour in favour of the forgotten comedy Holy Man, and  probably wisely  said no to Driving Miss Daisy.

One film that he had second thoughts about, though, was Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which originally wanted him for the role eventually played by Bob Hoskins. The film  a high-concept detective comedy that fused together live-action and animation  was a bold risk for 1987, and Murphy wasnt convinced by it.

I was like, What?, he said in 2003. Animation and people sounded like bulls*** to me. Now every time I see it, I feel like an idiot.
Houses of worship are revered as sacred places. They're places to connect to a higher being, celebrate life's milestones and to seek comfort during moments of pain and discomfort.

Inside churches and temples, vows are exchanged with partners, children's lives are dedicated and families mourn loved ones after death.

When three historically Black churches in rural St. Landry Parish were burned by arson in 2019 at the hands of a white man, Executive Director of Performing Arts Serving Acadiana Jackie Lyle knew she had to do something.

"I felt this call to respond in some sort of artistic way to the issue of acts of violence against houses of worship, reconciliation and redemption," she said. "I was really bothered by (the burning of) these churches and all I could think was, 'what can we do?'

"In the same way that the 'Diary of Anne Frank' tells that story, in the same way that 'To Kill a Mockingbird' tells that story, I believe we can tell this story through dance."

Sentencing: Holden Matthews, who burned three Black churches, sentenced to 25 years in state court

Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in St. Landry Parish was damaged in a fire Thursday.

Lyle reached out to Adonis Rose, the artistic director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, and Cleo Parker Robinson, the artistic director of her own dance company in Denver, Colorado.

Together, they are working on creating a performing arts piece, "Sacred Spaces?", with original music and dance that would reflect on the impact of acts of hatred against houses of worship.

Background: 3 years after a hate crime burned them down, St. Landry Black churches rise from the ashes

They were able to secure three grants through the Ford Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts and the Association for Performing Arts Professionals Arts Forward program.

"Over time, I developed an emotional connection with the story so much so that I felt like I actually went through the experiences," Rose said. "We have to be aware of where we are right now and really tried to think about how we can make positive change."

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When composing his music, Rose said he reflected on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Bible. The death was when the churches burned, the burial was the congregations' pain and grief, and the resurrection was being able to rebuild the churches and being able to rejoice, he said.

CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING TODAY: Help support local journalists like Ashley White

As part of the creative process, the community was invited to share their feelings about the fires. Lyle, Rose, Parker Robinson, a dancer with her company Winifred Harris and University of Louisiana at Lafayette Assistant Professor of History Theodore Foster led the conversations at the Acadiana Center for the Arts and at St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church, which is one of the churches that was destroyed.

"What is hard is to be in a community and really understand the pain in the community and that's what we wanted," Robinson said. "We asked for that. We want to know exactly what did it feel like."

Prosecutors: Deputy's son sent friends videos of St. Landry Parish churches burning

Some of the church members told the artistic team they still struggled with forgiveness, Foster said. One man said he did electrical work on the building that burned. For days he wondered if he caused the church to be razed, Foster said.

Attendees at the ACA's listening session spoke of connectivity created by attending church. One woman said she grew up in church and was taught that church is family. When the St. Landry Parish buildings burned, she said it felt like her own family had been victimized.

(From left to right) Winifred Harris, Cleo Parker Robinson, Adnois Rose and Theodore Foster lead a listening session at the Acadiana Center for the Arts focused on how people felt after three churches were burned in St. Landry Parish in 2019.

Another woman said she didn't realize that people still cared about the churches and their congregation since the event had largely faded from the news cycle.

Each testimony will be used to shape the final production of "Sacred Spaces?".

"So many experiences in life are not believed until they become close," Harris said. "We have the opportunity to take this knowledge and to share it."

The performance will premiere on Sept. 17 in Denver, Colorado, and PASA plans to bring it on tour to Acadiana in the future.

Contact Ashley White at adwhite@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @AshleyyDi.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Black Louisiana church fires remembered in dance, music performance
FILE PHOTO: The US Navy guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur launches a Harpoon surface-to-surface missile during Pacific Vanguard (PACVAN) quadrilateral exercises between Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, and U.S. Naval forces in the Philippine Sea May 26, 2019. U.S. Navy/Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Toni Burton/Handout via REUTERS.

Ukrainian officials have said they struck a Russian tugboat in the Black Sea using two Harpoon missiles on Friday.

It is the first time Ukraine has announced it has destroyed a Russian vessel with Western-supplied weapons.

A statement from the Ukrainian military says the Harpoons used were given to Ukraine by the US.

Ukrainian military officials have said they struck the Russian Navy's Vasiliy Bekh tugboat in the Black Sea using two Harpoon missiles supplied by the US.

The action marks the first time Ukraine has announced it has destroyed a Russian vessel with Western-supplied armaments.

On Friday, the attack was announced on Ukraine's Armed Forces Strategic Communications Directorate's Telegram channel. It published a video purporting to show the anti-ship missile blowing up the vessel. Insider could not independently verify the footage.

The head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Maxim Marchenko, said, "This morning, our naval forces struck the Black Sea Fleet support vessel Vasily Bekh, with the TOR anti-aircraft missile system on board. Later it became known that he sank."

The Vasily Bekh was also transporting ammunition, weapons and personnel for the Black Sea Fleet to Snake Island, claimed the Ukrainian military.

A later message said the Harpoon anti-ship missiles, manufactured by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, were supplied to Ukraine as part of a multi-billion dollar aid package championed by President Joe Biden.

Russian missile cruiser Moskva is moored in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Sevastopol, Ukraine May 10, 2013. It was sunk by Ukraine in April 2022. Reuters/Stringer/File photo

On June 15, the US Department of Defense said it would also supply truck-mounted Harpoons to bolster Ukraine's coastal defenses.

As well as the US missiles, Ukraine has developed domestic sea warfare armaments and used them to devastating effect. In April, Ukrainian forces sank the Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, with at least one of its home-built Neptune missiles.

The Ukrainian military claims to have destroyed 1376 Russian tanks, 3376 armored combat vehicles, and 14 ships or vessels since the Russian invasion began on February 24, it said on the official government communications Telegram channel,

Read the original article on Business Insider
In 1991, Italys then famous pop star Viola Valentino came out with a hit song titled Romantici, or The Romantics, which summed up the willful and dreamy bent of that eras youngsters.

Among them, the Albanian parents of designer Jurgen Canaku were fleeing their country to Italy. Tales of that trip have been the designers primary source of inspiration since establishing his brand after years as a buyer, conjuring a post-romantic aesthetics and a vintage flair.

More from WWD

As his fashion gains steam and is picked up by musicians such as Maneskin for public gigs, his tailoring grew sharper for spring, yet still imbued with too many a retro twist, as in double-breasted suits with slightly flared pants done in gemstone blue, green or mustard yellow.

A pin-striped number with wide lapels and a retro twist read New Romantics, while sartorial pieces shredded and sliced, including an emerald green tuxedo jacket cropped at the hip, were simply too much.

Launch Gallery: Canaku Men's Spring 2023

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Click here to read the full article.
THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY, from left: Gavin Casalegno, Lola Tung, 'Summer House', (Season 1, ep. 101, aired June 17, 2022). photo: Dana Hawley /Amazon / Courtesy Everett Collection





Jenny Han's bestselling Summer trilogy is the latest to get the television treatment, and our summer's already looking brighter. "The Summer I Turned Pretty" is a coming-of-age romantic drama that follows Isabel "Belly" Conklin (Lola Tung) during her family's annual summer vacation to the idyllic Cousins Beach. When the nearly 16-year-old Belly returns to the place, she finds herself at the center of a complicated love triangle involving her childhood friends, brothers Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad (Christopher Briney). The Amazon Prime series has all the makings of a feel-good summer offering - the heart-fluttering tale of first love, life-defining friendships, a dreamy summer soundtrack, and a picturesque beach setting.

The screen adaptation, as well as the 2009 book, are both set in Cousins Beach, a beach in Massachusetts. The breathtaking views of the picture-perfect locale are enough to convince viewers to pack their bags and hit the quaint location this summer. However, you may have been tumbling down a blind alley trying to locate the coastal town on the internet; here's why!

Is Cousins Beach in "The Summer I Turned Pretty" Real?

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no Cousins Beach in Massachusetts. The made-up seaside town comes from Han's imagination. The good news is, you can visit the beach where the show is filmed. The principal photography for "The Summer I Turned Pretty" took place in and around the city of Wilmington, NC. The notable chosen locations include Fort Fisher, the Cape Fear Country Club, and the Porters Neck area, as reported by Star News Online.

Is Cousins Beach From "The Summer I Turned Pretty" Inspired by a Real Place?

The author behind the To All the Boys book series - who also serves as "The Summer I Turned Pretty"'s showrunner - has previously shared the real-life places that inspired the fictitious Cousins Beach. According to Han, she fused together various beaches across the East Coast she'd visited over the years to birth Cousins Beach.

Her time spent in Massachusetts's Cape Cod working as a nanny during grad school, in particular, shaped her vision. Han also weighed in on the subject when curious readers of her novel flocked to social media in search of answers about the mysterious Cousins Beach. The author noted that other than Cape Cod, the Hamptons and just a splash of "Outer Banks" fueled her imaginings. She also told Today that Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts and Nags Head in North Carolina inspired Cousins Beach as well. "I borrowed something from all those beaches," Han said.

All seven episodes of "The Summer I Turned Pretty" season one are now streaming on Prime, with season two of the drama already in the pipeline, likely distilling the plot of the second book of the franchise, 2010's "It's Not Summer Without You."
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 03: (L-R) Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin attend the 2020 Breakthrough Prize Red Carpet at NASA Ames Research Center on November 03, 2019 in Mountain View, California. (Photo by Ian Tuttle/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize )

Ian Tuttle/Getty

Sergey Brin is divorcing his wife of three years.

The Google co-founder, 48, who is the sixth richest person in the world and worth $94 billion according to Bloomberg, filed for a dissolution of marriage from wife Nicole Shanahan back in early January, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

He cited "irreconcilable differences," Business Insider first reported, noting that the pair owns joint assets to be divided in the proceedings, which "are to be determined."

"All issues as to the property rights or obligations of the parties will be determined by confidential binding arbitration in accordance with a written agreement between the parties," the filing reads.

Additionally, Brin is asking for joint custody of their 2-year-old daughter. He is not seeking spousal support from Shanahan and requesting she not be awarded it either.

Attorneys for Brin and Shanahan did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

RELATED: Google Co-Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin Step Down from Roles at Alphabet

Brin and Shanahan have enlisted a private "temporary judge" to preside over the case, according to Business Insider.

Having a temporary judge preside over your case is possible in California  Brin filed in Santa Clara Superior Court  as the state is attempting to help deal with its backlogged courts. This means it will allow the couple to expedite their divorce through backlogged courts.

It also ensures a higher level of privacy and the filing emphasizes the former couple's desire for privacy around the proceedings.

RELATED VIDEO: Valerie Bertinelli's Estranged Husband Tom Vitale Asks for Spousal Support After Divorce Filing

"Petitioner is a co-founder of Google and one of the wealthiest and most famous technology entrepreneurs in the world. Because of the high-profile nature of their relationship, there is likely to be significant public interest in their dissolution and child custody issues," Brin's attorney wrote in a filing, adding: "Of great concern is that such publicity puts their minor child at risk of danger, harassment, and even kidnapping, if the specifics of their day-to-day whereabouts are exposed to the public."

Brin was previously married to 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki from 2007 to 2015, and they share son Benji, 13, and daughter Chloe, 11.

The Russian-American internet entrepreneur co-founded Google with Larry Page in 1998, and although they both stepped down from their executive positions with the search engine's holding company Alphabet in 2019, Brin still retains a controlling stake, according to Forbes.
Abortion rights groups are using software that protects privacy and are honing other strategies to combat digital threats that they expect will worsen in a post-Roe world.

Those efforts are gaining new urgency as a looming Supreme Court ruling threatens to open a new wave of security threats for people seeking abortions and their health care providers.

The question is whether the tools and strategies abortion rights groups have developed will be enough for what advocates and cybersecurity specialists say is likely to become a more sophisticated and widespread surveillance operation in states that restrict abortion if the Supreme Court overturns Roe, as a draft opinion obtained by POLITICO indicates it plans to.

Abortion rights groups have for years faced anti-abortion activists shutting down their websites, stealing provider and patient information and using phone location data to advertise anti-abortion materials to people who visit family planning clinics. Prosecutors have also relied on online searches and patient data to inform abortion-related arrests.

In 2017, a Mississippi woman was charged with murdering her stillborn fetus based on a Google search for abortion pills. A top health official in Missouri also said in 2019 that his office has monitored detailed information about Planned Parenthoods patients, including the timing of their menstrual cycle, to determine if theyve had failed abortions.

Our lives are online, our conversations are online, and there are people with an agenda who very much want to use it, said Erin Matson, co-founder and executive director of Reproaction, an advocacy group that educates people about self-managed abortions. People have got to lock it down right now.



In preparation for a possible new post-Roe world, some advocates and providers have already reassessed their internal digital security strategies. At Repro Legal Helpline, a hotline where people can call with questions about the legality of an at-home abortion using pills, run by abortion rights group If/When/How, callers have the option to send their questions through secured services like Signal and Proton Mail, said Rebecca Wang, legal support counsel at If/When/How. Wang also said callers are encouraged to use a Tor private browser, Signal, Proton Mail and other encrypted services when researching details about self-managed abortions.

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Already, anti-abortion groups like Texas Right to Life have been known to set up tip lines to report people who have received abortions. Advocates worry tactics like those will escalate to full data breaches to steal identifiable patient and abortion provider information.

Texas Right to Life did not respond to a request for comment for this story, nor did a number of other anti-abortion groups, including National Right to Life and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. Spokespeople for attorneys general in Texas and Oklahoma, two of the states advocates are most concerned about, also did not respond.



Resource-strapped abortion-rights groups say theyre worried if they dont wipe all their digital footprints before the justices rule, it will be too late.

Reproaction met with their cybersecurity specialist Monday to review their strategies but said they werent likely to change their existing digital security policies yet as they focus on physical safety. Abortion rights groups have been flooding cybersecurity firm Cloudflare with questions about how to better secure their data on abortion providers, said Alissa Starzak, global head of public policy for Cloudflare.

Theres a lot more interest in making sure that information is secure, that people are protected and that information wont be disclosed publicly, Starzak said.

Some of these threats arent new. Abortion providers and abortion-rights groups have been fending off website hacks and network takedowns for years, and its hard to predict whether the threat landscape will change that dramatically.

Prosecutors havent expressed a direct interest in using online data in abortion-related arrests, and anti-abortion groups could focus more on in-person protests at clinics.

But providers and abortion rights groups are still bracing for the worst.



With the number of clinics likely decreasing in states that add restrictions, anti-abortion hackers could focus in more aggressively on those that remain, for example through website takedowns or infiltrating their computer networks to steal provider and patient information.

Nationwide providers like Planned Parenthood and Whole Womans Health, and smaller clinics like A Preferred Womens Health Center in North Carolina and Georgia, have faced hacking attempts on their sites dating back to 2015. POLITICO has reported that Planned Parenthood, which didnt respond to a request for comment for this story, even reached out to the FBI to help investigate who was behind the attack and the extent of the damage. Despite having a cybersecurity specialist on their payroll, Whole Womans Health still continued to battle website shutdowns  some lasting roughly a month  after an initial 2017 malware attack.

Kat Green, managing director of advocacy group Abortion Access Front, knows anti-abortion activists attack strategy well. Last year, her organization, which educates people about abortion access through comedy shows and other media-focused initiatives, published a blog post identifying anti-abortion activists they believed were at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

They expected pushback. Instead, they got a different kind of threat: hackers upset with Abortion Access Fronts post who retaliated by attacking their websites. They took down all three sites for about half a day, she said.

Abortion Access Front installed a website plugin called Wordfence in early 2021 to prevent low-level bot attacks trying to take down their site and just hardened our security across the board, Green said.

They havent been taken offline since, but Green said that attacks have continued.



In a world without Roe v. Wade, advocates and surveillance experts warn that the currently high level of attacks hitting providers and abortion rights groups could seem entirely normal  or increase  adding another strain to already resource-strapped abortion advocates and abortion care providers.

The reality is that everybody is so heads down in the work [and] just trying to help people as best they can while they can that theyre not thinking about their own safety, Green said.

But the biggest risk might be not from hackers but rather from law enforcement, which can seize suspects phones.

The most likely situation right now is that a person gets reported by a relative or ER nurse, and then if they are in a state like Texas, the state simply shows up and searches their phone, said Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Andrea Ritchie, a co-lead of the Interrupting Criminalization, an advocacy group, said law enforcement already relies heavily on text messages and other data collected through phone seizures in drug- and sex work-related charges. It's very easy to imagine how that process would continue when law enforcement has another tool available, Ritchie said.

While many groups have had these issues top of mind since at least former President Donald Trumps election in 2016, those that havent already found ways to minimize data collection for their clients and employees could find its too late.

It is my experience that when things start to go wrong, they go wrong very, very quickly, Galperin said.



Anything from text messages to location data would be trackable using seized devices  a data trove so expansive that its difficult for any resource-strapped group or potential patient to fully protect, said Justin Sherman, a senior fellow at Dukes Sanford School of Public Policy, who runs the universitys data broker research efforts.

Its hard, Sherman said. You get into these scenarios where were putting people who are already marginalized and already dealing with so much in these horrible, ridiculous corners, and yet its still expected that they are the ones who need to be doing more on privacy.

Within Reproaction, the group shies away from using easily accessible Google Docs and is mindful of when they even take notes at certain meetings, Matson said. The Abortion Access Front also uses Signal when theyre at protests, makes their social media accounts private and works with an information scrubbing service to remove home addresses and other personal details from the internet, Green said.

That said, it isnt clear exactly what the dangers will be, or how severe. Most prosecutors and criminal investigators in the 23 states where abortion access will be immediately banned or further restricted once Roe is overturned arent publicly announcing their detailed plans for what data they want to rely on in abortion-related charges.



Local prosecutors in restrictive states have plenty of discretion on what cases they pick up. For example, Gocha Ramirez, a county-level district attorney in Texas, a state with one of the most restrictive laws on the books right now, dropped charges last fall against a person indicted with murder for a self-induced abortion, citing prosecutorial discretion.

Farah Diaz-Tello, legal director of If/When/How, told a small group of reporters last month that her team hasnt seen any evidence of prosecutors using data from period-trackers or geolocation info about whos visited clinics in the cases theyve handled.

And anti-abortion activists are already known to seek out the personal information about abortion patients to call their families and try to out them, said Melissa Fowler, chief program officer at the National Abortion Federation, a professional association for abortion providers.

Starzak said most activists, at least, have been aware of these threats for years, and because of that, many are doing the things they should be doing to be prepared  turning to encrypted apps, limited user access to internal data and so on.



Abortion-rights groups are in a better place now than they wouldve been, Starzak said. They recognized that they needed to up their security posture a long time ago.

Still, since POLITICO reported on the draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe in May, online harassment and other digital threats to advocates are already spiking, Green said, noting that she spent an entire day soon after the draft published helping a colleague handle the online death threats they were receiving.

There hasnt been a lot of room for people to make proactive moves to protect their own safety and security, she said. Its coming to light now, and everybodys really afraid of that.
A girl holds a sign reading "Putin see you in The Hague" in Cologne, Germany, during a peace march against the war in Ukraine on Shrove Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. AP Photo/Martin Meissner

Security officials in The Netherlands said they outed an agent of Russian military intelligence.

Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov posed as a Brazilian citizen and tried to infiltrate the ICC.

Officials released a four-page document detailing Cherkasov's alleged cover story.

A member of Russia's military intelligence spent years posing as a Brazilian citizen but was outed after tying to land an internship at the international court responsible for trying war criminals, security officials in the Netherlands said Thursday.

The man potentially posed a "very high threat" to the "security and integrity of international organizations" and was refused entry to the Netherlands in April, intelligence officials said, and sent back to Brazil.

Calling himself "Victor Muller Ferreira," the man  identified as Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, a member of Russia's GRU  concocted an elaborate backstory dating back years.

A four-page biography, or "legend," that he appeared to compose, which intelligence officials said was likely from mid-2010, describes Cherkasov as being born in Rio de Janeiro. It states that he was raised by a single mother and was the product of an unplanned pregnancy. The document identifies her as a musician who died from pneumonia and was cremated (which would be convenient).

The biography, which officials said may be based in part on real events in the agent's life, includes details from childhood, including a purported crush on a geography teacher  and an explanation for why they might not share more details from their past. "I don't like to think back to these years," it states, "because my fellow pupils often used to joke about my looks and my accent."

Deep-cover Russian intelligence agents construct elaborate "legends" to explain their past. Screenshot/AIVD

The Russian agent was uncovered after getting an internship with the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

In March, Karim A.A. Khan, the ICC's top prosecutor, announced that he had decided to "immediately proceed with active investigations" of Russia's conduct in Ukraine, which has included multiple alleged war crimes.

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If he had succeeded in gaining access as an intern, the Russian agent "would have been able to gather intelligence there and to look for (or recruit) sources, and arrange to have access to the ICC's digital systems," the service noted.

On Twitter, Eugene Finkel, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies, said the man had been one of his students  and that, after graduating in 2020, he had asked for and received a letter of recommendation for a job at the ICC.

"I feel angry, I feel stupid, I feel naive, I feel tired," Finkel wrote. "I got played."

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

Read the original article on Business Insider
BELGIUM-EU-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT-DIPLOMACY

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen holds a press conference on the EU membership applications by Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels on June 17, 2022. Credit - Kenzo TribouillardAFP via Getty Images

Ukraines bid to join the E.U. received a boost Friday after the blocs executive arm recommended that the embattled country deserves to become a candidate for membership.

The endorsement by the European Commission (EC) sends a strong signal of solidarity with Ukraine following Russian President Vladimir Putins Feb. 24 full-scale invasion of the country. The next step is for the leaders of all 27 E.U. member states to consider the recommendation at a meeting scheduled for June 23-24.

Ukraine should be welcomed as a candidate country, EC President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement on the decision. This is on the understanding that good work has been done but important work remains to be done. The entire process is merit-based, so it goes by the book and progress depends entirely on Ukraine. So it is Ukraine that has it in its hands.

Read more: Inside the Mind of the Most Powerful Woman in Europe

The decision comes a day after the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, and Romania became the latest of many global leaders to meet in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who described it as a truly historic day. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow there will also be a lot of news for Ukraine, and I believe that it will be positive, he said.

And given that Ukraines drift toward Europe and prospective membership of NATO is what kicked off Putins aggression, the ECs decision represents yet another owngoal for the autocrat.

The thing that Putin really has to worry about is the E.U., rather than NATO, Robert Hunter, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, tells TIME. NATO is never going to attack anybody, but the E.U. creates a standard that makes Russia look stupid. What Putin is really worried about is contagion. Because he saw contagion is what led the Soviet Union to collapse, when they tried to talk about opening up the Soviet economy, and people said, why dont we discuss something else, like freedom to talk?

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Still, experts warn the ECs decision is only a tentative step on a path that could take years to complete. While there is plenty of support for Ukraine within the E.U., the countrys candidacy comes against a backdrop of mounting Euroskepticism.

Expediting E.U. membership would mean Ukraine leapfrogs other candidates, principally Balkan nations, and so the bloc is walking a tightrope between demonstrating solidarity with Kyiv without veering into favoritism. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is one leader who has said Ukraine shouldnt have preference over Western Balkans states such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, though he did back an intermediate membership for the country.

In Kyiv, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the very demanding process could take years given that Ukraine needs to make progress on corruption and improving the rule of law. Whats more, ripping up a slow-go approach by hastening Ukraines accession risks sowing widespread discord. The 2010 euro-area sovereign debt crisis, the 2015 European migration crisis, and the Brexit referendum a year later boosted the perception that the E.U. would be prudent to expand cautiously. Other than Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova both rushed to apply for E.U. membership in March and accepting all of their memberships risks drastically altering the blocs composition. On Friday, the EC approved Georgia and Moldovas candidate status also.

Read more: Moldovas Leader Wants to Stay NeutralBut Her Country Could Be Putins Next Target

Beginning accession talks requires unanimous approval from all E.U. nations and its common for historic baggage to scupper plans. North Macedonia, for one, gained candidate status in 2005 though its progress has stalleddespite changing its official name from the Republic of Macedonia to appease Greece, which objected given its own province of Macedoniamost recently because Bulgaria threw up a last-minute objection related to language and ethnicity.

Turkey, which has already said it may block recent applications for Finland and Sweden to join NATO, applied for E.U. membership in 1987, though it received candidate status in 1999 and negotiations for entry only began in 2005. However, the process is stalled due to myriad disputes between E.U. member states. European negotiations with Turkey on membership were always [rubbish], it was never going to happen, says Hunter. They strung [Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan] along for a while until the Turks finally got [the message].
Felony hazing charges were filed against two former members of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity Friday for their roles in an alcohol poisoning incident last fall at the University of Missouri that resulted in significant brain damage to a freshman pledge.

Ryan Delanty, of Ballwin, and Thomas Shultz, of Chesterfield, were indicted by a Boone County grand jury with felony hazing charges of life endangerment and misdemeanor charges of supplying liquor to a minor or intoxicated person. Shultz was also indicted with felony tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution.

Under the state of Missouri's anti-hazing statute, hazing is classified as a felony when "the act creates a substantial risk to the life of the student or prospective member."

Arrest warrants have been issued for Delanty and Shultz, online court records show, with bond set at $50,000 for each of them.

Danny Santulli, 19, has returned to his parents' home in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, after several months at a rehabilitation hospital in Colorado, family attorney David Bianchi has said. Santulli's condition hasn't improved since the Oct. 19 "pledge dad reveal night" at Phi Gamma Delta, known commonly as Fiji.

Danny Santulli, 19, was rushed to a Columbia hospital after he became unresponsive following an alleged hazing incident at a Phi Gamma Delta party at the University of Missouri last October. Santulli suffered brain damage from alcohol poisoning and remains unable to walk or communicate.

More: Danny Santulli's family on 'Good Morning America': Prosecute the Fiji brothers responsible

Delanty had been designated as Santulli's mentor, or "pledge dad." Shultz was vice president and treasurer of the fraternity.

Santulli was required to consume an entire bottle of vodka during the fraternity event, and he drank three-fourths of the bottle before passing out and becoming unresponsive, according to court documents.

"He has massive brain damage," Bianchi told the Tribune of Santulli earlier this month. "He's blind. He's unable to walk or communicate."

Surveillance video obtained by the Tribune shows a fraternity member placing a tube in Santulli's mouth, connected to a funnel filled with beer on the other end. Santulli doesn't resist and appears to consume the entire contents of the funnel.

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Santulli is seen collapsing to the floor later that night. Fraternity members carried him to a sofa and plopped him down upon it. About 90 minutes later, Santulli partially slid onto the floor from the sofa. At nearly 1 a.m., two fraternity brothers picked up Santulli and carried him outside before loading him into a waiting car.

Santulli was in cardiac arrest when he reached University of Missouri Hospital and required resuscitation.

Former University of Missouri Fiji pledge Daniel Santulli is back in the care of his parents, but his condition hasn't improved, the family's attorney said.

More: Former Missouri Fiji pledge Danny Santulli is back home but 'blind' and 'unable to walk or communicate,' attorney says

MU has since removed the fraternity from campus and sanctioned 13 fraternity members over the incident, but the university hasn't made the sanctions public.

There were student protests on campus resulting from the incident.

Lawsuits have been dropped against the original 23 defendants in the civil case, including Delanty, after settlements with Santulli's family. Two new defendants have been added to the lawsuit, fraternity members Samuel Gandhi and Alec Wetzler.

Until Friday, Wetzler had faced the only criminal charges filed in the incident, misdemeanor counts of supplying alcohol to a minor and possession of alcohol by a minor. The probable cause statement filed in his case sought a felony hazing charge, alleging Santulli's life was endangered by Wetzler. Wetzler on June 9 waived his initial appearance and entered a "not guilty" plea, court records indicate.

More: Petition drive seeks justice for Danny Santulli and felonies for Mizzou Fiji members

The probable cause in Wetzler's case describes a text message from Delanty to a friend at 10:57 p.m. Oct. 19 saying, "My son is dead." The friend texted back asking what Delanty did to him, with Delanty texting, "I left him."

"Delanty played a critical role in perpetuating the events of the night," including giving Santulli the bottle of vodka he was expected to drink, the civil lawsuit stated.

The delay in criminal charges was a sore point with family members interviewed on "Good Morning America" June 10.

"It makes me sick, sick to my stomach seeing the people involved that harmed Danny walking around campus acting like they did nothing wrong," said Santulli's sister, Meredith Santulli, on GMA.

Meredith is an MU student. Santulli's brother, Nick, graduated from Mizzou, Bianchi said.

A Change.org petition drive seeking felony charges in the case had garnered approximately 11,000 supporters by Friday evening.

Tribune reporter Roger McKinney contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Felony hazing charges filed against two in Fiji alcohol poisoning case
NASHVILLE, Tenn.  The Faith & Freedom Coalitions annual gathering of social conservatives was once Mike Pences home turf.

The former vice president would attend the conference each year to address an audience of like-minded evangelicals who were eager to hear him speak and elevate him politically.

That was then.

This year, Pence has taken on a new persona among the crowd  a Trump era castoff who is probably better off not showing his face. And he seems to know it. The former veep was invited to the conference but decided not to attend. It was the first time Pence had missed the conference in five years.

I was such a big fan of his but that part of the Republican Party is the educational elites  the old horses are on their way out, said Mary Obersteadt, the immediate past president of Nashville Republican Women. She wore rhinestone Trump and DeSantis pins on her conference lanyard. I respect him for what he did and how he served this nation but hes so disappointing when he - he should have communicated and stayed with Trump with Jan. 6, they should have been on the same level.

Pences absence from this years conference was due to a scheduling conflict, according to the conference organizers and Pences team. On Thursday, he attended a roundtable with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.

But while he still is rooted in the Christian conservative community, having attended an event with the Coalition in North Carolina to engage Chrisitan voters in the Charlotte area, his decision to skip the Faith & Freedom gathering underscores the crossroads he currently finds himself in politically.

I think hes seeking God's direction for his decision on what to do next, said Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor at First Baptist Dallas, who is close to both Pence and Trump, and sits on the advisory board for Pences political group, Advancing American Freedom.

At a time when Pences main ideological causes are on the cusp of historic success  with the Supreme Court set to overturn the landmark abortion rights case, Roe v. Wade  he finds himself in the thick of intra-party drama. This week, the House select committee investigating the riots on Capitol Hill zeroed in on Pences decision to resist Donald Trumps pressure for him to block certification of the Electoral College vote count.



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While Pence has, so far, dodged discussing the committees proceedings, Trump used his own appearance at the Faith & Freedom conference to attack his veep.

"Mike Pence had a chance to be great, he had a chance to be frankly historic, Trump said. But Mike did not have the courage to act."

It was a remarkable moment for a conference that in past years served as a celebration for the former vice president as a top conservative Christian leader. But things have changed since Trump left office. Last year, in the shadow of Jan. 6, Pence was jeered by the crowd and called a traitor while on stage. Now, when asked about what they think of Pence or how they view his political future, attendees sighed or visibly shrugged.

Thats a good question, said Sandi McGuire, a Christian minister from Raleigh, North Carolina. I havent seen him much. I dont like speaking adverse toward anyone, he did great work. He came here last year and a percentage booed him. Im not sure in fairness where he is. I wish him the best but he hasnt been anywhere to be found.

Its kind of hard, its a hard one, said Emily Hinojos from Rutherford, N.C. when asked about Pences political future. I dont know where hes at since Jan 6. Its hard to tell youre not in their shoes but we would have liked him to support Trump better.

The mood of the crowd at Faith & Freedom reflected the degree to which Republican politicians are judged not so much by their ideologies but by their relationship to Trump. Ralph Reed, a Republican strategist and founder of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, is close with both Trump and Pence. But when asked if he was surprised by Trumps attacks, he would only say he consulted with Trumps speechwriters yesterday.

If Mike Pence wanted to come and wanted to offer a rejoinder to these folks, he could have done it. Im not saying he should have done it. I told him when I saw him a couple weeks ago, no harm no foul, but I said I want you here next year and hell be there, Reed said to a small group of reporters after Trumps speech.



Pences own relationship with Trump is deeply complicated. For a few months after leaving the White House, the two would occasionally speak. But they havent talked for a year now even though their paths have occasionally crossed, including when both men addressed top Republican donors at a retreat in New Orleans in March. Trump continues to admonish his former vice president in public, while Pence has remained firm in his decision to certify the election.

In recent months, Pence has turned his focus to the midterms. Hes offered endorsements in key midterm races like Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and held a fundraiser for incumbent Rep. Steve Chabot on Thursday. On Monday, he is set to deliver a speech on the economy at the University Club of Chicago.

Our path is a little bit different than everybody else is at this point, said a person close to Pence's political operation, who defended Pences decision to not go to the Nashville cattle call. And whether he decided to do this thing or not, he doesn't have to go there to get coverage.

But its unclear how Pence can build up a national profile if he were to lose the full support of his bedrock constituency: Evangelicals. Not everyone in his camp is worried. Aides to Pence say he holds appeal across the Republican party.

Vice President Pence checks the hawk lane. He checks the traditional GOP lane. And obviously probably the biggest one is the Evangelical lane, said the Pence ally.

And Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader, a conservative Christian parent organization for the Iowa Family Policy Center, said Pences support remains strong among social conservatives and Evangelicals in Iowa, especially as support of Trump wanes.

Not to play Bob Seger on you, but I think theyre looking to turn the page, Vander Plaats said of Iowa voters he talks to. Take the best of Trump, and lets see if Ron DeSantis can carry on that fight  or Mike Pence or Mike Pompeo or Ted Cruz or whoever you throw into that match.

But among those in Nashville this weekend, Pence seemed more a relic of the past than an element of the future. None of the merchandise stalls that lined the entrance to the conference ballroom featured Pences name, while there were piles of red, white, and blue Trump and Trump 2024 t-shirts and hats for sale.

I feel like he was mistreated so long he wanted to give his soul a break and his family. I dont think its political, its personal  he doesnt want to get attacked right now, said Krista Kiepke from Clarksville, Tenn. Jesus himself removed from the disciples to refresh so he could do his job so I look at it as that.
Pastor Michael Fox is pissed.

Actually, Fox, a 60-year-old Sanford, North Carolina, Presbyterian corrects himself: He's "very pissed."

Fox is among the Republican voters who feels betrayed by GOP senators for supporting a bipartisan gun deal they say chips away at their constitutional right to bear arms.

North Carolina's two Republican senators are among a group of GOP lawmakers backing a gun reform deal in principle for the first time in about 30 years  legislation that was prompted by two mass shootings last month in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas.

This is a massive shift in a party that has always been a firewall against any attempts to restrict gun rights.

But the 10 Republican senators supporting the deal say they can save lives without sacrificing Second Amendment rights. Most of them are either retiring or won't face voters until 2026.

Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Roy Blunt of Missouri and Rob Portman of Ohio are not seeking reelection.

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney is up for reelection in 2024.

Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina aren't on the ballot again until 2026.

In a joint message Sunday, they all said their plan "saves lives while also protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans."

So far, the deal backed by a bipartisan group of senators includes funding mental health and school safety services; requiring juvenile records in background checks on gun buyers 18 to 21; and making it harder for threatening people to have weapons.

Senators are also considering grants for states to implement "red flag" laws, which allow courts to remove firearms from those deemed a threat to themselves or others, and criminalizing third-party straw purchases.

Fox said he won't forget this in four years.

He said he "absolutely will not vote for" Tillis in 2026.

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"We didn't vote for them to take away our rights," Fox said of his senators.

The Second Amendment right is important to Fox, a retired Army sergeant who served two tours in Afghanistan.

"I saw war," he said. "A gun has saved my life."

GOP and independent voters react to gun deal

Texas Sen. John Cornyn has been the Republican architect in the negotiations and said he believes the Senate deal protects constitutional gun rights.

Some Democrats and those who have lost loved ones in mass shootings say the proposed Senate deal doesn't go far enough.

Meanwhile, some Republican and independent voters in states where GOP senators are backing these measures have expressed concern and disapproval.

Karen Ripple, a 52-year-old Republican from Spanish Fork, Utah, doesn't agree with providing funding for mental health services in schools: "That's a private matter that parents should decide on for their child.

"Parts of this bill sound like they are on the right track, but any bill or law that takes away my full Second Amendment rights will not be tolerated by me or many of my fellow constituents."

Romney said in a statement Sunday that he was supporting the "commonsense, bipartisan proposal" because "families deserve to feel safe and secure in their communities."

In Texas, independent voter Lori Alford is open to some reform, but is concerned about the gradual erosion of gun rights.

"Once they start whittling away at our Second Amendment rights," Alford, a 64-year-old Ingleside resident, feared it wouldn't take long "until they are gone."

Cornyn, one of her senators, has been the Republican architect in the negotiations and said he believes the Senate deal protects constitutional gun rights.

He said Monday that the enhanced background checks of juvenile court, police and mental health records would have disclosed "what everyone in the community knew" about the 18-year-old gunman in Uvalde, Texas, who killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers last month.

"The shooter was a ticking time bomb," Cornyn said.

Blind spot: Gun violence policy is focusing on mental health but federal records still lack some states

The 18-year-old Buffalo shooter also had a juvenile record that would have prevented him from buying the firearm he used to kill 10 Black shoppers at a Tops grocery store, senators said.

"The tragedies in Uvalde and elsewhere cried out for action," Cornyn said in a statement Monday. "I worked closely with my colleagues to protect our communities from violence while also protecting law-abiding Texans' right to bear arms."

Ginny Kerr, a 76-year-old Republican from Manteo, North Carolina, said there's a simpler solution because "we already have laws on the books."

"Why spend time writing another bill when all you have to do is enforce the laws that we have," she said.

Baina Perkins, a 53-year-old bartender in Troy, Ohio, who said she doesnt identify with either political party, used to work in a gun store and believes more gun control is needed.

She is supportive of "red flag" laws, which allow family and law enforcement to petition courts to remove firearms from those deemed a threat to themselves or others, and believes the background check system is flawed.

Perkins remembers buyers going to the gun store and having to wait three days for a background check. If the seller didn't get a response on the third day, they had to sell the buyer the gun. Sometimes, on the fourth day, the gun store would get a call saying the gun shouldn't be sold to that buyer.

The Senate deal would leave it up to states to implement their own red flag laws, and lawmakers are still sorting out the language and length of background checks  a sticking point in negotiations.

Perkins is skeptical that anything will actually get done and have any teeth.

Ill be surprised if anything actually happens, she said. Obviously, we cant continue down this path.

Karen Marvin, president of AimHi Family Firearms Center in New Albany, Ohio, said she doesnt envy people coming up with solutions to mass shootings in America, but was skeptical about some of the details in the bipartisan proposal.

She pointed out that straw purchases already are illegal, for example, and has questions about the types of red flag laws the legislation would incentivize. But Marvin said she supports universal background checks.

Marvin also is concerned about how the shifting regulatory framework aligns at both the state and federal level. While Congress is poised to adopt new gun regulations, Ohio is making it easier for gun owners by eliminating permits to carry concealed firearms among other changes.

Gun buyers often are already confused about how the variety of laws across the country apply to them, Marvin said, sometimes asking whether laws in other states apply to Ohio.

I feel like there will probably be people on both sides who are upset no matter what happens, she said from behind the counter at her gun shop. It wont be enough for one side, and it will be too much for the other.

'A baby step' in the fight for reform

A makeshift memorial stands outside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Monday, Oct. 29, 2018 in the aftermath of a deadly shooting at the synagogue. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

The proposed Senate deal comes after numerous mass shootings have shocked the American public for decades.

But previous calls to action have been met with congressional inaction.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged that he was racing against the clock and said he wants to pass gun reform before the chamber's July 4 recess.

Gun deal negotiations: Hang-ups on bipartisan gun deal remain. Can Congress pass legislation by July 4 recess?

Gun safety advocates are pleased the Senate is taking some action, but they say it doesn't go far enough.

For a 56-year-old veterinarian from Fox Chapel, a suburb of Pittsburgh, the reform package falls short.

Dr. Dana Kellerman used to pray in the Tree of Life synagogue at the corner of Wilkins and Shady avenues, a busy intersection in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh that on Oct. 27, 2018, became the site of the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the United States.

Since then, she's been praying for action.

Kellerman is one of the founding members of Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence, a group that formed after the mass shooting at Tree of Life.

"It's a baby step," she said of the proposed gun deal.

The Senate deal won't heal her Dor Hadash congregation that worshiped at Tree of Life and lost a member in the attack that killed 11 people and wounded six, Kellerman said, speaking as the political director for Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence.

She's not a professional advocate for gun safety. It's something she's been forced to learn while processing loss.

Rebuilding: Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh to receive Pa. funds to rebuild after deadliest antisemitic attack in US

"I feel loss and grief and anger because our elected officials haven't done anything," she said.

Kellerman was mostly pointing to the Republican-led legislature in Pennsylvania that did not enact the reforms the survivors or Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf called after the October 2018 shooting.

In fact, the state's Republican lawmakers have moved to loosen the laws since then.

"Governor Wolf is the only thing that has stood in the way of expanding the access to guns," Kellerman said.

Wolf is term limited and can't run for re-election this year. Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who has supported reform, and Republican Doug Mastriano, who supports expanding gun rights, are running to replace him.

Kellerman is thankful that a group of 10 Republican senators, including Toomey of Pennsylvania, are supporting some kind of reform, but she's disappointed because it does nothing to remove the AR-15-style assault rifle the Tree of Life gunman used.

She's worried that if the Senate passes the gun deal, it will be "the last thing that happens for who knows how long."

Especially if Shapiro loses in Pennsylvania.

Kellerman added: "We're not going to stop every single act of violence, but we can certainly do a lot more."

Fear persists after Dayton shooting

Renotta Davis, a 38-year-old Dayton business owner, put up this sign prohibiting weapons after a man asked if he could bring his military-style knife in with him the same week as the Uvalde shooting.

Renotta Davis wasnt in the Oregon District  a stretch of bars, restaurants and other shops that bustles with summer evening nightlife in Dayton, Ohio  when a man using an AR-15 style rifle and an extended ammunition magazine killed nine people in 2019.

But the fallout from the shooting and other gun violence still rings in her head.

Davis, who owns a drug testing center in the Oregon District, feels uneasy when a client begins to act erratically. When clients started asking whether they could bring a gun or knife with them into her business, she put up a sign prohibiting it.

I dont put anything past nobody anymore, Davis said, so she was glad to hear that a bipartisan group of Senators, including Portman, had struck a deal on gun regulation reform.

She wasnt surprised that Portman, a conservative Republican who will retire at the end of the year, was part of the group that had developed the framework.

Its just different words, Democrat and Republican, said Davis, who identifies as a Democrat. Hes human, too.

The hashtag "Dayton Strong" was the big rallying cry in the city after the 2019 shooting and there are still some decals in bar windows.

Davis said she supports deeper background checks that make it harder for people to get guns and setting a minimum age for ownership as high as 25. Even with the Senate poised to pass legislation, though, she still thinks government officials can do more to curb gun violence.

I dont think theyre doing enough at all, said Davis, 38. I know theres something more they can do.

She understands why someone would want a gun, though. Davis opened her business in the Oregon District in December, more than two years after the shooting there. She said shes careful when she closes up shop and walks the area.

Im really scared for real, she said.

A 'Band-Aid' for Buffalo

Attorney General Merrick Garland. visits the Tops Friendly Market grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y., on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, the site of a May 14 mass shooting in which 10 Black people were killed. Garland was in Buffalo to announce federal hate crime charges against the 18-year-old shooter, Payton Gendron.

Betty Jean Grant spent 17 years in city and county government, but on May 14 she was a Buffalo resident who lost a lot of friends.

An 18-year-old gunman used a military-style assault rifle in the mass shooting that killed 10 Black shoppers and injured three others at a Tops grocery store, according to police. The FBI said the shooting was a racially motivated hate crime.

Grant, who retired from public office in 2017, wants to see a ban on the type of gun that was used that day, which is not part of the Senate framework.

"It's a Band-Aid, not a solution," she said.

Grant, 74, also disagrees with providing grant money to states if they want enact their own red flag laws, saying the programs should be mandatory.

"This is a national issue," she said.

The gun deal is especially personal for Grant, who had shopped at the Tops on Jefferson Avenue since 2004. She was there a couple of days before the shooting, and arrived 20 minutes after the shooting.

"I've been there every day since," she said. "We're not ready to let go of the victims."

Though Grant lost multiple friends that day, she was closest to 72-year-old Katherine Massey, a community advocate who spent most of her life fighting for Buffalo's Black residents.

"I have to reconcile that Katherine is gone, but I also have to make sure she's not forgotten," she said.

That means renaming a road as Katherine Massey Way on July 3. That means a Memorial Walk on July 17 from Tops to Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Buffalo. That also means continuing to call for more gun reform.

"We need a real solution," Grant said, "not just the Band-Aid."

Opinion: As Buffalo shooting victims testify in Congress, race and history circle us

Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace.

This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Background checks, red flag laws in Senate gun deal frustrates voters
Filmed in Georgia is a weekly column by Frank Hotchkiss. Contact Frank with recommendations at online@savannahnow.com.

Thomas Harriss Manhunter is the first and arguably the most terrifying of this remarkable writers celluloid presentations featuring the deranged Hannibal Lecter.

When first released in 1986, it fell flat on its face, but slowly accrued a cult following which led to the wildly popular, "Silence of the Lambs," "Hannibal" and "Red Dragon."

And yes it was filmed in part in Georgia  specifically the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, with a room made up to be Lecters cell. Additionally, investigator Will Graham stays at the 50-story Marriott Marquis Hotel on Peachtree Center Avenue in Atlanta. Other locations include Washington, DC for the FBI office shoot, St. Louis, Missouri for the airport shots, and North Carolina for the beach scenes.

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First, the plot: A retired FBI agent named Will Graham specializes in understanding the minds of those who commit horrible serial murders in order to catch future perpetrators.

Graham reluctantly returns to active duty to track down a madman who has begun randomly and mercilessly slaughtering wonderful families, young children and all. Graham has less than a month before the killer strikes again, because his attacks are timed with the full moon and are typified by bloody mayhem including placing shards of mirrors post-mortem in the eyes of the dead.

Who but the crazy could make sense of this?

More: SCAD steals the show, named one of 2021's best film schools in U.S. and Canada by MovieMaker

But Thomas Harris does, in the course of this psychological thriller which reveals how a madman thinks. Graham slowly realizes that the murderer is trying to fulfill himself through the eyes of others (and to himself), beginning with the dead, because he feels he is horribly flawed. It is not by chance that he has a scarred face, thanks to being born with a hare lip.

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Brian Cox in a scene from the 1986 motion picture Manhunter.

Enter Hannibal Lektor  later spelled Lecter in the subsequent Oscar-winning performance by Anthony Hopkins. Here Lecter is played British actor Brian Cox in his first U.S. film role, a chilling portrayal of devious horror that is wholly clever and convincing.

Graham asks Lecter to help him find the killer, dubbed The Tooth Fairy for his practice of leaving bite marks on his victims. Lecter agrees, only to secretly send a message in a tabloid he suspects is a favorite of the killer. The message includes Grahams home address. Kill them all, Lecter says in his message to The Tooth Fairy.

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And from there the plot thickens as Graham and the FBI hone in on the way the killer finds his victims. If they can determine that, they can find the killer. The only thing the murdered families  one in Atlanta, the other in Birmingham -- have in common is home movies showing their happy  and doomed  lives.

Can that be the key to unlock the door to the Tooth Fairys identity?

To tell more would remove the excitement you will have following the twists and turns of the good-vs-evil masterpiece. The cast is wonderful  William Petersen as Graham, Dennis Farina as his FBI boss, Joan Allen as a blind colleague to the killer, and introducing unknown Yale Drama School graduate Tom Noonan in the role of the monster who wants to make resurrect himself.

Jane Fishman: Cheerful and upbeat, a man called Grasshopper feels right out of the movies  and he is.

"Manhunter" is available on streaming on Amazon Prime and available to rent from YouTube, Apple TV and Google Play Movies. The film also available locally on DVD at Savannah-area libraries.

This is the first column about films made in Georgia. It aims weekly to review movies of note like My Cousin Vinny and Manhunter (the first and possibly best Hannibal Lecter film) which were shot in Georgia.

Frank Hotchkiss

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Movies filmed in Georgia: Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter
FILE - Stained glass is reflected off a window as Rev. Billy Hester delivers his sermon on "The Blessings of Dependence" at Asbury Memorial.

Amidst theological division and rapid social change, Georgias Methodist community  conservative, progressive and moderate  is struggling to make sense of the road ahead.

Following the lead taken by a Savannah church two years ago, dozens of Georgia churches this month chose to disaffiliate from the Methodist denomination.

At the 2022 North Georgia United Methodist Conference held in Athens, conference members on June 2 voted to allow 70 churches  9% of the NGUMC  to leave the United Methodist Church entirely. Four days later, 18 churches with the South Georgia Conference chose to disaffiliate.

Some blamed LGBT issues for their disaffiliation. Others blamed the UMCs changing membership and growing division within the denomination.

Read more: 70 Methodist churches choose to disaffiliate from North Georgia Conference

The future of these churches remains equally uncertain. Some churches will dissolve, some will strike out as independent congregations and some will go on to join the brand-new, ultra-orthodox denomination the Global Methodist Church.

FILE - Rev. Billy Hester leads the congregation as they sing a hymn during Sunday service at Asbury Memorial.

The first to go

These 70 churches are not the first to depart the UMC over LGBT inclusion.

Asbury Memorial Church in Savannah chose to disaffiliate in 2020. Rev. Billy Hester and his church family  one-third of whom, he estimates, are LGBT  had grown weary of waiting for the church to accept LGBT people.

Its all just a talk issue for these other people, he said. But its the lives of my members that are affected.

More: Asbury Memorial Church finds focus over a year after UMC disaffiliation

GMC leadership stated that the UMC likely will grow more inclusive in the absence of its conservative base. Hester thinks that is a possibility.

But at the same time, you just dont know, he said.

If UMC moves toward inclusion, Hester said Asbury Memorial Church would be reluctant to rejoin. Hester said his congregation, still smarting from its departure, has a tough time trusting the UMC to do right by its LGBT members.

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However, Hester doesnt think the UMC is done changing yet.

Were in this big transition. Churches are shrinking and dying in the United States. What will the church look like in 50 years? he asked. I think its kind of like pruning a plant, where its painful at first, but its something that you have to do in order to be healthy and to bloom. I think well end up in a better place. But its painful right now.

Exodus

What Dan Parr wants people to know is that the division goes deeper than disagreements over sexual orientation.

"Were dividing because of the broken connectional covenant we have, which flows from our differing views of the authority of scripture, the interpretation of scripture, and how to live out our faith based on that. That is the reason were dividing, he said. Human sexuality is the presenting issue, but its a subset of that.

Parr is chapter president of the North Georgia Wesleyan Covenant Association, a lobbying group advocating for a more orthodox UMC. He wants the UMC to hew closer to its traditional doctrine, including its rules on LGBT church members.

The Book of Discipline, which is the key book of law for the UMC, states practicing, self-avowed homosexuals cannot become ministers, assume leadership roles or get married. There is no explicit reference to transgender people.

Though the Book of Discipline is regularly revised, recent attempts to make the doctrine less restrictive have failed. During an historic conference in 2019, UMC members rejected a plan to ease these limits and doubled down on defining and excluding LGBT Methodists.

Nevertheless, conservative Methodists remain frustrated with the denomination, and are now opting to leave it altogether. Last month, one group launched the Global Methodist Church, a denomination with orthodox Methodist principles like prohibiting gay marriage and ordination. Though the UMC currently forbids regional chapters from joining, individual churches and conferences outside the United States have already started to abandon the UMC for the GMC.

Whats more, Parr said, this is only the first wave. The disaffiliation of regional chapters will be up for discussion at the next denominational conference, which has been postponed until 2024. Parr believes many more churches will choose the GMC over the UMC.

Where [the UMC] has gotten off the rails is where the church has failed to follow the scripture and instead followed the culture, he said. And so, what were saying is everyone is welcome, but there are certain roles that are defined for us  such as male and female, such as marriage, such as ordination.

FILE - Oconee Street United Methodist Church took part in the inaugural Athens Pride Parade in downtown Athens, Ga., on Sunday, June 12, 2022. Athens Pride was organized by the Athens Pride and Queer Collective.

"A continually evolving thing

Rev. Laura Patterson of Oconee Street United Methodist Church in Athens sees it differently. Her ministry largely revolves around the spiritual needs of queer and trans people, from running monthly support groups to marching in the first Athens Pride Parade this month. She believes culture has always played a pivotal role in Methodism.

Anything thats happening in American politics writ large makes its way into the UMC, she said. [Lately] its been played out on the bodies and souls of LGBTQ people, which is wildly unfair and unjust.

The debate over LGBT rights is one of many ruptures in the history of Methodism. During the Civil War, the church divided along the lines of slavery and abolition. Once reunified, it went on to splinter again in the 20th century over segregation and womens rights.

To her, these debates are not just skirmishes in the culture wars: They alienated followers of Christ from the Methodist tradition. Patterson wishes conservative Methodists would realize the impact of their rejection on LGBT Methodists.

I dont think they see the hurt theyre causing, she said.

Patterson also pointed out the innate flexibility of the Methodist tradition. Every four years, the United Methodist Church gathers to rewrite its doctrine. While some practices are not subject to change, the approach to sexuality and gender identity very much is. Many long-accepted traditions have been updated in the past  for example, the restriction on women becoming Methodist ministers.

How we practice our faith is a continually evolving thing, she said.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Methodist leaders in Georgia discuss split from denomination
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) is considering opening offices in New York and London to be closer to companies and investors in North America and Europe, in its drive to become a worldwide marketplace for financial products.

The exchange that was established through a merger 22 years ago this month, said in May that it was planning for offices in North America and Europe. Several sources familiar with the matter narrowed the options down to New York and London, pending final decisions.

"We want to be more client-centric, so we want to be closer to our clients, and that is very, very important," the exchange's CEO Nicolas Aguzin said in an interview with South China Morning Post, confirming plans for a New York office but said there was no final decision yet on the location of its first European office.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

For the longer term, Aguzin said his dream was to have "have multiple offices, not only in Europe, but also in the Middle East, and Latin America as well. The purpose is to make sure that Hong Kong is an international centre to attract investors from all over the world."

Aguzin said London was a "natural choice" in Europe, especially since it is the home of the London Metal Exchange (LME), which the HKEX bought in 2012 for 1.39 billion (US$1.71 billion/).

"It makes a lot of sense to be in London [because] we already have physical presence in London with the LME," he said. "However, we want to assess what the alternatives are. How can we leverage all the different investors that are in Europe?"

Nicolas Aguzin, chief executive of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), during an interview with SCMP in Causeway Bay on 17 June 2022. Photo: Jelly Tse alt=Nicolas Aguzin, chief executive of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), during an interview with SCMP in Causeway Bay on 17 June 2022. Photo: Jelly Tse>

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HKEX, the world's fourth-largest financial exchange by value, already has offices in Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai. The expansion to North America and Europe underscores its search for diversification and growth, as it continues to serve as the landing pad for mainland China's start-ups and companies.

A global presence makes sense for the HKEX, which counts 43 per cent of investors who trade Hong Kong-listed stocks as being international, based outside the city.

"We're going to be in New York, that is going to be one of the offices. In Europe, we're still defining where we're going to have our office," said Aguzin, who left his previous job as JPMorgan Chase's international private banking chief executive last year to become the first foreigner to head the HKEX. "It has not been finalised. But definitely what we want to do is to be in a place where we're very close to the main investors."

As many as 1,370 China-domiciled companies are listed in Hong Kong, making up 44 per cent of all listings and 78 per cent of the exchange's capitalisation. In contrast, 158 companies based in Europe, North America or Southeast Asia are listed in the city, making up a mere 5.1 per cent of the total, according to HKEX data.

That is a situation the HKEX wants to change. "We do not want to be [merely] a fundraising hub looking for international capital for Chinese companies," Aguzzin said. "We want to be much more than that. We want to provide to international companies the ability to come to raise money and [elevate]their profile."

Several European cities including Frankfurt and Amsterdam are jostling to offer to host the HKEX, as they believe that post-Brexit London is no longer the gateway to continental Europe, according to a source familiar with the matter. Several European companies such as the Italian fashion designer Prada and the French skincare company L'Occitane are listed in Hong Kong.

The choice of New York is more obvious for the HKEX, as it takes the fight for the global fundraising crown in initial public offerings (IPOs) to the home turf of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The HKEX was the world's top IPO destination in seven of the past 13 years.

The HKEX is seeking to offer itself as an alternative listing destination for the China-domiciled companies on American exchanges, amid rising US-China tension and a campaign by some US lawmakers to expel them.

As many as 261 Chinese companies including this newspaper's owner Alibaba Group Holding were listed in the US, valued at a combined US$2.1 trillion as of March 31, according to data compiled by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

Most, if not all, of these companies face the risk of being expelled from US exchanges under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCAA) starting in late 2023, over a long-standing dispute in auditing standards.

Alibaba, Baidu, NetEase, JD.com, Xpeng and dozens of US-listed companies have already raised capital in Hong Kong either through secondary listings or dual primary listings since US lawmakers began erecting barriers on Wall Street under the former Trump administration.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2022. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Mark Shields, the longtime Washington Post political columnist who was a fixture of PBS NewsHour and a co-host of CNNs Capital Gang, died Saturday morning of kidney failure in Chevy Chase, Md. He was 85.

Shields death was confirmed through a message shared by PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff on Twitter. Woofruff praised her colleague who for decades wowed us with his encyclopedic knowledge of American politics as well as his sense of humor and mainly his big heart, she wrote.

More from Variety

Shields was known on-air for his tact and wit in delivering incisive analysis and commentary about U.S. politics and policy battles in Washington. He predated the shouting-heads era of cable news that came in the mid-1990s with the advent of Fox News Channel and MSNBC.

On CNNs Capital Gang, Shields and fellow host Robert Novak joined panelists and fellow columnists from the Beltway set such as the Wall Street Journals Al Hunt, Times Margaret Carlson and the National Reviews Kate OBeirne. The conversations were lively but never reached the level of vitriol that has become common in cable news. Capital Gang went through several incarnations until it ended in 2005.

Shields signed off of his regular Friday night segment of PBS NewsHour in December 2020 after more than 30 years with the show. His tenure began during the 1988 presidential election when the broadcast was known as The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour.

Mark Shields, Judy Woodruff and David Brooks in the studio for PBS NewsHour - Credit: Courtesy of PBS NewsHour

Courtesy of PBS NewsHour

A native of Weymouth, Mass., Shields graduated from the University of Notre Dame. He served in the Marines before coming to Washington, D.C. Shields started out working in politics for Wisconsin Sen. William Proxmire. He also worked on Robert F. Kennedys ill-fated presidential campaign in 1968. Shields worked on three other presidential campaign efforts and he helped manage various political campaigns in 38 states over his 11 years as an operative.

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Shields began writing a column for the Washington Post in 1979.

Shields survivors include his wife of many years, Anne Hudson Shields; their daughter, Amy Shields Doyle; their son-in-law Christo Doyle; and grandchildren, Jack and Frances Doyle.

I am heartbroken to share this..the @NewsHours beloved long-time Friday night analyst Mark Shields, who for decades wowed us with his encyclopedic knowledge of American politics, his sense of humor and mainly his big heart, has passed away at 85, with his wife Anne at his side. pic.twitter.com/d68SZiGQJf  Judy Woodruff (@JudyWoodruff) June 18, 2022

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VFW Post 1432 Salina Commander Gary Keil helps serve a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Friday, June 17, 2022.

Since June 1, nearly 1,000 United States Marines have been stationed in Salina, working on a joint exercise.

Many in the community wanted to say thank you.

VFW Post 1432 of Salina, VFW headquarters, the Salina VFW Auxiliary and the Salina Military Affairs, helped put together a morale welfare and recreation cookout for the United States Marines, who will be in town until June 28.

Why are is the U.S. Marine Corps in Salina?

The U.S. Marine Corps is participating in a joint exercise with the Kansas National Guard named Exercise Gunslinger 22, which is designed to increase aircraft control.

Gunslinger 22 is a large military exercise conducted by the U.S. Marine

Corps Reserve's 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and the Kansas Air National Guard's

134th Air Control Squadron out of McConnell Air Force Base.

"We have deployed over 1,300 Marines from eleven Home Training Centers across the

country to three locations in the Salina, Kansas area," said Col. David Joseforsky,

4th Marine Aircraft Wing detachment officer-in-charge, Marine Forces Reserve.

During this exercise, the Marines are performing a broad range of military operations, including helicopter and fixed wing operations, controlling of aircraft,

and aviation ground support.

"Partnering with the other military services, we plan to conclude our operations with an air assault to support the establishment of a helicopter refueling site," Joseforsky said. "Our goal for this training is to ensure that we are ready, relevant and

capable of answering our nation's call."

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A line of U.S. Marines get served during a cookout Friday, June 17, 2022.

Thankful to Salina

Members of the U.S. Marine Corps said they were thankful for the attention.

"We're extremely appreciative," said Captain Kristin Onofrio, U.S. Marine Corps communication and strategy officer for 4th Marine Aircraft. "We're very thankful for the VFW and the other organizations that put together this dinner for us this evening. When the Marines are training, they don't always have a chance to get a good meal."

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Volunteers cooked up hundreds of hamburgers and hot dogs, and provided a lot of snacks .

"We're very thankful for the support that we have received and we are very excited to come back in the future and train here again It's our first time working in this environment," Onofrio said. "It's giving us a unique perspective and a way to utilize our assets and our capabilities outside of what we're normally used to in a training environment."

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Daniel Medina of the Kansas National Guard, grills up hamburgers and hot dogs for U.S. Marines Friday, June 17, 2022.

The USO Kansas provided paper goods and activities for the Marines. Two representatives from the Marine Corps League also provided time to volunteer. David Medina, a chief instructor for the Kansas National Guard shopped and cook for the event.

"They're brothers in arms," said Medina, who's also a member of the Military Affairs Council, the VFW and the VFW riders. "There's a big joke that goes around between Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, even the Coast Guard, but when it comes down to it, you've got each others' back. You gotta take care of each other one way or other."

VFW Post 1432 Salina Commander Gary Keil said he's appreciative of doing this cookout for the Marines and showing Salina isn't just a hole-in-the-wall.

"We do things for the veterans and everything, and it kind of shows our appreciation to them for being here," Keil said.

This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: U.S. Marines get thank you cookout in Salina
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) is urging the Department of Justice to investigate whether the 31 white nationalists arrested by Idaho Police for conspiracy to riot at an Idaho Pride event violated federal law.

The men, identified as members of the white supremacist organization Patriot Front, have been charged with the state-level misdemeanor of conspiracy to riot and released on bond.

For Rush, this is not enough. He said the Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Merrick Garland, must now step forward.

Im so alarmed that under state law theyve only been charged with a misdemeanor, said Rush. This is more lethal and much more serious than a misdemeanor. If the state wont rise up and get tough on these outlaws creating havoc in our nation, then the Department of Justice must step forward as the last barrier of protection for our nation and democracy.

On Wednesday, Rush sent a letter to the DOJ saying the idea that these men could escape felony charges flies in the face of equal protection under the law.

He called the intent to start a riot at a Pride parade particularly heinous and urged the DOJ to investigate the men under the Anti-Riot Act.

The Anti-Riot Act of 1968 makes it illegal to travel across state lines to organize, promote, encourage, participate in, or carry on a riot; or  to commit any act of violence in furtherance of a riot. The federal crime is punishable by up to five years of imprisonment.

Those arrested in Idaho  including Patriot Front founder Thomas Rousseau  came from at least 11 states, including Washington, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois, Wyoming, Virginia and Arkansas.

Rush said the Anti-Riot Act has a sordid history in part because of how it was used against the Chicago 7  the activists charged with breaking that law when police attacked demonstrators at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago.

But Rush said the Justice Department could help overcome that legacy if used for legitimate purposes in this investigation.

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The only way we can send a resounding message to not only the militia in Idaho but any future militia anywhere in the country is if they cross state lines [for violence] then the full weight of the federal government is going to come crushing down, Rush said.

Rushs letter also comes as hate crimes have been on the rise.

The FBI reported 8,052 single-bias incidents in 2020. Twenty percent of those incidents were motivated by sexual orientation and 2.7 percent by gender identity. Nearly 62 percent of incidents were motivated by race, ethnicity or ancestry.

During the pandemic, Stop AAPI Hate reported more than 9,000 incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. And most recently, the racist mass shooting at the Buffalo Tops grocery store highlighted the rise in anti-Black hate crimes.

Rush said he is very alarmed by the increase in hate crimes around the country. These white right-wing extreme racists are terrorists within our own borders, he said. They are the number one threat to the constitutional democracy.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
MEXICO CITY  While reviewing the photo archives left by Nobel Prize-winning Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, one of his granddaughters came across a mysterious plastic box with the word grandchildren written on its label.

At first, Emilia Garcia Elizondo was afraid to open the box, but curiosity overcame her. Inside were 150 unpublished letters that he received from Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Cuban President Fidel Castro and actor Robert Redford, among others.

Forty of the letters will be exhibited for two months in the colonial house in the southern part of Mexicos capital where Garcia Marquez lived with his wife, Mercedes Barcha, from the 1980s until his death in 2014.

The exhibition is part of celebrations for the 40th anniversary of his winning the Nobel literature prize. Another event, which includes the exhibition Gabriel Garcia Marquez: The Making of a Global Writer, opened Saturday in Mexicos Museum of Modern Art.

Im 32 years old and all this continues to impress me, Garcia Elizondo, who is director of the Garcia Marquez foundation, told The Associated Press, describing her shock at finding the box in a cabinet on the second floor of her grandparents house. She had passed the cabinet many times without paying much attention to it.

Garcia Marquezs granddaughter said the discovery was a surprise for the family because they thought all his letters and personal correspondences were in the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin, which possesses the largest collection of the writers documents.

One never expects to find this kind of thing even though one already knows who Gabo is ... I will always think that Gabo does everything like magic, she said. Garcia Marquez is know affectionately in Latin America as Gabo.

Among the letters that will be exhibited are five from Castro, one from Neruda, two from Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes, two from Mexican guerrilla leader Subcomandante Marcos, one from Redford, one from director Woody Allen and seven from Clinton.

In one of them, dated Dec. 28, 1999, Clinton told the Colombian writer the emotion he and his wife, Hillary, felt at a concert of Colombian vallenato music given by young people at the White House. He described the music as a treasure and a wonderful counterpoint to the negative images often associated with your beautiful country.

Also included is a letter that Castro wrote by hand, dated Dec. 10, 2007, in which he writes: I am subject to a rigorous exercise regimen that I must not fail to comply with if I intend to continue being useful to the revolution.

Gonzalo Garcia Barcha, the writers youngest son and Garcia Elizondos father, said the family misses Garcia Marquez very much. Garcia Marquez has four grandchildren.

Thats why we do these kinds of activities. We want to keep this house alive, he said.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chair of both the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and the HouseOs Homeland Security Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 16, 2022. (AndrZ Chung/The New York Times)

BOLTON, Miss. It was here, in this majority-Black town of 441 people, that Rep. Bennie Thompson attended a segregated junior high school. It was where his father spent a lifetime working as a mechanic and paying taxes, but never enjoying the right to vote. And it was where the future congressman, in the early 1970s, campaigned for mayor while packing a gun, after receiving threats from white people loath to give up their political power.

So it came as little surprise, to those who know Thompson well, that he was quick to mention Bolton, Mississippi, after gaveling to order the first hearing of the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Im from a part of the country where people justify the actions of slavery, the Ku Klux Klan and lynching, said Thompson, the committee chair. Im reminded of that dark history as I hear voices today try and justify the actions of the insurrectionists on Jan. 6, 2021.

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Moments later, Thompson accused former President Donald Trump of having spurred a mob of domestic enemies of the Constitution to march down the Capitol and subvert American democracy.

Thompson, who is also chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, has spent nearly 30 years on Capitol Hill, but his leadership of the Jan. 6 committee represents his most significant turn in the national spotlight. And it is thematically consistent with a public life that was forged in Mississippi when disenfranchisement was achieved by chicanery, intimidation and violence.

I think that he took Jan. 6 personally, based upon his body of work and what hes stood for regarding making sure people have a voice through the ballot box, said state Sen. Derrick Simmons, a fellow Democrat.

In an interview Friday, Thompson said as much. For some people, he said, the slogan Make America Great Again seemed like a dog whistle evoking a world like the white-dominated Mississippi in which he grew up. He said he was disturbed by the gallows that protesters brought for Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 6 and by the Confederate flags in the crowd.

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We are supposed to be a democracy, he said. And when we see people carrying Confederate battle flags in the group, thats the symbol of slavery and absolute resistance to the rule of law. So for me, it was bringing back a part of our history that none of us should be proud of.

With his avuncular white beard and commanding voice, Thompson, 74, has established the committees serious, and almost solemn, tone. He has also ceded much of the spotlight to Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., vice chair of the committee.

Thompson and other Democrats surely recognize that a withering critique of Trump is more powerful coming from a Republican. At the same time, the close alliance that Thompson appears to have forged with Cheney has softened his reputation as a fierce partisan reluctant to work with Republicans.

In Mississippi, this reluctance is often attributed to the emotional scars Thompson carries from his years battling for basic civil rights against white Mississippians who migrated to the Republican Party after former President Lyndon Johnson secured passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

Thompson is all about partisanship, reporter Adam Lynch wrote in 2006 in the Jackson Free Press, a liberal newspaper. Hes very much a liberal Democrat with no predilection for smiling tolerantly at the other side.

When he was running for Congress for the first time, in 1993, Thompson told The New York Times that a strategy of confrontation, for Black people in Mississippi, has been one of the main means of survival.

His activist record dates to his time in junior high, when he was arrested for participating in a demonstration in Jackson, Mississippi, after hearing speeches by Medgar Evers, the civil rights leader who was assassinated by a white supremacist in 1963.

He was talking stuff that many people felt but didnt have the nerve enough to talk, Thompson recalled in a 1974 interview. It was basically about why are Black folks the ones that dont have good jobs; why are Black folks the ones that dont have decent housing?

He enrolled at Tougaloo College, in Jackson, then a hotbed of anti-racist organizing, joining the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which was focused on registering Black voters. At Tougaloo, he also met Fannie Lou Hamer, the prominent civil rights activist, and volunteered on her unsuccessful congressional campaign.

He worked briefly after college as a public school teacher but said his contract was not renewed after he assigned an essay on the topic, Whats Wrong With Mississippi? In 1969, he was elected alderman in Bolton, part of a wave of Black officials who were filling local elected offices across the South in the wake of the Voting Rights Act.

Two other Black candidates had also won alderman races in Bolton that year. The town clerk, Thompson said, initially refused to work with them, addressing them with a racist slur. In 1973, white residents challenged Thompsons election as mayor, accusing him of illegally registering out-of-town voters. The election, he said, generated eight lawsuits.

Once in office, he inundated federal agencies with letters seeking funding and other support for programs that he hoped would transform the city. He helped found the states association of Black mayors, then co-founded its first association of Black county supervisors, building networks and helping others get elected to small local posts along the way.

He probably did more to bring about the election of Blacks to local political office than anybody, said Danny Cupit, a trial lawyer and longtime friend of Thompsons.

Thompson became a Hinds County commissioner after challenging the makeup of the commission districts in court. In 1993 he won a special election to fill the congressional seat being vacated by Mike Espy, who was selected as agriculture secretary under former President Bill Clinton.

The year before he went to Congress, an incident unfolded that recently prompted Rep. Matt Gaetz, the hard-right Trump supporter from Florida, to falsely claim that Thompson actively cheer-led riots in the 90s.

A few months after the riots that followed the 1992 acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers in the beating of Rodney King, the head of the Hinds County Bar Association, Harold Miller Jr., wrote to Thompson asking him to take a stand in favor of the principle of law and against the philosophy that unwarranted criticism and riots are acceptable responses to displeasure with a judicial decision. Miller was worried that riots would ensue if a jury acquitted Byron De La Beckwith, the white racist who had killed Evers and was facing a new murder trial after two juries in the 1960s failed to reach verdicts. (He was eventually convicted in 1994.)

Thompsons response letter contained no support for rioters, but it did give a taste of his uncompromising style. He wrote of the unrestrained violence that white people had inflicted on Black Americans during slavery and beyond. He mentioned the violence of the Ku Klux Klan and the white murder mobs that flared in cities like New Orleans and Vicksburg, Mississippi, during Reconstruction.

Before 1968 there were no African elected officials in Hinds County, he wrote. What did the Hinds County Bar do to address this injustice?

In Congress, Thompson has worked on higher education equity issues, opposed Trumps border wall and successfully brought large federal spending projects to his district, which includes the poverty-stricken Mississippi Delta and the majority-Black city of Jackson.

The congressman, an avid hunter, is back in his district most weekends, taking meetings in his storefront office in Bolton. It is decorated with images of civil rights heroes, photos of Thompson on hog and rabbit hunts, and the stuffed heads of animals he has shot.

His governing philosophy is spelled out on a prominently displayed poster that shows a lifeless varmint on a stretch of asphalt. The only thing middle of the road, it says, is yellow paint and a dead armadillo.

Willie Earl Robinson, the towns volunteer fire chief and a longtime ally of the congressman, gave a tour of the town this week, pointing out the city hall, expanded fire station and 40-unit public housing complex that Thompson helped get built.

I dont consider him being angry, Robinson said. The point is that hes just trying to get things done.

A number of Re-elect Bennie Thompson signs were scattered around, but they are most likely a formality. Thompsons district has been engineered to be safe for a Black Democrat, leaving Mississippis other three districts generally safe for Republicans.

Thompson said that the committees work was among the most important he had engaged in as a politician.

I want it to benefit this country and the world, he said. Because we still, in my humble opinion, are still the greatest country in the world. We just had a hiccup on Jan. 6. And we have to fix it.

 2022 The New York Times Company
WeGo Public Transits WeGoCation announcement at the Nashville Zoo on June 16, 2022.

WeGo Public Transit is encouraging locals to be tourists in their own town this summer.

Using WeGos simple payment system, QuickTicket, by app or by reloadable card, unlimited travel to major attractions around Music City will cost $4.

Admission to the participating attractions will be half-off. Sites include the National Museum of African American Music, Frist Art Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and Nashville Zoo.

For a meal in between trips, a half-off deal for any entree at German eatery Bavarian Bierhaus at Opry Mills Mall is offered.

Dubbed WeGoCation, the staycation-based promotion was announced on June 14 at the Nashville Zoo. WeGoCation will be available from June 14 to August 15.

Bus fares and passes stations at the central downtown WeGo location.

In connection with WeGoCation, Nashville residents have the option to park their vehicles at a designated WeGo parking location at The Mall at Green Hills. The area can be distinguished by a purple-painted wall with a QuickTicket QR code and related information.

The parking lot is walking distance from the new Hillsboro Transit Center, which had its grand opening on March 31. It is the center where popular summer routes seven and 17 run through.

The Hillsboro bus stop, which is a collaboration between Metro Nashville Public Schools, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Nashville Department of Transportation, is located next to Hillsboro High School. Affiliates, such as students who rely on public transportation to head to their zoned MNPS schools, can ride the WeGo Public Transit buses free of charge.

WeGo Public Transits parking area at The Mall at Green Hills.

Zoe Leuthner, a Vanderbilt student doing a research year at a lab, has been riding the bus for a year. At the Hillsboro Transit Center, Leuthner said, Its been a really great way for me to get to Vanderbilt. Its amazing that it's free. That just really made everything a lot easier for me as far as commuting goes. And it's been a great way to be able to see the city.

Nashville is a city where driving a vehicle is the primary transportation method. WeGoCation aims to provide locals with reliable public transportation that will allow more people to appreciate the views of the city and what it has to offer while prioritizing convenience.

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Bus at WeGo Nashvilles downtown location.

For instance, features at the Hillsboro Transit Center include phone charging stations, WiFi, lighting improvements and real-time bus information. There are also covered bus bays, exterior waiting areas, a climate-controlled waiting room, ticket vending machines and ADA infrastructure. Utilizing these features promise Nashvillians a way to stay prepared and safe while on the go.

The WeGoCation initiative can also allow locals to see the benefits of public transportation, which seems to have an unspoken stigma attached to it in this city.

WeGo Public Transit driver Timothy Morton noticed how ridership has changed over these past couple of years, I've been here about 10 years  way before the pandemic. And, you know, ridership was much higher.

Although a dip in ridership was detected, it has since bounced back up, and WeGo is currently counting approximately 90% of the ridership it had before the COVID-19 pandemic.

WeGo Public Transit bus driver Timothy Morton holds up his phone to show the QuickTicket app and encourages locals to try the WeGoCation promotion.

The public transportation group has been able to achieve its growing success through its shelter expansion program as well. Trey Walker, Chief Development Officer of WeGo, explained that they have been able to add about 100 shelters in the last five years.

Weve got about six or seven in the queue right now, five of which are in North Nashville. That area is a part of the North Nashville participatory budget process that was funded through the mayor's office last year, said Walker.

Two of our main goals are making service easier to use and more comfortable and to improve access to transit.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: WeGoCation encourages locals to be tourists in their own town
Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...High temperatures of 98 to 106 expected. * WHERE...In Washington, Lower Columbia Basin of Washington, Foothills of the Blue Mountains of Washington and Yakima Valley. In Oregon, Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon. * WHEN...From 11 AM this morning to 11 PM PDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Widespread afternoon high temperatures between 98 and 106 degrees are forecast with the highest temperatures expected in the Lower Columbia Basin of Washington. 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. &&
Royal Enfield Hunter 350 has been in discussions for a while now and is one of the most anticipated bikes from the British manufacturer, after a lot of wait, the bike is ready to be introduced in the Indian market by August 2022. Based on the rumours, the launch of the new bike is scheduled to be in the second week of the month. Before the launch, the upcoming model is building up more anticipation among the enthusiasts with the recently leaked spy shots. It is to be noted that the bike has been spotted multiple times on Indian roads preceding the launch.

Royal Enfield Hunter Engine

The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is expected to be one of the most affordable bikes from the house of the British company. Moreover, the bike is expected to have features which will help in controlling the cost. The Hunter 350 will probably share its platform and engine with the Meteor 350. The same J-platform will be used, with a 348 cc single-cylinder engine. The engine can currently be found on the Classic 350 and Meteor 350 motorcycles. This engine's power is likewise expected to remain unchanged. Based on the leaked spy shots, the Hunter 350 will also be geared at newer riders, with seat height and kerb weight-adjusted accordingly.

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Price

The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is expected to be in the price range of an entry-level bike, putting up a price tag of around Rs 1 lakh. Upon launch, the bike will directly compete against Suzuki Gixxer 250, Yamaha FZ25 and others in the same category.

Also read: Top 5 Upcoming Royal Enfield bikes in India; Himalayan 450, Classic 650 and more

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Competition

Meanwhile, Royal Enfield has other bikes lined up to launch in the Indian market like the Himalayan 450, Classic 650, Super Meteor 650 and Shotgun. These new models will expand the range of the brand in the Indian market simultaneously marking its presence in multiple segments.
Following the punishments by the aviation watchdog authority DGCA and numerous complaints from the consumers, Air India is planning on bringing multiple changes in its services for customer satisfaction, based on Simpleflying's report. As told by the management at the time of the airline's take over by the Tata, the organisation will undergo some significant changes focused on improving the services for their customers. These changes might include improvements for everything starting from ticket booking to onboard flight services.

Recently, DGCA had imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on the Tata-owned for refusing to board passengers with valid tickets and then failing to compensate them as required. The sanction was issued on the airlines following a series of inspections by the aviation authority in cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi. Due to flaws in their services, the DGCA has recently imposed fines on a number of airlines. Other Indian airlines, such as Indigo Spicejet, had already been fined by the DGCA.

AI's low record in customer satisfaction is also evidenced by recent official numbers for April, which show 2.4 complaints per 10,000 passengers. IndiGo and Vistara, on the other hand, received 0.1 complaints per 10,000 passengers.

Also read: DGCA finds multiple safety violations in 30 flight training schools across India

At the time of the takeover, Ratan Tata said, "The Tata Group welcomes Air India's new customers and is excited to work together to make Air India the airline of choice in terms of passenger comfort and service." Following the take over several things have been stirring up in the organisation. However, Air India is yet to achieve the goal of becoming the airline of choice.

Some of the changes in the airlines include the use of the Amadeus passenger service system to improve the ticket reservation system, flight scheduling, e-commerce and other things. In addition, one of the major recent changes includes heavy investment in Airbus A350s for its future long-distance flights.
New Delhi: In order to provide job chances for "Agniveers", officials from the finance ministry met with the chiefs of public sector banks and financial institutions on Thursday, June 16. Early this week, on June 14, the Union Cabinet authorised the Agnipath short-term military recruitment programme that provides young citizens an opportunity to work with the armed forces for a tenure of four years. Candidates chosen for the programme will be referred to as "Agniveers." Meanwhile, it has been decided that banks would look into ways to support "Agniveers" through acceptable loan facilities for skill enhancement, education for company startup, and self-employment, according to a statement from the finance ministry.

The statement noted that the support for "Agniveers" would be provided using already-existing government programmes like Mudra and Stand Up India.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) met with the chief executives of public sector banks (PSBs), public sector insurance companies (PSICs), and financial institutions (FIs) to discuss how the banks and financial institutions can assist the "Agniveers" after their four-year tenure. (ALSO READ: Swiggy agent sends MISS YOU texts to woman, company replies)

The Joint Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs presented the key elements of the Agnipath programme during the meeting. According to the statement, it was decided at the meeting that PSBs, PSICs, and FIs would look into employment options for "Agniveers" in acceptable positions based on their educational backgrounds and skills through appropriate benefits/relaxations, etc. (ALSO READ: Unacademy lays off 150 employees from its PrepLadder team: Report)

- With PTI inputs.
New Delhi: ZEE5, Indias largest home-grown video streaming platform, has all the reasons to celebrate post the release of its recent original series, The Broken News. Premiered on June 10, 2022, the series not only marked Sonali Bendres return to acting and a much-talked-about OTT debut but also marked ZEE5 and BBC Indias first collaboration.

On her digital debut's success, Sonali Bendre said, "I am overwhelmed with all the love we have received for The Broken News. The fact that our content has stirred conversation around the key theme is a sign of the connection it has made with the audience, which to me is the most important part. For me personally, the feedback and support Ive received for my portrayal of Amina from the audience and critics alike, has been amazing and I am very thankful for it. Im so glad to be back doing what I love and Im looking forward to what the future has in store. I could not have done this without the support of the amazing team at ZEE5, BBC India and our amazing director, cast and crew. I think reasons enough for a second season what say?".

And now a week post its release, the platform, the makers and the actors have all the right reasons to celebrate as The Broken News became the most viewed original series of 2022 on ZEE5.

A million thanks to our audience for making this possible!#TheBrokeNews is now streaming on #ZEE5.



Watch now: https://t.co/QXK28aYhgO pic.twitter.com/yDfoAM5tpJ June 18, 2022

Helmed by Vinay Waikul, The Broken News has gone on to clock 100Mn+ streaming minutes and 6Mn+ views in a week since its premiere. Centred around a pair of rival television channels operating out of the same Mumbai building, the 8-part series represents two opposing philosophies of journalism and immerses the viewers in the behind-the-scenes workings of a newsroom. It also addresses some pressing questions and reflects the current realities operating in the world's largest democracy.

"I am overjoyed reading all the comments and reviews for The Broken News. I didn't expect for people to fall in love with my portrayal of the character of Dipankar Sanyal, given his flaws, but it's good to know that people have loved him despite that. I try to pick different characters to play each time I choose a project, and I am glad that the risks I took in playing this character have paid off with so many people. The challenge for every actor playing a flawed character is to make it believable and even likeable," said Jaideep Ahlawat.

Shriya Pilgaonkar added, "I am so overwhelmed by the critics appreciation and the audience love for my character Radha in The Broken News. I have received so many messages from journalists and news reporters that they truly connected to the story of the show and all the characters. I couldnt have asked for more and I am so grateful for this creatively fulfilling experience".

Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India said, We are proud to be delivering on our promise of presenting real and relatable stories with The Broken News; a series which authentically showcases the complications in the world of news media. We are happy to have partnered with BBC India to deliver a fitting show which is in line with our content strategy of keeping the viewers at the centre of the business and are looking forward to more such successful collaborations in the future.

Nimisha Pandey, Chief Content Officer, Hindi Originals, ZEE5 said, The Broken News is very close to our heart and one of the most courageous shows we have created until now. Set in todays contemporary world, it attempts to authentically depict the world of TV journalism and the era of breaking news in all its shades, making for an engaging and thought-provoking watch. It is heartening to see an encouraging response from the viewers, and it strengthens our belief that the audiences today are eager to accept complex storytelling and flawed characters. Director Vinay Vaikul has managed to successfully weave these complex characters into a compelling story, and it was an absolute pleasure collaborating with BBC India for this show. We could not have been happier to have phenomenal actors like Sonali Bendre, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Jaideep Ahlawat with a bunch of other fantastic actors to bring these characters to life.

The Broken News is available exclusively on ZEE5 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada
Haridwar: Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday (June 18, 2022) opposed the Centre's "Agnipath" scheme for recruitment to the armed forces, saying a countrywide movement is needed to stall it. On farmers' issues, Mr Tikait said the country now needs another big movement. "Till now, the youth were getting at least 15 years' service in the armed forces and a pension post-retirement but after the implementation of this scheme, when they retire from the services of the armed forces, they will return home without pension," Mr Tikait said.

"Going by this logic, there should be a similar law for MLAs and MPs contesting the elections," he said stressing that a countrywide stir is required to stall it.

ALSO READ | Anger over Agnipath scheme: How protests unfolded across the country - In Pics

"MLAs and MPs can contest elections up to the age of 90 years and can also avail pension. But imposing retirement on the youth just after four years of service is unfair. We won't let it happen," said the BKU leader who was in the forefront of the agitation against the Centre's now-withdrawn agriculture laws.

The BKU will agitate against the Agnipath scheme, he said.

On the withdrawal of the farm laws, he said, "Farmers have seen the way to Delhi and four lakh tractors are ready. There is a need for a big agitation on the issue in the country."
New Delhi: Amid protests against the Agnipath recruitment scheme in several states, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday (June 18) announced that 10% of job vacancies in the Ministry of Defence will be reserved for Agniveers, soldiers recruited under the Yojana, meeting requisite eligibility criteria. The 10% reservation will be implemented in the Indian Coast Guard and defence civilian posts, and all the 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings. This reservation would be in addition to existing reservation for ex-servicemen, RMO India cited Singh as saying. Singh assured that necessary amendments to the recruitment scheme will be undertaken to implement these provisions. Defence Public Sector Undertakings will be advised to make similar amendments to their respective recruitment rules. Necessary age relaxation provision will also be made, Singh added.

The decision comes after Rajnath Singh held a meeting with the service chiefs Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari in Delhi today.

The 10% reservation will be implemented in the Indian Coast Guard and defence civilian posts, and all the 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings. This reservation would be in addition to existing reservation for ex-servicemen.    / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) June 18, 2022

Earlier today, the home ministry announced 10 per cent job quota in the Central paramilitary forces and the Assam Rifles for 'Agniveers', in addition to a three-year relaxation in the upper age limit. "The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) decides to reserve 10% vacancies for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles for Agniveers," the Home Ministry said in a tweet. "The MHA also decides to give 3 years age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs & Assam Rifles. Further, for the first batch of Agniveer, the age relaxation will be for 5 years beyond the prescribed upper age limit, the MHA added. Presently, those in the age group of 18-23 years are recruited into the paramilitary forces.

ALSO READ: Have guts to take ownership': Owaisis sharp attack on PM Modi over Agnipath scheme

These amendments come amid the Oppositions and protestors' demand to roll back the Agnipath scheme. The agitation turned violent in several states as some protestors torched public and private property and also attacked BJP offices at some places, while police resorted to firing to quell the protests.
New Delhi: As protests continue against the Centres Agnipath scheme, BJP national president JP Nadda appealed to the aspirants to have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked them to end the stir and fully understand the recruitment yojana. I want to appeal to my young friends that this Agnipath is a revolutionary scheme. I know that efforts are being made to mislead the youth...But I want to tell them to have faith in PM Modi. I appeal to them to understand this scheme thoroughly, JP Nadda said in Karnataka, as per ANI.

Addressing a meeting of Gram panchayat presidents and vice-presidents, he asked them to take the message about Agnipath scheme to youth in their villages.

In his appeal to the protesting aspirants, Nadda said, It is a big opportunity and I certainly will like our young friends who are on the path of agitation to choose the path of discussion, try to know and understand in depth everything for the betterment of your future. Also, keep in mind that BJP under Modi's leadership always thinks about the youth and the country.

I want to appeal to my young friends that this #Agnipath is a revolutionary scheme. I know that efforts are being made to mislead the youth...But I want to tell them to have faith in PM Modi. I appeal to them to understand this scheme thoroughly: BJP chief JP Nadda, in Karnataka pic.twitter.com/a8fcQG9s1j  ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2022

ALSO READ: Strike first, think later: BJPs Varun Gandhi steps up attack on Centre over Agnipath scheme

Several states have witnessed protests against the Central governments Agnipath scheme, under which youth will be provided recruitment on a four-year short-term contractual basis, following which 75 per cent of the recruits, known as Agniveers, will have to voluntarily retire with no pension benefits. Amid violent protests in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, a PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the damage to public properties including railways.

Meanwhile, the Railways on Saturday cancelled 369 trains, out of which 210 are mail/express trains and 159 are local passenger trains, as protests against the Agnipath scheme escalated, despite the Centre's reassurances to the aspirants.

Centre offers concessions for Agniveers

As Agnipath protests refused to die down even on Saturday, the Defence Ministry and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced concessions for those who will serve under the scheme. The MHA decided to reserve 10% vacancies for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles for Agniveers, and also announced age relaxations for them. While Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the proposal of 10% job vacancies in the Ministry of Defence for Agniveers.

The Centre had earlier raised the upper age limit to 23 years from 21 years in order to assuage the angry protestors.

Y category security for BJP leaders in Bihar amid Agnipath protests

The Union Home Ministry approved a VIP security cover of the CRPF for at least 10 Bihar BJP lawmakers and leaders in the wake of the ongoing protests against the Agnipath military recruitment scheme. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi, Bihar BJP president and Paschim Champaran MP Sanjay Jaiswal, Bisfi MLA Haribhushan Thakur, Darbhanga MLA Sanjay Saraogi and some other leaders have been accorded Y category cover by the MHA based on a report received by the central intelligence agencies that these leaders faced threat of physical harm, PTI cited officials as saying.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Amid the mass protests against the Agnipath recruitment scheme which was announced by the Centre on June 14, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced concessions for the 'Agniveers' as an added incentive for the youth to adopt the scheme. On Saturday (June 18), the MHA announced a few privileges for Agniveers after they complete their four-year programme in the Indian Army.

ALSO READ: DNA Exlusive: Government failed to communicate its message on Agneepath scheme

Here's what the MHA announced in regards to Agnipath recruitment scheme:

1. Central Armed Police Forces: The Ministry of Home Affairs, on Saturday, said that 'Agniveers' that is youth who take part in the Agnipath programme will be absorbed into the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) as they will receive 10% vacancies in the CAPFs.

2. Assam Rifles: The Agniveers will also get preference in the Assam Rifles at the end of their 4-year tenure in the army with 10% vacancies for them.

3. Upper age limit increased for first batch: The MHA has increased the upper age limit for the first batch to 5 years beyond the current upper age limit.

4. Age relaxation for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles: The MHA has decided to give 3 years age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs & Assam Rifles.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to hold a meeting with the service chiefs in Delhi

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be holding a meeting with the service chiefs in Delhi. Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari arrive at the Defence Minister's residence.

What is the Agnipath Recruitment Scheme?

The Union Cabinet on June 14 approved a recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the three services of the Armed Forces called Agnipath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers.

Agnipath allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years. The Agnipath Scheme has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the Armed Forces.

According to the latest announcement by the Ministry, the upper age limit for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) - inclusive of Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), National Security Guard (NSG) and Special Protection Group (SPG) - will stand at 26 years. Meanwhile, the first batch of Agniveers will avail a further relaxation of 5 years beyond the upper age limit of 23, taking it to 28 years.

(With ANI inputs)

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Guwahati: As many as nine more persons died in Assam due to the flood, taking the overall death toll to 54, according to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Friday. As many as 18.94 lakh people in 28 districts are affected by the flood situation. The deaths were reported from Hojai, Nalbari, Bajali, Dhubri, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, and Sonitpur districts of Assam. So far 54 people in the state have lost their lives in floods and landslides this year so far.

As per the state data, 2,930 villages under 96 revenue circles are currently underwater. The flood waters have submerged 43338.39 hectares of cropland in the flood-hit districts.

ALSO READ: Heavy rainfall lashes Assam and Meghalaya, triggers damage in several areas

The water level of Beki, Manas, Pagladiya, Puthimari, Jia Bharali, Kopili and Brahmaputra rivers are flowing above the danger level mark in many places of the state. As many as 1,08,104 flood-affected people are currently, taking shelter at 373 relief camps set up by the district administration.

Of which, 3.55 lakh people have been affected alone in Bajali district followed by 2.90 lakh people affected in Darrang, 1.84 lakh in Goalpara, 1.69 lakh in Barpeta, 1.23 lakh in Nalbari, 1.19 lakh in Kamrup and 1.05 lakh in Hojai district.

Meanwhile, the flood situation in Assam's Kamrup district deteriorated after the flood waters entered new areas affecting more than 70,000 people in the area.The water level of the Borolia river and other major rivers of the district are rising up following incessant rains.

The flood waters of the Borolia river on Thursday washed away a portion of an embankment at Choumukha and submerged several villages in the Hajo area. Earlier on Thursday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma thanked Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor and director Rohit Shetty for their contribution of Rs 5 lakhs to the CM Relief Fund for the flood-affected people in the state.

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Forcing a woman to give birth to a baby with severe abnormalities because she is poor is grotesquely Orwellian.

But that is what Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will do if he succeeds in his attempt to remove state funding for abortions of fetuses diagnosed with major abnormalities.

Youngkin made the ban one of his amendments to the state budget. The demand proves once again that Youngkin is cynically political, not compassionate.

Planned Parenthood reports that in fiscal 2021, the state paid for just 21 such abortions. What the severe abnormalities were in each case are unknown because of the way the data is kept. But it would be a horrific invasion of personal privacy and life-altering tragedy to make that knowledge public. It is nobodys business but the parents.

Being compelled to bring a child into world who will suffer chronically or die young because you cannot afford to pay to spare them the suffering adds nothing to society. It is cruel.

Who wants to sentence a human being to a lifetime of pain or suffering? If Youngkins budget amendment forces a single poor woman to do that, it will be an abomination.

Abortion opponents liken ending pregnancies where babies are likely to be severely impacted physically or mentally to eugenics, the practice of breeding a master race like the Nazis tried to do. They suggest that women who end pregnancies when prenatal diagnoses reveal chromosome issues murder their babies. They like to focus on Down syndrome as a diagnosis that leads to unnecessary deaths with abortion rates running at 80%.

Many parents of children with Down syndrome offer uplifting stories of sweet children, who find a niche. But the issue here is choice. No one stops pregnant women who decide willingly to have a child regardless of disabilities from having a baby. This is because they got to choose.

Remember, too, what Youngkin proposes in order to throw a political bone to his forced pregnancy base is not just about Down syndrome. Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal disorder. The second most, according to the government website Medlineplus.gov is Trisomy 18, described as follows:

Affected individuals may have heart defects and abnormalities of other organs that develop before birth. Other features of trisomy 18 include a small, abnormally shaped head; a small jaw and mouth; and clenched fists with overlapping fingers. Due to the presence of several life-threatening medical problems, many individuals with trisomy 18 die before birth or within their first month. Five to 10 percent of children with this condition live past their first year, and these children often have severe intellectual disability.

We believe in letting women make informed choices about their bodies and their futures. This serves children better than forced pregnancies that could lead to stillborn babies, childhood deaths or institutionalization. Having women hear from others about their experience with children with severe abnormalities is important, too, if it is possible. That kind of information, good or bad, offers context and lessens uncertainty.

As a mother who chose to have two children with Down syndrome wrote in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 2008:

The best way to create a society that embraces (genetic and other) differences is to educate and engage the public and to support individual choices, whatever they are.

In the Netherlands the Department of Health has consulted the public since 2002 on prenatal genetic testing, by means of citizen panels. In addition, its Centre for Congenital and Hereditary Disease (Erfo-centrum) provides reliable, complete (not limited to medical) and up-to-date information about genetic and/or hereditary conditions. With unbiased information at their fingertips, about 50% of Dutch women currently decline prenatal screening for Down syndrome.

Thats the way it should be for poor women in Virginia. The state now pays for health care so they have a choice in some of the worst circumstances imaginable.

Glenn Youngkin wants to take that choice away.
New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday ((June 18, 2022) said that Prime Minister Narendra Modis government will have to accept the demand of the youth and rollback the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme, just like it had to revoke the farm laws following sustained protests by farmers. The former Congress chief also said that for eight consecutive years, the BJP government has "insulted" the values of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'. Taking a swipe at the central government, he said the PM Modi will have to apologise to the youth of the nation, for the second time after apologising to farmers last year when the three farm laws were withdrawn.

For 8 consecutive years, the BJP government has insulted the values of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'. I had said earlier also that the Prime Minister will have to withdraw the black Agriculture Act. In the same way, he will have to obey the youth of the country by becoming 'Mafiveer' and 'Agnipath' will have to be taken back, Gandhi said in a tweet.

 Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 18, 2022

The mafiveer jibe aimed at PM Modi was a play on Agniveer, or the young soldiers recruited through the Agnipath scheme.

Rahul Gandhis statement comes as violent protests have erupted in several parts of the country against the Agnipath recruitment by defence job aspirants.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also joined the chorus for the rollback of the Agnipath scheme and alleged that the central government does not understand the pain and frustration of the jobless youngsters.

 Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) June 18, 2022

Unveiling the scheme on Tuesday, the government said youths between the ages of 17-and-a-half and 21 years would be inducted for a four-year tenure while 25 per cent of the recruits will be retained for regular service.

The upper age limit was raised to 23 years on Thursday as the protests against the new model for enrolment of soldiers into the Army, Navy and Air Force spread.

The new scheme for the recruitment of soldiers in the three services was projected by the government as a major overhaul of the decades-old selection process to enhance the youthful profile of the three services.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi Saturday termed "directionless" the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme for recruitment in the armed forces, and said her party will work for its withdrawal. She also appealed to the youths protesting against the scheme to adopt peaceful and non-violent means to fight for their demands. "It is unfortunate that the government has announced a new armed forces' recruitment policy, which is completely directionless and it has done so while ignoring your voices," she said in a statement in Hindi, addressed to the youths.

Declaring her party's support for them, the Congress president said along with the youths, several ex-soldiers and defence experts have questioned the scheme.

Gandhi, who is being treated at a hospital here for a lower respiratory tract infection and post-Covid symptoms, said she can understand the pain of the youths over the "three-year delay" in recruitment despite lakhs of vacancies in the Army.

Gandhi said she also empathises with the youths who are awaiting results and appointments after taking the test for induction in the Air Force. "The Congress stands with you with full force and promises to struggle for your interests and for the withdrawal of this scheme."

"Like true patriots, we will articulate your voices following the path of truth, non-violence, resilience and peace," she told the youths in her letter.

"I appeal to you to use peaceful and non-violent means to protest for your rightful demands. The Indian National Congress is with you," the Congress chief said.

Youths across the country have taken to the streets and are protesting against the new short-term recruitment scheme for entry in the armed forces. There have been violent protests in several places and irate youths have torched trains and damaged public property at various places.

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New Delhi: Water supply will remain affected in many parts of Delhi on Sunday due to Haryana releasing less water in the Yamuna and two canals, the Delhi Jal Board said on Saturday. The water level in the Wazirabad pond stood at 667.3 feet as against the normal of 674.5 feet. Also, less water is being received from Haryana through the Carrier Lined Canal (CLC) and the Delhi Sub Branch (DSB), the utility said. Operations at the Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla WTPs have been hit. Water supply will remain affected till the situation improves, it said.

Water will be available at low pressure in northeast Delhi, west Delhi, north Delhi, central Delhi, south Delhi, including Delhi Cantonment, and New Delhi Municipal Council areas, the DJB added.

The utility had last week written a letter to the Haryana Irrigation Department, the fifth time this summer season, asking it to release water from the Somb river, a tributary of the Yamuna.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also requested Haryana to release additional water in the Yamuna on humanitarian grounds.

Delhi requires around 1,200 MGD (million gallons per day) of water, while the DJB supplies around 950 MGD.

Haryana supplies a total of 610 million gallons of water a day to Delhi through two canals -- CLC (368 MGD) and DSB (177) -- and the Yamuna (65 MGD). CLC and the DSB are supplied water from Hathni Kund via Munak canal and Bhakra Beas Management Board. Besides, Delhi receives 253 MGD from Uttar Pradesh through the Upper Ganga Canal, and 90 MGD is drawn from ranney wells and tube wells installed across the city.
HP Board 12th Result 2022: Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) is scheduled to announce the Class 12 HP board result 2022 for term 2 today at 11:30 am. The HPBOSE term 2 result 2022 will be released on the official website, hpbose.org. Students who had appeared for HPBOSE exams need to enter their roll number to check their HPBOSE result 2022 Class 12.HPBOSE Class 12 term 2 result date was announced today. The toppers name and merit list is expected to be released along with the result. The Board President Suresh Kumar Soni will announce the result and other details including pass percentage, toppers, merit list.

"HP Board 12th result 2022 will be announced today at 11.30 am. Suresh Kumar Soni, chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education, Dharamsala, will be declaring the HPBOSE 12th result in a press conference," the official statement read.

Himachal Pradesh Board Results 2022: Important websites to check the result

hpbose.org

hpresults.nic.in

HP Board Class 12 result 2022: How to check your Himachal Pradesh Class 12th board result

Students can check HPBOSE 12th result 2022 by following the steps given below.

Visit the official website, hpbose.org 12th result 2022. On the homepage, click on the Result tab. Now, click on HP Board 12th result 2022 link . Enter a students roll number in the login window. Click on the search button. Online hpbose.org result 2022 will appear on the screen. Take a printout or screenshot of the result for future reference.

The students need to secure a minimum of 30 per cent marks to pass the HP Board 10th, 12th exams 2022. In the month of February, HPBOSE Class 10 term 1 exam result was declared on its official website, hpbose.org. Last year 2021, a total of 99.7 percent students were declared pass by HP board. HP Board 12th Result 2022: Over one lakh students are awaiting the result of 12th class 2022 HP Board exams which were held from March 22 to April 13.

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HP Board Result: How To Check HP Board 12th Result Via SMS

Students can receive the HP Board 12th Result Via SMS through the following steps:
New Delhi: A body of a Police Sub Inspector was found under mysterious circumstances in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday (June 18, 2022). According to news agency ANI, the bullet-riddled body was found in the Pampore area of South Kashmir. The deceased has been identified as Sub-Inspector Farooq Ahmad Mir. He was posted in 23 IRP Battalion. As per the officials, the attack on the Police Sub Inspector took place at Samboora in the Pampore area on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.

J&K | A bullet-riddled body of a Police Sub Inspector was found under mysterious circumstances in Pampore area of South Kashmir's Pulwama district. More details awaited.  ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2022

Dead body of Farooq Ah Mir of Samboora Si(M) posted in IRP 23 BN was found in paddy fields near his home. Preliminary #investigation reveals that he had left his home for work in his paddy fields yesterday in the evening, where he was shot dead by #terrorists using a pistol, Kashmir Police tweeted.

Police officials said, "Preliminary investigation reveals he had left his home for work in his paddy fields last evening, where he was shot dead by terrorists."

J&K | Bullet-riddled body of Police Sub Inspector Farooq Ah Mir found in paddy fields near his home. Visuals from his native place



Police say, "Preliminary investigation reveals he had left his home for work in his paddy fields last evening, where he was shot dead by terrorists" pic.twitter.com/eEL6hqA2up  ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2022

More details are awaited.
Karnataka 2nd PUC Result 2022: The Karnataka 2nd PUC 2022 Result will be released on June 18, 2022. The Karnataka Pre-University Examination Board will announce the Class 12th Karnataka Result for over 6.8 lakh students who took the exams this year. The Karnataka 2nd PUC Class 12 Result 2022 will be announced at a press conference at 11 a.m., and the link to the official website- karresults.nic.in will be activated at 12 noon.

The PUC Examination Board held the Karnataka 2nd PUC 2022 Exam across the state from April 22 to May 18, 2022. In addition to the Karnataka 2nd PUC Result 2022 for regular students, the department will also release the Karnataka 2nd PUC Result 2022 for repeaters. According to Education Department officials, 6,00,519 regular students, 61,808 repeaters, and 21,928 private candidates have registered for the exam this year.

     (.18) .



 .



2nd PUC exam results will be announced tomorrow.



Best wishes to all students.  B.C Nagesh (@BCNagesh_bjp) June 17, 2022

Karnataka 2nd PUC Result 2022: Steps to Check Karnataka 2nd PUC 2022 Result

1. Go to the Karnataka PUC Board's official website at karresults.nic.in.

2. Navigate to the Karnataka 2nd PUC Result 2022 link.

3. Enter the log-in information, including the roll number and birth date.

4. Submit and download Class 12th Karnataka Result 2022 once the result appears on the screen.

Over 6.8 lakh (6,84,255) students are waiting for their results. According to Education Department officials, 6,00,519 regular students, 61,808 repeaters, and 21,928 private candidates have registered for this year's exam. This year, students have applied for the PUC second-year exam.
Maharashtra Congress leader Naseem Khan on Friday sought immediate arrest of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled BJP leader Naveen Kumar Jindal for their alleged objectionable remark against Prophet Muhammad. Khan has written letters to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Revenue Minister and Congress Legislative Party leader Balasaheb Thorat, Public Works Minister Ashok Chavan and Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil. "Former BJP spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal`s offensive remarks about the Prophet Mohammad Saheb have hurt the feelings of Muslims across the country, including Mumbai and Maharashtra. There is strong resentment in the Muslim community against this. The state government should take note of the outrage and form a team of senior police officials to arrest Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal immediately and take stern action," Khan demanded.

"Police complaints have also been lodged against Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal at Mumbai Paydhuni and Bhiwandi and Mumbra police stations in the Thane district, but he has not been arrested yet, so there is intense resentment and anger in the Muslim community," he said.

Naseem Khan said that immediate action should be taken in view of this displeasure. Last month, Sharma had allegedly made objectionable remarks against Prophet Muhammad during a television news debate on the Gyanvapi issue.

Protests had also erupted in various states including Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh over the controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad made by Sharma and Jindal. The BJP leader`s remark drew sharp reactions from Gulf countries. India has said that it had taken strong action against those who made controversial remarks against minorities.Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) asked the police heads of states and Union Territories to be prepared and alert as they could be targeted.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (June 18) condemned the cowardly terrorist attack on Karte Parwan Gurudwara in Aghanistans Kabul that killed two persons, including a Sikh, and injured seven others. PM Modi wrote on Twitter, Shocked by the cowardly terrorist attack against the Karte Parwan Gurudwara in Kabul. I condemn this barbaric attack, and pray for the safety and well-being of the devotees.

Several blasts rocked Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul's Bagh-e Bala neighborhood early Saturday morning when up to 30 people were inside, PTI cited BBC report. Abdul Nafi Takor, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said gun firing took place that lasted several hours between the terrorists and Taliban fighters. While Afghan security personnel averted a major tragedy by stopping an explosive-laden vehicle from reaching the gurudwara. The terror attack comes as the latest targeted assault on a place of worship of the minority Sikh community in Afghanistan.

Shocked by the cowardly terrorist attack against the Karte Parwan Gurudwara in Kabul. I condemn this barbaric attack, and pray for the safety and well-being of the devotees.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 18, 2022

Among those killed, one was a member of the Islamic Emirate forces and another was an Afghan Sikh national, the Interior Ministry spokesperson confirmed. The Taliban forces also managed to kill three attackers, the Pajhwok news agency reported.

No terror outfit immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, in the past, Islamic State Khorasan (ISK) has claimed responsibility for attacks on places of worship of Hindus, Sikhs and Shiites in war-torn Afghanistan.

Earlier today, India strongly condemned the "cowardly attack" on the Gurudwara in Kabul and said it was closely monitoring the situation. "The cowardly attack on Gurudwara Karte Parwan should be condemned in the strongest terms by all. We have been closely monitoring developments since the news of the attack was received. Our first and foremost concern is for the welfare of the community," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar wrote in a tweet.

Denouncing the attack, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to the Centre to provide immediate assistance to ensure the safety of minorities in the Afghan capital.

Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) President Harmeet Singh Kalka said that the Centre has assured to help people stuck in Afghanistan with their visas so they can come to India. "A gurudwara was attacked in Kabul and people were made hostage, one Granthi was killed. Blasts and firing happened there. We appeal to Government to take care of minorities in Afghanistan. GoI assured to help people with their visa to come to India," the DSGMC president was quoted as saying by ANI.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Karnataka on June 20-21, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced on Saturday (June 18). During his two-day visit to the state, the PM will participate in various events in Bengaluru and Mysuru, PTI reported. On June 20 and 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Bengaluru and Mysuru. We have got his programme schedule. All arrangements have been done for the smooth conduct of the programmes and all our leaders, legislators, ministers, officials and also police are working in coordination with the SPG," CM Bommai said. For the unversed, Special Protection Group or SPG is a government agency responsible for the safety and protection of the Prime Minister.

As per PTI, Modi will lay the foundation stone for Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project at Kommaghatta, inaugurate Dr B R Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE), participate in the Yoga Day event on June 21, visit Chamundi hills to pay obeisance to goddess Chamundeshwari, the reigning deity of Mysuru and its royals, and also visit Suttur Mutt, a prominent Lingayat seminary.

ALSO READ: Every year on Eid: PM Modi remembers childhood friend on mothers 100th birthday

Addressing mediapersons after reviewing preparations at Kommaghatta where Modi will speak at a public function, Karnataka CM Bommai said the PM will arrive at Bengaluru's Yelahanka Airforce Station at 11.55 am on June 20. "We have made all the preparations to make the PMs visit a grand success," he added.

After his arrival, PM Modi will visit the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and participate in two events there. At IISc, Modi will inaugurate the Brain Cell Development Centre, which is set up at a cost of Rs 450 crore by IT major Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan and his family.

Bommai informed the PM will also lay the foundation for an 850-bed research hospital which is being established by IT company Mindtree. Following his IISC visit, Modi will launch or lay the foundation for several railway, road projects, and multi-modal logistic parks.

(With ageny inputs)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited his mother Heeraben Modi at her home in Gandhinagar on her 100th birthday on Saturday (June 18). In a video shared by news agency ANI, PM Modi can be seen performing a puja at his mother's residence. Later, he sat down at his mother's feet and spoke to her. He also shared pictures from his visit on his official Twitter handle and wrote, "Took blessings of my mother today as she enters her 100th year."

#WATCH | Gujarat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his mother Heeraben Modi at her residence in Gandhinagar on her birthday today.



Heeraben Modi is entering the 100th year of her life today. pic.twitter.com/7xoIsKImNN  ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2022

On the occasion of her birthday, he also wrote a blog for her and shared it on his Twitter handle.

Maathis isnt a mere word but it captures a range of emotions. Today, 18th June is the day my Mother Heeraba enters her 100th year. On this special day, I have penned a few thoughts expressing joy and gratitude. https://t.co/KnhBmUp2se  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 18, 2022

PM Modi is quite close to his mother and often visits her on important events.

A few weeks ago, a huge crowd had flocked across the road leading to Ridge Maidan in Shimla to have a glimpse of PM Modi. Among the crowd, a girl named Anu was holding a painting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Heeraben Modi. On spotting the artwork, the Prime Minister stopped his cavalcade, get out of his car and approached the girl. "What is your name? Where do you live? How many days did you take to make this painting?" PM Modi asked the girl. Anu replied that she belongs to Shimla and she made the painting of Heeraben in one day.

PM Modi is in Gandhinagar today to unfurl flag at newly renovated Gujarat's Pavagadh temple. A press release by the Gujarat information department stated, "After the ascent of Pavagadh in the fifteenth century, the peak of the temple was dilapidated for the last five centuries. The summit has now been redesigned with a new look."

(With agency inputs)

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Kerrville, TX (78028)

Today

Mostly sunny in the morning then increasing clouds with some scattered thunderstorms later in the day. High 92F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening, then cloudy skies overnight. Low 71F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Police on Saturday said that 50-year-old Sub-Inspector of ministerial staff was shot dead by terrorists in the evening on Friday at Pampora area of Samboora in South Kashmirs Awantipora. Area incharge police officer said, "A police officer has been shot dead by terrorists in Pulwama district during the night when he was at home." He said, "Sub-Inspector Farooq Ahmad was posted with IRP. He had only one year left of his service." Farooq Ahmad came to his home in Samboora Awantipora on leave yesterday itself. Terrorists took him to the paddy fields where they killed him with pistol."

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said, "Dead body of Farooq Ah Mir of Samboora SI (M) posted in IRP 23 BN was found in paddy fields near his home. Preliminary investigation reveals that he had left his home for work in his paddy fields yesterday in the evening, where he was shot dead by terrorists using a pistol."

A police officer said, "Farooq Ahmad Mir, son of Abdul Gani Mir, resident of Samboora was shot dead by militants near his home while working in the paddy fields around 8:00pm on Friday. Two pistol cartridges have been also found at the incident spot."

He is survived by his father, wife and three children (two daughters and a son).

Its pertinent to mention here that it's 18th target killing of the year. However, security forces have managed to kill 106 terrorists till now.

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New Delhi: After NCPs Sharad Pawar, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Saturday (June 18) declined to be the Opposition parties face for presidential polls 2022. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had suggested Abdullahs name as the joint Opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential polls. "I withdraw my name from consideration as a possible joint opposition candidate for the President of India. I believe that Jammu and Kashmir is passing through a critical juncture and my efforts are required to help navigate these uncertain times," NC chief Farooq Abdullah was quoted as saying by ANI. In a statement released by his party, the Lok Sabha MP said he held discussions with senior colleagues of the NC and his family about this "unexpected" development after Banerjee proposed his name as the Opposition nominee.

Further, the former Jammu and Kashmir CM said he has many years left for active politics, adding he is looking forward to making positive contribution in the service of J&K and the country. "Im grateful to Mamata didi for proposing my name. Im also grateful to all the senior leaders who offered me their support," Abdullah added.

I've a lot more active politics ahead of me & look forward to making a positive contribution in the service of J&K & the country. Im grateful to Mamata didi for proposing my name. Im also grateful to all the senior leaders who offered me their support: NC chief Farooq Abdullah  ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2022

Mamata Banerjee's another choice for Presidential election 2022 says NO

After Pawars refusal to contest the Presidential election 2022, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had reportedly suggested the names of Farooq Abdullah and former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi as candidates during the meeting of the Opposition leaders on Wednesday. However, senior opposition leaders had said that the statement was uttered in "passing" and "not seriously", as per PTI.

With Abdullah out of the Presidential race, the Opposition parties are yet to build a consensus for a joint candidate against NDA's nominee, who is also not declared so far.

Meanwhile, the next meeting of the leaders of the opposition parties to pick a consensus candidate for the Presidential election is likely to be held on June 20-21 and will be held by Sharad Pawar in Mumbai, PTI cited senior leaders as saying. They also said that the parties have decided to select a common Opposition candidate who will "uphold the democratic ethos of the country".

(With agency inputs)
Telangana: Spiritual Guru Jaggi Vasudev on Saturday launched the Green India Challenge 5.0 in Hyderabad. While addressing the event he said that the Telangana Ku Harita Haram and Green India Challenge stood as role models in the country and urged all the other states should accept the challenge. Warning against indiscriminate use of chemicals, Vasudev said  These pesticides will destroy the Earth and it will be a big threat to the future generations. There is no alternative to Earth and Soil.

As part of the Save Soil movement, Vasudev started his journey to Bengaluru from Hyderabad on Thursday. The spiritual guru planted saplings at Golluru forest areas at Shamshabad and declared the launching of the Green India Challenge- 5.0.

Green India Challenge founder and MP J Santosh Kumar, Ministers -A Indrakaran Reddy, Sabitha Indra Reddy, Satyawati Rathod, MP- Ranjit Reddy, MLA  Prakash Goud, MLCs-Naveen Kumar, Shambhipur Raju and D Vittal also participated and planted saplings. State Forest Minister A Indrakaran Reddy presented a report on Telangana Ku Haritha Haram and explained the governments endeavour to increase Green cover in the state.

Vasudev praised Santosh Kumar for taking up the big task of the plantation programme and playing a role model for the youth. He asserted the need to educate people about the importance of the conservation of Nature and the Environment. The goal of the Green India Challenge and Save oil are the same ie. Protection of the Earth, he added.

Later, Santosh Kumar said that with the inspiration of Telangana Ku haritha haram , the brainchild of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, he launched the Green India challenge four years ago to spread the awareness of greenery across the country. He expressed gratitude to all for making a big success of every programme taken up under the Green India Challenge. He felt happy on receiving blessings from Sadguru and he will launch some more innovative programmes in the future.

On the lines of the Yadadri model plantation, the Green India challenge with the support of the Telangana State Forest department has taken up the task of improving green cover by grooming biog plants in Golluru where the forest-covered depleted. In the first phase, the fencing of 900 acres of forest area was already completed. To revive the forest cover, 10, 000 big saplings have been planted at one go under Green India Challenge 5.0. Sadguru, his supporters, Isha foundation members, school students and locals also participated in a big number in the plantation programme.

CMO Special Secretary Bhupal Reddy, Special Chief Secretary to Forest Shanti Kumari, OSD Priyanka Verghese, , PCCF head of forest force RM Dobrial, Additional PCCF Sunitha Bhagawat, Cyberabad Police Commissioner Stefen Ravindra, Rangareddy DFO Janaki Ram, Green India Challenge representatives Raghava, Karunakar Reddy and others were also present.
New Delhi: A court here on Saturday rejected the bail application of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who is under the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) since May 31, in an alleged money laundering case. Special judge Geetanjali Goel rejected the bail plea. On June 14, the special CBI court in the national capital had reserved its order on the bail application after hearing the arguments of the ED and defence counsel. A day earlier, the Minister`s custody to the ED had been extended by two weeks.

On May 31, a day after Jain`s arrest, the same bench had sent him to the agency`s custody till June 9 which was further extended to five days.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital after he complained of uneasiness while leaving the Rouse Avenue Court, just after the court hearing on June 9.

The Minister was taken to the ED headquarters when he felt uneasy outside the court and was eventually hospitalised.

The CBI has accused Jain, his wife, and others of commission of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

On March 31, the ED provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to companies beneficially owned and controlled by the Minister.

The ED on June 6 conducted raids at multiple locations belonging to Jain, his wife, and accomplices, who had either directly or indirectly assisted him or participated in the processes of money laundering. The recovery of cash worth Rs 2.85 crore and 133 gold coins weighing 1.80 kg was made during the raid.
Kota: Amid the ongoing nationwide protest against the Centres new defence recruitment scheme Agneepath, Section 144 has been imposed in Rajasthans Kota district till July 18 to maintain peace, law and order, ANI reported quoting Hari Mohan Meena, District Magistrate. This comes as a large number of Army aspirants on Friday held a protest in Kota demanding that the Union government complete their recruitment process by conducting a written exam. Most students claim and are concerned as most of them have already cleared the physical test, which is the crucial part of the Army recruitment process. The Centre has not yet clarified what will happen to the candidates who have already cleared the process as per the older recruitment scheme.

Rajasthan | Section 144 has been imposed in the Kota district till July 18th to maintain peace, law and order: Hari Mohan Meena, District Magistrate, Kota pic.twitter.com/9LqWxWjIi9  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) June 18, 2022

They had cleared a physical test last year for Army recruitment, the process for which had begun in 2019, and were preparing for the written exam but all of them were left disheartened when the government "cancelled" it, said Rahuveer Singh, president of the Veer Force, an organisation representing Army aspirants.

Meanwhile, in other parts of Rajasthan, protests continued for the third consecutive day against the scheme launched by the Centre for short-term recruitment in the armed forces.

Students blocked the Jaipur-Agra railway track in Bharatpur on Friday morning, where they clashed with the police and even pelted stones. Similar demonstrations were staged in many other districts.

In one incident, a youth preparing for the army in Alwar tried to commit suicide but timely intervention by his friends saved his life.

(With agency inputs)
UP Board Result 2022: Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) is scheduled to declare the Uttara Pradesh board class 10th result 2022 and UP board 12th result 2022 today, June 18. UPMSP Result 2022 will be declared on the official website of UP board -- upmsp.edu.in. Results, once announced, can be checked by the Students for the UP board result 2022 Class 10 and UP board result 2022 Class 12 at upresults.nic.in and results.upmsp.edu.in. UP board held the Class 10, and 12 board exams in March-April for over 51 lakh students. A total of 27,81,654 students have registered for the Class 10 exam this year and 24,11,035 registered for class 12th.

UP Class 10th, 12th Result 2022: Here's how to check your scorecard

Students can follow the below steps to download their UP Class 10, 12 Marksheets once the results are declared-

Step1: Visit upmsp.edu.in or upresults.nic.in

Step 2: Click on High School or Intermediate Result 2022 Link

CLICK HERE for UP Board 10th & 12th Result 2022 LIVE updates

Step 3: Enter your roll number and other required credentials

Step 4: Submit to Download Result

UP Board result 2022: UPMSP warns students, parents against fraudulent calls

Students must notice that The Uttar Pradesh board has cautioned against fraudulent calls. The board said that it is aware that students and their parents might receive calls to increase the marks of UP board Class 10 and Class 12 exam. The board has asked the students and their parents to not fall prey against such calls and report such calls to UPMSP

A total of 27,81,654 students have registered for Class 10 exam this year, of which 12,28,456 are female students and 15,53,198 are male. As many as 24,11,035 Class 12 students have registered for UP Board exam this year, of which 10,86,835 are girls and 13,24,200 students are boys.

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New Delhi: Intermittent rain in several parts of the country on Friday (June 17, 2022) brought down the temperature, giving much-needed relief to the residents. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the current spell of intense rainfall is likely to continue over Northeast India and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during next four days and decrease thereafter. The weather department also predicted isolated heavy rainfall likely over the Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Punjab on over the next few days.

Additionally, the Met Office also informed that the Southwest monsoon will further advance into some more parts of Madhya Pradesh, remaining parts of Vidarbha, Andhra Pradesh and west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal during the next three days.

IMDs rainfall prediction:

Current spell of intense rainfall likely to continue over Northeast India and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim during next 4 days and decrease thereafter. pic.twitter.com/OiiPYJw5R4  India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) June 17, 2022

- The IMD, in its weather bulletin, said, "Widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall very likely over northeast India and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim during next 5 days. Isolated extremely heavy rainfall also likely over Assam & Meghalaya during 17th-19th June and over Arunachal Pradesh & Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim on 17th June, 2022."

- Isolated heavy rainfall very likely over East Madhya Pradesh during 17th-20th; over West Madhya Pradesh & Vidarbha on 17th-19th June and Chhattisgarh during 19th-21st June, IMD said.

- Isolated heavy rainfall very likely over Kerala & Mahe, coastal & South Interior Karnataka during next 5 days; Coastal Andhra Pradesh during 17th-20th; Telangana, Rayalaseema during 17th-19th; Tamilnadu, Puducherry & Karaikal on 17th & 18th; over south Konkan & Goa during 18th-21st; over ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra on 20th & 21st June; over Gujarat Region on 17th, 20th & 21st and over Saurashtra on 21st June, 2022, the weather department added.

- Met Office also informed that isolated heavy rainfall likely over Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana on 17th June and over Punjab on 17th, 18th & 20th June.

IMD issues yellow alert in Delhi

Heavy showers lashed Delhi-NCR on Friday bringing much-needed relief from the sweltering heat and pushing air pollution levels down to "satisfactory" at most stations. Due to the rain spell, the air quality in the national capital has drastically improved. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city was 96 for PM10 and 30 for PM2.5. Delhi has 36 monitoring stations that accurately record the levels of both particulate matters.

Maximum temperatures dropped by four to five degrees Celsius at most places in Delhi following a spell of rain on Friday. IMD has issued a yellow alert, warning of thundershowers or light rain, for four days starting Saturday. The mercury is predicted to drop to 35 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

IMD predicts heavy rains in central Maharashtra from today

"In view of active monsoon conditions, rainfall activity over Konkan and adjoining ghat areas of Madhya (central) Maharashtra is expected to gradually increase from June 18. Widespread rainfall activity with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is expected over the region during the period," it said. The weather office said the southwest monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of north Arabian Sea, Gujarat, entire central Maharashtra and the Marathwada region.

Rain in parts of Rajasthan

Jaipur Meteorological Centre Director Radheshyam Sharma said the pre-monsoon activities will continue in the districts of Jaipur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Bharatpur, Kota divisions of East Rajasthan in the next four to five days. The residents of Rajasthan witnessed light to moderate rain yesterday, a Meteorological (MeT) department spokesperson said.

Erratic weather in J&K

Weather remained partly cloudy with light rain in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh during the last 24 hours, as the India Meteorological Department said on Saturday that generally cloudy weather with intermittent rain is likely during the next 24 hours.



"Generally cloudy with intermittent rain/snow over higher reaches, passes etc. from today till June 21 and improvement thereafter." "Avoid orchard spray till June 22. Rain may led to shooting stones in vulnerable area. Watch and drive carefully... weather erratic till June 21 in J&K, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh," said Sonam Lotus, IMD Director.

NE reels under floods as heavy rain continues

The inclement weather conditions have continued to batter Assam on Friday. Several parts of the state received incessant rains, triggering landslides at multiple locations. In Guwahati, fresh landslides were reported from various parts of the city amidst heavy rainfall, which also led to waterlogging in different places. According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), over 11 lakh have been impacted due to rain and floods in 25 districts of the state.

The situation is no better in Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, where roads have been damaged due to landslides and villages are largely flooded. Heavy erosion has been reported from districts such as Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Morigaon, Nalbari, Sonitpur and South Salmara. The current wave of floods has impacted 1,702 villages, and forced more than 68,000 people to take shelter in 150 relief camps.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Thirumalai Selvan, a tech worker from Chennai who was laid off in 2015 by the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has won his seven-year long legal battle. A city court recently ordered in 48-year-old Selvan's favour, asking IT giant to reinstate him and pay him his whole salary. The court has also directed the company to provide him with all the additional benefits from the day of his termination to the date of he gets reinstated in the firm again.

At TCS, Selvan worked for more than eight years. He was working at a managerial position before before he was fired by the company, who told him that his performance was not up to its expectations. (ALSO READ: Swiggy agent sends MISS YOU texts to woman, company replies)

In its argument, TCS had pointed out that Selvan was working in a managerial cadre and isnt eligible to come under the category of workman. However, C Kumarappan, presiding officer, Principal Labour Court, reportedly said that the reason for not mentioning the petitioners other duties is nothing but a subterfuge, to camouflage his principal nature of duty. (ALSO READ: Amid Agnipath protests, banks asked to explore employment opportunities for 'Agniveers')

According to DT Next newspaper, the Chennai court also noted that he employees primary role was that of a skilled worker. Selvan is a mechanical engineer by profession, and worked in his core sector for four years prior to entering the software domain in 2001.

Selvan reportedly said that he had travelled to the court more than 150 in the last seven years. He got the support from the Forum for IT Employees (FITE) in his court battle against the company.

Tough Times

After Selvan was laid off by TCS in 2015, he reportedly had no other option but to works as a freelance consultant. In addition to freelance software projectes, he took up other roles such as real estate broker to earn a living. His monthly salary dipped to as low as Rs 10,000, according to the report.

Moreover, he had received the job at TCS as an assistant systems engineer after pursuing a course that reportedly costed him about Rs 1 lakh.
New Delhi: The iconic Internet Explorer has finally been retired by Microsoft. Despite the fact that the web browser was frequently mocked, many individuals are saddened by its demise. The Internet Explorer browser, which was first published in 1995 as part of a Windows 95 add-on package, couldn't keep up with the times and its competitors. While Microsoft's 27-year legacy came to an end on June 15, it sparked a wave of nostalgia among internet users. In the 1990s and early 2000s, those who used the browser for business, or even at schools and homes, expressed their positive recollections of it on social media. One South Korean man became so upset that he created an Internet Explorer tombstone.

In the South Korean city of Gyueongju, a man has erected a tombstone atop a roof. "He was a good tool to download other browsers," reads the inscription on the monument. In a post titled "Remembering his outstanding achievements," the Internet Explorer enthusiast apparently uploaded photos of the memorial. People in South Korea were legally forced to use Internet Explorer for shopping and banking until 2014, according to a report. The South Korean authorities apparently used Microsoft's ActiveX component to create 'digital certificates' for people's personal information. Read More: Bye Bye Sir: Unique resignation letter surfaces online, netizens react

Someone built a real tombstone of Internet Explorer in Korea. "He was a good tool to download other browsers." https://t.co/42vnkoQshd pic.twitter.com/ud3SMiyLNp  Soonson Kwon (@ksoonson) June 15, 2022

On June 15, Microsoft shut down Internet Explorer, over 27 years after it was first released in 1995. Microsoft has been urging Windows 10 customers to switch to Microsoft Edge, which it describes as a "faster, more secure, and contemporary browser." "Internet Explorer (IE) is officially retired and out of service as of today, June 15, 2022," announced Sean Lyndersay, General Manager, Microsoft Edge Enterprise, in a blog post. People may still be able to see Internet Explorer on their devices, but when they click to open it, Microsoft Edge will open with access to IE mode, according to the blog post. Read More: Garena Free Fire redeem codes for today, 18 June: Here's how to redeem code

Some versions of Internet Explorer, such as "all currently in-support Windows 10 LTSC releases (including IoT), Windows Server versions and Windows 10 China Government Edition," Windows 8.1, and Windows 7 with Extended Security Updates (ESUs), will continue to be supported by Microsoft.
New Delhi: Dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, and Happn, are often used to find your soulmates. However, a man using the dating app Bumble to find an apartment for rent in Mumbai has now left netizens in splits. The screenshots of his profile are now all over the microblogging platform Twitter, with many left impressed with the way the Kerala man went on a house hunt. Finding a flat in Indias financial capital indeed appears to be a tough nut to crack. In his pretty straightforward bio, he mentioned that he isnt a sapiosexual, an individual who finds intelligence sexually attractive.

no YOU'RE looking for a soulmate on bumble, he's looking to rent a place in bombay pic.twitter.com/s9dfzM3Xfv  Ana de Aamras (@superachnural) June 15, 2022

"Not a sapiosexual. Looking for a flat in Mumbai," the bio of his Bumble profile reads, adding that swipe right only if you were in Mumbai and okay to help him find a place to rent in Western Line since he didnt know Hindi. (ALSO READ: Unacademy fires 150 employees from its PrepLadder team in 2nd round of layoffs: Report)

Twitter can be hilarious if one follows the right crowd  Tamanna (@tamanna3942) June 15, 2022

To the question of what the quickest way to his heart is, he replied "to send me leads of non-brokerage properties in Andheri." Also, he said on his Bumble profile he wont judge the matches if they asked him for brokerage. (ALSO READ: Amid Agnipath protests, banks asked to explore employment opportunities for 'Agniveers')

The screenshots from his profile were shared on Twitter by a @superachnural. The Twitter user said in his caption, "no YOU'RE looking for a soulmate on bumble, he's looking to rent a place in Bombay." The house seeker indeed seems pretty desperate.

In response to the tweet, several users came up with hilarious replies. OMG I SAW HIM ON MUMBLE CAN'T BELIEVE I SAW A CELEBRITY.

The guy has his priorities straight, another Twitter user said.

The guy has his priorities straight  Kashish (@Kashish_younus) June 15, 2022

Oh my god found my male version June 15, 2022
New Delhi: By the end of the year, 5G deployment will start in 20 to 25 cities and towns, according to telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. He also said that because data prices in India are currently much lower than the global average, the country will continue to set rate benchmarks as new services are introduced. According to Vaishnaw, the 5G deployment will begin in August or September. In order to strengthen its position as a reliable source for the globe in digital networks, the minister claimed that India is creating 4G and 5G stacks.

Telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said 5G deployment will commence in 20-25 cities and towns by the year-end, and indicated that India, with its current data prices significantly lower than global average, will continue to set rate benchmarks as new services are rolled out. The 5G deployment will start from August-September, Vaishnaw said. The minister said India is developing 4G and 5G stacks, and is set to bolster its position as a trusted source for the world, in digital networks. (ALSO READ: Agnipath Scheme: Banks asked to explore job opportunities for 'Agniveers')

Speaking at an industry event, Vaishnaw said that nations are keen to give preference to 4G and 5G products and technologies being developed by India. (ALSO READ: Swiggy agent sends MISS YOU texts to woman, company replies)

To address the issue of unsolicited calls, an "important" regulation is in the works, which will enable KYC-identity name of a caller to be displayed, when someone calls, the minister informed.

On 5G services, he said: "I can say with confidence that 5G deployment will start in at least 20-25 cities and towns by year end."

Asked about the pricing for 5G services, Vaishnaw observed that even today data rates in India are at about USD 2, against global average of USD 25.

"We are already the lowest in the world, at least by a factor of 10X...10X we are cheaper than the world, that same trend will be in other areas too," he said. As India prepares to usher 5G services, it has also developed 4G and 5G technology stacks.

Outlining India's resolve to match global strides in 4G and 5G, and to take technology lead in 6G, the minister said the world has taken note of the country's progress, and shown serious interest in the indigenous technologies being developed.

"The telecom network supporting mobile phones has to be a trusted network. India's name is on the top of the list of trusted network providers. When India develops a technology, entire world is interested in it," he said.

It is pertinent to mention that 5G services will usher in high speeds -- about 10 times faster than 4G -- and spawn new-age offerings and business models.

The government will auction about Rs 4.3 lakh crore worth of airwaves capable of offering fifth-generation or 5G telecom services, including ultra-high-speed internet, and has also given its nod for setting up of captive 5G networks by the tech firms.

As much as 72 GHz of spectrum will be put on the block during the 5G auction, set to commence on July 26, 2022.

On the issue of unsolicited calls, Vaishnaw said a new regulation in the offing will enable KYC name (as given in the mobile SIM application) to be displayed, when someone makes a call. The consultation process on this is currently underway.

"Once industry stakeholder consultation is completed, this will be implemented all over the country," the minister said.

To a question on the slow download speeds experienced by customers, the minister pointed out that India's average data consumption at 18 GB per month, exceeds the global average of 11 GB per month.

"India's data consumption is more than what is seen in highly-developed nations. More investments are needed in infrastructure. Massive investments in infrastructure are important in the backdrop of data rates, calls drops, call quality," he said.

The telecom sector reforms announced in September last year have brought stability to the industry, the minister noted.

He further said that in places like Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai and in other cities, many a time tower installations become difficult as people object to mobile towers. Electro-Magnetic Field (EMF) radiation norms in India are more stringent than stipulated global limits, he said and assured that there is no reason to be concerned on this aspect.
Islamabad: Pakistan is blindly following Sri Lanka's path which will lead the country to fall into the Chinese debt trap. Pakistan's already fragile economy suffered another setback when recently China demanded repayment, by November 2023, of USD 55.6 million for the Lahore Orange Line Project, reported Italian publication Osservatorio Globalizzazione.

Meanwhile, at the end of March, the foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan fell by a massive USD 2.915 billion, due to the repayment of external debt.

Thus, Pakistan faces a bleak economic future as far as relations with China are concerned. The Chinese company, China-Railway North Industries Corporation (CR-NORINCO) which completed the Lahore Orange Line Project in 2020 has demanded from the Punjab Mass Transit Authority, an outstanding sum of USD 45.3 million by the end of March 2023 and the remaining outstanding of USD 10.5 million by the end of the year.

CR-NORINCO has insisted that all dues be repaid before the expiry of the contract on 16 November 2023, reported Osservatorio Globalizzazione.China has made a hard bargain with Pakistan when it comes to paybacks on its loans and other investments in Pakistan. In the fiscal year 2021-2022, Pakistan paid around USD 150 million towards interest to China for using a USD 4.5 billion Chinese trade finance facility. In the financial year 2019-2020, Pakistan paid USD 120 million towards interest on USD 3 billion in loans.

China has been stringent in recovering money from Pakistan

The Chinese demand for the Lahore Line payment was made in the first week of April 2022 when the new political dispensation under PM Shehbaz Sharif had just stepped into office. Earlier, at the beginning of March 2022, China acceded to Pakistan's request to roll over a whopping USD 4.2 billion debt repayment to provide a major relief for its all-weather ally, reported Osservatorio Globalizzazione. China has been quite stringent in recovering money from Pakistan.

Take Pakistan's energy sector for instance, where Chinese investors have repeatedly insisted on resolving issues relating to existing project sponsors in order to attract fresh investment. Some Chinese projects in Pakistan are facing problems in securing insurance for their loans in China due to Pakistan's massive energy sector circular debt of about USD14 billion.

Pakistan has to pay around USD 1.3 billion to Chinese power producers and so far only USD 280 million has been paid. Another example of hard bargaining by China over monetary dealings vis-a-vis Pakistan is well documented in the case of the Dasu Dam Project. Last year, China demanded USD 38 million towards compensation for the families of 36 engineers who had died in the Dasu Dam terror attack.Compensation was made a precondition for resumption of work on the project. To placate China, Pakistan subsequently agreed to pay USD 11.6 million as compensation.

Mishandling of Pakistan's economy

While China is heavily responsible for Pakistan's debt problem, it is the mishandling of Pakistan's economy by successive governments that has led to the current impasse. Extensive loans taken from China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well as 13 loans from the IMF over 30 years (with most loan programmes called off mid-way for failure to fulfil loan conditions), is a major cause for the economic downturn.

The 2019 USD 6 billion IMF loan is also on hold, and China has dealt with Pakistan`s frequent requests to help. Ironically, Pakistan on its part is not shy of playing the loan addict.This strategy has not paid the dividends and is only making Pakistan sink deeper into debt. Pakistan must be closely watching developments in Sri Lanka, for it could be next nation to face the consequences of bad economic policies and heavy debt burdens, reported Osservatorio Globalizzazione.

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Kabul: At least two blasts were reported from near a gurdwara in Afghanistan's capital on Saturday. Explosions hit a busy road near a Sikh-Hindu temple in Police District today in Kabul, Xinhua News reported citing eyewitnesses. "The sound of explosions was heard in Karte Parwan area of Kabul city. Details about the nature and casualties of this incident are not yet known," Tolo News also tweeted today.

#WATCH | Explosions heard in Karte Parwan area of Kabul city in Afghanistan.



(Video Source: Locals) pic.twitter.com/jsiv2wVGe8  ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2022

Timeline of Gurudwara attack & latest info with updates: Sources -



Attack started at 7:15am Kabul time (8.30 am India time).

3 people have come out; 2 of them sent to hospital;

Guard of the Gurudwara was shot dead;

3 Taliban soldiers wounded; (1/2)  ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2022

We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred Gurudwara in that city.



We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments. https://t.co/RFDRyGm6Xi  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 18, 2022

In October, last year 15 to 20 terrorists entered a Gurdwara in the Kart-e-Parwan District of Kabul and tied up the guards. Also, in March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib gurudwara in Kabul's Short Bazaar area in which Islamic State terrorists 27 Sikhs were killed and several were injured.

ALSO READ: Amid Afghanistan's financial crisis, 70 couples tie knot in mass wedding in Kabul

Blast in Batkhak Square on June 11

Meanwhile, earlier this month on June 11, several people were injured in a blast at Batkhak Square in the 10th district of Kabul. Prior to that, there was a blast in Police District-4 of Kabulfrom with explosives strapped on a bicycle, the Kabul security department said.

Blast in the capital of Balkh province on May 25

On May 25 this year, three explosions rocked the capital of Balkh province, leaving at least 9 people killed and 15 others injured. Meanwhile, on the same day, a blast at Masjid Sharif Hazrat Zakaria mosque in Kabul City left at least two worshippers dead, according to officials.

In response to the attacks in Balkh and Kabul, the US Special Envoy for Women and Human Rights in Afghanistan, Rina Amiri said that the Taliban must ensure people`s security and prevent atrocities."The heinous attacks in Mazar & Kabul serve no purpose but to inflict further devastation on innocent Afghans who have suffered enough," Amiri tweeted.

Additionally, earlier, an explosion at a traffic square in Kabul`s fourth police district had killed at least 30 people and injured others at the Hazrat Zekriya Mosque. The Taliban faced a severe security threat from the Khorasan branch of ISIS, which has been active in Afghanistan since 2014.

Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the recent attacks in Afghanistan that claimed the lives of numerous civilians, among them members of the Hazara Shia community and several children.

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New Delhi: After Sri Lanka, is Pakistan facing an economic crisis this time? In a recent announcement, economic experts are seeing a cloud over the sky. Why not, the Government of Pakistan has said that it no longer has the power to subsidise fuel oil. As a result, the price has increased a lot in one stroke. Petrol is being sold in Pakistan from Thursday at the rate of Rs 233.89, Diesel at 263.31 and kerosene oil at 211.43.

Pakistan's Finance Minister Mifta Ismail and Petroleum Minister Musaddaq Malik announced the price hike, saying the former government (Imran khan's government) had unnecessarily taken the burden of subsidies on the government's shoulders and reduced the price of fuel. But the current government can't bear that burden anymore.

The Finance Minister said Pakistan has long accepted a loss of 24 rupees 3 paise per liter of petrol, 59 rupees 16 paise on diesel, 39 rupees 49 paise in kerosene and 39 rupees 16 paise on light diesel oil for a long time. In May, the loss increased to Rs 12,000 crore. Where it costs one-third of it to run the government. However, economists fear that if the price of fuel increases, the prices of other commodities will also increase rapidly.
Colombo: Crisis-hit Sri Lankan government has announced a shut-down of public sector offices from next week, beginning Monday, due to severe fuel shortages as the island nation continues to reel under its worst economic crisis. The Sri Lankan Education Ministry has also asked teachers in all government and government-approved private schools in the Colombo city limits to conduct online classes from next week due to prolonged power cuts, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported. With its existing fuel stocks fast depleting, Sri Lanka is under intense pressure to get foreign exchange to pay for its imports, which has brought several sectors of the country's economy to a grinding halt.

Consequently, spontaneous protests have been reported at filling stations around the country where consumers have been waiting in long serpentine queues for fuel for hours.

"Taking into consideration the severe limits on fuel supply, the weak public transport system and the difficulty in using private vehicles this circular allows minimal staff to report to work from Monday," the Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry said in a circular issued on Friday. However, those employed in the healthcare sector will have to continue reporting to work, the circular stated.

The Sri Lankan Education Ministry announced that all government and government-approved private schools in the Colombo city limits would remain shut in the next week due to prolonged power cuts, and asked teachers to conduct classes online, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

Sri Lanka is facing power outages for up to 13 hours a day for the past several months now.

Earlier this week, Sri Lanka's cash-strapped government approved several measures, including imposing a 2.5 per cent social contribution tax on companies based on their turnover and declaring Fridays as holidays for most public sector employees, to facilitate the economic recovery and mitigate the energy and food crisis.

The Cabinet also approved a move to grant government officials one leave per week for the next three months to engage in agriculture to mitigate the approaching food crisis.

On Friday, Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that around four to five million out of the country's 22 million population could directly be affected by the food shortage.

The nearly bankrupt country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, announced in April that it is suspending nearly USD 7 billion foreign debt repayment due for this year out of about USD 25 billion due through 2026.

Sri Lanka's total foreign debt stands at USD 51 billion.
Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday (June 17, 2022) to discuss defense and security issues, the presidential press service said. In particular, Zelensky and Johnson discussed in detail the current situation on the frontline in the east and the south of Ukraine as well as the supplies of weapons.

"We talked about the need to increase the supply of heavy weapons. The main thing today is to provide air defense for Ukraine as well. We started to move in this direction," Zelensky told reporters after the talks.

For his part, Johnson said that his country stands ready to continue providing weapons to Ukraine and organizing military training for its use.

Besides, the parties have discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and the efforts to clear the Ukrainian territory from landmines.

ALSO READ | US, Germany sending weapons to Ukraine as Russia advances in the east

Other key topics of the conversation were financial and economic support for Kyiv, the blockade of Ukrainian ports, as well as efforts to address the energy crisis in Ukraine.

Johnson arrived in Kyiv earlier in the day for his second visit since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Previously, the British prime minister visited the Ukrainian capital on April 9.
A Corvallis city ordinance is stopping a smoke shop owner from carrying tobacco products, but he's hoping to change that.

TOKN owner Ryan Weber describes his business as a cannabis lifestyle store, offering cannabis devices, accessories, glassware and apparel. But he continually gets customers seeking out tobacco products. And he has to turn them away.

A city law requires 1,000 feet between tobacco retailers, and with Weber's business on Third Street not far from Safeway and Dari Mart, that means he's barred from competing.

A recent transplant from Duluth, Minnesota, Weber took his case to the Corvallis City Council, speaking during the community comments portion of a recent meeting. He asked city officials to consider either changing the ordinance or granting him exemption.

Having reviewed the code itself and the circumstances around its implementation in 2017, theres some concerns Id like to address today, Weber said at the June 6 council meeting.

The tobacco ordinance, which also prohibits new retailers within 1,000 feet of schools, was passed on 6-2 council vote in 2017. At the time, proponents emphasized tobaccos impact on youth and communities of color as well as concerns about tobacco companies targeting advertising at those with lower incomes.

However, City Manager Mark Shepard as well as the citys economic development manager both noted in 2017 that the ordinance could hamstring businesses seeking to locate in town.

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Councilor Mark Page, who is no longer on the council, opposed the ordinance and expressed discomfort about overstepping the councils authority by putting limits on certain retailers. Councilor Hyatt Lytle, who is still serving, supported the ordinance but was concerned about unintended consequences.

Unfortunately, both of these worries have come to fruition, Weber told the council. The implementation of this ordinance has created an unfair business equity in our Corvallis market.

Under the ordinance, the competition has a monopoly on specialty tobacco products, Weber said. While he understands the aim to protect kids and those with low incomes, the 1,000-foot rule doesnt make sense in a condensed downtown zone, Weber said.

Children will have more exposure to these brands in our local grocery stores and convenience stores than they will in my shop, being that you have to be over 21 years of age to enter my shop, he said.

Citing a lack of exemptions allowed in the ordinance and a pledge to revisit the ordinance in a years time, Weber said it is now time for the council to consider exempting shops that are exclusively for ages 21 and over.

If thats not possible, he asked the council to consider a specific exemption for his store. TOKN opened in August 2021 and Weber took ownership in March. In an interview, he said the original owner was also pursuing the citys permission to carry tobacco products.

People come in looking for those products and cant find them, and complain about the fact that they have to go all the way to Ninth Street to get them from my competitor, Weber said in the interview. Its a convenience that is desperately wanted in the downtown area but isnt here.

Although the council can't take action on items raised during community comments, Lytle said she believes a review may be in order, suggesting a meeting with the city attorney, city manager and other officials.

Christina Jancila owner Marie Jane's Cannabis Connection in Corvallis, spoke to council in support of Weber, who is her tenant. She echoed his comments that young people are exposed to tobacco products at grocery and convenience stores and questioned whether there was sufficient reasoning for the 1,000-foot distance rule downtown.

Within the central business district zone, how condensed it is, 1,000 feet is everything, Jancila said. "Whereas on Ninth Street or Circle Boulevard, 1,000 feet is no problem.

Cody Mann covers Benton County and the cities of Corvallis and Philomath. He can be contacted at 541-812-6113 or Cody.Mann@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter via @News_Mann_.

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An Albany man has been sentenced to just over 17 years in prison for an April crime spree in Linn County.

Justin Allen Barr, 32, was sentenced to 206 months in prison in connection to an April 21 crime spree during which Barr stole a car as well as thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from a store and fled from police.

Kyla Mazhary-Clark represented Barr during the trial. A representative at her firm, Albany-based Law Office of Ivers & Miller, said Mazhary-Clark would not comment on ongoing cases. According to Oregons online court database, as of Friday, June 17, Barrs case is closed. The law office representative said Mazhary-Clark still would not comment on the case or her client.

Prosecutor Alex Olenick did not immediately return a request for comment.

A news release from the Linn County Sheriffs Office said the crime spree started in Millersburg at the Point S Tire and Auto when Barr broke the glass door of the business and stole keys to vehicles that were waiting for service.

Barr then stole a 2008 Chrysler 300, according to LCSO, and drove to the Tangent Inn Bar and Grill where he tried to break the glass on a door and window to enter the building.

Barr could not get into the building and then drove to the 7 Star Convenience Store in Halsey where he used a shopping cart to break the glass front door. He stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.

Next, Barr drove to the Eugene area where the Eugene Police Department tried to conduct a traffic stop on Barr. Barr eluded officers who ultimately stopped their pursuit. A little while later, the Springfield Police Department found the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Barr was arrested by Eugene police on the suspicion of attempting to elude a police officer.

Detectives from the Linn County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant on the stolen car and seized keys from the vehicle that had been stolen earlier in the day from the auto shop, according to the news release. Detectives also seized the stolen merchandise from the convenience store. They took Barr into custody April 22. He was held at Linn County Jail.

According to court documents, Barr was sentenced in Linn County Circuit Court on Thursday, June 16. A jury had convicted him the day before on charges of first-degree criminal mischief, unauthorized use of a vehicle, attempt to commit second-degree burglary, two counts of third-degree theft, two counts of second-degree burglary, two counts of first-degree theft and five counts of second-degree criminal mischief.

Judge Brendan Kane presided over the 12-person jury trial.

Maddie Pfeifer covers public safety for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6091 or Madison.Pfeifer@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @maddiepfeifer_

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Fundraiser for the Corvallis Sister Cities Association's Uzhhorod (Ukraine) Refugee Fund. Earl Newman, an artist and screen printer who lives in Summit, has created and donated a screen-printed poster illustrating support for Ukraine. Two hundred numbered posters will be printed; several framed posters will be available. The prints will sell for $100 each to be donated to the refugee fund; framed prints will cost extra. Information: 541-231-6238 or alice.rampton@gmail.com.

Rally to support Ukraine, noon to 2 p.m. Saturdays, Benton County Courthouse, 120 NW Fourth St., Corvallis. All are invited to come show solidarity with Ukraine in an event that is not antiwar or anti-Russia but pro-Ukraine. Those attending can bring Ukrainian flags, sunflowers and signs showing support. Updates on the humanitarian aspect of the war will be given. Information: 7442117@gmail.com.

Fundraiser to support refugee fund: Four-notecard packs and 8 x 10 prints featuring paintings by Corvallis sisters Allessandra Bakker, 16, and Isabella Bakker, 13, are available for purchase at Visit Corvallis and Benton County Historical Societys Corvallis and Philomath museums for $25 and $30, respectively. Proceeds go toward the Corvallis Sister Cities Associations Uzhhorod Refugee Fund.

Fundraiser to help children of Ukraine: Monique Arnold of Corvallis and her teenage daughters are "making quilts to cover the world." Fundraiser ends at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 18. The project has raised a total of $4,675 that has been donated directly to USA for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Corvallis Sister Cities organization for Uzhhorod, Ukraine. The quilts are sold via Facebook auction at https://www.facebook.com/groups/391673602349315/permalink/573932637456743/?sale_post_id=573932637456743&fs=e&s=cl.

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The Marshall fire moves west down Marshall Mesa on Dec. 30, 2021, near Eldorado Springs. Colorado is preparing for what could be the worst wildfire season in history.
City of Enterprise, Coffee County and Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs officials came together Friday morning to celebrate the upcoming construction of the Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins State Veterans Home with a groundbreaking ceremony.

The new State Veterans Home will be approximately 182,000 square-feet and house 174 residents. The facility is expected to employ around 200 people. The site chosen for the home is 108 acres off Highway 51 just north of Yancey Parker Industrial Park.

This is a wonderful day for the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs and State Board of Veterans Affairs, ADVA Commissioner Kent Davis said. We are thrilled to have such a large crowd from the community to join us in beginning the process of building the Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins State Veterans Home, which will serve as a wonderful home for many of our nations heroes in the Wiregrass.

Enterprise was chosen as the location for Alabamas fifth State Veterans Home in January 2020 and was selected largely because of the significant veteran population in the city, Coffee County and Wiregrass area.

Studies show that the county, specifically Enterprise, will have a substantial increase in its veteran population in coming years. Enterprise Mayor William E. Cooper recognized the important role that the military members and veterans play in the Enterprise area and its proximity to Fort Rucker, the Armys aviation training installation.

As mayor of the City of Enterprise, this is an exciting and fulfilling occasion for me, our community and the surrounding communities as well, Cooper said. Veterans and active-duty military members are close to our hearts here in Enterprise and the Wiregrass.

They make up a significant segment of our population and add a unique and diverse cultural aspect to our community. That makes us especially proud and honored to be able to play a part in providing a new facility where veterans will receive care, kindness and comfort for many years to come.

Construction of the facility will begin later this year, with its completion expected in 2024.

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Hearing unleashes flood of opposition to river damsOnly Georgia interests stood up to a flood of opposition at a public hearing on an Army Corps of Engineers proposal to put dams, locks and dikes on the Apalachicola River. To the cheers of a crowd of more than 300 packed into the Marianna High School cafeteria Wednesday night, opposition came from every corner of Florida government, including Gov. Reubin Askew, U.S. Rep. Don Fuqua, Atty. Gen. Robert Shevin, Secretary of State Richard Stone and every environmental agency. Even Alabama Gov. George Wallaces spokesman, K. Earl Durden of Dothan, said the engineers should find a better way to improve the barge traffic without sacrificing the environment. Jackson County Floridan, Thursday, June 28, 1973

Auto theft solvedA 15-year-old resident of the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys and a 1964 blue Volkswagen parked at the school were both reported missing at 2:30 p.m. yesterday, the Jackson County Sheriffs Department said. At 7:16 today, the youth was reportedly picked up hitchhiking in Jacksonville, his home town, after being questioned. He told school officials he abandoned the car, which belongs to Arthur Adams of Tallahassee, on I-10 near Lake City. Jackson County Floridan, Thursday, June 28, 1973

Grease fire extinguished; damage minorMarianna firemen responded to a call at 9:25 a.m. yesterday, to the residence of Callie Barrentine on Marion Street, where a grease fire was burning. Barrentine was reportedly attempting to cook butterbeans when she turned on the wrong eye and caught some grease on fire, which in turn caught a curtain on fire. The blaze was quickly extinguished and property damage was minor. Jackson County Floridan, Thursday, June 28, 1973

White House initiates counterattack on Dean The White House has cast John W. Dean III as the mastermind and chief actor of the Watergate cover-up, painting him as a man ready to sacrifice the President to save himself from jail. But Dean refused to recant his story that President Nixon and his chief aides were fully aware of the lengthy and elaborate cover-up. Jackson County Floridan, Thursday, June 28, 1973
The Alabama Historical Commission will host virtual public meetings to provide updates for ongoing projects to document historic resources in areas impacted by Hurricane Michael from 2018.

The AHC received a grant in 2019 from the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund to document historic resources on Dauphin Island and Geneva, Henry, and Houston counties to nominate selected properties on the National Register of Historic Places.

Historic properties in these areas suffered from the effects of Hurricane Michael and are vulnerable to future storms according to AHC.

In the meetings, AHC and consulting firms Terracon Consultants, Inc. and Paleowest will present results from the documentation project. The virtual meetings will have a Q&A session and other opportunities for public comment will follow the presentations.

The meetings will be held via Zoom call on June 28, June 30, and July 7 at 5:30 p.m. Zoom links for the meetings are available on the project web page, or can be requested by emailing Paige Thomas, who can also field any questions or comments.

For more information about the grant program, visit Hurricane Michael grants.
New chairman of supermarket chain Saigon Co.op Vu Anh Khoa (C). Photo by Tan Thanh

Supermarket chain Saigon Co.op announced the appointment of Vu Anh Khoa as its chairman for the period between 2019 and 2024 Friday.

Khoa, 39, joined the company in 2021 as its secretary of party committee. Prior to that, he was the deputy secretary of HCMCs District 10 party committee.

"I look forward to helping Saigon Co.op stabilize, thrive, and retain its role as the leading retailer in Vietnam", he said.

Khoa will take over the company right after it faces legal issues relating to capital contribution and acquisition. His predecessor, Diep Dung, was arrested and prosecuted on allegations of abusing power.
Two thirds of Vietnamese have bank accounts: central bank

An employee counts Vietnamese banknotes at a bank in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

The number of people having bank accounts has doubled since 2017 to 68 percent, according to the State Bank of Vietnam.

It signaled a milestone in achieving a cashless society, and was close to the 70-percent rate in many countries in the neighborhood, Le Anh Dung, vice head of the Payment Department under the State Bank of Vietnam, said at a conference on Friday.

Most of people having bank accounts are those in the age of 25-34.

Over 90 percent of banking transactions were done online, and mobile banking transactions had risen by 90 percent.

The banking industry was mulling digitization of all services, including small loans.

The cost-to-income ratio for Vietnamese banks was 30 percent on average, among the highest in the region.

The central bank had collaborated with the Ministries of Public Security and Information and Communication to set up a quick reaction force to respond to security breaches.

Commercial banks were required to spend 15 percent of their investment on IT, and this was periodically inspected by the SBV.
A signage of Shopee, the e-commerce arm of Sea Ltd, is pictured at its office in Singapore, March 5, 2021. Photo by Reuters/Edgar Su

Six people in Hanoi, led by a Chinese citizen, were arrested for masquerading as e-commerce giant Shopee to hire collaborators, then swindled VND5 billion ($215,239) out of them.

Doan Tran Le Hoang, 22, Vu Van Khoi, 28, Le Van Thanh, 26, Nong Van Hung, 17, Nguyen Anh Hao, 21 and Phan Tri Dat, 26 were arrested by police of Hoan Kiem District on Friday to be investigated for "obtaining property by fraud."

The group masqueraded as Singapore online shopping platform Shopee, and hired collaborators through social media. They requested the collaborators to pay for products and then refund them the original price, plus 10 percent. They then looked for excuses to not pay the money, asking collaborators to keep buying and refunding things to gain back the money they'd lost.

Police said the group was led by a Chinese native and headquartered in Cambodia's Krong Bavet, bordering Vietnam's Tay Ninh Province.

Within the first two months of 2022, around 40 people had been tricked by the group, costing them around VND5 billion.

Shopee was the most popular e-commerce site in Vietnam in 2021, receiving around 71.5 million visits each month.
Australian dollars are seen in an illustration photo February 8, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Daniel Munoz

Nine Vietnam Airlines flight attendants have been questioned by Australian authorities for carrying a lot of cash.

Dinh Viet Thang, director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, said Saturday the airline management confirmed the incident.

But Australian authorities have not formally informed their Vietnamese counterparts, he said.

At around noon Australian time on May 23 the nine were interrogated after they were found to be carrying a lot of cash.

Eight were immediately sent back to Vietnam but one was detained until 6 p.m. and the person returned home the next day.

The CAAV said the incident was "not too serious" and so they had been allowed to return home without being held for further investigation.

A Vietnam Airlines spokesperson said flight crews and attendants are working normally, and the airline has asked Australian authorities for more information about the incident.

On June 14 Australia's 7 News reported that the nine are suspected of money laundering after AUD60,000 ($41,600) were found divided and hidden in their luggage.

Australian laws require foreigners entering or leaving the country to make a declaration if they carry money worth AUD10,000 or more, with a failure to do so entailing fines and even imprisonment.
The aging population and rising demand for nursing homes have raised concerns about the infrastructure and workforce required for elderly care in Vietnam.

In Japan, November 11 is celebrated every year as a day for long-term caretakers, who mainly work in nursing homes.

There are around 2.2 million of them, but the number of elderly people who require care is over 36 million.

Such a disparity means there are never enough workers to take care of all seniors.

In 2019 more than 100,000 people had to quit or abandon careers to stay at home and take care of elderly people in the family.

In Osaka alone that year, 2,996 people died at home and were only discovered after several days, according to the police.

In Vietnam the elderly population is expected to grow very quickly, given how more and more young people are opting out of marriage and having children. Many people think they can simply move to a nursing home when they get old. But how many nursing homes does Vietnam have? How much will they cost? Will there be any disease that requires special attention by that time? There are simply too many variables.

Considering current social trends, nursing homes will be in huge demand in just another 15-20 years. Vietnam has been aware of its aging population trend for several years now.

When it comes to funds, not all Vietnamese have enough savings to spend on nursing homes in their twilight years.

Looking at Japan, Germany and China as examples, it is clear that the private sector alone will not be able to support the elderly population, and there need to be health and insurance policies.

To reduce the number of people entering nursing homes, the field of preventive medicine needs to be developed along with infrastructure and workers.
Representations of cryptocurrency Bitcoin are seen in a picture illustration. Photo by Reuters

Bitcoin tumbled more than 13 percent at one point on Saturday, crashing below the closely watched $20,000 level to its weakest level in 18 months, as it extended a slide on investor worries about growing troubles in the industry and the general pull-back from riskier assets.

The digital currency sector has been pummeled this week after cryptocurrency lending company Celsius froze withdrawals and transfers between accounts, while crypto companies started laying off employees. There also were reports that a cryptocurrency hedge fund had run into trouble.

The developments have coincided with an equities slide, as U.S. stocks suffered their biggest weekly percentage decline in two years on fears of rising interest rates and the growing likelihood of recession.

The accelerated pace and depth of bitcoin losses in conjunction with the stocks rout could challenge support for the cryptocurrency from a range of investor groups.

While some institutions purchased bitcoin hoping it would offset declines in stocks and bonds, "it hasn't demonstrated that it is an uncorrelated asset," said Michael Purves, founder and chief executive officer of Tallbacken Capital.

"The case for institutions to buy the dip is more challenged now given that the utility for bitcoin has yet to be proven," he said.

"I think this is going to slice through $15,000," he said. "There is so much velocity on the downside."

Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency, had dropped around 13.7 percent by Saturday afternoon to a low of $17,593 - its weakest level since December 2020 - before pulling back up to $18,556, still down 9.22 percent.

It has lost about 60% of its value this year, while rival cryptocurrency Ethereum-backed ether is down 74 percent. In 2021, Bitcoin peaked at more than $68,000.

"Breaking $20,000 shows you that confidence has collapsed for the crypto industry and that you're seeing the latest stresses," Edward Moya, senior market analyst at OANDA, said on Saturday.

Moya said that "even the loudest crypto cheerleaders from the big rally are now quiet. They are still optimistic long term but they are not saying this is the time to buy the dip."

The sector has also suffered losses after companies such as Coinbase Global Inc COIN.O, Gemini and BlockFi said they would lay off thousands of employees as investors ditch risky assets.

The slide is hitting retail investors that bought into the asset.

"There's a tremendous amount of people that will be scarred forever," said Moya, referring to retail buyers. "But there are still a lot of people that were about to get into the space, and there's still interest."

Technical levels

Jeffrey Gundlach, CEO of DoubleLine Capital, said on Wednesday he would not be surprised if bitcoin fell to $10,000.

Others say the deepening slide could force more investors to unload bitcoin, which rose along with other risky assets during the era of pandemic-related stimulus.

"The $20,000 level for Bitcoin is an important technical level and the dip below may trigger more margin calls resulting in forced liquidations," said Jay Hatfield, chief investment officer at Infrastructure Capital Management in New York.

"Bitcoin may dip below the $10,000 level this year as the Fed (Federal Reserve) liquidity-driven bubble fully bursts with bitcoin returning to its pre-pandemic levels," he said.

At Saturday's lows, bitcoin was in danger of closing below key levels identified by technical analysis, which could reinforce bearish sentiment.

One of those levels was $19,225, the 76.4 percent Fibonacci retracement level of its rise during the pandemic.

The other was $19,666, the cycle high for the previous bitcoin rally that peaked in 2017.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)  Hard to think of a better way for Paul McCartney to celebrate his 80th birthday than by singing "Glory Days" onstage with Bruce Springsteen or being serenaded by some 60,000 well-wishers.

That's right, the "cute Beatle" turns 80 on Saturday. It's one of those cultural milestones that bring a sharp intake of breath  has it been THAT long?  along with an appreciation of what he still has to offer.

Keep scrolling for a collection of photos of Paul McCartney through the years

For it has been more than a half-century now since the Beatles broke up, a realization that hits you like that 1970s-era joke about young people saying, "Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings?"

Like several other members of the "hope I die before I get old" generation, including Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and former Beatles mate Ringo Starr, McCartney keeps working, keeps sharing his music from the stage. Another 1960s icon, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, is scheduled to play at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City on his 80th birthday Monday.

"He has a youthful exuberance that is ageless," said Bob Spitz, a Beatles biographer. "There's still some of that 21-year-old boy that shines through in all of his performances."

It would be a cliche  and wrong  to suggest time hasn't taken a toll. The fragility in his voice was evident while singing "Blackbird" on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, the final night of a brief U.S. tour. He struggled for the high notes in "Here Today," his love letter to John Lennon, who was robbed of a long life by an assassin's bullet.

The skill of a sympathetic band, along with the imagination and voices in the audience, patches over the rough spots.

"Yeah, yeah, right, I've got a birthday coming up," McCartney said, scanning signs in the audience that reminded him. "I'm not trying to ignore it, but..."

The crowd offered a spontaneous "Happy Birthday" serenade, even before Jersey guy Jon Bon Jovi brought out a fistful of balloons during the encore to lead them in another verse.

That other Jersey guy, Springsteen, joined McCartney for the duet on "Glory Days" and a version of "I Wanna Be Your Man." He later popped up to join the guitar duel from "Abbey Road."

For most artists, the appearance of such local royalty would be a hard-to-top moment. Most artists can't immediately whip out "Let it Be" and "Hey Jude" to follow it.

To mark the birthday, Stereogum magazine asked 80 artists to pick their favorite McCartney song, and the choices were remarkable in their breadth  from the pre-Beatles 1958 cut "In Spite of All the Danger" (which McCartney performed at MetLife) to his 2016 collaboration with Rihanna and Kanye West "FourFiveSeconds" (which he didn't).

David Crosby and Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys both chose "Eleanor Rigby." Master showman Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips picked "Magical Mystery Tour." Steve Earle selected "Every Night," while Def Leppard's Joe Elliott went against type with the gentle "Little Lamb Dragonfly." Mac DeMarco picked the "Ram" epic, "The Back Seat of My Car."

Many remarked upon the unfairness of having to pick just one.

Stereogum's feature illustrated the varied entry points musicians of different generations have into a living, breathing catalog. For example, it revealed that a largely overlooked album like 1980's "McCartney II" had a far greater impact on developing artists than its reception at the time would have foreshadowed.

On Friday, McCartney's team announced that it was packaging "McCartney II" with his other DIY albums, "McCartney" of 1970 and 2020's "McCartney III," into a boxed set that will go on sale in August.

How vast is the songbook? McCartney performed 38 songs at MetLife, 20 of them Beatles songs, and even managed to miss an entire decade. Remember the 1990s?

With the help of Peter Jackson, who reimagined the "Get Back" sessions for last year's television project, McCartney was able to perform a virtual "duet" with Lennon singing his part of "I've Got a Feeling" from the Apple rooftop concert. McCartney also paid tribute to George Harrison, who died in 2001, with a version of "Something" that began with Paul on a ukulele George gave him and built to a full band version.

Spitz recalled a Beatles-era film clip of Lennon telling an interviewer that he'd be flabbergasted if it lasted more than 10 years. McCartney stood next to him laughing.

Lennon was right about the Beatles as a unit, but not about the music. He couldn't have imagined that in 2022, one adult standing in line to get into MetLife being overheard asking a companion: "Where are Mom and Dad?"

Advanced birthday be damned, the irrepressibly cheerful McCartney left with a promise when the last firework burst and he walked offstage.

"See you next time."

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ELKO  A fire on the Elko-White Pine county line has burned more than 100 acres, the Eastern Nevada Interagency Fire district reported Friday.

The Kinsley Fire is located in the Antelope Range about 55 miles northeast of Ely. The wind-driven fire is burning in steep, rugged and inaccessible terrain, consuming pinyon-pine and juniper, brush and grass. There is no threat to private property or structures, the agency reported. Public and firefighter safety is the top priority.

Assisting the BLM Ely and Elko districts are the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Ely Ranger District, Nevada Division of Forestry, White Pine County Fire District, and private contractors.

The fire was reported shortly before 1 p.m. Friday. The cause is under investigation.

In western Nevada, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office issued evacuation orders in the Genoa area Friday afternoon due to a wildfire, KOLO-TV in Reno reported.

The sheriffs office asked people to avoid Genoa and the Jacks Valley roadways, and said a wireless alert

U.S. 395 is closed at Jacks Valley Road and at State Route 206 (Genoa Lane).

On Friday morning, Elko city and county firefighters responded to a blaze at the intersection of East Jennings Way and Interstate 80.

Luckily the fire remained small in the grass and sage and was quickly extinguished, stated the Elko County Fire Protection District.

The fire was caused by sparks from metal work.

If you are going to be doing any welding or metal grinding, make sure to wet the area. It is not advised during high winds and low humidity like our area is experiencing today, the fire district said.

The Northeastern Nevada Fire District also reported a small blaze along U.S. Highway 93 on Thursday afternoon near Currie.

Both that blaze and Friday mornings Elko fire burned only a tenth of an acre before they were extinguished.

Strong winds have been blowing in the region since Thursday, resulting in multiple weather advisories.

The National Weather Service calls for cooler and not as windy conditions for the weekend.

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A 29-year-old Idaho woman convicted of torturing and killing her 9-year-old stepson has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Monique Osuna received the sentence Thursday in Fourth District Court. KTVB-TV reports that Osuna previously pleaded guilty to murdering Emrik Osuna in a deal that eliminated the death penalty. Erik Osuna, the boy's biological father, has also pleaded guilty to murder and is scheduled to be sentenced June 27. Videos from nanny cameras throughout the home show Erik and Osuna abusing Emrik, who is also forced to exercise for hours and becomes malnourished. He died in September 2020 at St. Luke's Children's Hospital in Boise.
You cant make this up: The San Francisco Unified School District is dropping the word chief from all job titles (chief technology officer, chief of staff, etc. ) for its 10,000-employee workforce because  you guessed it  the word is associated with Native Americans.

According to spokesperson Gentle Blythe, While there are many opinions on the matter, our leadership team agreed that, given that Native American members of our community have expressed concerns over use of the title, we are no longer going to use it.

While the word chief can be used in connection with American Indian tribes, it also appears in many phrases that have no connection, including chief of police, chief executive officer and sorry about that, chief.

No substitute for the word has been determined, which suggests how little thought was put into the decision.

Blythe quickly noted dropping the word does not reflect a downgrade in job status.

The district didnt indicate whether it advocates President Joe Biden be called something other than commander in chief, or whether John Roberts should renounce being chief justice.

Whats particularly amusing in this attempt at progressive sensitivity: While the English language has many words that can be traced to Native Americans, including chipmunk, barbeque and hurricane, they dont include chief.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word chief has no connection to Native American languages. Instead it derives from the Old French word (chef), meaning leader and originally from Latin (capus), meaning captain.

The San Francisco school district is still learning, apparently, even after the citys liberal Democratic voters ousted three school board members in a special recall election in February.

The school district appears to be a parody on woke excesses of political correctness. Will they next ban books by Laurence Tribe?

Parents were outraged the school board kept schools shut through the entire 2020 school year based on teacher union demands even as San Francisco Mayor London Breed pressed them to reopen. High school students returned to school for a single day in May 2021 so the school district would qualify for $12 million in state aid.

Many parents had already voted against the board by removing their children from district schools. Enrollment declined by 3,500 during the pandemic.

School board members had also indulged their woke progressive obsession by seeking to rename 44 schools with allegedly sexist or racist designations, such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

The school board recall was a landslide, with Alison Collins (79%), Gabriela Lopez (75%) and Faauuga Moliga (72%) losing overwhelmingly. Successful recalls are rare. It takes real effort to lose by 3-1 margins.

The recall was a populist groundswell supported by fed-up parents and liberals, including Mayor Breed.

Thats San Francisco where Republicans are only 6% of the citys registered voters and where 85% of voters supported Joe Biden in November 2020.

Breed noted the school board must focus on the essentials of delivering a well-run school system above all else. Amen.

On June 7, San Francisco voters also sent a national message on crime by recalling the citys far-left district attorney, Chesa Boudin, in another landslide (60%-40%).

Son of convicted felon Weather Underground domestic terrorist parents, Boudin was elected district attorney in 2019 advocating decarceration of jails and ending cash bail. He refused to enforce criminal laws, sharply reducing felony prosecutions.

Crime has taken off. In 2021 homicides in San Francisco were up 36% from 2019 and 222 people were killed by gun violence in the city compared to 137 in 2019. With shoplifting an epidemic, Walgreens closed eleven stores there since 2019.

Homelessness and drug use are rampant on San Francisco streets. There were 640 drug overdose deaths in 2021  more than Covid deaths.

Recalling Chesa Boudin is a start in cleaning up crime in The City.

Email Jim Hartman at lawdocman1@aol.com.

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Agriculture possesses a vital position in BRICS countries and is directly related to 42 percent of the global population.

In recent years, BRICS countries have made continuous efforts to establish a long-term and stable cooperation mechanism focusing on food security and poverty reduction, enhancing exchanges in agricultural production and technological innovation. As a result, they have achieved fruitful results in deepening pragmatic agricultural cooperation.

Agricultural trade between BRICS countries and other countries reached $588.3 billion last year, surging 128 percent from that in 2010. Besides, BRICS countries are seeing an expansion of their agricultural influence globally as their combined gross agricultural production accounts for more than half of the world's total. BRICS agricultural cooperation has made contributions to global food security and injected impetus into economic recovery in the post-pandemic era.

China is the largest buyer of Brazilian beans, beef and chicken. Jean Taruhn, Special Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture of Brazil, noted that Brazil-China agricultural trade is crucial. According to him, Brazil exported $45 billion of agricultural products to China in 2021.

"The trade complementarity between the two countries has very much benefited Brazil's agricultural industry. Brazil is lifting the image of its products based on the demands of the Chinese market, so as to diversify its exports," Taruhn said.

Ronnie Lins, an economist and director of the China-Brazil Center for Research and Business, believes BRICS countries enjoy broad space for cooperation in agricultural trade.

He explained that the five countries have rich climate, environment, land, fishery and other natural resources, and occupy half of the world's irrigation area, 40 percent of the world's cereal production area, and a market of around 3.2 billion people, which creates favorable preconditions for agricultural cooperation.

Besides, BRICS countries are all agricultural powerhouses and their markets match each other well, Lins said. "The BRICS agricultural cooperation will keep making important contributions to coping with the global food crisis in the post-pandemic era," he noted.

The five countries are enhancing cooperation under the BRICS mechanism to train professional personnel for the modernization of agriculture and rural areas.

By the end of 2021, China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs had trained 295 agricultural technicians and management personnel from South Africa in multiple fields such as rice cultivation, agricultural machine production and application, plant protection, renewable energy utilization, aquaculture and fishery management.

Besides, China Agricultural University, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science and other scientific institutions have nurtured over 50 doctoral and master's students from South Africa.

As e-commerce constitutes an important part of both digital economy and real economy, e-commerce cooperation has become a vital force driving the agricultural development and trade of BRICS countries.

Today, agricultural products from Brazil, Russia and South Africa are entering the Chinese market via e-commerce platforms, and BRICS countries are seeing increasing agricultural investment.

At the end of April, a live commerce activity under the BRICS framework was held as China took over the BRICS chairmanship this year, during which a number of featured products from BRICS countries were introduced to Chinese consumers, including South African wine, Brazilian coffee beans, Indian seasoning powder and Russian chocolate.

As of May 12, the sales of these products had reached 270 million yuan ($40.3 million) on major Chinese e-commerce platforms. During the activity, Chinese coffeehouse chains reached an agreement with its cooperation partners, planning to buy a total of 45,000 tonnes of coffee beans worth 1.5 billion yuan from Brazil between 2023 and 2025.

"We take innovation and digital economy as a major area of growth in the next couple of years, which will impact the global economy and help reduce poverty and social inequality," Lins said BRICS countries have significant global influence.

Luis Paulino, an expert on China at the Sao Paulo State University, promotes the development of "Internet plus agriculture" and agricultural cross-border e-commerce to build a fast track for agricultural innovation and cooperation. BRICS countries are expected to forge a future in which innovation and digital cooperation possess a larger role, he noted.
Boats of cassava flour about to leave for Dongxing city of China on July 17 (Photo: VNA)



In the first phase of the pilot resumption, the gate will allow the passing of 40 boats of cassava flour to Dongxing city of China.



The boats have to meet a series of requirements, including having registration certificates issued by Mong Cai city, COVID-19 prevention equipment, and tracking devices.



The clearance time is set to run from 8am to 4pm (Vietnam time).



Earlier, Mong Cai has developed a disease control plan to ensure a safe zone for customs clearance of goods traded between the sides. Accordingly, all people entering the border gate area must show a negative PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 virus which is valid within 48 hours, or undergo quick tests on the site with negative result.



Quang Ninh shares a 132.8km land border with Fangcheng district and Dongxing city of Chinas Guangxi province./.
An overview of the gathering (Photo: VNA)



Attending the event were Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Y Bier Nie, Vice Chairman of the Peoples Committee and president of the association HYim Kdoh, and Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Chay Navuth.



To cultivate the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia in general, the two provinces of Dak Lak and Mondulkiri in particular, Y Bier Nie emphasised that local authorities at all levels need to educate local people, especially the young generations, on the history of relations and cooperation achievements of the two countries and the two provinces in the current period.



Dak Lak has actively and proactively coordinated with Mondulkiri province, with which it shares nearly 73km of borderline, in holding meaningful activities in the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Year 2022, the official added.



Dak Lak businesses are running three rubber tree planting projects worth over 135 million USD in Cambodias Mondulkiri and Rattanakiri provinces.



Dak Lak and Mondulkiri have also coordinated closely in the search and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who sacrificed in the Cambodian locality during the wartime./.
The annual conference provided a unique platform for young members of parliaments to meet, exchange, learn and identify common and innovative strategies to advance youth empowerment.



The Vietnamese National Assembly's delegation at the IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians. (Photo: VNA)



This years event, which attracted the participation of around 200 delegates from more than 60 countries and international organisations, included four sessions aimed at coordinating parliamentary action to mitigate the impacts of climate change and ensure that global warming does not exceed 1.5 degree Celsius.



In his opening remarks, Speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives Hanafy El Gebali asserted that youth empowerment has become a necessity that cannot be ignored.



IPU President Duarte Pacheco emphasised the role young parliamentarians play in tackling climate change, from participating in law-making to supervising the government's implementation of its commitments to combat climate change.



Lan, who is also deputy head of the group of young deputies of the 15th National Assembly, shared common concerns with other countries about the impacts of climate change. She briefed participants on the efforts of the Vietnamese NA, including young parliamentarians, in responding to this issue, from promulgating laws to creating a legal corridor for the Government to implement international commitments on climate change to which Vietnam is a member.



The legislative body has also increased the allocation of resources to respond to climate change, and care for vulnerable groups; and affirmed Vietnam's policy to both develop the economy to ensure a better life for the people, and contribute responsibly to the international community.



The Vietnamese delegations ideas raised at the conference received the attention of the participating delegations.



Representatives from several international organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) showed their desire to cooperate with Vietnam in ensuring food security, building a green budget and fighting climate change./.
Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (HBC), bottler of Coca-Cola Co., will cease production and sales of Coca-Cola and the company's other brands in Russia, Reuters has reported, citing Coca-Cola Co.

Zug, Switzerland-based Coca-Cola HBC and its customers are currently in the process of depleting stock, Reuters said.

The company in March announced the suspension of operations in Russia, specifically the supply of concentrate for its drinks for the Russian market.

James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Co., in May said that the company could leave Russia.

In Russia, Coca-Cola HBC owns 10 factories for the production of soft drinks and juices. In 2021, Coca-Cola HBC increased Russian sales by 18.3% to 373.3 million boxes, with one box containing around 5.7 liters, implying that Russian sales totaled around 2.1 billion liters.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal says that next month the government will present a Plan for the restoration of Ukraine United24.

"We rely on a regional approach involving the guardianship of one of the partner countries over a specific region or industry. Denmark has already volunteered to patronize the restoration of Mykolaiv region. The Baltic States will help restore Zhytomyr region. Portugal will restore Ukrainian schools. And everyone in Ukraine knows that the UK, as promised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will take part in the restoration and development of Kyiv and Kyiv region," Shmyhal said during an online speech at the British-Ukrainian infrastructure summit.

He noted that Ukraine is forming an ambitious recovery plan and believes that British companies will play a key role in this recovery.

"After all, today Great Britain and the British people stand side by side with us at this extremely difficult moment in our history. And I am sure that it will continue to be so," Shmyhal stressed.

According to him, the amount of infrastructure damage has already reached $104 billion, and as a result of the shelling of the Russian army, at least 45 million square meters of housing, 656 hospitals, more than 1,200 educational institutions, almost 25,000 kilometers of roads, 300 bridges, 12 airports have been destroyed or damaged.

Shmyhal noted that the total size of the recovery program is estimated by the Ukrainian government, international experts, and the European Commission at EUR 500-600 billion.

"Therefore, we say that Ukraine's victory on the battlefield is 50% victory. The remaining 50% is the restoration of our state, the transformation of our economy, energy and infrastructure," the head of government stressed.
Russian invaders launched a missile attack on an oil refinery and infrastructure facilities in Kremenchuk, Poltava region, Head of the Regional Military Administration Dmytro Lunin reports.

"Kremenchuk is under enemy attack again. From six to eight Russian missiles hit refineries and other infrastructure facilities. More details later. The threat of strikes remains. You are in shelters," Lunin wrote on the Telegram channel on Saturday morning.
As a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, 323 children were killed, more than 583 were injured, the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) reports.

"As of the morning of June 18, 2022, more than 906 children were injured in Ukraine as a result of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation. According to the official information of juvenile prosecutors, 323 children were killed and more than 583 injured. Children were most affected in Donetsk region  301, Kharkiv  170, Kyiv  116, Chernihiv  68, Luhansk  54, Kherson  52, Mykolaiv  48, Zaporizhia  30, Sumy  17," the message published on the Telegram channel says.

These figures are not final, as work is underway to establish them in the places of active hostilities, in the temporarily occupied and liberated territories.
An increase in columns of enemy equipment, including a large number of KamAZ trucks, was recorded between the occupied Melitopol and Vasylyivka of Zaporizhia region, the Defense Forces of Zaporizhia region said in a report for June 17 on its Facebook page.

Also, during the past day, several columns of trucks, fuel trucks and military equipment were recorded heading from the territory of the previously occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea towards Melitopol, Zaporizhia region.

A large amount of military equipment is moving along the road of the village of Andriyivka and Kinski Razdory of Polohivsky district. In Kinsky Razdory, the invaders built new fortifications, and also strengthened their positions with equipment.

A train with fuel and ammunition is moving from Crimea towards Melitopol. According to the information of the Defense Headquarters of Zaporizhia region, nine covered gondola cars with ammunition and 12 fuel tanks were recorded.
The supply of weapons to Ukraine from the United States under the lend-lease procedure has not yet begun and may start in a few months, says Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov.

"Lend-lease hasn't started yet. But the adoption of the lend-lease law itself is a very positive decision for us. And lend-lease will be, the question is when. Here we come back to the fact that everyone's clocks work differently in the war. For some, a day is like a day, but for us it's completely different dimensions," Danilov said in an interview with the League published on Saturday morning.

To a clarifying question when lend-lease arms deliveries are expected, he replied: "it could be July-August, maybe September."

At the same time, Danilov said that there were "almost no Soviet-made ammunition of 122 and 155 mm caliber left."

When asked how he assesses the results of Rammstein-3, the NSDC secretary replied: "We need to ask ourselves: who owes us something? To do this, we need to have a slightly different relationship with those countries that commit themselves. If our country were a member of NATO, it would be a completely different conversation."

"Today we have to thank the countries that are helping us. There are a lot of them. We don't know about all of them. A lot of countries ask not to voice the military weapons that they transfer to us. Time will pass and there will be our victory  we will thank everyone," he said.

"No one will defend our country except us. Will they help us with weapons? They will. Will this weapon be enough? There are never enough weapons. But in this war, each country has its own tasks and visions for itself," Danilov stressed.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the advanced positions of the Ukrainian army in Mykolaiv region during his working trip and presented awards to defenders, the press service of the head of state reports.

"I want to thank you for your great service  each and every one! For protecting, defending our state, each of us, our families, protecting our sovereignty. I want to wish you all the best. Take care of Ukraine  the only thing we have. And take care of yourself  only you can do it," Zelensky said.

The President presented the Order of the Golden Star with the title of Hero of Ukraine to Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky. Commander of the 59th separate motorized infantry brigade of the operational command Pivden (South) of the AFU Ground Forces, Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky, has been participating in repelling Russian aggression since February 24, 2022. Under his command, the brigade units successfully perform combat missions on the territory of Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, inflicting significant losses to the enemy.

The Head of state also heard information about the operational situation at the front.
A number of Ukrainian oligarchs have been very actively involved in helping the Ukrainian state in the conditions of war with the Russian Federation, their names will be announced later, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov said.

"People who can be considered oligarchs behave differently. Someone stayed in the country, and someone disappeared. Someone helps the army as much as possible, although he does not take selfies, does not tell about each car for EUR 20,000 that he brought it himself I don't want to name last names. I can say for sure that part of them helps, and very actively. Time will pass and there will be facts," Danilov said in an interview with the League published on Saturday morning.

When asked if we are talking about Poroshenko, Akhmetov, Kolomoisky, Pinchuk, the NSDC secretary replied that he could say "about one of the people you named." "On February 26, at 22:30, the head of a military enterprise calls me and says: a big problem, a plant belonging to such and such an oligarch has closed, it is very important in the supply chain. I immediately called [the owner of the company], talked. A day later, everything was already working," Danilov said.
On Monday, June 20, at 12.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a discussion entitled "Dynamics of intl, domestic factors in current stage of war." Participants include political analyst Valentyn Hladkykh; Director of the Institute for Global Strategies Vadym Karasiov; political expert Kostiantyn Matviyenko (8/5a Reitarska Street). The broadcast of the press conference will be available on the Youtube channel of the Interfax-Ukraine agency. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot.
On Wednesday, June 22, at 11.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Map of destruction  we to help rebuild Ukraine." The destruction map is a digital tool that allows you to record the consequences of the Russian attack on Ukraine. Participants include Chair of the Board of NGO Anti-Corruption Headquarters Serhiy Mytkalyk; Deputy Minister of Infrastructure for Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Digitization Anatoliy Komirny; co-founder of the "Russia will pay" project Maksym Nefyodov; Executive Director of NGO Anti-Corruption Headquarters Yulia Hrechko (8/5a Reitarska Street). The broadcast of the press conference will be available on the Youtube channel of the Interfax-Ukraine agency. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot. After the press conference, journalists, along with the organizers, can go to the facility that was destroyed, a house on Lobanovskoho Street. Details by phone: (063) 747 9615 (Maria, NGO Anti-Corruption Headquarters).
Senior officials from Egypt, Israel, Bahrain, the UAE, Morocco, and the US held the inaugural meeting of the Negev Forums Steering Committee on Monday in Bahrain to outline a framework document for the forum, setting out its objectives and structure  a joint statement of the forums six countries said.
Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett hosted what was almost certainly his final cabinet meeting Sunday, commending his government as "short-lived with great achievements", ahead of parliament's expected dissolution this week.
Egypt issued the State Ownership Policy Document earlier this month to chart the map of future partnership between the public and private sectors, laying the groundwork for the latters greater participation in Egypts economic activities.
The first edition of the Dawar Arts Festival is running between 21 and 25 June.
The Group of Seven rich nations told Russia on Monday it must allow grain shipments to leave Ukraine to avoid exacerbating a global food crisis.
Egyptian Foreign Minister and President-Designate of the 27th session of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) Sameh Shoukry said on Wednesday that Egypt, in its upcoming presidency of the COP27, is keen to distance the climate negotiations from the latest geopolitical developments in order to enhance confidence between all parties and ensure a smooth negotiation process.

Shoukrys remarks came during two meetings with members of the Group of 77 and China, in addition to heads of geographical and political groups during the 56th session of the UN climate change subsidiary bodies taking place between 6 and 16 June at the World Convention Center in Bonn, Germany.

Shoukry praised the role played by Group of 77 and China, of which Egypt is a member, in supporting the interests and concerns of developing countries in climate change negotiations and supporting Egypts efforts in COP27, Egyptian foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Hafez said in a statement.

In the meeting with heads of the different geographic and political groups participating in the climate change negotiations, Shoukry was keen to listen to their visions, priorities, and concerns on various topics related to international climate action, the statement said.

The meetings tackled the Egyptians presidencys priorities for COP27, primarily the implementation of climate pledges and getting balanced recommendations that address various priority issues, especially emission reduction, adaptation to climate change, addressing losses and damages, and provision of climate finance.

Shoukry is scheduled to sign the agreement for Egypt to host COP27 during his visit.

Earlier on Wednesday, Shoukry met with the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change, where he stated that Egypt is keen to prioritise African concerns on climate change at COP27.

Shoukry said that Africa is the continent most affected by the negative repercussions of climate change, despite contributing the least to emissions, and that African countries are facing difficulties in obtaining needed climate funding to deal with these repercussions.

Shoukry emphasised that the Egyptian presidency prioritises implementing climate pledges and turning them into reality at COP27.

On Tuesday, the top Egyptian diplomat discussed with the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Patricia Espinosa the contribution of the 56th session of the subsidiary bodies for implementation (SBI56) to the required and expected progress during the upcoming COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh.

The meeting emphasised the importance of the SBI56 in terms of enhancing global climate action, especially providing scientific and technological advice as well as the effective implementation of climate pledges and related agreements, particularly the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Shoukry also met with the Climate Action Network (CAN), which is the largest group of civil society organisations working on climate change. The CAN includes over 1,300 environmental non-governmental organisations in over 130 countries.

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Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Patricia Espinosa officially signed on Wednesday the Host Country Agreement for the 27th session of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27), which will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh from 6-18 November.

The COP27 agreement was signed in the German city of Bonn during Shoukrys participation in the Bonn Climate Change Conference (56th session of the Subsidiary Bodies) at the World Convention Centre Bonn in Germany, taking place from 6 to 16 June.

According to the UN, the 56th session of Subsidiary Bodies aims to lay the groundwork for success of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, as governments in Bonn focus on the key issues of mitigation, adaptation, and supporting developing countries, particularly financially.

On the sidelines of the conference, Shoukry  the President-designate of the COP27  met the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change on Wednesday. He stated that Egypt is keen to prioritise African concerns on climate change at COP27.

On Tuesday, Shoukry met with the Climate Action Network (CAN), the largest group of civil society organisations working on climate change. CAN comprises over 1,300 environmental and non-environmental organizations from over 130 countries.

At the opening of the Bonn sessions on Tuesday, Espinosa claimed that the world is going to have one question in Sharm El-Sheikh: what progress have you made since Glasgow?

We urgently require political intervention and decisions in order to achieve a balanced package. Doing so will send a clear message to the world that we are headed in the right direction, Espinosa said.

The UNs top climate change official warned that climate change is exponentially in progress. Espinosa claimed that by the end of the century, the world will reach more than double the 1.5-degree Celsius goal of the Paris Agreement. Immediate and urgent action and progress in Bonn is needed to avoid the worst impact of climate change.

Egypt has repeatedly highlighted ambitions to build on the Glasgow COP26 outcomes and support global efforts in mitigation and adapting to climate change during COP27.

Egypt has reiterated the need to maintain current momentum in climate action to keep global temperatures under 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach, with COP27 set to primarily focus on urging countries to abide by the Paris Agreement.

In May, Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly launched the National Strategy for Climate Change 2050, which is based on five main pillars to preserve the environment and aims to enhance Egypts climate change leadership internationally

Madbouly said that Egypt will spare no effort through its presidency of COP27 to relentlessly seek to move from the stage of commitments and pledges declared by the states to the stage of actual implementation of quick and tangible measures.

Egypt also launched in late May the official website of COP27, and revealed its official logo that is uniquely designed to represent the cultural identity of Egypt and Africa, according to the Egyptian foreign ministry.

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An attack at a checkpoint in southeast Mali killed at least eight people including two customs officers and six civilians, local and military sources said Sunday.

The attack, on Saturday, took place at the Koutiala checkpoint.

"The enemies also suffered losses," the military source said, adding the situation was currently under control.

At the time of the attack, the Malian army was conducting an operation in the Koutiala area, near the border with Burkina Faso.

"The attackers, as they withdrew, took away a customs vehicle in which there was a customs officer, and six submachine guns," according to an official document detailing the attack seen by AFP.

The attack was carried out by "unidentified armed men" on motorcycles and in a pick-up vehicle, according to the same source.

Since 2012, Mali has been rocked by a jihadist insurgency led by groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State group.

The violence began in the north, and then later spread to the centre and to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Inter-communal and criminal violence is also common.

The country has been run by a military junta since August 2020, when colonels angered at failures to roll back the jihadists toppled the country's elected leader, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

They then staged a second de-facto coup in May 2021, but reiterated a vow to hand back control by February 2022. That timeline was recently pushed back by two years.

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French leftist politician Jean-Luc Melenchon promised Friday to grant French nationality to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange if left-wing parties win a majority in parliamentary elections this weekend.

Assange is wanted in the US for allegedly violating the Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010, and could face up to 175 years in jail if found guilty, though the exact sentence is difficult to estimate.

Ahead of voting on Sunday, Melenchon was asked about the extradition of Assange to the United States, which the British government approved on Friday to the dismay of his supporters and free-press campaigners.

"If I am prime minister on Monday, Mr Julien Assange -- I believe he has already asked for it -- will be naturalised as French and we will ask for him to be sent to us," Melenchon told reporters.

"Mr Assange should be decorated for all his services to French people," he added.

Melenchon's new NUPES coalition of left-wing and green parties is hoping for a majority after Sunday's vote, which could lead to 70-year-old Melenchon being named prime minister.

But polls suggest centrist President Emmanuel Macron's "Together" coalition is likely to emerge as the biggest party.

The French parliament debated a motion in February proposing granting Assange political asylum, which was defeated after failing to win enough support from Macron's MPs.

The WikiLeaks founder has influential contacts inside the current French government, however, with his former lawyer Eric Dupond-Moretti now serving as justice minister.

Dupond-Moretti had requested a meeting with Macron in 2020 in order to ask for political asylum for his client, and has faced calls from French rights groups to make good on his promise now that he is inside the cabinet.

Assange has 14 days to appeal the UK government decision, which came after a British court issued a formal order clearing his removal in April.

His supporters have held frequent rallies to protest the planned deportation, which they see as an infringement on media freedom and free speech.

He has been detained at a top-security jail in southeast London since 2019 for jumping bail in a previous case accusing him of sexual assault in Sweden.

In February 2020, Dupond-Moretti, one of France's best-known lawyers before he entered politics, called the possible 175-year prison sentence "shameful, unbearable and contrary to the idea everyone has of human rights."

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A Cairo criminal court sentenced on Saturday a man and his wife to five years in prison for illegally trading in antiquities and possessing artefacts in their apartment in the upscale Cairo neighbourhood of Zamalek.

The couple were also fined EGP one million (approximately $53,000) each.

Todays verdict is not final and can be appealed.

The case, locally dubbed as Zamalek apartment antiquities trial," dates back to May 2021 when police found a large quantity of ancient artefacts and rare jewellery in the apartment while executing an unrelated warrant against the defendants' son.

In February, the Public Prosecution referred the couple to trial, accusing them of illegally possessing 1,384 ancient artefacts that are not registered with the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), the government body in charge of protecting Egyptian heritage.

The couple did not notify the SCA within the legal grace period of 48 hours of the artefacts in order to be registered despite knowing they are archeological pieces, according to the prosecution.

The artefacts date back to the Ancient Egyptian and Islamic eras as well as the Mohamed Ali Dynasty, according to the prosecution's referral-to-court statement.

The couple were also found in possession of 119 artefacts from Egypts Khedival period in the 19th century.

The husband is the son of Abdel-Fattah Hassan, a former interior minister under King Farouk (1936-1952) - the last ruler of Egypt from the Mohamed Ali dynasty.

Mohamed Ali Pasha was the Albanian ruler of Egypt between 1805 and 1848.

In a statement circulated by local media at the time of his referral, the accused asserted that he had inherited the artefacts from his family.

In February, the court issued a media gag order in the case.

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Egyptian MPs will submit urgent statements to the House of Representatives this week on Minister of Public Enterprise Hesham Tawfiks plan to the liquidate El-Nasr Coke and Chemicals Company and to sell off public sector hotels.

Earlier in June, Tawfik  in response to questions directed by MPs  insisted that "liquidation of El-Nasr Coke and Chemicals Company will go ahead as planned after it incurred losses of EGP 30 million last year and that there is no hope of reforming the company and turning it into a profitable one."

Tawfik's response came in the course of a report that was sent to the House of Representatives on 7 June.

One day earlier, MPs sharply criticised Tawfik, accusing him of ignoring their questions on "his harmful privatisation and liquidation policies."

MP Mostafa Bakri said Tawfik's statements about losses of public sector companies are incorrect and that he should come to the house to answer questions directed by MPs in this respect.

Bakri said, "Tawfik is planning to liquidate El-Nasr Coke and Chemicals Company even though it secured profits of EGP 114 million last year."

In response, Minister Tawfik sent a report to the House on 7 June, indicating that "his decision on liquidating the coke company came only after its losses hit a record EGP 30 million last year and that there is no hope modernising this company or rectifying its financial conditions."

"In order to keep this company operating, it has to import huge quantities of raw coal from Canada every year to process it into coke and then export it to foreign markets, but this is an illogical procedure because it is very costly and will never be covered by profits, if any."

Tawfik also indicated that "El-Coke company's products, except one or two, are no longer in demand on the market and so the liquidation decision is quite correct."

Ihab Mansour, an MP affiliated with the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, also submitted "an urgent statement" on El-Coke Company to be delivered before the House this week.

Mansour said "Minister Tawfik's privatisation policies go against President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi's statements in support of localising industries, cutting imports and boosting industrial exports."

"But the problem is that this minister has a negative view of the public sector and his policies always aim at selling public assets, a procedure which led to the proliferation of private monopolies on the local market," said Mansour, also insisting that "El-Nasr Coke secured profits of EGP 114 million last year."

MPs Mostafa Bakri and Mahmoud Qassem also issued "urgent statements" regarding Tawfik's plans to sell off public sector hotels, which are also expected to delivered before the house this week.

Tawfik said in a press interview with the independent Al-Masry Al-Youm on 14 June "the government is already planning to privatise 20-30 percent of shares of seven public sector hotels to Arab sovereign funds.

He added that "the selling off part of the shares of these hotels came because they need a comprehensive and expensive process of renovation, so it is better to privatise some of their shares."

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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa have agreed to maximise cooperation and coordination between their two countries to foster joint Arab efforts in the face of regional challenges.

This would contribute to protecting Arab national security and enhancing Arab capabilities, the two leaders agreed as they met in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh on Saturday, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

El-Sisi stressed Egypts keenness to continue enhancing bilateral cooperation with Bahrain in various fields and intensifying joint coordination with regard to the developments facing the Middle East region.

They also agreed on working to enhance joint Arab efforts in the face of the regional and international challenges.

King Hamad hailed Egypts pivotal role in the region as a pillar of security and stability.

The Bahraini king hailed the historic and brotherly relations binding Egypt and Bahrain, saying that his current visit to Egypt continues the distinguished relations between the governments and peoples of the two countries.

The king hailed the significant and qualitative progress witnessed by the Egyptian-Bahraini relations in the political, economic, developmental and other fields, highlighting the joint keenness to advance these relations.

The meeting discussed Egyptian-Bahraini cooperation especially in the fields of economy and investments, the presidential spokesman said.

El-Sisi and King Hamad also discussed a number of regional and international issues, the spokesman said, noting that the discussions between the two leaders have seen a mutual understanding on ways of dealing with these issues.

GCC+3 Summit

The two leaders welcomed the upcoming summit hosted by Saudi Arabia among leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council plus Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and the United States, known as GCC+3.

The summit, scheduled for 16 July in the Saudi city of Jeddah, is expected to tackle regional issues of concern and mechanisms of enhancing joint work to achieve stability in the region.

Issues expected to be raised during the summit include enhancing regional economic and security cooperation, deterring Iranian threats in the region, promoting human rights, discussing global energy and ensuring food security.

President Joe Biden, who will be in the Middle East from 13 to 16 July, will attend the summit and meet with regional counterparts to advance US security, economic, and diplomatic interests, according to the White House.

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The construction work at Tanzanias Julius Nyerere Hydroelectric Power Project (JNHPP) undertaken by a consortium of Egyptian companies has reached advanced levels, Egypts Minister of Housing Assem El-Gazzar said while touring the site.

El-Gazzars visit to Tanzania aims to follow up on the work progress at the 2,115 MW hydropower project constructed on the Rufiji River, a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Housing said on Thursday.

The work on the $2.9 billion JNHPP has been ongoing since 2019 and is expected to be completed by the end of this year, when it will provide clean power for more than 60 million Tanzanians as well as control water flow during flooding.

The JNHPP is expected to produce 5,920 GWh of power annually.

The project is being implemented through a joint venture of two Egyptian companies, the Arab Contractors Company and Elsewedy Electric, providing work to 8,000 Tanzanians and 1,000 Egyptian and foreign workers, according to official remarks in December.

Underway and completed work

The majority of the construction work on the body of the main dam has almost been completed, El-Gazzar said during his inspection tour.

Also, the installation of the electrical switchyard, which connects the dam to the Tanzanian power grid, is nearing completion, the minister noted.

Meanwhile, work is underway to construct the concrete structure on the top of the dam, where the main gates of the spillway will be installed, he added.

Work on the main intakes of the channels connecting the water to the building that houses the turbines is proceeding in accordance with the planned rates, El-Gazzar said.

This includes digging the three main channels which are more than 1500-metre-long and lined with concrete, he added.

Work at the turbine assembly building has also been completed and three mammoth cranes have been installed to receive the main turbine units, Gazzar said.

Installation of the turbines, one of the most important components of the project, are now underway, El-Gazzar added.

The main bridge extending over the Rufiji River has been completed as part of the dam project, which helps move the weighty turbine units between the two banks of the river, El-Gazzar said.

It has the largest capacity of any bridge in Tanzania, capable of holding up to 300 tons, the minister said. The bridge is 250 metre-long and is established on 50-metre-long pillars.

Work on one of the three saddle dams  up to 15-kilometre-long auxillary embankments that increase the capacity of the reservoir  has been completed, while work on the two others are nearly complete despite challenges the work team faced during the rainy season.

The minister confirmed Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis keenness to regularly follow up on the project in light of its great significance to the Tanzanian people.

Example of cooperation

El-Sisi has repeatedly affirmed his support for the project to ensure that it is accomplished in accordance with world-class construction requirements to serve as a leading model for constructive cooperation between Egypt and Tanzania.

The project has been described as an example of cooperation between African countries regarding development projects, especially in the water sector.

The JNHPP is 1,025 metres long at the summit and 131 metres high with a storage capacity of about 34 billion cubic metres of water.

When complete, the JNHPP will be the largest in Tanzania, and the energy generated will be transmitted at a voltage of 400 kilovolts to a substation where it will be integrated into the national electricity grid.

The project dates back to August 2017, when Tanzania announced bids for the construction of the dam, which were later won by the Egyptian consortium.

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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced on Friday an Egyptian-US partnership on a number of initiatives on adaptation to climate change in Africa throughout the year.

The partnership comes as a contribution to building trust and creating favourable conditions to address the global phenomena, the Egyptian president said while addressing the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change Summit.

The summit was held virtually under the auspices of US President Joe Biden, and included the participation of a number of heads of state and government as well as the UN secretary-general.

The Egyptian-US partnership targets launching a new effective initiative to support climate adaptation efforts in Africa during the upcoming UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) that will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh this November, he added.

Egypt has vowed to speak for African interests in combatting climate change at COP27.

El-Sisi also announced via the event that Egypt has joined the Global Methane Pledge Initiative to enhance its efforts in reducing methane emissions from the petroleum and natural gas sector in cooperation with international partners in the sector.

Established by the US in 2009, the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change Summit aims to support issues on combatting climate change and rally the necessary international momentum.

The international communitys ability to move forward towards implementing commitments and pledges in alignment with the Paris Agreement depends on the level of trust among all countries and on the conditions that stimulate and support more constructive action to face climate change, El-Sisi explained.

He also urged that the priorities of developing countries, especially in Africa, be addressed and taken into consideration, stressing thatt these countries should feel that they bear their responsibilities to the best of their abilities and to the extent of appropriate support and funding available to them.

The success of the COP27 in producing desired outcomes and the success of the international multilateral system to face climate change are closely related to the level of satisfaction and contentment that developing countries and African countries feel about their position in this global effort.

It is also related to the steps taken by developed countries to fulfil their pledges with regard to climate finance, supporting adaptation efforts, and addressing the issue of losses and damages caused by climate change in developing and least developed countries, he stressed.

Furthermore, El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypts commitment to support and strengthen efforts to confront climate change, adapt to its negative effects, and build on the international momentum and the present political will from all parties for this purpose.

Egypt is fully aware of the magnitude of the responsibility entrusted to it as the president of the COP27, he added.

Cairo is also aware that all sides are looking forward to tangible results that contribute to creating real change on the ground that will move the world from the phase of negotiations and pledges to actual implementation on the ground to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement  the most important of which is reducing the rate of warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The challenge posed by the phenomenon surpasses the ability of governments to act individually, El-Sisi reiterated, noting that Egypt will ensure during its presidency of the COP27 that all voices are heard, and all visions and orientations included.

Moreover, Egypt will seek to establish real partnerships between governments and other non-governmental actors such as financing institutions, international organisations, and civil society.

Egypt, El-Sisi added, urges all parties to raise the ambition of their climate action by updating their nationally determined contributions in implementation of the Paris Agreement, as well as supporting and strengthening their long-term plans and strategies to reduce emissions and address the negative impacts of climate change.

In May, the Egyptian government launched the countrys 2050 National Strategy for Climate Change.

The president said the country is currently finalising its updated national contributions, which he said will include specific and ambitious quantitative goals in a number of key sectors to achieve a fair transition to a green economy and renewable energy in a way that allows Egypt to be a regional energy hub.

These contributions will demonstrate the responsibilities that Egypt undertakes to spare its people the negative impact of climate change as well as build their capacity to withstand and adapt to it, especially in light of the successive global crises and the ensuing repercussions on energy and food prices.

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Ahead of the ninth meeting of the Egyptian-European Union Association Council on Sunday in Luxembourg, the head of the EU Mission in Cairo Christian Berger spoke to Ahram Online on the prospects of further dialogue and strategic cooperation between Egypt and the EU.

Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell will chair the meeting, which will discuss bilateral relations along with regional and world developments.

Shoukry and Borrell are expected to sign a partnership priorities agreement that will decide the guidelines for cooperation between Egypt and the EU for the next seven years.

According to Berger, the 6-page document is divided into three chapters that cover economic issues  particularly trade and energy cooperation  coordination on foreign policy, and matters of stability and governance.

He also said that the content of this document highlights the breadth of issues that the EU and Egypt have been committed to working on since the signing of the partnership agreement 21 years ago.

In June 2001, also in Luxembourg, Egypt and the EU signed their association agreement after tough and long negotiations that lasted close to a decade, with the agreement going into effect in 2004.

Since then, the EU has been Egypts biggest trading partner, representing 24.5 percent of Egypts trade volume in 2020.

In July 2017, Egypt and the EU endorsed a partnership priorities document that should have lasted for three years and then renewed.

However, signing a new agreement was delayed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and further negotiations.

In the months leading up to Sundays meeting, Egypt has been demanding lesser emphasis on matters of human rights and the EU in turn has been demanding more commitment to controlling undocumented migration.

In the new partnership priorities document, economic and environmental cooperation take centre stage, especially in the energy-related context.

The EU, Berger said, is committed to supporting Egypt to become a hub of renewable energy in Africa and around the Mediterranean.

Cooperation in energy has been gaining momentum between Egypt and the EU during the past months due to complications arising from the Russian-Ukrainian War, especially since European countries have been quite dependent on Russian gas exports and must now look to countries in the Eastern Mediterranean to fulfil their energy needs.

Last week in Cairo, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Egypts Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla, and his Israeli counterpart Karine Elharrar signed an agreement to increase gas exports originating from Israel and Egypt, and possibly other East Mediterranean countries, to Europe.

The agreement was signed on the side-lines of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum that convened in town.

Egypt, Berger said, has great potential to be an energy hub, as it has a significant gas liquidation capacity.

We want to diversify to trustworthy suppliers, and Egypt is a trustworthy partner, von der Leyen said during the signing ceremony of the agreement.

The European senior official was in Israel one day before coming to Cairo on Tuesday. There, she vowed that the European organisation will not allow Russia to blackmail European countries with their need for energy.

According to an agreement that both Egypt and Israel signed in 2020, Israel is already exporting gas to Egypt  both for export and local use. And according to the agreement signed last week in Cairo, Israel will increase its gas exports to Egypt through a pipeline to help increase exports to Europe.

European diplomatic sources in Cairo had said earlier this spring that Egypt had already increased exports to Europe to help some countries cope with the repercussions of the fallout with Russia.

Berger explained that Egypt is certainly an important destination for the EU to go to for gas in the short-term and for renewable energy in the long-term.

The agreement that Egypt and Greece signed last year to connect their electricity grids, he explained, makes Egypt a powerful candidate to contribute to Europes green energy supplies.

The deal that was signed in Athens last October came at a time when Greece, Cyprus, and Israel planned to build the Euro-Asia Interconnector  the worlds longest and deepest underwater power cable crossing the Mediterranean at a cost of about $900 million.

According to Berger, other highlights of economic cooperation between Egypt and the EU include water and irrigation projects. These, he said, are all covered in the economy chapter of the partnership priorities document as flagship projects to which a budget is dedicated from the EU, the member states of the organisation, and the European Bank.

He added that there are four billion euros already committed to these projects and did not rule out a possible increase.

Berger also argued that the economic and trade cooperation is only part of an intensified dialogue that his organisation and Egypt have been having over the past year with so many high-level visits to give a push to the partnership across the Mediterranean.

For sure, he said, von der Leyen did not just confine her schedule during her visit to Cairo last week to the signing ceremony of the gas deal. The top European official, he said, also discussed with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi the fallout of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, especially in relation to food security.

For her part, von der Leyen pledged immediate relief of 100 million euros to support food security in Egypt, which has taken a hit since the start of the war. The money is expected to help Egypt improve and expand its storage capacity and access new crops.

Egypt is the worlds top importer of wheat, relying on Russia and Ukraine for 80 percent of its wheat imports.

The war on Ukraine has had an impact on the world at large and Egypt particularly; not just because of its large imports of wheat, corn, and oil  the prices of which have soared  but also because of the increasing costs of transportation and the decline in the volume of tourism, Berger said.

There has been quite a lot of [global] instability that affects Egypts economy, he said, adding that the EU is committed to reach out to Egypt at this time.

Berger also said that the EU attaches great importance to its relationship with Egypt as a key partner and regional player and underlines the strategic nature and potential of this partnership.

Furthermore, helping medium- and small-sized enterprises, Berger said, is a key factor of the EUs plan to support Egypt.

He stressed that developments in the Middle East and around the Mediterranean  including the situation in Syria and Libya  will be top agenda issues for the Luxembourg meeting, as per the talks between von der Leyen and President El-Sisi.

On Palestine, Berger said that the EU is supporting the diplomatic work Cairo is doing to help with the two-state solution, stabilise the situation in Gaza, and pursue Palestinian reconciliation and elections.

On Libya, he added that the EU and Egypt agree on the need to strengthen the political process towards elections.

The meeting of the Egypt-EU Association Council comes at a time when Cairo is heavily involved in preparations for the upcoming UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) that will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh this November. The environment and COP are expected to be top issues for the Shoukry-Borrell talks.

During their talks in Cairo last week, El-Sisi and von der Leyen agreed on the need to increase environmental cooperation.

According to a press statement released by the EU, El-Sisi and von der Leyen agreed on the need to work towards fostering sustainable development, combating climate change and environmental degradation, ensuring energy security, and a balanced and just green transition.

These are shared priorities for Egypt and the EU, Berger said, adding that Egypt and the EU will consolidate efforts to maintain political momentum on the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement and achieve the ambitious goals of the COP27.

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The European Union EU-Egypt Association Council's 9th meeting will kickoff on Sunday in Luxembourg to discuss bilateral ties between Egypt and the EU and a number of political issues.

The ninth meeting will be chaired by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

The EU attaches great importance to its relationship with Egypt as a key partner and regional player and underlines the strategic nature and potential of the partnership.

The plenary session will be devoted to a discussion on the developments and prospects of the association's agreement between the European Union and Egypt.

The EU-Egypt political dialogue will also touch on global and regional issues of shared interest.

The Association Council will endorse the new EU-Egypt partnership priorities document until 2027, which will guide the partnership between both parties.

The new priorities include responses to the coronavirus pandemic, health and vaccines production files, as well as social and green files.

New priority areas also include the economy's digitisation and various artificial intelligence domains, Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt Christian Berger said in October 2021.

On Wednesday, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU has allocated 100 million in immediate relief to encourage investments in Egypt's agricultural sector and secure the country's food needs during the global grain crisis that resulted from the Russian-Ukrainian War.

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The threat of war with neighboring Congo is simmering under the tidy surface of Rwanda's capital as the East African nation hosts the British prime minister and other world leaders next week for the Commonwealth summit.

Decades-old tensions between Rwanda, which has one of Africa's most effective militaries, and Congo, one of the continent's largest and most troubled countries, have spiked along their shared border a few hours' drive from Rwanda's capital, Kigali. Alarm has reached the point where Kenya's president is urging the immediate deployment of a newly created regional force to eastern Congo to keep the peace.

Each side has accused the other of incursions. Congo now seeks to suspend all agreements with Rwanda. If Rwanda wants war, ``it will have war,'' a spokesman for the military governor of Congo's North Kivu province told thousands of protesters on Wednesday.

Here's what's at stake.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

Eastern Congo lives with the daily threat from dozens of armed groups that jostle for a piece of the region's rich mineral wealth that the world mines for electric cars, laptops and mobile phones. Earlier this year, one of the most notorious rebel groups, the M23, surged anew.

The M23 launched an offensive against Congo's military after saying the government had failed to live up to its decade-long promises made under a peace deal to integrate its fighters into Congo's military. This week the M23 seized a key trading town, Bunagana, sending thousands of people fleeing into neighboring Uganda and elsewhere.

At that, Congo's military accused Rwandan forces of ``no less than an invasion,'' alleging that Rwanda backed the rebels in their capture of Bunagana.

Congo's government has long accused Rwanda of supporting the M23, which Rwanda denies. The accusations have surged again in recent weeks. Many of the M23 fighters are ethnic Tutsis, the same as Rwanda's President Paul Kagame.

Rwanda, for its part, has accused Congolese forces of injuring several civilians in cross-border shelling.

WHAT'S THE HISTORY OF TENSIONS?

Relations between Rwanda and Congo have been fraught for decades. Rwanda alleges that Congo gave refuge to the ethnic Hutus who carried out the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed at least 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. In the late 1990s, Rwanda twice sent its forces deep into Congo, joining forces with Congolese rebel leader Laurent Kabila to depose the country's longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. The Rwandan forces in Congo were widely accused of hunting down and killing ethnic Hutu, even civilians.

Millions of Congo's people died during the years of conflict, according to rights groups, and the effects still run deep today. Many women live with the scars and trauma of rape.

Eastern Congo continues to see divisions along ethnic lines at times. The region's history of instability, loose governance and its vast distance, more than 1,600 miles, from Congo's capital, Kinshasa, have dampened investment and left some basic infrastructure such as roads tattered or nonexistent.

Congo and Rwanda have long accused each other of supporting various rival armed groups in eastern Congo, a restless region and major hub for humanitarian aid. A United Nations peacekeeping force of more than 17,000 personnel is based in Goma, but a top official this week made clear that the tensions with Rwanda and Uganda are not a part of its role.

``That's not the reason why were are here,'' said Lt. Col. Frederic Harvey, the U.N. mission's chief of liaison with the Congolese military. ``We are here to accomplish our mandate, which consists of protecting the civilian population and preserving national integrity.''

Goma, the region's key city of more than 1 million people, was briefly seized by M23 fighters a decade ago. Many Goma residents now call on the international community to intervene to help establish peace and stability. ``Kagame, enough is enough,'' read one sign in a protest on Wednesday.

Pope Francis had planned to visit Goma next month as part of a trip to Congo and South Sudan but canceled it last week, citing doctor's orders because of his knee problems. The visit was meant to draw further global attention to populations long wrestling with conflict, even as this new one develops.

NOW WHAT?

With an eye on the growing tensions, the six-nation East African Community, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania, earlier this year created a regional force meant to respond to trouble. Now Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, the current chairman of the bloc, wants the force to be activated immediately and deployed to eastern Congo, noting the ``open hostilities'' there.

Kenyatta also calls for the eastern Congo provinces of North and South Kivu and Ituri to be declared a ``weapons-free zone'' where anyone outside mandated forces can be disarmed. Within hours, his call was ``warmly'' welcomed by the president of Burundi, which borders both Rwanda and Congo.

Regional commanders of the member defense forces will meet on Sunday in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, at the heart of East Africa's economic hub.

The regional force was agreed to by leaders from the countries now seemingly closing in on war _ Congo, the EAC's newest member, and Rwanda, the largest African troop contributor to U.N. peacekeeping missions worldwide.

But Rwanda notably was the only EAC member to skip a meeting of the heads of regional armed forces earlier this month in Goma. And there was no immediate response from Rwanda on Thursday to Kenyatta's call to action.

Congo, too, didn't comment directly on the call to deploy the regional force, but government spokesman Patrick Muyaya welcomed the Kenyan president's request for a cessation of hostilities and weapons-free zones.

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Gunmen suspected to be linked to the Islamic State on Saturday killed 10 people in the latest spate of violence in northeast Nigeria's Borno state, militia sources told AFP.

The 10 victims, nine men and a woman, were scavenging for metal scrap from vehicles burnt in military operations in Goni Kurmi village, near the town of Bama, when they were attacked, two militia sources told AFP.

"The 10 people were all shot," militia leader Babakura Kolo said. "The victims were in the village to scavenge for metal scraps when they ran into the terrorists who shot them dead," said Kolo.

The bodies of the victims were recovered by the civilian force and brought to Bama, according to Ibrahim Liman, another militiaman who gave the same toll.

The Nigerian army, deployed in the region, has not yet commented on the attack.

Jihadists have recently been attacking civilians collecting metal scrap, accusing them of spying on them for the military.

ISWAP, which split from mainstream Boko Haram jihadist group in 2016, has become the dominant threat in northeast Nigeria.

Late on Friday ISWAP militants also attacked the town of Monguno, killing three militiamen and abducting three civilians, according to security sources and aid workers.

The jihadist violence has killed over 40,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes in the northeast since 2009, according to the United Nations.

Despite ongoing insecurity, local authorities are encouraging displaced people to return to areas they consider safe, in a bid to wean them off humanitarian aid.

Among those living in crowded camps who rely on inadequate food handouts from aid agencies, some turn to felling trees for firewood and scavenging for scrap metal which they sell to buy food.

Already on June 7, 23 people searching for scrap metal were killed by gunmen believed to be from ISWAP in Magdala village in nearby Dikwa district, according to security sources.

And late last month, 30 others were killed in Mudu village in the same district.

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Israeli air strikes hit Hamas military sites in the Gaza Strip on Saturday in response to rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave run by the movement, the Israeli occupation army said.

"A short while ago, in response to the rocket attack, (Israeli military) aircraft struck a number of Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip," the army said in a statement.

The strikes came after Hamas "launched a rocket... toward Israeli civilians in southern Israel", it said, adding the projectile was intercepted by Israel's air defences.

The Israeli "aircraft targeted a weapons manufacturing site located inside a Hamas military post and an additional three military posts belonging to Hamas," the statement said.

Balls of flame shot into the air, leaving dark smoke drifting over the territory, after the strikes.

The army said hours earlier that air raid sirens were sounded in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon and in areas near the blockaded Gaza Strip.

The exchange came after three Palestinians were killed and 12 others wounded on Friday during an Israeli occupation army raid in Jenin, a stronghold of armed Palestinian factions in the occupied West Bank.

The men were killed when Israeli forces opened fire on a vehicle in which they were, the Palestinian news agency Wafa said.

Israel's army said soldiers had come under fire during an operation to search for weapons.

One of the dead was a Hamas commander, the group said, vowing that the killings "will not go unpunished".

In April, Israeli warplanes also hit the Gaza Strip after the incoming rocket fire.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza coastal enclave of 2.3 million people has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.

That exchange came after nearly a month of deadly violence focused on Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam.

Last year, Israel and Hamas fought an 11-day war triggered in part by Israeli attacks on Palestinians over the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War. It later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by most of the international community.

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A renewed two-month truce in war-torn Yemen that has given the population a sense of normalisation is the first step toward a broader peace settlement, the United Nations special envoy said late Friday.

The truce "has delivered some humanitarian respite to the population that is unprecedented in terms of the history of the conflict, and from that point of view, it also provides us with scope and breathing space for engaging on a political settlement", Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg told AFP in an interview.

"The truce is the first step towards a broader settlement," he said on the sidelines of the Yemen International Forum in Stockholm, a conference attended by Yemeni political actors, experts and representatives of a host of civil society organisations.

The Yemeni government and Houthi rebels agreed earlier this month to extend the truce which went into effect in April and significantly reduced the intensity of fighting in a conflict the UN says has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands and left millions on the brink of famine.

The country has been gripped by conflict since the Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of the capital Sanaa in 2014, triggering a Saudi-led military intervention in support of the beleaguered government the following year.

Under the truce, commercial flights have resumed from Sanaa airport to Amman and Cairo and oil tankers have been able to dock in the lifeline port of Hodeida, which is in rebel hands, in an attempt to ease fuel shortages.

"The truce provides us with steps that normalise life in certain small areas for the Yemeni population, and that I think is both important, but also symbolic," Grundberg said.

"The obvious wish that I have is that this normalisation, not only on the airport but on all other issues that we're engaging on, continues".

A provision in the truce agreement for the rebels to ease their siege of Yemen's third-biggest city Taez has yet to be implemented, and the government has demanded roads to the city be opened.

"We have been engaging in direct negotiations for the last two weeks in Yemen on this issue," Grundberg said.

He said there had been "steps forward" but provided no time frame for a possible resolution to the issue.

"We have seen both sides coming with proposals to us, wanting to see a solution on the matter", but "we haven't reached a solution on the matter yet".

"Right now we have a proposal on the table that I do hope can deliver."

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Monsoon storms in Bangladesh and India have killed at least 41 people and unleashed devastating floods that left more than four million others stranded, officials said Saturday.

Floods are a regular menace to millions of people in low-lying Bangladesh, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency, ferocity and unpredictability.

Relentless downpours over the past week have inundated vast stretches of Bangladesh's northeast, with troops deployed to evacuate households cut off from neighbouring communities.

Schools have been turned into relief shelters to house entire villages inundated in a matter of hours by rivers that suddenly burst their banks.

"The whole village went underwater by early Friday and we all got stranded," said Lokman, whose family lives in Companiganj village.

"After waiting a whole day on the roof of our home, a neighbour rescued us with a makeshift boat. My mother said she has never seen such floods in her entire life," the 23-year-old added.

Asma Akter, another woman rescued from the rising waters, said her family had not been able to eat for two days.

"The water rose so quickly we couldn't bring any of our things," she said. "And how can you cook anything when everything is underwater?"

Lightning triggered by the storms has killed at least 21 people around the South Asian nation since Friday afternoon, police officials told AFP.

Among them were three children aged between 12 and 14 who were struck by lightning on Friday in the rural town of Nandail, said local police chief Mizanur Rahman.

Another four people died when landslides hit their hillside homes in the port city of Chittagong, police inspector Nurul Islam told AFP.

At least 16 people have been killed since Thursday in India's remote Meghalaya, the state's chief minister Conrad Sangma wrote on Twitter, after landslides and surging rivers that submerged roads.

Next door in Assam state, more than 1.8 million people have been affected by floods after five days of incessant downpours.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters he had instructed district officials to provide "all necessary help and relief" to those caught in the flooding.

'The situation is bad'

Flooding in Bangladesh worsened on Saturday morning after a temporary reprieve from the rains the previous afternoon, Sylhet region chief government administrator Mosharraf Hossain told AFP.

"The situation is bad. More than four million people have been stranded by flood water," Hossain said, adding that nearly the entire region was without electricity.

The flooding forced Bangladesh's third-largest international airport in Sylhet to shut down on Friday.

Forecasters said the floods were set to worsen over the next two days with heavy rains in Bangladesh and upstream in India's northeast.

Before this week's rains, the Sylhet region was still recovering from its worst floods in nearly two decades late last month, when at least 10 people were killed and four million others were affected.

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The UN is increasing its pressure on Iraq to repatriate thousands of former Islamic State fighters and their families from a Kurdish-controlled camp in Syria.

Last week, Iraqi security forces arrested two people in the Euphrates agricultural town of Mishkhab after a protest over water shortages and the lack of public services.

The authorities immediately charged them with belonging to Saddam Husseins former ruling Baath Party and attempts to glorify the notorious dictator.

The reason behind the detention was the slogans the protesters shouted, which praised the former tyrants rule and showed resentment towards his successors who have given them little of what they had hoped for in post-Saddam Iraq.

The Mishkhab incident may not signal the phenomenon of nostalgia for the Saddam era in Iraq, even though many Iraqis still believe their country was better under a dictator renowned for his brutal repression, but it underscores how its traumatic past is still haunting Iraq and dividing the nation.

This haunting question came to mind last week when a senior UN diplomat mandated to help Iraq rebuild, urged Iraqis to ignore the horror and the deaths in their recent history caused by the Islamic State (IS) group and suggested that they should suppress the trauma they had sustained.

On 8 June, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert urged the Iraqi authorities to repatriate thousands of IS-linked nationals detained in a camp in northeastern Syria, declaring that the best and only durable solution is to control the situation, managing returns swiftly and decisively, in the spirit of partnership, to prevent the legacy of yesterdays fight from fuelling tomorrows conflict.

Keeping people in restricted and poor conditions ultimately creates greater protection and security risks than taking them back in a controlled manner. Iraq is demonstrating that responsible repatriations are possible by finding dignified solutions anchored in the principles of both accountability and reintegration, Plasschaert said in a statement released by her office.

She made her remarks after a tour with a UN delegation to the Al-Hol Camp designed to highlight a so-called UN-led support rehabilitation initiative to repatriate IS detainees in northeastern Syria. She was accompanied by the chief of Iraqs National Security Service.

The camp, a sprawling complex of tents that has hosted tens of thousands of people suspected of having links with IS for many years, is under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led group which rules over much of northeastern Syria.

Plasschaerts public appeal echoes the quiet diplomacy pursued by many Western stakeholders, which have been privately urging Iraqi government leaders to support the return of Iraqi families from the Al-Hol Camp.

The Western media have also been playing up the dire conditions in the camp, though some of it has blamed their governments for the plight of the families.

Iraq has said it is determined to repatriate all the families stuck in the Syrian camp after security checks are completed. It has also urged the international community to help it set up re-integration programmes for the returnees.

The Al-Hol Camp, where about 57,000 people, almost half of them children, live, is considered one of the most violent detention and displacement camps on earth. It has been branded a breeding ground for terrorism.

Since March 2019, there have been at least 130 murders in the main Al-Hol Camp, home to Syrian and Iraqi men, women, and children associated with IS. But the Al-Hol Annex, which houses displaced women and children from the Syrian Civil War, has also been insecure.

The already precarious humanitarian and security conditions have deteriorated further in recent months, making the risks associated with this slow-moving catastrophe ever clearer. A camp like Al-Hol fuels resentment and inspires terrorists to commit everything from breakout operations to large-scale attacks.

In October 2020, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) announced plans to release all the Syrian nationals from the camp, which account for about half of the population.

That process has been hampered by significant obstacles in areas outside of government control, however, while the regime led by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad remains uninterested in their repatriation.

After the release of the Syrian nationals, there would still remain some 10,000 people from other nationalities in the camp from 40 other countries. There have been repeated calls from Iraqi officials asking the international community to repatriate its nationals from Al-Hol, but only a few countries have responded positively to the calls citing security concerns.

The UN is concentrating its efforts on over 25,000 Iraqis whom it wants Iraq to take back despite the fears of the Baghdad authorities, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the general Iraqi public that the returnees could be a time bomb.

So far, over 2,500 Iraqis have been repatriated to Iraq. But as the UN and some Western governments are increasing the pressure on the Iraqi authorities to take back more, leaving them in a quandary as they realise the country is not ready to provide the required post-return security and accommodation.

Five years after the conflict in Iraq ended, many of the physical, emotional, and psychological wounds of the war remain unhealed. The end of the conflict was nevertheless presented as the beginning of a new era of peace, national healing, and reconstruction in Iraq and the closure of ISs bloody chapter.

For many people in parts of the country where the worst IS atrocities were experienced, there can be no reconciliation when so many scars of the war remain. On Saturday, Iraq marked the eighth anniversary of the IS massacre of 1,700 Iraqi soldiers during its 2015 blitzkrieg, with many of the bodies still unaccounted for.

On 8 June, an official in the Iraqi Anbar Province told the local media that the security forces in the province expect trouble next week when some 500 families of IS affiliates are due to arrive from Al-Hol.

He said that many local people have vowed to take revenge on the returnees, who are accused of committing atrocities after the group captured the province in 2015.

Local people in Mosul have also protested against the authorities giving accommodation to some 100 families returning from Al-Hol in the Al-Jadda Camp in the south of the province. Some of the women in the camp have acknowledged links to IS through relatives, but others have denied having had anything to do with the terrorist group.

Nearly three and a half years after the IS caliphate in Iraq was declared defeated, reports abound that the terror group is mounting raids in many parts of northern and central Iraq. IS militants have been carrying out daily hit-and-run attacks, killing soldiers, members of the Popular Mobilisation Force (PMF), and civilians.

On 20 January, IS-affiliated militants attacked a prison near the city of Al-Hassakeh in northeastern Syria in the hope of freeing their jailed comrades, leaving hundreds dead on both sides.

The brazen attack was the latest evidence of ISs resurgence and sent a message to the Iraqi authorities that the group has significant military capacities and remains defiant about making a comeback.

The hasty rehabilitation of IS militants in Iraq also bodes ill for many countries in the Middle East that are engaged in their own wars against IS branches. Al-Hol serves as a key hub for the regions violent extremists and terror networks, and many countries will feel threatened if their nationals in the camp are let go.

Moreover, Plasschaerts suggestion will certainly undermine strategies adopted by many governments in the region to counter the radical hate-fuelled ideology of IS that is considered conducive to the production of extremism and terrorism.

But rather than taking responsibility for the failure to address this overwhelming challenge, the top UN official in Iraq has resorted to the standard tactic of running away from the problem and blaming it on the weakest link in the global war on terrorism.

Media reports about the dire conditions in the Al-Hol Camp and its being a tinderbox for terrorism have served as a call to action, but the international community has not decisively answered calls to tackle the crisis involving facilities holding IS detainees, including foreign nationals.

Aside from the Iraqi children, there are over 7,300 minors from 60 countries across the globe living in the Al-Hol Camp, according to Save the Children, an international NGO, but its repeated appeals to these childrens governments to urgently step up efforts to repatriate them along with their families have fallen on deaf ears.

Instead of giving room to apologists for those governments that refuse to repatriate their IS-linked nationals or actors who want to exploit opportunities afforded by their inaction, the UN chief diplomat in Iraq should work for much-needed international efforts to address this global challenge collectively.

A version of this article appears in print in the 16 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the war-damaged southern city of Mykolaiv on Saturday for the first time since the Russian invasion in a rare trip outside Kyiv.

He also visited troops on the southern frontline of the war with Russia.

Zelensky's office published a video of him looking at a badly damaged high-rise residential building in the city and holding a meeting with local officials.

His visit comes a day after a Russian strike killed two people and injured 20 in the city.

Mykolaiv has been targeted by Russian forces since the start of their invasion on February 24.

In the video Zelensky was shown damage to a residential building by local governor Vitaliy Kim.

The tall building had a gaping hole, with the inside of apartments visible.

A blue and yellow Ukrainian trident was seen in one of the shattered windows.

He later also visited troops on the southern frontline in both the Mykolaiv and the neighbouring Odessa region, his office said.

"It is important that you are alive. As long as you live there is a strong Ukrainian wall that protects our country," Zelensky told soldiers in the Odessa region.

"I want to thank you from the people of Ukraine, from our state for the great work you are doing, for your impeccable service."

Earlier in Mykolaiv, Zelensky also took part in a meeting with local officials in what looked like an underground basement, giving out awards for bravery.

His office said they "discussed the state of the economy, the restoration of water supplies and the situation in agriculture".

"Special attention was paid to threats from land and sea. We do not stop working for victory," the statement read.

Mykolaiv has been holding the defence of southern Ukraine, as it lies on the way to the key strategic Black Sea port of Odessa.

The city is around 100 kilometres (62 miles) northwest of Kherson, which fell to Russian forces in the first weeks of the war.

The regional administrative building was hit by a Russian strike in March, tearing a hole through the centre of the complex and killing more than a dozen people.

Zelensky has been based in Kyiv since Moscow invaded, making his first trip outside the capital to the eastern city of Kharkiv in late May.

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A celebrated Ukrainian medic whose footage was smuggled out of the besieged city of Mariupol by an Associated Press team was freed by Russian forces on Friday, three months after she was taken captive on the streets of the city.

Yuliia Paievska is known in Ukraine as Taira, a nickname she chose in the World of Warcraft video game. Using a body camera, she recorded 256 gigabytes of her team's efforts over two weeks to save the wounded, including both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers.

She transferred the clips to an Associated Press team, the last international journalists in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, one of whom fled with it embedded in a tampon on March 15. Taira and a colleague were taken prisoner by Russian forces on March 16, the same day a Russian airstrike hit a theatre in the city centre, killing around 600 people, according to an Associated Press investigation.

``It was such a great sense of relief. Those sound like such ordinary words, and I don't even know what to say,'' her husband, Vadim Puzanov, told The Associated Press late Friday, breathing deeply to contain his emotion. Puzanov said he spoke by phone with Taira, who was en route to a Kyiv hospital and feared for her health.

Initially, the family had kept quiet, hoping negotiations would take their course. But The Associated Press spoke with him before releasing the smuggled videos, which ultimately had millions of viewers around the world, including on some of the biggest networks in Europe and the United States. Puzanov expressed gratitude for the coverage, which showed Taira was trying to save Russian soldiers as well as Ukrainian civilians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Taira's release in a national address.

``I'm grateful to everyone who worked for this result. Taira is already home. We will keep working to free everyone,'' he said.

Hundreds of prominent Ukrainians have been kidnapped or captured, including local officials, journalists, activists and human rights defenders.

Russia portrayed Taira as working for the nationalist Azov Battalion, in line with Moscow's narrative that it is attempting to ``denazify'' Ukraine. But the AP found no such evidence, and friends and colleagues said she had no links to Azov, which made the last stand in a Mariupol steel plant before hundreds of its fighters were captured or killed.

The footage itself is a visceral testament to her efforts to save the wounded on both sides.

A clip recorded on March 10 shows two Russian soldiers taken roughly out of an ambulance by a Ukrainian soldier. One is in a wheelchair. The other is on his knees, hands bound behind his back, with an obvious leg injury. Their eyes are covered by winter hats, and they wear white armbands.

A Ukrainian soldier curses at one of them. ``Calm down, calm down,'' Taira tells him.

A woman asks her, ``Are you going to treat the Russians?''

``They will not be as kind to us,'' she replies. ``But I couldn't do otherwise. They are prisoners of war.''

Taira was a member of the Ukraine Invictus Games for military veterans, where she was set to compete in archery and swimming. Invictus said she was a military medic from 2018 to 2020 but had since been demobilized.

She received the body camera in 2021 to film for a Netflix documentary series on inspirational figures being produced by Britain's Prince Harry, who founded the Invictus Games. But when Russian forces invaded, she used it to shoot scenes of injured civilians and soldiers instead.

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The ninth meeting will be chaired by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

The EU attaches great importance to its relationship with Egypt as a key partner and regional player and underlines the strategic nature and potential of the partnership.

The plenary session will be devoted to a discussion on the developments and prospects of the association's agreement between the European Union and Egypt.

The EU-Egypt political dialogue will also touch on global and regional issues of shared interest.

The Association Council will endorse the new EU-Egypt partnership priorities document until 2027, which will guide the partnership between both parties.

The new priorities include responses to the coronavirus pandemic, health and vaccines production files, as well as social and green files.

New priority areas also include the economy's digitisation and various artificial intelligence domains, Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt Christian Berger said in October 2021.

On Wednesday, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU has allocated 100 million in immediate relief to encourage investments in Egypt's agricultural sector and secure the country's food needs during the global grain crisis that resulted from the Russian-Ukrainian War.
Egypts Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly will launch on Monday the seventh edition of the Builders of Egypt Forum to discuss Arab and African integration in implementing comprehensive development strategies amid global challenges.

The forum, which is the countrys largest of its kind in the construction sector, will see expanded participation of Egyptian, Arab, and African ministers in the sectors of housing, investment, and service sectors. A number of foreign ambassadors and heads of relevant federations and business organisations will also be among the attendees.

This is in addition to more than 500 executive officials representing mega contracting, real estate and energy companies as well as financial and banking institutions and investment funds.

The theme of this year's forum is centered around development and financing opportunities in Africa and Arab countries in light of global changes.

During the forum, the Arab and African delegations will discuss means of integrating their economies to better implement development strategies in light of global financial and economic developments and subsequent monetary measures. This is given these measures impact on the global economic growth in general and the comprehensive development plans in emerging markets in particular.

The forum seeks to discuss the challenges that face the construction and development sector and introduce proposals required to avoid the impacts of the global crisis and ensure the achievement of the hoped-for growth in this sector.

The delegations will review comprehensive development plans in Africa and the Arab region, present a chart for mega projects, and discuss continuing comprehensive development programs and construction projects amid the global economic disruptions.

Representatives of international financial institutions and heads of major banking entities will attend the forum to discuss joint funding mechanisms. They will also present their outlook on sustainable development and the agenda of new projects in Africa given the presence of promising investment opportunities.

The seventh edition of the forum seeks to expand discussions to include development projects in many African and Arab countries in the fields of industry, tourism, health and education.

This will contribute to providing new investment opportunities for Egyptian companies and enhancing the implementation of their expansion plans in these markets.

The forum will also discuss Egypts plan regarding green building and sustainable development to achieve the countrys 2030 strategy. This comes in light of Egypts hosting of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh this November.

The upcoming session of the forum comes within the framework of the Egyptian states tireless efforts to develop its relations with Arab and African surroundings and maximise integration among the African countries.

The forums seventh session will also seek to transfer Egypts pioneering experiences in the process of development linked to infrastructure, housing, energy, transportation and other projects.

Held since 2014, the Builders of Egypt Forum is the largest and most prestigious event in the contracting and construction sector in Egypt. The annual event seeks to improve investment atmosphere and develop mechanisms for implementing states national projects in this regard.

The forum is organised by the Egyptian Excellent Communications company, a subsidiary of the United Media Services (UMS), in cooperation with the African Federation for Construction Contractors Associations (AFCCA).

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China launched its third aircraft carrier on Friday, the domestically designed and built Fujian, state media reported, sending a statement of intent towards rival powers including the United States as it continues to modernize its military.

Champagne, colorful ribbons, water and smoke were used to celebrate the warship's launch and official naming at a ceremony at the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai.

Dozens of Chinese Navy personnel lined up in front of the ship and sang the national anthem at the ceremony, which was also attended by senior officials including Xu Qiliang, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.

The aircraft carrier features a full-length flight deck with a catapult launch system, according to state media.
He spoke as Russia continued its offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Ukraine's military said Friday the attacks continue in the key cities of Sloviansk and Sievierodonetsk. Russia and its allies say they control about half of Donetsk and nearly all of Luhansk, the two regions that make up the Donbas. Sievierodonetsk and surrounding villages are in the last part of Luhansk that Ukraine still holds.

He said the U.S. is trying to change "the course of history," and he accused the West of fanning anti-Russian sentiment and of "active military appropriation of Ukrainian territory."

"In the current situation, against a backdrop of increasing risks for us and threats, Russia's decision to conduct a special military operation was forced -- difficult, of course, but forced and necessary," Putin said.

Putin spoke Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he accused the West of "colonial arrogance" and trying to crush Russia with sanctions. Putin said the "special military operation" in Ukraine will continue, and he emphasized Russia's sovereignty and strength when faced with what he called "Western hostility."

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy applauded the European Commission's recommendation to grant Ukraine candidate status for European Union membership, while Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed the West, dismissed sanctions imposed on Moscow as "stupid," and said he has no problem with Ukraine joining the EU.

 Ukraine Joining EU?

The head of the European Union said Friday that Ukraine should be formally considered for candidate status. "We all know that Ukrainians are ready to die for the European perspective," said Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission's president. "We want them to live with us the European dream."

Early Friday, Zelenskyy tweeted that he commends the decision, adding, "It's the 1st step on the EU membership path that'll certainly bring our Victory closer."

The recommendation is the first step in the long process of becoming a member of the 27-nation bloc. EU leaders will meet later this month to consider the commission's recommendation. The commission also recommended candidacy for Moldova, though not for Georgia.

Putin said Friday he is not opposed to Ukraine joining the EU because, unlike NATO, the EU is not a military alliance. "We have nothing against it. It's their sovereign decision to join economic unions or not... It's their business, the business of the Ukrainian people," Putin said.

 Natural Gas Cuts

France is the latest country to be completely cut off from Russian natural gas. Moscow also has reduced supplies by half to Italy and Slovakia. Germany and Austria have also been hit. Europe gets about 40 percent of its gas from Russia.

The European nations are stockpiling their reserves to prepare for winter, as they use less gas during the summer. The EU wants its members to have their gas storage at 80 percent capacity, at least, by November. Russia previously cut off natural gas to Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, the Netherlands and Denmark.

 Americans Missing in Ukraine

President Joe Biden said Friday that he doesn't know the status of three Americans who are reportedly missing after volunteering to go to Ukraine to fight against the Russians. "We don't know where they are," he said. "Americans should not be going to Ukraine now. I'll say it again: Americans should not be going to Ukraine."

A photograph of two of the missing men on the back of a truck with their hands tied has appeared on Russian social media.

On Thursday, in an interview with the Associated Press, Biden said he's willing to pay a political price for his support for Ukraine. The United States imposed tough sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine, and gas prices have skyrocketed since.

Biden said he is making decisions as commander in chief and not as a politician. "I'm the president of the United States," he said. "It's not about my political survival. It's about what's best for the country." Biden said there could be chaos in Europe if Russia keeps moving deeper into the continent without being challenged.
Stress and depression are lowest in rural areas, but country dwellers are also more likely to smoke and become obese.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 28 percent of people in Seoul and 27.2 percent in other major cities are stressed, but that declines to 26.6 percent in towns with populations of less than 300,000 and 24 percent in rural communities. The agency surveyed 229,242 adults across the country.

The pattern is similar for depression. The proportion of people with longer periods of depression was 6.8 percent in Seoul and 7.2 percent in major cities but 6.2 percent in smaller towns and 5.9 percent in the countryside.

South Jeolla Province had the lowest stress levels with 23.7 percent, while Incheon had the highest with 29.5 percent. South Jeolla Province also had the lowest rate of depression at 5.1 percent and Incheon the highest at 8.8 percent.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 18, 2022 - 20:10 | All, Japan

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. will in July begin remote work as its new norm for around 30,000 of its domestic employees, treating attendance as a business trip and allowing for work and commute from anywhere in Japan, even by air, a source familiar with the matter said Saturday.

The telecom giant will have no limit set for transportation expenses and will pay for accommodations when employees commute to work after the company, like many other firms, has introduced different working styles as part of measures against the coronavirus pandemic, the source said.

The new plan is part of the company's efforts to retain a talented workforce in the face of labor shortages by offering a flexible working environment. Some other Japanese companies are also introducing diversified working styles.

Flea market app operator Mercari Inc. and portal site operator Yahoo Japan Corp. launched similar schemes, allowing their employees to live and work anywhere in the country.

Still, some major companies are pushing for employees back to the office. Tesla Inc. chief executive Elon Musk said in an email to administrative staff that he wants office workers to return to the office for a minimum 40-hour workweek or be fired.

Honda Motor Co. and e-commerce giant Rakuten Group Inc. also reportedly discontinued or reduced teleworking days, reflecting an improvement in the pandemic.

NTT employs about 180,000 people in Japan, of which 30,000 will be eligible for the new scheme. The telecom company has said it is considering allowing all 320,000 employees of the NTT group worldwide to work remotely.

NTT plans to begin decentralizing its headquarters and management departments from the capital to core cities in regional areas by next April and increase the number of its satellite offices from the some 400 it currently has.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 18, 2022 - 23:16 | All, Japan

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Saturday that monetary policy should be decided "comprehensively," not just to address the yen's recent slide.

The comment signals the premier's support for the Bank of Japan's decision Friday to maintain its ultraeasy monetary policy, even as the approach could weaken the yen further and raise the costs of imported products.

In an online debate of party leaders held ahead of the July 10 upper house election, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Kenta Izumi said the central bank should change the policy to keep the Japanese currency from falling further after it tumbled to 24-year lows recently against the U.S. dollar.

"While a monetary policy affects foreign exchange, it also has a major impact on the burden of interest payments by small- and medium-sized enterprises," said Kishida, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, adding, "It must be decided comprehensively."

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Bank of Japan maintains ultralow rate policy, diverges further from peers

The debate was held among nine party heads as Japan's regular parliamentary session ended Wednesday, effectively marking the start of campaigning for the House of Councillors election at a time when the country faces a weaker yen and rising prices exacerbated by the Russian war in Ukraine. The official campaigning is set to begin Wednesday.

On Friday, the BOJ decided to maintain short-term interest rates at minus 0.1 percent and continue guiding 10-year Japanese government bond yields around zero percent, unfazed by the prospect of further yen weakness as it lags far behind major peers, who are forging ahead with rate hikes to fight inflation.

As the debate session highlighted the LDP's plan to revise Japan's pacifist Constitution, including a mention of the Self-Defense Forces, Kishida said such changes should be made swiftly but did not specify a deadline.

"We must create an occasion for the people to make their choice without taking too much time," said Kishida, adding it is important to include the SDF in the Constitution to put an end to the debate on whether they are Constitutional or not.

Ichiro Matsui, leader of the Japan Innovation Party, urged Kishida to set a specific timeline for revising the Constitution.

Regarding the consumption tax, Kazuo Shii, head of the Japanese Communist Party, called for lowering it to 5 percent to prop up consumer spending amid price increases.

Reiwa Shinsengumi's leader, Taro Yamamoto, said the tax should be scrapped, while the Social Democratic Party's Mizuho Fukushima said it should be paused for three years.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 18, 2022 - 02:30 | All, Japan

Seven Russian warships passed near the Izu Islands south of Tokyo this week, the Defense Ministry said Friday, as Japan is on alert over increasing military activity by Russia and China near its territory.

The vessels, which had sailed southward off Hokkaido in the Pacific Ocean, were spotted in the sea near uninhabited islets of the Izu Islands from Thursday into Friday, marking the first instance of Russian warship navigation in the area since last October. At that time, a total of 10 warships from China and Russia passed through while circumnavigating the Japanese archipelago.

According to the Joint Staff, vessels and patrol aircraft of the Maritime Self-Defense Force monitored the movements of the Russian warships.

The Russian ships were spotted on Thursday morning at a location 180 kilometers southeast of the eastern tip of the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo.

The Joint Staff also revealed that two Chinese missile destroyers sailed in the Sea of Japan after passing the Tsushima Strait off Kyushu, and went through the Soya Strait into the Okhotsk Sea.
Photo taken on Feb. 21, 2022 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The United States should drop its stealthy cyberespionage and vicious cyber suppression immediately, stop oppressing other countries in the name of "national security," and take a professional, responsible and cooperative attitude towards cybersecurity.

BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States is proven once more to be the top empire of hackers in the world and the gravest threat to global cybersecurity.

A recent report by information security media anzerclub.com revealed that the United States has been working with its "Five Eyes" allies and a few European countries to conduct secret data stealing operations worldwide, and that Washington has commanded U.S. Internet companies to develop weapons to attack Chinese telecom equipment. Those acts have again laid bare America's dirty motive to perpetuate its cyber hegemony.

For those politicians in Washington, to control global networks for good and facilitate its own cyber espionage activities require America's absolute technological primacy in the world, and brook no technological advances achieved by other countries. Therefore, it has been ruthlessly churning out slanders against foreign telecom and tech companies, touting the concept of "national security," and abusing its state power to bring down certain outperforming foreign enterprises.

Perhaps one of the most vital pieces of evidence is Washington's fanatic witch-hunt against China. In recent years, the White House has been not only closely monitoring and blatantly suppressing Chinese telecom and tech companies, but also forcing other countries to block Chinese technologies, so as to gratify its own technological bullying and protectionist impulses.

A woman listens to a debate at Huawei Cyber Security Transparency Centre in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

For example, Washington has repeatedly oppressed and sanctioned Huawei under the cloak of "national security." But its trumped-up charges against the leading Chinese 5G equipment provider have crumbled in the face of facts.

There has never been a single cybersecurity incident involving Huawei products, nor a single tapping or surveillance operation. And not a single country has produced evidence of any backdoor in Huawei products.

A 2019 report by German daily Der Tagesspiegel said that after years of review, the British government, Germany's Federal Office for Information Security and the European Commission have all failed to find any backdoor in Huawei, but instead have found 10 backdoors in U.S. networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. since 2013.

Der Tagesspiegel was not the only one bringing to light America's dirty work of cyber stealing, spying and surveillance. U.S. media coverage showed that starting from the 1970s and by utilizing its control over Crypto AG, a Swiss company that sold encryption devices, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has stolen confidential information from more than 120 countries by decrypting messages sent through Crypto AG devices.

In his book "The Chip Trap," Marc Lassus, key founder of French smart card producer Gemplus, has chosen to speak out and reveal how the U.S. security services persecuted him and seized control of his tech firm to collect information and eavesdrop on the rest of the world.

The exposure of U.S. cyber espionage activities from PRISM over Equation Group to ECHELON, as well as the revelation that U.S. spy agencies run a 24/7 surveillance of cellphones and computers worldwide and have even eavesdropped on leaders of U.S. allies for years, have all pointed to nothing but the modus operandi of a hacker state.

Besides, to further exploit the Internet in its unremitting pursuit of global hegemony, the United States has been obsessed with the militarization of cyberspace and weaponization of network technologies.

All those wicked acts, which flagrantly violate international law and the basic norms of international relations, have prompted outrage in the international community, including among U.S. allies. For instance, both French President Emmanuel Macron and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel have called Washington's eavesdropping activities "unacceptable."

What is done by night, appears by day. The United States should wake up to that, drop its stealthy cyberespionage and vicious cyber suppression immediately, stop oppressing other countries in the name of "national security," and take a professional, responsible and cooperative attitude towards cybersecurity. 
Friday marks the the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. China, a country troubled by serious soil erosion, land desertification and soil salinization, has made headway in combating desertification.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, June 17, 2022.

The European Commission recommended that Ukraine and Moldova should be granted candidate status for accession to the European Union (EU), said its president Ursula von der Leyen on Friday. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

BRUSSELS, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission recommended that Ukraine and Moldova should be granted candidate status for accession to the European Union (EU), said its president Ursula von der Leyen on Friday.

Georgia still has some progress to make before being granted candidate status, but is on the right track, according to von der Leyen.

"Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia share the strong and legitimate aspiration of joining the European Union. Today, we are sending them a clear signal of support in their aspirations, even as they face challenging circumstances," she said.

The College of the European Commission met on Friday morning to issue an opinion on whether Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia should be granted the European Perspective and candidate status for EU accession, at the demand of the European Council.

The council will then make its decision on the three countries' applications on June 23-24.

Ukraine's decision to start the procedure to enter the EU was fast-tracked when the Russia-Ukraine conflict started on Feb. 24. The country handed in its application on Feb. 28. Moldova and Georgia applied for EU membership on March 3.

The European Commission's opinion is based on three criteria -- political criteria, economic criteria, and the ability of the country to assume the obligations of EU membership.

"Our partner countries should already start working to deliver on their side on the key reforms outlined in our recommendation. This is crucial in order for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to move ahead on their EU path," explained Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement.

Areas of improvement for all three countries include reform of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and money laundering, limiting the influence of oligarchs, aligning with EU media law, and protection of minorities.

Moldova and Georgia also have to work on the fight against organized crime, well-functioning state institutions and the involvement of civil society, among other things.

Georgia's request to be granted candidate status will be re-examined at a later stage when further reforms will have been made.

Candidate status is the first step in the long road to becoming an EU member state. The next step is the opening of formal accession talks, a step which again requires the approval of all EU member countries. However, a candidate or in accession negotiations does not guarantee EU membership. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, June 17, 2022.

The European Commission recommended that Ukraine and Moldova should be granted candidate status for accession to the European Union (EU), said its president Ursula von der Leyen on Friday. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
Popular treatments (and scholarly discourse, too) rely far too much on dictionary definitions. Languages divide up the available colour palette in different ways. A colour term in one language does not necessarily correspond to a single term in another language. This is totally normal. It happens in modern languages too, and it has nothing to do with the physiology of the eye or the optic nerve. So a translation that works in one situation wont work in others. Basically, for the purposes of scholarship, never translate colour terms. Because of the reliance on dictionary definitions, 19th-20th century discussions often take an essentialist view, that theres something real and objective about linguistic labels for colours. Historically, this view goes back to Isaac Newtons canon of seven primary colours  ROY G. BIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).

No word for blue? Homer would have called Alexis Tsipras jacket kyaneos. The shirt is glaukos. The catch is, Tsipras hair is kyaneos too.

More specifically: yes, you can say blue in ancient Greek. More precisely, Greek has words for the area of the colour palette that English calls blue. But English blue covers a huge region of the palette. Greek splits it into multiple smaller regions: glaukos for lighter, non-vivid shades; kyaneos for darker non-vivid shades ranging to black; porphyreos for vivid shades ranging from blue to violet to ruby, but also for less vivid shades in the middle of that range (light magenta, pink); lampros for metallic-silvery-azure. Yes, ancient sources do mention sky colour: its glaukos or lampros. Its just that Homer doesnt mention the skys colour (and why would he). For example: Cornutus, Compendium 10.18-20, compares sky colour to olive-tree foliage, because both are glaukos: glaukos covers a much larger area of the palette than azure does. But Homer does refer to kyaneos clouds, and glaukos eyes and sea. Its often claimed that ancient Greek colour distinctions are based mainly on brightness. Well, its true that Homer mentions dark red, brown, black (melas) much more often than most other colours. And its true that brightness and saturation matter for some colour terms. But the same is true of English. Pink, brown, and olive are low-saturation or low-brightness versions of red, orange, and yellow; then theres azure, navy, crimson, scarlet, lime, indigo, and so on. Dont take it for granted that theres something methodologically different about how ancient Greek organises its colour terms, just because one individual (Aristotle) happened to like sorting by brightness.

Methodology

properly, dark-blue, glossy-blue, of a serpents iridescent hues ... (Iliad 11.26, 38, Hesiodic Shield 167); of the swallow, Simonides 21; of the halcyon, Aristotle HA 9.14.1; of the skin of the porpoise, Aristotle HA 6.12.3; of the deep sea, Simonides 18, Euripides IT 7; ... 2. generally, dark, black, of the mourning veil of Thetis ...; of clouds ...; of the brows of Zeus ... of the hair of Hector ...

A lampros car

Different languages, different boundaries

Colour palette in the Windows programme Paint.NET, with HSV selectors in the red box

A selection of ancient Greek colour terms, plotted on the colour palette based on lexical usage and a healthy dose of guesstimation. Note that this wheel is only one slice of the available range: the full palette would have a third dimension extending from white (maximum value) to black. Kyaneos extends to lower values all the way down to black (it gets used of hair and Ethiopian skin), and glaukos is also frequently a bit darker than this (the colour of olives or vine leaves). At their darkest shades, kyaneos and melas represent black approached from opposite sides of the wheel: in some passages of ancient texts they appear as synonyms. Some caveats: Ive left out plenty of terms here (prasinos, ochros, etc.). Plus, this is at best an approximation, at worst guesstimation, so allow plenty of room for corrections  not to mention disagreement between ancient sources.

Saliency  related to how we as humans are programmed to perceive colours. For example, if we are hardwired to detect redness as a matter of urgency, then red will be much more universal than other colours.

 related to how we as humans are programmed to perceive colours. For example, if we are hardwired to detect redness as a matter of urgency, then red will be much more universal than other colours. Colour event  the subjective experience of colour, including the context in which it is seen (relative vividness, lighting, etc.) and its cultural meaning.

 the subjective experience of colour, including the context in which it is seen (relative vividness, lighting, etc.) and its cultural meaning. Glitter effect and material  scattering and textural effects resulting from the type of surface being observed. She cites porphyreos as a key example, in reference to things like the shimmering of pigeon neck-feathers. Id suggest aithops as another.

Gladstone, Newton, and others

Now we must at once be struck with the poverty of the list which has just been given, upon comparing it with our own list of primary colours, which has been determined for us by Nature, and which is as follows:

Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Indigo. Violet.

Newtons colour wheel. Left: Newton 1704, fig. 11. Right: a corrected version that actually follows Newtons specifications (indigo is supposed to be the only segment thats much narrower than the others; 1704: 114).

The Homeric Greeks had not yet learned to think in abstract terms. What is colour? is a question they would never have formulated, let alone been able to answer. (p. 22)



... bright [], not strictly a colour term at all ... (p. 25)



... if  is yellow, then [Aristotle] lacked a particular term for orange. (p. 26)

Metaphor

   

   

 



Unanimously you must concede

to adorn Achilles grave

with chloros blood

 -

  ,   

 ,    

   .



(Delos,) the broad earths

immoveable wonder. To mortals, its called

Delos; to the blessed ones on Olympus,

the far-visible star of the kyaneos earth.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

This does not mean that we cant physically perceive the full gamut of colours, but that we do perceive them differently depending on the words that we hold to describe them.

References

Durbeck, H. 1977. Zur Charakteristik der griechischen Farbenbezeichnungen . Habelts Dissertationsdrucke, kl. Phil. 27 (Bonn).

. Habelts Dissertationsdrucke, kl. Phil. 27 (Bonn). Funke, M. 2018. Colourblind: the use of Greek colour terminology in cultural linguistics in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In: Varto, E. (ed.) Brills companion to classics and early anthropology . Brill. 255-276.

. Brill. 255-276. Gladstone, W. E. 1858. Homers perceptions and use of colour. In: Studies on Homer and the Homeric age , vol. 3 of 3. The University Press (Oxford). 457-499.

, vol. 3 of 3. The University Press (Oxford). 457-499. Goethe, J. W. von 1810. Erste Abtheilung. Griechen. In: Zur Farbenlehre , vol. 2 of 2. J. G. Cottaschen Buchhandlung (Tubingen). 1-59. (= 1879. Goethes Werke , vol. 36. Gustav Hempel (Berlin). 10-47; = html text version).

, vol. 2 of 2. J. G. Cottaschen Buchhandlung (Tubingen). 1-59. (= 1879. , vol. 36. Gustav Hempel (Berlin). 10-47; = html text version). He, H., et al. 2019. Language and color perception: evidence from Mongolian and Chinese speakers. Frontiers in psychology 14 Mar. 2019, 10:551.

14 Mar. 2019, 10:551. Irwin, E. 1974. Colour terms in Greek poetry . Hakkert (Toronto).

. Hakkert (Toronto). Newton, I. 1704. Opticks: or, a treatise of the reflexions, refractions, inflexions and colours of light . Sam. Smith and Benj. Walford (London). (Archive.org copy)

. Sam. Smith and Benj. Walford (London). (Archive.org copy) Sassi, M. M. 2017. The sea was never blue. Aeon.co.

When people want to talk about how language affects colours, ancient Greece is a handy thing to point at. Fundamental errors pop up again and again, though.I have covered colour terms in Homer previously: (1) The bronze sky (2) The wine-dark sea , both from January 2016. I feel the need for an update: The second one had a bit too much speculation in its last section, and a topic thats under such a constant barrage of misinformation and confusion ( 1 6 ) is always worth revisiting.We cant interview ancient Greek people, and we cant conduct experiments to see where they would draw colour boundaries on a Munsell array. We have to rely on found evidence.This doesmean looking at colour terms in translations of ancient texts, or even in a dictionary. See point 1 above. Translation is not one-to-one.Dictionaries can help. But they arent evidence, theyre tools. Take for example the LSJ entry for kyaneos (1889 New York edition, with some modernisation):And so on. The entry gives the impression that theres no single correct translation, and rightly so, and it lists a bunch of ancient sources as evidence (Ive omitted most of them here). From there, we can do a lexical survey and look at the kinds of objects and surfaces that are called; we can actually look at the sources, and expand beyond the ones that LSJ list; we can look at the context in the sources  metaphors, connotations, implied lighting conditions, and so on.Even then, a dictionary is still just a tool, not an authority. Lexicographers may have their own biases about how colour works. Plato, 68b-c , treatsas a colour, but if you look at the LSJ entry youll see no sign of that.Yes, thats partly becauseusually denotes brightness. But its also partly because we dont have a single word for metallic silver with a blue tint in English. We really ought to, though, considering how often we see that colour. Like, for example, in the sky.(Yes, I went there. An ancient Greek might well complain that modern English has no word for sky colour!)Translation is not one-to-one. Lets illustrate: take ground and floor. English-speakers are comfortable with the distinction between them. But in German theres one word for both,. If youre translating German-to-English and you come across, yougive the correct English equivalent unless you know the context: you have to know whether theis indoors or outdoors.Similarly with colour terms. Germanandhave no exact equivalents in English; English crimson and chartreuse have no exact equivalents in German. That doesnt mean they cant be translated! If you know the context, you can come up with a workaround. English lilac and violet, are light shades ofis more general. Similarlycovers English magenta, but it also includes royal purple and the red of a toadstool. Similar things apply to English crimson and chartreuse.(light green) is the dictionary rendering of chartreuse, but the English word is normally about halfway between yellow and green.What about ancient Greek? Well, think of your favourite image editor, and its colour picker:Outlined are the controls for three parameters which define the physical parameters of any colour uniquely. Hue for the part of the spectrum the colour falls on; saturation for the range from grey to vivid; and value for lightness-darkness. (When Albert Munsell devised this system in the early 1900s he used chroma, not saturation.) In the colour circle at the left, the direction from the centre represents hue, and distance from the centre is saturation. It leaves out value: that would be a third dimension, extending from white to black.Each colour term refers to a region of the palette. But theof that region is arbitrary  to an extent, at least. There are non-linguistic constraints: the typical human eye has receptors for three colours, and that biases our colour perception ability; evolved cognitive traits may well give a higher priority to red, as a critical colour. But outside those biases, different languages may well assign colour terms to regions of different shapes and with different boundaries.Most English speakers would be comfortable using blue to refer to all of the top left quarter of the circle. But we wouldnt feel nearly as comfortable grouping all of the bottom right quarter under a single term.In ancient Greek, by contrast, colour term usage suggests thatcould cover at least a full quarter of the circle, not just purple. If you take non-vivid hues on the left and lower-left of the circle, and extend it to darker values as well, thats. The top left, in a narrower band than English blue, is, again weighted towards darker values. All of the bottom part of the circle would beSome terms do have tidy equivalents in English:is red,is white. But others arent nearly as easy. For them, to translate them correctly, you have to know the context.There are other parameters too. Hue, saturation, and value represent only the physical characteristics of coloured light. English terms like navy and pastel, and qualifiers like vivid and violent, carry connotations of a colour being vivid or washed out. Maria Michela Sassi, a scholar of ancient philosophy, identifies three other parameters as significant in Greek colour terms (2017):Sassi is absolutely correct that these are all important., for example, has a specular quality that cant be conveyed by a single point on the Munsell spectrum. There are languages where parameters like these are even more important. But today, I think, we can afford to take a simplified approach: we can still convey the problems with how ancient colour terms are represented, while sticking to Munsells parameters.The main point to hammer home (and the Munsell spectrum is enough to make that point) is that English colour terms are neither more nor less arbitrary than ancient Greek. Theres no reason to treat blue as an objectively defined region on the palette, any more than there is with GreekWilliam Gladstone, the 19th century British politician and Prime Minister, is often credited as the source of the idea that Homer had no word for blue. Sometimes hes even said to have claimed that ancient Greek as a whole didnt have blue. As weve seen, thats false. But Gladstone isnt totally guilty of creating the myth. (Ive also seen it credited to Goethe: hes completely innocent.)Gladstone does make a starkly racist declaration that ancient colour systems are less mature than contemporary English. He refers to the paucity of [Homers] colours ( 1858: 457-458 ), at the same time as producing long lists of them. And he points out (correctly) that Homer never applies a colour term to the sky ( 483 ). But he never says, There is no word for blue. (In one place he writes of three English colour terms that dont have exact counterparts in Homer, and mistakenly writes violet for blue: 459 , line 6 from bottom. Even if he had written blue, as he obviously meant to, hed still be wrong.)Be that as it may, Gladstones assumptions are. Hes an essentialist through and through. He assumes in advance that there are seven primary colours  the seven of Newtons canon  and that theres something universal about them. He lists eight colour terms that appear in Homer, then carries on ( 1858: 459 ):He adds white and black to these, then asserts that four of the Greek ones are equivalent to four of the English ones. On the next page he grudgingly adds another 13 Greek terms, and proclaims that they have very slight claims indeed to be treated as adjectives of definite colour. He doesnt give any reasoning, but its clear enough. Many of them he takes as synonyms for glittering, shiny or gloomy; several are comparisons, like rose-coloured or marbled; and two,and, absolutely are colour terms, but Gladstone excludes them simply because they dont line up with Newtons seven.Gladstones overconfidence in the objectivity of English terms comes partly from Isaac Newtons materialist approach. Newton (1704) studies the splitting of white light into component colours, the relationship between different coloured light and different refractive properties. The quantifiable nature of refraction gives the impression that everything he says is objective. And for the bits about refraction, thats fine. But when we start adding on linguistic boundaries, as if theyre as real as the refractive indices, then there are going to be problems.Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1810) criticised Newton too, but his critique wasnt linguistic: it was more about the idea that refractive indices exhaust the nature of colour. We could say that Goethes understanding of colour was phenomenological: he preferred to understand colour in terms of qualia  irreduceable atoms of experientiality. Even today, qualia still pose problems for philosophers of mind. Personally, I think the more insidious problem is translation between languages. (Not that I subscribe to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis  dont go thinking that!)Goethe is the most influential authority for the notion that ancient Greek colour terms are mainly about brightness. Gladstone certainly inherited that. So does Eleanor Irwin, in her study of colour terms in Greek poetry (1974). But the notion is much too reductionist. Early Greek philosophers are partly to blame too. Some of them tried to reduce everything in the cosmos to a single element, and hand in hand with that, thinkers like Theophrastus and Aristotle tried to reduce all colours to a simplistic dualism (Theophr.. 59; Arist.. 439a-440b; see Irwin 1974: 22-27).But that kind of dualism is just what happens if youre too reductionist. If youre a 19th century scholar and you use black, dark to translate all of, and; bright, shining for, and; and grey for, and well, dont be surprised if you come away thinking there isnt much variety in Greek colour terms.Irwins study is an improvement, with an awareness of Munsell coordinates. She gives a review of scholarship from the 1700s to her own time. But she still succumbs to an awful lot of the older essentialism. On one level, shes aware that Greek colour terms have a range of potential translations. But she still persists in pinning Greek words to a single English word. And, Im afraid, she inherits a lot of Gladstones ethnocentrism.I dont know of any general treatments of Greek colour terminology in the last 40 years. The most recenttreatment, according to a 1982 review , is a 1977 Erlangen dissertation written by Helmut Durbeck. Unfortunately its somewhat difficult to get hold of. I havent read it, and there are no copies in my country. We could do with a major update, published by a major publishing house.Funke 2018.Irwin does at least show some willingness to allow that colour terms are sometimes metaphorical ... sometimes. We find  lily-white used of sound in Homer and Hesiod, and if we refuse to call it a metaphor ... (pp. 27-28). Why would we refuse to call it a metaphor, though? Im guessing because Irwin was trained not to apply a modern concept to ancient poetry, on the grounds that that would be an anachronism. But just because metaphor wasnt widespread as a literary term, that doesnt mean it didnt exist  any more than blue didnt exist. Nowadays, in the 21st century, its harder to imagine why anyone would ever refuse to admit the possibility of metaphor in ancient poetry.Some of the most troubling uses of colour terms in Greek  troubling to those who conclude that the ancients must have been physiologically different, or something like that  can easily be explained as metaphor. Take the green blood in Euripides,126-127:Gladstone admits that this cant be literally green blood, but green in the metaphorical sense of fresh, new  though, like Irwin, he too avoids the word metaphor. But Gladstones words betray a bias. He doesnt credit Euripides for an ingenious oxymoron. Instead, he treats the line as an infelicity, and blames it on a deficiency in the ancient Greek colour sense ( 1858: 492 : When the epithet [] could be thus used, colour could be only very carelessly and faintly expressed in [ancient Greek] minds).Similar things apply to Homers bronze sky and Pindars blue earth. Bronze was never a colour term. Bronze sky, iron earth is standard 7th-century-BCE imagery, with connotations of being harsh and unyielding: the same image appears in Assyrian and Hebrew texts of the same period (see my piece from 2016 ). And Pindar (fr. 33e.3-6) On one levelis used here as a synonym for, in the familiar formula black earth. Apparently thats enough to justify usingin a metaphorical sense. At the same time, we dont know what the flavour of Pindars metaphor is: maybe its related to the idea that Delos is born from the dim-blue sea, maybe its something to do with religion, we just dont know. Plenty of metaphors are lost on us now. Homers wine-looking sea is one of them. There are plenty of theories as to what metaphors like that mean, but often theres no clear winner.Lets end with a mention of Sapir-Whorf. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is that linguistic categories have an effect on cognition.In connection with colours, the idea would be that if the ancient Greeks didnt have a word for blue  which, as weve seen, isnt true in any sensible way  then that would mean they werent even able to conceive of the colour blue. In some popular accounts, this might even mean that they were unable tothe colour blue!This is, of course, bollocks. It would make about as much sense if someone were to say: Greek has a word,, which denotes the colour of a clear sky and vine leaves, and modern English doesnt, so that must mean that English-speakers cant even perceive the colour of the sky or of vine leaves!Strong Sapir-Whorf is nonsense, and all cognitive scientists know that.Much, much weaker forms of the hypothesis are still being explored, though. For example, one recent study of the effects of colour terminology on speakers of Mandarin and Mongolian (He et al. 2019) suggests that, while different linguistic boundaries between colour terms have no noticeable effect on peoplesto recognise and categorise colours, they do have an effect on theat which people sort colours. And, moreover, the study finds that this effect is linked to verbal working memory: that supports the idea that language is involved in some parts of cognitive processing.But that doesnt mean that the way you see colour depends on what language you speak, as a 2018 article input it. That title was so misleading that the authors had to step into the comments and try to explain what they meant. But their explanations didnt exactly clear things up Perceive them differently is very, very vague. It doesnt need to be as vague as that. Language hason cognitive processing of colour: thats clear, and it isnt difficult to explain. But we perceive them differently is a gigantic overstatement. It implies that theres something incommunicable about colour terms in different languages. It begs the question, in other words. It takes qualia for granted. And it does so before even starting to explore whether we really ought to be talking about ineffable qualia. Its much more precise to say only what is meant: that were talking about how fast people can sort colours, and how this is affected by language.
* As China is bringing its economy back onto a path of stable growth, global investors and international economists have adopted a more bullish outlook for the Chinese economy, casting a vote of confidence in the world's economic thruster.

* To cope with the challenges and shore up growth, China's policymakers have rolled out a package of targeted measures, while resolutely pushing forward its dynamic zero-COVID approach to containing the pandemic.

* As one of the few bright spots amid a gloomy global economic landscape, the Chinese economy has won a vote of confidence from global investors and economists with its extraordinary resilience and robust momentum.

BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- A series of recently-released economic barometers indicate that the Chinese economy has bounced back after having weathered shocks of the latest COVID-19 resurgence, revealing resilience and certainty in the still faltering global recovery.

"Overall, China's economy has gradually overcome the negative impact of the epidemic and showed a momentum of recovery," Fu Linghui, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, said when speaking of China's recent economic performance.

As China is bringing its economy back onto a path of stable growth, global investors and international economists have adopted a more bullish outlook for the Chinese economy, casting a vote of confidence in the world's economic thruster.

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 26, 2022 shows a cargo vessel at Rizhao Port in Rizhao, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)





TEMPORARY SHOCKWAVES & TARGETED MEASURES

Earlier this year, as the COVID-19 resurgence weighed on some cities like Shanghai, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues casting a shadow over the world economy, China has encountered some economic headwinds.

In April, China's surveyed urban unemployment rate was 6.1 percent, up 0.3 percentage point from March. Retail sales of consumer goods went down 0.2 percent year on year in the January-April period. Its property market took a hit. Some small and medium-sized companies were confronted with difficulties.

Speaking of these temporary shockwaves, Liao Tianshu, chairman of BCG Greater China, told Xinhua that for all the challenges and risks, China's economic growth during this period of time was still in line with expectations.

"Although downward pressure has increased, the impacts are short-lived and external," she added.

A worker operates on the production line at a textile company in Nanmo Township of Hai'an City, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 28, 2022. (Photo by Zhai Huiyong/Xinhua)

To cope with the challenges and shore up growth, China's policymakers have rolled out a package of targeted measures, while resolutely pushing forward its dynamic zero-COVID approach to containing the pandemic.

With multi-pronged fiscal measures in tax and fee cuts, public budget expenditure and bond issuance, China has managed to galvanize its economic activities and spur domestic demand.

Moreover, as part of its efforts to promote the dual circulation strategy and high-quality development, it has accelerated the establishment of a unified domestic market, deepened reform and opening-up across the board, and continued innovation-driven development.

Despite downside risks, China has the policy space and capacity to respond to economic shocks, World Bank East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Aaditya Mattoo said in a recent interview with Xinhua.





ROBUST BOUNCEBACK & RIPPLE BENEFITS

All the efforts and costs have started to pay off. The recent data from the Chinese government showed that the Chinese economy is experiencing a robust bounceback after the country has once again brought the COVID-19 pandemic largely under control.

China's foreign trade rebounded in May. Its total imports and exports went up 9.6 percent year on year to 3.45 trillion yuan (510 billion U.S. dollars) last month on top of April's 0.1-percent expansion, official data showed.

In the first five months of 2022, the country's foreign trade volume gained 8.3 percent year on year to 16.04 trillion yuan (2.39 trillion dollars), outpacing the 7.9-percent growth in the January-April period, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

A container of China Railway Express is seen at the Csepel Freeport Logistics Park in Budapest, Hungary on April 12, 2022. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

Official data also showed that China's value-added industrial output rose 0.7 percent year on year in May, reversing the 2.9 percent decline in April, an encouraging sign that factory activity rebounded amid work resumption.

"China is the world's largest manufacturer with the most comprehensive and resilient supply chain system, which has helped China's economy recover rapidly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Jerry Zhang, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank (China).

"This shows not only the incredible resilience of the Chinese economy, but also the wisdom of the Chinese leadership to open the way for the Chinese economy under difficult conditions," Mladen Vedris, a professor of economics at the University of Zagreb, told Xinhua.

China's growth has also injected a strong dose of vitality into global trade and growth in other parts of the world.

Once China succeeds in dealing with the "near-term headwinds in terms of COVID" and others, Gita Gopinath, the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said, "of course, it will remain as one of the important engines of growth."





VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FROM AROUND THE WORLD

As one of the few bright spots amid a gloomy global economic landscape, the Chinese economy has won a vote of confidence from global investors and economists with its extraordinary resilience and robust momentum.

"Global investors are returning to China's stock markets," the British newspaper Financial Times (FT) argued in a report earlier this month, adding that "now some international money managers are betting that the worst is over."

"It's a good time to come back to the market, on a relative and absolute basis," Vincent Mortier, chief investment officer at Amundi Asset Management, was quoted as saying in the FT report.

A ship is loaded with electric cars produced by U.S. automaker Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory, before leaving for Slovenia from a port in east China's Shanghai, May 11, 2022. (Xinhua)

Echoing such a bullish sentiment, Bloomberg recently reported that Chinese travel and spending have started to improve as China has gradually brought the COVID-19 resurgence under control, which suggests that a recovery of the Chinese economy "is underway."

Quoting economists at Citigroup Inc., the report said that analysts expect that progress of the recovery to accelerate from June onward.

Global investors are increasing their bets on the Chinese market.

"We are continuing to build our business in China," Noel Quinn, group chief executive of HSBC, told Xinhua, stressing that the Chinese economy shows resilience and long-term growth potential.

Between 2020 and 2025, HSBC, one of the world's leading financial institutions, expects to invest more than 3 billion yuan (447 million dollars) in China, Quinn told Xinhua.

"We have increased our allocation to Chinese equities," Stephane Monier, chief investment officer at private bank Lombard Odier, was quoted as saying by FT, noting that they have backed away from other emerging markets and reallocated to China.

These banks' vote of confidence in China is not uncommon. Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 22.6 percent year on year to 87.77 billion dollars in the first five months of the year.

The worst period of the recent COVID-19 outbreak may have ended, Robin Xing, chief China economist with Morgan Stanley, said, adding that the following recovery trajectory will more likely be a U-shaped one. (Video editors: Liu Ruoshi, Yin Le, Zhu Cong) 
Rescuers evacuate flood-affected villagers in Hojai district of India's northeastern state of Assam, June 18, 2022. Floods in two northeastern states of India, Assam and Meghalaya, have killed 32 people in the past two days, officials said Saturday. (Str/Xinhua)

NEW DELHI, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Floods in two northeastern states of India, Assam and Meghalaya, have killed 32 people in the past two days, officials said Saturday.

According to an Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) bulletin, 13 people were killed in the state, while over 1.8 million people were affected by the ongoing flooding in 28 districts.

Officials at the State Disaster Management Authority of Meghalaya (SDMAM) said 19 people were killed in the state in two days.

"Fourteen people, including a six-month-old infant, died in the rain-induced floods and landslides in the state on Friday, thus taking the death toll in the past two days to 19," an official of SDMAM said.

The flooding has affected nearly 3,000 villages in Assam and 108,104 people are taking shelter in relief camps.

Officials said water has inundated 43,338 hectares of cropland and damaged crops. Several embankments, culverts and roads have been damaged.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday talked to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to enquire about the flood situation and assured all help from the federal government. 

Rescuers evacuate flood-affected villagers in Hojai district of India's northeastern state of Assam, June 18, 2022. Floods in two northeastern states of India, Assam and Meghalaya, have killed 32 people in the past two days, officials said Saturday. (Str/Xinhua)

Villagers move from a flood affected area to a safer place in Hojai district of India's northeastern state of Assam, June 18, 2022. Floods in two northeastern states of India, Assam and Meghalaya, have killed 32 people in the past two days, officials said Saturday. (Str/Xinhua)

A Villager wades through a flooded road in Hojai district of India's northeastern state of Assam, June 18, 2022. Floods in two northeastern states of India, Assam and Meghalaya, have killed 32 people in the past two days, officials said Saturday. (Str/Xinhua)

Villagers row boats to a safer place in Hojai district of India's northeastern state of Assam, June 18, 2022. Floods in two northeastern states of India, Assam and Meghalaya, have killed 32 people in the past two days, officials said Saturday. (Str/Xinhua)

Flood-affected villagers arrive at a safer place by boat in Hojai district of India's northeastern state of Assam, June 18, 2022. Floods in two northeastern states of India, Assam and Meghalaya, have killed 32 people in the past two days, officials said Saturday. (Str/Xinhua)
Photo taken on June 15, 2022 shows a view of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva, Switzerland. (WTO/Handout via Xinhua)

The agreement to curb fisheries subsidies is only the second multilateral accord on global trading rules struck in the WTO's 27-year history. It aims to ban subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing or fishing of an overfished stock and could have the potential to reverse collapsing fish stocks.

by Martina Fuchs

GENEVA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International on Friday welcomed the agreement by the World Trade Organization (WTO) members to curb harmful fisheries subsidies that drive overfishing and for which the environmental group has been working for more than two decades.

WTO members concluded the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) here on Friday, securing what Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called "unprecedented" trade deals on fisheries subsidies, a partial waiver of intellectual property (IP) rights for COVID-19 vaccines, food safety and agriculture, and WTO reform.

The World Trade Organization's (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (L) speaks at the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva, Switzerland, June 15, 2022. (WTO/Handout via Xinhua)

The agreement to curb fisheries subsidies is only the second multilateral accord on global trading rules struck in the WTO's 27-year history. It aims to ban subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing or fishing of an overfished stock and could have the potential to reverse collapsing fish stocks.

While the fisheries trade deal is significant, the WWF urged members to continue to work toward a global framework for fisheries that emphasizes "equity, sustainable development and resilience-building for both people and nature."

"These practices, in coastal waters and on the high seas, degrade the resources coastal communities depend on and jeopardize the future of the industry they set out to support. Today, one-third of fish populations are already exploited beyond sustainable levels," the organization wrote in a press release.

Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International, said: "The new agreement is the product of compromise among 164 countries, so it's not perfect."

"But the ocean needs help now, and marine ecosystems as well as coastal communities cannot wait for a perfect solution. What the WTO has delivered is an agreement that should be a catalyst for further subsidy and fisheries reform."

He emphasized that "Countries can leverage this momentum heading into the UN (United Nations) Ocean Conference in Lisbon at the end of the month to further raise the ambition to achieve a nature-positive and sustainable future."

A woman watches dead fish floating on the water of a fish farm at Nagari Sungai Batang in Agam district, West Sumatra province, Indonesia, April 29, 2021. (Photo by Andri Mardiansyah/Xinhua)

The new deal reached on Friday comes after more than two decades of negotiations. According to the WWF, almost 85 percent of capacity enhancing subsidies go to large-scale, industrial fisheries, with little evidence of benefits flowing to small-scale fishers.

"Today we welcome the progress made by WTO members and tireless campaigners around the world, but let's not forget that much more needs to be done to change course and help put us on the path to a healthier ocean and more resilient communities."

WWF International, based in Gland, Switzerland, is an independent conservation organization with a global network active in nearly 100 countries and regions.

Its mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. 
A woman shelters from the sun with umbrella during hot weather at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, June 17, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)

ROME, June 17 (Xinhua) -- A heatwave swept across Italy this week, sparking emergencies in at least four cities and putting half of the agricultural production in the north at drought risk.

An orange heat emergency, the second highest emergency level, was declared Friday in the northern cities of Brescia and Turin, as well as Florence and Perugia in central Italy. The most vulnerable -- the elderly, children, the chronically ill, and pregnant women -- are advised to stay indoors during the hottest hours of the day.

Three of these four cities declared a 24-hour emergency status. In Turin, however, the status is predicted to continue for several days and escalate into "red" on Sunday, the most severe status.

Temperatures in some parts of the north topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) Friday.

The agricultural association Agricotori Italiani said as much as half of the agricultural production in northern Italy was now at risk due to drought conditions.

It said the precipitation volume in these areas so far this year was only half of last year's volume, and estimated 1 billion euros (1.1 billion U.S. dollars) in damages.

According to Alberto Cirio, governor of the Piedmont region where Turin is located, the Po River, Italy's longest waterway crucial to agricultural irritation, is 72 percent below its normal water level.

He said some parts of the region had not reported any rain for more than 110 days, a situation that was exacerbated by a lack of snowfall in the winter months.

On Friday, Cirio ordered that 170 towns in Piedmont use water only for "essential" purposes such as drinking and cooking.

According to Edoardo Zanchini, the newly-installed director of the climate change office in Rome, high temperatures and drought will be more frequent. He called on the local and national governments to take steps to adapt to the trend.

"It's not only a problem in Italy, but all over Europe," Zanchini told Xinhua. "A similar situation was reported in 2003, when heatwaves killed thousands of people. And just like this year, high temperatures started already in June."

He foresaw a blazing and difficult summer this year.

He was echoed by Antonio Caito, 61, a fruit grower near Cuneo in Piedmont, who advised farmers to take measures and make their crops more resilient.

"We used to have extreme weather like this once in a decade," Caito told Xinhua. "Nowadays climate emergencies are reported almost every year."

Tiziana D'Andrea, a 22-year-old university student in Rome, said the heat was already becoming unbearable. "Yet the hottest summer days are still to come." 

A woman cools off with water during hot weather at the Barcaccia fountain in Rome, Italy, June 17, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)

People clean a fountain in Turin, Italy, June 18, 2022.

A heatwave swept across Italy this week, sparking emergencies in at least four cities and putting half of the agricultural production in the north at drought risk. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows the desiccated bed of a river in Turin, Italy.

A heatwave swept across Italy this week, sparking emergencies in at least four cities and putting half of the agricultural production in the north at drought risk. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on June 18, 2022 shows the Po river in Turin, Italy.

A heatwave swept across Italy this week, sparking emergencies in at least four cities and putting half of the agricultural production in the north at drought risk. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on June 18, 2022 shows the Po river in Turin, Italy.

A heatwave swept across Italy this week, sparking emergencies in at least four cities and putting half of the agricultural production in the north at drought risk. (Str/Xinhua)

The Tiber River is seen with low water level in Rome, Italy, on June 19, 2022. A heatwave swept across Italy this week, sparking emergencies in at least four cities and putting half of the agricultural production in the north at drought risk. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)

People row along the Tiber River with low water level in Rome, Italy, on June 19, 2022. A heatwave swept across Italy this week, sparking emergencies in at least four cities and putting half of the agricultural production in the north at drought risk. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)

The Tiber River is seen with low water level in Rome, Italy, on June 19, 2022. A heatwave swept across Italy this week, sparking emergencies in at least four cities and putting half of the agricultural production in the north at drought risk. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)
A photo of Professor David Goodman. (Photo provided by David Goodman/Handout via Xinhua)

Director of the China Studies Center in the University of Sydney David Goodman has called for better China-Australia relationship, denouncing those who "want to politicize fear of China so that they gain an opportunity from it."

CANBERRA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Australian sociologist David Goodman could always recall the newspaper which was used to wrap up a lunch of fish and chips half a century ago from a Chinese restaurant in Britain, saying that the coincident suggested his connection with China was "meant to be."

During the past 40 years, he lived in many Chinese cities, from Suzhou in the east to Lanzhou in the northwest, from Taiyuan in the north to Chengdu in the southwest.

"I like to see different parts of China," he said in an interview with Xinhua, adding that the scenery is breathtaking and people are kind.

Goodman, 74, said he was from a left-wing family in Britain, where he had relatives who were communists.

He remembered that in the 1960s when he studied in the University of Manchester, he once bought lunch from a Chinese restaurant, finding that the fish and chips were wrapped up in the Chinese newspaper Wen Wei Po. He could not read Chinese characters at that time, but was fascinated by the pictures on it.

As an undergraduate student, he specialized in Chinese policy. "I got more and more interested and by the time I finished, I decided I had to go to China and do a PhD on China."

Goodman first visited China in 1976. "It fascinated me. Many things were different from what I expected: the range of different kinds of people, the kindness of people," he said.

Photos taken by Professor David Goodman show the change in Beijing between the 1970s and three decades later. (Photo by David Goodman/Handout via Xinhua)

After learning Mandarin in the Beijing Language and Culture University, then known as the Beijing Language Institute, he studied economics at the Peking University.

"It was very good, great fun. And I learned a lot," he said.

He then went back to teach in Britain before an opportunity found him: the University of Newcastle started an exchange program with a university in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi in north China, which brought him to the city.

"That began the love affair with Shanxi," Goodman said. He did a lot of research in Shanxi over the years and wrote books about it. He wrote not only about the contemporary development, but about the coal-rich province during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in the 1930s and 40s, and the rise of the Communist Party of China.

The professor moved to Australia in 1987, but his love for China continued.

During the interview, he talked about the noodles and wedding tradition in Shanxi, beautiful view of upper reaches of the Yellow River in west China's Qinghai province, as well as Suzhou in east China's Jiangsu province where he used to cycle a lot.

He also received many gifts from his Chinese friends, with one of them being a paper-cutting that featured the Chinese zodiac animals with his name in Chinese characters. It is still on a wall in his house.

Photos taken by Professor David Goodman show the change in Chengdu between the 1970s and three decades later. (Photo by David Goodman/Handout via Xinhua)

During these years, Goodman saw the changes in China. A photographer himself, he used to take photos in the 1970s, and go back to the same spot 30 or 40 years later, during which period the roads became broader and tall buildings mushroomed. "Physically there have been huge changes," he said.

"In the 1978 when the Reform and Opening-up started, everybody outside China said 'very nice idea, but it's not possible to develop China that quickly'," he continued, noting that in fact China grew faster than they had anticipated.

"If there is such a thing as social science, it has to incorporate the experience of China, and not tell China what it should be doing," said Goodman. "You can't assume the phenomena you see occurring in China fit the 'standard pattern', social or economic behavior that you get everywhere else in the world."

Now the Director of the China Studies Center in the University of Sydney, Goodman has called for better China-Australia relationship, denouncing those who "want to politicize fear of China so that they gain an opportunity from it."

Photos taken by Professor David Goodman show the change in Nanjing between the 1970s and three decades later. (Photo by David Goodman/Handout via Xinhua)

After the federal election in Australia last month, he, together with 14 other senior scholars from Australian universities, issued an open letter.

"The change in the government presents the opportunity for a circuit breaker in the poor diplomatic relations that have developed between Australia and China in the recent past," said the letter.

"As professors of China Studies who undertake research on various aspects of China's society and politics, we acknowledge that the new government is likely to avoid the over-aggressive approach of its predecessor. In our view less public aggression is likely to be more effective in dealing with China: international engagement should replace the language of war."

Talking about the open letter, Goodman said: "We were alarmed by the manner in which the previous government approached the issue of China. It didn't seem to us to be very productive."

"Our message to the government is to depend more on diplomacy, and less on public statements, which are very outrageous," he said. "Talk to China, talk to the Chinese government and have the Chinese government talk to you, and see if we can work out what differences there are."

While hoping that the relationship between China and Australia could be restored, Goodman looked forward to going back to China soon.

"I'm doing a research project on common prosperity and local social governance with two Chinese friends," he said. "I want to go back as quickly as possible."
British Home Secretary Priti Patel has approved the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face espionage charges, the Home Office confirmed on Friday.

Protesters said it is a purely political decision and a grave violation of press freedom.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Lorenzo Buttarello gives students an Italian language lesson at a primary school in southwest China's Chongqing, May 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Enli)

CHONGQING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- "Ciao! Ciao! Buongiorno!" Students from a primary school in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality warmly greeted their Italian teacher, Lorenzo Buttarello.

After spending eight years in China, Buttarello, 33, originally from Varese in Italy, has completely integrated into the local life of Chongqing. Two years ago, a video of him speaking fluently in the Chongqing dialect at his graduation ceremony went viral online.

At the recommendation of a teacher at a Confucius Institute in Italy, Buttarello was admitted to Chongqing University in 2014. Since then, he has made a lot of local friends and developed a deep love for the city.

Chongqing, known as the mountain city for its hilly landscape, is famous for spicy food such as hot pot.

In the eyes of Buttarello, Chongqing is a city "full of warmth" with spicy food and hospitable people, which reminds him of places in southern Italy.

After graduation, he became an Italian language teacher at Chongqing Renmin Primary School.

Over the years, Buttarello has been proud to witness the rapid changes in Chongqing and the growing ties between the Chinese city and Italy.

"As this inland city in western China opens up wider and wider, more and more Italians have chosen to live and work here," he said.

"Italian food can be found everywhere in the streets," he said, there are a number of restaurants offering Italian food in Chongqing, and some of them are cooked by Italian chefs. People in Chongqing can even enjoy authentic Italian gelato, he said.

With the deepening of cultural exchange, the Italian language has also been gaining popularity in Chongqing.

Buttarello said in the past only some universities in the city offered Italian courses, while now there are off-campus Italian training institutions and some primary schools have elective Italian courses.

The primary school Buttarello works in has cooperated with local foreign affairs agencies to launch an Italian language and culture course in 2015. So far, over 10,000 students have joined the course.

Buttarello said with the spread of the Italian language, he believes that more Chinese people will contribute to enhancing mutual understanding between the two countries.

In 2013, Italy opened the Consulate General of Italy in Chongqing, and a large number of economic and trade exchanges have been launched ever since.

In March 2018, the China-Italy Bilateral Investment Promotion Center was jointly established by the management committee of Liangjiang New Area of Chongqing, the Consulate General of Italy in Chongqing, and the Italian chamber of commerce in China.

With the support of the center, many Italian enterprises have settled down in the China-Italy industrial park in Liangjiang New Area. The Italian enterprises in Chongqing are mainly involved in manufacturing, wholesale and retail businesses.

Official data showed that the foreign trade volume between Chongqing and Italy was 1.98 billion yuan (about 295 million U.S. dollars) from January to April.

The Consulate General of Italy in Chongqing has also invited Italian performance teams to Chongqing many times, offering local residents a closer look into the beauty of Italian culture.

Buttarello is ready to do more on his part. "I will continue to work as a bridge between Italy and China and help more Chinese people understand Italy," he said. 

Lorenzo Buttarello gives students an Italian language lesson at a primary school in southwest China's Chongqing, May 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Enli)
SAN FRANCISCO, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Boeing and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) on Friday announced a new 8-million-U.S.-dollar, multi-year partnership to support the development of future technical talent.

The Boeing | TMCF partnership renewal will support campus recruitment initiatives, career immersion activities, TMCF Leadership Institute programming and student scholarships at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through 2026, the announcement said.

"Strategic partnerships, like those with HBCUs and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, help create a space where students can flourish - and they establish a talent pipeline that is vital to future innovation across the aerospace industry and here at Boeing," said Ted Colbert, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

Building on a previous 6-million-dollar strategic investment made in 2018, the partnership will expand to include a new fast-track hiring program that will supply technical talent for open positions at Boeing locations in close geographic proximity to HBCUs.

"We are thrilled to continue our ground-breaking partnership with Boeing," said Harry Williams, president & CEO of the TMCF. "Through this partnership, Boeing has made a deep and long-term commitment to HBCUs and the talented students that attend them. We're excited about the continued success of the collaboration."

Since establishing the Boeing | TMCF partnership, Boeing has quadrupled intern hiring through priority partner HBCUs and extended the company's reach to more than 6,800 HBCU students. The partnership has been key to addressing Boeing's racial equity commitments and improving the representation of Black talent at the company, Boeing said.

To date, TMCF has awarded more than 500 million dollars in assistance to HBCUs. In addition to scholarships, TMCF provides programmatic, capacity building, public policy and advocacy support for the 47 TMCF member schools and the nearly 300,000 students who attend them, according to the announcement. 
Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 17, 2022. (Kremlin press release)



Putin said that Russia does not object to Ukraine joining the EU as it is not a military bloc.



ST. PETERSBURG, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin explained Russia's stance and policy on hotspot political and economic issues during the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday.

At the plenary session of the forum, Putin recalled that the surge in commodity and raw material prices occurred long before the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, underlining that the current situation has nothing to do with Russia but was caused by "many years of irresponsible macroeconomic policies" of the Group of Seven.

In Putin's view, some Western countries consider the Russian operation in Ukraine as "a lifeline that allows them to blame others for their own miscalculations."

Speaking about the future of the Russian economy, Putin said his country will never follow the path of self-isolation and autarky.

Putin announced cheap loans to boost industrial production, set the task of mastering all the critical technologies for manufacturing key products, and asked the government to make new fiscal rules to fortify the foundation of economic growth.

The Russian leader said some Western countries with "outdated geopolitical illusions" intentionally undermine the principles of the global economic system.

As a result, many trade, production and logistics ties that were previously disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic are now going through new tests, he told the audience.

Putin said there are revolutionary changes in geopolitics, the global economy, the technological sphere and the entire system of international relations, but some Western countries are trying to counteract this inexorable course of history.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Qiang)

As for the global food shortage, Putin believed that the most important task for the entire world now is to increase the supply of food to the global market, including to countries that are desperately in need.

Russia, while ensuring its own food security, is able to raise the export of food and fertilizers, he noted, pledging readiness to contribute to balancing the world food market.

Russia has not been hampering Ukraine's food exports, Putin underscored.

In his view, the "economic blitzkrieg" against Russia has failed and the Western sanctions have been proven to be a double-edged weapon as the European Union (EU) and European companies could suffer huge direct losses from the sanctions.

Putin said that Russia does not object to Ukraine joining the EU as it is not a military bloc.

Putin called it a "forced and necessary" decision for Russia to conduct the special military operation in Ukraine against the backdrop of "growing risks and threats to us."

"Sooner or later, the situation (regarding Ukraine) will normalize," he said, stressing Russia is not threatening anyone with nuclear arms.

Also attending the event, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said "We are convinced that building a peaceful, stable and economically strong Eurasia will be a powerful factor in sustainable development and inclusive growth on a global scale."

Tokayev called for measures to realize the full potential of cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union and pair the Eurasian integration process with China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said in a video message that he hopes the outcome of the forum will facilitate the search for effective solutions to existing problems and reduce the negative impact of the global economic crisis.

It is necessary to take into account the concerns and interests of all countries, ensuring the security and well-being of peoples, and promoting long-term mutual understanding on political issues, he added. 
Villager Zhao Feng picks yellow pitaya at a plantation in Dongfang City, south China's Hainan Province, June 9, 2022.

Yellow pitaya, originally from South America, has taken root across the tropical island province of Hainan, some 17,000 kilometers away from their birthplace. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

HAIKOU, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Yellow pitaya, originally from South America, has taken root across the tropical island of south China's Hainan Province, some 17,000 km away from their birthplace.

In Le'an Village of Sanjia County, Dongfang City, local villagers are busy picking yellow pitaya on a plantation.

Starting from January this year, nearly 6 hectares of these plantations, which cover over 13 hectares, began to mature, and harvest will last until September.

Similar to dragon fruit, the yellow pitaya is sweeter with high nutrition value.

Boasting a tropical climate and long-term sunlight, Hainan is quite suitable for planting yellow pitaya, said Chen Chengjin, director of Dongfang Guobo Yellow Pitaya Plantation.

In 2019, yellow pitaya was rarely planted in Hainan and the price was very high. Seeing the business opportunity, Chen's plantation started to plant this golden fruit.

Since yellow pitaya is a new variety, demanding a high level of planting skills, the plantation only harvested about 750 kg of yellow pitaya in 2020. One year later, the yield doubled thanks to improved planting skills and management.

Chen said yellow pitaya's growth cycle takes around 14 months from planting to harvest. The yield is relatively low, but the labor cost is high, leading to a high price.

"In summer, there are many fruits in the market and the price of big yellow pitaya purchased at the plantation is between 80 yuan (about 11.9 U.S. dollars) and 100 yuan per kg," said Chen, adding that in winter the price could reach 100 yuan to 120 yuan per kg.

The estimated output of the plantation is between 125,000 kg and 150,000 kg and the total revenue is expected to surpass 10 million yuan, Chen said. The fruit is mainly sold to big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and is currently in short supply.

With good economic benefits, yellow pitaya has also benefitted local villagers. More than 20 villagers worked on the plantation to help manage the fruit trees.

Zhao Feng, 46, a farmer from Suanmei village, came to manage 1.8 hectares of the plantation in April last year and took care of the fruit trees with his wife.

Previously working on a dragon fruit plantation, Zhao said it was more difficult to grow yellow pitaya and more complicated to pick the fruit, and he earned more than from his last job.

"I can earn 6,000 to 7,000 yuan each month. We are very satisfied," Zhao said. 

Photo taken on June 12, 2022 shows yellow pitaya in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province.

Yellow pitaya, originally from South America, has taken root across the tropical island province of Hainan, some 17,000 kilometers away from their birthplace. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Aerial photo taken on June 9, 2022 shows a yellow pitaya plantation in Dongfang City, south China's Hainan Province.

Yellow pitaya, originally from South America, has taken root across the tropical island province of Hainan, some 17,000 kilometers away from their birthplace. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Aerial photo taken on June 9, 2022 shows a yellow pitaya plantation in Dongfang City, south China's Hainan Province.

Yellow pitaya, originally from South America, has taken root across the tropical island province of Hainan, some 17,000 kilometers away from their birthplace. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)
By Ayya Lmahamad

A round-table on Transit and transport cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union: Prospects for the development of the Middle Corridor was held in Brussels, Belgium, Azernews reports.

Representatives of Azerbaijans ADY Container, a member of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Consortium, also attended the event.

Speaking at the panel on Transport connection, multimodal transport and trade in the Middle Corridor, the company Director Natig Jafarov briefed on Azerbaijans transit opportunities. He also spoke about the growing importance of the Middle Corridor in the region, as well as about the measures and achievements in multimodal transport.

The round-table was attended by representatives of the European Union, the European Parliament, state railways administrations, and private companies of the countries along the route, and members of the International Association of Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor).

During the event, the participants discussed the routes connecting Central Asia with the European Union, the current state, and the prospects of multimodal transport. The development of green logistics along the corridor was also the focus of the discussions.

The Trans-Caspian transport route is a vital trans-Eurasian corridor that runs through the South Caucasus. The route begins in Southeast Asia and China and travels to Europe via Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. It is one of the new Silk Road routes, the Middle Corridor of the 'One Belt, One Road' project. During the crisis, this transport corridor proved to be the most profitable, safest, reliable, and stable. As a result, this corridor, which runs through Azerbaijan, is attracting the attention of an increasing number of exporters and importers.




BOGOTA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Colombia's vaccine advisory committee recommended a second vaccine booster dose against COVID-19 for people aged 12-49, but only under medical order, Health Minister Fernando Ruiz said Friday.

The second booster shot, or a fourth vaccine dose, is currently available to immunocompromised people, those with transplants and comorbidity, as well as seniors over 50 years old.

"The committee of experts recommended continuing the application of the third dose (first booster) to cover populations that have not received it, and maintaining the fourth dose for the population with comorbidity," the official said.

Ruiz urged older adults and children to complete their vaccination schedule, since those that are not immunized are at the greatest risk.

According to the latest Health Ministry data, the South American country has registered 13,810 new COVID-19 cases and 24 deaths in the last week, bringing the totals to 6,131,657 and 139,918 respectively. 
A family member of Zambia's founding leader Kenneth Kaunda lays a wreath at a national ceremony for Kaunda in Lusaka, Zambia, on June 17, 2022. Zambia held a national ceremony on Friday to mark the first anniversary of the death of the country's founding leader Kenneth Kaunda. (Xinhua/Martin Mbangweta)

LUSAKA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Zambia held a national ceremony on Friday to mark the first anniversary of the death of the country's founding leader Kenneth Kaunda.

Hakainde Hichilema, the Zambian president attended the ceremony held at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross along with other top government officials.

Solemn music as well as messages of appreciation to the late president who died on June 17, 2021 after an illness, characterized the ceremony before moving to the Embassy Memorial Park, the burial place for the country's presidents, where a wreath-laying ceremony followed.

In his address, Hichilema lauded the accomplishments of the late leader whom he described as a great teacher not only to Zambia but also to Africa and the rest of the world.

The Zambian president said Kaunda was a visionary and selfless leader who left many lessons for the current and future generations in Africa, adding that he did not only fight for the liberation of the country but also worked hard to develop the country.

He said the unity Kaunda and other freedom fighters showed in liberating the country from colonial masters needs to be emulated in order to promote unity in the country.

He further said the greatest gift Kaunda left to Zambia was free education which the current administration has revived in order to ensure that all children have access to education.

Panji Kaunda, Kaunda's first-born son, said the best way to honor his father was to celebrate and appreciate all the people who fought for the country's independence.

He further called for more books to be written to highlight the role of freedom fighters so that future generations could learn the sacrifice the freedom fighters made. 

Family members of Zambia's founding leader Kenneth Kaunda lay wreaths at a national ceremony for Kaunda in Lusaka, Zambia, on June 17, 2022. Zambia held a national ceremony on Friday to mark the first anniversary of the death of the country's founding leader Kenneth Kaunda. (Xinhua/Martin Mbangweta)

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema (4th R, Front) attends a national ceremony for Zambia's founding leader Kenneth Kaunda in Lusaka, Zambia, on June 17, 2022. Zambia held a national ceremony on Friday to mark the first anniversary of the death of the country's founding leader Kenneth Kaunda. (Xinhua/Martin Mbangweta)
A woman shelters from the sun with umbrella during hot weather at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, June 17, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)

Three of these four cities declared a 24-hour emergency status. In Turin, however, the status is predicted to continue for several days and escalate into "red" on Sunday, the most severe status.

ROME, June 17 (Xinhua) -- A heatwave swept across Italy this week, sparking emergencies in at least four cities and putting half of the agricultural production in the north at drought risk.

An orange heat emergency, the second highest emergency level, was declared Friday in the northern cities of Brescia and Turin, as well as Florence and Perugia in central Italy. The most vulnerable -- the elderly, children, the chronically ill, and pregnant women -- are advised to stay indoors during the hottest hours of the day.

Three of these four cities declared a 24-hour emergency status. In Turin, however, the status is predicted to continue for several days and escalate into "red" on Sunday, the most severe status.

Temperatures in some parts of the north topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) Friday.

A woman cools off with water during hot weather at the Barcaccia fountain in Rome, Italy, June 17, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)

The agricultural association Agricotori Italiani said as much as half of the agricultural production in northern Italy was now at risk due to drought conditions.

It said the precipitation volume in these areas so far this year was only half of last year's volume, and estimated 1 billion euros (1.1 billion U.S. dollars) in damages.

According to Alberto Cirio, governor of the Piedmont region where Turin is located, the Po River, Italy's longest waterway crucial to agricultural irritation, is 72 percent below its normal water level.

He said some parts of the region had not reported any rain for more than 110 days, a situation that was exacerbated by a lack of snowfall in the winter months.

People enjoy leisure time at the seaside in Ladispoli near Rome, Italy, on Aug. 15, 2021. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)

On Friday, Cirio ordered that 170 towns in Piedmont use water only for "essential" purposes such as drinking and cooking.

According to Edoardo Zanchini, the newly-installed director of the climate change office in Rome, high temperatures and drought will be more frequent. He called on the local and national governments to take steps to adapt to the trend.

"It's not only a problem in Italy, but all over Europe," Zanchini told Xinhua. "A similar situation was reported in 2003, when heatwaves killed thousands of people. And just like this year, high temperatures started already in June."

He foresaw a blazing and difficult summer this year.

He was echoed by Antonio Caito, 61, a fruit grower near Cuneo in Piedmont, who advised farmers to take measures and make their crops more resilient.

"We used to have extreme weather like this once in a decade," Caito told Xinhua. "Nowadays climate emergencies are reported almost every year."

Tiziana D'Andrea, a 22-year-old university student in Rome, said the heat was already becoming unbearable. "Yet the hottest summer days are still to come." 
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday officiated the launch of China's Sinomine's 200-million-U.S. dollar project to build a processing plant and increase lithium output at Bikita lithium mine, about 320 km from Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
ADDIS ABABA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) said its Specialized Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure and Energy (STC-TTIIE) has approved urgent measures to tackle the impacts of the Ukraine crisis on the African continent.

The AU Specialized Technical Committee, in its second extraordinary session from June 14 to 16, has made "crucial decisions" regarding the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the AU said in a statement issued late Thursday.

"The meeting, attended by the AU member states, regional economic communities, and specialized pan-African institutions is dubbed crucial to apprehend and effectively respond to the economic shocks that Africa is facing due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis," an AU statement read.

AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Amani Abou-Zeid, told the virtual meeting that the current situation is "a double crisis" as it came at a time when African economies strive to recuperate from the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Abou-Zeid emphasized that the Ukraine crisis has contributed to soaring prices of energy and high cost of transport in Africa, which has negatively impacted agriculture, industry, trade, tourism, and various other socio-economic sectors. She said the crisis has posed pressures on the public budgets of African countries.

The AU infrastructure and energy commissioner emphasizes the need to rapidly adapt to the existing situations and devise innovative ways to seize possible opportunities that may arise.

"Africa can step in as an alternative source energy market through its number of projects under the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa and other similar initiatives like the African Single Electricity Market that can be expedited to first address Africa's energy needs and export to other regions," Abou-Zeid said.

Tsoeu Mokeretla, Minister of Transport of Lesotho, on his part said the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis is already taking its toll on Africa.

Mokeretla emphasized the urgent need for Africa to collectively find ways of mitigating the impacts on the energy and infrastructure sectors thereby addressing the knock-on effects on other sectors.

The AU said the two-day session "came to a close after making crucial decisions regarding the Russia-Ukraine crisis." It, however, did not outline the decisions. 
Photo taken on June 15, 2022 shows a view of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva, Switzerland. (WTO/Handout via Xinhua)

China will work closely with other members within the framework of the WTO, to promote the work related to the prevention and control of plastic pollution, said Li Chenggang, China's Ambassador to the WTO.

GENEVA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- After five days of hard-fought negotiations, the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) ended at dawn Friday.

The meeting finally delivered results on key issues such as the WTO response to emergencies, a waiver of certain requirements concerning compulsory licensing for COVID-19 vaccines, food security, World Food Programme food purchases exemption, fishery subsidies, extending the WTO Moratorium on Customs Duties on Electronic Transmissions and the WTO reforms.

Experts said at a dire moment of the global health crisis, food insecurity and regional conflicts, the outcomes of the meeting have rebuilt faith in the multilateral trading system.





HARD-FOUGHT NEGOTIATIONS

The ministerial conference is the top policy-making body of the WTO and convenes every two years. Co-hosted by Kazakhstan in Geneva, the MC12 is the first ministerial conference in four years and a half.

The MC12, scheduled to close on Wednesday, was extended to Thursday to facilitate outcomes on the main issues under discussion.

The closing announcement was originally scheduled for Thursday but was delayed multiple times. Sources revealed that certain details were only ironed out at the last minute.

At the closing press conference, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala announced the achievements with satisfaction.

Through members' efforts, the MC12 yielded unprecedented gains, demonstrating the multilateral trading system's relevance in an era of global challenges, she said.





Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Front) addresses the opening ceremony of the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 12, 2022. (WTO/Handout via Xinhua)

A CHEERFUL LANDMARK

Given that the WTO has been impacted by the financial crisis, the COVID pandemic, armed conflicts and food crises and that the director-general assumed leadership for one year, the MC12 is a commendable success, said Lu Xiankun, organizer of Friends of Multilateralism Group, a Geneva-based think tank.

The MC12 made breakthroughs in areas where the WTO is most challenged, such as the pandemic response, food security, fishery subsidies and Moratorium on Customs Duties on Electronic Transmissions, said Lu.

An agreement on fishery subsidies was reached after 21 years of talks, finally meeting the requirement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, added Lu.

However, the way ahead remains long and bumpy, as no consensus was reached in agricultural negotiations, and the WTO reforms still lack a clear roadmap.





FAITH REBUILT

The outcomes of the MC12 are proof that the WTO members can overcome geopolitical divergences and unite in the face of global challenges. The WTO director-general believed that the package of agreements will change lives across the world, and that cooperation can co-exist with competition.

During the meeting, China demonstrated its commitment to openness, and made constructive efforts while maintaining its stance.

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said that the WTO-centered multilateral trading system is the cornerstone of international trade, and China is willing to work with all parties to promote the WTO's role in world economic recovery.

China also impressed the world with its efforts on such issues as environmental protection.

Li Chenggang, China's Ambassador to the WTO, speaks at a press briefing of environmental Initiatives of the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva, Switzerland, June 13, 2022. (WTO/Handout via Xinhua)

China will work closely with other members within the framework of the WTO, to promote the work related to the prevention and control of plastic pollution, said Li Chenggang, China's Ambassador to the WTO, at a press briefing of environmental initiatives of the MC12.

China is the initiator and one of the six current co-coordinators of the WTO's Informal Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade, which has attracted the participation of 72 WTO members. 
HONG KONG, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said Saturday that it will distribute around 210,000 sets of COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kits as part of a follow-up on the recent detection of the COVID-19 virus in sewage samples.

The test kits will be distributed to residents, cleaning workers and property management staff working in the areas with positive sewage testing results showing relatively high viral loads, in order to help identify infected persons.

The HKSAR government also urged RAT kit users to report any positive results for COVID-19 via the government's online platform.

In an effort to combat COVID-19, the HKSAR government's Environmental Protection Department and Drainage Services Department have strengthened the sampling of sewage in all districts of Hong Kong for COVID-19 virus testing.

On Saturday, Hong Kong registered 1,160 new confirmed locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 and 116 imported cases, official data showed. 
* Chinese President Xi Jinping has led resolute combat against desertification, with "a historic change" made amid the country's passionate exploring for ways to curb the expansion of deserts.

* Xi, who knows desertification control well, has always emphasized the holistic conservation and restoration of mountain, river, forest, farmland, lake, grassland, and desert ecosystems. Under his thoughts, China has been prominent globally in combating desertification and actively contributing to the global sand control.



* "We do everything we can to conserve the ecological system, intensify pollution prevention and control, and improve the living and working environment for our people," Xi has said.

BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping has led resolute combat against desertification, with "a historic change" made amid the country's passionate exploring for ways to curb the expansion of deserts.

More than half of China's manageable desertification land has been restored over the past decade, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) said on Friday, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

A historic change happened simultaneously. People were no longer forced into a corner by the desertification but managed to contain it through afforestation.

The desertified land area in China has been reduced by more than 4.33 million hectares since 2012. A series of significant projects gradually built a green ecological barrier along the sandstorm line in northern China. In particular, the three primary sandy areas of Maowusu, Hunshandake, and Horqin, and the surrounding areas of the Kubuqi Desert, have been transformed into an oasis.

Sand control workers make straw checkerboard barriers in the Baijitan national ecological reserve of Lingwu on the southwest edge of Maowusu Desert, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen)

Such achievements came along as President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to adopt a holistic approach to the conservation and restoration of mountain, river, forest, farmland, lake, grassland, and desert ecosystems.

He emphasized bringing "deserts" into the work for ecological conservation when joining a deliberation with national lawmakers from north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2021.

China has bolstered sand control credentials by making tremendous efforts to improve relevant laws, exploring new techniques, and launching greening projects.

Xi personally walks the talk, devotes himself to the groundwork, and pushes the agenda in person.

KNOWING DESERTIFICATION CONTROL WELL

Sand control is always a topic during Xi's discussions with lawmakers from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region during the country's annual national legislative meetings.

He urged the region boasting of forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and deserts to take an integrated approach to improve local ecology in 2019 and debriefed a lawmaker last year on preventing deserts in Bayannur from encroaching the Yellow River in the east.

During these discussions, he underlined the importance of creating top-level designs in ecological treatment and doing good research work, warning that inadequacy could lead to results poles apart from what was supposed to be achieved.

Xi has conducted multiple field trips to areas severely hit by sand damage, including Ningxia, Gansu, and Hebei.

During a 2019 visit to Babusha Forest Farm in the northwestern province of Gansu, he joined local people plowing the sandy land. Using a trench digger skillfully, Xi plowed a two-meter-long trench in the sandy area with the workers in a few moments.

Babusha Forest Farm, located in northwest China's Gansu Province, had long been plagued by severe sandstorms. After years of sand control, the dry and barren land is now covered by vegetation.

Guo Xi (L), sand control worker of Babusha Forest Farm, makes straw checkerboard sand barriers in Gulang County, northwest China's Gansu Province, March 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)

Seeing the enormous transformation in this place, Xi praised the workers as "modern-day Yu Gong" for their persistent efforts in controlling sand and transforming the desert into an oasis. Yu Gong, the protagonist of an ancient folktale, determinedly tried to move mountains blocking the path in front of his home and eventually succeeded.

When the president delivered his New Year's speech in 2020, Guo Wangang, a worker from the forest farm, felt a warm flow through his heart as he saw on the screen the picture he had taken with the president and other farm workers on the bookshelf in the back.

Like Babusha Forest Farm, green miracles have been seen in many other deserts in the country over the years. Thanks to afforestation efforts, 64 million hectares of trees have been planted in China over the past decade. The country's forest coverage has reached 23.04 percent, up 2.68 percentage points from 2012.

Earlier data showed the area of desertified land in the country has shrunk by an annual average of 242,400 hectares. It indicates a reversal from the late 1990s when desertified land expanded by 1.04 million hectares annually.

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 22, 2021 shows the scenery of Saihanba forest farm in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan)

CONTRIBUTING TO A GREEN WORLD

Desertification remains one of the most pressing issues facing humankind. Data shows that more than 2 billion people from 167 countries and regions are still under desertification threat.

Thanks to years of sand control efforts, China has been quite prominent globally, with the Kubuqi Desert being an excellent case.

The Kubuqi Desert is China's seventh-largest desert, situated in Inner Mongolia autonomous region. About 30 years ago, the desert was a "sea of death" for even birds. The constant expansion of the desert forced many people to migrate. Those who remained lived mostly under the poverty line.

But years of greening efforts made more than 646,000 hectares of desert lush green, with restored biodiversity and noticeably improved ecology. These efforts also lifted more than 100,000 people out of poverty.

In 2015, the Kubuqi afforestation community won the Champions of the Earth award, the highest environmental honor of the United Nations.

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 14, 2020 shows a view of Kubuqi Desert in Dalad Banner of Ordos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

"Containing desertification in the Kubuqi desert offers China's experience in environmental treatment as well as achieving the 2030 Agenda goals," Xi said in a congratulatory letter to the 7th Kubuqi International Desert Forum in 2019.

The Kubuqi model has been the epitome of China's years of exploration in scientific desertification control. Over decades, China has enacted laws to prevent and control desertification. These include the world's first law to tackle desertification and the ban on natural forest logging, building a green barrier in the legal system.

Key ecological projects, including protecting shelterbelt and natural forests, especially those in the northwest, northeast, and northern China and along the Yangtze River, have also been carried out, turning more barren soil into oases.

In addition, China actively fulfilled its obligations under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, carried out exchanges and cooperation with Belt and Road countries, and established an international knowledge management center for desertification prevention and control.

Aerial photo taken on July 14, 2021 shows the Arxan Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) in the Arxan National Forest Park, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

"We do everything we can to conserve the ecological system, intensify pollution prevention and control, and improve the living and working environment for our people," Xi said at the Annual Meeting 2022 of the World Economic Forum.

Looking forward, China will continue to ban the use of the most vulnerable desertified lands, strengthen the development of national desert parks, and optimize the compensation system for desert ecological protection.

By 2025, China will have a total of 2 million hectares of desertified land sealed off for protection, with more than 6 million hectares of sandy land newly treated and 1.3 million hectares of rocky-desertification land harnessed, said the NFGA.

(By Xinhua writers Luo Qi and Cheng Yunjie. Video reporters: Su Chuanyi, Tang Yameng, Zhao Qian, Ma Sijia, Dong Bohan; video editor: Yang Zhixiang, Luo Hui, Yin Le) 
KINSHASA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has said that it welcomes the deployment of a new regional military force led by the East African Community (EAC), without the participation of Rwandan soldiers, to enforce peace in provinces targeted by the rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23).

Tensions continue running high in DRC's northeastern North Kivu province with heavy fighting between Congolese soldiers and M23 rebels that have been on the offensive since late March and reportedly took control by force of multiple townships. Besides, relations between the two neighbors are now on thin ice over Kigali's alleged hidden agenda to "occupy" Congolese resources by supporting the M23.

NEW REGIONAL MILITARY FORCE

Since late March, M23 has been on the offensive in the North Kivu province, with thousands of civilians displaced by ongoing fighting. Bunagana, a key strategic town bordering Uganda, reportedly fell into the hands of rebels Monday. Late Friday, the M23 claimed to have taken control of two more villages within the province's Rutshuru territory.

On Wednesday, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who currently chairs the EAC, called for the immediate deployment of a new regional military force to try to stop rebel violence in the eastern DRC, where dozens of armed groups have been active for more than two decades.

A meeting of regional commanders, which will be held Sunday in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, "should finalize the preparations to undertake the deployment of the regional force," said Kenyatta.

On Friday, in a statement written in English, the francophone Kinshasa authorities said that they "welcomed" the deployment of the regional military force, but would not "accept the participation of Rwanda in this joint force," over Kigali's alleged support of the M23.

In an interview with the French media France 24 Friday, however, Rwanda's top diplomat Vincent Biruta not only "supported" the deployment of the regional military force but also announced that Rwanda "is ready to send its men to this regional force."

THIN ICE

As the two neighbors accused each other of supporting rebels opposing respectively to each side, the two countries have gone from trading verbal blows to taking serious actions, and the bilateral relations are now on thin ice.

After shutting down all flights of RwandAir, the flag carrier airline of Rwanda, to the DRC soil, the DRC President Felix Tshisekedi decided Wednesday to ask its government to "suspend all protocol agreements, agreements and conventions" concluded with Rwanda.

The DRC closed its borders with Rwanda in the South Kivu province (eastern DRC) from 3 p.m. till 6 a.m. starting Friday after a Congolese soldier was shot dead by the Rwandan army inside Rwandan territory earlier that day. The Rwandan side accused the Congolese soldier of having fired indiscriminately at Rwandan security personnel and civilians.

The two neighbors share complicated relations since the Rwanda genocide in 1994, as Rwandan Hutus accused of slaughtering Tutsis during the 1994 Rwanda genocide arrived in eastern DRC. President Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame have attempted to mend the fences by signing three cooperation deals in 2021.

It is already an open secret that Kinshasa has been upset about Kigali's alleged support of M23 for a long time, but President Tshisekedi has been cautious not to mention Rwanda by name. In early June, President Tshisekedi cut to the chase in his first public remarks about the alleged Rwanda-M23 collusion, asserting that there was "no doubt" that Rwanda was backing the M23 on the Congolese territory.

According to the Congolese government statement released Friday, President Tshisekedi went even further by stating that Rwanda is after DRC's land and metal resources.

"The security situation in the east of the country continues to deteriorate, and fundamentally because Rwanda seeks to occupy our land, rich in gold, coltan, and cobalt, for their own exploitation and profit," the statement quoted President Tshisekedi as saying. "This is an economic war for the battle of resources, fought by Rwanda's terrorist gangs."

Kigali has not yet made any direct comment on Kinshasa's latest accusations.

Amid all the tiffs and tit-for-tat, regional mediation has been in motion with a possible tete-a-tete between the two presidents in Angola, under the mediation of the Angolan President Joao Lourenco, in an attempt to bury the hatchet and restore the fragile peace in eastern DRC.

To this day, however, the meeting is still pending as neither of the two countries has yet confirmed or announced any detail of the rendezvous.

"I commend The efforts of President Lourenco. The Rwandan government has accepted the principle of a meeting between the three heads of state in Luanda and a first proposal for the date. We are waiting for the DRC to confirm. It is a matter of weeks," said Biruta, the Rwandan foreign minister, in an interview with the French magazine Jeune Afrique published Friday. 
TUNIS, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian judges decided on Saturday to extend their strike for a third week in protest of the president's decision to dismiss 57 judges.

"The judges also decided to organize a 'day of anger' in front of the public next week to clarify the reasons for maintaining the strike for three weeks in a row," President of the Tunisian Young Judges' Association Mourad Messaoudi told the Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP).

On June 1, Tunisian President Kais Saied issued a presidential decree to dismiss 57 judges over corruption and covering up terrorist cases. In protest, the Tunisian Magistrates' Association (AMT) launched a one-week strike on June 6.

During the strike, only burial permits and extremely urgent terrorism cases will continue to be processed. 
By Ayya Lmahamad

Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) Director-General Yerlan Baidaulet, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, met with representatives of the country's Export and Investment Promotion Agency, Azernews reports.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the expansion of bilateral cooperation and the involvement of Azerbaijani companies and associations in the International Islamic Food Processing Association.

They also exchanged views on issues related to providing foreign investors with information on investment projects, coordination of exporters' activities, and the use of the organization's financial instruments.

Yerlan Baidaulet started an official visit to Azerbaijan on June 14. On the first day, the director-general was received by Kazakh Ambassador to Azerbaijan Serzhan Abdikarimov. During the meeting, they discussed key areas of IOFSs latest developments and the achievements of the Kazakh-Azerbaijani cooperation.

The meeting was also held with Azerbaijans Deputy Economy Minister Sahib Mammadov. They discussed the countrys economic achievements, state measures to support the private and agricultural sectors, and the establishment of special economic zones and industrial parks. The deputy economy minister noted that Azerbaijans significant experience in achieving food self-sufficiency could be applied to setting feasible food security policies in a number of OIC countries. The parties also discussed the issue of involving Azerbaijani major food producers such as AzerSun, and other agricultural unions for establishing bilateral cooperation.

Additionally, the meeting was held with Azerbaijans Food Safety Agency Chairman Goshgar Tahmazli. The sides expressed mutual commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation.
ISLAMABAD, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan strongly condemned the attack at a temple in the Afghan capital Kabul that resulted in the loss of lives and injuries to many others on Saturday.

"Pakistan reiterates its condemnation of terrorism in all forms and manifestations," the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The statement also expressed Pakistan's strong solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and support for all efforts of the Afghan authorities in fighting the menace of terrorism and ensuring the protection of the public. 
Firemen try to douse the blaze at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana, India, June 17, 2022. At least one person was killed and 12 were injured Friday in India after police allegedly fired upon protesters against the government's new recruitment scheme for armed forces, officials said. The killing took place amid violence and arson at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows a damaged car of a train at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana, India. At least one person was killed and 12 were injured Friday in India after police allegedly fired upon protesters against the government's new recruitment scheme for armed forces, officials said. The killing took place amid violence and arson at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana. (Str/Xinhua)

Firemen try to douse the blaze at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana, India, June 17, 2022. At least one person was killed and 12 were injured Friday in India after police allegedly fired upon protesters against the government's new recruitment scheme for armed forces, officials said. The killing took place amid violence and arson at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows a damaged car of a train and blocked railway lines at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana, India. At least one person was killed and 12 were injured Friday in India after police allegedly fired upon protesters against the government's new recruitment scheme for armed forces, officials said. The killing took place amid violence and arson at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows the burnt cargos inside a car of a train at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana, India. At least one person was killed and 12 were injured Friday in India after police allegedly fired upon protesters against the government's new recruitment scheme for armed forces, officials said. The killing took place amid violence and arson at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows a damaged car of a train at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana, India. At least one person was killed and 12 were injured Friday in India after police allegedly fired upon protesters against the government's new recruitment scheme for armed forces, officials said. The killing took place amid violence and arson at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows damaged trains and blocked railway lines at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana, India. At least one person was killed and 12 were injured Friday in India after police allegedly fired upon protesters against the government's new recruitment scheme for armed forces, officials said. The killing took place amid violence and arson at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana. (Str/Xinhua)
Afghan security force members stand guard near the site of three explosions in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 18, 2022. At least two civilians were killed and three security forces wounded on Saturday after three explosions hit a Sikh-Hindu temple in Police District 4 in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, according to multiple sources. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

KABUL, June 18 (Xinhua) -- At least two civilians were killed and three security forces wounded on Saturday after three explosions hit a Sikh-Hindu temple in Police District 4 in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, according to multiple sources.

"We heard a huge blast which struck the gate of a temple in Kart-e-Parwan neighborhood at around 6 a.m. local time. The blast was followed by two more explosions inside the temple," an eyewitness told Xinhua.

The security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures, and several warning shots were also fired by the security personnel, he said.

Besides, a security source told Xinhua near the site that two civilians lost their lives in the first blast. According to initial reports, gunmen stormed and entered the building, and security forces were trying to eliminate or capture the attackers, the source said.

He also said three security forces were also wounded in the incident.

Footage broadcast on social media showed smoke rising from the two-story building which is surrounded by blast walls. Media and people were not allowed to enter the site and no one knows what exactly is ongoing inside the compound.

There has been no official statement about the incident so far.

In March 2020, two dozens of worshippers were killed when a Sikh-Hindu temple was attacked in downtown Kabul.

In recent months, the war-torn country has been hit by a series of terror attacks reportedly staged by militants of the Islamic State (IS) group opposing the Taliban-led caretaker government.

On Friday, one person was killed and seven others were wounded after a blast hit a local mosque in the country's northern province of Kunduz. 

Afghan security force members stand guard near the site of three explosions in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 18, 2022. At least two civilians were killed and three security forces wounded on Saturday after three explosions hit a Sikh-Hindu temple in Police District 4 in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, according to multiple sources. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

Afghan security force members stand guard near the site of three explosions in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 18, 2022. At least two civilians were killed and three security forces wounded on Saturday after three explosions hit a Sikh-Hindu temple in Police District 4 in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, according to multiple sources. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

Afghan security force members stand guard near the site of three explosions in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 18, 2022. At least two civilians were killed and three security forces wounded on Saturday after three explosions hit a Sikh-Hindu temple in Police District 4 in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, according to multiple sources. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
NEW DELHI, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government has taken a series of measures to modify a controversial new recruitment scheme to quell the young people's protests.

This week, the youths vented out their anger against the new recruitment scheme called "Agnipath" announced by the government on June 14 which entailed provisions for recruiting 46,000 youths into the country's armed forces.

Under the new scheme, the recruits would be enrolled in the armed forces under respective Service Acts for a period of four years. They would form a distinct rank in the armed forces, different from any other existing ranks.

Upon the completion of four years of service, based on organizational requirements and policies, they would be offered an opportunity to apply for permanent enrollment in the armed forces.

Based on the performance of four years, up to 25 percent of each specific batch of recruits would be enrolled in a regular cadre of the armed forces. And, the rest 75 percent would be relieved from service but given priority in the selection for various jobs along with a financial package.

Initially the age eligibility criterion announced was in a range from 17.5 to 21 years.

The protesters argued that there had not been any recruitment in armed forces during the past two years, and hence some who were eligible in the past two years were barred from recruitment under the new scheme.

Questioning the viability of the new scheme, the protesters also asked what would be their fate after exiting from the service four years later. Thus, they demanded the total rollback of the scheme.

Sensing the public outrage over the new scheme immediately after it was announced, the government did damage control. First it announced a relaxation of two years in the upper age limit, thus making it 23 years old instead of 21 years old, but only for this year.

On Saturday, the Home Ministry announced a 10 percent job reservation in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles for the recruited soldiers after they finish their four-year term service.

Similar reservation was offered by the Ministry of Defence on Saturday. It approved a proposal to reserve 10 percent of the job vacancies in the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), defence civilian posts and all the 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) for those completing the four-year service under the new scheme.

The epicenter of protests remained in the eastern state of Bihar, while violent protests were also reported from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, etc, leaving at least 12 trains burnt, many government properties damaged, and at least one youth killed. 
ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that his country will no longer have meetings with Greece's High-Level Strategic Council.

"I will no longer meet with politicians until I come across an honest politician," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul. "We have discontinued our high-level strategic council sessions, and we will not hold the meeting with Greece."

Following a week of tense confrontations between the two countries over the status of the Aegean Sea and its islands, the President made his remarks.

Last week, Erdogan asked that Greece adhere to previously negotiated treaties and maintain the demilitarisation of the Aegean islands.

On Friday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that he wished to keep the lines of communication open with Turkey. Turkey and Greece have long had a tense relationship over the Aegean Sea.

Turkey accused Greece of arming previously demilitarised islands and said that Greece's plans to expand its maritime borders will essentially cut western Turkey and the Black Sea off from the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, Greece argued that Turkish threats justified its militarization and accused Turkey of violating its rights to extend its territorial sea to 12 nautical miles.

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Ryan Grantham, the actor of Netflix's famous series Riverdale, is in the news these days. This week Ryan was sentenced in court for killing his mother. Prosecutors in a British Columbia court this week accused Ryan of planning to kill Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

According to media reporter Karin Larsen, Ryan has also been accused of planning to kill Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after killing his 64-year-old mother in court. Ryan Grantham is said to have murdered his mother Barbara Waite in March 2020 in his townhouse house. Larsen, via video calls have been linked to Ryan's court hearing.

The big revelation in the court: Reports say that the next day Ryan kept three loaded guns, Molotov cocktails, ammunition, camping items and a map of Ottawa's Rideau Cottage in his car. Justin and his family were also living in the same cottage. After which 24-year-old Ryan reportedly sat in his car and went out to kill Prime Minister Trudeau.

Some reports also say that Ryan Grantham has also spoken about killing Trudeau in the police statement and the document to be read in court. Reporter Karin Larsen says ryan finally turned the API car around and planned to do the mass shooting at his school Simon Fraser University or Vancouver's Lions Gate Bridge. However, that night he handed himself over to the Vancouver police and told the police officer, "I have killed my mother. '

Rani showed glamorous style in pink top and blue denim

Thor's pre-booking started even before its release tickets are being sold in these cities indiscriminately

Katy Perry was seen on the streets of Australia combining the slipper with the white dress
May 30 (Reuters) - Armenian police clashed with protesters in Yerevan on Monday amid a wave of demonstrations against the prime minister that has seen thousands of people block government buildings, close roads and shut down the metro system.

Police said a group of people outside a government building had clashed with police officers and called for protesters to obey the law.

"We once again urge you to show exclusively lawful behaviour during public actions, to obey the lawful demands of the police officers", the police said in a statement.

Pressure against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has increased since he moved closer to normalising relations with Azerbaijan, which defeated Armenia in a six-week war in 2020.

The war, which centred around the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, ended with a Russia-brokered peace deal that led to a significant loss of territory for Armenia. (Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
Last Friday President Biden singled out ExxonMobil for reaping big profits as a result of high oil and gas prices. The President complained Why dont you tell them what Exxons profits were this year? This quarter? Exxon made more money than God this year. Exxon, start investing. Start paying your taxes.

Other prominent Democrats have also smeared oil companies in an attempt to deflect anger over high gas prices. Earlier this year Bernie Sanders blamed inflation on high oil company profits, which reflected a complete failure to understand cause and effect.

Oil companies arent reaping huge profits because they are gouging consumers, and their high profits arent driving inflation. The high profits and soaring inflation are both a result of high oil prices, and oil companies have little influence over that.

The oil companies are always a convenient scapegoat, particularly for Democrats. But lets look at ExxonMobils profits in context. Further, lets compare the companys net profits to those of Apple over the past 10 quarters.

In the most recent quarter, ExxonMobil reported $5.5 billion in net income. If thats more than God, I wonder how President Biden would quantify Apples $25.0 billion for the quarter. Five times more than God? Oh, and ExxonMobil also paid $2.8 billion in taxes for the quarter, so it seems that they are paying their taxes.

(The point here by comparing to Apple is simply to show that the outrage isnt actually over some insane profit level. Its about the perception that ExxonMobil is taking unfair advantage).

Related: Exxon Hits Back At Biden After Investment Accusations

Over the past 12 months, ExxonMobil has reported $25.8 billion in net income versus Apples $101.9 billion. But if we look back further, the discrepancy is much worse.

ExxonMobil reported losses in four of the past ten quarters, including a whopping $20.1 billion loss in December 2020. Thats what can happen when you dont control the price of the product you sell.

Story continues

You dont see that happening with Apple. They never earned less than $11.2 billion in any of the past ten quarters. Add it all up and include the losses, and over the past ten quarters ExxonMobil earned $11.8 billion dollars and Apple earned $211.7 billion.

Perhaps someone can help me understand this concept of price gouging.

ExxonMobil is selling a product whose price is set in the global commodity markets. They earn a fraction of Apples profits.

Apple has full control over the price of its products and trounces ExxonMobils earnings in every quarter. Apple could slash the price of its products and still make a huge profit. But ExxonMobil cant slash the price of its products because it doesnt set the price.

Yet its ExxonMobil that is accused of gouging.

If you want to know how we end up with bad energy policies, its because too many politicians believe things that arent true.

By Robert Rapier

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

Read this article on OilPrice.com
The City of Pataskala has announced the following meetings.

City Council meeting date changed

The City of Pataskala Council Meeting scheduled for June 20, 2022 has been rescheduled for June 21, 2022 at 7 p.m. in accordance with the new holiday schedule. Any business that may properly come before this council maybe considered and acted upon at this meeting. All residents are welcome to attend.

Development Committee to meet

The City of Pataskala Development Committee will meet on June 21, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers located at 621 W. Broad Street, Pataskala, Ohio. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss:

New Community Authority Presentation Northwest Innovation District CRA Update Evans Property Discussion Mink Street Proposal Comprehensive Plan Review

Any other business that may properly come before this public body may be considered and acted upon at this meeting.

Meeting location changed

The City of Pataskala Parks and Recreation Board Meeting scheduled for June 21, 2022 at 7 p.m. will be held at Freedom Park.

The City of Pataskala Parks and Recreation Board Meeting scheduled for Aug. 16, 2022 at 7 p.m. will be held at Citizens Park.

Records Commission to meet

The City of Pataskala Records Commission will hold an organizational meeting on July 18, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall located at 621 W. Broad St. The City of Pataskala Records Commission will meet in regular session immediately following this organizational meeting. Any other business that may properly come before this public body may be considered and acted upon at this meeting. All residents are welcome to attend.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: City of Pataskala public notices for June 16
The Local Development Committee of L'Anse-a-Valleau receives over $170,000 in financial assistance from CED to enhance the activities offered at the Pointe-a-la-Renommee (Fame Point) Historic Site.

GASPE, QC, June 18, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)

Supporting the tourism industry contributes to economic development in Quebec's regions. That is why the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Member of Parliament for GaspesieLes Iles-de-la-Madeleine and Minister of National Revenue, on behalf of the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for CED, is today announcing a non-repayable contribution of $172,767 for the Local Development Committee of L'Anse-a-Valleau for the opening of new interactive exhibits at the Pointe-a-la-Renommee (Fame Point) Historic Site.

This CED support, granted under the Quebec Economic Development Program (QEDP), has enabled the Committee to digitize its exhibits in order to provide visitors with bilingual, contactless digital routes that are accessible in the spring and fall in addition to the summer season. This project will enable the organization to mitigate the effects of the labour shortage that has been an issue for several years now, while also offering regional tourism activities that maintain social distancing.

The Local Development Committee of L'Anse-a-Valleau is an NPO that was established in 1993. It has a mission to bring the Pointe-a-la-Renommee Historic Site to life in order to enhance the village's economic, tourism, social, and cultural development.

A key contributor to the Canadian economy, the tourism sector has been hit hard by the health crisis. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Government of Canada has put various measures in place to help businesses suffering the impacts of COVID-19. The Tourism Relief Fund was created specifically to help organizations and businesses in the tourism sector offer innovative products and services to visitors and prepare to welcome back international travellers.

Story continues

Quotes

"I am delighted that CED is assisting an organization such as the Local Development Committee of L'Anse-a-Valleau, which is working to enhance our region's tourism offering. This is a great opportunity to support these kinds of projects, as Gaspe's recreational tourism sector is thriving. Digitally transforming the exhibits at the Pointe-a-la-Renommee (Fame Point) Historic Site will help preserve our history while also improving our tourism drawing power."

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Member of Parliament for GaspesieLes Iles-de-la-Madeleine and Minister of National Revenue

"Our government continues to be here for businesses and passionate individuals working to strengthen the tourism sector. With the support announced today, the Local Development Committee of L'AnseaValleau will be able to diversify the experience at the Pointe-a-la-Renommee (Fame Point) Historic Site and attract even more visitors. Our assistance is an important step in recovery efforts to attract tourists from Canada and around the world so that everyone can discover the best tourism experiences our country has to offer."

The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Member of Parliament for BromeMissisquoi, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for CED

"We are pleased to receive CED's support for our project to digitally transform the exhibits at the Pointe-a-la-Renommee site. The new experience on offer showcases the rich history of the site, while also allowing the powerful connection to the surrounding sea shine through. By respecting the past and adapting our offering to today's demand, we have succeeded in a major challenge: To keep the memory of this exceptional site alive."

Sandra Perreault, Vice-President, Local Development Committee of L'Anse-a-Valleau

Quick facts

The funds have been granted under CED's Quebec Economic Development Program. This program aims to help communities seize economic development and diversification opportunities that are promising for the future.





CED is a key federal partner in Quebec's regional economic development. With its 12 regional business offices, CED accompanies businesses, supporting organizations and all regions across Quebec into tomorrow's economy.

Associated links

Stay connected

Follow CED on social media

Consult CED's news

SOURCE Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

Cision

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2022/18/c9151.html
By Laman Ismayilova

The International Mugham Center and the Brazilian Embassy in Baku have discussed prospects of cooperation in the cultural sphere, Azernews reports.

Director of the International Mugham Center, People's Artist Murad Huseynov informed Brazilian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Manuel Adalberto Carlos Montenegro Lopes da Cruz about the Mugham Center's activities.

He also spoke about projects and concerts implemented within the framework of international cooperation.

The Brazilian Ambassador expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and made proposals for the joint organization of concert programs, events, and projects of mutual interest.

During the meeting, an agreement was reached to hold a joint concert of the popular Brazilian instrumental group "Choronas" on June 27 at the International Mugham Center.

Founded by musicians from Sao Paulo in 1994, the music band has successfully toured many countries.

Meanwhile, the International Mugham Center is constantly expanding its activities, holding numerous international projects, concert programs, seminars and conferences aimed at promoting mugham art.

The International Mugham Center actively cooperates with Turkiye, Hungary, Poland and other countries.

Over the past years, the Mugham Center has also successfully implemented multiple cultural projects aimed at promoting national music: "Evenings of ashug music", "Treasury of Secrets", "Unforgettable", "Pearls of ethnic music", etc.




Gregory Malarik listens to opening statements during the court on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, in the death of his wife, Sherri Malarik. Malarik's wife was found dead in a Cantonment Winn Dixie parking lot on Sept. 22, 2001.

The 21-year-old mystery of who killed Sherri Malarik remains a mystery for now.

At roughly 7 p.m. Friday, Judge John Simon declared a mistrial in the homicide trial of Gregory Malarik. Malarik is a Cantonment man accused of the Sept. 21, 2001, death of his wife, Sherri Malarik, who was found in a Winn Dixie parking lot stuffed into the passenger side floorboard of the family van.

Jurors heard nearly a week of testimony about the circumstances around the death, but on Friday evening announced they could not come to a unanimous decision after approximately four hours of deliberation.

Gregory Malarik was arrested in 2020, nearly 20 years after his wife's death.

From the trial

'I figured it was time': Gregory Malarik's girlfriend testifies she helped him leave crime scene

First day of court: Malarik children testify in mothers murder trial

Bullet controversy: NCIS investigator thought bullet fragments were tested. They werent.

Cold case: Trial begins today for Cantonment man who allegedly murdered wife in 2001

After a four-day trial, attorneys began closing arguments Friday morning to summarize the evidence presented to the jury. Here are their arguments:

Prosecution

Prosecuting attorney Amy Shea told the jury that Gregory Malarik had the motive, means and opportunity to kill his wife on Sept. 21, 2001, and laid out how she believes he carried out the task.

"He's having an affair and he wants an easy out," Shea said. "That's the motive."

Jennifer Spohn and Gregory Malarik began an affair while Sherri was deployed to Greece through the U.S. Navy. Spohn, who also had been the family babysitter, testified earlier in the week that during the affair Gregory told her that killing Sherri would be easier than a divorce.

Shea then continued with Malarik's means to kill his wife  the .25 caliber gun.

During Sherri's autopsy, a .25 caliber bullet shell casing fell out of her clothing, but the gun that shell casing came from has not been found.

Story continues

Sherri and Gregory's children, Gregory "Little Greg" Malarik and Jacob Malarik, both testified that they remember their father showing them a "small gun" they never saw again after Sherri's murder.

Brian Petsel, a friend of Gregory Malarik's, testified they had a discussion with one another about .25 caliber guns at a shooting range while Sherri was deployed.

"We had discussed a .25 caliber handgun, or at least a small semiautomatic weapon, while we were in the office one day," Petsel said during his testimony. "While we were at the shooting range (Gregory) mentioned that he had forgotten to buy ammunition for the .25 (caliber)."

Shea concluded her argument by explaining Malarik's opportunity to murder Sherri. She noted that he had his own private backyard, with his own van and easy access to his wife.

The prosecution also noted that Gregory gave himself plausible deniability by calling multiple law enforcement agencies, stores and family members the night Sherri was killed and the morning following the crime.

"Thirty calls for information, no calls for action," Shea said.

"The only real possibility, after you eliminate all the other things is this: the adulterous husband with the motive," Shea told the jury. "All of it points to Greg Malarik."

Defense

Gregory Malarik's defense attorney Chris Crawford told the jury that Spohn could have been the killer if it were based on the three things Shea told the jury makes Malarik the killer, removing the reasonable doubt required to levy a conviction for first-degree murder.

While the prosecution said Malarik had the motive to kill his wife, Crawford told the jury that Spohn had an even greater motive to carry out the homicide.

He referenced Spohn's earlier testimony when she told the court her husband divorced her and took all their money before her affair with Malarik started.

"Here comes along Greg," Crawford explained to the jury. "Greg can be the person she doesn't have.

"So if we're just grading, we're just stepping back, and we're looking at that table like Jennifer's there and the State's trying the case against Jennifer, who would the state say has more motive?" Crawford continued. "Jennifer has more motive."

He then argued that the prosecution's timeline would look similar if Spohn committed the crime, because Spohn lived approximately three miles from the Malarik home.

Crawford also noted that Spohn's testimony changed multiple times over multiple interviews, stating that her testimony went from "no plan" and "no murder" to "knows the time to be there" at Winn Dixie and says there are bags of clothes with a "gun she's never described."

"This charge was premeditated murder," Crawford said. "If Jennifer Spohn is sitting at that table next to any other defense attorney like me  would the (prosecution) have proven that she could have done the shooting just as well?"

If the question is anything other than no, then there is reasonable doubt Malarik did not kill his wife in 2001, he argued.

Judge John Simon gave the jury instructions including the options of finding Malarik guilty of the lesser charges of second-degree murder with a firearm or manslaughter with a firearm.

The jurors entered deliberation early Friday afternoon, but a mistrial was declared when they failed to reach a unanimous verdict.

Simon said that the case will undergo a new trial with a new jury. Currently, jury selection for the new trial is scheduled for Oct. 26, 2022.

Benjamin Johnson can be reached at bjohnson@pnj.com or 850-435-8578

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Sherri Malarik murder: Hung jury means Greg Malarik faces second trial
In 2016, Hawaii took a seemingly small but significant step forward for its trans residents: The state passed a law barring insurance companies from discriminating against transgender and nonbinary Hawaii residents. But in the years since the anti-discrimination law, trans residents, advocates and lawmakers found that it hadn't done enough - people were still being denied coverage for care that could help them affirm their gender identity.

On Thursday, Hawaii's Democratic Gov. David Ige signed a bill into law that clarifies certain treatments insurers had deemed "cosmetic" - such as laser hair removal, voice therapy and facial feminization surgery - should be covered as long as a medical provider deems it medically necessary. The legislation, H.B. 2405, would also require insurers to give patients clear information about which gender transition services are covered.

Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.

"The bill is key to protecting people from discrimination in accessing gender-affirming treatment," Ige said at a signing ceremony, Honolulu Civil Beat reported. The governor also signed two other bills expanding LGBTQ protections in state: one that bars people from being excluded from juries because of their gender identity and expression, and another establishing a commission that will examine the status of Hawaii's LBGTQ residents.

The health-care bill, which was crafted with input from health-care providers, trans advocates and insurers, passed with overwhelming support in both chambers of Hawaii's legislature. The law went into effect immediately on Thursday.

The issue highlights how difficult it is for transgender and nonbinary people to access medically necessary and potentially lifesaving gender-affirming health care, even in areas that embrace and support them, said Democratic Hawaii state Rep. Aaron Ling Johanson, a champion of the bill and chair of the state's Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.

Story continues

Johanson said the policy change had been a "passion project" for him.

"One of the things that we came to find was that . . . 'cosmetic' treatments are a very critical part of accomplishing gender-affirming care for the patient," Johanson said. But "clashes" persisted between trans and nonbinary Hawaii residents and insurance companies, he said, because some insurers decided the care was not medically necessary, even if a patient's medical provider had recommended it. (Hawaii Medical Service Association, the state's largest insurer, declined to comment.)

"It's just heartbreaking when you hear from a lot of these folks who have higher rates of depression or thoughts of suicide because they're just stuck in a system that doesn't help them," Johanson added.

Fan Liang, medical director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Transgender Health, said that for trans and nonbinary patients, there tends to be more coverage for "top" and "bottom" surgeries (chest and genital surgeries), but not for procedures such as facial or voice surgeries. That's a big oversight, Liang said, considering how important these characteristics are in everyday life.

"When you engage with somebody, the first thing that they appreciate, really, is your face and facial expressions," Liang said, adding that many of her patients have told her stories of being misgendered over the phone. Some worry their voice is "a telltale giveaway" of their transition.

Generally, Liang said, gender-affirming care, which includes psychosocial and educational resources as well as medical interventions, helps trans and nonbinary people live more freely, whether that's relieving their gender dysphoria or reducing the likelihood they'll be singled out or discriminated against.

"It really is a medical necessity," Liang said. "These patients are living with an incongruence that permeates all aspects of their lives."

In passing its new gender-affirming care bill, Hawaii has joined a handful of states, including Washington and Colorado, that have tried to expand access to transition care.

Trans people and their advocates have long noted the structural barriers to receiving care: Even when patients can get their treatments approved and covered, there are not many providers capable of performing these procedures, and it is not unusual for patients to travel out of state or to be put on lengthy waiting lists to receive it.

This is true even in "progressive" places like Hawaii, where some residents have traveled to California - a five-hour flight - to get the transition care they need, advocates say.

Jenn Jenkins, a policy advocate who worked on Hawaii's health-care bill, said that in their eyes, the law simply clarifies what was intended in the state's 2016 nondiscrimination policy.

"This is already the law. It was just not as plainly written as we've done it [now]," Jenkins said. Still, this clarification could greatly expand gender-transition access among trans and nonbinary Hawaii residents, particularly trans women who had been particularly susceptible to having their claims denied, Jenkins added.

Advocates and lawmakers agree the bill is a significant step forward at a time when many state lawmakers are looking to limit access to transition care among trans youth and adults. Conservative lawmakers who have introduced bills curbing access to gender-affirming care for minors say the policies are meant to protect children.

For Johanson, the lawmaker, the state's "aloha spirit," which emphasizes community care, helped make this new law possible. Jenkins, meanwhile, noted that Hawaiians have been "much more open to the idea of a spectrum of gender" because those beliefs are at the root of Hawaiian culture.

Native Hawaiians have long recognized a third gender identity, "mahu." Historically, trans and nonbinary Hawaiians have taken roles as teachers and leaders in their communities, explained Maddalynn "Maddie" Sesepasara, a trans advocate who manages the Kua'ana Project, a transgender support organization.

This cultural reverence was made apparent in 2019, Sesepasara said, when indigenous elders protesting a billion-dollar telescope at the summit of Mauna Kea mountain called on Hawaii's mahu community to join them.

"We know we have a place. We know we are respected," Sesepasara added.

That doesn't mean trans Hawaiians have not faced the same systemic barriers, discrimination and barriers trans people face elsewhere, advocates say. After Christian missionaries came to the islands, "mahu" became a derogatory term, Sesepasara said, though this has slowly changed over the last 40 years.

Medical transitions are a personal choice - one that not all trans and nonbinary people are able to make or willing to seek. But for Hawaii residents who need medical treatments to affirm their gender identity, these procedures could mean the difference between being targeted and being able to "blend in" and be comfortable in society, Sesepasara said.

And a time when the cost of living has soared on the islands, some Hawaii residents have become increasingly desperate to complete their transitions.

"These are not cosmetic surgeries," Sesepasara said. "These are surgeries that are going to save transgender folks in Hawaii."

Jenkins hopes Hawaii's new law could be a "little bulb of light" for trans communities in other parts of the country, where vitriol and attacks against trans people and other LGBTQ individuals have spiked.

"It's our contribution to the possibility that we can change things for the better," they said.

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The owner of an Illinois marketing firm was sentenced Friday to 366 days in federal prison for his role in a scheme that defrauded Mercyhealth out of more than $3 million.

During a court hearing in Madison, Wisconsin, Ryan Weckerly, 48, of Sycamore, was also ordered to serve six months of home confinement after he's released from prison. He pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and aiding in the preparation of a false tax return.

Weckerly was the owner of Morning Star Media between 2015 and 2020 when he conspired with former Mercychealth Vice President of Marketing Barbara Bortner in the scam.

News: Speed, alcohol possible factors in deadly Machesney Park crash involving 17-year-old

Federal authorities say Weckerly submitted inflated invoices to his company then paid Bortner kickbacks totaling more than $3.1 million.

"In order to disguise the true nature of the kickback payments, Bortner created a fictitious company named WeInspire LLC," United States Attorney Timothy M. O'Shea said in a release. "During the timeframe of the kickback scheme, Weckerly wrote over 103 checks to WeInspire LLC from one of his business accounts."

Weckerly was also ordered to pay Mercyhealth $2,428,275 in restitution.

Bortner was sentenced last month to 3 1/2 years in prison. She pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax evasion.

Mercyhealth is a regional health system with seven hospitals including Javon Bea HospitalRiverside, Javon Bea HospitalRockton, and Van Matre Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital, all in Rockford.

Jim Hagerty covers general news, schools, and courts. Contact him at jhagerty@rrstar.com and @jimhagerty.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Sycamore man sent to federal prison for scamming Mercyhealth hospital
Should the John B. Castleman statue be returned to stand in Cherokee Triangle? It's a question the Kentucky Supreme Court will consider.

The statue of Castleman, a Confederate soldier who played a key role in the development of Louisville's parks system, was taken down from its site near Cherokee Park two years ago.

However, a group called Friends of Louisville Public Art has been trying to bring the statue back, appealing to the state's Supreme Court to take action.

In an order earlier this month, the court said it plans to review the group's lawsuit and will make a ruling.

The public statue of Castleman was vandalized several times over the span of a few years before it was removed in June 2020 following a ruling a year earlier from the city's landmarks commission that would allow the monument to be taken down. It's currently in storage.

The Friends of Louisville Public Art (FOLPA) group filed a lawsuit against the decision, though, arguing the statue is a local landmark and several members behind the ruling should not have been allowed a vote.

Louisville history: Was John Castleman a racist whose statue deserves to come down? Here's the whole story

"Now the state Supreme Court's going to allow us to have that voice," Steve Wiser, who serves on FOLPA's executive committee, told The Courier Journal on Thursday. "We're very optimistic."

In the lawsuit, the group argued two of the commissioners who voted to take down the statue had a conflict of interest because they were hired by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, who had been vocal in his support of moving the statue and once called the image of the former-Confederate office riding a horse in civilian clothes a symbol of "racist or bigoted ideology."

While the group acknowledged Castleman's Confederate ties, they argued he later renounced his allegiance to the Confederacy and called on white soldiers to salute Black soldiers in World War I.

Others have noted Castleman later served as a brigadier general in the U.S. Army, and he was also partially responsible for establishing Louisville's park system that residents know today.

Story continues

While some contend his words facilitated the segregation of Louisville parks, others have argued Castleman fought to keep the city's parks and playgrounds open to Black residents and the official segregation of Louisville's parks did not come until six years after his death.

More: A timeline of how the John Castleman statue went from revered to reviled to removed

Kentucky's Court of Appeals upheld a Jefferson Circuit Court judge's ruling dismissing the lawsuit in 2020. The appeals court later ruled that there were "no facts to support the conflict of interests claim."

The John B. Castleman statue, in Louisville's Cherokee Triangle neighborhood, was removed from its pedestal where it stood for over 100 years. The statue to the controversial Castleman has been vandalized often over the last ten years. June 8. 2020

In 2020, the statue was taken down, 107 years after it was erected in Cherokee Triangle.

"The court does not grant many reviews, and we believe it will understand that due process was not allowed," Stephen Porter, the attorney representing Friends of Louisville Public Art, said in an email Thursday.

More headlines: LMPD: Man arrested, charged following Saturday shooting at Louisville's Waterfront Park

In their argument to the Kentucky Supreme Court, the group claimed Louisville Metro officers, those who voted on the measure to take down the statue in 2019, were "biased" and "partial."

"Due process was not present in this process," the argument read.

Meanwhile, Sarah Martin, the director of the Jefferson County Attorney's Office Civil Division, told The Courier Journal in an email the office will file a brief with the state Supreme Court "in support of Metro's removal of the Castleman statue."

Reporter Billy Kobin contributed. Contact Caleb Stultz at cstultz@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Caleb_Stultz.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: John Castleman Louisville statue may come back; Supreme Court to rule
Thomas Astruc, the creator and director of the globally successful youth franchise Miraculous  Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, is set to reboot Astroboy, one of the best-selling manga series of all time.

Method Animation, the prestigious Mediawan Kids & Family banner behind Miraculous and The Little Prince, is joining forces with Shibuya to produce this ambitious new series.

More from Variety

The original animated TV series came out in 1963 and became a global sensation, especially in Japan and France, as well as in the U.S. where it was the first anime to air. Based on the manga collection created by Osamu Tezuka which sold over 100 million copies worldwide, the series paved the way for other Japanese TV animation series. Astroboy was also a huge seller in merchandising, turning the little child-like robot character into a pop-culture icon and best-known superhero of Tezukas work.

Astruc is set to direct this new CGI-3D series which will comprise 52 half-hour episodes. Although Astroboy has known several iterations since its creation in the 1950s, this one promises to be timelier than ever as it will address todays hot-button issues, including the impact of the Internet, social media and the damages caused to the environment by humans.

Tezukas original comics were far advanced in delivering a powerful message to readers worldwide. These

fantastic stories of the little boy who flies are all about strong values that still resonate today for a global

audience, said Mediawan and Shibuya, which jointly acquired the rights to the franchise from Tezuka Productions.

Cedric Biscay, the president and CEO of Monaco-based banner Shibuya Productions, has been building relationships within Japans creative community for the last 20 years and is a fan of animation and mangas. The producer said he was able to build strong ties with Japanese talents at the annual event that Shibuya organizes in Monaco where all the biggest stars of mangas, animation and video games are invited.

Story continues

It is a huge responsibility to revisit the mythical character of Astroboy, I am particularly happy to have met at

Method Animation an ambitious and passionate team that will allow us to take this series to the highest

heights, said Biscay, who created Shibuya Productions with Kostadin Yanev.

Aton Soumache, founder and president of Method Animation, said Thomas Astruc will bring a fresh and unique take on Tezukas work.

Astroboy is so universal and contemporary that we are not only developing a reboot but a consistent continuum in the full respect of the original universe, added Soumache. Method Animations stellar track record with reboots include Robin Hood and The Little Prince, as well as The Magic Roundabout which was announced on Wednesday at the Annecy festival. The Little Prince was also turned into a feature film which world premiered at Cannes and won Cesar and BAFTA awards.

It took us several months to secure the rights and there were of course many Japanese and American companies which were circling this property, but ultimately (Tezukas right holders) entrusted us with it because we have a similar sensibility and culture of graphic novels in both our countries, and what we have achieved with Miraculous in Japan and around the world also played a big role in convincing them, said Soumache. Its a collaboration based on respect and trust. Soumache pointed out Japanese companies are often been put off by U.S. adaptations that washed out the DNA of manga brands.

Astruc, who has become a superstar with the creation of Miraculous, a world-famous original IP, said he had no words to describe how much Osamu Tezuka has influenced (his) life and (his) work.

Astroboy is a cult series that has overseen the future like no other property. In the strange world we live in today, everybody needs Astroboy to come back! added Astruc, alluding to the themes of the series, including the relationship between men vs. nature, as well values such as pacifism and respect.

The creator-director compared the cultural impact of Tezukas work to that of Victor Hugo et Jack Kirby. Astroboy sparked the boom of mangas and created the industry for modern anime, explained Astruc.

Julien Borde, EVP managing director and CCO, said the show is really in line with what we love to do at Method Animation : Adapting and creating IPs, bringing together the best international talents to create stories that will entertain and inspire kids and their families everywhere in the world.

As with Miraculous, the making of Astroboy will ideally bring together an international pool of animation talents, including French and Japanese ones.

Earlier this week, the company announced the creation of Mediawan Kids and Family, a new division dedicated to the production and distribution of youth programming.

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The new role will focus on growth as the global commercial real estate advisory firm expands its headcount and capabilities in the Bay Area.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Savills named commercial real estate expert and former NFL player David Bergeron market leader in San Francisco. Bergeron will oversee Bay Area brokerage and consulting practices while executing strategies to continue the company's growth and prominence in the area.

Savills named commercial real estate expert and former NFL player David Bergeron market leader in San Francisco. Bergeron is an experienced business builder and leader, most recently serving as president of T3 Advisors, a top real estate and workplace advisory firm, before T3s acquisition by Savills last year. Bergeron will oversee Bay Area brokerage and consulting practices while executing strategies to continue the companys growth and prominence in the area.

David's appointment to market leader is a natural progression of our acquisition of T3 Advisors.

"Over the last year, Savills has amplified its technology and life science advisory services in North America and globally. San Francisco remains one of the top markets worldwide for those critical sectors," said Savills North America President David Lipson. "David's appointment to market leader is a natural progression of our acquisition of T3 Advisors. His expertise in representing technology clients and his strong business acumen position us for continued success and growth in the market."

Bergeron is an experienced business builder and leader, most recently serving as president of T3 Advisors, a top real estate and workplace advisory firm, prior to T3's acquisition by Savills last year. He was named managing partner in 2011 before relocating from Boston to Silicon Valley, where he founded T3 West, successfully extending the reach of T3 to be bi-coastal, supporting technology and life science clients domestically and internationally.

In addition to his new responsibilities as the San Francisco market leader, Bergeron will continue advising and supporting his clients. With a successful track record in serving high-growth and publicly-traded companies, Bergeron has a reputation among leading venture capital investors and tech executives nationally as one of the top commercial real estate advisors supporting their ecosystem. His client roster includes notable brands, such as LinkedIn, Discord, SentinelOne, Take-Two Interactive, and TripActions.

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"The companies based here in the San Francisco Bay Area are among the largest and most impactful in the world. This is the home of innovation, and now more than ever, real estate and workplace are being reinvented," said Bergeron. "The end product will result in happier, healthier, and more successful employees and companies, utilizing and activating real estate in ways we've never seen before. I couldn't be more excited to lead this team during this time and in this market. The future is bright, and our impact will be profound for the clients we partner with in connecting their real estate strategies with business successes and beyond."

According to recent Savills research, San Francisco's leasing activity in Q1 2022 totaled 1.5 million square feet (msf), an improvement from 0.4 msf in Q1 2021, showing an increase in office demand. As companies continue to redefine how they add value to their workforce, leveraging the benefits of in-person collaboration, knowledge transfer and building culture, the physical office continues to have a huge role to play.

About Savills Inc.

Savills helps organizations find the right solutions that ensure employee success. Sharply skilled and fiercely dedicated, the firm's integrated teams of consultants and brokers are experts in better real estate. With services in tenant representation, workforce and incentives strategy, workplace strategy and occupant experience, project management, and capital markets, Savills has elevated the potential of workplaces around the corner, and around the world, for 160 years and counting.

For more information, please visit Savills.us and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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WASHINGTON, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff hosted an evening of NASA STEM activities Friday at the Naval Observatory for military families and local students and their families, which included a special screening of Disney Pixar's Lightyear.

NASA Logo. (PRNewsFoto/NASA) (PRNewsFoto/) (PRNewsfoto/NASA)

NASA provided three hands-on STEM activities to inspire students from 4th to 8th grade to engage with the science, technology, engineering and math behind NASA's missions. Former astronaut and former NASA Associate Administrator of Education Leland Melvin and astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli, Stephanie Wilson, and Tom Marshburn answered questions about their time in space. Marshburn recently returned with NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 from the International Space Station and was the NASA technical consultant on the film. Also in attendance were Lightyear actors Keke Palmer and Uzo Aduba.

"It was wonderful to work on these STEM activities with a bright young group of future leaders showcasing the exciting work we're doing at NASA in STEM and in space," said NASA Astronaut Thomas Marshburn. "This next generation  the Artemis Generation  will build on the work we're doing today to get us to the Moon and Mars, and it all starts here with inspiring young people on Earth."

Through NASA's Office of STEM engagement, the agency makes investments in engaging students, educators, and educational institutions to attract diverse groups of students to STEM for a diverse set of students to contribute to NASA's work and build a diverse future STEM workforce. OSTEM's Next Gen STEM project focuses on NASA's efforts to engage K-12 students, including those traditionally underrepresented and underserved, and provides support to informal educational institutions.

NASA also engages and inspires the next generation through STEM collaborations as the country prepares for human exploration of the Moon. NASA's Artemis program will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. NASA will then use what they learn to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.

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U.S. leadership in science and technology depends on increasing student STEM engagement and as Chair of the National Space Council, the Vice President has made it a priority to ensure the Administration is inspiring future scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and explorers.

For more information about NASA's STEM Engagement, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/stem

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Meet Kate, a Penn State student studying biobehavioral health. She's amassed nearly 200,000 followers and 12.1 million likes on TikTok ( @kateao4 ), where she posts videos about everything from pheromones to the art of seduction

Kate / @kateao4

However, almost every time she uploads a new video  no matter what the topic is  she receives at least one comment along these lines:

"Pretty informative," wrote one viewer. "But that valley girl voice/inflection had me struggling to keep from not scrolling." Kate / @kateao4 / Via tiktok.com

"For as long as I've been a content creator, people have been commenting on my voice, and it's always men," Kate, a Pennsylvania native, told BuzzFeed. In fact, the controversy around her voice began when she posted a video about her professor baselessly accusing her of plagiarism. Though she had an A in his class, Kate explained, "He didn't believe I was able to write a well-written essay based on whatever 'airhead blonde' stereotype he had of me." In response, she received numerous comments from men claiming they also wouldn't "believe" she was smart or "take [her] seriously" due to her Valley Girl speech, while many women defended her.

In the video, Kate shares that the "only evidence" her professor offered that she plagiarized was that "the scholarship of [her] project [was] well above the level of this class." Due to the reception, Kate pinned the video to her TikTok profile and, inspired by the women defending her, put "Elle Woods of Science" in her bio. Kate / @kateao4 / Via tiktok.com

To address the comments, Kate posed the question : Why are people  in her experience, particularly older men  so bothered by her voice? Her theory: Because the workforce was male-dominated, hypermasculine speech patterns became standardized as "professional speech." As women become more prevalent in the public sphere, their speech patterns are becoming normalized within professional speech, representing the decline of older, male-dominated forms of communication. She sums up, "[Men are] so lost in the sauce of sexism that they don't even realize the reason they're upset about Valley Girl speech isn't because it's actually annoying. It's because it's associated with young women and femininity, and anything that's not a patriarchal ideology is going to seem stupid to you."

"What's interesting," Kate begins her response in the video, "is that when women have a Valley Girl voice, they're seen as an airhead. But when they have a deeper voice or raspier voice, it's seen as masculine and unattractive." She then describes uptalk  "a rising intonation at the end of a sentence"  and how women, who are often interrupted, use it to indicate that they're not done speaking. Though women aren't the only ones who use uptalk, they are the most castigated for it. For example, Kate points out that former president George W. Bush often used uptalk during speeches. Kate also notes that uptalk is a common linguistic feature in numerous languages, but it doesn't hold the same connotation in other languages as it does in American English. Kate / @kateao4 / Via tiktok.com

Viewed nearly half a million times, Kate's video received more than 2,000 comments, with many people praising her explanation (and voice) and thanking her for the breakdown. So to learn more and dive deeper into the world of linguistics, BuzzFeed spoke with Meghan Armstrong-Abrami , an associate professor of Spanish Linguistics at UMass Amherst.

Meghan Armstrong-Abrami

While often associated with Valley Girl speech, uptalk has multiple definitions and functions within linguistics, Dr. Armstrong-Abrami explained. One such definition, by Paul Warren , defines it as "a marked rising intonation pattern found at the end of intonation units, and which serves primarily to check comprehension or to seek feedback." However, uptalk conveys a variety of intentions in communication.

Intentions of uptalk  also known as high rising terminals or rising declaratives  include checking, conversation maintenance, establishing common ground, feedback elicitation, hearer involvement, implying questions, reducing social distance, signaling new information, friendliness, solidarity, etc.

Also important to note: Uptalk is not produced in a vacuum. Armstrong-Abrami elaborated, "There is the actual content of the message, the physical gestures (like facial expressions and body movements) that the speaker is producing when the uptalk is uttered, the discourse context of what conversational participants have already said, etc. These also contribute to the way the message is conveyed."

Beyond speech patterns, the Valley Girl, herself, is generally associated with a stereotypical persona  one usually synonymous with "ditzy" or perhaps Cher Horowitz from Clueless. "This definitely makes it obvious that certain speech patterns are tied very closely to the persona of a Valley Girl," Armstrong-Abrami noted.

Originating in the 1980s, the stereotype can be traced back to Frank Zappa's 1982 song "Valley Girl" and even found in a 2003 Urban Dictionary entry. Urban Dictionary / Via urbandictionary.com

Nevertheless, uptalk is not a characteristic unique to Valley Girl speech, let alone American English, as Kate indicates in her video. It's actually been documented in at least 14 types of English (including Pacific, Mexican, South African, and Indian Englishes) and 11 non-English languages (including German, Spanish, Japanese, and Arabic). Thanks to cross-linguistic comparisons, it's clear that the social perception of uptalk depends on the particular speech community in question.

For example, Armstrong-Abrami shared that one case found that men who speak Peninsular Spanish (Spanish spoken in Spain) produced significantly more rises than women.

"To my knowledge, Spanish men do not face any social stigma or language policing for this," she added. On the other hand, uptalk does carry social meaning in Mexican Spanish, as it's often associated with fresa-style speech.

When it comes to gender, Armstrong-Abrami stated that a 2015 study  with participants from Southern California and Massachusetts  found "no significant differences in terms of how frequently men used rises when compared to women." In fact, as far back as the 1970s, American English speakers have been using rises to have the effect of, "Are you listening?" Despite this, uptalk is generally associated with women and younger speakers in the US.

While the 2015 study (Armstrong, Piccinini & Ritchart) saw no gender differences in frequency of uptalk, it did find that Southern Californian women produced longer, steeper rises than Southern Californian men. "We speculated that the Valley Girl stereotype associated with uptalk may be related to how rises are implemented and that men's rises might be less perceptually salient to listeners," Armstrong-Abrami said. She then introduced Robin Lakoff's 1973 paper, "Language and Women's Place," which discusses the criticism of women's use of tag questions (e.g. The war in Vietnam is terrible, isn't it?). The criticism claims that tag questions suggest the speaker is looking to the listener for confirmation with no opinion of her own. "One wonders," Lakoff writes, "how much of it reflects the use of a language that has been imposed on women from their earliest years." Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

"One very important thing to bear in mind here," Armstrong-Abrami remarked, "is that in the field of sociolinguistics, it is widely accepted that women and young women are often the leaders of language change. So if there is something 'new' going on in the language, it's not surprising to find women doing it. However, it seems to be the case that in the process of leading language change, women pay a price in that their speech is overly policed and, in some cases, even pathologized."

MGM Distribution Co. / 20th Century Fox / Via giphy.com

So why do people use uptalk? Well, the reason is probably not that simple, Armstrong-Abrami said. (For starters, it emerged in several languages around the same time.) As to Kate's theory that women use uptalk because they're often interrupted, she commented, "It's certainly a reason women could use it if we consider the 'holding the floor' use."

"In that case, they would be implicating that they are not done yet, so it makes sense that women might feel the need to hold the floor if they are used to being interrupted. At the same time, uptalk is pretty clearly used for a variety of other intentions," she continued.

Age and gender also play into the intentions for which speakers use uptalk. While one study found no gender disparity in uptalk to make statements, it did find that women use uptalk twice as often as men to hold the floor. As Kate notes, male politicians often use uptalk but aren't seen as doing so to hold the floor. For example, an analysis of former president George W. Bush's speeches found that his pitch contours would be "called 'uptalk' if produced by a young woman from the San Fernando Valley." Another analysis of former President Barack Obama's speeches found that he used high termination to emphasize information and capture attention. "I have to wonder if that rise was produced by a woman it'd have the same interpretation," Armstrong-Abrami added.

"The authors of the study (Aravaniti & Ritchart, 2014) do suggest  related to what Kate says  that perhaps women wish to indicate their intent to hold the floor because they are generally interrupted more than men," Armstrong-Abrami acknowledged, "but since the authors didn't directly test this, it was just a suggestion they made to explain their results." Luke Frazza / AFP via Getty Images

More broadly, in terms of gendered speech patterns and professionalism, she observed, "I think a lot of the aspects that women's speech has been criticized for are related to intentions that show empathy  checking in with the listener, establishing common ground, not committing fully to a statement because you are aware there might be more information you need. This hearer-orientedness may indeed be less common in the speech of men, and maybe there exists an idea that empathy is not appropriate in a professional environment, but that seems like a societal problem to me."

"I would truly like the world to be done talking about what women need to do to be taken seriously in the workplace (or anywhere)," Armstrong-Abrami said. "There always seems to be a new word or way of speaking that women 'should avoid.'" As an anecdote, she shared, "I remember having a conversation with a high school student (male), and when I talked about the pushback regarding uptalk, he said, 'But then people would sound so mean!'" TEDx Talk / Via youtube.com

Ultimately, Armstrong-Abrami concluded, "No matter what the phenomenon is  whether it's tag questions in the '70s, uptalk, vocal fry, or the use of 'just' in the past years  women's speech is always viewed negatively. Criticizing the speech of certain groups is still somehow socially acceptable and is a way of passing judgment on those groups. It's the norm that groups that are deemed undesirable by society are judged for their speech patterns, and individuals that deem themselves as authorities (usually self-proclaimed) on speech are able to openly criticize the linguistic features of these groups. As long as our society continues to devalue women (among other groups), we will continue to see womens speech patterns criticized, policed, and pathologized."

As for Kate, in spite of the criticism she receives for her voice, she makes no effort to flatten her speech patterns. "That would be counterproductive in my opinion," she said. "Feminism doesn't mean conforming to 'less feminine' behavior but forcing men to get used to a more female-dominated world. Women should be able to talk the way they normally talk, and men can get over it."

Instead, the comments inspired her to learn more about sociolinguistics and educate others. "Honestly, I didnt get into learning about it until I became a content creator and had so many people commenting on my voice," she shared. "I had an English teacher growing up who said something once about how women tend to use filler words because they are more frequently interrupted while speaking. So when I started getting comments about my voice and speech patterns, I started looking into that." Kate / @kateao4

That's why Kate decided to address the comment and make the video in the first place: To combat the perception that things associated with women are less intelligent or silly and to empower women. "It's a result of patriarchy," she said. "I'm tired of seeing women be made fun of for the way that they talk. I hope viewers take away that their Valley Girl voice in no way takes away from the power of their statements. We don't have to keep shrinking ourselves to make men more comfortable. Instead of conforming, it's time that women started punching back."

Kate / @kateao4
The Board of Trustees of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library will hold a special meeting to discuss concerns raised by a parent over content displayed on the library systems mobile app.

The parent, Adela Bertoldi of Stafford County, told trustees at their quarterly meeting Wednesday that she and her 8-year-old daughter were looking at the librarys app on the daughters tablet when the title and cover image of a book included in the automated feed of new items for all ages caught her attention.

The book was You Know, Sex: Bodies, Gender, Puberty, and Other Things by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth.

Bertoldi said in an interview this week that she took the tablet from her daughter and took a screenshot so she could look up more about the books content.

According to publisher Triangle Square, the book, which was published in April and is recommended for ages 10 and up, grounds sex education in social justice, covering not only the big three of pubertyhormones, reproduction, and developmentbut also power, pleasure, and how to be a decent human being.

Bertoldi said in an interview that the librarys app didnt suggest the book to her daughter. She said it was displayed among other books similar to those her daughter had checked out in the past, but that the content didnt match anything in her daughters check-out history.

Martha Hutzel, director of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library system, said in a statement provided to The Free LanceStar that the title in question is in the librarys teen collection and is not included in any recommended reading lists for children.

There will be a special meeting of the Library Board in a few weeks to further discuss this issue and to offer some solutions, Hutzel said.

At the library boards meeting on Wednesday, Bertoldi asked for an audit of the librarys mobile app to determine if and how books with sexual content are being offered to minors.

She said she is not trying to have books removed from the librarys collection.

Im not accusing anybody, Bertoldi said. It seems like there was a failure in the system.

She said she also wants to know what controls exist in the librarys system to prevent a child from checking out material the parent does not want the child to have.

Meg Bohmke, a member of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors and one of the two Stafford representatives to the librarys Board of Trustees, asked for a special meeting to discuss initiating a system-wide audit.

I find it really appalling, Bohmke said. We need to do an audit to see what (our kids are) being exposed to.

Bohmke asked for the librarys app to be paused for all subscribers until an audit has been performed, but Hutzel said that would not be practical.

Kimberly Young, chair of the Board of Trustees and the other Stafford County representative, said it is important first to take in all the information about what happened.

For something like this where there is not a quick fix, we have to find out first whats going on, Young said. There is the tech piece and then there is also the value piece.

Young said she would work with trustees to schedule a special meeting as soon as possible, while also giving library staff enough time to prepare a report.

Were all very motivated to make this happen, she said.

Young asked trustees to send to her questions they would like library staff to answer in the report.

In her statement, Hutzel said the library will publish clarifying information on our website ... about how our catalog can be searched and filtered through our website and mobile app.

In an interview, Bertoldi said she feels heard by the board of trustees.

I feel like they want to address [my concerns], she said.

Bertoldi stressed that this is not a political issue.

I was upset because I want my daughter to keep her innocence a little longer, she said. But its not my job to tell other parents, Your kid is too young for this. Every child is different. The only person who knows what they can handle is the parent.

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AN URGENT CALL has gone

out to save Jamestown Island

before its too late.

Strong, wise action is needed now to protect this site thats so rich in history and central to the story of the commonwealth and the nation.

The urgent call for help came last month when Jamestown Island was named to the National Trust for Historic Preservations 2022 list of Americas 11 most endangered historic sites. As the National Trust said, the site is at a crucial turning point. The choices are stark. Those in the commonwealth and beyond who care about this valuable site and all that it tells us about ourselves and our nation can intensify efforts to preserve whats here. Or we can concede that the fight is lost and turn our efforts to documenting what we are about to lose.

The Jamestown settlement is central to the countrys story. English settlers came in 1607, but indigenous people built and sustained communities there for thousands of years prior. Virginia recently celebrated the 400-year anniversaries of the first Africans arriving here in chains, the first women who came to the settlement and the first legislative assembly, all of which happened in Jamestown.

When the colonial capital moved from Jamestown to Williamsburg, too little thought was given to preserving the remnants of the settlement for posterity. Over the years, farming, development, and erosion erased many traces of early Jamestown.

Fortunately, Preservation Virginia/Historic Jamestowne and the National Park Service now control the islands historic sites. Tourists can visit the recreated fort, Native American village, and ships at Jamestown Settlement. They can see the site of the first structures settlers constructed at Historic Jamestowne, where archeologists continue to find artifacts that help tell the stories of the various peoples who have lived there.

But all thats there now, and treasures that might yet be found, are increasingly in danger from the rising James River, frequent storms, and increased flooding. Erosion is eating away at the island, and whats left is becoming swamp and wetland. A seawall was built in 1902 and other measures have been implemented in recent years, but these are inadequate to handle the growing threats as climate change rapidly makes matters worse.

The Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation has come up with a plan that could mitigate the effects of climate change through the rest of the century, including building berms, repairing the seawall, and elevating some areas.

To make the plan a reality, the nonprofit foundation will need more partners and millions of dollars. That urgent call for help is asking others to join in the effort and to make donations.

The importance of saving Jamestown should be apparent. Jamestown and the colonial, Native American, and Black history that converges there is essential to the story of America, one we collectively are, slowly, beginning to understand more fully.

For those of us who live nearby, saving Jamestown Island is even more critically important.

On a practical level, heritage tourism is a vital part of our economy. Beyond that, this is a place we treasure, a place that is central to the identity of Hampton Roads.

What a terrible shame it would be to lose this treasured site from lack of interest or an unwillingness to do what it will take to save it. Lets help make possible the emergency measures needed to hold back the rising watersand lets stop postponing the actions needed to forcefully address the forces affecting the climate.

Adapted from the VirginianPilot
By Laman Ismayilova

Around 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered with water while oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth's water, Azernews reports.

Climate change adds undue pressure on water systems. Ecosystems of the seas and oceans face serious threats. Therefore, it is necessary to protect water resources from negative effects.

An exhibition "My Seas, My Oceans" raises public awareness of water issues.

The project was initiated by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and IDEA Public Union with the support of the United Nations (UN) Office in Geneva and the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the UN Office in Geneva.

The exhibition brought together Azerbaijani artists Javid Ilham, Diana Aliyeva, Elshan Karaja, Erkin Alakbarli, Gunel Ravilova, Leyla Aliyeva, Mirali Seyidov, Nazrin Khalafova, and Nazrin Mammadova. Through art, the artists provide a broader understanding of the water issues.

Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of the IDEA Public Union Leyla Aliyeva addressed the opening ceremony of the exhibition, Azernews reports citing Azertag.

In her speech, Leyla Aliyeva stressed that the exhibition provides a good opportunity to focus on some global issues through art.

"At IDEA Public Union, we always use art and creativity to convey the importance of protecting the environment. Our organization was established in 2011 with a mission to protect our nature and biodiversity. We want to encourage people to study, art, music, enlightenment and, most importantly, to spend more time in nature," she said.

She noted that IDEA also focuses on combating pollution and protecting animals and the marine ecosystem.

Around 50 percent of marine life has been destroyed in the last fifty years. Human actions seriously affect water resources.

"I would say that people and nature are closely related to each other. By depriving nature, we first of all harm ourselves. However, I do believe that through positive thinking, we will be able to glue the torn pieces together. I believe that the happier people are, the more they will care about nature...," she said.

In conclusion, Leyla Aliyeva expressed her gratitude to the artists participating in the exhibition for raising awareness about water issues.

In her remarks, Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva Tatiana Valova noted that June is traditionally a time for conferences and other events dedicated to the protection of the UN oceans and watersheds.

On this eve, the organization of an exhibition focusing on the ecological situation in the oceans and seas through art is of particular importance.

She expressed her gratitude to Leyla Aliyeva and the artists who participated in the exhibition with their works, as well as the curators of the exhibition.

Director of the Europe Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Bruno Pozzi expressed satisfaction on behalf of the organization, which has been an IDEA partner for a long time.

"Our planet cannot exist without water, and therefore initiatives aimed at protecting water basins and the living world in them must be supported in all possible ways. In times of climate change, the protection of water resources must be a priority among global challenges," she said.

Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the United Nations Office at Geneva Galib Israfilov thanked the UN Geneva Office and the IDEA Public Union for organizing the exhibition. He stressed that this exhibition reflects the artistic expression of young Azerbaijani artists on a global challenge that makes the world think.

As part of her visit to Switzerland, Vice President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of the IDEA Public Union Leyla Aliyeva met with the Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva Tatiana Valova.

The sides exchanged views on the participation of IDEA staff and experts in projects related to the Sustainable Development Goals, youth, gender equality, environmental protection, etc.

On the same day, Leyla Aliyeva got acquainted with the project on reconstruction of the "Azerbaijan Room" in the UN Geneva Office.

Restored in 2007 by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the room decorated with national carpets and works of Azerbaijani artists is used to hold important meetings and events on regional topics.

The German company "Luther Design" came up with a reconstruction project. It is planned to start reconstruction works at the end of this year.

Furthermore, Leyla Aliyeva viewed a sculpture "Thoughts and Dreams" donated by the Azerbaijani state in Ariana Park. The sculpture was erected in front of the Palace of Nations at the UN Geneva Office.

The monument was designed by People's Artists Salhab Mammadov and Ali Ibadullayev on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Azerbaijan's membership in the UN.

During her visit to Geneva, Leyla Aliyeva presented books about Azerbaijan to the library of the UN Geneva Office.

The head of the library, Francesco Pisano, thanked the publications that enriched the library fund and spoke about the history of the library.

It was noted that the library held many important documents, as well as archival documents relating to the Paris Peace Conference.

This archive is of exceptional importance for Azerbaijan since the originals of many historical documents relating to the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic are stored here.

Among these documents are letters and appeals prepared by the Azerbaijani delegation that took part in the Paris peace talks, maps, and other important historical documents. In 2016, these materials were digitized and included in the online catalog.

Francesco Pisano expressed hope that in the future the library fund would be expanded with even more books about Azerbaijan.
Berta Quintero loves being a business owner.

When she and co-owner Micaela Ticum opened Reinitas Ice Cream Shop at 130 N. Main St., in May, Quintero knew she could count on her restaurant customers to support her latest venture.

A lot of Fremont customers support the Spanish businesses, said Quintero, who opened Reinitas restaurant at 414 N. Main St. in October 2020.

The inspiration behind the name is Quinteros mother, Reina.

Everybody calls her Reinita because shes so little, she said. In English, it means Little Queen.

Born in Guatemala, Quintero and her family came to America when she was 17.

We settled in York, Nebraska, but moved to Fremont when my mom got hired at Hormel, she said.

Quinteros first business was Decoration Michelle, a party supply shop located at Military Avenue and Broad Street, which she opened in 2015.

There used to be a liquor store there, she said, and I felt it was a good location for a Spanish business.

Four months later she found herself facing stiff competition, so Quintero decided to use some of the space for another business, one that would generate more income.

A friend suggested an ice cream shop, Quintero said. He felt that Fremont really needed one.

The second floor was being used for storage, said Quinteros daughter Kaylee, 12, who started helping out at the party supply shop when she was 7. When Mom opened the ice cream shop, we turned the upstairs into a place where customers could try on dresses.

Kaylee joked about the fact that being the owners daughter did not automatically entitle her to all the ice cream she wanted.

My dad said, You have to work for it. So thats what I did, Kaylee added.

Quintero quickly discovered there was a much greater demand for ice cream than for party supplies.

The pandemic kept customers away, and Quintero needed to find a different way to make a living.

When she got hired as a supervisor at Lincoln Premium Poultry, Quintero called her friend, Micaela Ticum, who had worked for her at the ice cream shop, and asked her to come work for her again.

Micaela liked taking care of everything, Quintero said. I could see she had good management skills.

Ticum had started her own cleaning business, Ody Cleaning Service, to bring in more income during the winter months when customers werent coming in for ice cream.

In addition to her work at Lincoln Premium, Quintero was also running Reinitas restaurant.

My mom told me I needed to focus on the restaurant, so I gave up my job at Lincoln Premium, she said.

When Ticum expressed an interest in buying the ice cream shop on Military Avenue, Quintero asked her to go into partnership with her on a new one on Main Street.

I was interested in the downtown location because thats where my restaurant is, Quintero said. The owner of the printing shop (on Main Street) had space she didnt need and was satisfied with the rent I was willing to pay.

In addition to being co-owners of Reinitas Ice Cream Shop, which opened in May, Quintero and Ticum are busy moms.

Kaylee Quintero, who continues serving customers, has two siblings: Manuel, 13, and Arantza, 7. All three attend Cedar Bluffs Public School.

Ticums two children, Sheila, 8, and Berwin, 3, attend Archbishop Bergan.

We want everyone to know we are working hard, Quintero said. We would like to have ice cream shops in other cities.

The next town on the map appears to be Columbus.

A lot of our customers live there, Quintero said. They need one there.

Quintero is deeply committed to her business as well as her community. She joined the Main Street organization, whose aim is to promote and revitalize downtown Fremont.

She also enjoys helping with the Spanish Festival held at John C. Fremont Park.

We have a parade, music and dancing, games for the kids, and lots of food, she said.

Reinitas provides a food truck participants can enjoy one of the most popular selections, the Reinita Platio.

A lot of people come to the festival, Quintero said. I love seeing Americans come and spend time with Spanish people, learning from each other.

Quintero also is a member of B.I.D. (Business Improvement District).

We talk about whats good for downtown Fremont, Quintero said. The mayor (Joey Spellerberg) called me and asked if I would like to join B.I.D. He said he heard a lot of good things about me, that I was doing good things and working hard. He also said everybody loves my food at Reinitas.

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A statewide partnership of public and private organizations recently announced the launch of We Care for Kids, a public outreach campaign to build support for quality early childhood education for all Nebraska families.

A virtual event kicked off the campaign and featured an array of state and community leaders who spoke about the value of early childhood education, including University of Nebraska President Ted Carter and Senator John Stinner.

We Care for Kids is a collaborative, community-based initiative to help meet the need for quality early childhood programs and services across the state. According to the Nebraska Community Foundation which works in more than 250 communities across the state, child care consistently ranks as one of the most urgent issues facing communities. More than three-fourths of Nebraska children under the age of six live in homes where all adults work, making it essential that families have access to safe, loving, and stimulating early childhood education with the help of quality early childhood educators.

Children who receive quality early childhood education are better prepared to learn, more likely to read by the fourth grade, graduate school, and go on to college, Sam Meisels, founding executive director at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, which is coordinating the campaign, said in a press release. The more we care about bringing quality early childhood education to all families, the more we ensure that Nebraska thrives.

Access to quality early childhood education for all Nebraska children is at the heart of We Care for Kids. The campaign aims to support families with resources and tools to help them recognize and seek out quality early care and learning for their children, especially in under-resourced communities. A special focus is the importance of early childhood professionals and the need to ensure that they are supported and can afford to stay in the profession.

The campaign provides families with information on quality early childhood education through a new website that provides easy access to local early education programs and providers and a host of other resources that have been developed by state agencies and organizations, including the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Extension, and First Five Nebraska. A new community toolkit provides resources to support local efforts and comes ahead of a state media campaign that begins later this summer.

As a campaign partner, Communities for Kids is already working in 51 Nebraska communities to help address the shortage of options for quality early childhood education, said Marti Beard, vice president of early childhood programs at the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation and a driving force behind supporting local efforts. We Care for Kids will bring the stories of Nebraska communities to light and is an important galvanizing force for our efforts statewide.

We Care for Kids launches at a time of great strain for early childhood programs and, in particular, the professionals who care for and teach young children. In addition to a statewide shortage of programs  91% of Nebraska counties with child care facilities do not have enough available places to meet the demand  the ongoing pandemic has taken a toll on the early childhood workforce. Two-thirds of licensed center-based providers recently surveyed by the Buffett Institute said they were experiencing turnover, and of those providers, nearly 70% reported that staff had left the profession. Nine in 10 providers employing staff have had extreme difficulty hiring for open positions, citing a lack of applicants and inability to offer sufficient pay, among other reasons.

We Care for Kids embraces the critical role early childhood educators have in our childrens lives. My community, like many others in Nebraska, needs more quality early childhood educators so that families can work and know that their children are being prepared for success in school and life, said Colten Venteicher, who is a member of the campaigns advisory group and helps lead community efforts in Gothenburg. Early childhood educators become an important part of families with young children and play a huge role in helping Nebraska communities thrive. They are an extension of our community and an important part of our family.

Nebraskans are encouraged to visit NebraskaCaresForKids.org to learn more and sign up to join the campaign. Early childhood educators are invited to share their stories via the website and the campaign will offer additional resources over time. Information and materials are available in Spanish at Portodoslosninos.org.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Preschool Development Birth-Five Grant, the Holland Foundation, and the Buffett Early Childhood Institute provide funding for the campaign.

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College of Saint Mary has announced its deans list and presidents honor roll for outstanding undergraduate academic performance for the spring 2022 semester. In total, 140 students were named to the honorary deans list, while 141 students were named to the presidents honor roll.

To qualify for CSMs deans list, students must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher after completing at least 12 semester hours as full-time students. For inclusion on the presidents honor roll, students must earn a 3.9 GPA or above.

The following area students were recognized:

Fremont: Jessica Holcomb, Bachelor of Arts, Applied Psychology & Human Services, freshman, presidents honor roll; Lexie Langley, Bachelor of Science, Business, junior, deans list.

Ithaca: Kelsie Sears, Bachelor of Science, Nursing, sophomore, presidents honor roll.

Scribner: Jessica Reckinger, Bachelor of Science, Nursing, junior, deans list.

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The University of Mississippi has announced students named to the chancellors honor roll for the spring semester.

The chancellors honor roll is reserved for students who earn a semester GPA of 3.75-4.00.

Emily Reid of Fremont and Ella Endorf of North Bend were both named to the chancellors honor roll. Reid is majoring in communication sciences/disorders. Endorf is majoring in public policy leadership and integrated marketing communications.

In order to be eligible for honor roll designation, a student must have completed at least 12 graded hours for the semester and may not be on academic probation during the semester.

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On her office bookcase, Jody Sanders has a photo of an older woman in a cap and gown.

Thats Sanders mother, the late Zora Pelikan, who earned her GED in 2002.

Pelikan, whod married young, hadnt had the opportunity to finish her education until later in life. But Pelikan lived the advice she gave her children:

You can do anything you put your mind to.

Following such advice, Sanders has made many accomplishments  not the least of which is becoming the first woman to serve as Fremonts city administrator.

Im very proud to be that person, said Sanders, who assumed the role June 1. Fremont is a traditional community and over the years Ive had folks ask, Where are your female leaders? and so now I get to be one of them.

A lifelong local resident, Sanders graduated valedictorian from Fremont High School in 1979.

We were the largest class to go through Fremont High at that time, she said.

She attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for a semester.

In 1980  the same year she married her husband Randy  she began working in the composing/paste-up department of the Fremont Tribune.

By the time she left the Tribune nine years later, Sanders was its controller/chief financial officer.

While still at the Tribune, Sanders returned to school, attending the University of Nebraska at Omaha for a bachelors degree in accounting.

The Sanders family moved to Springfield, Missouri, where she worked in the accounting department at the Springfield News Leader.

We lasted a year and decided Fremont was our home, so we moved back in 1991, she said.

Sanders then started a job at a Mutual of Omaha affiliate and resumed working toward her bachelors degree at UNO.

It took persistence, but Sanders recalls the encouragement a former Tribune boss gave her about working on a degree:

You can do nothing and in four, five, six, seven years, youll have nothing, Carol Schmidt said. Or you can work on something and you wont have it tomorrow or the next day, but in seven years youll have it  if it takes you that long.

It took Sanders 12 years to earn her degree in accounting in 1998.

She also studied and passed her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.

During that time, the Sanders children, Chris and Amanda, were in junior high school.

I could not have done that without my mom and my husband, she said.

After she graduated, Sanders worked at Shaw, Hull & Navarrette CPA firm in Fremont for nine years, much of the time doing audits, including governmental ones.

Life took another turn when Sanders was approached by an employment consultant for the city, which wanted a CPA with governmental experience.

Sanders hadnt been looking for a change and was reaching the point where she might become an accounting firm partner.

At the same time, her son was getting married and Sanders realized the city job might allow her to be more family oriented.

She became the accounting/finance manager with the city in 2007.

Former Mayor Skip Edwards appointed Sanders as director of finance for the city in 2011.

I was his (Edwards) last official appointment before he retired, Sanders said.

When former Fremont City Administrator Brian Newton retired, Mayor Joey Spellerberg asked if Sanders would serve as interim city administrator in December 2021.

Sanders agreed, because she wanted to serve the city and it would be for a short time.

She didnt think a permanent position as city administrator would appeal to her.

Its very people-oriented and for an accountant who has spent so many years on third floor in that quiet office in the corner  I felt like it could do it, but I wasnt sure if I would enjoy it, she said.

But Sanders discovered she likes the people aspect.

I like the idea of helping all 27,141 residents of Fremont, she said.

Sanders noted that Spellerberg is a purpose-driven person with high ethical standards, who wants to treat everyone fairly.

His sense of integrity inspired me, she said. I have to live by a code of ethics as a CPA and as a government finance officer. I really felt in tune with what the mayor was promoting and so I applied for the (permanent) position.

Sanders job as administrator involves managing these people and services:

* City clerks office;

* Building inspections;

* Planning;

* Public works/engineering/airport/street department;

* Fire and police departments;

* Dispatch 911 center;

* Parks and recreation department, which includes Ridge Cemetery, Splash Station and Ronin Pool;

* Keene Memorial Library;

* Grant coordination.

Sanders enjoys helping people  whether its an employee or a resident with a concern.

The hard parts are the times when you have to say no, she said, adding that Spellerberg has been willing to tackle those issues.

Sanders appreciates the community support.

Ive been approached by people at restaurants, or what have you, and theyve been very supportive of me, she said.

Sanders said she wants to continue doing the best she can to make Fremont a great place to live, work and raise a family.

She knows challenges lie ahead. Politicians are vowing to reduce property taxes in Nebraska, which are about 50% of what supports city operations.

Were getting about $6 million in property tax a year and efforts to reduce that  while admirable for the residents  makes us look for other revenue streams to support the services that we have been providing, Sanders said.

Angie Olson, executive assistant and grant coordinator, spends a great deal of time looking for grant opportunities and other funding sources.

We have a renewed focus on getting all the grant dollars we can reasonably obtain, Sanders said.

There are multiple needs. Many buildings on city properties havent perhaps been maintained the best, she said.

She looks at improvements hopefully within the next five years.

The city auditorium already has been renovated and the library is being expanded. A police station will be built.

We will likely be doing, at the very least, renovations, but perhaps building a new fire station. Were looking at a possible satellite location for a fire station, she said.

Streets, parks and forestry departments will move into a new facility being built near the water treatment plant on Luther Road.

Sanders goal is to maintain these new structures properly so the city wont be looking to replace them in the foreseeable future.

Sanders added she wouldnt have taken the job without the support of city department heads.

Were a team, Sanders said. Were going to get things done and we all respect our various disciplines. We should be listening to these experts. Thats their job and theyve studied long and hard to gain that expertise.

If we didnt have folks like that in place, I would have thought twice about applying.

Sanders noted something else:

I do love my job and would encourage people to consider a career in government, she said. You hear it everywhere  it doesnt matter whether youve been on the job 10 days or 40 years  there are never two days the same. Theres something new and interesting every single day.

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A regional affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) militant group has claimed responsibility for an attack at a Sikh temple in the Afghan capital on June 18 that killed at least two people and injured seven.

Islamic State-Khorasan has lately increased its targeting of mosques and minorities across Afghanistan.

The group said via Telegram that the attack was a response to insults against the Prophet Muhammad, a possible reference to recent remarks by an Indian government spokeswoman that some Muslim-majority leaders have condemned.

Taliban-led government officials said one Sikh worshipper had been killed in the attack and one member of the Taliban forces killed during the clearing operation.

International observers have lamented the lack of security for Afghanistan's Sikh, Sufi, and Hazara minorities.

The UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, "strongly condemned" the attack and another recent attack on a Sufi temple and urged action to stop the recent "systematic attacks on religious minorities in Afghanistan" including "documentation, investigation and accountability."

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, European Union, and Indian government all condemned the attack.

A Sikh man who lives near the temple that was attacked told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi: If we cannot live in Afghanistan, then they should tell us; they should give us the opportunity so we can go some other country, or I want the United Nations to give us an island so that we create our own country, without being with Muslims, neither with Hindus nor with Christians.

Around 30 worshippers were said to have been inside the temple, or gurdwara, when a car packed with explosives exploded nearby. Officials said gunmen also lobbed at least one grenade. A video circulating showed a plume of smoke rising from the building.

Abdul Nafi Takur, a spokesman for the Taliban Interior Ministry, told RFE/RL that the car detonated before reaching its target.

Taliban forces said later they had taken control of the area and cleared it of attackers.

The hard-line Sunni Taliban group has led an unrecognized government in Kabul since mid-August, when U.S.-led forces withdrew and the UN-backed Afghan government crumbled as Taliban fighters captured most of the country.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, dpa, and AP
Pakistan has moved closer to being removed from an influential financial watchdogs dirty money gray list, the South Asian nations foreign minister said.

"Pakistan is one step away from exiting the gray list, God willing," the minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, told a news conference in Islamabad on June 18.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said on June 17 that an upcoming visit to verify progress on countering financing of terrorism and money laundering could lead to Pakistans removal from the list of countries under increased monitoring.

Marcus Pleyer, president of the Paris-based watchdog, said in announcing the October onsite visit that Pakistan has largely addressed all required actions on its action plans, adding that reforms implemented by the country were good for the stability and security of Pakistan.

However, he said Pakistan was not immediately being removed from the gray list until an October onsite visit in which Islamabad will have to ensure that it had effectively tackled money laundering and terror funding.

The FATF, founded in 1989 at the initiative of the Group of Seven leading industrial nations, is tasked with developing policies to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

Khar said the country was confident of being removed from the gray list, a move she added would help bolster Pakistans economic framework.

"We have not only met the timeline. We have outperformed the timeline," she said. "I'm very confident that if we remain on the same trajectory, we will get out of it, and will never return on this path again."

Following a plenary session in October 2021, the FATF urged Pakistan to continue to make progress to address as soon as possible" on the one remaining recommendation that still prevented the country from being removed from the gray list of terrorism financing.

The Paris-based FATF placed Pakistan on its watchlist in 2018 amid accusations that the country's powerful military harbors Islamist militants to use them as proxies against India and neighboring Afghanistan.

Being placed on the list can scare away investors and creditors and make global banks wary of doing business with a country.

Following the October 2021 session, the FATF hailed Pakistans continued political commitment since June 2018 to address its counterterrorist financing-related deficiencies.

However, Pleyer told a news conference at the time that the authorities need to further demonstrate that investigations and prosecutions are being pursued against the senior leadership of UN-designated terror groups.

With reporting by Radio Mashaal, Reuters, Dawn, and The News International
Jameson is the author of six home and lifestyle books, including "Downsizing the Family Home  What to Save, What to Let Go." Reach her at marnijameson.com.
Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov inspected military units on the border with Armenia, Azernews reports per the Defense Ministry.

As instructed by Azerbaijani President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Mr. Ilham Aliyev, Minister of Defense Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov, and the leadership of the ministry met with military personnel serving in combat positions, stationed in the territory of Kalbajar and Lachin regions on the state border.

Having met with servicemen serving in areas with harsh climatic conditions and difficult terrain, the minister highly appreciated their combat and moral-psychological training.

Col-Gen Z. Hasanov observed the activities of the opposing side from the observation posts and checked the capabilities of optical surveillance devices and technical means.

The minister got acquainted with the conditions created in the accommodation points and was reported that all the necessary infrastructure was created here to ensure qualitative organization and conduct of combat duty.

In the end, the defense minister noted that the work aimed at improving the social and living conditions of servicemen will continue in the future. The minister gave relevant instructions to the command staff on further improving the combat capability of the units and ensuring stable defense.




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Attendees at a May 21 design workshop for the Westside Community Center tossed out lots of ideas about uses of the campus, which is in limbo following failed contract negotiations with potential new operators.
The IX Global Baku Forum has become a major platform for addressing critical global issues, Former President of the Republic of Croatia Ivo Josipovic told Trend.

"The Forum's purpose is to bring representatives of different countries, as well as former heads of states together to discuss global issues and the current situation in the world. The opinions on various topics expressed during panel discussions will elaborate new approaches towards resolution of issues," he said.
Appeals court: "It may not  and often will not  be appropriate for a fact finder to ascribe the same intent to a juveniles act that one could reasonably ascribe to the same act if performed by an adult."
A man looks over a case full of marijuana in 2014 at Maggies Farm in Manitou Springs, which was the first recreational marijuana store in El Paso County. Colorado Springs groups is working on a ballot question to allow voters to decide in November whether to allow recreational marijuana sales at existing medical dispensaries.
From ghost towns to gold mines to century-old saloons, the Wild West era is alive and well in the mountains of Colorado. Follow this road trip to see the same sights as cowboys, outlaws and famed western characters such as Doc Holliday.

Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum

Theres no better way to introduce yourself to the early years of Colorado than at this museum in downtown Colorado Springs. The building features many exhibits that touch on various aspects of the states history, including some that focus on events of the Wild West era. One perk  admission is free.

Wild West Ghost Town Museum

Not far from Pioneers Museum, this attraction is designed to preserve the states Wild West history. Its an indoor collection of structures that once were left to decay. Many still appear as they would have a century ago. This stop is suited for guests of all ages, with hands-on experiences sure to capture the attention of children and adults alike.

Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine Tour

For an up-close look at the early days of Colorado mining, head to Cripple Creek. An old elevator takes visitors 1,000 feet below ground for a tour that focuses on the regions mining past and the mining process that put Colorado at the center of a mineral rush. Plus, all visitors receive a piece of gold ore that contains actual flakes of real gold.

Royal Gorge Bridge & Park

While the bridge wasnt constructed until 1929, this Canon City attraction offers a great look into the development of the mining and transportation infrastructure of Colorados past. Take in the scenic views and learn about how crucial this region was as the states economy started to thrive.

St. Elmo Ghost Town

Travel west on Chalk Creek Drive (County Road 162) from U.S. 285 between Salida and Buena Vista to find one of the most accessible and best preserved ghost towns in Colorado. Colorful buildings and educational displays provide a glimpse into what mountain life once was like in the Centennial State.

Buena Vista Heritage Museum

Built in 1882, the Old Chaffee County Courthouse now offers a chance to learn about life of yesteryear in the area, with artifacts that date to the 1800s. Also consider the Buena Vista wild west history tour by Salida Walking Tours. Visitors hear stories of shootouts and learn about the towns former red light district.

Silver Dollar Saloon

No Wild West road trip through Colorado is complete without a stop at this historic site in Leadville. Serving customers since 1879, the atmosphere found here can almost transport patrons back in time. Previous visitors to the saloon include Doc Holliday, Margaret Brown (known posthumously as The Unsinkable Molly Brown) and Oscar Wilde.

East Side Mining District

Those hoping to see mining ruins from the past can find plenty of relics in Leadville. During the summer, this 20-square-mile area boasts several easy-to-access county roads that wind through the mountainous landscape. The Route of the Silver Kings is one popular option to explore and can be found in the Leadville Heritage Guide online.

Frisco Historic Park & Museum

After traveling past Climax Mine and the ski resort of Copper Mountain, road-trippers will find themselves in Frisco, home to a great local museum. The self-guided tour includes many preserved buildings, artifacts and photographs that detail the early days of Summit County.

Loveland Pass

The road opened in 1869, granting access from Denver to Leadville before Colorado became a state. Imagine traveling this route a century ago by wagon, prior to the opening of the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnels and Interstate 70. The summit is part of the Continental Divide.

Georgetown Loop Railroad

Discover Colorados mining past on a railroad tour that showcases stunning views. Take a narrow gauge train ride through Clear Creek County, book a silver mine tour and pan for gold with the kids. While in Georgetown, visit the Gothic Revival-style Hamill House, still pristine in its original fashion from the 1870s.

American Museum of Western Art

Step back into the American West, where art and history come together, the website beckons. This Denver display spans nearly two centuries of western history. Much of the formerly private collection now turned public was curated by billionaire and Wild West aficionado Philip Anschutz over the course of 50 years.

Four Mile Historic Park

Open Friday through Sunday, this attraction offers a portal into Denvers Western heritage, with historically accurate replicas, a working farm with horses, goats, chickens and pigs, and the site of Denvers oldest standing structure. Come to this spot ready to learn and leave with a newfound appreciation of the past.

Flying W Ranch

End the trip back in Colorado Springs with a large feast seemingly straight from the Wild West. Meals here seek to recreate the chuckwagon supper served to old west ranchers and cattle-drivers. Once destroyed by the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire, this attraction had a grand reopening in 2020. Summer means BBQ dinners along with shows by the Flying W Wranglers.

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By Vugar Khalilov

At every opportunity, Yerevan accuses Baku of destroying the "Armenian cultural heritage" in Azerbaijan's liberated lands, while disregarding its own decades-long cultural terror against its neighbor, Azernews reports.

On June 7, during a meeting with UNESCO Deputy Director-General for Culture Ernesto Ottone in Paris, Armenian Education and Culture Minister Vahram Dumanyan slandered Azerbaijan, blaming it for cultural vandalism against Armenian cultural and historical monuments, Azernews reports.

In turn, Ottone stated that work is underway to send an expert mission to Karabakh and the surrounding territories to investigate the situation at the venue.

Azerbaijan has always welcomed the UNESCO technical delegation, which is planning to visit the region. Azerbaijan and UNESCO agreed on all preparations for it bilaterally.

Despite Azerbaijan's repeated pleas and letters to UNESCO, the organization's mission was unable to visit the region due to Armenias occupation of Azerbaijani lands as UNESCO said in its 2005 report.

Concerning UNESCO's mission to Armenia, the Foreign Ministry earlier stated that Azerbaijan has repeatedly warned UNESCO and the international community of the destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage in Armenia.

During a virtual conference on February 4, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, French President Emanuel Macron, European Council President Charles Michel, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan achieved an agreement on UNESCO missions to be sent to Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Azerbaijani NGOs, on the other hand, have provided UNESCO with substantial information on the damage, as well as pictures and other documentation about the purposeful policy implemented by Armenia to destroy the centuries-old cultural legacy of Azerbaijanis in Armenia.

Azerbaijani NGO leaders have asked UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay to send an expert group to Armenia to assess the current state of Azerbaijan's centuries-old cultural and historical heritage but to no avail.

Armenia committed ethnic-cultural genocide as well as ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis. There were no Azerbaijanis left in Armenia as a result of the mass deportation of Azerbaijanis from their ancestral regions in the early 20th century. Over 250,000 Azerbaijanis were expelled from their own homes and became refugees as a result of the final deportation in 1988 alone.

By pursuing a policy of both ethnic and cultural genocide, Armenia has purposefully erased all traces of Azerbaijanis, the historical and ancient residents of these territories, plundered, destroyed, embezzled, and distorted the Azerbaijani people's cultural legacy. At the same time, ancient place names in these areas were changed to Armenian ones.

We provided a number of proofs in our earlier appeals to UNESCO. For example, along with other proofs, we have emphasized that the Blue Mosque, the Gala Mosque, the Shah Abbas Mosque, the Tapabashi Mosque, the Zal Khan Mosque, the Sartib Khan Mosque, the Haji Novruzali Bay Mosque, the Damirbulagh Mosque, the Haji Jafar Bay Mosque, the Rajab Pasha Mosque, the Mohammad Sartib Khan Mosque, the Haji Inam Mosque and more than 300 other mosques located in Armenia were deliberately destroyed, misappropriated or used for other purposes in the early 20th century. Only the Damirbulagh Mosque functioned as intended until 1988, but it has now been completely demolished and replaced by a high-rise building, the statement by Azerbaijani NGOs reads.

Over 500 Azerbaijani cemeteries in Armenia, such as Aghadada, Ashaghi Shorja, Gullubulagh, and Saral have been destroyed. The tomb of great Azerbaijani poet Ashig Alasgar, whose tombstone was erected in his native village in the ancient Goycha district, was also destroyed.

Armenians have destroyed virtually all religious and historical monuments in the previously occupied territories of Azerbaijan during the 30-year occupation. Some 65 out of 67 mosques were destroyed, Aghdam's Juma mosque was partially preserved due to its use by the Armenian armed forces for military purposes, and the Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque in Shusha was presented as a "Persian" mosque after the so-called reconstruction.

UNESCO should include evidence of Armenian vandalism against Azerbaijani culture in its reports. Today, Azerbaijan is experiencing double standards and the silence of international organizations about the realities of Armenian damage to Azerbaijani territories during the 30-year occupation.

Armenia perpetrated ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Azerbaijani people. In addition, during the Armenian occupation, the Azerbaijani cultural legacy, which is part of the global cultural heritage, was exposed to genocide and damage. In occupied territories, historical sites were destroyed and mosques were desecrated.

Despite numerous applications to UNESCO, which supports the preservation of world heritage and culture, Azerbaijan has gotten no answers. Azerbaijan has applied to UNESCO on the fact that a mission was dispatched to its former occupied lands to investigate the facts of Armenian vandalism against its cultural heritage; nevertheless, this agency has not taken any action.

According to Azerbaijani MP Afat Hasanova, UNESCO continues to use double standards, failing to highlight Armenian vandalism in its reports. This injustice must be corrected, and UNESCO must include data about Armenian damage to Azerbaijani culture in its reports.




Rather than stay with the independent Guidepost Solutions organization, the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force would seek to use best practices in keeping with Southern Baptist church polity, while a Ministry Check website tracking those credibly accused of abuse would be established and maintained by an independent contractor.

Before the vote, activist, attorney and #ChurchToo abuse survivor Rachael Denhollander pleaded: Institutions must be held accountable. It doesnt matter who they are. Justice and truth are always what we should pursue.

Afterward, she posted another challenge on Twitter: It is the first, most basic steps. But it is a testament to the survivors who fought so long and so hard. I am grateful. Now lets keep working.

That work will depend on the cooperation of pastors and church leaders in the SBCs 47,000 local churches, as well as the administrators and trustees of agencies, boards, seminaries and other institutions at the state and national levels.

The bottom line: In Southern Baptist polity  with sprawling structures of autonomous congregations that, to varying degrees, fund state, national and global ministries  there are no leadership structures resembling local Presbyterian presbyteries, regional annual conferences among United Methodists or the powerful diocesan structures of Catholics, Episcopalians and others. Local churches ordain, hire and fire clergy.

Outsiders often struggle to understand the theological and practical implications of Baptist polity, said Thomas Kidd, who teaches church history at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Baylor University.

Many people continue to think that the SBC can make its churches do this or that or the other, and that simply isnt true, he said.

Southern Baptists do have regional associations that help build and support missions and churches, he noted, but these associations dont ordain Southern Baptist clergy  churches do. Associations dont own property or have any money to deal with  churches do. Our local churches will have to choose to take part in efforts to address these painful issues.

In other #ChurchToo abuse scandals, including decades of Catholic controversies, survivors have sued regional and national structures with large budgets, trusts, property and insurance policies. With Southern Baptists, the focus will be on claims against local churches, many of them small, and SBC institutions. So far, most of the attention has centered on the actions of the SBCs 86-member executive committee, which conducts business on behalf of the national convention when it is not in session, such as this years gathering of local church messengers in Anaheim, California.

Many observers, even longtime Southern Baptists, keep asking a blunt question: Who runs this place?

Who actually has the power in the SBC? You could say the 567 trustees, 12 Agency Presidents/CEOs, 1 SBC President, 130 on the nominations committee & committee on committees. And thats it. By my rough count (and I might be off a little) thats 710 total people, argued the Rev. Jimmy Scroggins of the Family Church network based in West Palm Beach, Florida.

But the reality is more complex, he noted in a lengthy series of tweets addressed to anyone trying to understand SBC news this past week.

You want to impact the direction of the SBC? he asked. You want better oversight or responses or attitudes or tone? Unless you are an agency Prez, a committee appointee or a trustee, there is really only one way you do it: Become a credentialed messenger from your SBC church, make the trip to the SBC annual meeting and vote for your preferred candidate for President. Rinse. Repeat. Every year.

The ultimate question, Kidd concluded, is whether church structures can convince shepherds in pulpits and pews to confront sins and crimes inside their own flocks.

It comes down to people who are in authority  whether thats in denominations or in local churches. ... Thats true for Catholic leaders, Southern Baptist leaders or anyone else, he said.

Southern Baptists will have to confront this simple fact  that there is a long history of some of our leaders failing to deal with cases of sexual abuse. Thats hard. Facing that will take honesty and strong leadership.

Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi.
Before the Russian invasion in late February, Volodymyr and Olha Volyk and their young daughter had their own apartment in their native Ukraine.

Volodymyr was set to begin a new job as an international truck driver March 1 and Olha, his wife, was working in retail.

Before the war, it was a normal, quiet life, Volodymyr, 32, told the Danville Register & Bee through the familys host, Michael McNeely. We had a quiet life with plans and dreams.

The Volyks have been living with McNeely since they arrived in Danville from Ukraine on June 4.

McNeely has taken in the family as a host under the Uniting for Ukraine program run by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The program was announced April 22 as a step toward President Joe Bidens effort to welcome Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.

Uniting for Ukraine provides a pathway for Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who are outside the United States to come to the United States and stay temporarily for a two-year parole, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.

It was McNeelys fascination with Eastern Europe that led him to take in the Volyks.

I decided to host a family because I have had a long interest in Eastern European politics and culture, said McNeely, who studied Russian for his bachelors degree from the University of Richmond. Ive been kind of oriented towards that area of the world for most of my life.

When the war started Feb. 24, McNeely was fixated on the news and he wanted to help.

It really isnt my skill set to go over there and join the military, but when this program was created, it was an opportunity for me to do something that I felt was constructive and helpful, McNeely said.

The Volyks chose to come to the U.S. because they felt it was a strong secure, and safe democratic country, Volodymyr said through McNeely.

This is not a dangerous country, said Olha, 25.

There was not a lot of opportunity in Ukraine, even before the war, Volodymyr said.

In love with area

As for the Dan River Region, the Volyks have fallen in love with Danville and Pittsylvania County. The area has beautiful scenery and friendly people, Volodymyr said.

Were trying to get used to it and to live up to your example of being nice to each other, he said.

The Volyks, who can stay for up to two years under the Uniting for Ukraine program, would like to remain in the U.S.

Ultimately, their goal is to immigrate and become permanent residents, McNeely said.

Volodymyr added, If this is possible, we would stay in this beautiful country.

The Volyks would live in the Danville/Pittsylvania County area, he said.

In the meantime, Volodymyr has submitted a form to get his authorization to work in the U.S. He plans to earn a commercial drivers license.

Hes looking to get that testing done here, McNeely said.

Hes also taking English classes at the Adult Learning Center in Danville.

Olha, who earned a degree in chemical engineering and oil-and-gas refining in Ukraine, will look after their 22-month-old daughter, Sofiia.

The process

For McNeely, the process for hosting a family included finding a matching family for his sponsorship and filling out a sponsorship application. The family to be hosted provides the host with their information and the government looks at the sponsors financial data to make sure they can provide a place to stay for the family.

Once the sponsorship is approved, the family confirms their identity and seeks a travel authorization to come to the U.S.

McNeely, who met the Volyks through a Facebook group, said the process for sponsorship took only three days to complete.

The Volyks also had to be tested for tuberculosis before coming to the U.S.

Volodymyr, who grew up in Vinnytsia, and Olha, who is originally from Monastyr Leshyanskie, came to Danville from Vinnytsia.

His hometown has a population of about 300,000, similar in numbers to Greensboro, North Carolina. The city has a factory that produces Russian candies and another that makes electronics for Volkswagens.

A factory was also being built in Vinnytsia for making ski equipment for the European market. The citys newly remodeled airport was bombed by the Russians the first day of the war.

Monastyr Leshyanskie is much smaller.

Its a really small village, Olha said.

Its more like a bedroom community, like a sleepy village, McNeely said.

The communitys residents work in other places, he said.

The Volyks keep in touch with their families, but the couples relatives have no plans to emigrate to the U.S.

Their parents are happy they [the Volyks] are safe, McNeely said. But they themselves dont want to leave.

However, a sister of Volodymyrs has left Ukraine and relocated to the United Kingdom.

Vinnytsia has been the target of attacks since the Russian invasion, including rocket strikes against the Havryshivka Vinnytsia International Airport on March 6; rocket fire that hit a television station March 16; and a March 25 airstrike against the Ukrainian Air Force command center, according to news reports.

Vinnytsia has been more or less a safe place, McNeely said, translating for Volodymyr, but the fear for the life of the family and daughter forced them to leave the country.

There is also concern among Ukrainians, Volodymyr said, that separatists and Russians in part of neighboring Moldova could invade from there as well.

McNeely said he is still receiving messages in his Facebook group from people seeking help. Other residents in the Dan River Region looking to host a family can contact him.

Id like to encourage anyone who can and is interested in the program to message me, McNeely said.

He can be contacted on Facebook or via email at mmcneely@usc.edu.

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By Trend

Azerbaijani State Committee on Work with Diaspora has issued a statement on Armenian provocation attempts in front of the building of the Culture Center of the Azerbaijani Embassy in France on June 16, Trend reports.

According to the statement, the attack of representatives of the Armenian FRA Nor Seround Youth Federation took place during the screening of the documentary film 'Road Leading to Karabakh', prepared by the French ERE TV channel.

The statement stressed that the attempts to crash the film presentation resulted in the injury of Vice-President of France-Azerbaijan Dialogue Association Ayten Muradova and other participants. The incident provoked strong reactions among Azerbaijanis, Azerbaijani diaspora organizations in France and other countries. The statement expressed hope for proper assessment of these actions in accordance with French and international law.

The film features Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan, the period of the first and second Karabakh wars, shows the scale of destruction in Azerbaijan's Karabakh during the Armenian occupation, as well as tells about the desecration of mosques by Armenian aggressors.

The film also covers the reconstruction activities carried out by Azerbaijan on its lands after their liberation as a result of the 44-Day second Karabakh war in the autumn of 2020.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Senate on Thursday approved a sweeping expansion of health care and disability benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in response to concerns about their exposure to toxic burn pits.

Passage of the bill by a vote of 84-14 sets a course that could help millions who served after Sept. 11, 2001, and caps years of advocacy work by veterans groups and others who liken burn pits to the Agent Orange herbicide that Vietnam era veterans were exposed to in Southeast Asia.

The bill is projected to increase federal spending by about $283 billion over 10 years and does not include offsetting spending cuts or tax increases to help pay for it. The House in March approved similar legislation that would have cost more than $320 billion over 10 years.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said after Senate passage that the House would move swiftly to take up the legislation and send it to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. Biden has encouraged the effort. In a statement after the vote, Biden said the bill makes good on our sacred obligation to care for veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors." He urged the House to act quickly so I can sign it into law right away."

The military routinely used open burn pits set ablaze with jet fuel to dispose of tires, batteries, medical waste and other materials during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill would expand military veterans' eligibility for medical care through the Department of Veterans Affairs by extending coverage for 10 years after discharge instead of the current five years.

The legislation would also presume that certain respiratory illnesses and cancers were related to burn pit exposure, allowing the veterans to obtain disability payments to compensate for their injury without having to prove the illness was a result of their service. Currently, more than 70% of disability claims related to burn pit exposure are denied by the VA due to lack of evidence, scientific data and information from the Defense Department.

The legislation would also benefit many Vietnam War-era veterans by including high blood pressure in the list of conditions presumed to have been caused by exposure to Agent Orange. And, it would extend Agent Orange presumptions to veterans who served in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam and American Samoa.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., described the bill as the greatest advance in veterans health care in decades." He said scores of America's veterans went off to serve their country in perfect health only to come back and get sick from toxic exposure, and, when they applied for disability benefits, oftentimes found out they didn't qualify.

It's a confounding indignity for our nation's heroes to sacrifice everything for our country only to come home, get sick and discover the VA is not there for them," Schumer said.

A 2020 study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found that health studies provided insufficient evidence to determine whether exposure to burn pit emissions is linked to 27 adverse respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and lung cancer. The authors of the study said the uncertainty doesnt mean that there is no association  only that there was insufficient data to draw definitive conclusions.

But lawmakers said that stories from constituents tell a different and more definitive tale, and they are reluctant to wait for an irrefutable link between veterans' maladies and their exposure to toxic burn pits.

Whenever you have to make that connection airtight, that's difficult on many things," said Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind. In this case, I think the evidence is such that there's some causal relationship. I hear from so many that were over there and got the symptoms fairly close after their service was over. That's not now and then. You hear it fairly often."

Most Republicans voted for the bill, but some opposed it because of fiscal concerns. All 14 of the no votes came from Republicans.

That's way too much money," said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., of the projected $283 billion price tag.

An expansion of health care and disability benefits could also tax an already stressed VA system, which lawmakers sought to address by authorizing 31 new medical clinics in 19 states and boosting investments in computer systems for the processing of disability claims.

The Senate version trimmed some of the costs early on by phasing in certain benefit enhancements. Sen. Jon Tester, the chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, said the bill was about righting a wrong that has been ignored too damn long."

There's always cost of war," Tester said, and that cost is never fully paid when the war ends."

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
RALEIGH  Juvenile offenders in North Carolina sentenced to long prison terms for deadly and violent crimes must be eligible for parole after 40 years behind bars, a sharply divided state Supreme Court ruled on Friday.

In a pair of cases involving youths who committed murder, rape, or both, the four justices making up the courts Democratic majority agreed that sentences that required the offenders to serve 45 or 50 years before a possible release were the equivalents of having no chance at all.

Such punishments for offenders under 18 violate provisions in the state and U.S. constitutions barring cruel and unusual punishment, the majority ruled in the cases involving the sentencing of James Ryan Kelliher and Riley Dawson Conner. In each matter, the sentences imposed would have made them at least 60 years old before becoming parole-eligible.

Conner was 15 in 2016 when he raped his aunt in Columbus County, beat her to death with a shovel and put her body in a wooded area, according to court documents. Kelliher was 17 in 2001 when he took part in a Cumberland County robbery and the shooting deaths of a drug dealer and his pregnant girlfriend. Both Kelliher and Conner pleaded guilty to crimes and were sentenced.

The crimes Kelliher committed and the pain he caused are irrevocable, and he cant replace what he took from the victims and their families, Associate Justice Anita Earls wrote in the majority opinion on Kellihers sentencing. But he cannot be deprived the opportunity to demonstrate that he has become someone different than the person he was when he was 17 years old and at his worst.

The courts three Republicans joined in scathing dissenting opinions, accusing their colleagues of judicial activism by setting parole application period minimums that should be left for the legislature to enact.

The rulings also will prevent judges from sentencing a juvenile offender convicted of multiple counts to serve prison terms on each count consecutively should the minimum cumulative time behind bars exceed 40 years, the dissenting justices wrote.

Kelliher, who pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, would have to wait until age 67 to be eligible for parole  since each came with a 25-year minimum sentence that a trial judge ordered he serve one after the other. But the majority in Kellihers case agreed the sentences must run simultaneously, meaning he could seek parole after 25 years  or later this decade.

The majoritys holding today sets dangerous criminal policy. It devalues human life by artificially capping sentences for offenders who commit multiple murders, Chief Justice Paul Newby wrote. What is cruel in this case is not the punishment for the crimes but the tragic irreparable loss because of the murder of a young man and his pregnant girlfriend and the ongoing anguish of the victims families.

Earls and Associate Justice Mike Morgan, who wrote the presiding opinion in Conners sentencing case, said they examined federal prison population data, life expectancy tables and other information before settling on 40 years. Morgan wrote the rule attempts to give an offender sufficient time to rehabilitate while giving the offender enough time for a meaningful post-prison life. The majority made clear that eligibility doesnt mean the offender will be automatically paroled.

A judge had sentenced Conner to life in prison with the possibility of parole for his aunts murder and from 20 to 29 years in prison for the rape. The sentences were to run consecutively, so Conner would have to have been incarcerated for 45 years until age 60 to seek parole.

The rulings further refine a landmark 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision that held mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole for a juvenile defendant are unconstitutional. North Carolina legislators responded with sentencing changes. There remains a process that allows a judge to sentence someone convicted of first-degree murder and under 18 at the time of the offense to life in prison without parole if its determined the youth cant be rehabilitated.

Disability Rights North Carolina and North Carolina Advocates for Justice, a trial lawyers association, were among groups that filed briefs in the cases urging that sentences until parole eligibility for young offenders be capped at 25 years.
RALEIGH  The North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday reinstated a mans murder and robbery convictions in the death of his co-worker, reversing another appeals courts ruling that had declared the circumstantial evidence at trial was too weak for guilty verdicts.

A divided panel of the state Court of Appeals last August had vacated the 2019 convictions of David Myron Dover in the 2016 stabbing death of 79-year-old Arthur Buddy Davis in Kannapolis. Dover and Davis worked at the same automobile sales store. Their boss found Davis in his home, stabbed more than a dozen times. Dover was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

In a 5-2 ruling, the states highest court said the trial judge had been right to deny Dovers motion to dismiss the case after prosecutors presented their evidence.

According to court opinions, Dover had a substance abuse problem and had asked his girlfriend to look in a trash can near his house for about $3,000 in cash to help him post bail on a charge unrelated to Davis. Evidence from cellphone records also shows his phone was in the vicinity of Davis home, even as Dover told police initially he had been at home the night before Davis was found dead.

Here substantial evidence supports the reasonable inference that defendant murdered the victim and took $3,000 from Davis, Chief Justice Paul Newby wrote in the majority opinion. The evidence also was sufficient to infer that Dover had gone to Davis home that night, Newby wrote, and case law establishes that when an accused person makes conflicting statements about a crime, it may be considered a circumstance of someone possessed of a guilty conscience seeking to divert suspicion.

Taken together, these facts show that defendant had the motive, opportunity and means to commit both the robbery with a dangerous weapon and the first-degree murder, Newby added.

In a dissenting opinion, Associate Justice Robin Hudson wrote that prevailing justices misapplied our standard of review when testing the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction based on inference from circumstantial evidence.

Theres no evidence that can lead someone to infer reasonably that the $3,000 was actually money that Davis was supposed to give to his daughter, according to Hudson. She pointed out that the prosecutions own expert said that the cellphone data didnt prove that Dover was at Davis home, and none of the forensic evidence connected Dover to the crime.

The evidence at most raises only a suspicion or conjecture that defendant was the perpetrator of the robbery and murder, Hudson wrote in her opinion, joined by Associate Justice Anita Earls.

Dover, 59, has been serving his sentence at an Alexander County prison.

His lawyer, Marilyn Ozer, said in a brief interview that the courts decision shows defendants that prosecutors must provide at least a minimum amount of evidence before their case could go to a jury.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BELLEVILLE  Librarians statewide are preparing to meet an influx of book challenges if a nationwide censorship trend comes to Illinois.

"We've not seen as many widespread orchestrated challenges or campaigns in this state yet," said Diane Foote, executive director of the Illinois Library Association. "But we do expect challenges, thinking it's only a matter of time. Everyone's poised and ready in case it happens."

Librarians are trained to be open and responsive to individuals who question their policies on developing collections, a practice those in the library industry call collection development. They also have policies for removing or moving books, known as a reconsideration policy.

They might be less prepared for a new type of challenge librarians across the country have seen growing in the past year. Organized efforts to ban books from public and school libraries have popped up in Missouri, Idaho, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other states.

"We're seeing these organized groups of people that are trying to gin up local groundswell to remove books or prevent other people from getting them," Foote said. "These larger orchestrated efforts seem to be more about control than about a legitimate concern over materials. They want to assert their control over what other people can see, and that's counter to the First Amendment. It's counter to library ethics and libraries' purpose for existing."

If censorship efforts do come to Illinois, librarians will have to rely on their policies to protect books.

In response to the trend, one of the state's biggest library sharing systems, the Illinois Heartland Library System, updated its resources in June for libraries facing book challenges, according to executive director Leslie Bednar.

"We were cognizant of what has been going on around us, not necessarily in our state but around the nation," Bednar said. "It seemed like there was more information we could share with our members."

Book challenges in Illinois have been scattered. There's little appetite in state legislature, which has a Democratic super majority, to control library collection development policies, unlike in other states such as Kentucky.

Yet book challenges have appeared in Illinois, mostly in schools.

In Mascoutah in early April, a mother questioned the school district about the why her first-grade son was able to check out the 2012 graphic novel "Drama," said Assistant Superintendent Cindy Presnell. The book features gay characters, and the mom wasn't prepared to "have a conversation about some of the things brought up by what the child saw in the book," Presnell said.

The parent didn't want the book banned from the school, but had questions about how the school determines if books are age-appropriate.

Administration removed the book from library shelves district-wide while they went through their book reconsideration policy. When a complaint is made about a book in the Mascoutah district, Presnell starts a review of the book with a committee of school staff, including librarians, teachers, administration and a social worker.

"We took a pause because the parent had talked about what is age appropriate and what isn't," Presnell said. "We thought, 'Let's not check it out until we have an opportunity to review and determine if we need to do something different.'"

Staff eventually decided to return the book to shelves at all schools. The book had been around for a decade, and kids love graphic novels. They're a good way to "motivate the reader," Presnell said. The committee also found the book was "about choices and treating individuals as truly that, individuals, and being respectful of one another," she said.

"We have to be mindful that we really are here to support, keep safe and educate all students," Presnell added. "(The book) does reflect some of our student body."

Parents can ask school librarians to prevent their children from checking out certain books or genres. The district was "respectful of the parents' decision and they were respectful of what the district decided," Presnell said, but that's not always how it goes.

In Downers Grove, members of the extremist group Proud Boys joined an effort to ban the book "Gender Queer: A Memoir from a high school library." In La Grange, a parent read passages from a book at a school board meeting in an attempt to demonstrate "explicit language," according to the Illinois Library Association.

When challenges occur, librarians rely on their policies.

"If you don't have a policy in place to back you up, you have no argument," said Leah Gregory, school liaison coordinator for the Heartland system. She helped school librarians in Mascoutah develop the successful argument to support keeping "Drama" on shelves.

Collection development and reconsideration policies are meant to guide librarians through challenges and questions. But they're also meant to protect everyone's right to access information from all points of view without restriction, or their intellectual freedom, according to the American Library Association.

"When I'm arguing book challenges, I say, 'I respect your right as a parent to limit what your child reads. I just do not believe you should have the right to limit what everybody else reads,'" Gregory said.

The same goes for public libraries. Books remain on the shelf even if they don't appeal to everybody because someone else might want to check them out.

"You aren't able to make that decision for everybody else," Foote said.

Increasingly, school librarians she talks to say they're encountering parents who want to control what other children read.

"We're all prepared for it to get a lot worse," Gregory said.

Librarians preparing for more book challenges

Censorship efforts don't just affect school libraries. Public libraries often face blowback for their content.

Between June and September last year, there were 155 book challenges nationwide, according to the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom. The number in September marked a 60% increase from the previous year.

"In my 20 years with (the American Library Association), I can't recall a time when we had multiple challenges coming in on a daily basis," said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the intellectual freedom office.

Head librarian Leander Spearman at the Belleville Public Library says he welcomes questions and concerns about his collection. He keeps a form titled "request for reconsideration of a book" if someone wants to fill it out, but no one has ever done so since he started working there 11 years ago.

Filling out the form is the first step in a review process to attempt to get a book removed from the library.

Most people who come into the library with a complaint about a book just want their voice heard and it stops there, Spearman said. It usually has to do with race or the LGBTQ community.

"There's been a big stink about books dealing with the (LGBTQ) subject matter especially for kids, helping kids understand it, because they really don't think kids need to know that there's gay people out there," Spearman said.

Providing that kind of content is an essential part of what a library does, Foote said.

"The public library is for everyone but not every book in it is for everyone," she said.

Spearman is prepared to explain his responsibility as a librarian if there is an uptick in book challenges.

"Libraries have to cater to all populations, so we intentionally and deliberately try to make sure we have something that appeals to everybody, racial backgrounds, ethinic, religious, political," Spearman said. "We've got books I personally don't agree with, but this isn't about what I want to read. It's about what the community at large wants to read."

Ryan Johnson, head librarian of the public library in O'Fallon, said his library's policies help prevent personal beliefs and preferences from affecting decisions on which books to buy or retire from their collection.

Johnson and his staff consider certain questions when making those decisions. Which books have patrons checked out? What are a library's top authors, top genres and top formats? What are the current best-sellers? Has there been an item with a top review in publications for libraries? What books have patrons been asking for?

"It really just boils down to representation," Johnson said.

Censoring books does a disservice to taxpayers who support their local library, Foote said.

"If these books are taken off the shelves, there's real people who live among you who would be denied representation," Foote said. "The community is not one voice, not one person. Librarians are trained to serve everybody in the community."

What is a library collection policy?

A collection policy is a public, written document that specifies how and why a library plans to serve its patrons.

"It's important for people to know that purchasing decisions for library materials do have a lot of time and thought and effort put behind them," said Johnson of the O'Fallon library. "It's not just someone going on Amazon and throwing a bunch of items in a cart and checking out. There's policies in place, there's procedures, there's budgets. There's a lot of checks and balances and a lot of professional energy put into doing it as right as possible."

Library staff and boards routinely review their policies publicly, providing opportunities for people to comment.

Belleville's collection development policy specifically emphasizes materials that address current events, local history, genealogy and education for K-8 students. It explains why the library would retire a book, such as if it's worn or going unused. The policy specifies that parents, not library staff, are responsible for monitoring what materials their children access. Belleville's library board of trustees also has a policy for reconsidering materials.

"At our core, we are disseminators of information," Spearman said. "We don't interpret it. We don't explain it. We just deliver it."

If a library patron or parent has a question or concern about materials, librarians are great at listening, Johnson said.

"I've had collection development conversations with a few patrons over the years," he said. "I love sitting down with people and walking them through it, and usually they're kind of surprised by how much work behind the scenes goes into that to make it all happen."

While state law mandates public libraries maintain collection development policies, school libraries aren't required to have them, Gregory said. With the potential for more frequent book challenges, Gregory said school librarians should get a policy in place if they don't have one.

"Every single librarian who has not yet experienced says they're braced for it. They can feel that's in the air and it's coming," Gregory said. "We're really working on trying to get this word out about your policies, making sure everything's in place so that when it does happen, you can react."

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May 14, 1976 - May 15, 2022

Lucas Wayne McFarland, was welcomed into Heaven on May 15, 2022, in Nanaimo, BC, Canada, at the age of 46.

Luke is survived by his mother and step-father, Bev and Dirk Shelton of Decatur, IL; father, Ray McFarland of Lake Cowichan, BC; son, Elias Hedden of Decatur, IL; brother, Derrick McFarland of Nanaimo, BC; sister, Ramlah McFarland of Tahsis, BC; sister, Kaitlyn (Emitt) Grimes of Decatur, IL; brother, David Shelton of Overland Park, KS; nephew, Kayden McFarland of Nanaimo, BC; nephews; Jagger and Jax Grimes of Decatur, IL; Kylie Hedden of Decatur, IL, who was like a daughter; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

Luke was preceded in death by his grandparents, Wayne and Maxine Morrow of Decatur, IL; step-grandparents, Don and Betty Shelton of Decatur, IL; grandparents, Bob and Mary McFarland of Tahsis, BC; aunt, Debbie Morrow of Mt. Zion, IL.

Luke was born on May 14, 1976, in Duncan, BC He graduated from MacArthur High School in Decatur, IL, in 1996. His favorite and current occupation was a school bus driver for children with special needs.

Luke's name means bringer of light and that's exactly what he did. He was a light to everyone he met. Luke was radiant, uplifting, spiritual, fun, humble and pure. He was loved by everyone he knew across the globe. He lit up the world with his genuine kindness, smile and love for Jesus. Luke was selfless and loved helping people. He loved God, his family and friends. He enjoyed nature, running, hiking, biking, dancing, swimming, music, healthy eating, juicing, concerts and Star Wars. Luke loved his son, Elias, more than anything and was the sweetest dad. He is already missed greatly by all of us who love him.

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16.

A visitation will be held at Resurrection Life Church in Decatur, IL, on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM with a celebration-of-life service directly following at 1:30 PM.
Candidates running for judge shouldnt make promises like if elected, Ill lock em up and throw away the key. Its a promise to not follow the law and the Constitution that judges are sworn to uphold.

Since judicial candidates shouldnt make that kind of campaign promise, voters wanting to make an informed choice about judicial candidates often wonder where to look for reliable election information.

As a past president of the Decatur Bar Association, I am often asked this question.

Vikram David Amar, Dean of the University of Illinois Law School, was also asked the same question. Dean Amar recommended looking at the Judicial Advisory Poll conducted by the Illinois State Bar Association. This poll is recognized as being fair, objective, and unbiased, and is done for all judicial elections in Illinois.

I agree with Dean Amar. The poll is completely anonymous, so no lawyer can try to curry favor with his or her responses.

For the upcoming Republican primary, the ISBA poll found only one candidate in Macon County to be recommended for election to Circuit Judge, It can be found at ISBA.org/judicialevaluations.

The only recommended candidate is Judge Rodney Forbes. The poll confirms what I know. Judge Forbes is the only candidate qualified by courtroom experience, proven legal ability, and judicial temperament to be Macon Countys next circuit judge.

Please join me in voting for Judge Rodney Forbes.

Carol D. Craig, Decatur

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New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to mostly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 73F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to mostly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 73F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Before the Southern Baptist Conventions strong vote to approve what supporters called bare minimum sexual abuse reforms  with victims in the crowd weeping with relief  there was a strategic amendment to the recommendations.

Rather than stay with the independent Guidepost Solutions organization, the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force would seek to use best practices in keeping with Southern Baptist church polity, while a Ministry Check website tracking those credibly accused of abuse would be established and maintained by an independent contractor.

Before the vote, activist, attorney and #ChurchToo abuse survivor Rachael Denhollander pleaded: Institutions must be held accountable. It doesnt matter who they are. Justice and truth are always what we should pursue.

Afterwards, she posted another challenge on Twitter: It is the first, most basic steps. But it is a testament to the survivors who fought so long and so hard. I am grateful. Now lets keep working.

That work will depend on the cooperation of pastors and church leaders in the SBCs 47,000 local churches, as well as the administrators and trustees of agencies, boards, seminaries and other institutions at the state and national levels.

The bottom line: In Southern Baptist polity  with sprawling structures of autonomous congregations that, to varying degrees, fund state, national and global ministries  there are no leadership structures resembling local Presbyterian presbyteries, regional annual conferences among United Methodists or the powerful diocesan structures of Catholics, Episcopalians and others. Local churches ordain, hire and fire clergy.

Outsiders often struggle to understand the theological and practical implications of Baptist polity, said Thomas Kidd, who teaches church history at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Baylor University.

Many people continue to think that the SBC can make its churches do this or that or the other, and that simply isnt true, he said.

Southern Baptists do have regional associations that help build and support missions and churches, he noted, but these associations dont ordain Southern Baptist clergy  churches do. Associations dont own property or have any money to deal with  churches do. Our local churches will have to choose to take part in efforts to address these painful issues.

In other #ChurchToo abuse scandals, including decades of Catholic controversies, survivors have sued regional and national structures with large budgets, trusts, property and insurance policies. With Southern Baptists, the focus will be on claims against local churches, many of them small, and SBC institutions. So far, most of the attention has centered on the actions of the SBCs 86-member executive committee, which conducts business on behalf of the national convention when it is not in session, such as this years gathering of local church messengers in Anaheim, California.

Many observers, even longtime Southern Baptists, keep asking a blunt question: Who runs this place?

Who actually has the power in the SBC? You could say the 567 trustees, 12 Agency Presidents/CEOs, 1 SBC President, 130 on the nominations committee & committee on committees. And thats it. By my rough count (and I might be off a little) thats 710 total people, argued the Rev. Jimmy Scroggins of the Family Church network based in West Palm Beach, Florida.

But the reality is more complex, he noted in a lengthy series of tweets addressed to anyone trying to understand SBC news this past week.

You want to impact the direction of the SBC? he asked. You want better oversight or responses or attitudes or tone? Unless you are an agency Prez, a committee appointee or a trustee, there is really only one way you do it: Become a credentialed messenger from your SBC church, make the trip to the SBC annual meeting and vote for your preferred candidate for President. Rinse. Repeat. Every year.

The ultimate question, Kidd concluded, is whether church structures can convince shepherds in pulpits and pews to confront sins and crimes inside their own flocks.

It comes down to people who are in authority  whether thats in denominations or in local churches. ... Thats true for Catholic leaders, Southern Baptist leaders or anyone else, he said.

Southern Baptists will have to confront this simple fact  that there is a long history of some of our leaders failing to deal with cases of sexual abuse. Thats hard. Facing that will take honesty and strong leadership.

Terry Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi.
By Trend

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva made a statement on Armenian radicals' provocative behavior in front of the Culture Center of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Paris, Trend reports referring to the Ombudsman's office.

"According to a number of media outlets, a group of Armenians attempted to sabotage the screening of the film 'The Road to Karabakh' in Paris. During the incident, Vice-President of the France-Azerbaijan Dialogue Association Ayten Muradova and other participants got injured," the statement said.

The statement emphasized that such criminal actions accompanied by gross violations of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other international instruments, are a clear example of Armenia's policy of hatred, hostility, and intolerance on ethnic and religious grounds.

The ombudsman's statement strongly condemns Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan, as well as against members of the Azerbaijani community abroad.

"We call on the Armenian side to fulfill its obligations and respect human rights and freedoms," the ombudsman stated.
Federal health officials recently reported more than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021. This fact illustrates another tragic record and a stark reminder that the staggering increases in deadly overdoses can be tied directly to Americas opioid epidemic.

In Virginia, we lost more than 14,500 people to opioid-related overdoses between 2007 and 2021, and the epidemic has touched every community in the commonwealth. In the city of Roanoke, 420 overdose deaths have occurred. Roanoke County has suffered 175 overdose deaths, and Montgomery County has reported 128 opioid fatalities during the same time period.

Between 2006 and 2014, federal data shows that more than 51.2 million doses of highly addictive oxycodone and hydrocodone pills poured into the city of Roanoke.

For more than two decades, the Roanoke Valley has carried much of the burden in responding to the regions opioid epidemic. Our police officers, sheriffs deputies, and fire personnel are typically first to respond to the scene of an overdose.

While we are grateful that our first responders are trained and equipped to provide the life-saving care needed, the opioid epidemic places considerable pressure on our regions governmental infrastructure. Our public health and behavioral health systems are stretched to the limits, while our local courts and jails are adversely impacted by the opioid epidemic.

The Virginia Attorney Generals Office, along with private attorneys representing our localities, has reached settlement with several of the corporations responsible for creating the opioid epidemic.

It is anticipated that Virginia will receive approximately $530 million through these national multiyear settlement agreements for cases that have already settled. Just a few weeks from now, the initial money from Virginias first significant legal settlements will begin to flow. We anticipate that the commonwealth and our localities will receive additional funds from future cases.

The Roanoke Valley, through our legal counsel, worked with the Virginia Attorney Generals Office to achieve a 100% participation in the voluntary settlement agreement resolving these claims. Because of this 100% participation, every county and city in the commonwealth will receive a larger share in the proceeds from the successful opioid-related litigation and settlements regardless of whether they hired outside counsel or filed suit.

The commonwealth of Virginia was one of the first states to achieve 100% participation in these settlements and proved to be a model for other states. This cooperation between localities, the General Assembly and the Attorney Generals Office benefits all residents of the commonwealth through increased settlement proceeds which provide much needed services.

Because of this statewide agreement, a significant portion of the settlement funds will be allocated directly to the localities.

Each locality has committed to spend a meaningful portion of its settlement dollars directly to the support of community-based opioid abuse prevention and treatment efforts.

Each localitys allocation is based upon a statistically verified formula that incorporates relevant local data, including the localitys number of opioid-related emergency room visits, overdose fatalities, and the volume of prescription pain pills known to have been shipped into the jurisdiction.

In addition, more than half of the settlement funds will flow through the new Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority to provide further relief. The General Assembly created the abatement authority in 2021 to provide additional and ongoing funding for initiatives to address opioid abuse prevention, treatment and recovery.

The 11-member authority represents a diverse cross-section of backgrounds, expertise, and perspectives that will determine funding priorities and strategies with key input from state agencies and community partners.

All corners of the commonwealth are represented on the authority, with five of the eleven members hailing from Western Virginia, including our chair, Sen. Todd Pillion; vice-chair, Dr. Sarah Melton; Del. Jason Ballard; Sharon Buckman and myself. Going forward, we expect additional settlements and successful opioid-related verdicts to follow the same model.

No amount of money can fully alleviate the pain experienced by thousands of individuals and families throughout Virginia who bear scars from this opioid epidemic. However, it is our hope that we can address some of the root causes to opioid addiction and the impacts that opioids have on our families.

Our commonwealth has been a national leader in building this rational and transparent process for distributing opioid settlement funds.

We can all be especially proud that we did it with overwhelmingly bipartisan support, across every level of local and state government, to ensure that a significant portion of these opioid-related settlement are used to support community-based abatement efforts. It is our hope that through continued cooperation we will reach the most people in need of help.

Spencer is the Roanoke city attorney and a member of the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
Shonniel Blackburn was on the way to pick up his children when he was gunned down Monday at the Blue Ridge Heights Apartments, said his sister, Pinkie Sims.

The 35-year-old father of five died at the scene. Police have charged three 16-year-olds and one 15-year-old in the case. All four were in custody by Friday afternoon.

Not long after Blackburn died, a makeshift memorial emerged.

The sweet smell of burning candles filled the air around the sidewalk where Blackburn was found. Loved ones tied red balloons to a parking sign at the scene and left mementos, including a clock, a bottle of Hennessy cognac and a silver-colored horseshoe on Tuesday.

Two days after her brothers death, Sims went to the United House of Prayer for All People to reflect on her relationship with her deceased brother. The church sits less than a half-mile from the scene of the shooting.

Im a big sister, Sims said. That was my little brother. And as a big sister, you always stay on your little brother, you make sure they straight. You try to protect them. You try to tell them right from wrong. You dont give up.

Sims grief extended beyond her brother. I cry every day for my community, my city, Sims said. I mean, what has it come to?

Blackburn is the latest victim of gun violence in Hickory.

Less than two weeks before Blackburn was killed, 18-year-old Deveion Lasean Grayson was killed while 22-year-old Adrian Lamont Pendergrass Jr. and 19-year-old Tamoje Daejouir Anderson were injured in a shooting less than a mile from where Blackburn was killed.

Anderson was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. Two other men are facing possession of a firearm by a felon charges.

Waves of shootings are not unfamiliar in Hickory in recent years. Several shootings remain unsolved.

In many of those cases, law officers have an idea of who is responsible, said Hickory Police Chief Thurman Whisnant.

I will tell you in most of the cases that are unsolved, its fair to say we have strong persons of interest, but we just dont have, weve not reached that level that we have to have, Whisnant said. The one common denominator that I will say about the ones we dont have charges in is we know that there are people out in the community who have information that could share it with us.

Police, victims families and community leaders alike point to fear of retaliation as a factor in the reluctance to come forward.

Trust is also key. Some family members of victims say its lacking, particularly between the Black community and police. Some say it seems the police are not concerned about violence in Black neighborhoods.

Whisnant said many of the frustrations people have with police are due to the visibility of law enforcement and the real problem often lies with what he says are deficiencies in other parts of the justice system.

They dont care

When it comes to police involvement in the Black community, Sims said, Sometimes it feels like they dont work for us.

They have to come into the community and help us, Sims said. Dont come to arrest us all the time, for the littlest thing sometimes. Come in and show that youre concerned for your city, for the communities.

She said she would like to see more positive interactions between police and community members while also acknowledging some instances in which officers did a good job engaging with community members.

Other family members of gun violence victims echoed the sentiment. Lanora Evans lost her 27-year-old daughter, India Rice, in a May 2021 drive-by shooting. The case has not been solved.

Evans paid for three billboards about her daughters killing and asked people to call the police. She kept them up for about three months, until she could no longer afford it.

The billboards are gone, but the frustration remains.

One minute theyll tell me something, and then theyll give me encouragement (and) Im like, OK, Evans said of her interactions with police. And then the next minute its like, What is going on?

Evans said police did not seem to be invested in violent crimes in the Black community while also criticizing the actions of community members.

They dont care if these Black people kill Black people, Evans said. They dont care.

She said she believes more should be done to protect witnesses to allay the fear of retaliation.

The Rev. David Roberts II, pastor at Morning Star First Baptist Church and a leader in the Ridgeview community who has built a relationship with police, described the Black communitys trust in police as 50-50.

He said age tends to be an important divider when it comes to trust of the police. Some older people do not trust police because of bad experiences, while some of the younger people have had positive interactions with police at community events, Roberts said.

Whisnant said he believes the relationship between police and the Black community is strong overall. He points to police attendance at community meetings in Ridgeview and participation in events like block parties and summer camps.

He also spoke of the dedication he had seen from his employees, saying some staff members have been told they needed to take a few hours for rest after working to the point of exhaustion on recent cases.

The family members of victims do not place all the blame on police.

Nobody wants to tell on anybody, Sims said. Nobody. Everybodys afraid to say what theyve seen. Thats why a lot of these murders go unsolved. But its going to continue to go unsolved if we keep protecting the ones thats killing and murdering and ruining our childrens lives. Weve got to start speaking up.

Evans echoed the sentiment. In the community, it seems like the community needs to care more, too, and speak up. But theyre protecting  I dont know what theyre protecting, she said.

Roberts decried what he refers to as a snitches-get-stitches mentality among some in the community.

Ive been saying for a while I dont worry about snitches getting stitches because moms are getting coffins and ashes, Roberts said.

What more can law enforcement do?

Whisnant said police often receive the brunt of the criticism for cases because of their visibility. He added that police are at the mercy of what he called defects in other parts of the criminal justice system.

In particular, Whisnant is critical of what he regards as lenient bail policies that he says allow violent offenders to get out of jail and contribute to fear of retaliation.

Whisnant asks: What more can law enforcement do?

When it comes to protecting witnesses, Whisnant said there are things the police can do, but given the constitutional right of defendants to confront their accusers, they cannot completely ensure that identities will never be revealed.

While Whisnant said he cannot provide complete assurances for those who come forward, he said that there will be positive change if community members step up as a whole and say, We are going to be the eyes and ears of our community; we are going to take a stand; we are collectively not going to allow violent and criminal activity in our community; and we are going to step up.

He also said in his experiences in law enforcement, he has seldom, if ever, seen retaliation for giving information.

While the department is committed and works hard, Whisnant said, police do often find the lack of communication from community members vexing.

I also see the frustration when we watch a video of a shooting and theres three or four young Black males  and on the video theyre standing out in 95-degree heat at the corner of a building with a hoodie on and sweatshirt  and theres multiple people that walk by and nobody called the police, Whisnant said.

He added: Thats what has to change. What if one person would have called the police and said, Hey, theres four suspicious folks standing here, and its 95 degrees and they have sweatshirts on?

We may not have a homicide.

Kevin Griffin is the City of Hickory reporter at the Hickory Daily Record.

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CONCORD  A new flag retirement box has gone up at American Legion Post 51.

In honor of the new drop-off box and Flag Day, which was June 14, the Post held a flag disposal and dedication ceremony Saturday morning, June 18.

The box was donated to the Post by the Cabarrus County Carolina Club as part of a new community service project.

David Jones, with the Carolina Club, said this was the first box the club has donated, but he hopes more will follow.

Im hoping to place them in strategic spots around the county to make it easy for people to drop flags off, Jones said. Hopefully the program will go on in perpetuity.

Several flags had been dropped off at the Post to be disposed of at the ceremony.

Judy Tarbox, vice commander of the Post, said she was grateful to have a dedicated place for flags needing to be retired.

Post 51 has done flag retirements in the past, she said. This was a natural coming together with the Scouts and the club to have this ceremony. The donated box is a great benefit for throughout the year. The flags can be dropped off there without worry of the elements or conditions.

Girl Scouts were also present and assisted in the flag disposal ceremony. Scouts often participate in Post activities like placing flags at grave sites, Tarbox said.

Isabella Robison, a Girl Scout Cadet and soon-to-be seventh grader, participated in the ceremony by reading a bit of history about the flag.

She also carried a flag to the disposal site after it was inspected.

Her mother, Marbely Robison, is a former military member and said she and her daughter often volunteer at organizations like Wreaths Across America.

I want to instill in my daughter the kind of respect and honor I have for symbols like the flag, Robison said.

The flag disposal ceremony started with a reading of the history of the flag. Afterward, participants went outdoors for the inspection of the flags and their proper burning.

All flags that were burned were made from natural fibers.

Flags with fibers like nylon will be disassembled and given to a recycler in the city of Chester, South Carolina, that has agreed to take them.

The drop-off box is at American Legion Post 51 at 165 Wilshire Ave. SW, Concord. The public can drop off flags that need to be retired there, and the Post will properly dispose of them.

Anyone interested in having a drop-off box placed anywhere in the Cabarrus County area can contact David Jones at davidcjones31339@gmail.com.
L'esercito israeliano ha dichiarato di aver colpito un sito di produzione di armi di Hamas e altri obiettivi nella Striscia di Gaza in rappresaglia al lancio di un razzo da parte di militanti palestinesi nel sud di Israele sabato mattina.

L'episodio interrompe una tregua di due mesi di violenza al confine tra la Striscia e Israele, mentre in Cisgiordania gli scontri sono continuati.

All'alba di sabato, i sistemi di difesa aerea di Israele hanno intercettato un razzo sparato da Gaza, che non ha provocato vittime. Nessuno ha rivendicato l'azione, che lo Stato ebraico ha imputato ai militanti di Hamas. Poche ore dopo l'esercito israeliano ha colpito quello che ha identificato come un sito di approvvigionamento di armi dell'organizzazione palestinese. In un video diffuso dai militari, si vede un edificio con una torretta mentre viene distrutto, sollevando un alta colonna di fumo.

Rappresaglia

Secondo il governo israeliano, l'attacco di questa mattina e una rappresaglia della Jihad islamica dopo l'uccisione di tre miliziani palestinesi armati - e il ferimento di altri 8 - avvenuta ieri mattina in scontri con i militari a Jenin nel nord della Cisgiordania. Sia la Jihad islamica sia Hamas avevano minacciato che il fatto "non sarebbe rimasto impunito".

Inoltre, nel pomeriggio di ieri, un pallone spia usato dall'esercito israeliano era caduto nel nord della Striscia alimentando ulteriormente la tensione.
CHICAGO - After a monthlong disappearance, police have returned a stolen violin made in 1760 to a South Loop family of musicians whose home was burglarized and robbed of the 262-year-old violin, as well as two other valuable instruments in May.

MingHuan Xu, a professional violinist and director of the string program at Roosevelt University, was preparing to perform at the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival in Washington on Tuesday when the Chicago Police Department called and asked her to come into the station to identify three instruments.

Xu immediately dropped out of her performance that night, booked a red-eye, and arrived in Chicago at 4 a.m. Wednesday. She identified the three instruments right away as the three that were taken from her home a month earlier. The instruments were all undamaged and in good condition.

With no suspects in custody and the investigation still open, it remains unclear who was behind the burglary or how police acquired the instruments, though surveillance cameras from a neighbors garage did capture images of the suspect entering Xus home around 3:45 a.m. the morning of May 11.

Though a month has passed and Xu has taken precautions to secure her home, including installing security cameras, the family remains disturbed by the home invasion that took place as they slept.

(The burglar) truly caused a lot of pain in our lives, Xu said. Thats something thats going to take us a long while to heal as a family. But again, Im grateful that the instruments are back.

The antique violin, made by esteemed Italian violin maker Nicolo Gagliano, was lent to Xu by a private sponsor 20 years ago. In addition to the 1760 violin, a second violin made by Oliver Radke in 1994 and Xus sons half-size cello were taken in the burglary. Xu said that when her son came home Wednesday he saw his cello and just hugged it.

As the last month progressed with no sign of any of the stolen instruments, Xu began to lose hope that she would be reunited with the 1760 Gagliano. She said she is relieved that she can continue her journey with the antique violin, which has both a professional and sentimental value to her.

For the Gagliano which is almost 300 years old  to be able to continue its journey, its a miracle when you think about an instrument that has gone through so much and has lasted as long, Xu said. Im glad that I can pass on the torch, rather than (this violin) be lost forever under my hand, under my care. Im just so, so happy that its back.

Though the instrument was returned to Xu undamaged, it will spend the next couple of days in an instrument shop, or instrument hospital, for a check up and maintenance, she said.

On June 28, the violin will make its first musical appearance in Chicago since it went missing at a concert at St. James Cathedral as part of the Rush Hour Concerts series. Xu plans to invite all of the detectives and officers who were instrumental in the violins recovery, as well as members of the music community that supported her in the violins absence.

Xu says quite a few instrument dealers offered her instruments when they learned of the burglary. She ultimately used a beautiful instrument lent to her by Darnton & Hersh Fine Violins.

Xu also looks ahead to the violins future, which she hopes will include another few centuries of care under a line of fellow musicians.

This violin, its meant to pass on to many, many musicians after me, she said. And, you know, to be able to carry on its voice I hope for many hundred years after.

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Q: How did the tradition of celebrating Fathers Day begin?

H.C.

Answer: Sunday is Fathers Day, so happy Fathers day to all the dads. Were doing this ahead of time as a public service, in case you need to get a gift for your father.

The generally accepted history of Fathers Day, traces its beginning to the adoration of one woman for her father, who raised six young children after his wifes death.

William Jackson Smart was a Civil War veteran. His daughter, Sonora Louise Smart Dodd, got the idea of a day to honor fathers after hearing a Mothers Day sermon. She approached ministers and civic groups in Spokane, Wash., with the idea.

The celebration was supposed to take place on the first Sunday in June 1910, which was her fathers birthday. But ministers asked for more time in planning their sermons, and the third Sunday in June was the next best date.

But as with every holidays beginnings, there are controversies and other claims.

Harry O. Meek said he started Fathers Day observances in 1915. He said he founded the day because he felt that fathers were just as important as mothers, who already had their own day.

Meek was the president of the Lions Club in Chicago. He is said to have celebrated the first Fathers Day with his organization to stress the need to honor fathers. He selected the third Sunday in June for celebration, the closest date to his own birthday.

In appreciation of Meeks work, the Lions Clubs of America presented him with a gold watch, with the inscription reading, Originator of Fathers Day, on his birthday, June 20, 1920.

You know that its a real holiday when the president recognizes it.

In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge wrote to the nations governors, suggesting they observe the holiday in their states.

The widespread observance of this occasion, Coolidge wrote, is calculated to establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and also to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations.

Coolidge and his wife, Grace, had two sons, John and Calvin Jr., who died at 16 from sepsis

Two other early attempts to formalize the day were introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives, but neither resolution passed.

The most notable effort to have a Fathers Day officially recognized was made by U.S. Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, R-Maine. Her 1965 proposal to Congress read in part: Either we honor both our parents, mother and father, or let us desist from honoring either one. But to single out just one of our two parents and omit the other is the most grievous insult imaginable.

Despite the fact that Fathers Day was already being celebrated in virtually every state, Congress did not act on Smiths suggestion.

Finally, in 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a congressional resolution establishing Fathers Day as a national holiday to be celebrated each year on the third Sunday in June.

Fathers Day has become a national holiday in this country and has since come to be observed in South America, the United Kingdom and Europe.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2019, there are 72.2 million fathers, 5.9 million (8.2%) of whom have never been married. About 73.4% of fathers are married, 12.9% are divorced, 3.2% are widowed, and 2.3% are separated.

Email: AskSAM@wsjournal.com Write: Ask SAM, 418 N. Marshall St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101

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Q: I wonder why we have picked June 19 to celebrate the end on institutionalized slavery in the United States. I know that on that day in 1865 the Union Military entered Galveston, Texas, and informed the enslaved people there that they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued by President Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863.

However, this only freed enslaved people who were in the states which at that time were in open rebellion against the Union. There were enslaved people in other states and territories. Specifically, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri had enslaved people.

These enslaved people were unaffected by Lincolns proclamation. The day institutionalized slavery ended in the United States was Dec. 6, 1865, when the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified. This amendment ended all forms of involuntary servitude except for convicted criminals.

It seems to me that Dec. 6 would be a more appropriate day to celebrate the end on institutionalized slavery in the U.S. After all, following June 19, 1865, slavery still remained legal in the United States for about the next six months.  R.F.

Answer: Daniel Prosterman, a history professor at Salem College, explained some of context for why emancipation is celebrated as Juneteenth on June 19th.

First and foremost, the reader makes very important points that reflect how slavery ended in different ways in different areas of the country. The dates for abolition varied, which was one of the central aspects of the Emancipation Proclamation. So, interestingly, early celebrations of abolition following the Civil War occurred on different dates. Some happened on June 19, others on Jan. 1, and others occurred in association with local timelines of abolition.

Its difficult to say for certain, but I think June 19 has resonated over the decades because it marks a date when an organic celebration of freedom erupted, as opposed to dates when particular federal policies went into effect.

Some background on Juneteenth

According to the Texas State Historical Association website, Gen. Philip Sheridan appointed Gen. Gordon Granger, commander of the Department of Texas on June 10, 1865. When Granger arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865 he read General Order 3, officially declaring that slavery had ended.

The result was the setting off joyful displays by Texas freedmen. Grangers proclamation formed the basis for the annual Juneteenth festivities, which celebrate the end of slavery in Texas. Granger also declared that laws passed by the Confederate government were void, that Confederate soldiers were paroled, that all persons having public property, including cotton, should turn it in to the United States Army, and that all privately owned cotton was to be turned in to the army for compensation, according to tshaonline.org.

General Order No. 3

The people are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them, become that between employer and hired labor. The freed are advised to remain at their present homes, and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.  from the American Battlefield Trust

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By Trend

On June 17, a telephone conversation took place between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Ministers exchanged views on topical issues on the bilateral agenda.

Discussing the current situation in the region, including the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the parties stressed the importance of the full implementation of the tripartite statements.

During a telephone conversation, an agreement was reached to continue negotiations within the framework of the visit of the Russian Foreign Minister to Azerbaijan.
Hello, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County seniors!

Its graduation time, and I am so proud of all your accomplishments. You should be too; this is a milestone you will always remember. As you embark on your next journey, I have one last message for you. No, its not about inclement weather, or an update on COVID (because you know Ive been sending those out a lot).

While many of you have solidified your plans for next year, I know there are others still contemplating the next step. That is OK, and I want you to know its not too late to make a decision that will change your life  and its free!

Forsyth Techs Class of 2022 College Commitment guarantees free college to any Winston-Salem/Forsyth County graduating senior. In fact, Forsyth Tech has taken this commitment a step further  it is available to anyone graduating from any North Carolina high school (including homeschool and online school). Not only are they covering tuition, but also books and fees for any student  no matter their background or income level. If youre walking across one of our stages in the coming days, you can walk into your first year of college completely debt-free.

The best part: There is no catch. Forsyth Tech is a fantastic partner with our district and community. Its mission is to be a place of promise for all students. It knows that allowing graduating high school seniors at least one year of free college will help them achieve their dreams and earn family-sustaining wages. It will start students on a path to success.

It doesnt matter if youre looking to transfer to a four-year university, to receive a one-year welding diploma or even to finish at Forsyth Tech and become a registered nurse. Forsyth Tech has so many opportunities. From IT and cybersecurity to nursing and radiography, from business administration and accounting to plumbing and aviation, the programs at Forsyth Tech offer education, skills and training for everyone, no matter what theyre interested in.

Still thinking it over? Here are some more things for you to consider:

If you arent sure of the path you want to take, but you know an undergraduate degree is in your future, I encourage you to think about attending Forsyth Tech for the first year or two. Youll get a great college experience  free of charge, with time to figure out which next step is right for you. And, I know youll experience the same level of success  youll still be on track to graduate with your peers at a four-year school if that is the route you ultimately take. The bonus is your first year will be free!

And, college isnt for everyone. If you have plans to enter the workforce sooner, there are many, many programs to help you do just that  debt-free. Interested in public safety? Forsyth Tech has programs for firefighters, EMS and law enforcement. Like working on cars, motorcycles and things that go? Forsyth Techs Transportation Technology Center has the only Toyota T-TEN program in the Southeast (along with many other programs). Did you know Forsyth Techs new Aviation Technology Lab is one of only five in the state that is connected to an airport? If you become an aviation technician, youll have an income earning potential of up to $45 an hour. Now, imagine being able to study any of those things and graduating with your degree, diploma or certificate without paying tuition or fees for an entire year.

You cannot miss this one! No matter your post-graduation plans, free college for at least one year is not something most get the opportunity to receive. I know I sure didnt.

As you celebrate your success, if youre still contemplating whats next, I encourage you to consider this free opportunity and take advantage of Forsyth Techs vast resources.

Now is a great time to make plans for fall. If you have questions or need help applying and getting registered for classes, go to scholarship.forsythtech.edu.

Brent Campbell is chief marketing and communications officer for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.
In 1987, I was in my third year teaching high school history in Concord, Mass.

I was not out as a gay man at that time. Back then, only one state (Wisconsin) banned employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. I had already been forced to leave a teaching job before by a homophobic principal.

But, as I often tell LGBTQ+ teachers, its a glass closet at best: Kids are smart. They generally figure out who the LGBTQ+ teachers are, whether those teachers publicly acknowledge that fact or not. And, sure enough, one of my students did that fall.

Jordan dropped by my office one day and came out to me as gay himself. He proceeded to tell me he was contemplating suicide. Panicked, I suggested we go see a counselor together. Then he spoke words I will never forget:

Why shouldnt I kill myself? My life isnt worth saving anyway.

All of a sudden, I was back in my own adolescence a decade before, growing up in Forsyth County. Like Jordan, I didnt think my life was worth saving either. I tried to take my own life at age 16.

Jordans words cut me to the bone. I promised myself I would do whatever I could to make sure no LGBTQ+ youth felt their life was worthless ever again. I came out to my whole school shortly afterward, helped students create the nations first Gay-Straight Alliance student club, and went on to write the first textbook on LGBTQ+ history for high school students (Becoming Visible) and to serve on the founding organizing committee for LGBTQ+ History Month.

Now, however, it looks like we are going backward.

When I learned of the North Carolina Senates passage of a dont say gay or trans law, my heart sank. When I was attending public schools here, no one ever said gay or trans except as an epithet. It added to the sense of isolation and hopelessness that caused me to try to take my life in 1980. I know personally the price LGBTQ+ youth pay when schools refuse to even acknowledge their existence. It can cost them their lives.

This is not just based on my personal experience: the data are clear. Schools in North Carolina remain highly unsafe for LGBTQ+ students. Nearly three-quarters of North Carolina LGBTQ+ students have experienced some form of harassment at school because of their sexual orientation, and more than half because of their gender expression.

This kind of climate contributes to the fact that the CDC found that LGB students in N.C. are twice as likely as heterosexual students to get bullied at school and nearly 50% more likely to skip school because they are unsafe. Unsurprisingly, the CDC also found that LGB students in North Carolina were four times more likely to engage in a serious suicide attempt than heterosexual students.

We know that interventions from out LGBTQ+ teachers, curriculum that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ topics and supports like GSAs (now commonly known as Gender & Sexuality Alliances) can change school climates for the better. At a time when we should be implementing measures like these, North Carolinas General Assembly is dragging us backward.

Lets be clear: This bill has nothing to do with protecting kids. If the General Assembly were truly interested in the well-being of North Carolinas LGBTQ+ students, theyd be supporting more discussion of LGBTQ+ issues in our schools. This is about politics. Its about pandering to peoples basest instincts and prejudices to score political points.

The legislators who voted yes on the dont say gay or trans bill should be ashamed of themselves.

They are putting the lives of young people at risk to advance their political careers. Its despicable.

We should all expect better from our elected officials. Their job is to take care of all North Carolinians.

This bill has still not reached Gov. Roy Coopers desk. Thats why its so important for North Carolinians who want our schools to serve all students to stand up and speak out to let our elected leaders know that this is unacceptable. We mustnt let them play politics with kids lives.

Kevin Jennings is a Forsyth County native and CEO of Lambda Legal.
A lot of things have been happening in the world of policy and politics of late that, not all that long ago, seemed fairly unimaginable.

In Washington over the weekend, a group of 10 Republican U.S. senators, including North Carolinas Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, came together with a group of Democrats to announce an important agreement on gun safety legislation. Though extremely modest in scope, the agreement represents an important step forward and marks the first time in recent memory that a significant bloc of Republican lawmakers has been willing to buck the absolutist nonsense peddled by the agents of death at the NRA.

As President Biden observed in a statement, the agreement does not do everything that I think is needed, but it reflects important steps in the right direction, and would be the most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in decades.

The gun safety agreement is not the only instance of notable movement from important Republican lawmakers in recent weeks.

In North Carolina, many have watched in amazement recently as North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger  a politician who for several years condemned both the idea of Medicaid expansion and those who supported the idea in contemptuous terms  has suddenly embraced the concept and the arguments long voiced by proponents with the keenness of a religious convert.

When the expansion bill was considered by the Senate two weeks ago, Berger actually took to the floor to speak and forcefully endorsed it, saying, This is the right thing to do, and its not even close.

As Greensboro Democratic senator and longtime Medicaid champion Gladys Robinson put it when Berger informed her of his stance, Even though it took 10 years, yall are there. Praise the Lord.

But wait, theres more.

Just days after the Medicaid expansion vote, the same GOP-dominated Senate took up and passed yet another long-stymied proposal, this one to add North Carolina to the long and rapidly growing list of states to allow lawful access to medical marijuana.

And once again, it was one of the General Assemblys most conservative members  Senate Rules Committee chairman Bill Rabon, a six-term Republican from a conservative southeastern North Carolina district  who led the charge.

As WRAL.com reported, Rabon sounded like a proverbial bleeding-heart liberal as he spoke in compelling and emotional terms about his own battle with cancer and the ways medical marijuana can aid people battling difficult health challenges.

Taken together, the spate of conversions is enough to give a body a welcome injection of hope and reassurance in these troubled times that facts can and do still matter  even for a political party still laboring under the thumb of the Big Lie and the big liar behind it.

If the truth can finally, at long last, seep into the consciousness of prominent, deeply conservative Republicans on these issues, perhaps it might just happen on other matters of critical, and even existential, importance, like the global climate emergency and the desperate need to preserve American democracy.

However, some giant and difficult-to-dislodge elephants remain in the room and block the way.

First is that none of the measures in question has yet become law and each faces several major and potentially insurmountable hurdles on the way to getting there. The U.S. Senate deal may have enough votes to overcome a filibuster, but anyone who thinks the NRA and Fox News arent still capable of scuttling it hasnt been paying attention.

Meanwhile, when it comes to Medicaid and marijuana, most state House Republicans appear to remain just as stubbornly immune to facts and reason as ever  a hard and maddening reality that has left supporters of both proposals talking wistfully of 2023 or perhaps a special post-election legislative session as the most realistic potential dates for final passage.

Then there is the fact that each of the proposals is significantly flawed. Both the gun safety measure and the medical pot bill represent only tiny, incremental first steps, and the Medicaid expansion bill is loaded with unnecessary baggage.

In short, while the progress on all three measures is long overdue and more than welcome, the hard reality is that lengthy and unnecessary delays continue to cause thousands of preventable deaths and vast amounts of human suffering. Whats more, even under the best of circumstances, the delayed half-measures now under discussion will allow much of this suffering and death to continue.

Surely, we can and must do better.
A Lancaster County jury has found a 63-year-old Lincoln man guilty of sexual assault of a child and child abuse.

Everette Oneal is set for sentencing next month, where he is likely to face at least 25 years in prison, given that prosecutors have alleged he is a habitual criminal.

Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Matt Mellor said the Lincoln boy was skateboarding near North 27th and Superior streets in August or September 2020 when O'Neal flagged him down and ended up giving him marijuana.

The boy was just shy of his 15th birthday at the time.

Mellor said over several weeks Oneal groomed the teen by providing him food, alcohol and marijuana. It later escalated to Oneal touching him in the bathroom at a Lincoln retail store, in his car in Omaha and in Oneal's Lincoln hotel room.

In October 2020, the teen was admitted to a Lincoln hospital after a suicide attempt and asked his mom to delete information from his phone that could get someone in trouble, according to court records. She reported it to law enforcement, which ultimately led to Oneal's arrest.

At trial, Oneal's attorney, David Tarrell, said Oneal admitted he provided marijuana to the boy but denied touching him sexually.

On Thursday, a day after hearing the teen testify, the jury found him guilty.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger

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The top prosecutor in York County has gotten the ax from the Board of Commissioners after losing his federal lawsuit seeking to block the move.

John Lyons had been county attorney there since Dec. 31, 2019, when the board appointed him to serve out the rest of then-County Attorney Christopher Johnson's term when he resigned.

York County Board Chairman Randy Obermier said they made it clear to Lyons that he would be required to devote his full attention to the legal work of York County, and Lyons agreed.

So it created a dust-up when, on July 19, 2021, he asked to be allowed to serve as Clay County Attorney, too.

When the board unanimously rejected his request, Lyons entered into a contract with Clay County a day later anyway. And the board gave him notice they were pursuing his termination.

But before the board went forward, Lyons sued to block them.

Hamilton County District Judge Rachel Daugherty granted his motion for a temporary injunction blocking them from firing him.

Then, the case moved to federal court. On May 27, U.S. District Judge John Gerrard vacated the injunction and dismissed Lyons' lawsuit.

In his decision, Gerrard said the question here was whether a person appointed to the vacated or unelected office of county attorney also accedes to the title of county officer?

Lyons and the Nebraska County Attorneys Association, which wasn't part of the case but supplied a friend-of-the-court brief because of its strong interest in the general subject at issue, argued that there was no distinction between an elected and appointed county attorney.

"But that argument is not accurate on its face," the judge wrote. "An elected county attorney is chosen by the electors in the county."

Gerrard said state law provides that an appointed county attorney gains the office by way of a contract with the county board, and that contract specifies the terms and conditions.

"Legislative protection for an elected county officer preserves the will of the voters from what may potentially be an arbitrary political removal. But that interest is not present when an appointed officeholder is removed by the same body that appointed him, and defined the terms and conditions of his appointment pursuant to a contract, in the first place," he said.

At a meeting May 31, four days after the decision, the board voted unanimously to terminate Lyons effective immediately.

At a special meeting last week, they appointed Gary Olson to serve in the role until the end of the year.

He is the lone candidate running for the position in November.

Lyons, who did not challenge Olson for York County Attorney, continues to work as the Clay County Attorney.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger

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Members of the LGBTQ+ and allies from all over Nebraska gathered Saturday at the Capitol to celebrate Pride month with Lincoln's second-ever Pride parade.

The parade, organized by Star City Pride, is a part of an annual two-day festival founded in 2008. The celebration stands as Nebraska's second-largest Pride festival.

Hundreds chanted "Our home, here to stay!" as they walked around the Capitol handing out pride stickers and information on how to be an ally.

Are you part of the LGBTQ+ community? We want to hear from you. The Journal Star is looking for people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community to talk to us about what its like to live in Lincoln. Please email reporter Margaret Reist at mreist@journalstar.com if youre interested.

For several, this was their first Pride parade, and for others, this was just one of many events over many years fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. The parade comes just days after Lincoln City Council rescinded a fairness ordinance aimed at extending protections in city code to include gender expression and sexual orientation.

Tom Beckius and James Michael Bowers, two openly gay council members, both said they voted to rescind the fairness ordinance because they didnt feel supporters were prepared to overcome a challenge to the fairness ordinance at the ballot box.

Many of those in attendance or taking part in the parade represented organizations such as Free Mom Hugs, a national group that offers parental support to members of the LGBTQ+ community whose families are not supportive.

Other organizations also attended Saturday's parade in alliance, such as Nebraska AIDS Project, First-Plymouth Church, Heritage Presbyterian Church, The Bay and Planned Parenthood.

Several organizations also came out to advocate for more acceptance of LGBTQ+ members in marginalized communities.

Brandon Stabler of Two-Spirit Nation, an organization that advocates for visibility within the Indigenous spectrum of LGBTQ2S+, said it's important to show support for those who are not always accepted by their communities.

"We have to let everyone know that we are here and it's OK to be out and proud, and be loud about it," Stabler said.

For others, it was exciting to see the number of children attending this year's Pride parade. Drag performer Indie Skys, of Beatrice, said it's events like these that allow youth to accept themselves and others early on.

"It creates more inclusivity for our youth to be more open-minded and know of the resources our community has available now," Skys said.

Skys, among other drag performers, was scheduled to perform at Matt Lot under the Haymarket pedestrian bridge Saturday as a part of Star City Pride's annual two-day festival.

The festival also featured other drag performers such as Amelia Parke-Deveaux, Onya D Tehnsion and headliner Cynthia Lee Fontaine, from Seasons Eight and Nine of "RuPauls Drag Race."

Mean Gworlz, a drag parody on the 2004 classic movie, was also part of the Saturday night entertainment.

The festival featured over 70 vendors, a kids zone, community speakers and more.

Longwells will host a post-Pride drag brunch at noon Sunday. Those interested can RSVP here.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7228 or emejia@journalstar.com

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Nineteen-year-old Rachel Fleeman is just like her peers  in most ways.

She loves movie nights with friends and traveling. Classes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln keep her busy. She journals, reads and drinks plenty of coffee to fuel her late-night study sessions.

But when shes not in school or scrolling through TikTok, she's curating wardrobes, creating stickers and crafting designs for trendy sweatshirts. But the hours she spends styling arent just for fun.

Unlike most of her classmates, she already knows the joys and challenges of running a small business.

Fleeman simply decided to stop saying some day and start chasing the dream she feels was born to pursue.

Tuesday, she opened a colorful clothing boutique in Waverly called Raine Company. The storefront peddles a variety of womens clothing, home goods and other accessories. Many of the looks were designed by her.

When customers walk through her light pink door and past her potted plants, theyre greeted by joyful colors and Fleemans smiling face. A wave of rust, blush, mustard and baby blue ripples across the walls.

It's a shop thats inspired to make others feel good and love themselves, Fleeman said. The apparel, the meaning behind everything in here is to make you feel good about yourself.

The young entrepreneur began Raine Company by peddling her products online, and she continues to sell her creations through her website and in more than 50 stores nationwide. But three designs and a few products blossomed into more ideas and a massive internet following that overtook her home.

I needed a bigger space out of my parents' basement, so I looked for office spaces, Fleeman said. I guess a storefront was always something I wanted, but it wasn't really on my radar.

When her aunt let her know that a space next door to the hair salon opened up, Fleeman jumped on it.

After weeks of remodeling, redecorating and rearranging, the store was finally ready for business. She proudly reported that her first day was a bustling success.

There's been so much love, and I don't even know how to describe the feeling of it, Fleeman said. I get messages daily from people who say my business inspires them.  So getting to meet those people, at least the local ones, has been so cool.

While Fleeman is inspiring others, her boutique draws inspiration from someone else. Her grandmother, Elaine, passed away in 2020 after 14 years battling Parkinsons disease. Fleeman said she spread joy everywhere she went, and her business seeks to follow that legacy.

The name Raine is a combination of her and grandmothers names. She began the concept as a senior in high school at Lincoln Pius X, looking to find hope while grieving.

We were super close, Fleeman said. She never complained. She loved constantly on people.

Several of Fleemans family members and closest friends have helped make her goals a reality. Her mom, sister and cousin helped paint the walls and give the space its enthusiastic feel.

Her best friend, Sophie Thorson, helped package and pose for Fleemans photos and offered endless support.

When I wear her stuff, I always get compliments and like to tell people Oh, it's my best friend's business, Thorson said.

Thorson said her friend has been kept plenty occupied trying to get the store in order. Instead of hanging out at each others houses, theyve been spending every spare moment organizing clothes for the grand opening.

But Thorson wouldnt trade her time with Fleeman. She said shes always been there to cheer her up on dark days.

She cares about her people more than anyone I've ever met, Thorson said. She hates people feeling bad about themselves.

Thorson is sure Fleemans genuine nature will be evident in everything she does with the business.

Her aunt who works next door, Kendra Speicher, said she expects her niece to thrive.

She's a hard worker and a people person through-and-through, Speicher said.

She's got great potential here and with her business online, reaching out to people and bringing smiles and joy, Speicher said. You kind of get that feeling walking in here.

Past the entryway are racks of pastel sundresses, woven pillows, mugs, caps, candles and books. Inspirational tees spread messages like treat yourself kindly and dont stress about the could haves.

Those messages are what ultimately inspire the young woman to juggle school, business ownership and the challenges of being a college student.

Fleeman spent the week preparing for the boutique's grand opening that doubles as a birthday party (she turned 20 over the weekend), but shes most excited to meet more internet supporters and new friends.

Like everything else she does, its all about the community.

If it wasn't for the people, this wouldn't exist. Seeing their love and their comments and messages and everything like that, that's what keeps me going, Fleeman said. To be able to make a difference in their life; that's definitely my favorite part.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7241 or jthompson@journalstar.com

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The staff members who were hit went to the hospital. One of them suffered a broken bone; the other is being treated for serious injuries.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  A standoff over the security of voting machines between a Republican-leaning county in New Mexico and Democratic state officials that threatened to erupt into a wider political crisis was defused Friday after local commissioners voted to certify their election results.

The move by the Otero County commission reversed an earlier decision against certifying results of the June 7 primary because of unspecified concerns with Dominion voting systems, a target of widespread conspiracy theories since the 2020 presidential election.

The two commissioners who voted in favor said they had been threatened with prosecution by the state attorney general and had no choice under the law  but criticized their position as being little more than rubber stamps.

Commissioner Couy Griffin was the lone dissenting vote, but acknowledged that he had no basis for questioning the results of the election. He dialed in to the meeting because he was in Washington, D.C., where hours before he had been sentenced for entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

My vote to remain a 'no' isnt based on any evidence. It's not based on any facts, Griffin said, nevertheless requesting a hand recount of ballots. Its only based on my gut feeling and my own intuition.

The Otero elections clerk earlier told The Associated Press that the primary had gone off without a hitch and that the results had been confirmed afterward: It was a great election," said Robyn Holmes, a Republican.

Democratic Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who had appealed to the state Supreme Court to intervene, expressed relief at the Otero County decision and called it a shame that the commission pushed our state to the brink of a crisis by their actions.

The showdown provided a stark example of the chaos that election experts across the U.S. have warned about as those who promote the lie that former President Donald Trump was cheated out of reelection seek to populate election offices across the country and the usually low-profile boards that certify the results. Conspiracy theories mixing with misinformation has produced a volatile stew that has reduced confidence in elections, led to threats against election officials and created fears of violence in future elections.

The passions were on full display Friday, the final day for New Mexico's 33 counties to certify their primary results. The last six counties to certify all voted to do so, but it was not without outbursts of fury from some of those attending the meetings.

In one politically conservative county, angry residents greeted their three commissioners with screams and vitriol as they met to consider certification. As the visibly frustrated Torrance County commissioners indicated they were going to vote to certify their election, the audience shouted Shame on you, cowards and traitors, and Who elected you?

The commissioners pleaded with the audience for patience and said concerns about alleged election vulnerabilities eventually would be addressed.

The time and place to fight this battle is not by canvassing this election, Chairman Ryan Schwebach told the crowd in Torrance County.

In another county, a commission chairman pounded a gavel frantically and ordered law enforcement to clear livid protesters from the room. The 4-1 vote to certify the election by a Republican-dominated commission in Sandoval County was nearly drowned out by jeers of opposition in a divided audience.

Commissioner Jay Block  a failed Republican primary candidate for governor in the June 7 vote  noted his opposition to hoots of approval and applause.

It is imperative that we are presented with a complete set of facts about the election, Block said.

There is no evidence of widespread fraud or manipulation of voting equipment that could have affected the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, and no such fraud has surfaced in this years midterms.

To underscore the accuracy of election results, another Sandoval County commissioner read to the audience the findings of an audit that compared the votes recorded by the countys tabulating machines in 2020 with a sampling of the actual paper ballots. The difference was just a fraction of 1% in the races for president, U.S. Senate and other offices  almost insignificant, Republican commissioner David Heil said.

Certifying elections by typically under-the-radar local commissions has been a routine ministerial task for decades that has become politicized ever since Trump sought to undermine the process following his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

Otero County thrust the issue into the spotlight this week when its commission said it would not certify the local results from the primary because of concerns over Dominion voting systems, even though there was no evidence of problems. Had they stuck to their guns, the commissioners potentially would have disenfranchised more than 7,300 voters in a county that voted heavily for Trump in 2020.

New Mexicos primary ballot included races at all levels  including Congress, governor, attorney general and a long list of local offices. Those races would not be official until all counties certified.

The developments in New Mexico can be traced to far-right conspiracy theories over voting machines that have spread across the country over the past two years. Various Trump allies have claimed that Dominion voting systems had somehow been manipulated as part of an elaborate scheme to steal the election, which Biden won.

Dominion has filed several defamation lawsuits, including against Fox News, and in a statement earlier this week said the action by the Otero County commissioners was yet another example of how lies about Dominion have damaged our company and diminished the publics faith in elections.

Election officials outside New Mexico are taking notice. The secretary of states office said Friday it has been flooded with calls from officials concerned that certification controversies will become a new front in the attacks on democratic norms and could affect future elections, especially in 2024.

Associated Press writers Christina Almeida Cassidy in Atlanta, Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, and Terry Tang in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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

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BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union's executive arm on Friday recommended making Ukraine a candidate for EU membership, a morale booster and a first step on what is expected to be a long road for the war-torn country to join the 27-nation bloc.

If Ukrainians were under any illusion that the European Commission's positive assessment would mean fast-track EU membership, their hopes of quickly joining the club were dashed.

Starting accession negotiations is further down the line," said Oliver Varhelyi, the EU Commissioner for the bloc's enlargement. Once conditions are met, then we will have to come back and reflect on it ... This is not for today."

The European Commission delivered its proposal to award Ukraine candidate status after an analysis of answers to a detailed questionnaire. The Ukrainian government applied for EU membership days after Russia invaded the country on Feb. 24.

Ukrainians are ready to die for the European perspective, commission President Ursula von der Leyen said  wearing clothes in the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag. We want them to live, with us, the European dream.

The leaders of the bloc's existing members are scheduled to discuss the recommendation during a summit next week in Brussels. The European Commissions endorsement, while a strong sign of solidarity with Ukraine, is likely to take years or even decades to materialize into EU membership.

Its even possible that the candidate status will eventually be revoked if the reforms requested by the bloc to align with EU standards are not put in place.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who had been skeptical about Ukraines membership bid, embraced the proposal.

I think the commission has found a good compromise. There is a lot more homework in the field of the economy, but also in the field of the rule of law, in the field of tackling corruption. Rutte said. So this is the first step of many. But the Netherlands has decided with full conviction to follow the commissions advice.

Along with Ukraine, the European Commission also recommended giving neighboring Moldova EU candidate status. The commission also reviewed Georgias application but said the Caucasus nation first needs to fulfill a number of conditions.

Adding new members requires unanimous approval from all EU member nations. They have expressed differing views on how quickly to add Ukraine to their ranks. Ukraines bid received a boost when the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania visited the country Thursday and vowed to back its candidacy.

To be admitted, potential newcomers need to demonstrate that they meet standards on democratic principles and they must absorb about 80,000 pages of rules covering everything from trade and immigration to fertilizers and the rule of law.

Before Russias invasion, the Commission repeatedly expressed concern in recent years about corruption in Ukraine and the need for deep political and economic reforms.

Yes, Ukraine deserves a European perspective. It should be welcomed as a candidate country, on the understanding that important work remains to be done, von der Leyen said Friday. The entire process is merits-based. It goes by the book and therefore, progress depends entirely on Ukraine.

Ukraine currently has an association agreement with the EU, aimed at opening Ukraines markets and bringing it closer to Europe. It includes a far-reaching free trade pact. Von der Leyen said that due to the 2016 agreement, "Ukraine has already implemented roughly 70% of the EU rules, norms and standards.

It is taking part in many important EU programs," she continued. "Ukraine is a robust parliamentary democracy. It has a well-functioning public administration that has kept the country running even during this war.

Von der Leyen said Kyiv should continue to make progress in the fields of rule of law and fighting corruption. She also cited the need to speed up the selection of high court judges.

Expediting Ukraines application by declaring it an official candidate would challenge the EUs normal playbook for adding members. The degree to which Ukraines request for a fast-track accession represents a change in the EUs standard operating procedure is evident from the experiences of other aspiring members.

Turkey, for example, applied for membership in 1987, received candidate status in 1999, and had to wait until 2005 to start talks for actual entry. Six Western Balkan countries  Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Kosovo  have been in the EU waiting line for years.

At their June 23-24 summit, EU heads of state and government therefore face a delicate balancing act: signaling to Ukraine that the door is ajar while reassuring other aspiring members and some of the blocs own citizens that they arent showing favoritism to Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday he was grateful to the Commission's recommendation to put his country and Moldova on the membership path. He called it "the first step on the EU membership path thatll certainly bring our victory closer.

Zelenskyy added that he expected a positive result from the EU summit in Brussels.

Dusan Stojanovic contributed from Belgrade.

Follow AP's coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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

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By Trend

After the end of the second Karabakh War, it became known about 12 Azerbaijani servicemen who were injured and captured, said the head of the State Security Service, chairman of the State Commission for the Affairs of Captives, Missing Persons and Hostages of Azerbaijan Ali Nagiyev, Trend reports.

He noted that they were quickly returned to their homeland through the mediation of international organizations: "However the fate of six servicemen remains unknown."
A 17-year-old boy was arrested Thursday night after fleeing arrest near Grand Island in a stolen vehicle, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.

A state trooper observed the Chevrolet Impala driving 90 mph on Interstate 80 at approximately 8:20 p.m. Troopers attempted a traffic stop, but the driver fled and troopers began a pursuit.

The driver's speed exceeded 100 mph and troopers stopped their pursuit as he headed toward Grand Island.

The Impala was later found near Louise and Adams streets in Grand Island and the driver was seen fleeing on foot.

The Grand Island Police Department and State Patrol began a search for the driver, and dispatchers confirmed that the Impala had been stolen in Lincoln.

The driver was later arrested and lodged in the Lancaster County Youth Services Center.

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President Joe Biden signed a bill Wednesday to rename the Benson post office after an Omaha sailor who saved more than a dozen shipmates while serving in World War II.

The legislation, which designates the U.S. Postal Service facility at 6223 Maple St. the Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French Post Office, was one of two bills Biden signed Wednesday, according to the White House.

French, a Black man who enlisted in the still-segregated Navy as a mess attendant, was hailed as the hero of the Solomon Islands after the sinking of his ship, the USS Gregory, on Sept. 5, 1942, near Guadalcanal. He was credited with swimming for several hours through shark-infested waters while towing a lifeboat filled with 15 wounded shipmates, all of whom were white, until they could be rescued.

French was born in Arkansas but moved to Omaha as a youth to live with an older sister after his parents died.

He stayed in the military until the end of the war, then took a civilian job with the Navy in San Diego. He died in 1956, at age 37, of depression and alcoholism from untreated post-traumatic stress, according to family members.

Though he was recognized at the time, Frenchs story was largely forgotten until Bruce Wigo, a former director of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, unearthed it several years ago. It was amplified on social media in spring 2021, prompting USA Swimming to honor him during the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in Omaha last June.

Rep. Don Bacon, who introduced the bill to name the Omaha post office, said the designation would help preserve Frenchs legacy and give Nebraskans and other Americans the opportunity to remember his heroic actions.

Despite the segregation at the time, he went above and beyond to answer the call of duty by saving his fellow sailors, Bacon said in a statement Wednesday.

The post office designation is the latest honor posthumously awarded to French.

In May, his family was presented with the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the services highest award for noncombat heroism. The award was presented during a ceremony in San Diego where a pool used for training Navy rescue swimmers was renamed in Frenchs honor.

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A casual conversation over lunch at her Rotary club in Lincoln turned into an international quilting project that raised $27,000 to help the people of Ukraine.

I was talking with Dean Settle and Mailani Veney at our meeting back in March, said Leslie Levy, executive director of the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln. Russia had just invaded Ukraine, and our club was talking about how we could help. Dean, a member of the Friends of the IQM, asked if we had any quilts from Ukraine that we could put on display.

Later that day, Levy returned to the museum and talked with Dr. Marin Hanson, the curator of international collections. The answer was unfortunately no, followed by a quick idea of putting together a Quilt Challenge.

We had just completed a Quilt Challenge, which called for quilters around the world submitting quilted blocks depicting a scene related to a theme, said Levy. The concept had been tested, the processes were in place and the idea took shape.

As Marin and I talked, we thought that a Quilt Challenge focused on a Ukraine theme would be a great way to raise some money for Ukraine, Levy added. Within a week, the IQM staff had prepared a webpage, established a few rules, shared the idea with colleagues across the country and at Levys Rotary Club, and the Ukraine Quilt Challenge took off.

The IQM and Rotary 14 shared details about the challenge on websites and social media, and eventually quilters in 20 states, including dozens from California, Washington and New York, began to design and make their quilts. There were even quilt blocks designed and prepared by participants in Japan, Australia and Europe.

Ultimately 219 blocks, 16-by-16 inches each, were submitted to the IQM by the May 30 deadline.

If you think of it, said Levy, designing, finding the materials and making a quilt block in just 60 days is incredible. There were quilt blocks depicting the Ukraine blue and yellow flag colors, of sunflowers, the countrys national flower, some touching on the violence of war and others on the healing of human interaction.

Next came the online auction June 8-10. All 219 blocks went up for sale. Again, the IQM and Rotary folks promoted the fundraising activity, and as a result bids came in from 38 states. More than 315 people were bidding on the blocks, placing more than 1,500 bids during the three-day online auction.

I thought wed be doing good to raise $5,000, said Levy. But as the hours ticked by during the auction, as people saw the incredible designs that were submitted, we eventually raised $27,000.

Once the blocks have been shipped to the auction bid winners, a check will be sent to the Rotary International Foundation for emergency relief in Ukraine.

Seventy of the Ukraine quilt blocks have been put on display at the IQM, 33rd and Holdrege streets, and can be seen through July 1. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

A simple question related to something happening in another part of the world generated a flurry of activity, not only in Lincoln but in homes around the world  a heartwarming story of people coming together to help one another. Its an illustration of the power of working together and connecting with people outside our normal circles  something that is needed in our divided world.

The International Quilt Museum is home to the worlds largest publicly held quilt collection with objects from more than 65 countries. The International Quilt Study Center was established in 1997 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln when Ardis and Robert James of Nebraska donated nearly 1,000 quilts to the University.

Leslie Levy is a member of Rotary 14, one of the worlds largest and oldest Rotary clubs. She has a history with Rotary dating back to her teen years when she was a Rotary scholar studying in Japan. Shes been head of the IQM since 2014.

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John Gessert, vice president and senior trust officer of Union Bank & Trust, has been named president of one of the worlds oldest and largest Rotary Clubs, Rotary 14 in Lincoln.

Gessert will step into the challenging role July 1 and lead the club, which has a reputation for doing many positive things in Lincoln, across Nebraska and in other parts of the world.

Im so proud to be a part of the best community service organization in Lincoln, said Gessert. Our club is known for some amazing community service projects including playground renovations for several public schools, updating the building and weekly serving at The Gathering Place, helping build a home for a needy family, as well as a multitude of projects in Lincoln Parks, including most recently a complete refurbishing of the Cascade Memorial Fountain at 27th and Capitol Parkway.

Gessert joined Rotary 14 in 2009 and has served as treasurer and chair of several committees.

During his first year as club president, he plans to focus on engaging club members in a wide variety of activities  from hosting international students at an annual picnic to beginning to foster the development of a conference/convention center for Lincoln. Because of his work with Union Bank & Trust, he also wants to focus some of the clubs programs on financial literacy.

One thing Im really looking forward to is being a percussionist for the famed Rotary 14 Band, he said. Music is a hobby for me, and Ive had a lot of fun playing with other Rotarians. I plan to resurrect the Rotary 14 Band.

He started his career in commercial real estate in Omaha, moved into banking with Norwest Bank in Denver, returned to Nebraska to be with First National Bank of Omaha, and joined the UBT team in 2014. He and wife Susie love living in Lincoln where theyve raised their daughters and enjoyed the good life.

I think Lincoln has a bright future, said Gessert. When Susie and I moved back to Lincoln, the arena was under development, and Ive watched as the Haymarket has become so vibrant. Its interesting that even in these social media times, people still want to connect with one another, and thats something Rotary has been doing for well over 100 years.

In addition to Rotary, Gessert is involved in the Crohns and Colitis Foundation, the Combined Health Charities Drive, United Way Cabinet, the Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition and the Nebraska Council for Economic Education.

Rotary 14 is 112 years old, and the Rotary 14 Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The two organizations have a long history of serving our community. Each year they undertake a number of local projects, including awarding scholarship grants to graduating high school students, hosting international visitors, some of whom are sponsored by one or more of the 46,000 Rotary clubs around the world, volunteering at Everett Elementary School, giving dictionaries to every fourth grade student in the city and donating blood to the Nebraska Community Blood Bank.

And, each year Rotary 14 members designate half of the funds raised for their foundation toward a community project.

Our club has an incredible history, said Gessert. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued to grow. That shows that people want to be involved in doing good things. And, with so many young talented people involved in the tech companies here, I want Rotary to be a place where they can plug in and make a positive impact.

Installation for Gessert will be on Tuesday, July 5, during the clubs regular Tuesday luncheon meeting.

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RACINE  A Mount Pleasant man has been accused of pointing a gun at a woman.

Kurtis King, 46, of the 6000 block of Margery Drive, was charged with a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.

According to a criminal complaint:

At 11:05 a.m. on April 18, an officer was dispatched to the Racine Police Department to take an assault report.

Upon arrival, the officer met with a woman who said she was at the Dream Lounge Bar, 1964 Taylor Ave., a previous night and was assaulted by a man and had a gun pointed at her by King.

She said that at around 2-3 a.m. she was at the bar talking to someone when a man asked her Why the (expletive) you being disrespectful?

She told him she was not talking to him and to mind his business and leave her alone. He then punched her in the face. She admitted to punching him back but he backed away and left. She then went outside to confront him, but King approached her and pointed a gun at her and said Back the (expletive) up.

She backed away and left the bar.

King was given a $500 cash bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Wednesday. A status conference is on Aug. 29 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., online court records show.

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"We the Racine Police Department, do not condone the consumption or sales of illegal narcotics. But, if you were to find yourself in possession of such, we want you to be as safe as possible. Currently, the City of Racine is seeing a spike of illegal narcotics laced with fentanyl, including but not limited to, marijuana. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is extremely dangerous. Drug traffickers will often mix fentanyl and weed together, due to it being a cheap way of manufacturing their product. We care about the citizens of Racine, and we dont want more overdoses. Please make good decisions and be safe!"
RACINE  In a news release issued on June 16, Downtown Racine Corporation (DRC) announced in 2022 it has again received designation as an accredited Main Street America program for meeting performance standards.

We are extremely proud to recognize this years 863 nationally Accredited Main Street America programs that have worked tirelessly to advance economic vitality and quality of life in their downtowns and commercial districts, Patrice Frey, president & CEO of Main Street America, said in a statement. During another incredibly challenging year, these programs demonstrated the power of the Main Street movement to respond to the needs of their communities. I am inspired by their steadfast leadership and innovative solutions to drive essential local recovery efforts, support small businesses, and nurture vibrant downtown districts. In 2021, Main Street America programs reported generating:

$5.76 billion in local reinvestment.

6,601 net new businesses.

30,402 net new jobs.

The rehabilitation of 10,595 historic buildings.

1,427,729 volunteer hours.

On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, it generated $19.34 of new investment back into Main Street communities. The Downtown Racine Corporations performance is annually evaluated by WEDCs Wisconsin Main Street Program, which works in partnership with Main Street America. Together they identify the local programs that meet national performance standards.

Despite the intense challenges we faced, we were able to pivot and provide major resources to the Downtown merchants. Our emphasis was always on keeping our Downtown economically stable, Kelly Kruse, Executive Director of Downtown Racine Corporation, stated.

in her news release.

In 2021, the DRC hosted 65 events that brought in over 16,000 people  including Party on the Pavement, live music, wine and beer walks and the Holiday Parade. In 2022, DRC is scheduled to host up to 70 events.

The DRC is extremely proud of what was accomplished during 2021 and the level of economic activity that occurred despite obstacles, MT Boyle, chairman of the DRC Board of Directors, said in a statement. Looking forward, we are excited about the opportunities that exist and the investments, such as Hotel Verdant that are being made and are yet to come.

DRC also worked to be a resource for incoming investors, entrepreneurs, and current businesses. In 2021, 35 new businesses opened, and to date in 2022, about a dozen new businesses have opened, including BePlush, Kouzena 220, Junoesque By Bree and Goddess Nail.

Evaluation criteria determine the communities that are:

Building sustainable revitalization programs.

Promoting strong public-private partnerships.

Supporting small and locally owned businesses.

Actively preserving historic places, spaces, and cultural assets.

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An abortion rights demonstration organized by a Kenosha teenager got a boost from state politicians Friday evening.

Seventeen-year-old Ruby Becker said she organized the event at Civic Center Park to show the community young people are deeply concerned about a U.S. Supreme Court decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion. The courts ruling is expected in the coming weeks.

Just the fact that I might have less rights than my mom did when she was my age, and the fact that this will affect everyone, even if youre not a woman, the Tremper High School student said. This is going to affect everybody. A lot of people my age are definitely realizing how much of a big impact this has.

Becker said that when she learned of a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade earlier this spring she was upset and angry.

I could believe it but didnt want to, Becker said. I was distraught.

Downtown demonstration

Dozens turned out for the demonstration that began in the Downtown park and then migrated to the sidewalks facing Sheridan Road. Many attendees created signs in support of abortion rights and chanted Fight back. Stand up! and Abortion bans have got to go!

Among the attendees were state Democrats including Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, State Sen. Bob Wirch, State Rep. Tip McGuire and Ann Roe, who is running for office in the states first congressional district. Gov. Tony Evers recorded a message for the demonstration that was played through a megaphone.

Im thrilled to join you today and support the incredible work youre doing to protect reproductive rights and abortion access here in Kenosha and across Wisconsin, Evers said. This fight has never been more important. Im here today with the message (that) we cant go back and we wont go back. Politicians shouldnt be inserting themselves into personal, intimate reproductive health care decisions. We should trust people to make decisions that work best for them and their family with their health care providers.

Evers said he has served as a pro-choice governor and over his first term vetoed bills that would restrict abortion access. He also called on the state Legislature to do the right thing and repeal Wisconsins archaic 173-year-old abortion ban.

Barnes said he was excited to be out here just because of the urgency of the moment.

With the threat of Roe being overturned we need to galvanize, we need to organize communities to make sure that we do everything we possibly can do to turn out voters, especially in Wisconsin, because this could determine the balance of the Senate, Barnes said. Get rid of the filibuster, codify Roe v. Wade into law and protect the fight to choose once and for all.

Barnes, who is one of the candidates running to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, said he was inspired by those who turned out Friday.

Young people have been putting in so much work, whether its gun violence, climate change and now also the right to choose. They got it figured out and its important for us to be here to support their efforts, Barnes said.

Godlewski, who is also running to unseat Johnson, said for too long we have been ignored as far as our right to choose.

We are not going backwards. Are you with me Kenosha? Godlewski said. Sending women back to 1849, which is the law on the books that will be reinstated if anything happens to Roe, is a big deal. A ban on abortion is a big deal.

Roe, who is running against Republican Rep. Bryan Steil, said she was saddened by the reason that were together but certainly inspired by the strength and endurance of the demonstrators.

I am 55. Roe v. Wade has been around for much of my life and as a mother of a 23-year-old, I never thought that her reproductive rights were going to be in danger, she said.

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, Roe said it would be robbing women of their futures.

Members of the Kenosha County Democratic Party helped register attendees to vote and expressed support for the demonstration.

Students speak out

Im very proud of her, said party treasurer and Ruby Beckers mother Amanda Becker. Im proud that shes aware and understands that in order for things to change you have to kind of be that catalyst. You cant just sit and hope for change. You have to make it happen.

Izzy Buell, a 16-year-old student who attends Westosha Central High School, said its extremely frustrating because there are people older than us who are setting bad examples for young people who arent able to vote.

The next presidential election, I will be able to vote, Buell said. I will always remember this issue because its a big issue. ... We have been fighting for this for so long. Whether it be womens rights, any rights. Weve been fighting and we need to be heard.

Buells friend and fellow Central High student Lilly Wisnelski, 17, expressed similar sentiments.

Honestly, there is so much stuff that concerns me about (abortion restrictions). I cant even begin to explain how it effects everyone around us, Wisnelski said. Theres always someone trying to come after someone whos not doing anything wrong.

Fridays demonstration came just weeks after hundreds of high school students across Kenosha and Racine counties held walk outs in support of abortion.

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A year and three months after it was announced, some eastern Racine County municipalities have decided how to spend their allotment of American Rescue Plan Act funding. Others still arent sure.

The American Rescue Plan Act was the $1.9 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress, at the urging of the Biden administration, in March 2021.

How are Racine County governments spending American Rescue Plan Act funds? One-third of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan is going to communities to spend as they see fit. How are Racine County's municipalities spending the nearly $100 million they cumulatively received?

The municipalities that have already decided on ways to spend the money have come up with a variety of different purchases: a water tower in Caledonia, a village park, a sanitary sewer project, a camera security system and a portable camera trailer, to name a few.

The clock is ticking, but no alarms will be going off any time soon. Communities have until the end of 2024 to spend their ARPA allotments.

How much? Heres estimates of how much each of Racine Countys local governments are receiving in American Rescue Plan Act funds: City of Racine: $46,978,588

$46,978,588 Racine County: $38,073,310

$38,073,310 Mount Pleasant: $2,834,633.80

$2,834,633.80 Caledonia: $2,645,707.06

$2,645,707.06 Burlington (city): $1,149,260.73

(city): $1,149,260.73 Norway: $853,676.73

$853,676.73 Sturtevant: $696,255.23

$696,255.23 Burlington (town): $686,939.72

$686,939.72 Waterford (town): $681,496.96

$681,496.96 Waterford (village): $582,166.50

$582,166.50 Union Grove: $534,960.98

$534,960.98 Dover: $447,981.41

$447,981.41 Raymond: $414,801.48

$414,801.48 Rochester: $404,753.30

$404,753.30 Yorkville: $327,612.58

$327,612.58 Wind Point: $177,413.20

$177,413.20 Elmwood Park: $51,601.60

$51,601.60 North Bay: $24,492.44

Caledonia

Caledonia is putting all of its $2.645 million toward a new water tower on a portion of the DeBack Farms Business Park property.

At its meeting Dec. 20, the Village Board authorized its Tax Increment District No. 4 water improvements project to be partially funded with ARPA grant dollars.

The Village of Caledonia previously identified the need to construct an elevated storage tank/water tower in the TID No. 4 area along Adams Road. The municipality in May 2021 secured a site for the water tower along Adams Road where it will benefit the TID no. 4 area.

Village staff is in the process of designing the project, reported Village Administrator Kathy Kasper in an email this week.

One of the authorized uses for APRA funding per the federal guidance is water infrastructure. The estimated total cost of the project is $3.75 million.

The water tower is to provide and maintain adequate water supply and water pressure for fire suppression systems of the water utility users in the vicinity.

Elmwood Park

Village Administrator, Clerk and Treasurer Christophe Jenkins said Elmwood Parks approximate $51,600 ARPA funds are serving two functions:

Making up for lost Taylor Complex rental revenues from the COVID-19 pandemic, and

Going toward creating a new village park, which has yet to be named.

The funds have not been officially assigned yet, but ARPA funds have been in talks within the village since January.

During the pandemic, leasees couldnt make appointments for hall and gym rentals, Jenkins said. Its nice to see that now we can reimburse ourselves from those lost revenues.

Mount Pleasant

The Village of Mount Pleasant initially discussed its approximate $2.83 million ARPA funds in March 2021 at its Committee of the Whole meeting and then took action in the 2022 budget.

The village will be using the funds to jumpstart a joint project with the City of Racine Wastewater Utility to alleviate basement backups.

The total project costs are $17 million for both municipalities. The Village of Mount Pleasants portion of the total is $13 million.

Mount Pleasant will be using the $2.83 million in ARPA funds for this project. The remaining amount is expected to be funded by a Clean Water Fund Loan, said Village Administrator Maureen Murphy in an email.

North Bay

The village utilized the entire allotment of almost $24,500 to repair a 6-inch Cast Iron Relay Sanitary Sewer with 6-inch PVC, and to remove and replace a 2-inch copper water main.

The project began on Nov. 29, 2021 and was completed on Dec. 2, 2021. The total project cost was $24,950.

North Bay received the initial ARPA fund chunk of $12,246 in June 2021. The second chunk of $12,246 is scheduled in the next week or two, reported North Bay Treasurer Robert OBrien.

Racine

By the end of 2021, the City of Racine had allocated nearly all of its $46.2 million, which was spent on things like scholarships for adult residents, improving the citys housing stock and new Racine Fire Department pumpers.

Only about $800,000 remains.

Sturtevant

The village has already expended some of its nearly $696,300 on a new camera security system for its train depot and a new portable camera trailer for its Police Department.

Future expenditures are yet to be determined.

The item ARPA Funds has been placed on recent Sturtevant Village Board agendas as placeholders, said Village Administrator and Treasurer Amanda Gain.

Sturtevant has decided to wait until all funds are fully distributed to ensure the full amount anticipated will be received, Gain said in an email.

The villages finance committee is expected to meet to prioritize additional projects and usages.

Wind Point

Wind Point is receiving approximately $177,400, but its Village Board has yet to determine how to spend it. No formal discussions have taken place and no ideas have been presented yet.

Village Administrator and Clerk-Treasurer Brian Graziano said ARPA spending options will be discussed during budget hearings later this summer.

Were still seeing what our options are, Graziano said. Were seeing where it might be needed, where we could use it.

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Twelve regional teams will be tasked with supporting school students and faculty after shootings and other incidents under a state Department of Justice program coming to fruition this fall.

The Critical Incident Response Teams, which are now undergoing training, will aim to minimize the psychological impact of a school-related critical incident, identify people requiring long-term mental health support and provide help to school employees, according to a DOJ statement.

The program is launching as 96 gun incidents at schools nationwide resulted in 40 deaths and 78 injuries so far in 2022, according to the gun control advocacy organization Everytown for Gun Safety.

We must take a comprehensive approach to school safety, Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement. By creating regional Critical Incident Response Teams for schools across Wisconsin, our Office of School Safety and the partners participating in this program will ensure that resources and support are available if a critical incident takes place at any Wisconsin school.

Wisconsin is the first state to implement the regional teams on a statewide basis, according to the statement. However, the exact way the teams will be implemented remains to be seen.

A spokeswoman for Racine Unified School District said in an email after the CIRT initiative was announced, At this time our district is awaiting guidance from the Wisconsin Office of School Safety. They are the ones forming the teams, which we are told will be made up of volunteers and not district staff. The office told us wed be given information once the teams are set up and protocols are in place.

Critical incidents include threats or acts of violence, natural disasters, serious injuries to students or staff, suicide, weather-related disasters, community turmoil, intruders, an Amber Alert, and hate crimes, the statement says.

The teams, which are undergoing training through DOJs Office of School Safety, will include law enforcement, school administrators, counselors, psychologists, social workers, nurses, teachers, school safety experts and others. The Office of School Safety circulated the idea of creating the 12 teams at least as far back as 2020.

The initiative comes as a bipartisan group in the U.S. Senate appears poised to forge gun control legislation that could include an enhanced review process for people under 21 trying to buy guns. It could also include funding to bolster so-called red flag laws to remove guns from people deemed dangerous.

In 2019, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers called his first special session encouraging legislators to pass a red flag law and universal background checks, but Republican leaders called the bills an infringement on Second Amendment rights and ended the special session just seconds after it began.

Asked whether Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, of Oshkosh, would support the federal bipartisan gun safety legislation, spokesperson Alexa Henning said Sunday, There is no bill text yet, the senator will review that once it exists.

I stand on the side of taking action and this is a positive step forward that can help protect people from gun violence, help reduce mass shootings, and help save lives, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, of Madison, said in a statement.

Ryan Patterson of The Journal Times contributed to this report.

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By Trend

Azerbaijan, always guided by the principles of humanism, returned to the Armenian side the remains of 1713 Armenian servicemen found in the lands liberated from occupation after the historic victory in the 44-day war, said the head of the State Security Service, chairman of the State Commission for the Affairs of Captives, Missing Persons and Hostages of Azerbaijan Ali Nagiyev, Trend reports.

He noted that 159 Armenian prisoners were also returned.
1. Yes. Roe was bad law and never should have been enacted. Last weeks ruling was just.

2. Yes. The court ruling correctly leaves the question of reproductive rights to the states.

3. No. Roe v. Wade was established law. The ruling will cause a womens health crisis.

4. No. The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was more about politics than the law.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say whether it was the right ruling; it depends on your perspective.

Vote

View Results
KEARNEY  Moving from rural Nebraska to Portland, Oregon, The Talbott Brothers kept their status as outsiders.

We carried our roots from small-town Nebraska with us, Nick Talbott said in an interview at the Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival. Were simple. We like to put people first and care about relationships. Thats how we were raised. Our parents are like that.

The brothers grew up in Imperial in southwest Nebraska, as Nick noted, blowing up things on the Fourth of July, just like everybody else.

Before they could even drive, the brothers, Nick and Tyler, started a career in music playing Americana-style songs at just about anyplace that would host them.

More than a decade later, the brothers make a living performing their music. They recorded their third studio album, Letters, during the pandemic.

The new record has a full band sound, Nick said. Its saturated with different sounds. We explored a lot of sound when we made the record. We parked an Airstream at the studio and worked every morning, looking at all the gear we had. We sat down and played with everything to create the different sounds. Letters is different than our last record in that we kind of let ourselves go where ever. We didnt really have a plan with it.

At the time, Nick and Tyler had no idea when they would return to performing shows.

Our goals was to make every song be its own thing and worry about the collected pieces as an album later, Nick said. Each song can live in its own space.

The Talbott Brothers wrote at least 40 songs for Letters and narrowed it down to a collection of a dozen pieces. The album is currently available at online retailers, at shows for the band and at TheTalbottBrothers.com.

After recording the songs on Letters, The Talbott Brothers had to figure out how to re-create the sounds in a live setting.

We had to replicate a lot of the sounds, Nick said. That meant bringing in other musicians to play it live. In the studio, Tyler and I do a lot of the playing of the instruments ourselves. Obviously on stage we cant play five guitars at once. Playing it live, the music an be replicated  but every show has its thing that happens. And thats why we love touring so much; that one moment will never happen again even though the songs will.

Both Nick and Tyler understand that composing a song ends when you dont have anything else to say. Many times the music lives on in a different way when they play it live.

The status as outsiders serves The Talbott Brothers well.

The music industry has a lot of stereotypical stuff: Sex, drugs and rock n roll and the whole thing, Nick said. You can get caught up in that for sure, but we wanted to maintain our roots with us. You can even hear it in the music as it evolves. The place where we live affects our writing. We were really inspired when we got to Portland.

Even in Nebraska, Nick and Tyler always felt a certain discomfort.

Honestly, being here in Nebraska  and I mean humbly with respect and love  weve always felt like outsiders, Nick said. In our hometown of Imperial, nobody was doing what we were doing with music. It felt hard for us to try and navigate that because we werent born in Nashville or a music community. Were just two boys from a little town where we blew stuff up on the Fourth of July. We had pretty normal childhoods, but we do this abnormal thing for a living.

Returning to Nebraska for a show in McCook, The Talbott Brothers felt at home but with a touch of tension.

Its like how do we fit in? Nick said. Moving to Portland, were outsiders there but that helped with our music because we were from somewhere else and we could tell stories about the world where we grew up. I think there are benefits.

Tyler and Nick define success simply: Doing what you love with who you love.

If youre able to pay your bills and youre doing the things that make you come alive each day and youre making a different in peoples lives, thats success to us, Nick said. Theres always the goal of selling out a show at Red Rocks and having those moments, but thats all a product of loving what youre doing and getting people around you who are your community. Thats how I define it. Maybe Tyler would say it differently.

The Talbott Brothers put out Letters as an independent production. With the easing of the pandemic restrictions, the brothers have played about 40 shows this year. Their next appearance in the area is at the Flatwater Music Festival in Hastings.
Meet Dan Lauderdale, fourth-generation dairy farmer at Lauderdale Farms in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. For a couple of years, Lauderdale and his dad were looking for an activity monitoring system to help maximize operations and save costs on their 550-acre family farm that milks about 130 Holsteins.

My dad and I had wanted to get a system to monitor heats and overall cow health. He found out about smaXtec and it was really exciting technology and we thought, let's give this one a try, Lauderdale said.

The advanced smaXtec health system, with its unique bolus technology, helps dairy farmers improve the way they farm. Robust data, precisely measured within the cow, provides the earliest possible detection of diseases. For example, Mastitis can be detected up to 4 days before clinical signs occur.

The rumen bolus is inserted easily through the cows mouth into the reticulum (the second compartment of the stomach) using the provided handheld device, known for applying medicine. There it rests (injury and loss proof) simply through its own weight, for the cows lifetime and sends the most precise temperature, rumination and activity data directly to a smartphone. After health alerts are sent, smaXtec will also support with disease interpretation and recommendations.

Its on your cell phone. It's easy to read, easy to track, Lauderdale said. Now that we have it, I can't really imagine going without it. It's just a constant source of information that I didn't have before.

Accurate data at your fingertips

With insights that are measured from inside the cow, smaXtec provides precise data on inner body temperature and fertility, rumination and calving detection so farmers can proactively manage their herds. The health system monitors herds 24/7 and sends the data as notifications to a connected phone. For instance, get reliable early calving detection on average 15 hours before calving so farmers can get a head start to take any necessary measures.

The smaXtec system helps farmers improve cow health

Farmers worldwide trust their herds to smaXtec, which includes support from agricultural experts. Because the system can detect diseases before clinical symptoms occur, farmers can intervene to help reduce the risk of disease spreading, which in turn helps keep the herd healthy and reduces costs. Customers using the smaXtec system have reported a reduced usage of antibiotics by up to 70%, saving on veterinarian bills.

Installation and support

Installation is done in three steps and all the equipment is sent in the mail, or you can opt to have a smaXtec professional do the installation for you on-site.

The base station plugs into a power socket, uses an antenna and connects to the internet through a built-in SIM card, so there is no need for Wi-Fi access on the dairy farm for the system to work. If the installation seems confusing, a customer support specialist can guide customers along with any install questions and best practices. Watch this installation video to see how simple the setup is.

Farmers automatically benefit from the TruD technology, which is smaXtec's cloud and AI solution. It is constantly fed with knowledge regarding health data and connected studies from vets and agricultural experts that again ensure a constant increase in knowledge and improvement of the system itself  without any additional cost.

I would definitely recommend it to anybody that's looking at putting in an activity and rumination system like this, said Lauderdale. My big goal is to eventually carry on the farm and have one of my boys or all my boys carry on to be the fifth generation. If the smaXtec system keeps our cows healthier and happier and more productive, that's only going to help our future plans.

For more information about smaXtec, visit smaxtec.com.

This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com.

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By Trend

On June 17, elections to the UN Human Rights Committee for 2023-2026 were held in New York as part of the 39th meeting of the states that acceded to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Candidates from 17 countries applied for nine vacancies in the Committee, including Farid Ahmedov, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In the voting, which was attended by 173 countries, the candidate from Azerbaijan was elected as a member of the Committee, gaining 94 votes.

The UN Human Rights Committee, established in 1993, monitors the implementation by states of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and is one of the main international mechanisms for the protection of human rights at the global level.

For the first time, a representative of Azerbaijan was elected to the Committee of 18 people.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan expresses its gratitude to all states that supported the election of the representative of Azerbaijan to this authoritative body.
As students head toward the end of their secondary education, it can be difficult to decide what comes next. Some may choose to attend a traditional four-year college, while others prefer to promptly enter the workforce. To help students find out what is right for them, Southeast Community College offers high school students the opportunity to enroll in the Southeast Nebraska Career Academy Partnership, also known as SENCAP.

Low-cost college and career prep

SENCAP allows high school juniors and seniors to explore a career field of their interest through college-level coursework and hands-on experiences. Students can earn college credits and credentials while also getting a chance to build bridges with future employers through job shadowing, field trips and presentations by professional speakers. Putting together a resume, writing cover letters and practicing interview skills are also part of the program.

Currently, all public schools in SCCs 15-county service area, as well as many parochial schools, participate in SENCAP. To support SENCAP students while they prepare for their future career or postsecondary education, the college waives half of the tuition and fees. The other half is either covered by the student or their K-12 school district, where funding is available. With the cost of college tuition on the rise everywhere, this can make a huge difference financially for students and their families.

SENCAP students can choose a pathway from a variety of industries such as agriculture, automotive technology, business, health sciences, manufacturing in energy and welding and many others. These pathways can count toward one to two semesters of a students college curriculum. This gives students the freedom to either graduate early, prepare to enter the workforce, or even take lighter course loads each semester, leaving time for extracurricular activities or work opportunities.

New pathways coming fall 2022

One of the new and expanded pathways coming in the fall semester of the 2022 Fall Semester is Academic Transfer.

We recommend it for all of our students who dont intend to continue on at SCC. If they decide to go to a four-year school, they can take eight classes and it would shave off 20% of their bachelors degree, says Dr. Brian Stark, senior administrative director at SENCAP. They are all general education courses, and they transfer to any school in the state of Nebraska. This allows them to jump into some of the courses for their chosen discipline right away at the college level.

Another exciting new pathway coming this fall is practical nursing.

Practical nursing is a big part of our smaller communities that we service, says Stark. The core classes for LPN would shave off one semester so a student would only need one more year at SCC to graduate.

For those students who plan to begin their career when they graduate high school, SENCAP offers courses that earn credentials and certificates to give them a leg up when job hunting.

We recently realigned some of our pathways so we are now offering eight college credentials for high school students. For example, with the business pathway they can get a general business certificate, says Stark. Our goal is to help support students so if they decide they dont want to continue on to college they have some credentials when they graduate high school. If they do decide to go on, these credentials are stackable with our associate degrees.

Future leaders start here

SENCAP looks to the Perkins V Needs Assessment for each of the counties in its service area to ensure they are offering pathways that will equate to high-wage, high-demand jobs for students upon graduation.

We are doing CDL certificates, which might scare some folks that a high school senior  the course is for seniors only  might be behind a big rig, but it is actually the number one most in-demand job in Lancaster County as well as our 15-county region, says Stark.

The goal of SENCAP is to create an educated workforce that is ready to start long-term careers sooner. By helping high school students prepare for college and improve their career prospects, Southeast Community College is building a brighter tomorrow.

Its a wonderful opportunity to support our local communities and our future leaders, says Stark.

For more information, visit southeast.edu/sencap.

This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com.

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OSHKOSH -- At the conclusion of the second and final round of Miss Wisconsin pageant preliminary competitions held Thursday, the current Miss South Central, Jordenne Demiree Butler, 23, of Onalaska was awarded the On-Stage Question and Social Impact preliminary honors.

Butler, a 2017 Onalaska High School alumna who graduated from Viterbo University in December 2020, ably spoke about "Building Resilience for Healthy Futures,", an initiative that promotes and advocates for children who are going through adverse experiences.

On Wednesday, during the talent preliminaries, Butler performed a jazz dance to "I Am What I Am" from the famed 1983 musical "La Cage Aux Folles."

She placed first runner-up at Miss Wisconsin when competing as Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest and holds the Miss South Central title she won Jan. 8 in Beloit.

The semi-finalists will be announced at the start of the 2022 Miss Wisconsin coronation finale show, 4 p.m. Saturday. The winner will succeed Jennifer Marie Schmidt, 26, of Mount Pleasant, and advance to the 2022 Miss America competition in December.

While there is no celebration per se, this year marks the 50th year anniversary of Terry Anne Meeuwsen of De Pere being chosen as Miss Wisconsin 1972, and later becoming Miss America of 1973 on September 9, 1972 in Atlantic City, NJ. She is currently a co-host of the 700 Club on The Christian Broadcasting Network and lives in Virginia.

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Wisconsin has the nations largest disparity in smoking rates between Black and white individuals, but a culturally based treatment program offers promise for closing the gap.

A new editorial published by JAMA, with corresponding author Timothy Baker of the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI), UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, looked at a combination smoking cessation plan for Black tobacco users.

Overall smoking rates have declined from 20.9% in 2005 to 12.5% in 2020, per the CDC. However, 18.3% of Black individuals are smokers, according to the UCSF Smoking Cessation Leadership Center. And in Wisconsin, the rate for Black people is even higher at 30%, versus 12% for white people, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System says. Black individuals are also 11 times more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes, the manufacture and sale of which the FDA is looking at banning.

The UCSF Smoking Cessation Leadership Center states Black individuals have a harder time quitting smoking, with 59.1% trying to do so every year and only 3.3% succeeding, half the success rate of white individuals. The study cited in the JAMA editorial found the pairing of culturally appropriate counseling, paired with the smoking cessation medication varenicline  commonly known by the brand name Chantix  more than doubled success in quitting for the study group of 500 Black individuals. Using the program, 15.7% were still abstaining from smoking six months later, versus 6.5% for those using a placebo and undergoing counseling.

Whats especially exciting is that these treatments arent rare, said Dr. Michael Fiore, co-author and director of (UW-CTRI). Theyre widely available. Theyre covered by Medicaid and many insurance plans.

Noted co-author Dr. Tim Baker, associate director of UW-CTRI, This shows the potential value and the absolute importance that clinicians attempt to intervene with all of their patients who smoke.

Per the UCSF Smoking Cessation Leadership Center, Black individuals are lighter smokers, and co-author Dr. Jessica Burris of University of Kentucky, points to research that shows clinicians are less likely to suggest or offer treatment medications for those who smoke less.

This may play a role in why Black patients tend to have low use of medications we know can help them quit smoking, Burris said. This is an incredible opportunity for clinicians to step up and help all patients quit. For African Americans in particular, prescribing varenicline and providing counseling that is sensitive to the unique experiences, strengths and stressors of the Black community is an effective approach.

Medical centers can further assist smokers in quitting by identifying smokers using electronic health records and talking to them about treatment options.

For more information on quitting smoking, visit https://www.cdc.gov/quit.

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US opens COVID vaccine to little kids, shots begin next week

NEW YORK (AP)  U.S. health officials have opened COVID-19 vaccines for infants, toddlers and preschoolers  the last group without the shots. The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the decision Saturday, hours after an advisory panel voted unanimously that coronavirus vaccines should made available to children as young as 6 months. The Biden administration has been gearing up for the start of the shots early next week. Millions of doses have been ordered for distribution to doctors, hospitals and community health clinics around the country.

Biden's optimism collides with mounting political challenges

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Bidens top political advisers are bracing for big election losses in November. They know the party holding the White House nearly always losses congressional seats in the first midterm election of a new presidency. They also understand that gas prices racing past $5 per gallon on average, inflation exceeding its highest rates in four decades and crime rising in some areas could intensify historic headwinds. So could Bidens low approval ratings. Some Democrats nonetheless worry the White House hasnt fully grasped just how bad things may get and so far has been slow to prepare for that possibility.

Bitcoin drops below $20,000 as crypto selloff quickens

NEW YORK (AP)  Bitcoin has fallen below $20,000 for the first time since late 2020, in a fresh sign that the selloff in cryptocurrencies is deepening. Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency, dropped under the psychologically important threshold on Saturday. It plunged as much as 9.7% to less than $18,600 by late afternoon East Coast time, according to cryptocurrency news site CoinDesk. The last time bitcoin was at this level was in November 2020. Bitcoin has now lost more than 70% of its value from a peak of nearly $69,000. The cryptocurrency industry has seen turmoil amid wider turbulence in financial markets.

In Ukraine, funeral for activist killed and mourned in war

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Hundreds of mourners have gathered in Ukraine's capital for a well-known Kyiv activist who took up arms against Russia's invasion and was killed. The 24-year-old Roman Ratushnyi had been a teenage protester during months of demonstrations that toppled Ukraines pro-Russian leader in 2014. He was also known as an environmental campaigner in Kyiv who led a fight to preserve a wooded park from development. Poppies, the blood-red flowers that cover the battlefields of Europes two world wars, were lain in mourning on his coffin at a memorial service. Mourners then walked in a silent column behind his coffin to a vast plaza in central Kyiv where three months of protests overthrew then-President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

Brazil: police arrest 3rd suspect in Amazon shooting deaths

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP)  Brazils federal police say a third suspect in the deaths of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira has been arrested. The pair, whose remains were found after they went missing almost two weeks ago, were shot to death, according to an autopsy. Police said Saturday that Phillips was shot in the chest and Pereira was shot in the head and the abdomen. They say the autopsy indicated the use of a firearm with typical hunting ammunition. A police statement says the third suspect, Jefferson da Silva Lima, turned himself at the police station in Atalaia do Norte in the Amazon.

Buttigieg: US may act against airlines on consumers' behalf

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he's pushing airlines to hire more customer-service agents and take other steps to help travelers this summer. Buttigieg tells The Associated Press his department could take enforcement action against airlines that fail to meet consumer-protection standards, although he thinks that won't be necessary. Buttigieg says he wants to see how the airlines do over the July Fourth holiday weekend and the rest of the summer. He held a virtual meeting on Thursday with airline executives where they described steps their companies are taking to avoid a repeat of the Memorial Day weekend, when about 2,800 flights were canceled.

Jan. 6 witnesses push Trump stalwarts back to rabbit hole

Instead of convincing Donald Trump's most loyal supporters of his misdeeds, the revelations from the hearings into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol are prompting many of them to reassert their views that he was correct in falsely asserting a claim to victory. They're concocting new stories to explain why the former president's own daughter Ivanka told Congress she didn't accept his claims about a rigged election. They're also creating new conspiracy theories to explain testimony from Trump's former Attorney General Bill Barr, who told investigators that Trump's claims were bogus and that the former president wasn't interested in the facts.

Herschel Walker says he 'never denied' having 4 children

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker says he never denied the existence of children he hadn't publicly disclosed before and he's telling conservative Christians that his kids "knew the truth. Walkers comments came after The Daily Beast reported that Walker has four children, including two sons and a daughter, whom he had never discussed publicly. Walker has repeatedly criticized absentee fathers and called on Black men to play an active role in their children's lives. His spoke in front of a friendly audience at the Faith and Freedom Coalitions annual Road to Majority conference.

Yellowstone flooding rebuild could take years, cost billions

Yellowstone National Park is celebrating its 150th anniversary as it faces its biggest challenge in decades. Floodwaters that tore through the park this week destroyed potentially hundreds of bridges, washed out miles of roads and drove out more than 10,000 visitors. The scope of the damage is still being tallied by Yellowstone officials, but based on other national park disasters, it could take years and cost upwards of $1 billion to rebuild in an environmentally sensitive landscape. Park officials hope to reopen the southern half of the park next week but the northern half likely won't reopen this year.

Avalanche rout Lightning 7-0 to take 2-0 lead in Cup Final

DENVER (AP)  The Colorado Avalanche overwhelmed the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-0 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Valeri Nichushkin scored his seventh and eighth goals of the playoffs. Playoff MVP front-runner Cale Makar scored twice in the third period after failing to get a shot on net in the series opener. Game 1 overtime hero Andre Burakovsky scored again and set up Nichushkin's goal before leaving with injury. The Lightning fell to 18-2 after a loss in the playoffs since the start of the first round in 2020.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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The attorney at the center of former President Donald Trumps scheme to overturn the 2020 election discussed bringing a Wisconsin lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court as part of the plan, recently disclosed emails show.

Regarding the likelihood of the U.S. Supreme Court hearing 2020 election challenges, attorney John Eastman reportedly told Wisconsin-affiliated attorney Kenneth Chesebro on Dec. 24, 2020, the odds are not based on the legal merits but an assessment of the justices spines, and I understand that there is a heated fight underway, according to emails shared with The New York Times.

For those willing to do their duty, we should help them by giving them a Wisconsin cert petition to add into the mix, Eastman added, referencing making a request for the nations highest court to hear a Wisconsin case as the two sought to pave Trumps way to serving a second term.

Chesebro  a pro-Trump lawyer whos a defendant in a lawsuit for advising Republicans who posed in several states including Wisconsin as fake Trump electors  reportedly responded saying the odds of action before Jan. 6 will become more favorable if the justices start to fear that there will be wild chaos on Jan. 6 unless they rule by then, either way.

Chesebro did not respond to a request for comment.

Five days after Eastmans email, Chesebro and two other Wisconsin attorneys asked the nations highest court to allow the states Republican-controlled Legislature to decide the election because, they argued, Wisconsin officials wrongfully counted at least 50,125 absentee ballots in heavily Democrat areas ... more than enough to have affected the outcome of the presidential election in Wisconsin.

That was after the Wisconsin Supreme Court turned down their election challenge, Trump v. Biden, just over a week before Eastmans email was sent.

But that last-ditch request Chesebro made along with Trump attorneys James Troupis and R. George Burnett failed when the U.S. Supreme Court denied the request on Feb. 22, 2021. That was over a month after then-Vice President Mike Pence certified the results of the 2020 election despite pressure from Trump to do otherwise.

On Dec. 30, 2020, six days after Eastmans first email, Trump lawyers based in Indiana asked for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a separate case, Trump v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, also alleging the counting of tens of thousands of invalid absentee ballots in Wisconsin. That petition was denied March 8, 2021.

They knew from the beginning that this was all about state law, and it was all about state courts, and they only start talking about the U.S. Supreme Court after its clear that they lost in the state courts, said Jeffrey Mandell, an attorney with the liberal law firm Law Forward, about the viability of the U.S. Supreme Court petitions.

This really was not a good-faith belief that they have strong legal claims, but that this was about creating confusion about trying to subvert the outcome of an election, because this was really political, Mandell said.

But by the time Trump attorneys were hoping for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their cases, Mandell said, the Trump team was at the, lets throw anything we can at the wall and see if anything sticks kind of phase. And so, while my guess is that their primary thinking was about the Trump v. Biden case, Im sure that they were more than happy to use the other case as well.

Eastman asked then-Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani to be put on the pardon list after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, a member of the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the efforts to overturn the election revealed Thursday. Chesebro is now a defendant in a Wisconsin lawsuit for advising 10 people who signed paperwork attempting to hand Wisconsins Electoral College votes to Trump.

Ryan called for orderly transition

In addition, testimony provided by Marc Short, who served as Pences chief of staff, unveiled on Thursday by the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, reveals former House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Janesville Republican, told Short and Pence that Pence did not have the authority to block Joe Bidens certification.

Speaking in a closed-door meeting with the committee, Short said he received a call from Ryan notifying him that Pence did not have the power to halt Bidens certification.

Speaker Ryan wanted to call and say you know, you dont have any greater authority and I said to him, Mr. Speaker, you know, Mike  you know he recognizes that, Short said in a closed-door testimony that aired Thursday. And we sort of laughed about it and he said, I get it. And he later spoke to the vice president to, I think, have the same conversation, Short said.

Wisconsin lawsuit

A handful of Democrats, including two official presidential electors, filed a lawsuit last month against the 10 Republicans who signed paperwork attempting to hand Wisconsins Electoral College votes to Trump, alleging that, by doing so, the individuals played a role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

The lawsuit, filed by attorneys with liberal law firm Law Forward in Dane County Circuit Court, alleges that the 10 Republicans and the two attorneys who advised them broke several criminal and civil laws when they met at the state Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign official-looking documents asserting that Trump won the state.

The lawsuit seeks more than $2.4 million in damages, including $2,000 fines for the Republicans and their attorneys, and up to $200,000 in punitive damages for each plaintiff. Plaintiffs in the case include lawfully elected Wisconsin electors Khary Penebaker and Mary Arnold, as well as Bonnie Joseph, who is listed in court documents as someone who objects to Defendants unlawful interference in Wisconsins participation in the Electoral College.

The lawsuit follows a March decision by the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission to unanimously deny a complaint filed by Mandell that sought sanctions against the 10 Republicans, including Republican commissioner Robert Spindell, who signed the official-looking documents. The lawsuit also lists Chesebro and Troupis, a former Republican-appointed Dane County judge.

The meeting of Republicans occurred following advice from attorneys with close ties to Trump. Documents have underscored efforts by those in Trumps inner circle to circumvent the Electoral College process in several states, including Wisconsin, following the 2020 election, despite recounts and court decisions affirming that Biden defeated Trump in the battleground state by almost 21,000 votes.

The Republicans have said the meeting was to preserve their legal options amid litigation surrounding the election. Chesebro sent a memo to Troupis on Nov. 18, 2020, detailing the Republicans eventual plan to pose as electors.

The meeting took place on the same day that the Democratic slate of Wisconsin electors convened in the Capitol to deliver the states 10 electoral votes to Biden. It also occurred after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Biden had won the election and a month after Wisconsin county clerks canvassed the presidential election results.

Other complaints

Law Forward also filed a complaint with the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office and another with the Office of Lawyer Regulation  the agency that handles complaints against lawyers in Wisconsin  against former state GOP chair Andrew Hitt, who also signed the paperwork. The U.S. Department of Justice is also looking into the matter.

Hitt and fellow signer and 8th Congressional District GOP chair Kelly Ruh were subpoenaed earlier this year by the U.S. House committee. The committee subpoenaed individuals in six other states where similar documents were signed.

The committee is examining whether Republicans were trying to present Pence with conflicting slates of electors so that he could have thrown the election to a House vote that would have handed the election to Trump, something Pence refused to do.

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Vandals painted graffiti at the site of a planned Monroe campaign event for a Republican candidate for Wisconsins 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday night, according to a statement from the candidate, Charity Barry.

The graffiti, sprayed on Vinces Pizzeria and a neighboring business, included phrases that expressed disapproval of Barry, the restaurant and the police, according to photos provided with the statement.

Authorities received a call about the graffiti Wednesday morning, according to a report from the Monroe Police Department.

The owner of Vinces, Fabio G. Grado, said he was shocked  he had accepted the reservation but had nothing to do with the gathering, according to the report. The pizzeria has security cameras on the outside, Grado reportedly told the police.

I strongly condemn the intimidation and vandalism that took place in Monroe, Barry said in her statement. Because of the cowardly acts of a few radical Democrats, the owners and workers of this small business must bear the cost and consequences of this selfish and craven attempt to bully a political rival.

Running in a primary to face U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth, Barry discusses indoctrination in schools, the Second Amendment and election integrity on her website, among other issues.

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At 10 pounds and seven ounces, six-month-old Anya Aguilar may be tiny, but she is mighty.

In mid-December, Anyas then-expectant mother, Maria Aguilar, started to feel severe back pain at 23 weeks, approaching 24 weeks, along in her pregnancy.

Maria, a resident of Arcadia, originally planned to head to La Crosse for an appointment to get the pain checked out, but realized she was unable to sit for that long due to the pain which was worsening greatly.

She wasnt able to make it to Whitehalls hospital, the nearest emergency room to Arcadia, either due to the pain.

Instead, Maria ended up heading to the Mayo clinic in Arcadia, which normally is not a place where women deliver their children.

But family medicine and prenatal care provider Dr. Jodi Breska and midwife Kaitlin Earley, along with a team of nurses, were there to help the expectant mother.

With some experience in emergency care, Breska and Earley shared that they didnt have the opportunity to feel fear while caring for Maria, because they were too busy working in the situation and figuring out what needed to be done to help with a safe as possible delivery.

Breska was able to connect with a high-risk obstetrician via telemedicine to help with Marias delivery.

A med flight helicopter with a neonatal care team was called to the clinic, where it landed in the parking lot.

Once the neonatal team was able to set up their supplies in the clinic, Maria was able to give birth to Anya. Breska and Earley had worked to delay the birth until this moment by trying to keep Maria as calm as possible in the stressful situation.

Through a translator, Maria explained that Anyas was a breech delivery, meaning her body was delivered first and her head last, a position that can pose risks to the baby. The tiny infant, weighing only 700 grams, or just over 1.5 pounds, was whisked away via the helicopter to the Rochester Mayo Clinic hospital. Maria followed in an ambulance.

Breska shared that it was the first time at the clinic in Arcadia that a non-full term baby was born there, with only a few babies having been born there in total since the current clinic opened in 2016.

Anya stayed in a newborn intensive care unit for a total of 4 months before she was able to head home to Arcadia to be with her mother, Maria, and father, Nelson.

Six months after her birth, Anya and her parents returned to the Mayo clinic in Arcadia on Tuesday to celebrate Anya and to connect once again with the team that helped back in December with the delivery.

Maria, via translator, said she and Nelson felt very excited, very emotional, happy about the return visit. Because at times I thought (Anya) wouldnt make it.

We are very grateful for the help of everybody, Maria said through the translator.

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By Vugar Khalilov

MP Efkan Ala, Deputy Chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in charge of foreign affairs, has said that Turkiye takes into account Azerbaijans stance on the normalization of ties with Armenia, Azernews reports.

Ala made the remarks at a joint press conference in the New Azerbaijan Partys central office on June 16, the report added.

He stated that Turkiye continues meetings as part of the process of normalizing relations with Armenia.

Meetings of special representatives were held. We expect the relationship to improve. I hope that the other side also focused on this. Results will be achieved that will benefit not only the two countries but all states of the region, he said.

Speaking of the Turkiye-Azerbaijani ties, Deputy Chairman Ala stated that the nations have extremely excellent connections and that everyone is encouraged to learn from this brotherhood.

The MP emphasized the significance of his travel to Azerbaijan on the first anniversary of the signing of the Shusha Declaration on the allied relations between the two nations.

The visitor expressed delight with his participation in the international conference dedicated to this historic occasion in Shusha, saying he was glad to see the historical Turkic city of Shusha liberated from the Armenian occupation.

Ala stressed that friendship and fraternity between Turkiye and Azerbaijan have grown and developed over the years. According to him, the Turkish-Azerbaijani ties have achieved a new level as a result of Turkiye's support and continued collaboration with Azerbaijan during the 44-day war that saw the liberation of Karabakh from occupation in 2020.

In this regard, Turkiye stands by Azerbaijan with all its might in the post-war period on the path of rehabilitation and reconstruction of the liberated Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly stated this position, he added.

So far, the two fraternal countries have carried out significant cooperative initiatives. Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, and other projects are vivid examples of this.

At the same time, we have boosted the two nations' trade turnover to $ 5 billion. However, our objective is to increase this sum to $ 15 billion or more. Concerning our parties' connections, we signed a cooperation pact last year, and extremely strong links have been developed between the YAP and the AK Party. These relations will be a driving force for the two countries to move forward as a single nation, the Turkish MP stressed.

In assessing the work done over the last year since the signing of the Shusha Declaration, Ala stated that the Declaration signaled the beginning of a new age of peace in the Caucasus. This document is useful not just to Azerbaijan and Turkiye, but to the entire region, he underlined.

The official stressed that the region witnessed the beginning of a new era following the end of the long-running occupation and Azerbaijan's victorious war to liberate Karabakh in line with international law. The building of peace in the Caucasus is a major objective of this period, and Turkiye and Azerbaijan are taking significant steps in that direction. At the same time, a good regional format for cooperation in all areas with Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and Iran, has been proposed, he added.




By Sabina Mammadli

Russia will facilitate the exchange of information and the transfer of data on violations committed in the area of the Karabakh conflict and be conducive to the restoration of peace in the region, Russias Prosecutor-General Igor Krasnov said.

The remarks were made during his meeting with Armenian Prosecutor-General Artur Davtyan on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The Russian prosecutor-general announced the readiness of the Russian military prosecutors stationed in Karabakh to provide all kinds of assistance.

We should emphasize that Azerbaijan has never heard or seen a similar gesture from Russia with regard to similar situations.

Krasnov noted that when it comes to restoring peace and security, protecting human rights and freedoms, and investigating crimes, there should not be a one-sided and tendentious approach.

"In a trilateral format, together with our colleagues from Azerbaijan, we have made a lot of efforts to restore peace in this region, to prevent an escalation of tension among the local population," Krasnov opined.




NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Breakaway Turkish Cypriots on ethnically-divided Cyprus must do their share in stemming migrant arrivals, a senior European Union official said Saturday, as the number of asylum-seekers has shot up significantly so far this year.

European Commission Vice President Margharitis Schinas said that Turkish Cypriot authorities should also be held accountable for curbing migrant arrivals.

We wont let the Turkish Cypriot community to consider itself neutral in what is going on, Schinas said after visiting upgraded facilities at the Pournara migrant reception camp outside the capital. They must also assume their share of responsibility and well find a way to remind them.

Cyprus was split along ethnic lines in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup aimed at union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence. Cypriot government authorities say the overwhelming majority of migrant arrivals occurs via Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot north through a loosely regulated student visa system.

Thousands then cross a porous U.N.-controlled buffer zone to seek asylum in the Greek Cypriot south where the internationally recognized government is seated. Although Turkish Cypriots receive EU funding, only the south enjoys full membership benefits.

Schinas said EU Commissioner Elisa Ferreira will hold contacts in Cyprus in July to explore ways of best handling the issue. He also said Turkey has demonstrated a willingness to help ease the number of migrants arriving in Cyprus.

The EU will also help Cypriot authorities bolster monitoring and surveillance of the buffer zone to deter crossings in a way that is compatible with EU law since the 180-kilometer-long (120-mile-long) area isn't a formal border, Schinas said.

Cyprus Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said the number of asylum-seekers doubled to 10,000 in the first five months of this year compared to the same period in 2021, repeating that they make up an EU high of 5% of Cyprus 915,000-strong population in the south.

He said that Cypriot authorities are working with the EU to facilitate the return of asylum-seekers whose claims have been rejected as well as more funding from the 27 member-nation bloc to the tune of 72 million euros to build a new migrant reception center.

Although overcrowding at the Pournara center has been greatly alleviated in recent months, a 27-year-old Nigerian, Miracle Chidiebera, said theres still plenty of anger among migrants over what he said is a chronic lack of water, poor food and congested facilities.

Follow APs coverage of migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP)  After just seven months in office, and now reduced to heading a minority government, Bulgarias liberal Prime Minister Kiril Petkov finds himself between a rock and a hard place over European Union enlargement amid the war in Ukraine.

Russias invasion spurred the EU to speed up its expansion drive in the Western Balkans, where Moscow still wields considerable influence. But EU and NATO member Bulgaria is blocking part of the process in the case of neighboring North Macedonia  one of the six EU hopefuls in the region  due to a dispute over history and cultural identity.

Prime Minister Petkov, 42, has pledged to seek a solution to the decade-long gridlock, which, indirectly, would also unsnarl Albanias accession bid. But Bulgaria says its neighbor has not made enough concessions, and chances of a breakthrough seem slim.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Friday urged the cabinet to disperse any suspicion that the country might take the deeply unpopular step of abandoning its veto on North Macedonias EU accession.

Speaking to reporters in Sofia, Radev called on Petkov to defend the national interest at next weeks European Council. He warned Petkov  whos already under fire over the economy and faces a no-confidence vote in parliament next week  that any chicanery or attempt to replace (the Bulgarian veto) will have severe consequences.

The 27-nation bloc has invited the heads of government of six Western Balkan countries, including North Macedonia, to the EU leaders meeting in Brussels on June 23.

In preparation, the six leaders gathered Friday at the lakeside resort of Ohrid, in North Macedonia, most arguing that the war in Ukraine had added greater urgency to their accession bids.

Once the war in Ukraine is over, Russia will return to its old ways, fighting democracies in the West with fake news and propaganda, and pressing us not to seek EU and NATO membership, North Macedonias President Stevo Pendarovski said.

We have been a candidate for (EU) membership for 17 years. This unfinished project has taken a toll on us.

Also seeking EU membership for his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the EU hopefuls to halt trade with Russia.

You should not give money to those who seek your destruction, Zelenskyy said, speaking by video link.

Back in Bulgaria, Prime Minister Petkov said his government had decided to submit all issues linked to the neighboring countrys EU membership to Parliament.

The North Macedonia topic is used as a decoy, Petkov said. his From here on now, no politician can say that the government is capable of taking unilateral actions. The decision is parliaments.

Sofia insists that if it is to soften its stance the EU must guarantee that North Macedonia implements three key Bulgarian demands: changes its constitution to recognize the existence of an ethnic Bulgarian minority, drops hate speech against Bulgaria and moves to settling disputes over the history of the two countries.

Bulgaria has seen a spike in pro-Russian and anti-Western propaganda, and analysts say a move by Petkov to lift the veto on North Macedonia could elevate pro-Moscow parties to power and change the countrys orientation. On the other hand, maintaining the veto could also strengthen Russias grip on the Balkans by keeping North Macedonia away from the EU.

Parvan Simeonov, from the Gallup International Balkan agency, said some 70% of Bulgarians oppose lifting the veto and warned that such a move would bring brutal Putinism in Bulgaria.

Last week, one of the four parties in Petkovs governing coalition walked out, citing disagreements over fiscal policy and North Macedonia. That left Petkov in charge of a minority government, which next week faces a vote of no-confidence in parliament over the economy, brought by the countrys main opposition party. ___ Testorides reported from Skopje, North Macedonia.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Authorities have said a pair of alleged attacks against Asian UW-Madison students on campus and Downtown do not appear to be racially motivated, despite a continuing outcry from Asian student groups who marched down State Street Friday afternoon to protest racist violence.

At least four people of various backgrounds have been attacked by the same group of men in the past two weeks, Madison and UW police have said. Most recently, the group attacked a man Tuesday night on the 400 block of West Gilman Street, with the assailants punching and kicking him while he was on the ground, Madison police spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said Friday.

Pictures circulating on social media of the student, who is Asian, show him with wounds on his face, chin and ears.

Earlier that night, the same group threw a banana at an Asian student on Library Mall, said UW-Madison Police spokesperson Marc Lovicott. Lovicott said the incident didnt appear to be racially motivated because the suspects didnt say anything to the victim explicitly racist.

Fryer said the attacks appear to be random and that detectives have no information that leads them to believe this attack is racially motivated at this time.

Fryer did not identify the race of the victim either, nor have authorities identified the races of the suspects.

Brian Li, a student organizer of Fridays demonstration, criticized authorities reluctance to say the victims were attacked because of their race.

I have a question: How many more Asians do you want to see bleeding before you say its a hate crime? Li said.

Another student who spoke Friday, Manola Inthavong, recounted a racist comment a white person said to her recently while she was working as a campus tour guide.

To be Asian American is to deal with the fact that you must laugh it off when an oppressor makes jokes about you, Inthavong told the crowd.

UW-Madison, hear us today, Inthavong continued. We are not your model minority and we will not stay silent.

Madison police released photos of the four suspects who are allegedly behind the attacks, though did not provide information about the other two attacks in the Downtown area. In the images, two of the men appear to be holding bananas. In a statement, UW-Madison said students were not victims in the separate attacks Downtown.

The victims involved in these attacks are from varying backgrounds and appear to be random in nature, Fryer said of the four incidents in an email Friday afternoon.

That being said, detectives are still reviewing all digital evidence and are still in talks with victims, she added.

Brad Postle, who chairs the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program for UW-Madisons neuroscience training, said an Asian female graduate student dropped out of school last year after being attacked and remains under medical supervision.

Under threat

Demonstrators at Friday afternoons protest displayed a photo of the graduate student in a hospital bed and another photo of Tuesday nights victim beaten and bleeding.

The broader thing is this community feels under threat, Postle said. Regardless of the facts about any one incident, that doesnt minimize the fact that theres a perceived sense of not being safe.

On Thursday, UW-Madison released a statement saying it was aware of recent acts of violence and aggression against students that took place near the campus.

Initial reports came from members of our Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American communities, the university said. We are aware that in recent years these communities have faced increased threats to their safety, well-being and sense of belonging.

Call to respond

An online petition has called on the university to respond publicly to Tuesday nights attack and to discipline the attackers if they are students. The petition also calls on UW-Madison Police to send WiscAlerts to students when such attacks occur.

Lovicott said university police did not send out alerts after the Downtown attacks because they did not happen on campus.

Police ask that anyone with information on the incidents 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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Five Democrats are vying for the Assembly seat of retiring Rep. Sondy Pope, D-Mount Horeb, in the Aug. 9 primary. The winner in the heavily Democratic district will face the winner of the Republican primary in the Nov. 8 election.

Mike Bare

Age: 39

Address: 543 Harvest Lane, Verona

Family: Married with two children

Job: Research and program coordinator, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute; co-owner, Biergarten at Olbrich Park

Prior elected office: Verona City Council 2013-2014; Dane County Board since 2020

Other public service: Aide to U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, 2004-10; Verona Plan Commission, 2018 to 2020; Verona Parks Commission chair, 2018 to 2020; Aging and Disability Resource Center board since 2020; Dane County Housing Authority board since 2020

Education: Bachelors and masters degrees in political science, American University

Email or website: www.votebare.com

Anna Halverson

Age: 35

Address: 202 Lake St., Mount Horeb

Family: Married with one daughter

Job: Program manager, Progressive Community Services

Prior elected office: None

Other public service: Moms Demand Action volunteer and organizer since 2017; Department of Workforce Development, Iowa County vocational rehabilitation assistant, 2014-15; AmeriCorps Volunteer including service with Schools of Hope, Special Olympics and Easter Seals Respite Camp, 2012-13

Education: Masters degree in rehabilitation psychology, UW-Madison; bachelors degree in theater performance with psychology minor, Ohio University

Chad Kemp

Age: 43

Address: 374 Mesa Road, Verona

Family: Partner with three children

Job: Attorney at Gingras, Thomsen & Wachs

Prior elected office: Verona City Council since 2018; currently serving as council president

Other public service: Verona Area Swim Team, board member since 2019; Little Johns Kitchens, board member since 2020

Education: UW-Madison, bachelors degree in political science and Afro-American studies; law degree, University of Wisconsin Law School

Email or website: www.chadkemp.net

Doug Steinberg

Age: 58

Address: 892 Hillcrest Lane, Oregon

Family: Divorced with two children and one grandchild

Job: Quality control tech, Franklin Electric

Prior elected office: None

Other public service: Sergeant, Department of Corrections at Columbia Correctional Institute, Mendota Mental Health Institute, Oregon Correctional Institute, and the Secure Unit at the UW Hospital, 1995-2000; probation/parole agent supervising sex offenders, 2000-13; medical program associate assistant, Oak Correctional Institute, 2014

Education: Associate degree in sales and marketing, Lakeshore Technical College; bachelors degree in business administration, Lakeland College; robotics program for one year, Madison Area Technical College

Email or website: On Facebook @YourDemocraticCandidateDougSteinberg

Dale Yurs

Age: 34

Address: 270 Harmon Circle, Belleville

Family: Married with two daughters

Job: Special-education teacher, Belleville High School

Prior elected office: Belleville Village Board president since 2021; Belleville Village trustee, 2019-21; Verona City Council, 2013-16

Other public service: Volunteer firefighter, 2014-20

Education: Bachelors degree in history with minor in political science and religion, Lakeland College; masters degree in U.S. constitutional history, University of Northern Iowa; Ed.D. in educational leadership, Edgewood College

Email or website: yursforassembly.com

Q&A

Note: The responses were edited for length and clarity.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

Bare: I am a public servant, small business owner, public policy advocate, and father. I am relentless about making progress on our challenges, and Im guided by Progressive values. These include empathy for others, fairness in processes, equity in outcomes, service to community, and devotion to community and family. I put these values to work in everything I do, whether it be representing my constituents on the Dane County Board, creating policies for my employees, or advocating for solutions to poverty.

Halverson: We need state representatives who will fight for our shared values including ending gun violence, protecting reproductive rights, and ensuring access to health care. I am the only candidate in the race with the combination of firsthand, lived experience as an organizer working to end gun violence, as a teacher, and as a mom who is deeply affected by the war on our rights being waged by extremists in Wisconsin and around the country.

Kemp: I will bring a unique combination of experiences. As president of the Verona City Council, I understand how to work with people you might disagree with in order to get something done. I grew up in this community and am raising my children here, so I have a real stake in ensuring that our community thrives. Finally, as an attorney, I bring a professional understanding of the law and how laws work when they are actually implemented and not just words written on paper.

Steinberg: I have learned what it is like to pay for rich people to get richer, pay for the poor who need the help, and then try to carve out a life for me and my family with what is left of my paycheck. I have seen the world from many perspectives; both good, bad, and everything in between. I will understand what a bogus bill or a law will feel like when it is passed. I will step in between such attempts to protect the people I care the most about: working men and women, and the (underprivileged).

Yurs: I am committed to working for a Wisconsin where, regardless of their ZIP code, all our kids get an excellent public education with equitable access to expanded opportunities, including school-to-career programs, college in the schools, and universal broadband. I am committed to working for a Wisconsin where health care is valued as a human right, and no one has to suffer simply for want of access to quality, affordable health care.

What unique expertise would you bring to the office?

Bare: I am the only candidate who has worked at every level of government. I have served in city and county government, been an anti-poverty advocate at the local, state, and federal level, and I worked for U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold. I have a broad understanding of our public policies, with expertise in economic security, health care, housing, disability and justice reform. I am also the only Democratic candidate who is a small business owner.

Halverson: I am the only candidate in this race and one of only two candidates in Wisconsin to earn the endorsement of Everytown for Gun Safety in recognition of my work with Moms Demand Action organizing and advocating to end gun violence. My work with people with disabilities and their families within the states long-term care program has given me a unique perspective on the challenges in providing community-based services. And, as a mom it is unthinkable to me that we will live in a world in which my daughter has fewer rights than I have had.

Kemp: I have the ability to work with others of different beliefs and backgrounds in order to build consensus and get things done. The fact that my colleagues on the council chose me to serve as president shows their faith in my ability to lead.

Steinberg: My background is in working with criminals, victims and the court system. I will see to it that criminals are held accountable but also given a fair shot if the circumstances rise to that level. I will do my best to make it so victims are made as whole as possible post their criminal experiences.

Yurs: As a teacher, dad and former volunteer firefighter, I bring the fierce compassion and sincere care for others that our system of government needs right now. As a municipal government official, I have learned how to work collaboratively with others to accomplish something for the wider community. I have had the opportunity to gather with my neighbors to imagine and then get busy building and maintaining a thriving local community, despite the occasional and inevitable difference of opinion.

What are examples of how you have worked or would work in a bipartisan way?

Bare: Justice reform and health reform are both issues I have bipartisan experience working on. We should also ensure that work is available, and that full-time workers do not end up in poverty or struggling to make ends meet. Economic security and opportunity must be a bipartisan priority. Finally, the scourge of gun violence requires a bipartisan response.

Halverson: The majority leadership in the Legislature is extreme. They are out of step with the majority of Wisconsinites who support Roe v. Wade, who support universal background checks, and who want fair maps and responsive government. I will always be ready to listen to Republican colleagues who want to work collaboratively.

Kemp: I worked cooperatively with my fellow city council members and city staff to maintain city services during the pandemic. Additionally, we issued grants to local businesses that were struggling during that same period of time.

Steinberg: I would be willing to work with them on election integrity if that is their true agenda. I would also work with Republicans on new gun laws. It appears they have finally come to terms with the need to make changes. I would make it my job to help them understand the need to go a little further, positioning the law to cover a larger number of situations protecting more innocent people.

Yurs: I think its possible to work together to end the epidemic of gun violence, to create opportunities for access to quality health care, especially mental health care, and to ensure that all of Wisconsins kids get equitable access to an excellent public education.
After a St. Louis company that provided rides for Wisconsin patients on Medicaid generated complaints, the state tried twice to shift to a different vendor.

The first time, the company, MTM, won an appeal and extended its contract. The second time, MTM failed to block the move, and the state in November began a new contract with San Diego-based Veyo.

Now, MTM is purchasing Veyo, bringing uncertainty to Wisconsins non-emergency medical transportation system, or NEMT. The program serves about 22,000 people, many of them with disabilities, and costs $124 million a year.

The Department of Health Services says Veyo will need to continue service improvements specified in its three-year, $370 million contract, regardless of ownership. MTM announced the acquisition June 8, pending regulatory approvals.

DHS is working with MTM and Veyo to understand specifics of the transition, as we did not initiate it, spokesperson Elizabeth Goodsitt said. There is no change in the contractual obligations Veyo currently has to provide NEMT services to members.

NEMT services will not be interrupted leading up to or during this transition, Goodsitt said. The phone number to schedule rides will remain the same: 866-907-1493.

How much the move will affect consumers is unclear. People on Medicaid who dont have family or friends to take them to medical services covered by Medicaid must go through the states vendor for transportation.

A state audit in 2015, prompted by complaints against MTM and its predecessor, LogistiCare, found more than 4,000 no-shows and more than 55,000 late rides in less than a year. Last year, MTM provided about 266,000 trips a month and had an average of 365 substantiated complaints a month, according to DHS.

Between 2015 and 2021, DHS assessed $200,000 in damages against MTM, similar to fines.

People have also had problems with Veyo, said Kit Kerschensteiner, director of legal and advocacy services for Disability Rights Wisconsin.

I dont know that weve heard anything all that different from Veyo, Kerschensteiner said. From what we can tell, its six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Many complaints involve canceled rides, difficulty scheduling rides and frustration with the appeal process over denied rides, Kershensteiner said.

DHS hasnt made performance data about Veyo available, with Goodsitt saying it will be posted online soon. In a presentation in May to Wisconsins Transportation Advisory Council, Veyo said it provided 690,000 rides from January to March and had 2,142 substantiated complaints during that period.

MTM spokesperson Michele Lucas said, Our goal is zero disruption in service, and we are committed to delivering a seamless integration for DHS, Medicaid members and all stakeholders.

Veyo spokesperson Jessica Williams declined to comment Friday.

In 2011, the state replaced county-based medical transportation programs for people on Medicaid with a statewide system, saying the move would centralize ride management and save money. The operator runs a call center and subcontracts with paratransit services, cab companies, bus systems, independent drivers and others to provide rides.

LogistiCare, which ran the program beginning in 2011, ended its three-year contract early, saying the company was providing more rides than expected, especially in the Milwaukee area where volume was double what was projected.

MTM started a five-year contract in 2013. In 2018, the state said it planned to award a five-year contract to LogistiCare. MTM, which ranked third among four bids, appealed, saying two members of a six-person state evaluation committee didnt attend the companys oral presentation.

In 2019, the state Department of Administration agreed that the committee members absence was a state code violation. It ordered the health department to rescind its intent to contract with LogistiCare, and the MTM contract was extended.

In February 2020, DHS issued an intent to contract with Veyo, Goodsitt said. An MTM protest was unsuccessful, she said, leading to the switch to Veyo last November.

Goodsitt said the new Veyo contract requires changes, including a dedicated unit to handle rides related to critical appointments such as dialysis and cancer treatments; updated online scheduling, including a mobile-friendly portal, and complaint submission; better call center service; and timely trip assignments to transportation providers.

DHS does not plan to amend the contract or remove these required improvements, Goodsitt said. Our top priority at that time, as it is now, was to make sure that members were able to access safe and reliable transportation to medical appointments.

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Sporting leftover grass skirts and leis from a recent luau-themed birthday party, Melanie and Ray Freeman waited with their rented canoe Saturday morning at Tenney Park Beach for the frenzy that would soon begin in Lake Mendota.

The Waterford couple was participating for the first time in Madisons long-running Paddle and Portage event with a couple hundred other paddlers from around the state, country and world.

I just happened to look at the Our Wisconsin magazine this past weekend and I saw the race advertising on it, Ray Freeman, 61, said. And I told my wife  I left her a note when she went to work in the morning  and said, We need to do this.

Combining Melanies Hawaiian heritage and Ray growing up in the South, the Freemans settled on the team name Aloha Yall.

Were looking forward to it. I turned 60 this year, and hes trying to kill me, Melanie Freeman joked. We did a mud run and now were doing this.

By the races start, temperatures sat in the mid-60s with sunshine reflecting off calm waters, making for beautiful weather, said event director Ryan Richards. This years Paddle and Portage had 269 participants. The large majority joined the casual, untimed portion of the event, while a smaller group competed in a timed race.

Turnout was more than double last years, Richards said, after Paddle and Portage took 2020 off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Were fortunate to be able to do this event, he said. Its fun and probably one of the longest-standing events in the city of Madison.

This years route had the paddlers  equipped with kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle boards  go out a mile on Lake Mendota before turning around and returning to Tenney Park. The participants then ran a -mile portage through park. Finally, they launched again in the Yahara River for a 2-mile paddle down the river to Lake Monona, finishing at Olbrich Park.

While the event has traditionally started in James Madison Park and had paddlers lug their watercraft around Capitol Square, Richards said Tenney Park  where last years Paddle and Portage also took place  is a great spot. It offered more parking, allowed participants easier access to drop off equipment and avoided a portage around the road construction at the intersection of John Nolen Drive and Blair, Williamson and Wilson streets, he said.

Costumed participants still brought the typical whimsy to Paddle and Portage.

Dressed as Ursula from The Little Mermaid, Madison native Amanda Dedo stood by her 17-foot Wenonah canoe before the start of the event, waiting for her canoe partner to arrive as Ariel.

Its my 6-foot-4, very thin brother, she said. Hes wearing a pink Victorias Secret bra for the top, so itll be good.

While Dedo has taken part in Paddle and Portage for several years  wearing a variety of costumes  Chicago resident Tim Drane prepped a canoe with his wife, Heidi, for the couples first and last time participating.

Tim Drane attended Madisons West High School in the 80s during the early years of Paddle and Portage, which began in 1980, before moving to Chicago. He made the event a bucket list item, prompting the couple to travel to Madison for the weekend.

Were kind of pretty much athletes, Tim Drane joked. After, Ill probably get drunk at the Memorial Union ... because Im going to earn it.

From even farther away, UW-Madison graduate students Nicole Fischer and Charlotte Vanhecke  of Germany and Belgium, respectively  also took a laidback approach to Paddle and Portage.

Were not competitive people, Vanhecke said. Were just going to head to the middle of the lake and just lie down probably.

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Vince's Pizza in Monroe was vandalized recently. Apparently, the vandalism was intended to intimidate the business for hosting a campaign event for Republican congressional candidate Charity Barry, who is challenging Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth, this fall. The nearby Dollar General store was apparently also vandalized.

This is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest possible way. Businesses must always be free to host events without fear of vandalism or retribution, and people must be free to run for office without fear of intimidation, harassment or violence.

One of our great strengths as a country is that we can participate in politics without fear. From putting a bumper sticker on one's car, to putting a yard sign in one's yard, to attending a protest or running for office -- everybody should know they can participate in these activities without fear of violence or retribution.

A lot of the problems we are facing in this country come from the lack of broad condemnation against political violence. Political violence is like a disease, and no words are strong enough to say that it must stop. It is unacceptable. It is un-American.

Erik Olsen, Madison
The new opportunities created for Azerbaijani people in Karabakh are impressive, traveler from the US state of California Randy Lewis told Trend during a group of international travelers' visit to Karabakh.

"Seeing the scale of destruction in stunning Shusha is truly appalling. However, the reconstruction activities carried out here are aimed to create favorable conditions for living," Lewis said.

According to him, he was also enchanted by the concept of a 'smart village'.

"The concept is one of the most splendid chances for displaced persons. This is my first time in Azerbaijan, so visiting Karabakh has become a great experience for me. The country is distinguished by its geographical diversity and fascinating mountains," the traveler added.

During the third day of the visit to liberated lands, a group of 24 travelers from ten countries worldwide familiarized themselves with the 'smart village' of Zangilan's Aghali.




Bishop Thom visits Ascension; Koonce ordained as deacon

The Episcopal Church of the Ascension welcomes the Right Reverend Brian Thom, Bishop of the Diocese of Idaho, for his final annual visitation at worship service this Sunday at 9 a.m. All are invited to come welcome the Bishop. This will be his final visit in the Diocese as the 13th Bishop of Idaho. Children are welcome at the worship service. A fellowship reception will follow the service.

At 3 p.m. Sunday, Nancy Wonderlich Koonce will be ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons in Christs one holy catholic and apostolic church. She has completed a three year course of study at the High Desert School for Ministry at Cove, OR. All are welcome, children included. A reception will follow the service.

Both services will be online as well as in person. To view, click on the link at episcopaltwinfalls.org or go to Ascensions YouTube channel The Episcopal Church of the AscensionTwin Falls.

Ascension Episcopal Church is handicapped accessible and is located at 371 Eastland Drive N. More information about Ascension can be found at ascension.episcopalidaho.org or 208-733-1248.

The Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice  Tuesday, June 21, 2022  is almost upon us, reminding us to celebrate the nourishing light of the Sun and the light within each of us. This event represents the transition from action to nourishment and is an energetically charged day, an important one to set intentions

Our service Sunday will be both in person at our location 160 Ninth Avenue East in Twin Falls and on ZOOM. To access ZOOM, please email mvuuf83301@yahoo.com for ZOOM sign-in information. In the SUBJECT line write ZOOM Service June 12th.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. Unitarian Universalists believe in the dignity of every person regardless of race, creed (or none at all), immigrant status or sexual orientation.

Everyone is welcome. No exceptions. We believe in justice, equality and compassion in human relations, and acceptance of one another. We are handicapped accessible at the rear of the building.

Please park at the rear of the building or on the street in front or the side of the building. Child care is available.

Join us Sunday at 10:30 AM at 160 Ninth Ave. E. in Twin Falls.

For further information please call 208-410-8904. When calling please state your name in order to be connected or email us at mvuuf83301@yahoo.com or visit our website: http://magicvalleyUU.org

To submit an item, email it in plain text to frontdoor@magicvalley.com.

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TWIN FALLS  Community members have two weeks left to vote for their favorite artists in the 12th annual Art & Soul competition.

Magic Valley Arts Council Director Melissa Crane said 196 artists are participating in the main contest. The artists represent 31 different cities in Idaho, 16 states and one international artist from Mongolia. A childrens contest has about 70 entries.

I could bore you for hours with all the things I love about art and soul, Crane said.

The event has continued to grow, attracting 87 new artists this year.

The comments I love hearing after the contest is how much people miss the work when it goes away, she said. It reminds us how much we love art and need art. It is so valuable in our everyday lives.

Art from 19 different categories will be shown at 88 locations throughout Twin Falls. New venues hosting art this year include The Lamphouse Theater, Sarah LaVaughns Nail Spa, Smokey Bone BBQ, Magic Valley Brewing Pub on Main and more.

Crane said part of the fun is seeing the art in unexpected locations such as car dealerships, clothing stores and restaurants.

How to register to vote

Anyone interested in voting must first register in person at the Magic Valley Center for the Arts, 195 River Vista Place. Registration is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday through July 2. Voter registration closes July 10 at 6 p.m. and online voting closes the same day at 11:50 p.m.

Crane said the council will also have a booth downtown registering voters on June 25 during the Twin Falls Old Twin Criterium bike race.

How to vote

Participants can either vote online or turn in their registered ballot to the Magic Valley Arts Council.

What are the categories?

The 19 categories include acrylic, ceramic, digital, drawing, cyber, glass, mixed media, mural/street art, oil, original art quilt, pastel, photography, print making, quilt, sculpture three feet and under, sculpture three feet and over, uncategorized, water media and woodwork.

When will the winners be announced?

The winners will be announced in City Park at the bandshell on July 23 at 7 p.m. The celebration is free and open to the public. Crane said Art in the Park will also be happening the same weekend as the awards ceremony.

What do the winning artists receive?

The grand prize winner will receive $12,000; second place will win $6,000; third place will get $3,000 and fourth place will get $1,500. The 19 Best in Show winners will receive $1,000 each.

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The last thing you want to rely on as your front-line defense against hate groups is a vigilant citizen.

But thats what spared Coeur dAlene and northern Idaho on Saturday from domestic terrorists who were ready to transform that communitys peaceful LGBTQ pride event into a riot.

Ten minutes after being tipped off about a little army of masked men boarding a U-Haul truck at a hotel parking lot, police stopped and arrested 31 members of the Patriot Front, a white nationalist group that had broken off from Vanguard America, organizers of the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally at Charlottesville, Va.

Police found a smoke grenade, riot gear and paperwork that looked like an operation plan.

I was a bit surprised by their level of preparation. Thats not something we see everyday, Coeur dAlene Police Chief Lee White told a news conference. It was very clear to us, immediately, that this was a riotous group that had prepared in advance to come downtown and disrupt either the pride event or the Prayer in the Park event. It was clear there was some ill intent.

Among the 31 charged with misdemeanor conspiracy to riot were Patriot Front founder Thomas Rousseau of Grape Vine, Texas; two Idahoans, 21-year-old Winston North Durham of Genesee and 21-year-old Richard Jacob Jessop of Idaho Falls, and a Spokane man, 22-year-old Mishael Joshua Buster. The bulk of the would-be rioters were outsiders  with two-thirds coming from Colorado, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Talk about a close call.

Instead of alerting the police ahead of time, usually its the watchful witness who ends up telling a television reporter after the fact: You know, at the time, that did look strange to me...

So some questions need answers:

How in the world does someone recruit and organize 31 young men from nearly a dozen states, including those as far flung as Texas, Illinois, Missouri and Arizona, deliver them to an obscure corner of a rural state, provide them with operation plans, equip them with money, riot gear, smoke grenades and place them within 10 minutes of setting off a violent riot without the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security knowing about it? Wasnt it FBI Director Christopher Wray, who said this about domestic terrorism: So whenever weve had the chance, weve tried to emphasize that this is a top concern and remains so for the FBI. In fact, weve viewed it as such a critical threat that back in June of 2019 under my leadership, we elevated racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism to our highest threat priority on the same level with ISIS and homegrown violent extremists where it remains to this day?

What brought them to northern Idaho? Was it the regions troubled history as the base for the Aryan Nations in the 1980s and 1990s?

Did they get an impression that an area that gets smeared  or, take your pick, promoted  as the last white homeland would be supportive of their aims? And if so, how did they reach that conclusion? Was it the antics of Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, who recently fired off another round in the culture wars when she said drag queens and other LGBTQ supporters are responsible for a war of perversion against our children?

Did they get that idea from seeing Boises Anne Frank Memorial defaced with Nazi swastikas?

How about some of the rhetoric spewing out of the Idaho Legislature, such as Rep. Barbara Ehardts animosity toward transgender athletes?

Or was it simply knowing that any hate group can win national network television coverage by acting out in the Idaho Panhandle?

Whats next? With then-Attorney General Jim Jones at the helm three decades ago, a bright spotlight exposed and condemned the Aryan Nations until its ultimate demise. Criminal penalties were enhanced. People of good will among local and state political, social and business networks countered the white supremacists.

Whats needed today is something equally proactive.

Gov. Brad Little said just enough to condemn the Patriot Front. But if the governor created an effective response that investigates whats going on here, exposes it and then outlines the means to once again weed it out, hed enjoy the same broad-based support that welcomed Jones efforts.

Otherwise, we may not be so lucky next time.

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Americans spend millions of hours and billions of dollars filing their taxes. At the very least the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) should open, read, process and protect what Americans send them. Unfortunately, a recent report by the IRS watchdog, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), tells us the IRS destroyed an estimated 30 million paper-filed tax documents without processing them. As the Ranking Republican Member of the Senate Finance Committee, I led a letter to IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig highlighting TIGTAs findings and asking questions about why the IRS would destroy 30 million tax documents without processing them first.

Here are the facts. TIGTA reported in September 2021 and May 2022 that the IRS destroyed an estimated 30 million paper-filed information returns in March 2021, reportedly, in part, to relieve a backlog of paper documents. The report gives little detail about the returns destroyed other than Form 1099MISC was an example of a destroyed document. Information returns are important because they typically serve as a third-party check to ensure taxpayers are accurately reporting their income and deductions. These information returns are so important, that a taxpayer who files an information return late or with inaccuracies is subject to penalties.

The IRS responded the 30 million destroyed returns were only 1 percent of the total information returns filed, and they were destroyed due to a software limitation and to make room for 2021 tax filing season documents. The IRS also claims (t)here were no negative taxpayer consequences as a result of this action, and taxpayers will not be subject to penalties resulting from the IRSs actions. Perhaps there were no negative consequences for those whose documents were destroyed, and maybe even some benefit if they underreported income. However, as one CPA described it, it is a slap in the face to taxpayers who properly filed their information returns electronically.

Despite multiple public hearings discussing the IRSs backlog problems, the IRS never mentioned its decision to destroy 30 million information returns. This destruction has rightly sparked many questions: How can the agency ask taxpayers to meet their filing obligations for information returns when it cavalierly destroys duly filed documents? asked Nina Olson, former National Taxpayer Advocate.

In the letter signed by all Senate Finance Committee Republicans, we wrote, The information disclosed in the May 4 TIGTA report has surprised many in Congress and in the tax community. The destruction of documents ensuring taxpayers did not underreport income or inflate a deduction is concerning. It also raises questions about the IRSs ability to administer the tax code and ensure compliance. We included an alarming point made in a Tax Notes article that noted during the period the IRS was destroying 30 million information returns and while the COVID pandemic harmed millions of Americans, (the IRS) was imposing penalties for failing to file timely and accurate information returns, which, for all anyone knows, may have been among the documents destroyed. Additionally, we asked the IRS to clarify the potential damage to tax administration this destruction will cause, as well as who made the decision, how the IRS will address the consequences this decision will have for taxpayers, and the potential harm to tax revenues.

The IRS seems to be saying that if it cannot get through its backlog, it can just destroy part of the paperwork causing the backlog. And, somehow these tax documents are not that important (yet they are important enough to assess penalties if not accurately or timely filed). I will continue to press for answers.

Sen. Mike Crapo represents Idaho in the U.S. Senate.

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IDA

The Henry County Industrial Development Authority will meet at noon on Tuesday in the fourth floor conference room of the Henry County Administration Building.

On the agenda, the Authority will consider:

Approval of accounts payable

Election of officers

A Performance Agreement with VF Outdoor, LLC

Other informational items

PSA

The Henry County Public Service Authority will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the fourth floor conference room of the Henry County Administration Building.

On the agenda, the Authority will consider:

Approving the write-off of uncollectible utility billing and general billing accounts.

Appropriation of a Virginia Department of Health grant.

A report of FY 2021 utility operation and maintenance.

Accepting the monthly finance, accounts payable, construction, engineering, treatment and regulatory compliance, safety and general managers reports.

A resolution honoring the retirement of General Manager Tim Hall.

NCI

The New College Institute Board of Directors will meet at 1 p.m. Friday at NCIs Baldwin Building, 191 Fayette St., Lecture Hall A, and over Zoom.

The public is invited to attend, and public comments will be received at the end of the meeting, not to exceed 3 minutes. To sign up for public comments, contact Christina Reed at creed@newcollegeinstitute.org or 276-403-5602 before the meeting.

A meeting agenda was requested by the Bulletin on Wednesday, but as of the end of business day Friday, had not been received.

HCPS

The Henry County School Board will have a Special Meeting Fiscal Year Closeout at 9 a.m. Thursday, followed by closed session, in the first floor Summerlin meeting room of Henry County Administration Building in Collinsville.

On the agenda, the Board will consider:

Approval of overnight & out-of-state field trip requests

Approval of 2022-2023 Regional Alternative Education Program Continuation Grant

Approval of FY2023 school budget

Approval of estimated end-of-year accounts payable FY22

Approval to award bid for kitchen addition and cafeteria renovation at George Washington Carver Elementary

Approval to award contract for purchasing new bleachers at Magna Vista High School and Bassett High School

Approval to award contract for fuel-system installation and service at new transportation facility

P&HCC

The next Patrick & Henry Community College Board meeting will be held at noon Monday, July 11, in the Hooker Exhibit Hall of the Frith Economic Development Center.

An agenda will be printed in the Bulletin the Sunday before the meeting.

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Late Martin Maluza and late Maurice Katala were remembered at a ceremony held Friday in Geneva for their dedication to the promotion of human rights in Africa and elsewhere.

A moving tribute was paid to late Martin Maluza, president of the International Committee for the Respect and Application of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (CIRAC) and late Maurice Katala, head of the International Action for Peace and Development in the Great Lakes Region (AIPD-GL) for their tireless efforts to defend and promote human rights.

Scores of associative actors and representatives of NGOs based in Geneva made testimonies in honor of the late human rights defenders and recollected their efforts in the promotion and protection of human rights.

A particular focus was laid on the two late human rights activists constant support to the Kingdom of Morocco in Geneva and Banjul and their defense of the Kingdoms national causes.

Actually, the two activists were remembered as fervent defenders of Moroccos national cause at the UN in Geneva and New York as well as at the level of the African Union, and the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights.

They were known for their supportive stand in favor of Moroccos territorial integrity and repeatedly highlighted at international fora the Kingdoms efforts to promote the development of the Southern Provinces.

Maurice Katala and Martin Maluza, who had both made several field visits to Laayoune and Dakhla, addressed several correspondences and made several oral presentations to the High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as to the UN Security Council to highlight the efforts made by the Kingdom in the Sahara in terms of development and the promotion and protection of human rights.

During the event, the new leaders of the two NGOs vowed to continue their predecessors work and to remain committed to the defense of Moroccos cause.
Somali forces backed by Galmudug regional forces on Friday repulsed an attack by Al-Shabaab terrorist organization on a major military base in central Somalia.

A total of 47 terrorists were killed in the operation, Somali military radio said quoting officials.

Al-Qaeda-backed al-Shabaab launched the attack in Bahdo, a small town located 632 kilometers (392 miles) from the capital Mogadishu.

Al-Shabaab, which has been fighting against the Somali government and African Union forces for more than 10 years, has tried to seize the strategic towns of the country, including Bahda town which witnessed several al-Shabaab attacks previously.

The group claimed responsibility for the Friday attack.
Morocco has joined the Network of francophone electoral bodies (Reseau des competences electorales, RECEF) during its 10th General Assembly held Friday in Dakar.

Moroccos accession to the Quebec-based Network was approved by acclamation of all members of the Network.

The long-awaited and much-desired accession of Morocco was unanimously welcomed by the members of the Network given the Kingdoms great experience, expertise and know-how in the field of elections.

The General Assembly was preceded by a seminar of Francophone electoral experts, held under the theme Secure, peaceful and inclusive elections.

The program of this seminar included workshops focusing on Electoral processes in times of armed conflict; The return to constitutional order after a breakdown of democracy; Elections, a potential source of socio-political conflict; Gender-specific electoral violence and Securing electoral processes in the Francophonie.

The RECEF is an association of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) that links more than 30 electoral management bodies which share best electoral practices. The network was created as a joint initiative of the OIF and Elections Quebec.

Morocco is represented at this General Assembly by Hassan Aghmari, Director of Elections at the Ministry of Interior.
This May 2022 photo provided by Pfizer shows production of the Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 in Puurs, Belgium. U.S. health advisers on Saturday, June 18, recommended COVID-19 vaccines for infants, toddlers and preschoolers  the last group without the shots. Credit: Pfizer via AP

The U.S. on Saturday opened COVID-19 vaccines to infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

The shots will become available this week, expanding the nation's vaccination campaign to children as young as 6 months.

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the vaccines for the littlest children, and the final signoff came hours later from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agency's director.

"We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with today's decision, they can," Walensky said in a statement.

While the Food and Drug Administration approves vaccines, it's the CDC that decides who should get them.

The shots offer young children protection from hospitalization, death and possible long-term complications that are still not clearly understood, the CDC's advisory panel said.

The government has already been gearing up for the vaccine expansion, with millions of doses ordered for distribution to doctors, hospitals and community health clinics around the country.

Roughly 18 million kids will be eligible, but it remains to be seen how many will ultimately get the vaccines. Less than a third of children ages 5 to 11 have done so since vaccination opened up to them last November.

Here are some things to know:

WHAT KINDS ARE AVAILABLE?

Two brandsPfizer and Modernagot the green light Friday from the FDA and Saturday from the CDC. The vaccines use the same technology but are being offered at different dose sizes and number of shots for the youngest kids.

Pfizer's vaccine is for children 6 months to 4 years old. The dose is one-tenth of the adult dose, and three shots are needed. The first two are given three weeks apart, and the last at least two months later.

Moderna's is two shots, each a quarter of its adult dose, given about four weeks apart for kids 6 months through 5 years old. The FDA also approved a third dose, at least a month after the second shot, for children with immune conditions that make them more vulnerable to serious illness.

HOW WELL DO THEY WORK?

In studies, vaccinated youngsters developed levels of virus-fighting antibodies as strong as young adults, suggesting that the kid-size doses protect against coronavirus infections.

However, exactly how well they work is hard to pin down, especially when it comes to the Pfizer vaccine.

Two doses of Moderna appeared to be only about 40% effective at preventing milder infections at a time when the omicron variant was causing most COVID-19 illnesses. Pfizer presented study information suggesting the company saw 80% with its three shots. But the Pfizer data was so limitedand based on such a small number of casesthat experts and federal officials say they don't feel there is a reliable estimate yet.

SHOULD MY LITTLE ONE BE VACCINATED?

Yes, according to the CDC. While COVID-19 has been the most dangerous for older adults, younger people, including children, can also get very sick.

This May 2022 photo provided by Pfizer shows production of the Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 in Puurs, Belgium. U.S. regulators on Friday, June 17, authorized the first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers, paving the way for vaccinations to begin next week. Credit: Pfizer via AP

Hospitalizations surged during the omicron wave. Since the start of the pandemic, about 480 children under age 5 are counted among the nation's more than 1 million COVID-19 deaths, according to federal data.

"It is worth vaccinating even though the number of deaths are relatively rare, because these deaths are preventable through vaccination," said Dr. Matthew Daley, a Kaiser Permanente Colorado researcher who sits on the CDC's advisory committee.

In a statement Saturday, President Joe Biden urged parents to get them for their young children as soon as possible.

WHICH VACCINE SHOULD MY CHILD GET?

Either one, said Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA's vaccine chief.

"Whatever vaccine your health care provider, pediatrician has, that's what I would give my child,'' Marks said Friday.

The doses haven't been tested against each other, so experts say there's no way to tell if one is better.

One consideration: It takes roughly three months to complete the Pfizer three-shot series, but just one month for Moderna's two shots. So families eager to get children protected quickly might want Moderna.

WHO'S GIVING THE SHOTS?

Pediatricians, other primary care physicians and children's hospitals are planning to provide the vaccines. Limited drugstores will offer them for at least some of the under-5 group.

U.S. officials expect most shots to take place at pediatricians' offices. Many parents may be more comfortable getting the vaccine for their kids at their regular doctor, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said. He predicted the pace of vaccination will be far slower than it was for older populations.

"We're going see vaccinations ramp up over weeks and even potentially over a couple of months," Jha said.

CAN CHILDREN GET OTHER VACCINES AT THE SAME TIME?

It's common for little kids to get more than one vaccine during a doctor's visit.

In studies of the Moderna and Pfizer shots in infants and toddlers, other vaccinations were not given at the same time so there is no data on potential side effects when that happens.

But problems have not been identified in older children or adults when COVID-19 shots and other vaccinations were given together, and the CDC is advising that it's safe for younger children as well.

WHAT IF MY CHILD RECENTLY HAD COVID-19?

About three-quarters of children of all ages are estimated to have been infected at some point. For older ages, the CDC has recommended vaccination anyway to lower the chances of reinfection.

Experts have noted re-infections among previously infected people and say the highest levels of protection occur in those who were both vaccinated and previously infected.

The CDC has said people may consider waiting about three months after an infection to be vaccinated.

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

South Africa on Saturday hailed a WTO agreement to allow developing countries to start producing their own COVID vaccines following a near two-year battle.

"We secured an agreement. It was a strongly-fought agreement," said Minister of Trade Ebrahim Patel, who along with India and NGOs had been calling for an intellectual property rights waiver on COVID-related treatments.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced a relaxation of intellectual property restrictions on vaccines on Wednesday in a move aimed at a providing more equitable access to jabs but which many observers criticised for being limited in time and scope.

After months of wrangling, and talks going down to the wire this week to win over some major players in pharmaceutical manufacturing to a compromise text, the United States and China finally clinched the deal by agreeing on which countries would benefit from the waiver.

Both South Africa and India had been vocal in their demands for such a move which they said was needed to stop "vaccine apartheid".

According to the WTO, 60 percent of the world's population has received two doses of anti-COVID vaccine but there are glaring examples of inequity with only 17 percent having been jabbed in Libya, with the figure just eight percent in Nigeria and less than five in Cameroon.

In a statement, the South African government saluted a waiver designed to provide local vaccine manufacturers with the right to produce either vaccines or ingredients or elements that are under patents, without the authority of the patent holder, hailing this as a notable step forwardeven if limited to five years.

Pretoria added that "to scale up the production on the continent, further partnerships will be needed including access to know-how and technologies".

The accord for the time being excludes, however, tests and costly therapeutic treatments against COVID on which the WTO is to pronounce in the coming six months.

Commercialisation in Africa will be a challenge, however.

Durban-based South African pharma giant Aspen, which clinched a deal last November with US-based Johnson & Johnson to manufacture a "made in Africa for Africa" Aspen-branded COVID vaccine Aspenovax, said last month it could pull the plug owing to lack of orders.

"Our focus now is to ensure we address demand by persuading global procurers for vaccines to source from African producers," said Patel.

South Africa has three sites under the aegis of Aspen in Durban, Afrigen in Cape Town and Biovac, also in Cape Town, which makes the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Afrigen's biotech consortium makes the messenger RNA jab based on the Moderna formula, the first to be made based on a broadly used vaccine that does not require the developer's assistance and approval.

 2022 AFP
The Turkmen and Bahraini Foreign Ministries held political consultations to increase all-out cooperation, Azernews reports.

The Turkmen and Bahraini delegations were led by Deputy Foreign Ministers Berdyniyaz Myatiev and Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa.

During the consultations, the diplomats stated that the two states successfully cooperate within the framework of reputable international organizations, primarily the UN.

Stressing the importance of the work of the joint intergovernmental Turkmen-Bahraini commission on economic, trade, scientific, and technical cooperation, the diplomats considered the possibilities of expanding cooperation between the business circles of the two countries, including attracting investments, holding business forums, and developing partnerships in the oil and gas industry.

The sides expressed confidence that the meetings held on a regular basis will contribute to the further development of mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas between Turkmenistan and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attends a media event regarding the 2022 Florida Python Challenge, Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Miami. Florida is the only state that hasn't preordered COVID-19 vaccines for toddlers in anticipation of their final approval by the federal government. DeSantis said Thursday that his administration won't facilitate their distribution, though he said they'll be available to those who want them. Credit: AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Florida doctors will be able to order COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 from the federal government, the White House said Friday, after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state would not order and distribute the shots in the state.

The state was the only jurisdiction in the nation to decline to place advance orders for the pediatric shots, which received authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on Friday. Final authorization from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected in the coming days, clearing the way for the last remaining unvaccinated age group to obtain shots. The vaccines will be available to children as young as six months.

The White House has been sharply critical of DeSantis' position but in a statement Friday it welcomed the news that he was permitting individual doctors to order vaccines for their patients.

"We have begun shipping vaccines to children's hospitals and pediatricians in every state in the country except Florida," said White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. "The governor's failure comes at a price to parents and families of Florida."

The jabs will be available quickly at pharmacies and community health centers, which can preorder them directly from the federal government, Jha said. But children's hospitals, clinics and individual doctors' offices will be at a disadvantage to other states that allowed their doctors to preorder, he said.

Jha took a swipe at DeSantis, who has frequently said he is defending parental rights in healthcare and educational decisions, saying, "This administration trusts parents."

"We know there are parents across America of kids under 5 who've been waiting a very long time, and for many of them, this delay introduced by the actions of the governor and the Department of Health, I think is unconscionable," he said. "I don't think it helps and I think for parents who've been waiting, who have made the choice, it is incumbent on us to make sure that they are able to exercise on that choice."

DeSantis at the Thursday news conference minimized the delays and defended the state's refusal to order the vaccines.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Monday, June 13, 2022, in Washington. Credit: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

"Doctors can get it. Hospitals can get it. But there's not going to be any state programs that are going to be trying to get COVID jabs to infants and toddlers and newborns," he said. "That's not where we're gonna be utilizing our resources."

Federal officials believe most parents of young children plan to get their kids vaccinated at their pediatrician's office, rather than pharmacies or hospitals, and criticized DeSantis for slowing access to the shots.

"Even though Governor DeSantis reversed course and is now ordering vaccines, we will pull every lever to get pediatricians across Florida vaccines as quickly as possible," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "This is an encouraging first step, and we urge the state to order vaccines for its state and local health departments, so that all Florida parents have the opportunity to get their children vaccinated."

DeSantis' decision not to pre-order shots means the state is falling behind pre-orders that were prepared to ship as soon as the FDA issued its emergency use authorization. Jha said the administration was working to fill Florida's orders as soon as possible, but said it would be days behind other states in the vaccination program.

Florida health department spokesman Jeremy Redfern said the Florida online portal for ordering vaccines from the federal government, Florida SHOTS, has always been available to hospitals, clinics and small doctor's offices.

However, under CDC rules, providers can order vaccines only once an Emergency Use Authorization has been issued, Redfern said. Jha disputed that, saying that outside of Florida, states and public health departments have been able to help doctors and children's hospitals place pre-orders for shots for two weeks.

State health departments, on the other hand, have been able to pre-order vaccines in anticipation of an EUA, and this is what Florida has declined to do. That means the state won't have an already existing stockpile of the vaccines to push out to children's hospitals for use on Day 1 of authorization. However, any provider can order shots and get them with days or a week, according the state health department.

"Florida SHOTS will allow individual providers to order shots the way they always have," Redfern said. "The Florida health department is not going to be the federal government's storage unit for their giant pile of vaccines."

While DeSantis said the state had plenty of supply for vaccines, officials cautioned that shots approved for under-5 kids contain specialized instructions and syringes appropriate for that age group, and that vaccines labeled for older kids shouldn't be used for the youngest cohort. Pfizer's pediatric vaccine for younger kids has a smaller dosage than for older ones.

Explore further Florida only state not preordering toddler COVID-19 vaccines

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Every piece of artwork has a story, and the organizers of this years summer Made Fair want you to hear them.

Its kind of as much about celebrating the process and the story as it is about the final piece, said Carol Lynn Lapotka, one of the events founders.

Rain or shine, Missoulas 14th summer Made Fair will be at Caras Park on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring 165 artists, each with their own tale to tell. Planners had to choose those artists from a pool of about about 250 applicants, with about 24% new artists, Lapotka said.

There are so many new budding artists in Missoula that its hard to pick applicants to be in the fair, she said. Jurors look for people who are doing something new.

Its a pretty competitive show to get into, she said. We look for kind of unique stuff  someone whos doing a new twist on an old kind of skill.

One of the new faces at this years fair is Monica Gilles-BringsYellow, a self-taught artist who typically paints portraits of Indigenous people using materials like inks, acrylics and resin. Her paintings are typically two-dimensional but are designed to look 3-D, she said.

Gilles-BringsYellow said shes excited to show her art to an audience that might not typically get to see it. At art shows, attendees typically have an background in art, but the Made Fair attracts a wide range of people with all kinds of interests.

And she gets to learn from different artists and make connections, something that can be hard to do as an artist.

Often, art can be lonely, she said. Getting to talk to other artists is helpful because they can give you tips or whatever and you just form camaraderie and talk to other people in the same boat.

She also looks forward to describing the people in her paintings.

I also like telling stories about people that are in the portraits I do, she said. Especially because its Indigenous women who dont usually have someone telling their stories about them.

One of the paintings in Gilles-BringsYellow's house features her husbands great-grandmother, an Indigenous woman who was murdered when she was 40 years old. Her death was never investigated. Another features Agnes Vandenberg at a Salish culture camp, where shes teaching traditional techniques and methods like baking Camas and hide-scraping.

Gilles-BringsYellow is Nahau, Huichol and Metis, and her husband is Salish. She spends a lot of time in Arlee, she said, and often paints Salish people. She said she's always interested in searching for the real story that may have been hidden or brushed under the rug, and looks forward to sharing those stories at the Made Fair.

It really helps to get your work kind of out there, especially to people who might not otherwise see it, she said. Not everyones going to go to an art show, but a lot of people are going to go to the Made Fair.

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VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. (AP)  The 70-year-old visitor had previously attended some services at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church before police say he showed up for a potluck dinner, pulled out a handgun and fatally shot three of the elderly participants, one of whom died in his wife's arms as she whispered words of love in his ear.

Church members were spared further violence Thursday evening when one of them rushed the gunman, struck him with a chair and held him until police arrived, a former pastor said. The suspect, Robert Findlay Smith, was charged with capital murder Friday, the Jefferson County district attorney announced.

The baffling violence in a wealthy suburb of Birmingham stunned a community known for its family-centered lifestyle. It also deepened the unease in a nation still reeling from recent slaughter wrought by gunmen who attacked a Texas school, a New York grocery store and another church in California.

Why would a guy whos been around for a while suddenly decide he would go to a supper and kill somebody? said the Rev. Doug Carpenter, St. Stephen's pastor for three decades before he retired in 2005. It doesnt make sense.

All three shooting victims were members attending a monthly dinner at the church, said Carpenter, who still attends Sunday services there but wasn't present Thurdsay night. A Facebook post referred to the gathering as a Boomers Potluck.

Carpenter said one victim's wife and other witnesses recounted what happened. They said a man who introduced himself only as Mr. Smith sat at a table by himself  as he'd done while visiting a previous church dinner.

People tried to speak to him and he was kind of distant and very much a loner, Carpenter told The Associated Press by telephone.

At Thursday's dinner, church member Walter Bartlett Rainey invited the visitor to join his table, Carpenter said, but the man declined. He said Rainey's wife noticed the visitor wasn't eating.

Linda Rainey said he didnt have any food and she offered to fix a plate for him, and he turned that down, said Carpenter.

Soon afterward, Carpenter said, the man drew his gun and opened fire  shooting Walter Rainey and two other church members. Carpenter said another member, a man in his 70s, grabbed a chair and charged the gunman.

He hit him with a folding chair, wrestling him to the ground, took the gun from him and hit him in the head with his own gun, Carpenter said.

Church members held the suspect until police arrived, police Capt. Shane Ware said. A police mugshot showed Smith with a blackened left eye and cuts to his nose and forehead.

The person that subdued the suspect, in my opinion, was a hero," Ware told a news conference Friday, saying that act was extremely critical in saving lives."

Rainey, 84, died at the scene. His wife of six decades wasn't harmed.

We are all grateful that she was spared and that he died in her arms while she murmured words of comfort and love into his ears, Rainey's family said in a statement.

Police said Sarah Yeager, 75, of Pelham, died soon afterward at a hospital, and an 84-year-old woman died Friday. Police didn't release her name, citing the family's request for privacy.

Ware said Smith and the three victims were all white. He said police are investigating what motivated the suspect, who occasionally attended services at the church. Authorities executed a search warrant Friday at Smith's home, less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) away.

Records from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives show Smith is a licensed gun dealer whose business is listed at his home address. Court records show Smith filed a lawsuit in 2008 against Samford University, a private university in metro Birmingham, alleging campus security wrongly detained him and accused him of impersonating a police officer.

Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry told reporters his close-knit, resilient, loving community was rocked by this senseless act of violence. It's home to nearly 40,000 residents, most of them white, including many businesspeople, doctors and lawyers who work in Birmingham.

The churchs pastor, the Rev. John Burruss, said in a Facebook post that he was in Greece on a pilgrimage and trying to get back.

The Rev. Rebecca Bridges, the associate rector, led an online prayer service on the church's Facebook page Friday morning. She prayed not only for the victims and church members who witnessed the shooting, but also for the person who perpetrated the shooting.

We pray that you will work in that persons heart, Bridges said. And we pray that you will help us to forgive.

Bridges, currently in London, alluded to other recent mass shootings as she prayed that "our culture will change and that our laws will change in ways that will protect all of us.

Thursdays shooting happened just over a month after one person was killed and five injured when a man opened fire on Taiwanese parishioners at a Southern California church. It also came nearly seven years to the day after an avowed white supremacist killed nine people during Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

A message posted by St. Stephens said it would hold Sunday services, adding: We will gather at the Table that has taught so many that love is always breaking through in this world, no matter what we experience, whether it be doubt, anger, loss, grief, or death  but yet also joy and life."

AP writer Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this story.

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

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As American consumers feel the pain from soaring gasoline prices, politicians are running for cover. Democrats blame Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine, Republicans blame Democrats and voters generally blame whoevers in office. But the real problem isnt the price at the pump  its who is getting the money.

This week, the average nationwide price for regular gas hit a historic high of $5 a gallon. Sky-high gas prices are bringing sky-high profits to oil companies, whose production costs have changed little since a year ago when regular sold for about $3.

American consumers buy more than 350 million gallons a day, translating into extra profits of more than $20 billion a month. This windfall is shared between oil companies and petrostates. Notably missing a share in the bonanza are the American people. Yet without them  without us  the superprofits would not exist.

Bowing to Saudi crown prince

A windfall profit tax, with the proceeds returned directly to the public like recent stimulus checks, would dramatically change the picture. The British government has announced such a tax. In the U.S. Senate, Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse has introduced a bill to do the same, but its odds of passage are remote to put it mildly.

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Instead we have the sorry spectacle of President Joe Biden preparing to shuttle to Saudi Arabia next month to plead for more oil from Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi  as well as for thousands of civilian bombing deaths in neighboring Yemen and for the torture of womens rights activists and political detainees at home.

It will be an awkward moment for Biden, who vowed on the presidential campaign trail to make the Saudi regime "pay the price" for Khashoggis murder; hence the White Houses insistence that the visit is really not about oil. No doubt the Saudis will claim, if they increase output, that this has nothing to do with Bidens visit.

Story continues

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2019.

Diplomatic niceties aside, it is clear that continued dependence on fossil fuels is a recipe for continued misery not only at home but also abroad. In petrostates like Saudi Arabia and Russia, the tribute coughed up by consumers in America and Europe is the lifeblood for repression and war. Complicity in these horrors should be awkward not only for presidents, but for us all. If the Biden administration does manage to bring down gas prices, with or without a knowing wink from the Saudi crown prince, whatever temporary relief it brings will come at the price of renewed vulnerability to moral and financial blackmail.

America's addiction benefits oil pushers

Meanwhile, Republicans blame Biden for not doing enough to ramp up domestic oil production. In Georgia, a political action committee backing the Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker recently handed out $25 fuel vouchers while trying to put the blame for gas high prices on Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock. These responses to the crisis are like drug pushers touting increased supply and free samples as remedies for opioid addiction.

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Proposals for a windfall profit tax hint at a more permanent cure for the nations gasoline addiction. Instead of remaining at the mercy of the oil pushers and pleading for relief whenever they tighten the screws  the game weve played since the OPEC oil price hikes of the 1970s, forever losing in the end  we ourselves should act preemptively to curtail the amount of oil and other fossil fuel we allow into the nations economy.

The government should auction permits to fuel suppliers up to this limit, just as carbon permits are auctioned today to power plants in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative of the northeastern states. The auction revenue should then be returned directly to the public as individual dividends, just as Alaska does today with oil royalties in the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp.

Voluntarily curbing supply would trigger higher fuel prices, as the permits become part of the suppliers cost of business that is passed onto consumers. But in this case, unlike the situation today, the money would come straight back to consumers.

With carbon dividends, those who consume average amounts of fossil fuels break even: Their dividends cover what they pay in higher prices. Those who consume less than the average, which includes most low-income households, come out ahead: They receive more from the dividend pie than they pay into it. Those who consume above-average quantities, which includes most upper-income households, pay more than they get back, although they, too, are better off than when the money goes instead to fuel corporations and petrostates.

And because the average is pulled up by outsized fuel consumption by the rich (think mega mansions and rocket trips to outer space), most American families would come out ahead financially.

'Feebate' not a mere pipe dream

This is an example of what economists call a feebate: Each person pays the fee according to their use of the scarce resource, and all receive the same equal-per-person rebate.

This alternative reality for gas prices is not a mere pipe dream. The Healthy Climate and Family Security Act of 2019 proposed by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., would do exactly this. Canada recently implemented such a system in four provinces, including Ontario, the countrys most populous. Recognizing that rural residents must spend more for transportation fuel, the Canadian policy provides them an additional supplement.

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Putting control of fossil fuel supplies in our own hands in this way would solve the gasoline crunch once and for all  not by lowering the price but by changing who gets the money. As a side benefit, this would help make a dent in the income disparities now threatening to tear the nation apart.

Last, but not least, it would help protect people here and elsewhere from further climate destabilization. If this sounds like a good idea to you, tell your neighbor and send a message to Washington.

James K. Boyce, a senior fellow at the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is the author of "The Case for Carbon Dividends."

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: High gas prices shouldn't drive Biden to Saudi Arabia for oil relief
Vlad Sazhen's parents and sister are in Kyiv while a grandmother remained behind in their hometown Kharkiv, which continues to be the target of shells and rockets fired from just across the border in Russia.

Sazhen is a Ukrainian student at the University of Missouri. He spoke Thursday from Galena Residence Hall.

The university is working to keep Sazhen in Columbia and to bring his girlfriend, Alina, here. She's now in Poltava, with her family. An MU Ukrainian Emergency Fund has been established to help them and other Ukrainian students. The two have been approved for three-year, non-resident tuition scholarships.

"Kharkiv is really bad, being shelled all the time," Sazhen said.

Russian forces have moved closer to the Ukrainian border, he said. Kharkiv is in eastern Ukraine, just 25 miles from the Russian border.

"It is very dangerous in Kharkiv right now," Sazhen said.

The Russian military gave up trying to overtake Kharkiv, but is now conducting the strikes from Russia, he said.

Ukrainian emergency service personnel work outside a damaged building June 4 following shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

He spoke briefly with his grandmother by phone about five days before, but was cut off after a short conversation. His mother has been in touch with her since then.

"She's holding on," Sazhen said of his grandmother's state of mind. "I can't say she's very happy about what's going on. A lot of the rocket strikes are in her part of the city."

His mother's brother, also in Kharkiv, looks after his grandmother, he said.

"The cats are fine," Sazhen said. His grandmother told the family the reason she needed to stay in her home was that she need to take care of her cats.

In Kyiv, the capital, shelling has decreased, Sazhen said. This week saw the visit of the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania to Kyiv, pledging support for Ukraine's membership in the European Union.

The U.S. also has pledged $1 billion more in military aid to Ukraine.

"That is incredible and everyone is so thankful for it," Sazhen said of the increased U.S. aid and the weapons being provided. "They truly make a difference on the battlefield."

Story continues

The heaviest fighting now is in Sievierodonetsk, in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukriane.

"It's going back and forth," Sazhen said of the fighting. "The front line moves all the time. Right now, Russia controls the biggest part of the city."

University of Missouri Ukrainian student Vlad Sazhen talks Thursday about his family in Ukraine and the ongoing war in his home country.

Experts say that Russia can't encircle the city, he said.

"Obviously it's very tragic," Sazhen said of the situation in Sievierodonetsk. "There's so much of them and they just keep on going."

But rocket launchers from France, Britain and the U.S. can make a difference, he said.

"I think the situation will change," he said.

Sazhen said he's disturbed by the propaganda from Russian state media from Mariuopol, which is under Russian control.

The reports claim Mariupol citizens are very happy that Russians are in control.

"Before Russia invaded, Mariupol was a flourishing city" but is now in ruins, Sazhen said.

It's cynical of Russia to make the claims, he said.

"Russia is dancing on bones, dancing on dead bodies," Sazhen said.

Roger McKinney is education reporter for the Tribune. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: MU Ukrainian student's grandmother worried about Russian shelling
They took photo No. 9 on Wednesday, 40 years after they shot the first in 1982 at a prefabricated cabin at Copco Lake along the California-Oregon border. Their tradition went viral 10 years ago -- and again in 2017 -- when CNN.com published their story and photos.

Some of the guys openly feared it could be a photo of four friends this year instead of the five first pictured as teenagers.

"I was crushed," said John Dickson, who lives in Santa Barbara where the friends first met. "We worried there would be an empty spot on the bench where we take the picture."

Dallas Burney, seated in the middle of the series of photos that replicate the poses of the very first shot, told CNN he had a large cancerous tumor removed from his left leg in 2019.

"My cancer -- liposarcoma, I knew something was wrong for many months," said the elementary school teacher.

"I was out of school for five months. I can't run anymore, but I sure can walk."

Burney walked with ease around Copco Lake on Tuesday evening with Dickson, Mark Rumer-Cleary, Jon Molony and their host, John "Wedge" Wardlaw.

They had not all been together since the last photo in 2017. Burney's cancer and the pandemic made reunions difficult.

But first, food

So they gathered the night before the photo was taken for their other five-year tradition -- feasting on "Wedge" tacos.

Wardlaw stuffs meat into hard taco shells and pan fries them so hot, he wears a glove and safety glasses to protect against spatter.

The jokes flew.

"Salt is the main ingredient," laughed Wardlaw.

"We'll all be drinking water at midnight," said Molony.

"And #@$! the cardiologist," quipped Rumer-Cleary.

Two of the friends with a window view rose out of their seats.

"Bald eagle," they exclaimed.

The majestic bird, with its trademark white head, looped above the cabin, as if to lend the scene pomp and circumstance.

Other animal sightings on Tuesday included a bobcat, deer and cattle.

The friends, often talking in quick bursts over each other, pointed out Oregon was across the lake.

40 years of tradition

By midday Wednesday, it was time for the main event.

They took the latest picture on a 79-degree day worthy of a travel brochure cover. The fivesome dickered over their posture and froze as the photos clicked off on a Nikon D800 camera. They were seated in the same order and in the same poses as they've been striking since 1982.

A hat always rests on Rumer-Cleary's lap or knee. Molony holds up a jar in his right hand. Burney's right hand rests inside his right knee.

"It's nice to get back here and know that the cancer was not going to eliminate what we're doing," said Burney.

It's about friendship.

The close bonds exhibited in the last photo, in 2017, once again brought a frenzy of interest to the laid-back quintet.

The five guys told CNN they ended up in a German museum exhibit on friendship. Their photo was displayed in Costco's magazine.

Once again, their images went viral, spinning around social media sites where their appearance was both mercilessly dissected and praised.

"There are some dumb quotes you can never put in any articles," said Wardlaw.

"There were responses to (three of us) going shirtless. Some said we looked pretty good, and it was brave after 50."

Four of the friends are 59 years old. Rumer-Cleary is 58.

Rumer-Cleary called the attention the photos have generated surreal and says at times, strangers will stop him.

"It's happened to me for a couple reasons," said the software engineer who founded Occam Networks. "I'm 6-foot-6 and I have facial hair. They won't pick it out right off the bat. 'You look familiar, I can't tell why.'"

Way back in the beginning

The five friends, all graduates of Santa Barbara High School, took the first photo in the now-familiar pose in their late teens with an automatic camera timer in 1982.

Their reunions take place at the Copco Lake cabin built by Wardlaw's grandfather in 1970.

They've fished, hiked, barbecued, picked berries for homemade pies and pranked each other over the years.

Molony described late night knocks on walls, firecrackers tossed into a bedroom in retaliation and relentless teasing.

Dickson confessed he nicknamed Wardlaw "Wedge" because of his definition of the shape of his friend's head after a haircut.

"I hated the nickname," Wardlaw said. "So, it stuck."

Dickson is the only one who still lives in Santa Barbara, where he runs a tourism website SantaBarbara.com.

Molony is a New Orleans-based photographer. Rumer-Cleary is retired and lives in Portland, Oregon. Wardlaw is a filmmaker and photographer who lives in Bend, Oregon.

Burney, an Air Force veteran, enters his 23rd year of teaching in the fall in Northern California.

The cancer survivor does not worry about the future of the photo and his health.

"But I do have trepidation over sitting on that railing," Burney said.

"As we age, so does the railing. We get a little older, heavier. That bench and railing sits about 30 feet up. I'm worried one day about hearing it crack."

Such talk led to gallows humor and Burney showing a picture of the tumor pulled from his leg,

"It looks like a tri-tip," Burney chuckled, referring to the triangular-shaped cut of meat popularized in Santa Barbara County.

The friends all smiled and almost in a chorus said, "Well, it does."

After four decades of jokes and friendship, it's only fitting that they made fun of the tumor that almost ruined their photo tradition.

The-CNN-Wire  &  2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday cleared the way for lawmakers to severely limit or even ban abortion in the state, reversing a decision by the court just four years ago that guaranteed the right to abortion under the Iowa Constitution.

The court, now composed almost entirely of Republican appointees, concluded that a less conservative court wrongly decided that abortion is among the fundamental privacy rights guaranteed by the Iowa Constitution and federal law.

Fridays ruling comes amid expectations that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Then Iowa lawmakers could ban abortion in the state without completing the lengthy process of amending the state constitution.

The Iowa decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed by abortion providers who challenged a 2020 law that required a 24-hour waiting period before a woman can get an abortion. A judge who struck down the law cited the state high court's 2018 ruling. The judge also concluded that the law violated rules prohibiting passage of bills with more than one subject.

The state Supreme Court returned the waiting-period case to district court.

In its 2018 ruling, decided by a 5-2 vote, the court said that autonomy and dominion over ones body go to the very heart of what it means to be free.

The reversal of the decision after just four years reflects a dramatic change in the court's makeup. Gov. Kim Reynolds has named four justices since 2017, and six of the seven people on the court have been appointed by Republican governors.

Reynolds, an outspoken opponent of abortion rights, and Republicans in the Legislature have repeatedly said they hoped the court would overturn the 2018 ruling. With that in mind, Reynolds and GOP lawmakers gave the governor more control over the panel that chooses which lawyers and judges are nominated for court positions.

The 2018 decision had made Iowa the sixth state  with Alaska, Florida, Kansas, Montana and Minnesota  where a right to abortion was recognized by the states high court.

As in Iowa, Republicans control the Legislatures and governorships in Florida and Montana, where GOP leaders have been stymied from enacting abortion bans that could take effect if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its 1973 landmark decision and puts decision-making power in state government hands.

In Montana, a challenge to abortion restrictions that could test that states high court opinion is before the Supreme Court.

In Iowa, Reynolds has demurred on questions of what exceptions she would accept. She said last month she is proud of the legislation she signed in 2018, including the ban on abortions once cardiac activity is detected, as early as six weeks and often before many women know they are pregnant. The measure included exceptions to protect the life of the mother and in pregnancies that result from incest or rape.

Yet more recently, she stopped short of specifying similar exceptions. Im not going to set any parameters, she told reporters.

Iowa Department of Public Health data shows there were 4,058 abortions in Iowa in 2020  835 by surgical procedure and 3,222 by medication. That was an increase over the previous year when 3,566 abortions were reported. Iowa averaged just under 3,500 abortions a year from 2015 to 2019.

Court documents show Planned Parenthood performs about 95% of Iowa abortions. Surgical and medical abortions may be obtained in clinics in Des Moines and Iowa City. Medication abortions are provided in other clinic locations including Ames, Council Bluffs and Sioux City.

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

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Mobile network operators believe the spectrum that wouldve been allocated to South Africas national open-access cellular network should be given to them as soon as possible.

In March 2022, the South African government announced its intention to shelve plans for a wholesale open-access network (WOAN).

This came after it had promoted the idea of a national cellular network to increase competition in the mobile industry for years.

Theoretically, the WOAN would offer shared infrastructure to service providers who did not have their own cellular networks.

Mexicos WOAN, Red Compartida, was held up as an example of the model in action.

However, the telecommunications company behind Mexicos WOAN, Altan Redes, filed for bankruptcy in July 2021.

At the end of 2021, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) delayed the licencing of the WOAN.

Shortly after, in March 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosas Cabinet put forward a policy amendment that would suspend the plan to build the WOAN.

MyBroadband asked South Africas major mobile network operators about the WOAN potentially being indefinitely shelved.

A Vodacom spokesperson said that the mobile operator is encouraged that government is re-evaluating its approach to the WOAN given the recent global developments.

MTN agreed with this sentiment.

We believe that the proposed policy amendment takes cognisance of global developments as it relates to wholesale network policy advances.

It demonstrates a more desirable approach to the policy framework at a time when encouraging highly sought-after capital investments is paramount to developing South Africas economy.

The proposed draft policy indicates governments willingness to move towards a more balanced policy approach of both service-based and infrastructure-based competition in the mobile sector, MTN said.

In March 2022, Icasa held its wireless spectrum auction, raising R14.5 billion from mobile networks for the national fiscus in exchange for precious radio waves  raw wireless network capacity.

Vodacom said that although the auction helped significantly to address the decade-long backlog in spectrum assignment, more is needed to put South African operators on the same level as their global counterparts.

If there is a decision to defer the potential licensing of a WOAN, then Vodacom recommends that the spectrum originally set aside for the WOAN be immediately assigned to the mobile operators, the company said.

What really matters is a policy framework which supports both infrastructure-based competition and the development of downstream service-based competition, MTN said.

This trend is already developing in South Africa with shared towers, fibre, and national roaming including LTE networks.

March of this year was also when South Africas communications department released a draft policy on the licensing of spectrum previously set aside for the WOAN.

The proposed policy amendment allows existing mobile network operators to compete for the licensing of high-demand spectrum, MTN said.

This would also allow an operator like us, that has invested in its network for more than two decades, to be able to access further frequencies in what will hopefully be in a subsequent licensing process.

Cell C also threw its hat in the ring to try and ensure that smaller operators do not get left behind should Icasa issue more spectrum licenses.

We have made a submission, amongst others, requesting the Minister to close the spectrum gap, and that consideration be made for equitable access to IMT spectrum for small operators like us, Cell C chief legal officer Zahir Williams said.

There were suggestions that if a private sector investor with the necessary experience spearheaded the project, it could be a success.

Vumatel owner Community Investment Ventures Holdings (CIVH) put its name up for consideration.

We asked CIVH for their views about the status of the WOAN, but the company did not respond at the time of publication.

MTN said it believes competition in wholesale and retail services is a better way to achieve the amendment policys objectives than a debate on the ownership of a wholesale player.

If competitive forces dont deliver or have not delivered, then the issue of a WOAN can be a method of achieving the objectives set out in the amended draft policy.

Now read: South Africa is going to ban the sale of 2G devices
Napas Camille Creek Community School held a ceremony Friday morning to honor 28 graduating students whod pushed through tough times to earn their degrees.

Caroline Wilson, director of the school, said in an interview the school serves students  currently about 110 of them, from sixth grade to 12th  who are referred there either following expulsion from another school, truancy or probation. Wilson added that supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of the students is the schools primary job, given that paying attention to those needs can bring the students to a place where they want to learn.

Basically our students have not done well, either through truancy or behavior issues, whatever the circumstances might be, Wilson said. And so we look to create a different experience for the students.

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Annabelle Bergen, the student speaker at the ceremony, said school staff have helped her and the other students immensely, and that the school has taught her plenty of life lessons to go with her school lessons. Staff members were even there for her when her family members werent, she said, even though she didnt know them very well.

They didnt have to care about me; they didnt have to be there and listen, but they did, Bergen said. So these arent just ordinary people; theyre extraordinary for sure.

Bergen added that shes had to go through expulsion, arrests and probation, among other challenges. She bounced around to several different Napa schools throughout her K-12 journey and ultimately decided to stay at Camille Creek in her sophomore year, she said.

Dade Buer, another graduate, said hes managed to graduate a year early at Camille Creek. Hes planning to work in Napa and save up money, then go to a trade school, though hes not sure precisely which one yet.

Bergen said shes also planning to work for a year or two, and then go to a junior college. Shes hoping to eventually attend the University of Southern California.

Both said they were excited and relieved to be graduating.

The speakers at the ceremony all touched upon the students unconventional path to graduation and praised them for pushing forward.

There is not one among you who has not had some kind of setback. And some of you have faced tremendous obstacles, Wilson told the graduates on Friday. And yet each one of you is here today because you persevered.

Amanda Gibbs, Napa Countys chief probation officer, noted that the graduates had made it through not only their own struggles, but also fires and the COVID-19 pandemic. She said its important for all of them to remember theyve already demonstrated they have the skills necessary to overcome lifes various challenges.

Barbara Nemko, superintendent of the Napa County Office of Education, said the teachers, school staff, parents and friends had all helped the students graduate, but ultimately the students had completed the necessary work themselves.

In the end, you did the work, Nemko said. We dont just give out these diplomas. You have to earn them, and you did that.

Nemko added that the students have graduated at a great time, considering employers are looking for people who will show up, who will work hard, and are wanting to do a good job. She told the graduates to not be afraid to dream and to keep moving forward despite difficulties they may encounter.

You are going to fall down. But the world doesnt care how many times you fall down. As long as its one less than the number of times you get back up. Nemko said. I think well be talking for the next 50 years about the mistakes we made during COVID. Should we have locked down? Shouldnt we have locked down? What should we have done? People make mistakes, even the people that we think are the smartest people in the world. So just remember: you've got to get up every time and move forward.

You can reach Edward Booth at 707-256-2213.

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By Trend

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Switzerland Fuad Isgandarov discussed ongoing and future projects of International Ocean Institute in the Caspian Sea with Institute's Honorary President Awni Behnam, Isgandarov said on Twitter, Trend reports. The talks were held with the framework of "My Seas, My Oceans" exhibition, organized on the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and IDEA (International Dialogue for Environmental Action) Public Association, with the support of the United Nations Geneva Office and the permanent representative office of Azerbaijan under the Geneva Office of the UN "Was glad to discuss ongoing and future projects of Institute in Caspian Sea with Azerbaijan's participation with so experienced scientist," the ambassador wrote.




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Egypt signs contract with India to buy 180,000 tons of wheat

US Treasury Secretary discusses sanctions against Russia in Turkey

20 people die in mysterious circumstances in nightclub

Cavusoglu: Turkey is facing serious economic crisis

Armenian PM's spouse to hold official meetings and discussions in Nice, Monaco and Cannes

Media: Ukraine once again purchases weapons in Germany directly from manufacturer

European Council head cautious about G7 plan to ban imports of Russian gold

Iran launches second Zoljanah rocket into space

Britain and France agree to increase support for Ukraine

Armenian FM to leave on working visit to Athens

NATO to discuss largest military deployment since the Cold War

Artsakh Internal Affairs Ministry: Special measures in Stepanakert carried out in intensified mode

Biden thanks Scholz for leadership on Ukraine crisis at G7 summit

Iraqi PM arrives in Tehran

UN fears disease outbreak in Afghanistan due to earthquake

Johnson: Cost of Russian victory in Ukraine is too high

New Colombian president pledges to protect rainforest

Young man throws himself down from territory of Armenian Genocide Museum

G7 countries to impose a ban on imports of Russian gold

SADA CEO: Armenian startups are not yet well known on international market, they need to be strengthened

Turkey FM and Blinken discuss NATO expansion and grain supplies from Ukraine

Shoigu inspects grouping of Russian troops involved in Ukraine

Indonesian President to travel Ukraine, Russia on peace-building mission

Turkey intelligence agency captures alleged Greek spy

Armenia PM to answer questions from media and public organizations tomorrow

Ecuador's president lifts state of emergency declared due to strikes

Concrete placement starts at Unit 2 of Bushehr NPP in Iran

Eight corpses found at famous Mexican resort

US Army private admits plotting attack on military unit

Archaeologists discover remains of ancient tortoise with laid egg in Pompeii

Lithuanian president on sanctions against Kaliningrad transit: concessions to Russia are out of question

Founder of hypercar manufacturer Koenigsegg puts Toyota's GR Yaris up for sale

President Vucic says Serbia will seek replacement for Russia oil

China to provide $7.5M in humanitarian aid to quake-stricken Afghanistan

Chicken meat production drops in Armenia

MFA spokesman: Armenia reaffirms its readiness to establish peace, stability in the region

Putin announces, at meeting with Lukashenko, decision to transfer Iskander-M missile systems to Minsk
The director of the UN World Food Program David Beazley said that protests, riots and famine may occur in dozens of countries, as food prices are rising around the world, The Guardian reports.

His remarks came during a speech in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

He said the world is facing frightening shortages that could destabilize countries that depend on wheat exports from Ukraine and Russia.

Even before the Ukraine crisis, we were facing an unprecedented global food crisis because of Covid and fuel price increases, said Beasley. Then, we thought it couldnt get any worse, but this war has been devastating.

According to the newspaper, Ukraine annually grows enough food to feed 400 million people. The country produces 42 percent of the world's sunflower oil, 16 percent of corn and 9 percent of wheat. Somalia imports wheat from Ukraine and Russia, while Egypt receives 80% of its grain from these two countries.

Because of the coronavirus, the climate crisis and the crisis in Ukraine, the number of people suffering from hunger has risen from 650 million to 810 million in the past five years, Beasley said.
The Armenian public has not yet heard the Council of Europe's resolutions condemning Azerbaijan on the 44-day war in 2020, Armen Gevorgyan, an MP from the opposition Armenia bloc said.

His remarks came at a meeting with Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric in the parliament.

Here is Armen Gevorgyan's statement in full:

Madam Secretary General:

Welcome to Armenia. Its rather unfortunate that you dont have a separate meeting with the representatives of the parliamentary opposition. It is becoming a bad tradition when representatives of the Council of Europe avoid direct dialogue and engagement with the mainstream political opposition in Armenia. Nevertheless, I would like to focus your attention on a number of important issues.

The domestic socio-political life in Armenia has reached its boiling point, because a great injustice is being enforced against the people of Nagorno Karabakh. I believe in the course of your meetings with the Armenian officials you have often heard about a certain agenda of peace for the region. Let me reiterate, that no one in Armenia wants another war. But there is a much greater number of people who do not accept that after thirty years of free and independent state-building the people of Nagorno Karabakh can live as part of Azerbaijan. The people of Nagorno Karabakh are against that too. We are greatly concerned that, for example, in contrast to the European Parliament, we observe the Council of Europes determination to put a sign of equality between Armenia and Azerbaijan, aspiring to be less annoying for Azerbaijan and Turkey with critical resolutions and assessments of their policies. By the way, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that by avoiding direct dialogue with mainstream opposition forces both in Armenia and Azerbaijan you, in essence, indirectly put another sign of equality between these two countries in terms of their democratic credentials.

The Armenian public has so far not seen any relevant resolutions about Azerbaijans launching of the unprovoked and unjustified war against Armenians in 2020. The Council of Europe has failed to adopt sanctions following the acts of aggression by Azerbaijan against the territorial integrity of Armenia since May 2021. Azerbaijan continues to ignore the calls of the international community to free all prisoners of war and other detainees, and still carries out its racist and xenophobic policies and propaganda against Armenians. I presume, this will also be testified by the International Court of Justice in the relevant proceedings currently underway. All these are major points of concern, essentially questioning whether we at all can agree with Azerbaijan on anything.

You may well ask: what can the Council of Europe do to resolve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict fairly? I am convinced that first and foremost our Organisation must begin by objective assessments of the situation, which I believe will be a good deterrence against Azerbaijans aggressive aspirations, but also will protect the quality of democratic governance in the Council of Europe Member States. This will also contribute to any future dialogue for peace in the region.

Our Organisation must be fair and consistent in supporting the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms, and first and foremost in terms of upholding the right of peoples to self-determination.

Madam Secretary General:

At the same time, we are deeply concerned that the Council of Europe has been disregarding the clear backsliding from norms and traditions of democracy in our country. The restrictions of the freedom of speech and freedom of the media, the growing dependence of the judiciary and the investigative bodies on the executive branch, the illegal persecutions of opposition figures have become new normal of the so-called democratic traditions in Armenia. The disputable quality of the elections to the local self-governance bodies held in the past few months is impossible to disregard even by the international organisations.

Over the past two months this long list of such unacceptable phenomena has been supplemented by violations of the rights of citizens to peaceful protests, as well as by the use of brutal and disproportionate force by the police against protesters. On June 3 the police used stun grenades to disperse the multi-thousand opposition rally, without due warning and without necessity, and as a result many policemen and protesters were seriously wounded and taken to hospitals. Currently 31 opposition figures are arrested on various illegal grounds and with obvious political motivations.

I would like to remind everyone here that in the Spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly a resolution on genuine democracy has been adopted, which stated, I quote, that democracy is not the dictatorship of the majority.

In conclusion, I would like to add that we do not intend to make the Council of Europe a space for gladiator fights against either Armenian authorities or Azerbaijan. But we neither intend to put up with the facts that our Organisation is being transformed into a platform of legitimising the consequences of the 44-day war; into a platform clearly promoting the interests of the Turkic coalition led by Turkey and Azerbaijan at the expense of the Armenian people; or a space silently observing anti-democratic processes in our country.
France and Turkey have proposed "rival" plans for the export of grain from Ukraine, The Guardian reported.

According to the newspaper, Turkey is promoting the option of safe routes from three Ukrainian ports, even though the ports have not been de-mined. This would require the clearance of more than 400 mines, but Ukraine is wary of clearing the passage for Russian ships entering its ports.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the location of the mines was known, so "certain security lines" would be established in the three ports.

However, Davyd Arakhamia a member of the Ukrainian negotiating team, questioned the plan.

"Our military is against it, so we have very limited optimism about this model," he said.

For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron called for doubling the number of land and rail routes to the major Romanian port of Constanta, more than 450 kilometers south of Odessa.

"Odessa is a few tens of kilometers from Romania, and through Romania [we] will be able to reach the Danube and the railroad. We are in the process of creating a kind of connection point where we could export this grain much more actively, more quickly and on a larger scale than we do today," Macron said.
The New York Times analyzed private planes flying out of Moscow and found that before sanctions were imposed and Europe closed its airspace, they most often flew to Paris, Milan and Geneva.

After 24 February, wealthy Russians began flying to Central Asia and the Middle East, according to RadarBox.com, cited by the publication.

"By May, a new geography of the Russian elite had taken shape, data on nearly 2,000 flights analyzed by The New York Times shows. That world has one clear center: Dubai," the article says.

It is specified that until February only 3% of private flights leaving Russia were directed to the United Arab Emirates, mainly to Dubai. Since the closure of European airspace for Russia, no other country has seen such a surge in the number of Russians as in the UAE, notes the NYT.

The analysis covers both private planes and planes leased by commercial companies, although it is assumed that most of the planes are privately owned, the NYT specifies. The flight data demonstrate that the restrictions imposed on Russia have changed the lives and habits of the Russian elite, the newspaper said.

After the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, the EU completely closed its airspace to Russian planes. The US also closed its airspace to Russian airlines. In response, the Federal Air Transport Agency closed the airspace for 36 countries.
UAE developer Deyaar has announced plans to build its first luxury residential tower, Tria, in Dubai Silicon Oasis, an integrated free zone technology park, at an investment of AED650 million ($177 million).

Tria is the latest addition to Deyaars portfolio which includes Regalia, Bella Rose, Midtown, and the Millennium Al Barsha Hotel.

According to Deyaar, Tria is the latest addition to its portfolio which includes Regalia, Bella Rose, Midtown, and the Millennium Al Barsha Hotel.

Featuring a sleek aluminum glass facade, the 32-storey tower will offer a wide range of residential options including contemporary and spacious studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, townhouses, duplexes, as well as stylish penthouses.

Each unit has double-glazed floor-to-ceiling windows presenting panoramic views of Dubais famous skyline, stated the developer.

According to Deyaar, with this project, suburban living will be taken to the next level with best-in-class wellness, fitness and resort-style amenities, including swimming pools, clubhouse, gymnasium, yoga pavilion, steam and sauna rooms, squash and padel courts, outdoor cinema, and plenty of lush, landscaped greenery.

A upscale wellness-inspired property nestled in a prime location, Tria will be one of the largest residential developments in DSO, which is a member of Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ).

Tria will offer its residents the latest in eco-living solutions such as smart-home automation, energy-efficient lights, branded built-in appliances, elegant interiors and much more, stated the Dubai developer.

With a built-up area of over 1 million sq.ft, the project is served by excellent transport links that provide fast access to major highways, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Al Ain Road, it added.

Announcing the new project, CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Qatami said: "We are delighted to build our first luxury development in Dubai Silicon Oasis, a community at the heart of Dubais efforts to become one of the worlds smartest cities. Tria will add tremendous value to this iconic city."

"As a modern urban sanctuary, it is uniquely designed to put health and happiness at the forefront by providing the latest in smart-home technology and resort-style amenities. It will offer an elevated lifestyle for the emirates growing population and contribute to making Dubai one of the happiest places in the world. It is a flagship project that reflects our confidence in the strength of the UAEs economic recovery," he added.

DSO Director General Dr Juma Al Matrooshi said: "The new project by Deyaar represents a truly unique concept which we are confident it will be a great addition to DSOs vibrant community. It also complements the rich offerings of Dubai Silicon Oasis, which is considered one of the leading destinations in the UAE for people to live, work, play and study within a fully serviced integrated community."

The DSO community has grown rapidly since its inception in 2005, today housing a population that exceeds 90,000 and a total of 215 buildings and more than 890 retail shops throughout its community that promotes smart and sustainable living within a neighborhood that is lively and evolving, he added.

Nasser Amer, Deyaar Vice-President (Sales) said: "Tria is a breathtaking property in our growing portfolio of world-class residential projects. We are excited about bringing this unique project to market and look forward to providing investors and end-users with a unique purchase experience with our attractive launch offer and an ultimate 6 years payment plan."

"As with all projects to date, we maintain our steadfast commitment in delivering Tria on time and look forward to making swift progress on this extraordinary luxury development," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The Italian authorities are considering the possibility of introducing a state of emergency because of problems with Russian gas supplies, the ANSA agency reported.

It is noted that the Ministry of Ecological modernization and transformation of Italy may in the coming week (June 20-26) to raise the current level of warning to the level of "danger" in the field of energy in the case of continuing reduction of Russian gas supplies from Russia.

The Italian ministry explained that the level of "danger" does not imply any non-market measures and provides guarantees of supply from operators.

According to the newspaper La Repubblica, the Italian government is already working to reduce gas consumption. In the event of a shortage of energy resources will be set limits on the temperature and duration of heating or cooling of homes and public institutions, reducing the lighting of cities and roads.

At the same time, Italy is negotiating to increase purchases with suppliers from Algeria, Libya and Azerbaijan. Also, the authorities are considering increasing domestic production, but understand that this will require large investments, as well as the revision of regulations on drilling, which the country tried to ban a few years ago.
According to EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell, the events in Ukraine "threaten a global wave of hunger," and the EU is ready to work with the UN to prevent a food disaster.

"I assured all my interlocutors that we are ready to work with the UN and partners in preventing any unwanted impacts of our sanctions on global food security. We are in close contact with the UN to look into issues such as market avoidance and over compliance which could affect purchases of Russian grain or fertilisers," the EU high representative for foreign affairs wrote in a blog post Saturday.

European sanctions do not apply to these exports, he said.

"We are ready to work with the UN and partners to prevent any unwanted impacts of our sanctions on global food security," Borrell said in an article published on his official blog.

At the same time, he acknowledged that even before the Russian operation in Ukraine, positions in the global fight against hunger were being lost. But the Ukrainian conflict, Borrel believes, has made the situation much worse.

"Food prices, that were already affected by the pandemic and climate change, have never been as high as today in real terms and many experts warn that the worst is yet to come," the European diplomatic chief noted.

As Borrell wrote,"It is therefore imperative to allow Ukrainian exports by ship to resume."
Japanese authorities the day before protested to China over Beijing's unilateral development of natural resources in the East China Sea, Asahi reported Saturday, citing a Japanese Foreign Ministry statement.

"It is extremely regrettable that China is proceeding with its unilateral development activity, even though it is in the west side of the equidistance line between Japan and China," the Japanese ministry said in a statement.

The agency reminded that China continues to conduct such activities despite the agreement of the two countries on cooperation in the waters of the region dated 2008.

Asahi reminds that in the East China Sea there is no officially established border between Japan and China. In turn, China has built more than a dozen drilling platforms at gas fields west of the line, which is considered in Tokyo as the demarcation zone of economic interests of the two countries.

At the same time, Japanese authorities have previously recorded China's transportation to the region of the basis for another drilling platform.

The dispute between China and Japan in the East China Sea arose in connection with the discovery of offshore gas fields there and the beginning of their development by the Chinese side.

In addition, Tokyo and Beijing have a territorial dispute over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands (Chinese: Diaoyu) in the East China Sea.
Motawif, a full-service online portal enabling international pilgrims to register for the current Hajj season, is receiving great interest from pilgrims, said a statement.

The Motawif platform allows global pilgrims for the first time to register electronically for the Hajj season. To date, there have been over 100,000 interest registrations from 56 countries with particular interest from the United States, United Kingdom and France, it said.

Motawif was developed by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in line with Saudi Vision 2030 goal to increase religious tourism. The online portal includes various packages, support services, a live-chat function, and a 24/7 call centre in three languages for pilgrims seeking to perform Hajj. Motawif also issues visas electronically, one of many ways it is simplifying and expediting the registration and application process.

Ahmed Boshnak, Chairman of Motawif, said: We are delighted to have the opportunity to play a core role in making international pilgrims lives easier through the launch of Motawif platform by directly selecting their preferred preference of services online. In parallel, this platform will also allow for an array of cost-effective packages for their entire Hajj journey. The demand since our launch has been rapid and global, with applicants from 56 countries. It has been an honour to work alongside the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, and we are excited about the next few days ahead as the full launch of the platform and allocations are decided.

The launch of Motawif aligns with Saudis Vision 2030 and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah strategy to develop and promote the digital experience for pilgrims, simplifying the application process whilst providing competitive prices.

Notification of successful application and registration of Hajj will be done on June 15, said the statement. Pilgrims will then be able to select their preferred Hajj package and process payments.

The first flight is expected to arrive to Saudi Arabia on June 22, it said.

Pilgrims can register directly, browse the available packages, and submit their applications via www.motawif.com.sa

Dr Abdulfattah Mashat, the Vice Minister of Hajj and Umrah, said: In our role as sector regulator, the new portal comes within the framework of the ministrys strategy to develop the digital experience for the pilgrims. These efforts aim to facilitate the procedures and provide transparency and competitive prices for pilgrims also. - TradeArabia News Service
Mass outdoor events are forbidden in different parts of France because of the current heat wave, BBC reported.

In particular, concerts and other mass gatherings of people are forbidden in the Gironde department.

Forbidden are also mass events in areas not equipped with air conditioning. And the media point out that under these conditions, electricity consumption is growing and electricity has already had to be imported from neighboring countries.

This week the temperature in France rose to 40 degrees Celsius. As expected, the peak of the heat will be on Saturday.

This year the summer heat came to the country earlier than usual. The reason for this weather was the masses of hot air from North Africa.

Also, very hot weather has arrived in Spain, Italy and the UK. In Spain this weekend forecast up to 43 degrees, in the UK - up to 33 degrees. The level of Italy's largest river Po fell so much that shipwrecks began to show from under the water.

As scientists note, intense heat sets more and more often and these periods last longe. Experts attribute this to global warming.
Mainland aluminium imports drop by over 16 percent

Employees work with aluminium ingots at a factory in Huaibei. Photo: AFP

The mainland's aluminium imports in May fell 16.4 percent from the same month a year earlier, government data showed on Saturday, amid high overseas prices and weaker domestic consumption.



The country brought in 188,469 tonnes of unwrought aluminium and products - including primary metal and unwrought, alloyed aluminium - last month, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.



Monthly aluminium imports into China, the world's biggest producer and consumer of the metal, have been below 200,000 tonnes so far this year as an arbitrage window for cheaper overseas metal shut and downstream demand weakened due to Covid-19 induced lockdowns.



The May imports were up slightly from 175,289 tonnes in April however.



China's exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products jumped 54 percent from a year earlier to 676,605 tonnes in May, its highest in at least nine years.



Imports of bauxite, the main aluminium ore source, were 11.97 million tonnes last month, up slightly from April's 11.13 million tonnes, and compared with 9.11 million tonnes in May a year earlier. (Reuters)
A group of academics, including Noam Chomsky, has written an open letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging him to take action against the "deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistan", especially after the ouster of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, media reports said. "In the last two months, there has been an alarming rise in human rights violations in Pakistan, including suppression of freedom of speech; harassment and intimidation of journalists, social media users and political activists; [and] making of fake blasphemy cases against political rivals," said the letter dated May 26, Express Tribune reported. It also expressed concern over the arrest of political opponents, including former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, and other political activists over their social media posts. The letter said there were raids and cases against journalists and politicians with "electronic devices hacked, stolen and snatched", Express Tribune reported. The academics also took up the issue of blasphemy cases filed against PTI's leadership in the aftermath of an incident on the premises of Masjid Nabwi (SAW) earlier this year. It alleged that the government was abusing blasphemy laws for "political vendetta against political rivals". "These troubled developments violate the minimal requirements of democratic government, fundamental freedoms under the Constitution of Pakistan, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. "We strongly urge the relevant authorities in Pakistan to adhere to and ensure basic human rights including the right to freedom of opinion, and expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of religion or belief," it said. --IANS san ( 269 Words) 2022-06-18-19:46:02 (IANS)
In the run-up to Indias 75th Independence Day, celebrated across India as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Adani Foundation has organised a yoga tour of Gujarat. The tour covers 75 heritage, tourist and archaeological sites and landmark architectural sites across Gujarat. Each of these sites is of immense significance and many of these are revered religious sites. The sites were chosen to reflect the rich and vibrant cultural heritage of Gujarat. The yoga performances across the state have been documented in the form of short films to showcase benefits of yoga in the backdrop of Gujarat's unique culture, history, architectural marvels, natural eco-system and diverse geography. This content is available to viewers on a variety of online and broadcast platforms in several easy-to-access formats. A song, 'Yog Karo', composed by Sachin-Jigar and sung by Shankar Mahadevan, has also been produced to raise awareness, highlighting the beauty of Gujarat and depicting various yoga positions. The elements of each asana or posture performed in this song is linked to that particular site, such as the performance of Simhasana, Vrukshasana, and Mayurasana at Gir Forest. "Each episode of this Yoga Yatra reveals the beauty and grandeur of Gujarat by taking viewers and yoga enthusiasts on an immersive tour of the state's most remarkable destinations and the innumerable facets of the practice of yoga," said Dr Priti Adani, Chairperson, Adani Foundation. "Knowing, experiencing and connecting with our ancient roots and cultural heritage is very important to discovering who we were and who we should be. Yoga is India's gift to the world. It is not just a path to fitness, but a journey to preventive healthcare and holistic wellbeing," she added. The Yoga Yatra is a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, a Government of India initiative to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence. The yoga tour covers 75 heritage, tourist, archaeological sites and landmark architectural sites across Gujarat. --IANS san/arm ( 326 Words) 2022-06-17-22:06:03 (IANS)
New Delhi [India] June 18 (ANI/ATK): Dogecoin (DOGE) and Dogelon Mars (ELON) are ranking high in the currently popular "Buy the dip crypto" searches among crypto enthusiasts. However, presale tokens, such as Logarithmic Finance (LOG) could potentially be a safer investment choice during this challenging time in the crypto world. What Is Happening In The Crypto Market? The crypto industry has experienced one of the worst weeks so far with Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies dropping by more than half in value from their all-time highs. Crypto has already been struggling through the first half of 2022, but the last few days brought some crucial downturns leading to job cuts and halted withdrawals. On Monday, panicked investors dumped their holdings, which led to a crucial market cap drag down to below USD 1 trillion, from its highest point of USD 3 trillion at the end of last year. While some speculate that these actions have shown a high mistrust of cryptocurrencies, experienced investors are much less likely to panic because they have already seen this before during the previous crypto winter between 2018-2020. It comes as no surprise that many crypto newbies are aiming to take advantage of this period to buy the dip crypto and expect to earn exponential profits on their investments as has happened during the previous bull market of 2021. What Could Be The Meme Coins' Fate In The Bear Market?Dogecoin (DOGE) and Dogelon Mars (ELON) have been holding strong positions in the crypto market for some time now. However, during bear market crypto experts advise reducing extremely volatile investment choices and avoiding meme coins, which don't necessarily attract long-term investors. Long-term investing is expected to be the best way to survive the crypto winter. Established cryptocurrencies with certain use cases are more likely to attract determined investors, thus supporting some crypto projects and allowing them to continue to grow despite the market downturns. Is It Time To Turn To Presale Tokens?Previously successful cryptocurrency presales have shown investors that it is exceptionally profitable to invest early. During the presale period, the token price cannot fall, providing more space for your investment to grow. Ethereum (ETH), Filecoin (FIL), and Tezos (XTZ) made history with the enormous sums that were raised during their presale stages. As a result, early investors earned exceptionally high profits, which led to the rising popularity of presales. Currently, in presale, Logarithmic Finance (LOG) is set to impress its early investors as it has already shown a great value increase of nearly 500 per cent since the start of its presale. As a next-generation Layer-3 swapping protocol, it aims to benefit both investors and innovators. Logarithmic Finance (LOG) presents a detailed and innovative roadmap that highlights the platform's future plans for a dynamic ecosystem where community members will receive the best Decentralised Finance (DeFi) solutions available in the crypto industry. The LOG community will be able to enjoy several beneficial platform features. Innovators will be able to receive financing from the blockchain of their choice thanks to a dynamic multi-chain ecosystem. Despite being built on Ethereum (ETH), Logarithmic Finance intends to incorporate Binance Smart Chain (BSC), Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX), Tezos (XTZ), and Polygon (MATIC). You can learn more about Logarithmic Finance (LOG) and join the presale using the links below. Logarithmic Finance (LOG) Presale: https://presale.logarithmic.finance/register Website: https://logarithmic.finance/ Telegram: https://t.me/LOGARITHMIC_FINANCE_OFFICIAL This story is provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ATK)
Southfield (Michigan) [US], June 18 (ANI/PRNewswire): Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA), a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, released its 2021 Sustainability Report, featuring the company's progress on its renewable energy strategy, innovative green products, supplier sustainability, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. "Since we integrated ESG into our company's long-term strategy - alongside business results and operational excellence - our global teams are helping us advance on our sustainability journey," said Ray Scott, Lear President and CEO. "Every day, Lear employees around the world are striving to support our people and communities as we work to make Lear an even better corporate citizen." Highlights of Lear's ESG Progress: Renewable Energy Strategy After announcing its climate change goals in 2020, Lear developed a robust strategy to help the company achieve 100 per cent renewable energy for electric power consumed at its manufacturing plants by 2030. The goal has already been reached in Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom, representing approximately one-half of Lear's electricity use in Europe. To build on this progress, Lear plans to use a combination of methods including partnering with energy utilities to procure renewable energy as well as on-site generation for its remaining global sites. Green Products With three Automotive News PACE Award-winning innovations in 2021, Lear is helping electric vehicles charge faster and drive farther. In fact, six out of eight key E-Systems launches in 2022 will include content on new electric vehicles. By 2026, 4 million electric vehicles are expected to rely on Lear's new high-voltage connection systems as the main battery/vehicle interface. Additionally, Lear's sustainable solutions include lightweight seating structures as well as renewable and recycled materials that divert waste from landfills and support a global circular economy. Product Sustainability To determine the cradle-to-grave sustainability of its products, Lear initiated life cycle assessments on its seating, leather and wire harness products in 2021. In addition, the company published a new product directive to integrate sustainability into its design process. Supplier Sustainability In 2021, a third-party evaluated 1,600 of Lear's production supplier locations on the environment, responsible sourcing, ethics, human rights and management. Lear expects to complete assessments of approximately 3,000 of its production suppliers by the end of 2022. Other major highlights from Lear's 2021 Sustainability Report include: - Launching the Together We Grow program to provide meaningful development and proactive career management for future diverse leaders. - Spending USD 5.1 billion with certified minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned suppliers in the United States in the past decade. - Renewing its commitment to the United Nations (UN) Global Compact as a signatory participant and to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. - Increasing transparency and enhancing reporting with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations, and in accordance with the Core Requirements of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). To download or view Lear's 2021 Sustainability Report, visit lear.com/sustainability. Lear, a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, enables superior in-vehicle experiences for consumers around the world. Lear's diverse team of talented employees in 38 countries is driven by a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability. Lear is Making every drive better by providing the technology for safer, smarter, and more comfortable journeys. Lear, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, serves every major automaker in the world and ranks 186 on the Fortune 500. Further information about Lear is available at lear.com or on Twitter @LearCorporation. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)
Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 18 (ANI/BusinessWire India): CP PLUS, India's leading CCTV brand, began producing surveillance devices locally in India in its Manufacturing facility in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh 5 years ago. And since then, the brand has enhanced its manufacturing capabilities to reach the plant's maximum production capacity of 1Mn units a month. Now to meet the growing demand, CP PLUS has put up another manufacturing unit in Kadappa District, Andhra Pradesh. With the production commencing in Q2, 2022-23, this new facility will have 3 times the production capability vis-a-vis the existing capacity i.e. 3Mn Surveillance units per month, which will make it the World's Largest Manufacturing Unit for Surveillance Products, outside China and 3rd largest in the entire world when including China. The CP PLUS manufacturing facility Kadappa in the state of Andhra Pradesh has been integrated with the world's latest Fuji-made state-of-the-art technology SMT Lines and semi-Robotic Assembly and packaging Lines. All production area has been designed with ESD flooring, dust-free and air-conditioned environment to achieve the world's best quality of products. This manufacturing facility has a wide range of Reliability Test Equipment to ensure High quality of products manufactured and also to qualify for various certifications required in Tenders and by Govt. of India organizations like RDSO, AAI, PWD, Indian Navy, etc. Aditya Khemka, Managing Director of CP PLUS expressed his intentions to further expand the production capacities manifolds in the future. "Backed by our R&D proficiency, we have plans in action to further augment our capabilities and become many times larger than the current size to produce 6 Mn units per month in near future to make our brand more and more Atmanirbhar in order to accomplish our PM's dream and to make India truly self-reliant. In addition, we have 10 acres of additional land for which we have firm plans to develop facilities for Backward Integration in the CCTV domain. CCTV and Recorders' components like Housing, Cables, and Adapters among the others are placed in the first phase of manufacturing which will lead to an actual increase in Local Content in manufacturing and go another mile in the localization and indigenization process of CCTV manufacturing in India! With visible Govt. support, we do foresee Exports of Surveillance products in near future from this stupendous production facility." All these areas of high-volume production, Backward Integration & Exports will attribute to a larger employment generation for the country, especially for Women as the brand's current workforce consists of 90 per cent of female workers. Manufacturing for other domestic and international brands, CP PLUS has also become the largest Indian OEM and ODM as well, giving strong competition to Chinese companies and reaching the leading spot in the entire surveillance industry. CP PLUS is a pioneer Indian brand responsible for leading the security and surveillance industry in the country for many years now. Since its very beginning, CP PLUS has dominated the CCTV industry by introducing affordable solutions and a reliable sense of security to the general public and creating awareness about enhancing public safety. Now, the brand's name itself has become a synonym for CCTV in many parts of the country. Being a leading brand in the surveillance industry, CP PLUS has successfully conducted hundreds of government projects, securing railway and police stations, air and sea ports, government institutions, public roads, and even entire smart cities. Currently, CP PLUS is also in talks with the Government of India to introduce the PLI scheme for the Surveillance industry and also about amendments to the Public Safety Act to further improve Electronics Security for India and its public. The growth and popularity CP PLUS has witnessed every step of the way successfully placed the brand at the forefront of the surveillance industry, so much so that now CP PLUS is not just India's No. 1 surveillance equipment manufacturer but also has the largest production facility for security and surveillance products anywhere outside of China in the whole world. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 18 (ANI/PRAADIS TECHNOLOGIES PVT LTD): Praadis Education has doubled its number of subscribers in the year 2021-2022. This financial year has proved wonders for the Praadis Education company as they are bent on providing its customers with the most affordable rates and genuine education. The owners of the company, who are popularly known as the Praadis power couple, have proved that the Ed-tech sector survives by providing quality content at the best possible rates to its users worldwide. The company has also started classes in the USA which has been a boon for the Praadis Education company. Prashant Bhatia the CEO of the Ed-tech firmly believes that there is no substitute for quality education and customer service. Aditi Bhatia who is the co-founder and the creative head of the company says that in today's world where the competition is just to be on top, there had to be someone who is providing genuine education to serve the people and millions of students worldwide. There has been no looking back for the Praadis power couple ever since they began their journey of Ed-tech start-up back in 2017. The Praadis Education team has added many new features as add-ons for its subscribers. The annual package priced at rupees 9,999 only has world-class content along with an ad-free and safe environment for students. Thousands of students participated in the Praadis Education Mathematics Olympiad that was held worldwide. The hard-working couple who have graduated from the USA, stay focused on their aim of Educating students worldwide from classes KG-12th grade for CBSE, ICSE, and IB curriculums. The excellent results achieved by students this year have helped Praadis Education double up on its number of subscribers. The online learning app is equipped with the best teachers in the country and has been delivering the highest quality content. Praadis Education is also offering its clients with Mentors who have been helping students with doubt-solving sessions. The Digital Live Classes at Praadis Education have been a hit among students from grades KG-12. One of the main reasons for the institute's success is its excellent customer support team. The Praadis Education App has immersive education material for every grade and the subscription includes access to study materials like video lectures, worksheets for practice, NCERT solutions, sample papers, question banks, etc. The Praadis Power Couples who are parents themselves have provided in this app multiple modes of learning, like 3D conceptual learning videos where they show the animated models of the chapters, interactive books, etc. The story-based learning is also incorporated in the Watch the story module of the App. The practice test module by Praadis Education App also enhances the student's mastery over those topics. Praadis Education is continuously working to reach every corner of the world at an affordable price so that every child can have access to premium educational content. Praadis Education is a leading global EdTech company geared towards providing a world-class education to millions of students. The company's vision is to help the next generation of students by changing stressful education into joyful learning. Praadis Education focuses on learning through game-play and storytelling for highly effective and enjoyable education. This story is provided by PRAADIS TECHNOLOGIES PVT LTD. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRAADIS TECHNOLOGIES PVT LTD)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] June 18 (ANI/NewsVoir): Anglo-French Drug & Industries one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in India, donated a Vestibulator to SRCC, a children's hospital in Mumbai. The Vestibulator will be used to aid in the recovery of children with neurological issues, especially those suffering from autism and cerebral palsy. The machine itself is unique and state-of-the-art and was custom-made by IIT for SRCC; it is only the second of its kind in Mumbai. It will help in meeting the needs of the lower economic strata parents whose children will need therapy for various medical issues. The machine was officially inaugurated by Abhay Kanoria, Chairman and Managing Director, Anglo-French Drugs & Industries Ltd at the official inaugural ceremony held by SRCC Centre for Child Development on June 17 at their Mumbai hospital. The machine was donated to the hospital to expand its services to cater to the needs of children who would need physiotherapy. By using the machine the hospital aims to help children to recover faster and better and go back to leading a healthier life, which always has been the AFDIL's mission when it comes to providing the best healthcare services. Talking at the inaugural ceremony Abhay Kanoria, Chairman and Managing Director, Anglo-French Drugs & Industries Limited said, "As an organization, we are committed to provide whatever help possible to create a great healthcare ecosystem. The reason we chose to donate this particular machine is that we felt that there is little focus on the vestibular system and how fixing it can aid in the well-being of children with neurological disorders, the incidences of which are on the rise. Our contribution to SRCC is our first step towards it. We hope that by way of this machine the needy children will get the best in class services." Anglo-French Drugs and industries are one of the leading names in the world of pharmaceuticals. We have a heritage of 99 years with over 300 products selling across the world. The company has market-leading brands in nutraceuticals, CNS, skin, and respiratory segments. Our family comprises nearly 1000 people, who work diligently to serve over 65,000 doctors, 50,000 chemists, and all our other affiliated parties. Our vision is to build on our strong heritage and values to deliver high-quality medication and services. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Stella Stays, a UAE proptech start-up with a vision to create the future of living and hospitality, has announced expansion into Europe, launching two towers in prime locations in Istanbul, Turkiye.



Stella Stays Istanbul Etiler Tower and Stella Stays Istanbul Galata Tower will welcome guests from June and July 2022 respectively, offering tech-enabled, designer apartments with spacious living space, full kitchens and dedicated workspaces to both travellers and long-term residents.



The launches in Istanbul mark the companys first move into European markets, as part of an aggressive global expansion plan, after launching in Saudi Arabia in early June 2022. Stella Stays is actively exploring further opportunities in Turkey, as well as top destinations in Europe and globally.



Mohannad Zikra, Co-founder and CEO of Stella Stays, said: We are very excited about our expansion into Istanbul as it is one of the most visited cities in the world with north of 13 million annual visitors. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkiye projected about 45 million tourists and $35 billion in revenue for 2022 - a sharp recovery from the pandemic impact, with the majority of visitors coming from Europe.



Istanbul is renowned for its rich culture, history, impressive architecture, a modern skyline and delightful shopping experience, which contribute to its popularity. Istanbul is also the gateway between Europe and Asia with a buzzing residential and hospitality real estate sector. These are the attributes that make Istanbul a perfect destination for Stella Stays global expansion.



We plan to continue developing Stella Stays portfolio in Turkiyes top cities and the surrounding regions.



Stella Stays enters global markets through master leases or profit-sharing agreements with real estate developers and property owners. The company uses proprietary algorithms that identify, evaluate, and select the most desirable properties around the world, based on location, financial projection, and trends.



In traditional hotel models, hotel brands make operating commission while the property owners bear huge expenses, such as massive headcount and other operating costs. Stella Stays eliminates all the headaches for the property owner by offering hands-off management, while injecting technology and advanced data analytics into every aspect of operations. We have been able to reduce headcount by up to 70% and 50% of other operating costs compared to traditional hotels, which result in a much higher profit margin for property owners and our company, Zikra added.



As the creator of the residential hospitality concept, Stella Stays offers holidaymakers, business travellers, and residents a seamless living and hospitality experience by leveraging ground-breaking technology, guest-centric interior design, and modern service. Guests and residents can use the Stella Stays app to navigate the entire journey - from booking and managing their stays, checking in, controlling smart home systems, to ordering a wide range of guest services. Payment terms are flexible and can be made through various methods, including debit, credit cards and crypto payments.



Stella Stays is well recognised for its innovative and guest-centric approach. The company currently operates in the UAE, Bahrain, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and now Turkiye. Stella Stays expects to expand rapidly into major cities in the MENA region and around the world in the next 12-18 months, with flagship projects in key markets.  TradeArabia News Service
A delegation led by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to visit the World Food Programme (WFP) headquarters in Rome next week to share Odisha's "transformational journey" in food security and disaster management. From being dependent on others for its food security, Odisha has transformed itself into a food surplus state adding to the country's public distribution system. From the severe loss faced during the super cyclone of 1999, Odisha is now a model in disaster management acknowledged by the United Nations. The World Food Programme (WFP) has extended an invitation to Patnaik to visit its headquarters in Rome and share the success story. Patnaik is scheduled to start the visit on 20th June. During the visit, Patnaik is scheduled to meet Executive Director of WFP David Beasley and the senior leadership of WFP. He will have detailed discussions on Odisha's partnership with WFP and future projects which will further help the state in ensuring food security in a sustainable manner, according to a statement released by the Office of the CM, Odisha. During his stay in Rome, Chief Minister Patnaik is also scheduled to meet His Holiness Pope Francis in The Holy See, Vatican. Chief Minister will also meet the Odia diaspora from various parts of Europe. He will discuss the possible ways to engage with the diaspora in promoting the art and culture of Odisha and also enabling them to partner in the State's transformational journey, the statement said. On his way back, Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to meet the investors from the Middle East and adjoining regions in Dubai. "He will extend an invitation to the potential investors to come and invest in Odisha and assure them all the support and facilitation by the State Government," the statement noted. He will also have one-on-one meetings with some big investors from the region. A high-level industrial delegation from Odisha will also be present during the investors' meet for possible partnerships with the foreign investors, it added. Patnaik is also scheduled to meet with Odia diaspora from the Middle East in Dubai and discuss with them Odisha's transformational journey over the last two decades and invite them to partner with the state government, the chief minister's office said in the statement. (ANI)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] June 18 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Larsen & Toubro Infotech (BSE: 540005, NSE: LTI), a global technology consulting and digital solutions company, has expanded its operations in Kolkata by setting up a new facility in the city. The new centre marks company's expansion in the Eastern region of the country and is designed to meet the requirements of a futuristic and modern workplace. The center was inaugurated today by Nachiket Deshpande, Chief Operating Officer, LTI, Manoj Shikarkhane, Chief Human Resource Officer, LTI, Nirupam Chaudhuri, Regional Head, NASSCOM, and Debashis Sen, Chairman of Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority (NDITA). Located in the Salt Lake Electronics Complex, the new center is equipped to house more than 300 employees. The center will support LTI's service delivery capabilities for Cloud, Data, and Digital technologies and create exciting career opportunities for local talent seeking experiences in these futuristic domains. It will also offer LTI's clients the benefit of increased access to a larger talent pool from the state and the region. Nachiket Deshpande, Chief Operating Officer, LTI, said: "Kolkata boasts of a rich industry-academia ecosystem, and we are excited about our foray into the City of Joy. This center is launched in response to requests from our current and potential employees in the region. We are thrilled to mark our presence in the city and are committed to a long-term association with the region." Manoj Shikarkhane, Chief Human Resources Officer, LTI, commented: "We are witnessing monumental changes in the work, workplace, and workforce of the future, and are establishing more talent hubs across the country. Our expansion in Kolkata aims to benefit the overall technology landscape in the region. We are excited about our new start in this city and look forward to accelerated growth in times to come." LTI leveraged the opportunity to set base in the eastern region of the country to address the increasing demand for satellite workplaces. As one of the top technology companies in the nation, LTI encourages new ways of working and believes in taking work to people instead of bringing people to work. LTI is upbeat about the potential of the new Kolkata center and intends to offer enriching technology careers to local talent as well as solve better and solve faster for customers. Nirupam Chaudhuri, Regional Head, NASSCOM, said: "The surge in demand for digital technologies from enterprises across the globe has opened plethora of new-age career opportunities for the country's aspiring talent. Kolkata bears a rich heritage and serves as best-fit destination to groom talent of the future. We extend a warm welcome to LTI as it expands its presence in the region." Debashis Sen, Chairman of NDITA, commented: "Salt Lake is emerging as a preferred destination for IT service providers interested in setting their base in the city. As one of the fastest-growing technology players, LTI's expansion in Kolkata certainly adds to the appeal of this region and will benefit the local talent immensely." LTI plans to gradually scale up the operations at the new center and make it a core delivery unit in the region. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
The Central Pollution Control Board has undertaken comprehensive measures to give effect to India's commitment to ban identified single use plastic items by 30th June 2022, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said on Saturday. Plastic items that will be banned from the beginning of July 2022 include earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration, plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 microns and stirrers. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has adopted a multi-pronged approach to ban identified single use plastic. The Board's Comprehensive Action Plan encompasses measures to reduce the supply of raw materials, demand-side measures to reduce plastic demand, enabling measures to promote alternatives to SUP, digital interventions for efficient monitoring and to create awareness, and guidance to State Boards for effective implementation of directions. As per the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, there is a complete ban on sachets using plastic material used for storing, packing, or selling gutkha, tobacco, and pan masala. As per PWM (Amended) Rules, 2021, the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic less than seventy-five microns has been banned with effect from 30th September 2021 as opposed to fifty microns recommended earlier under PWM Rules, 2016. Additionally, the notification of12th August 2021, prohibits the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of several identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential with effect from the 1st July 2022, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said in a statement. To curb the supply of identified items, directions have been issued at the national, state, and local level. For example, all leading petrochemical industries to not supply plastic raw materials to the industries engaged in banned SUP production, the ministry said. Additionally, directions have been issued to SPCB/PCCs to modify/revoke consent to operate issued under Air/Water Act to industries engaged in banned SUP production. Customs authorities have been asked to stop the import of banned SUP items. To complete the loop, Local Authorities have been being directed to issue fresh commercial licenses with the condition that SUP items shall not be sold on their premises and the existing commercial licenses shall be cancelled, if entities are found to be selling banned SUP items. As an alternative to the existing supply, enabling measures for promoting alternatives to SUP are being actively pursued. CPCB has already issued one-time certificates to around 200 manufacturers of compostable plastic. These certificates do not require renewal which is in line with ease-of-doing-business policy of the Government. Further, an online portal has been developed to facilitate certification of these manufacturers. To support the MSMEs, CPCB in association with CIPET is organizing Workshops for MSMEs across the country to transition to alternatives to SUP. Three such workshops have been held at Ranchi, Guwahati & Madurai. Development of alternatives to petro-based plastics is also being pursued in collaboration with leading technical institutions like IISc and CIPET. On the demand side, directions have been issued to E-commerce companies, leading single use plastic sellers/users, and plastic raw material manufacturers with respect to phasing out of identified single use plastic items. To encourage citizens to partake in the efforts, SPCB's and local bodies are organizing large scale awareness drives with participation of all citizens - students, voluntary organisations, self-help groups, local NGOs/CSOs, RWAs, market associations, corporate entities, etc. Previously, CPCB conducted surprise inspections of Gutkha / Pan Masala manufacturing industries across the country to check usage of plastic in packaging of their product. (ANI)
New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI/PNN): United Services Institute (USI), a leading strategic institution, steered a seminar on China tilted 'Trishakti Manthan' under the aegis of Eastern Command at Kalimpong. The seminar conducted on June 13 and 14, 2022 aimed at enhancing comprehension of the complex security dynamics along our Northern Borders and marked the culmination of fortnight-long in-house deliberation on the subject carried out by the Trishakti Corps. The seminar addressed critical issues, including security strategies, capability development and military modernisation to derive actionable recourse towards further augmenting our security architecture. The seminar included talks and panel discussions by subject experts, including senior retired military officers from the three Services, diplomats and academicians. The event was presided over by Lieutenant General RP Kalita, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, and attended by senior military leadership and ground commanders of formations of Eastern Command. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 18 (ANI/PNN): Sakal Media Group held the auspicious event' Idols of Maharashtra Award 2022' to felicitate and encourage the success of those Son of The Soil, who have inspired society through their services and visionary work. In an event organised by Sakal Media Group, Rushikesh Patil, director of Patil Empire and Royal Group of Construction and Infrastructure, was presented with the Sakal Idols of Maharashtra Award for showing his excellence in the corporate world. Under the outstanding vision and efforts of this young industrialist, Patil Empire, the establishment has scaled new heights of success in the Real Estate, Infrastructure and Chemical sectors. Rushikesh Patil was an individual belonging to different segments, honoured with the Son of The Soil Idols of Maharashtra Award by eminent bigwigs. His inspiring career in the industry has made the jury select him as a youth icon. While speaking at the event, Patil said, "I am deeply honoured to have been selected as an inspiring and emerging leader. As a true professional, I would only say that one should always work to demonstrate full potential and should have a will to grow under corresponding circumstances. And as a leader, try to create an environment in which people are motivated to excel and achieve goals that will benefit the organisation, themselves and the society as a whole." Today the Royal Infrastructure Company has become one of the most trusted names in the construction, infrastructure and energy sector. With the induction of advanced and innovative technologies, it completes ongoing projects on time (canals, dams and roads, etc) and has unlocked new projects across the country. The latest being the ones in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, with the support of the state government. Patil Empire's core value; To work according to the customers' needs makes it an innovative pioneer firm. Taking charge as the top management leader Rushikesh Patil's corporate tactics made the Group achieve perfection in the construction, infrastructure, chemical and energy sectors. With sharp business acumen, he diversified the company's investments in other sectors such as the film industry, finance, call centre, security agency, hotel industry, spa and salon industry and steel industry. Again, the self-made business tycoon is always at the forefront of fulfilling his corporate social responsibility. During the testing times in Covid, the company, as a part of its CSR initiative, collaborated with charities, ashrams, etc., to distribute rations, food packets, and other essential items. Under his leadership, last year, an environmental project of plantation of 10000 trees was completed. His unparalleled achievements in such a short span won him multiple awards and accolades. He was recently conferred with trendsetter award 2022 by the Honourable Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai. Furthermore, he has been the proud recipient of 'Young Dynamic Entrepreneur-India by Global Business Forum India' and 'Young Successful Entrepreneur-Star India'. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], June 18 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Under its Immigration Levels Plan, Canada is now looking to welcome over 430,000 new immigrants each year, which is the highest level in its history. Canada's immigration goals are to strengthen the economy, reunite families, and help refugees. While discussing the details about Canada's upcoming plans for immigration, a conversation with Rahul Malhotra, CEO, Sernexuss Management & Services Pvt Ltd (https://sernexuss.com) has made a lot of things clear. They are India's most trusted visa consulting firm. Canada has always been one of the top immigration destinations for skilled workers and immigration aspirants from all over the world. The world-class education, universal healthcare, high wages for professional workers, social status, and benefits have been a magnet for thousands. Flattered by beautiful scenery, an easy-going lifestyle, stable economy, and an immigrant-friendly society, Indians contribute the highest no. of the immigrant population in Canada. Each year, the federal department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) release a new Immigration Levels Plan which it uses to guide its operations. Rahul and the organization devote a good time in analysing the immigration trends, as per his research, In 2021, IRCC exceeded its target by welcoming more than 405,000 immigrants. In 2022, this target will rise to 431,645 new permanent residents (PRs). In 2023, Canada will aim to welcome an additional 447,055 immigrants and in 2024 another 451,000 Why Canada Needs Immigrants Canada welcomes high levels of immigration to keep its economy strong. Canada has one of the world's oldest populations and also one of the world's lowest birth rates. This creates economic and fiscal pressures. Canada has a low rate of natural population growth which results in low rates of labour force and economic growth. Low economic growth makes it difficult for Canada to raise the taxes it needs to support social spending on services such as education, health care, and other important areas that provide high living standards in the country. Rahul said, as a result, Canada has been increasing its immigration levels since the late 1980s to increase its rate of population, labour force, and economic growth. Canada now depends on immigration for the majority of its population and labour force growth and a larger share of its economic growth. Consider that Canada will have 9 million baby boomers reach the retirement age of 65 by the year 2030. This means that Canada will have fewer workers at a time when it's social spending on health care will rise. To alleviate this challenge, Canada has been proactive by gradually raising its immigration targets for over 30 years now. Canada has regularly welcomed over 200,000 immigrants per year since 1988. In recent years, it has decided to increase its levels to over 400,000 per year. Canada's immigration rate now stands at around 1.1 per cent. In other words, Canada welcomes three times more immigrants on a per capita basis than the United States of America. Based on its demographic realities and its immigration trends, it appears likely that Canada will continue to gradually increase its immigration levels over the foreseeable future. Immigration will remain critical to supporting a healthy economy and fiscal situation in the country. Contact Sernexuss Management & Services Pvt Ltd for Assistance Sernexuss Management and Services Pvt Ltd is a visionary organization devoted to offering unrivalled visa solutions to people, families, entrepreneurs, and investors. The Transparency and authenticity of this firm is what is liked by their clients. Even before they associate with any immigration aspirants they first thoroughly screen the profile at three stages then only they start providing services, this makes them highly reliable. They have been providing various Immigration Services ranging from Permanent Residence Visa along with Career Assistance, Visitor Visa, Student Visa, Business Visa and Visa by Investment, they have settlement solutions across the globe and are marked as best immigration consultant in Delhi. They are authorized to provide Canadian Immigration Consultancy, Han Yi is a Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) based in Greater Toronto, Ontario. Rahul shared that more than half of the migrants are interested in migrating on a Canada PR Visa through Express Entry itself, as it is the fastest immigration program ever in history. They have always been one step ahead, advising their clients to immigrate to Canada with the most suitable program according to their profile. They offer quality visa consulting services to students, skilled professionals, entrepreneurs, SMEs, MSMEs, and other business owners. Located in Delhi and Bangalore, the firm has proposed to services clients in all the Tier-1 cities soon, the team takes care of clients by offering the best Canada PR visa as international residents interested in immigrating to Canada. The team ensures flawless and end-to-end immigration services for all the candidates so that they don't face any difficulties while applying for Canada PR, and moving to Canada. Sernexuss offers the best representation to their clients by having an association with ICCRC registered members and a post-landing team in Canada. https://sernexuss.com/ This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI/PNN): TrenBee, a leading fashion brand in India has launched an array of exquisite range of apparel for women from basic to luxury. TrenBee, founded by Ankita Khanna and Yash Sharma in 2019, has become synonymous with trendy fashion and is adorned by celebrities in India and across the globe. "TrenBee is quickly becoming one of the most well-known brands in India and worldwide," said TrenBee creator Ankita Khanna. "We've been delivering a wide selection of trendy apparel under one roof, from basics to luxury." We believe in creating things that not only make a fashion statement but also make you feel good while not denting your pockets." TrenBee, according to the founders, is ready to combine everything into their clients' fashionable wardrobes. People who prefer to be on-trend can always go to their website and choose the pieces they like the best. "Fashion not only makes you look your best, but it also boosts your self-esteem. TrenBee assures to come up with high-demanded edgy products for all the trendsetters out there by defining you without pushing you out of your comfort zone," said Yash Sharma, the company's founder. When asked about their plans, the brand's owners stated, "Currently, the entire team is working on making some fantastic items together following the latest trends." Our main goal is to ensure that people can dress however they like without stepping outside of their comfort zone, and we promise to do so." This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Daily Need Exim Pvt Ltd newly started Online shop 'MAIN DISH.in' that is specializing in Japanese ingredients such as sushi-grade fishes 'Bluefin Tuna', 'Yellowtail' etc. which are imported from Japan every month and the essential seasonings for Japanese cuisine. It is the first online shop which sells Japan's sushi-grade fishes to individuals in India. Shopping for Japanese seafood and other ingredients is now a click away. MAIN DISH.in offers a variety of Japanese products from Japan to customers' doorstep. Japanese cuisine has always sparked interest with its uniqueness. MAIN DISH.in offer the ingredients to create this magic in Indian kitchen. The sushi-grade fishes selling at MAIN DISH.in are imported from Japan after quick freezing in order to maintain the quality. And they will be delivered to customers' homes in fence condition that can be eaten simply just by thawing and slicing. There is no need of any troubling processes. Place an order on the website with ease, get it received the next day, and can enjoy authentic sushi at home. It will surely be talked about whether it is a party with friends or a gathering with relatives. In addition to the fish, MAIN DISH.in sell Miso, Tofu, Natto and more Japanese soybean products and Edamame, which are very popular among health-conscious people and vegetarians. Wanting to try something new and something healthy at the same time is a tricky spot but the solution may lie in the Japanese cuisine and MAIN DISH.in is the place which can buy all of it. The thin line between taste and health is something Japanese cuisine plays an important role. On the other hand, in recent years, in addition to Sushi, Japanese food like Yakitori, Ramen noodles have become popular in India with its addictive taste. Other than luxury hotels and restaurants, it can be enjoyed at a cafe in the shopping mall or easily get it delivered. If you further wish to try cooking them at home, then please visit MAIN DISH.in for shopping. There are ready-to-eat foods as well. And not just the products, but easy recipes are also posted on the website. Grocery stores play an important role in everyone's life. It can be found everything on MAIN DISH.in needed to cook Japanese meals and make the kitchen complete. At present, MAIN DISH.in has 4 branches in India i.e Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai, also, from these places delivery can be done to the areas nearby (Pune, Ahmedabad, Mysore, Hyderabad). It is planning to launch the Kolkata branch this year. For further information, MAIN DISH.in is active on social media on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Their business account on Google is always open for enquiries and customers can reach out to them in English, Japanese, Hindi and any other regional languages. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 18 (ANI/PNN): Goel Ganga Group, a renowned real estate developer in Pune, has extended their support to the 'Save Soil Movement' launched by Sadhguru, the 65-year-old spiritual leader who has embarked on a 100-day, 30,000-kilometer journey to raise awareness about the constantly deteriorating soil quality across the globe. During the recent visit of Sadhguru in Pune as part of his Save Soil Movement, Atul Goel, managing director of Goel Ganga Group, pledged his support to the Save Soil global movement started by Sadhguru. "The Goel Ganga Group has committed its full support to Sadhguru's Save Soil Movement. We consider it a joy to collaborate with the Isha Foundation on this worthwhile endeavour. We will always share the word about soil safety and continue to use environmentally friendly procedures so that our projects contribute to a greener world for everyone!" said Atul Goel, MD, Goel Ganga Group. "As we devote ourselves to constructing India every day, we must also devote ourselves to the cause of the soil." Because only strong and healthy foundations (soil) allow us to construct big and high-rise buildings." Added Goel. According to Goel, an event was held in Pune in the presence of Sadhguru to promote awareness about the importance of soil in ensuring the planet's long-term viability, happiness, and health. Sadhguru spoke emphatically on the numerous dangers that our soil and society face as a result of our deeds, and even more so as a result of our indifference and passivity today. Atul Goel presented Sadhguru with his latest book, "Real Rich," as part of his engagement with the Save Soil Movement. It is the first book on the real estate industry to equip readers with the knowledge they need to make informed real estate decisions. The book is in line with the Save Soil movement in that it teaches people how to cultivate nutrient-rich soil in which they can plant the seeds of their own and society's prosperity. "Soil is an excellent metaphor for the real estate judgments we must learn to make. Because, just as the future of the earth is rooted in the soil, that of society is rooted in the foundations of real estate. And maintaining the health of that bedrock must be our priority. Goel exclaimed, "That's the way to live, Real Rich!" He went on to add' "Seeing my book in the hands of Sadhguru was a surreal feeling. With his blessings, I'm sure that we will also progress in our mission - that of creating a society that makes powerful real estate decisions so that everyone may live Real Rich!" This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)


The apex court granted three days to the Uttar Pradesh government to prove how demolition complied with the building laws and other mandatory procedures.

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NEW DELHI  The Supreme Court restrained the Uttar Pradesh government from further demolition activities without following the procedure established by law. While considering an application against illegal demolitions in the state, the court Thursday stated that the demolition could not occur without proper notice. It also has granted the state three days to prove how the recent demolition complied with the building laws and other mandatory procedures.

Following the violent clampdown by the Uttar Pradesh government on protests triggered by now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharmas controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad, the authorities razed the houses of many protesting Muslims. The demolition drive started on June 11 in Saharanpur and continued on the following days in Kanpur and Prayagraj. The petition by Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind in the Supreme Court alleged that demolitions violated the rule of law and the municipal laws enacted by the state of Uttar Pradesh.

In Prayagraj, Kanpur, and Saharanpur, the city authorities justified the demolition by claiming the measures were to clear encroachment of government lands and campaigning against land mafia. The actions did not follow the due process of notices and did not provide time for the subject to raise objections, said the petition. The applicant also requested the court to take necessary steps against officials responsible for the demolition and alleged that the demolition was carried out as an extra-legal punitive measure against the protesting Muslims.

In Prayagraj, the house of Javed Mohammad, a political leader, businessman and father of a student activist, Afreen Fatima, was demolished by the Prayagraj Development Authority on June 12. Hours before the demolition, Javed Mohammed and his family were taken into police custody. Police accused him of being the mastermind of violence that erupted following the protests against blasphemous statements by BJP spokespersons. His lawyers have also pointed out the illegality of the demolition, citing that the property does not belong to him but his wife, Parveen Fatima.

Afreen Fatima spoke to the press on June 16 and expressed her solidarity with the Muslim families affected by the demolition of houses. No matter how much you try to scare and threaten us or trouble us by putting us in jail, we will not keep quiet or be silenced, nor are we going to disappear from this country, she said.

Basil Islam is an independent journalist and researcher based in South India. He tweets at @baasiie
Hollywood celebrity Kim Kardashian, who is currently vacationing on an island, has shared new pictures with beau Pete Davidson, making netizens go gaga over them all over again! The makeup mogul shared a carousel of photos of herself and Pete soaking in the tropical sun. In the pictures, Pete can be seen flaunting his 'My girl is a lawyer' tattoo as he clicks a picture of himself with Kim in the background standing on a boat. The couple is seen enjoying their time in the ocean. In one of the pictures, the duo is also seen looking into each other's eyes and smiling. Kim Kardashian donned shimmering silver and black bikini, while Pete went shirtless, wearing white shorts. Kim captioned her picture 'Stranded' as she posted glimpses of them in the blue waters. Fans couldn't help but shower the couple with compliments. An Instagram user wrote, "I'm glad she found someone to do the simple things with (heart emojis)". Another fan pointed out how the Reality star is glowing with happiness and wrote, " You're happier than ever Kim" Another one wrote, "Loving this for you kimmyyyy". In a post shared earlier this week, Kim gave the first glimpse of their vacation. Both Kim and Pete wore all-black holiday fits as they posed for mushy pictures together. Kim wrote, "Beach for 2" as the caption. Kim wore a sizzling black bikini as she was seen cosying up with Pete in the waters. The couple started dating in November last year. She confirmed her relationship with Pete on Instagram in March this year. Since then, she has been posting romantic photos with the comedian on social media. The couple even attended the Met Gala together. (ANI)
Hollywood actor Amber Heard has stated during a recent interview that notes taken by her therapist, to whom she was reporting the abuse, would have changed the verdict of her defamation case against ex-husband Johnny Depp. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the statement regarding the notes, which were not allowed during the trial, was made by her during an interview with a magazine. She said, "There's a binder [of] years of notes dating back to 2011 from the very beginning of my relationship that were taken by my doctor." In Heard's full interview about the trial with NBC News' Savannah Guthrie, the actor said that the notes would have corroborated claims that Depp abused her, including an incident in 2013 in which she told her therapist that Depp threw her against a wall and threatened to kill her. "I'm talking about what happened to me in real-time. She's taking contemporaneous notes of what's happening," Heard said. Guthrie said that they reviewed the notes and they showed "that as far back as 2012, Amber was talking about physical abuse. In January of that year, she told her therapist Depp hit her and threw her on the floor. Eight months after that, ripped her nightgown, threw her on bed, and in 2013, he threw her against a wall and threatened to kill her." The Hollywood Reporter reported that Depp's spokesperson has denied Heard's allegations of physical abuse, saying, "It's unfortunate that the defendant and her team are back to repeating and reimagining and re-litigating matters that have already been decided by the court." After the recent six-week trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, a seven-person jury reached a verdict on June 1, deciding that Depp, proved that Heard defamed him in the 2018 op-ed. Depp has maintained that he never assaulted Heard and claimed she physically harmed him. The jury awarded Depp USD 15 million in damages but Heard will only have to pay USD 10.35 million due to a Virginia law limiting punitive damages (the judge reduced the amount). In her countersuit, Heard won one of the three defamation counts and was awarded USD 2 million in damages, as per People magazine. (ANI)
A recent picture of actors Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor from the sets of director Luv Ranjan's next got leaked over social media and fans claim that 'this Jodi will definitely break all the records. In the picture, the 'Sanju' actor can be seen holding Shraddha Kapoor in his arms, wearing an abstract shirt and Shraddha could be seen in a blue floral dress and they both completed their looks with black sunglasses. The two actors were all smiles in the viral picture. This picture of Ranbir and Shraddha went viral over social media within minutes after sharing, and fans just can't stop crushing over the adorable couple. Fan pages of Ranbir and Shraddha shared this picture on their handles and the followers flooded the comment section with heart and fire emojis. "omg they both are looking cute" a user commented. Reportedly, Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor are currently shooting in Spain for director Luv Ranjan's next untitled romantic-comedy film. This is the first time both the actors will be seen working opposite each other, and this leaked image of the couple has raised the excitement level of fans to a new extent. Earlier also, some photos and videos of Ranbir and Shraddha went viral on social media where they were seen practising a dance step on the streets of Spain. Meanwhile, the film also stars Boney Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in prominent roles. The yet-to-be-titled film is slated to release on the occasion of Holi, 2023. (ANI)
Bollywood actor Parineeti Chopra's latest photos on social media was a sheer treat to the eyes as she dazzled in blue, giving a glimpse of her visit to Orissa as well. "What a lovely evening meeting the people of Odisha... (and hogging on the local food as always)" captioned the 'Hasee Toh Phasee' actor on Instagram. Parineeti looked breathtaking in the gorgeous indigo-coloured saree. She struck a stylish pose looking divine, a subtle smile on her face. She paired her ethnic look with a pair of traditional earrings minus any neckpiece. In the second picture, Parineeti looks straight at the camera, her sharp features and striking expressions winning the hearts of several fans. She kept her hair loose in waves and sported a bold, smokey eye makeup. Parineeti seems to be adjusting her attire in the third picture, looking into a mirror. When looked up close, Parineeti could be seen wearing a shiny silver ring as well. To be precise, she looked no less than a queen. Revealing the flavour of Orissa in the fourth picture, Parineeti shared a traditional dish of the place. A variety of items could be spotted on her plate, from all types of veggies, steamed rice, red chillies, and cut onions and cucumbers. The dish looked quite tasty and healthy. As for the fourth picture, the actor gave a glimpse of the pretty location, surrounded by lush greenery, typical of Orissa. The blue sea could also be spotted from a distance. Parineeti recently visited an Indonesian island, from where she shared a bunch of pictures of her trying scuba-diving. Meanwhile, on the film front, Parineeti will next be seen in Sooraj Barjatya's 'Unchai'. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani and Anupam Kher. Apart from this, she is also a part of Sandeep Reddy Vanga's film 'Animal', alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol. (ANI)
Robert Smigel, the voice of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, along with six other workers of the 'Late Show with Stephen Colbert', was arrested on Thursday by the US Capitol Police, for recording a segment for the 'Late Show' According to a spokesperson of the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), Smigel, along with his production team, was spotted at the Capitol to capture interviews for comedic elements to be put in the 'Late Show' when they were 'detained by Capitol Police', reported The Hollywood Reporter. "On Wednesday, June 15 and Thursday, June 16, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was on-site at the Capitol with a production team to record interviews for a comedy segment on behalf of The Late Show" said the spokesperson. "Their interviews at the Capitol were authorized and pre-arranged through Congressional aides of the members interviewed. After leaving the members' offices on their last interview of the day, the production team stayed to film stand-ups and other final comedy elements in the halls when they were detained by Capitol Police." added the CBS spokesperson. A statement was released by the US Capitol Police which read that Smigel and his team were confronted by the police on Thursday at around 8:30 in the evening after the Longworth House Office Building was closed for any visitors, reported The Hollywood Reporter. Smigel and his production crew were asked to leave the premises, 'earlier in the day'. According to the statement, they were wandering in the hallways 'unescorted' and did not even possess any 'Congressional ID'. "Responding officers observed seven individuals, unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway. The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day." read the official police statement. In addition, Smigel and six of the other staff were charged with illegal entry at the Capitol, reported The Hollywood Reporter. The statement further mentions 'additional criminal charges' to be lodged against the seven members "after consultation with the U.S. Attorney." (ANI)
Bollywood diva Parineeti Chopra, who is a certified scuba diving instructor, was seen collecting plastic waste from the ocean in a video shared by the actor on her social media handle. On Saturday, the 'Hasee Toh Phasee' actor took to her Instagram handle and shared a video of herself collecting plastic waste and debris from the ocean. Parineeti is 'happy'to contribute her part in saving the ocean. Through her video, Parineeti requested others to join her in creating a change for the ocean. She wrote, "Had fun diving, but also did an important Dive Against Debris. Join me in creating ocean change". In the video, Our 'Pari' could be seen picking up plastic waste and face masks amongst other waste items from the ocean. The 33-year-old actor expressed her disappointment and pointed the waste at the camera, shaking her head as she collected a lot of waste including a can and some pieces of clothing from the ocean. The caption in the video read, "About 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year. By the year 2020, the amount of plastic in the ocean is expected to quadruple. This could cause the extinction of thousands of species of marine life. Some of these species include sea turtles, dolphins, and seals. Luckily, divers can help to save the ocean and these species through Dive Against Debris. Since the program's launch, 90,000 visitors to the ocean have removed 2 million pieces of garbage from the water. I'm happy to have done my part in helping to save the ocean." Reacting to the post, Parineeti's fans showered immense love and support for the post. Her fans are extremely 'proud of her'. Praising the efforts of the 33-year-old diva, a fan commented, "So proud of you, Pari" while another fan wrote in the comment section, "You are doing a great thing". Meanwhile, on the film front, Parineeti will next be seen in Sooraj Barjatya's 'Unchai'. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani and Anupam Kher. Apart from this, she will next be seen in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's film 'Animal', alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol. (ANI)
According to Fox News, the accident was confirmed by the Baja California Department of Culture on Friday.

They said that a van the crew members were riding in crashed and flipped after it ran off the desert road near Mulege on the Baja California Sur peninsula.

Fox News reported that the show's crew had been filming nearby Santa Rosalia.

A Netflix description for 'The Chosen One', which is not yet released, reads: "A 12-year-old boy learns he's the returned Jesus Christ, destined to save humankind. It is based on the comic book series by Mark Millar and Peter Gross."

The episodic series is being taped by an independent production company and there is no word how the incident has affected its production, as per Fox News. (ANI)
Actor Ram Charan and his wife Upasana Kamineni Konidela celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary with close friends on June 14. Ram Charan's wife Upasana treated her fans to a glimpse of the celebrations on social media. Taking to her Instagram Reels on Saturday, Upasana dropped a video where Upasana and Ram Charan can be seen enjoying a good time with their close friends. There are many pictures in the video where she is taking a walk on a road, posing with her friends with a rock in their hands. It also showed Ram is playing with a dog and later walking it as a group of people followed him. Ram and Upasana were also seen sharing a laugh, posing for pictures and taking a walk as they held hands. Upasana was also seen celebrating the bash with firecrackers and also gave a glimpse of their customised menu. In one of the photos, Ram was seen holding a mic near his better half as she smiled. https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce7_p1nBlQf/ Sharing the post, she wrote, "Moments, lessons & relationships to be cherished forever. While We were celebrating 10 years of togetherness, the most traumatic news of loosing an extremely dear friend hit us. We were truly fortunate to be surrounded by warm & caring well-wishers to help us cope. Privileged to have so many safe spaces. Thank you for making our anniversary so special. grateful & thankful. Lots of love.@alwaysramcharan @mehasppatel @sharvil13 @smireddy_14 @sarin_katta @diabhupal @krishnarbhupal @sudhareddy.official @sudha_r @swathi.fineart#ur10 As soon as she shared the post, netizens bombarded the comment sections with their lovely comments. A fan wrote, "U r Super cute beside charan sir madam. I'm huge fan off charan sir please reply to my comment." Another fan commented, "Beautiful couple." Earlier, Upasana shared a couple of pictures on her Instagram handle where the lovebirds make for one royal couple to make their day more special. Ram Charan and Upasana tied the knot on June 14, 2012, after dating for several years. (ANI)
The Oscar-winning director Michel Hazanavicius has unveiled his first-ever animation film at the 'Annecy International Animation Film Festival.' Titled 'The Most Precious of Cargos,' the Hazanavicius directorial is an adaptation of the critically-acclaimed best-selling book by acclaimed French playwright and children's books author Jean-Claude Grumberg, who is also co-writing the film with Hazanavicius. Told in the form of a classic fairy tale in 2D animation, it is set during World War II, and tells the story of a poor woodcutter and his wife who live deep in the Polish forest. To the woman's despair, the couple has no children. One day, while foraging for food, she sees a bundle fall out of what she believes to be a cargo train crossing the forest. Inside is a baby girl who was thrown from the train by her Jewish father; whose wife no longer has enough milk to feed both his twins, in the hope of saving them both. The woodcutter's wife decides to keep the precious cargo and raise her as her own against her husband's wishes, as per Variety. Hazanavicius tackled the project more than three years ago, but the COVID19 pandemic had put him on hold, allowing him to make this year's Cannes opener, 'Final Cut,' in the meantime. Hazanavicius, whose own family fled the Nazis in Eastern Europe, revealed that he was initially reluctant to accept the project but was deeply moved upon reading the book, which was also written by a long-time family friend. Hazanavicius said, "The last survivors of the Holocaust are dying, soon there will no longer be any verbal testimonies of that period in time, we are moving into history with a capital 'H.'" "It is now open to fiction to tell these stories, which were sacred until now. Doing so through a fairy tale told in animation, which is the ultimate form of fiction, means taking responsibility for this entry into fiction; and it seemed like a noble venture to me," added the Director. Audiences in Annecy were able to get a glimpse of the film that was shot in just two weeks with real actors in costumes, in which the director chose to give the animation team an accurate idea of each scene and speed up the pre-production process. "Making a silent film helped me hugely," said Hazanavicius, referring to his Oscar-winning film 'The Artist'" "I storyboard all my films because this enables me to have a purely graphic vision of what they will look like. There is very little dialogue in this film, so the role of the images is all the more important as they speak in place of the dialogue. My ambition is that if you cut out the sound you still understand the film," he added. Scheduled for a 2024 release, "The Most Precious of Cargos" is a Franco-Belgian co-production between Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's Les Films du Fleuve, Patrick Sobelman and Robert Guediguian's Paris-based Ex Nihilo, Florence Gastaud, Riad Sattouf and Hazanavicius' outfit Les Compagnons du Cinema and Hazanavicius' La Classe Americaine. Also, Studiocanal is handling worldwide sales. (ANI)
'Bridgerton' fans have been thrilled to hear that the hit Netflix series is returning for a third season, with the story preceding the book's timeline to follow the love story between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) in season three. Coughlan announced the news during an FYSEE panel celebrating the show on May 15, telling Variety the next day that it was slightly overwhelming to make the proclamation. "I had a moment because I've been keeping this secret for so long, that right before -- because I was given the job of NOC which was so lovely, but that right before I went, 'I'm too scared, to school, because if it becomes real..." Coughlan recalled shyly. The news that Penelope and Colin would finally explore their Regency-era romance (and the birth of their fan-created couple name "Polin") was somewhat unexpected, even for her, reveals Variety. "It's funny because I always wanted to be an actor. I started doing that when I was super young, but I never saw myself as like the lead of romantic drama. It was just not on my list of things that I thought I would ever be doing. So it's quite mad now to just be in that position, and on one of the biggest shows ever. It's amazing," Coughlan says. When asked later in the conversation if the 'Polin' romance will gravitate towards the super-steamy vibes of season 1 or the slow burn of season 2, Coughlan replies, "I think, because we've had two seasons of build-up, it's probably going to be the former. I haven't read the scripts. I've just been given an overview." Coughlan, Ashley and Chandran also discuss Bridgerton's impact on fans, particularly young women and people of color, many of whom are new to the genre. "The effect works both ways," notes Chandran, explaining how starring in the series Bridgerton has changed the way she navigates the world. Chandran says, "What's wonderful is that there's so many benefits to it: the show is just better [with diversity]. It's more fun, it's more colourful." "It gives actors of colour opportunities that were previously inaccessible to them. We're seeing with 'Mr. Malcolm's list' - it also feels very British and it's sort of multiracial -- and that's exactly what we would want it from the show, to kind of set a standard for the industry. So, I think creatively -- and maybe this is very generous, and I hope Lin Manuel Miranda forgives me -- but I feel like what 'Hamilton' did for theatre is very much like what 'Bridgerton' has done for TV, and then also it diversifies audiences," she concluded. Nicola Coughlan, Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran will return for 'Bridgerton' season 3 as the 'Regency-era' romance continues to explore all of their interweaved love stories. (ANI)
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends and addresses the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in virtual format upon invitation, June 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday attended and addressed the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in virtual format upon invitation.

Xi pointed out that the world is faced with major changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, economic globalization is facing headwinds, and there are unprecedented challenges to the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At a time when the international community is so keen about achieving more equitable, sustainable and secure development, we should seize opportunities, meet challenges head-on, and work on the implementation of the Global Development Initiative to build a shared future of peace and prosperity.

Xi said that, first, we need to foster an enabling environment for development. It is important that we follow true multilateralism, respect and support all countries' pursuit of development paths suited to their national conditions, build an open world economy, and increase the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries in global economic governance, with a view to making global development more balanced, coordinated and inclusive.

Second, we need to strengthen development partnerships. It is important that we enhance North-South and South-South cooperation, pool cooperation resources, platforms and networks of development partnerships, and scale up development assistance, in order to forge greater synergy for development and close the development gap.

Third, we need to advance economic globalization. It is important that we strengthen "soft connectivity" of development policies and international rules and standards, reject attempts at decoupling, supply disruption, unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure, remove trade barriers, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, tackle the worsening food and energy crises, and revive the world economy.

Fourth, we need to pursue innovation-driven development. It is important that we unlock the potential of innovation-driven growth, improve the rules and institutional environment for innovation, break down barriers to the flow of innovation factors, deepen exchanges and cooperation on innovation, facilitate deeper integration of science and technology into the economy, and make sure the fruits of innovation are shared by all.

Xi pointed out that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy - its strong resilience, enormous potential and long-term sustainability - remain unchanged. "We have full confidence in China's economic development. China will continue to promote high-quality development, expand high-standard opening-up with firm resolve, and pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation," he said.

China stands ready to work with Russia and all other countries to explore development prospects, share growth opportunities, and make new contributions to deepening global development cooperation and building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi added.

The plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was held in an online plus offline format in St. Petersburg, Russia on June 17. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart K. Tokayev, among others, attended the event.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends and addresses the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in virtual format upon invitation, June 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Qiang)
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday authorised emergency use of the Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the prevention of Covid-19 in children down to 6 months of age. For the Moderna Covid vaccine, the FDA amended the emergency use authorisation (EUA) to include use of the vaccine in individuals 6 months to 17 years of age. The vaccine had been authorised for use in adults 18 years of age and older. For the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the FDA amended the EUA to include use of the vaccine in individuals 6 months to 4 years of age. The vaccine had been authorised for use in individuals 5 years of age and older. The agency said in a statement that the known and potential benefits of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines outweigh the known and potential risks in the paediatric populations authorised for use for each vaccine. "Many parents, caregivers and clinicians have been waiting for a vaccine for younger children and this action will help protect those down to 6 months of age," said FDA Commissioner Robert M Califf. "As we have seen with older age groups, we expect that the vaccines for younger children will provide protection from the most severe outcomes of Covid-19, such as hospitalisation and death," Califf added. The Moderna vaccine is administered as a primary series of two doses, one month apart, to individuals 6 months to 17 years of age. The vaccine is also authorised to provide a third primary series dose at least one month following the second dose for individuals in this age group who have been determined to have certain kinds of immunocompromise. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is administered as a primary series of three doses in which the initial two doses are administered three weeks apart followed by a third dose administered at least eight weeks after the second dose in individuals 6 months to 4 years of age. "As with all vaccines for any population, when authorising Covid-19 vaccines intended for paediatric age groups, the FDA ensures that our evaluation and analysis of the data is rigorous and thorough," said Peter Marks, Director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. The effectiveness and safety data evaluated and analysed by the FDA for the Moderna vaccine to support the EUA for these paediatric populations were generated in two ongoing, randomised clinical trials in the US and Canada which enrolled infants, children and adolescents. Children 6 months to 5 years of age received a two-dose primary series of the Moderna vaccine at 25 micrograms (mcg) of messenger RNA (mRNA) per dose. In the FDA analyses, the immune response to the vaccine, of both age groups of children, was comparable to the immune response of the adults. On the other hand, the effectiveness and safety data evaluated and analysed by the FDA for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were also generated in an ongoing and randomised clinical trial in the US and internationally, which enrolled infants and children. "The effectiveness data to support the EUA in children 6 months to 4 years of age is based on a comparison of immune responses following three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in a subset of children in this age group to the immune responses among adults 16 to 25 years of age," said the US FDA. The immune response to the vaccine for both age groups of children was comparable to the immune response of the older participants. The FDA and CDC safety surveillance systems have previously identified increased risks of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of tissue surrounding the heart) following vaccination with the Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, particularly following the second dose. "The observed risk is highest in males 18 to 24 years of age for the Moderna vaccine and in males 12 to 17 years of age for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine," said the FDA. --IANS na/vd ( 670 Words) 2022-06-17-22:28:01 (IANS)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday afternoon submitted to the Calcutta High Court the names of members of its Special Investigation Team (SIT) which would conduct parallel probes regarding irregularities in teachers' recruitment in both the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) and the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). The six members of the SIT, which will operate under the direct supervision of the CBI's new Joint Director (Kolkata Zone), N. Venugopal, are Imran Ashik, Somnath Biswas, Dharamveer Singh, Satyendra Singh, Malay Das and K.C. Rishinamal. However, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, the counsel for the petitioners who challenged the recruitments, requested the court to reconsider the decision of including Rishinamal as a member of the SIT. As per the court order, members of the SIT will not be engaged in any other investigation and will not be transferred before the investigation in this case is completed. The CBI sleuths on Friday also submitted the first status report on the progress of the agency's investigation in the recruitment scam. The report was submitted in a sealed envelope and the court is not making it public for the time being. Advocate Firdaus Shamim, another counsel for the petitioners, told media persons that since the SIT will now operate under the direct monitoring of the Calcutta High Court, he is hopeful that the details of the recruitment scams will be revealed shortly and the offenders will be booked. Meanwhile, Ankita Adhikari, daughter of West Bengal Minister of State for Education, Paresh Chandra Adhikari, who lost her job as a higher secondary political science teacher in a state-run school following a Calcutta High Court order, has already returned to the court the first instalment of the salary she drew from the school for little less than four years. She returned around Rs 7.94 lakhs. On May 20, 2022, the Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Avijit Gangopadhyay cancelled Ankita Adhikari's appointment on the grounds of flouting all norms as she neither qualified in the merit list nor appeared for the personality test. Justice Gangopadhyay also directed her to return the salary that she drew from the school in two instalments. --IANS src/kvd/bg ( 379 Words) 2022-06-17-19:40:03 (IANS)
Bhim Sena chief Nawab Satpal Tanwar was arrested by the Delhi police for his remarks against suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, an official said on Friday. A video of Tanwar had gone viral on social media in which he had announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for any person who severs her tongue. "One social media entity i.e Nawab Satpal Tanwar, who claimed to be the chief of Bhim Sena, having multiple Twitter handles and Facebook profiles, posted a video in which he announced a bounty of Rs 1 crore for a derogatory act against Ms. Nupur Sharma and was trying to fuel communal disharmony," said Delhi Police spokesperson Suman Nalwa. The Special Cell of the Delhi Police registered an FIR against Tanwar and a manhunt was launched to trace him. "Since the registration of FIR, Nawab Satpal Tanwar was trying to hide in different parts of North India in Punjab, UP and Haryana," the official said. However, on Thursday, Tanwar was arrested from Gurugram in Haryana. "He claimed to have some medical issues for which he was medically examined and has been sent to judicial custody," Nalwa said, adding that in the recent past the Delhi police had been receiving complaints that social media was rife with objectionable matter spreading hate and creating a situation against the maintenance of law and order. Till now the police have registered 19 FIRs for posting hateful content on social media. The controversial statement made by Nupur Sharma about Prophet Muhammad had caused an international furore. Several Muslim nations, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia and Iran, as well as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have officially protested and demanded an apology. Following the uproar, the Bharatiya Janata Party suspended Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal for insulting Prophet Muhammad. However, soon after her comments went viral, Sharma was targeted on social media and received death threats following which the police provided security to her. She had lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police on May 27 alleging that she has been receiving death threats and was the target of hatred. Based on this complaint, an FIR was registered under Sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code at the Special Cell police station against unidentified people. Later, Section 153 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the IPC was also added. --IANS uj/kvd/bg ( 458 Words) 2022-06-17-20:04:02 (IANS)
The J&K Reorganisation Act introduced a new governance system in Jammu and Kashmir on October 31, 2019, when the erstwhile state started functioning as a Union Territory. The implementation of the Reorganisation Act led to the repeal of the J&K Waqf Act, 2001, and the Specified Waqf Act, 2004. It paved way for the Central Waqf Act, 1995, to be extended to the UT. The Act brought all the 133 Muslim mosques and shrines, with an annual income of Rs 26 crore and 9,500 kanals of land, in J&K under the Central Waqf Board. Till October 31, 2019, the J&K Board for Muslim Specified Waqfs used to take care of 32,000 properties, including shrines, mosques, and educational institutions across J&K. The board had also supported the setting up of the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) between 2002 and 2008 at Awantipora in South Kashmir. Later, the varsity was taken over by the government. In the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister used to be the chairman of the Waqf Board. Its system was different from other Waqf boards in the country. It had a centralised revenue system. Across the country, the Central Waqf Boards function to give more powers to mutwalis, the traditional caretakers of the shrines, to collect endowments in the form of cash and jewellery and run the affairs on their own. The Central Waqf Act calls for 7 per cent of revenue share from these shrines. Waqf Board revamped In July 2021, the President empowered the J&K Lieutenant Governor to constitute a body for setting up of a Waqf Board in Jammu & Kashmir that would look after Muslim shrines and properties in the Union Territory. Before the reorganisation of J&K, two bodies - Waqf Board and Waqf Council - were mandated to look after Muslim shrines and properties in J&K. In March 2022, the government appointed Darakhshan Andrabi, Syed Mohammad Hussain, Ghulam Nabi Haleem and Sohail Kazmi as members of the new Waqf Board. Andrabi was appointed as the chairperson and was accorded the status of Minister of State. Soon after BJP leader Andrabi was appointed as the first woman chairperson of the Board, PDP spokesperson and former MLA, Firdous Tak, termed the move as a step towards controlling the religious beliefs and practices in J&K. Earlier, the Waqf Board was named as Muslim Auqaf Trust. It had been formed by former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference leader late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Till the NC remained in power, it continued to function as Muslim Auqaf Trust. However, after late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed became the J&K Chief Minister, he reconstituted the Muslim Auqaf Trust through legislation as J&K Board for Muslim Specified Waqfs. After Sayeed's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came to power, it alleged that the Muslim Auqaf Trust had lost its credibility as the donations that were collected from different shrines and the revenues generated as rent from different properties were being mismanaged. Waqf activities won't be confined After Andrabi took over the reins of the board, she made it explicitly clear that the activities of Waqf in "Naya Jammu and Kashmir" won't be confined to only construction and maintenance of religious places. The board wants to create assets like schools, universities and hospitals, such as Narayana Hospital and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, so that people from every section of society irrespective of colour, creed or religion get benefited. The board has moved a proposal to build a cancer hospital in J&K so that people don't have to travel to other parts of the country for treatment. The board intends to restore the ownership of the encroached Waqf properties in the Union Territory. The encroachers have been directed to surrender their right of illegal occupation or face the wrath of bulldozers. Other proposals include formation of a tribunal as per Central Waqf Act to address to the legal matters related to Waqf in J&K. Background Waqf in J&K started functioning in 1940s with a noble cause but it lost its track midway due to poor management, and excessive politicisation. The other factors that didn't allow Waqf to deliver in the erstwhile J&K state included lack of a developmental vision, and clarity and absence of an innovative framework that could have led to a functional management. No serious effort to enhance internal management, planning, and decision-making also led to Waqf remaining mired in controversies. The political regimes used Waqf as a place to rehabilitate their workers. The former regimes in the Himalayan region were not open to the idea of adapting Waqf models that were functional in the country. There was no balance in the administration to maintain such a faith-based philanthropic institution. A poor and a politicised Waqf in J&K in the past deprived the deserving of the help that the institution could have provided. In the past, no stringent audits were conducted and the common man had no idea as to what used to happen to the donation that he used to offer in shrines and mosques. Many used to believe that the donations offered by them reached the politicians through one or the other means. New members need to assure people The new Waqf Board members in Jammu and Kashmir will have to put in an extra effort to send a message to the people that the donations offered by them won't go anywhere and these will be used for good causes like building hospitals, schools, colleges and other institutions. The Waqf assets in J&K need to be developed in such a way that they start contributing towards the welfare of the society. The institution that could have gone a long way in building Jammu and Kashmir used to serve the interests of the political regimes. However, in 'Naya J&K', a roadmap has been formulated to take Waqf to new heights. The new chairperson of the board has already made it clear that the Waqf in J&K would become an example in the country. A mechanism is being framed to achieve the much-needed balance that can prevent political polarisation. The new plan for Waqf envisages umbrella bodies, other trusts, and business groups that do big philanthropies, so that big issues like disasters can be tackled. The Waqf can also provide scholarships, organise awareness workshops and conferences. A Waqf movement is in offing in 'Naya J&K' and the government has assured all possible financial and other help to the Waqf Board. The new beginning has already been made. --IANS arm/ ( 1094 Words) 2022-06-17-20:18:04 (IANS)
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that the state is preparing to introduce 'virtual classrooms' in all schools, so that one good teacher can teach students across the state. While launching the class 7th regular curriculum teachers handbook under the Coding and Robotics Education in Schools (CARES), Sawant said that about 435 aided and non-aided schools in Goa will get such virtual classrooms. "I have taken the education area very seriously. I have already asked for funds from the central government to introduce a 'Virtual classroom' in all schools. No sooner we get a nod from the central government, we will make it happen. This will help to guide and teach students by one good teacher at the time," Sawant said. The Goa government had faced public wrath during the Covid pandemic when the lack of a mobile network had forced students to miss the online classes. Later, the government announced to increase the number of mobile network towers in the state. Sawant said that not only the virtual classrooms, but his government is keen to introduce 'Vidhya Samiksha Kendra' to track students from class 1 to the 12th standard. "We will track the students, we will monitor them and even teachers, how they teach," Sawant said. He said that schools will be provided with computing devices as the government has started coding and robotic education in schools. The scheme was started in 2021. Sawant said that the main objective of this concept was to develop competition and designing skill to prepare students for the demands of the digital world. "we want to make Goa the model of knowledge and technology hub of the country, he said. Sawant said that to take National Education Policy 2020 ahead, budgetary allocations have been made. He had announced that the NEP will be implemented in institutes of higher education in Goa, including professional colleges from the next academic year. --IANS sanjay/uk/bg ( 331 Words) 2022-06-17-20:20:03 (IANS)
The Supreme Court on Friday suggested the transfer of jailed conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar from Delhi's Tihar to some other jail and directed the Centre to take a decision on the appropriate jail to which he can be transferred while dealing with his plea alleging 'life threat' inside the capital's high-security prison. "In the facts and circumstances, without entering into the rival contentions, it would be appropriate to transfer the petitioners to some other jail so to allay the apprehension of all concerned," said the vacation bench of Justices A.S. Bopanna and Justice Vikram Nath. Listing the matter for further heaing on Monday, the bench directed the respondents to come up with a decision on the matter. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had sought the response of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a plea moved by Chandrashekhar alleging that the Tihar prison authorities have extorted around Rs 12.5 crore from him in the last two years. Chandrashekhar moved the apex court seeking his transfer from Tihar to another prison, saying that since he has levelled allegations against jail officials, he faces a threat to his life. "I asked for the shifting of the prison anywhere out of Delhi, requesting my client is willing to go anywhere in the country due to the threat to his life from the Tihar authorities and the court responded positively," his lawyer Ashok K. Singh told IANS. "I am not seeking to be transferred to a prison of my choice. I am entitled to the security of my life. Put me under any condition, produce me virtually but I have a tremendous threat to my life," counsel added. Chandrashekhar, who is charged in many multi-crore fraud cases, is also accused of extorting Rs 200 crore from the family of former Fortis Healthcare and Ranbaxy Lab promoters Shivinder and Malvinder Singh from the premises of the prison. The conman was reportedly giving Rs 75 lakh per fortnight as a bribe for a mobile phone. Many Tihar officials were booked after the reports and many are under the scanner after the incident. On June 9, Additional Sessions Judge Geetanjli Goel had sought a report from the Tihar Jail Superintendent on a similar plea stating that he has apprehension of a 'threat to his life' and not to transfer his cell at Tihar. In his plea, Chandrashekhar alleged that the DG, Prisons, is putting pressure on him to sign documents and he is also trying to shift him to Jail No 3 from Jail No 1. --IANS jw/vd ( 441 Words) 2022-06-17-22:08:02 (IANS)
Three cyber criminals, who used to cheat people on the pretext of updating their bank KYC, were arrested by the Delhi Police from Gujarat's Surat and Jharkhand's Giridih, an official said on Friday. The accused were identified as Pravesh Mishra, Brijesh Kumar, and Kailash Kumar Mandal. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdhara, R. Sathiyasundaram said a case was registered on the complaint of a person in which he alleged that he received an SMS message containing some link from an unknown mobile number on his phone on March 11, asking him to update his PAN number immediately or his HDFC net banking will be blocked. The complainant clicked on that link and thereafter told the OTP to the accused person/caller from unknown mobile number and a total of Rs 10 lakh were deducted in two tranches i.e Rs 4,99,990 and Rs 4,99,990. Based on the complaint, the police registered an FIR under Section 420 of the IPC against unknown people and set up a team to solve the case. The team of Cyber Cell analysed the details of the accused's mobile number, bank accounts and Facebook details, and came to know that the accused withdrew the cash amount from different places. The team also analysed the transaction details of the victim's account and found that the cheated amount had been transferred directly into two credit cards of IDFC and SBI Bank which were both found registered in the name of accused Mishra. Further technical investigation revealed that the fraudsters' network is based in Surat. A Delhi Police team subsequently conducted a raid at Surat and nabbed the account holder and main accused from Surat -- Mishra and Brijesh Kumar. During further investigation, it was found that 30 per cent of the cheated amount was used at Gujarat by accused and rest 70 per cent was transferred to Giridih through different modes. Subsequently, the police team conducted a raid at Giridih and succeeded in nabbing main accused Mandal. --IANS uj/vd ( 341 Words) 2022-06-17-22:40:04 (IANS)
Hyderabad police will probe the conspiracy angle in the violence that rocked Secunderabad railway station on Friday during the protest against the Central government's new armed forces recruitment scheme 'Agnipath'. Hyderabad Police Commissioner C. V. Anand has directed the Additional Commissioner, Crimes and SIT, and Deputy Commissioner, Task Force to closely monitor the criminal cases registered by Railway Police Force, Secunderabad. The top officials have been asked to find out the "objective, conspiracy and detailed planning which was done to create such violent incidents and damage the railway properties". Railway Police Force official Anuradha said railway police have booked cases under Indian Railway Act and other sections in connection with the incidents of violence. She said the cases were registered on a complaint by a railway employee. She said 1,500 people participated in the violent protest. Two policemen were injured in the attack by the protestors. The damage caused to the railway property is yet to be estimated. Train services resumed on Friday night at Secunderabad station. After police arrested the protestors, who had been staging the protest for more than nine hours, the South Central Railway (SCR) restored the services. Some of the trains, which were earlier cancelled or partially cancelled, have now been restored. SCR officials said several passenger train services were affected due the protests, apart from the damage to railway property. Arun Kumar Jain, General Manager (In-charge), SCR visited the station and immediately oversaw the restoration works for the immediate resumption of train services from the station. He directed the officials to be on high alert and depute additional man power and facilitate stranded passengers. He instructed security officials to deploy additional force and maintain constant vigil at the railway stations. A total of 28 Mail/Express trains were cancelled. The authorities also cancelled 70 MMTS trains, diverted eight trains, and partially cancelled 19 trains. Earlier, several incoming trains to Secunderabad were regulated/short terminated at nearby stations like Cherlapalli, Moula-Ali, etc. Additional Railway Protection Force, Government Railway Police personnel and local police were deployed at Secunderabad railway station and also at all important junctions over the jurisdiction. Food and water provided to stranded passengers at stations where trains were regulated. Helpline number has been set up at Secunderabad, and Vijayawada stations to assist the rail users with updated train running information. Additional counters were set up for refund of ticket charges to passengers for cancelled trains and for passengers not willing to opt for alternate arrangements such as change in departure terminal station. --IANS ms/vd ( 432 Words) 2022-06-17-22:48:02 (IANS)
Indian Army's Gajraj Corps has launched flood-relief operations in coordination with the civil administration in Assam from Thursday. Following heavy rainfall in various parts of Assam, nine composite teams of Gajraj Corps were swiftly launched during day and night in coordination with local administration to carry out rescue and relief operations in the flood affected districts of Baksa, Nalbari, Bajali, Darrang, Tamulpur, Hojai and Kamrup. The columns include engineers and medical staff for relief and rescue were mobilised on the request by the local administration. In Nalbari district, the Indian Army columns which were on standby quickly reached Sathikuchi village and rescued 105 stranded locals. Simultaneously another column of Gajraj Corps out relief operations in Damdama of Baksa district and assisted the locals. Relief and rescue operations in six districts are underway, the Army said. As many as nine more persons died in Assam due to the flood, taking the overall death toll to 54, according to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Friday. As many as 18.94 lakh people in 28 districts are affected by the flood situation.The deaths were reported from Hojai, Nalbari, Bajali, Dhubri, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, and Sonitpur districts of Assam. So far 54 people in the state have lost their lives in floods and landslides this year so far. As per the state data, 2,930 villages under 96 revenue circles are currently underwater. The flood waters have submerged 43338.39 hectares of cropland in the flood-hit districts. The water level of Beki, Manas, Pagladiya, Puthimari, Jia Bharali, Kopili and Brahmaputra rivers are flowing above the danger level mark in many places of the state. As many as 1,08,104 flood-affected people are currently, taking shelter at 373 relief camps set up by the district administration. Of which, 3.55 lakh people have been affected alone in Bajali district followed by 2.90 lakh people affected in Darrang, 1.84 lakh in Goalpara, 1.69 lakh in Barpeta, 1.23 lakh in Nalbari, 1.19 lakh in Kamrup and 1.05 lakh in Hojai district. Meanwhile, the flood situation in Assam's Kamrup district deteriorated after the flood waters entered new areas affecting more than 70,000 people in the area. The water level of the Borolia river and other major rivers of the district are rising up following incessant rains. The flood waters of the Borolia river on Thursday washed away a portion of an embankment at Choumukha and submerged several villages in the Hajo area. (ANI)
"A joint movement will be organized at Jantar Mantar in Delhi at 11 am on June 20 against the Agnipath scheme," he said in a tweet.

He has also appealed to all the organizations of 'Syukt Rojgar Andolan Samiti' to reach Jantar Mantar.

Protests have broken out in various parts of the country against the new recruitment scheme in the Armed Forces. In some places, the protests turned violent as trains were set ablaze.

Meanwhile, one person died in Telangana's Secunderabad on Friday as protests against the newly announced military recruitment policy, Agnipath, turned violent.

Earlier, protesters torched compartments of a train in Bihar's Samastipur and those in another train at Lakhisarai station.

Notably, Agnipath Scheme was launched by the government, on June 14, in an effort to bring a change in the recruitment process of the Armed Forces. With the new military recruitment scheme facing a backlash by Opposition, the Centre has decided to bring a change in the upper age limit for recruiting Agniveers.

Granting a one-time waiver, the Centre on June 16, 2022, announced that the Agniveer upper age limit for recruitments via Agnipath Scheme has been extended to 23 years from 21 years.

The scheme is called Agnipath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers. Agnipath allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years. (ANI)
Ayush Minister Sarbanand Sonowal on Friday said that the upcoming International Day of Yoga (IDY) won't just mark a day in the calendar of cultural events, but it will mark a revolution in the way we perceive and approach health and well-being. Addressing media persons in a press conference in New Delhi, the Minister informed that the preparations to commemorate the IDY are in full swing. He further said, "Through this day, we aim to accelerate the adoption of the traditional practice and remind the world of its benefits for the mind, body, and soul." The Ayush Minister informed media persons that this year's theme considers the geopolitical dilemmas being faced by the world and seeks to help everyone channel their altruistic and empathetic selves. The Ayush Minister further informed that falling in the year of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the International Day of Yoga will be observed around 75 iconic locations in the country. "The day would also witness the innovative 'Guardian Ring' program, which will see the streaming of all the events being organized by Indian missions abroad, beginning from the eastern part of the globe and heading towards the west along with the Sun's movement across 16 time zones. Around 80 countries will participate in the unique 'relay' program," he said. The theme of this year's International Day of Yoga across the globe, is 'Yoga for Humanity', as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann ki Baat address. The Minister also launched the Common Yoga Protocol booklet and a film on IDY during the press conference. The Prime Minister will lead the IDY 2022 celebrations from the Mysuru Palace Grounds on June 21, 2022. The event will also witness the participation of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Nearly fifteen thousand yoga enthusiasts will perform yoga, and the event will be organized with the support of members of parliament, departments of the Government of Karnataka, ministers, dignitaries, revered yoga gurus, and institutions. A static and a digital exhibition have also been organized at the Dasara grounds that will appeal to beginners and experts alike and will give a holistic view of the rewarding world of Yoga. This flagship event of the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India is being co-organized with the Morarji Desai Institute of Yoga. The Government of Karnataka has formed 14 committees to ensure the event is conducted to the highest standards of excellence. The 100-day countdown campaign, which was launched by the Ministry of Ayush in March of this year, has contributed towards gathering massive momentum across 100 cities and 100 organizations. The program will be live-streamed on DD India. The live streaming will begin at 3 a.m. and will continue till 10 pm. (ANI)
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has proposed setting up of Innovation Bank for new ideas, research findings and technologies to focus on 'Quality' in infrastructure development. Virtually addressing the inaugural function of the 222nd Mid-Term Council Meeting of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), he said new initiatives are expected from IRC, Innovation should be the focus area for all Engineers. He said IRC should develop a World-class state-of-art laboratory with the help of IITs and global institutions in the world, according to a release by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Gadkari said infrastructure development has an important role in fulfilling the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India a 5 trillion-dollar economy and road infrastructure is directly linked to the prosperity of that region. He said road infrastructure connects people, culture and society and brings prosperity through socio-economic development. The minister said in the last 8 years, the length of National Highways has gone up by more than 50 per cent from 91,000 km in 2014 to about 1.47 Lakh km now. He said our government is dedicatedly working towards expanding the National Highway network to 2 lakh kilometres by 2025. In the last 8 years, our team has created multiple world records, he added. Gadkari said that the government is very committed to the development of the North East region. He said NHIDCL is playing a vital role in developing infrastructure in this region. "The National Highway share of the region stands at 10 per cent. Till date, 2344 km highway has been constructed at the cost of Rs 45,000 crore." "We are ready to adopt World's best and most successful technology and new materials for construction. Use of proven technology and reduction in construction cost are the two most important driving forces for us. We need to reduce the cost of construction while maintaining quality," he added. The minister said there should be minimum carbon footprints and exploitation of limited natural resources during the construction and operation phase. He said development at the cost of degradation of ecology and environment is not acceptable to us. The Minister said Road safety is a high-priority area for the Government. We need to incorporate effective global practices and guidelines related to road engineering into the specification, he added. (ANI)
In the wake of widespread violence over the Agnipath Scheme across the country, Senior Telangana Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should tender his resignation for his incapability to handle the situation. Speaking to ANI, Rao said, "In last eight years 16 crore job has to come, you (Center Government) didn't give that and now in defence, you are making limitation of four years, what will be the situation after four years. After being removed from the defence what work will they get? I don't understand, how come you don't have money for providing permanent jobs to youth in defence. It's a shameful act, Narendra Modi if you are not able to manage then just give your resignation." "You are not thinking about poor people. Now the youth are coming forward to work for the country. You are doing injustice to them. You promised to bring black money back and give Rs 15 lakhs to everyone's account. You have not fulfilled your promises yet," said the Congress leader. Further speaking on violence across the country on Agnipath Scheme, he said, "In UPA government this type of incident never happened. On one side the minority community is protesting following Nupur Sharma's remarks on Prophet Muhammad while on the other side youth are protesting against your Agnipath Scheme." "One youth died and I went to see him but they didn't allow me inside. I went there on humanitarian grounds not to do any politics. I just wanted to know the details of the person who died in Secunderabad. Is it a democracy of kings' rules," Rao questioned. One person died in Telangana's Secunderabad on Friday as protests against the newly announced military recruitment policy, Agnipath, turned violent. Agitators vandalised the Secunderabad Railway Station and set a train ablaze during a protest against the Centre's Agnipath scheme. The protestors vandalised the windows of a train and torched a two-wheeler on tracks and a few bags on the platform. Protestors also vandalised a TSRTC bus at Secunderabad bus station. Telangana Police resorted to aerial firing to disperse the angry crowd at the railway station. In other parts of the country like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, protestors demonstrated for the third consecutive day. At the Secunderabad Railway station, protestors vandalised the windows of a train and torched a two-wheeler on tracks and a few bags on the platform. The Railway has discontinued trains to the area. Earlier, protesters torched compartments of a train in Samastipur and those in another train at Lakhisarai station. On June 14, the Union Cabinet approved the Agnipath recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces. Youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers and will serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years. (ANI)
Inaugurating the redeveloped Kalika Mata Temple, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Gujarat's Pavagadh has been a center of universal harmony with the historical diversity of India. Prime Minister inaugurated the redeveloped Kalika Mata Temple atop the Pavagadh Hill. It is one of the oldest temples in the area and attracts large numbers of pilgrims. According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the redevelopment of the temple has been done in two phases. The inauguration of the first phase of redevelopment was done by the Prime Minister earlier this year in April. The foundation stone of the redevelopment of the second phase, which was inaugurated in today's programme, was laid by the Prime Minister in 2017. This includes expansion of the temple base and 'parisar' at three levels, installation of amenities like street lights, CCTV system etc. The Prime Minister underlined the importance of the moment today when after five centuries and even 75 years after independence, 'dhwaja' the sacred flag was hoisted on the temple. He said, "Today, after centuries, the flag is once again hoisted on the top of the Pavagadh temple. This 'Shikhar Dhwaj' is not only a symbol of our faith and spirituality but this flag is also a symbol of the fact that centuries change, eras change, but the faith remains eternal." PM Modi said the redevelopment right before the upcoming 'Gupt Navratri' is an indication that 'Shakti' never dims or disappears. Referring to Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Kashi Vishvanath Dham and Kedarnath Dham, the Prime Minister pointed out "Today the spiritual and cultural glory of India is being restored. Today New India is proudly living its ancient identity along with its modern aspirations." The Prime Minister recalled how Swami Vivekananda devoted himself to public service after getting Goddess Kali's briefings. He said that Gujarat has made sterling contributions in the freedom struggle as well as in the development journey of the nation. "Garvi Gujarat is synonymous with the pride and glory of India. In the glorious tradition of Somnath temple; Panchmahal and Pavagadh have kept working for the pride in our heritage," he said. In the restoration, he said the ancient essence of the temple was not touched. The Prime Minister also noted the ease of access to the temple. "Earlier the journey to Pavagadh was so difficult that people used to say that at least once in life the mother should have darshan. Today, the increasing facilities here have made difficult darshan accessible," he said. Referring to the various temples of Goddess Shakti, the Prime Minister noted that Gujarat has a security ring of blessings. "There is spirituality in Pavagadh, there is also history, nature, art and culture. Here on one side is the Shaktipeeth of Maa Mahakali, and on the other side, there is also a heritage Jain temple. That is, Pavagadh has in a way been a centre of universal harmony with the historical diversity of India," PM Modi said. The Prime Minister noted that with the development of places of faith new opportunities emerge for the region as tourism, employment and awareness about the art and craft of the region increases. Recalling that Panchmahal is the land of legendary music maestro Baiju Bawara, the Prime Minister said that wherever heritage and culture get strength, art and talent also flourish. (ANI)
Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Saturday termed the Central government's decision to reserve vacancies for Agniveers in CAPFs and Assam Rifles as a "very positive step" and asked the protesting youth to gather 'correct information' and get their doubts about the scheme clarified instead of resorting to violence. "It's a very positive step. This is one assurance that the people, who are going to leave services after four years of tenure, were waiting for this. I'm sure that this will be followed by many other such announcements and will definitely assuage issues that have been brought up by youth," said Chaudhari. The Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday announced that 'Agniveers' will be absorbed into the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles at the end of their four-year term in the army. MHA also announced three years of age relaxation, beyond the upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles. For the first batch of Agniveers, age relaxation will be for 5 years beyond the upper age limit. Speaking about the protests, he said, "Resorting to violence and arson is not a solution. If they have doubts, there are military stations, Air Force bases, and Naval bases around. They can go to them, get their doubts clarified." "What they need to do now is to get hold of the correct information, understand the scheme in its entirety. They'll themselves see the advantage and benefits of the scheme. I am sure this will quell all their doubts whatever they have in their minds," he added. Protests have broken out in various parts of the country against the new recruitment scheme in the Armed Forces. In some places, the protests turned violent as trains were set ablaze. Further highlighting the importance of the Agnipath Scheme, he said, "The domains of warfare are changing, we need younger, more tech-savvy people in the services. For the IAF in particular, we will benefit from having to select the more technically qualified people for the particular job that they are going to do in future in the Air Force." Air Chief Marshal, speaking about the benefits the Agnipath Scheme will bring for the Agniveers, said, "Agniveers can compete and re-enrol in IAF for a service that'll grant them a pension. In case they leave and decide to pursue higher education or set up entrepreneurship, they can set up on their own or can be assured of jobs in the public, government or private sector." (ANI)
Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari were present at the meeting in Defence Minister's residence.

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday announced that 'Agniveers' will be absorbed into the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles at the end of their four-year term in the army.

MHA also announced three years of age relaxation, beyond the upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles.

For the first batch of Agniveers, age relaxation will be for 5 years beyond the upper age limit.

The decision comes amid the raging protests that have broken out across the country against the Centre's Agnipath Scheme.

The Union Cabinet on June 14 approved a recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the three services of the Armed Forces called Agnipath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers.

Agnipath allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years. The Agnipath Scheme has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the Armed Forces.

According to the latest announcement by the Ministry, the upper age limit for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) - inclusive of Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), National Security Guard (NSG) and Special Protection Group (SPG) - will stand at 26 years.

Meanwhile, the first batch of Agniveers will avail a further relaxation of 5 years beyond the upper age limit of 23, taking it to 28 years. (ANI)
He will further be handed over to Railway Police, added the police.

Earlier on Friday, Police arrested more than 100 protestors accused of involvement in arson at Secunderabad railway station, said sources.

An FIR was registered by Railway police against protestors who torched vehicles, as per the sources.

Earlier on Friday, Railway Police registered a case against protestors who set a train on fire and damaged railway property in Telangana's Secunderabad during a protest against the Centre's Agnipath scheme.

Around 1500 to 3000 people protested. They held stone-pelting also in which some police personnel got injured, said the police.

Agitators had vandalised the Secunderabad Railway Station and set a train ablaze during a protest against the Centre's Agnipath scheme on Friday. The protestors had vandalised the windows of a train and torched a two-wheeler on tracks and a few bags on the platform.

Protestors had also vandalised a TSRTC bus at Secunderabad bus station.

Telangana Police had resorted to aerial firing to disperse the angry crowd at the railway station.In other parts of the country like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, protestors demonstrated for the third consecutive day.

At the Secunderabad Railway station, protestors had vandalised the windows of a train and torched a two-wheeler on tracks and a few bags on the platform. The Railway has discontinued trains to the area.

Earlier, protesters had torched compartments of a train in Samastipur and those in another train at Lakhisarai station. (ANI)
Congress MP S Jothimani has been admitted to the RML Hospital in the national capital, Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Saturday alleging that Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu was beaten up by Delhi Police during a protest by the party against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe on Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald Case. Congress leaders and MPs have been protesting in several states against their former president's questioning by the ED in a money-laundering case pertaining to the National Herald newspaper. A delegation of Congress leaders is likely to meet President Ram Nath Kovind on June 20 and submit a memorandum on the issue of entry of Delhi Police into their party headquarters and the alleged misbehaviour with party MPs during protests. Rahul Gandhi appeared before the ED for four days, sparking protests by Congress leaders across the country. The party, however, alleged that there was nothing in the case and it is a political vendetta. Congress on Wednesday filed a complaint against the Delhi Police for entering and attacking party workers, without provocation, at 24 Akbar Road. The complaint was registered at Tughlak Road Police Station, New Delhi. Congress has alleged that its leaders have been manhandled during protests. Rahul Gandhi was questioned in detail about the ownership of Young Indian Private Limited (YIL) by the Gandhi family and its shareholding pattern in Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the company that runs the National Herald newspaper, said sources. Investigators in the ED, sources said, had also asked Rahul Gandhi to describe the circumstances under which AJL was acquired by YIL in 2010, making it the owner of all assets owned by the National Herald newspaper. The National Herald, started by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was published by the AJL. In 2010, the AJL, which faced financial difficulties, was taken over by a newly-floated YIL with Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda as directors, both of them Gandhi loyalists. In a complaint in the Delhi High Court, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy accused Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul Gandhi, and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds. Officials familiar with the probe said Rahul Gandhi is being asked questions about the takeover of the AJL by YIL since the Gandhis have stakes in the latter. The Congress leader is being questioned under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). (ANI)
Amid the ongoing protests across the country over the Agnipath scheme, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the government saying that her pleas to the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about the recruitment were unheard. "I had written a letter to the Defense Minister on March 29, 2022, requesting him to pay attention to these demands of the youth and find a solution immediately. But, the government did not give any importance to the voice of the youth," she tweeted. According to Priyanka Gandhi, the government needs to understand the pain of the youth who are preparing for recruitment in the Army. She urged the Central government to take immediate decisions to fill up the vacant posts in the Army. She added that there has been no recruitment in the Army for three years. Priyanka Gandhi tweeted, "Understand the pain of rural youth preparing for army recruitment. Recruitment did not come for three years. The youth of the race got blisters on their feet, they are disappointed and desperate. The youth are waiting for the Air Force recruitment results and appointments. The government took away permanent recruitment, rank, pension, everything." Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a letter written on March 29, had urged Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to immediately initiate recruitment to fill the vacant posts in the army and give two years relaxation in the age limit to the youth. In the letter to the Defense Minister, she also said that due to long delays in recruitment, results and appointments, there is huge disappointment among the youth. Priyanka added, "The examination for the recruitment of soldiers in the Air Force (January 2020) was held in November 2020 and its result also came in November 2020. Despite the completion of all the tests and the provisional selection list being out, its enrollment list was not been released yet. This list should be issued immediately." Protests have broken out in various parts of the country against the new recruitment scheme in the Armed Forces. In some places, the protests turned violent as trains were set ablaze. (ANI)
The Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) organised 'Yoga Mahotsav' at Purana Qila in the national capital on Saturday. The event was held as part of International Day of Yoga 2022 celebrations. The event aimed to instil the everlasting value of cultural wellness amongst the people, said the Ministry of Culture. The event was attended by Minister of State for Culture and Parliamentary Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi. More than 500 people including officials of the Union Culture Ministry and foreign delegates from more than 40 countries participated in the event. The event started with reciting of Saraswati Vandana followed by a session of Yoga by instructors from Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga. On the occasion, Meenakashi Lekhi said Yoga is the key to a healthy and active life. She also said that with the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Yoga has spread far and wide even at the global level. She emphasised on how yoga leads to the flexibility of body, mind, ethos and thoughts. Lekhi also discussed the importance of practising yoga and connecting with nature in order to be flexible. On the occasion, Arjun Ram Meghwal said Yoga helps to keep body, mind, intellect and soul together. The Union Minister also appealed to make the International Day of Yoga a success on June 21 by practicing yoga and sharing its benefits with others. June 21 is observed as the International Yoga Day, recognising the benefits of the ancient Indian practice of Yoga. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the International Yoga Day celebrations from the Mysuru Palace Grounds on June 21, according to Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The event will also witness the participation of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The theme of celebration of the 8th edition of the International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2022 across the globe is 'Yoga for Humanity, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 'Mann ki Baat' address. (ANI)
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) on Saturday announced six attractive service avenues for smooth transition induction of 'Agniveers' in various roles of the merchant navy, post their stint with the Indian navy. The scheme will enable Agniveers, who have successfully completed their tour of duties with the Indian navy, to acquire the necessary training with rich naval experience and professional certification to join the remunerative merchant navy across the world. The provisions were announced today by the Directorate General of Shipping, a Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways organisation in Mumbai. These schemes for Agniveers include the transition from ratings in the Indian navy to certified ratings in the merchant navy, the transition from electrical ratings in the Indian navy to certified electro technical ratings in the merchant navy, the transition from ratings in the Indian navy to certified class IV-NCV CoC holder in the merchant navy, the transition from electrical ratings in Indian Navy to certified electro-technical officers in the merchant navy and transition from a cook in Indian Navy to the certified cook merchant navy, the Ministry said in a statement. "The MoSPW will issue INDOS and CDC for those Agniveers who intend to explore in any of the said schemes through the Indian Navy. Some of the schemes are devised for Agniveers with Diploma in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or ITI Trade Certificate in Electronic or Electrical stream - either joining with these qualifications or acquiring these during their tenure with the Indian navy," the Ministry said. The release from the Ministry further stated that the Agnipath scheme - a transformative move to modernise India's armed forces - will create opportunities for the youth of the nation to serve the country and, at the same time, earn rich professional experience and training enabling them to seize opportunities. In order to provide global exposure via merchant navy, the MoPSW will work with the Indian navy to train and equip the Agniveers and facilitate to take up an alternate career in the merchant post four years stint with the navy. Speaking on the scheme, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, said the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the transformative Agnipath scheme is an attempt that the profile of the Indian armed forces remains youthful. "They will be adaptive to newer technologies and prepare them through their stint with our world-class Indian navy to secure a lucrative career in the global merchant navy. We are working with the Indian navy to bridge the gap of skilled man force in the merchant navy through these schemes," he said. "It will help our Agniveers to get absorbed transited in the shipping sector and build an enticing career in merchant navy by contributing immensely through their rich skills and experience to the Indian marine economy," Sonowal said. India is one of the fifth largest manpower suppliers to the world merchant fleet. Indian seafarers are certified as per STCW Convention and are in great demand internationally. The schemes are devised in a way to help the Agniveers for the smooth transition absorption of Agniveers in the shipping sector. The MoPSW and Indian Navy will work closely in this regard. (ANI)
Suggesting the inclusion of Yoga as a part of the National Council of Educational Research and Training curriculum, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday inaugurated the National Yoga Olympiad 2022 and quiz competition in Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said that yoga has served humanity in alleviating the sufferings and building resilience, especially during the post-Covid era. He appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to choose 'Yoga for Humanity' as this year's theme and highlighted that it is important to encourage healthier choices and bring people closer together. "Yoga is India's gift to the world and it has gained tremendous popularity globally since the United Nations General Assembly adopted PM Modi's proposal to celebrate June 21 as International Day of Yoga. Yoga is uniting the world in the pursuit of good health and wellness," he said. The Minister further mentioned that National Education Policy 2020 lays special emphasis on the physical and emotional well-being of both students and teachers. "Sports-integrated learning will inculcate sportsman spirit and help students adopt fitness as a lifelong attitude," he added. Pradhan also said that Yoga is an integral part of health, wellness and physical education while also suggesting the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) include the ancient wisdom of Yoga in the curriculum. "While we are in the process of developing the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), we must prioritise yoga right from Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) to Class 12 level," he added. He also suggested the NCERT for conducting yoga olympiads at the school, block, district and state levels. Later in his address, Pradhan said that involving school students from every block will further the legacy of yoga and also help in developing yoga as a lifestyle. The Education Minister congratulated all the selected students, representing their states/Union Territories in the National Yoga Olympiad and appreciated them for their participation right from the block level. While addressing the participants, Union Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar said that yoga has to be popularised as a part of the National Education Policy 2020. He said that the aim is to promote an education system which would give the citizens a vision to see the country in a unified form. "In the Yoga Olympiad, asana, pranayama, kriya, meditation etc will be demonstrated by the students, so that they will be able to understand the importance of yoga experientially," he said. He also emphasised the values of Yoga that are now globally accepted and how it would be able to accelerate the sustainable lifestyle worldwide. The theme for this year is "Yoga for Humanity". It is an acknowledged fact that yogic asanas are beneficial to all in maintaining quality health and a holistic personality. The NCERT started the National Yoga Olympiad in 2016. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the spirit of yoga was kept alive by organizing a Quiz competition, where the students of Kendriya Vidyalaya, NVs and students from Demonstration Multipurpose Schools of Regional Institutions of Education participated in a large number. This year, The National Yoga Olympiad-- jointly organised by the Ministry of Education and the NCERT--will continue till June 20. The Vice Chairman of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) M.P. Poonia, Director of NCERT Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Joint Director of NCERT Prof. Shridhar Srivastava, Secretary of NCERT Prof. Pratyush Kumar Mandal, and senior officials of the Ministry of Education and students from various parts of India attended the event. As per an official statement, this year about 600 students from 26 states/UTs and Demonstration Multipurpose Schools of Regional Institutions of Education will be participating in the forthcoming National Yoga Olympiad. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Saturday termed the Centre's Agnipath a "revolutionary and transformative" scheme and said that it will provide a good platform for youth to join the Indian armed forces. "Agnipath is a revolutionary and transformative scheme that provides a good platform for youth to join the Indian armed forces. Youth should not be misled by some hostile elements," the governor said. "At a young age, they (Agnivees) can come out after serving the nation with self-confidence, discipline, duly trained, and financially sound with skills and knowledge to excel in life," he explained. The statement from the governor comes after he inaugurated the celebration of 150 years birth anniversary of VO Chidambaranar at Kamaraj College in Thoothukudi today. While recollecting the extraordinary sacrifices and sufferings of Chidambaranar, Ravi praised the national freedom fighter for his innovative idea and said people should remember the great patriot and nationalist. "We are in the process of building new Bharat with all-around resurgence. In this regard, there is a necessity to take the stories and ideas of our great freedom fighters to our young generation to appreciate the work of freedom and take over the responsibility for the country," he added. Earlier on June 14, the Union Cabinet approved a recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the three services of the Armed Forces called Agnipath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers. Agnipath allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years. The Agnipath Scheme has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the Armed Forces. According to the latest announcement by the Ministry, the upper age limit for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) - inclusive of Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), National Security Guard (NSG) and Special Protection Group (SPG) - will stand at 26 years. Meanwhile, the first batch of Agniveers will avail a further relaxation of 5 years beyond the upper age limit of 23, taking it to 28 years. (ANI)
The Health Minister in its official press release mentioned that more than 11 lakh (11,61,176) vaccine doses have been administered till 7 pm today.

The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level.

The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination started on January 16, 2021. The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on June 21, 2021.

As per the Ministry, of the total doses administered so far to the health care workers (HLW's), 1,04,08,261 have received the first dose, 1,00,55,634 have received the second vaccine dose and 55,20,276 have been administered the precaution dose.

Also, 1,84,21,883 frontline workers were administered the first dose, 1,76,10,992 with the second dose and 9,5,91,277 with the precaution doses.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases in India crossed the 13,000-mark for the first time after more than three months, with the country reporting 13,216 fresh infections in the last 24 hours, according to Union Health Ministry data.

After a gap of three months, the country witnessed an uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases as the country has been crossing the 12,000- mark for the past two days. India logged 12,213 cases on Thursday, followed by 12,847 cases on Friday. (ANI)
Sanjay made these sensational allegations while addressing a meeting of the in-charges of Shakti Kendras of erstwhile combined Karimnagar district as part of preparedness for the BJP national executive meeting to be held in Hyderabad on July 2 and 3. The BJP president the attack on the Secunderabad railway station was pre-planned. "In fact, the aspirants for army jobs who had a misconception about the 'Agnipath' scheme wanted to demonstrate peacefully at the railway station to register their protest," he said. "But some anti-social elements pelted stones at the police and indulged in large-scale destruction. They demolished the compound wall of the railway station and carried petrol bottles and stones into the premises. How was it possible? he asked. Sanjay said the firing was done by the state police forces, leading to the death of Rakesh, an army job aspirant from Warangal. Yet, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders are blaming the BJP, he said. "When the BJP leaders plan even a small meeting or stage a dharna, the state intelligence immediately alerts the police. But why didn't they get the information about the possible violence when thousands of army job aspirants were gathering at Secunderabad railway station? he questioned. "In fact, intelligence passed on the information well in advance, but the vandalism happened with the full knowledge and support of the state government," he alleged. The statement further read that Sanjay alleged that a strategist could be behind all the ploys of the riots happening in the country, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and requested the aspirants not to fall for the false propaganda being spread to mislead them. "The way the TRS leaders perpetrated attacks on the central government offices in Warangal during the funeral procession of Rakesh in Warangal clearly showed the conspiracy by the ruling party. I request the people to realise this conspiracy," he said. Stating the Agnipath is a great scheme of recruiting youngsters into the Army, the BHP president said that almost everyone who would apply would be selected as Agniveers and would be given six months of training. "They would work for four years and receive a minimum of Rs 30,000 as their monthly salary; of which 75 per cent would be given to them and the rest would be deposited into a corpus fund," he explained. He said that at the end of four years, 25 per cent of Agniveers would be recruited to work for the Army, while the others will receive 11 lakhs, besides 10 per cent reservation in army recruitment going ahead. In case of disability during service, the Centre will also provide compensation, he added. To the protesting aspirants, Sanjay said that working for the Army increases respect and patriotism. Highlighting that Agnipath-like schemes are already successfully implemented in other countries, he suggested that misconceptions regarding it must be removed, but resorting to violence is not an option. Agnipath Scheme was launched by the government, on June 14, in an effort to bring a change in the recruitment process of the Armed Forces. With the new military recruitment scheme facing a backlash by Opposition, the Centre has decided to bring a change in the upper age limit for recruiting Agniveers. (ANI)
According to the police, the deceased, identified as Samarth, was depressed when he shot himself. A servant found him dead in the morning and informed the other family members.

The police received a PCR call at 11.43 am from the brother of the deceased in PS Vasant Vihar stating that his brother has gunshot himself at A block in Vasant Vihar.

The police reached the spot and found him in the pool of blood with a pistol near his body.

Upon investigation, the police identified deceased Samarth (23) as a Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) student whose father Dhruv is a businessman and due to some family issues, his mother used to live somewhere else.

The police have registered a case under section 174 (Police to enquire and report on suicide) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI)
The Delhi Police on Saturday arrested a man for killing his wife after beating her up at PS Fatehpur Beri area in Delhi. He later slept with the body the whole night under the influence of alcohol. According to the Delhi Commission of Police South, information was received about the killing of a woman by her husband, acting immediately on which the police registered a case under section 302 (Punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code at the PS Fatehpur Beri. "The arrested accused, identified as Vinod Kumar Dubey, killed his wife Sonali Dubey on the night of June 16-17 by beating and smothering her up with the help of a pillow, after she refused to bring dinner... and later slept with his dead wife," the police said. As per the police, the couple was under the influence of alcohol when a disagreement erupted between them and led to the killing of Sonali by her husband. "During the course of the investigation, the team enquired the informant and the people residing in the vicinity about Vinod. His location was zeroed down through surveillance and technical analysis. Hence, a trap was laid and he was arrested." After the incident, the police recovered cash of Rs 43,280 along with a bag containing belongings, two half bottles of liquor and one pillow stained with blood from his possession. (ANI)
Condemning the protests against Agnipath Scheme, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Saturday assured the recruitment of Agniveers to the state police after they complete their service under the recently launched Central government's Agnipath recruitment scheme. "Karnataka government will induct Agniveers into state police after completion of their service in the Agnipath Recruitment Scheme. I condemn the protests that are happening to oppose this scheme," Jnanendra told ANI. The Union Cabinet on June 14 approved a recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the three services of the Armed Forces called Agnipath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers. Protests broke out in various parts of the country following the launch of the scheme. In some parts of the country, the protests took a violent turn where stone-pelting was witnessed at some places while trains were set on fire in some places including Bihar and Telangana. However, ever since the scheme was launched by the government, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and several state governments have announced that Agniveers, after serving the armed forces for 4 years, will be given preference in filling vacancies in police forces. Several other departments have also announced support for the Agnipath scheme. Meanwhile, states like Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Karnataka have already announced supportive measures for the Agniveers post-retirement from services after four years in the Armed Forces. Earlier today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also approved a proposal to reserve 10 per cent of the job vacancies in the Ministry of Defence for Agniveers meeting requisite eligibility criteria. The 10 per cent reservation will be implemented in the Indian Coast Guard and defence posts, and all the 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (HAL, BEL, BEML, BDL, GRSE, GSL, HSL, MDL, Midhani, AVNL, AWEIL, MIL, YIL, GIL, IOL, TCL). Necessary age relaxation provision will also be made to enable recruitment of Agniveers to the above posts. The Home Ministry also decided to reserve 10 per cent vacancies for recruitment in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles for Agniveers. Home Ministry has further announced that it will give three years of age relaxation to Agniveers beyond the prescribed upper age limit to recruitments in CAPFs and Assam Rifles. For the first batch of Agniveers, the age relaxation will be of 5 years. Directorate General of Shipping under the Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) along with the Indian Navy announced a system for the smooth induction of the Agniveers into the Merchant Navy. Under this, MoPSW announced six attractive service avenues for a smooth transition of Agniveers in various roles of the Merchant navy, post their stint with the Indian Navy. (ANI)
Eyeing the West Bengal panchayat polls next year and Lok Sabha polls in 2024, the BJP's state unit has started streamlining its organisational network by announcing the names of conveners of 15 party cells. BJP insiders said that during his recent tour to the state, BJP President J.P. Nadda asked the elected MLS from the state to fix timelines to interact with the common people in their respective localities. Accordingly, it has been decided that each elected MLA will interact with the common people in their residences in their respective constituencies daily from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. It has also been decided that each elected MLA will also do extensive door-to-door public relations exercises in specific pockets in their constituencies at least five times in a month. A BJP state committee leader told IANS that the newly-appointed convenors will regularly update the MLAs about the issues pertaining to the respective party cells in the respective constituencies. BJP's national Secretary, Arvind Menon, who was in Kolkata on Saturday, met all the party MPs and MLAs from the state and instructed them to create a youth team of 25 members each for each of the state's 294 Assembly constituencies. Their task will be to interact with the people in the respective constituencies and update about the different developmental projects that have been introduced by the Union government for the welfare of common people. During his recent tour, Nadda also instructed the party's state leadership to highlight the different issues like corruption and violence to the people in a more in-depth manner. Considering that recruitment irregularities are the most burning issues in the state, the state BJP has decided to open a separate cell in all its offices throughout the state, where anyone will be able to register information about any irregularities in government appointments. Based on the seriousness of the complaints, state BJP leadership will take up the matter and organise mass movements. BJP's national Vice President Dilip Ghosh, in a tweet on Saturday, shared his email ID and said that anyone having any information about appointment irregularities can inform him about that it. "If you have any information regarding people who got their job in lieu of money and are practicing it, send us the information by mail," his message read. --IANS src/vd ( 397 Words) 2022-06-18-19:36:03 (IANS)
Two chicks of Great Indian Bustard (GIB) born in a gap of a few days have brought cheer and raised hopes of conservationists, who have time and again warned of loss of habitat for the critically endangered bird species. One chick was born at the Conservation Breeding Centre at Sam in Jaisalmer district while another was born at the Desert National Park earlier this week. The Park is also expecting more eggs to be hatched as this is the breeding season for the GIB. The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), or Ardeotis nigriceps, is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and as 'Critically Endangered' on the IUCN Red List and the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016). A large bird of about one metre in height, the GIB has a wing span of almost two metres with the adult weighing between 15-18 kg. There are only around 150 Great Indian Bustards left across the country, including 128 in Rajasthan alone, and less than 10 birds each in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the Lok Sabha was informed on March 14. However, wildlife conservationists claim that the number of GIBs in the wild is below 100 as of 2022. 'Birth of Hope' was how Shikhar Agrawal, Principal Secretary, Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Rajasthan government, described it on twitter as he shared a video of the GIB chick coming out of its shell at the Conservation Centre in Sam. Pointing out that 80 per cent of the GIB population is outside the protected areas, Sumit Dookia, a conservation biologist, who has worked for Thar desert biodiversity, said, "It's really a ray of hope, but we also have to concentrate our efforts on the remaining habitat that need to be protected and the rest, if possible, needs restoration. We must orient the officials to think out of the box and join hands with the locals to secure the remaining habitat." In April this year, one of these majestic birds had died in a collision with a power line in Jaisalmer itself. In April 2021, the Supreme Court had directed the power firms and the government to lay underground wires for all new power projects in Rajasthan and go for diverters for the existing lines. --IANS niv/arm ( 392 Words) 2022-06-18-19:56:05 (IANS)
As violent protests against the Centre's new short-term recruitment policy for armed forces continue in parts of the country, the Rajasthan Cabinet has passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of the Centre's Agnipath scheme keeping in mind the "larger public interest and the sentiments of the youths". A meeting of the State Council of Ministers was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at the Chief Minister's residence here on Saturday where concerns were expressed over the nationwide protests against the Agnipath scheme of the Central Government. "In the meeting of the State Council of Ministers, it was discussed that the Indian Army is the bravest in the world and is known for its indomitable courage. Whole country takes pride in the Indian Army's glorious history. To maintain dignity and prestige of the Indian Army, it is necessary to have skill, experience and stability in the forces. To increase efficiency in the Army, it is crucial to have permanent soldiers instead of short-term recruits, so that the country can reap the benefit of their experience. The Army must be equipped with all the resources and must be continuously strengthened," read a statement by the Rajasthan government. Noting the massive protests across the country regarding the provisions in the scheme, the State Government said it is of the view that the Central Government should have had a comprehensive discussion with all the stakeholders before introducing any such scheme. "It was discussed in the meeting that, many military experts are of the opinion that the Agnipath scheme will neither secure the future of the youths nor will the country's Army face the challenges with full confidence Experts say that there should be regular recruitment in the country's Army, along with better training soldiers must get all the benefits so that their future and their family's future can be secured," the statement added. AGNIPATH scheme allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years. Soldiers who are recruited under this scheme will be known as Agniveers. A total of 46,000 Agniveers will be recruited this year. Following protests, the Central government announced an increase in the upper age limit for the recruitment of Agniveers from 21 years to 23 years for the recruitment cycle of 2022. While Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the 'Agnipath' scheme gives a golden opportunity to the youth to join the defence system and serve the country, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said the recruitment policy is controversial, carries multiple risks, subverts the long-standing traditions and ethos of the armed forces and there is no guarantee that the soldiers recruited under the scheme will be better trained and motivated to defend the country. Congress has urged the government to keep the Agnipath scheme in abeyance, hold wide consultations with serving and retired officers, and address the issues of quality, efficiency and economy without compromising on any of the three considerations. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday approved a proposal to reserve 10 per cent of the job vacancies in the Ministry of Defence for 'Agniveers' meeting requisite eligibility criteria. Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that his ministry has decided to give priority to 'Agniveers' in the recruitment of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles. (ANI)
It said the protest will also be held over the alleged "attack" by Delhi Police on party headquarters following protests against ED giving notice to party leader Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.

Rajasthan Congress alleged that Gandhi has been given notice by ED on "instructions of the central government on fabricated allegations" and there was political vendetta.

It alleged that Delhi Police personnel entered the AICC office and beat up party workers.

The party said the central government is using force to suppress peaceful protest.

A party circular issued on June 17 asked block presidents to send coverage of protests to the party headquarters. (ANI)
In view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bengaluru and Mysuru on June 20, and his participation in several events, the Karnataka government declared a holiday for the higher education institutions located in the proximity of his travel route due to security reasons. Karnataka Minister for Higher Education CN Ashwath Narayan said that a government order to this effect has been issued on Saturday. "This will be applicable to higher educational institutions in the vicinity of IISc, Goraguntepalya, CMTI, Ring Road, Dr Rajkumar Memorial flyover, Laggere bridge, Nayandahalli, Mysuru Road RV College, Nagarabavi, Sumanahalli flyover, MEI junction, Govardhan Talkies, Yashawantapura, and Jakkuru Aerodrome route," he added. Earlier on Saturday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had said that the preparations to make Prime Minister's visit to Bengaluru and Mysuru "a grand success" are in full swing. The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the state on June 20. According to Bommai, PM Modi is scheduled to arrive at Yelahanka airbase at 11.55 am and reach the Indian Institute of Science by helicopter to participate in two programs. There, he will inaugurate the Brain Cell Research Centre established at a cost of Rs 450 crore by Kris Gopalakrishnan and lay the foundation stone for an 850-bed Research Hospital being built by the MindTree. He also informed that the Suburban Rail project for Bengaluru will also take off on the same day as the Prime Minister would lay the foundation for a Rs 15,000 crore project to provide mass transit connectivity from the heart of the city to many localities in the outskirts. Apart from this, PM Modi would also launch six railway projects. He is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the Satellite Town Ring Road connecting Dabaspet on Tumakuru road with Old Madras Road near Hosakote. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has agreed to provide special concessions for the project after Bommai convinced him of the project's importance. "After launching these development projects the Prime Minister would address a public rally at Kommaghatta," Bommai said. (ANI)
Enforcement Directorate on Saturday issued summons to gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh to appear before it on June 22 for interrogation. Summons were issued to Swapna on the basis of the 164 statement that she was given in the sessions court earlier. According to the ED sources, Swapna informed that she will appear before its Kochi office. Suresh had revealed that she has declared in court about the involvement of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife and daughter in the matter. "I have already given 164 statement in court about a threat to my life. I have declared in court about all the people involved in this case. I have also filed a petition seeking protection in court. They are considering it. I have declared in the court about what is the involvement of M Sivasankar (then principal secretary to Kerala CMO), the Chief Minister, CM's wife Kamala, CM's daughter Veena, his secretary CM Raveendran, then Chief Secretary Nalini Netto IAS, then minister KT Jaleel," she said. Swapna claimed that a baggage containing currency was sent to Vijayan when he was in Dubai in 2016. The affidavit submitted by Swapna Suresh alleged that 17 tonnes of date imported to Kerala from UAE 'went missing' with the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Minister KT Jaleel's knowledge. The Kerala gold smuggling case pertains to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels. It had come to light after 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crore smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage was busted by the customs department in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5, 2019. After spending 16 months behind bars, Swapna was released from jail in November last year. The case is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the customs department. Earlier this year, Swapna Suresh had alleged that she was exploited and manipulated by M Sivasankar, principal secretary of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The statements came after Sivasankar in his upcoming autobiography "Aswathamavu: Verum Oru Aana" alleged that Swapna had trapped him by gifting him an iPhone. Sivasankar was arrested on October 28, 2020, after the Kerala High Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition. Sivasankar was released on bail on February 4, last year. (ANI)
The Chaibasa Police said that seven girl students, who were staying in the school hostel, had complained about the principal.

On the complaint of the victims, Chaibasa Police came into action and arrested the accused principal.

"The principal of a private school has been arrested on the charges of molesting minor girl students. Seven students had complained about him. All the victims were staying in the school hostel," said Chaibasa Police.

Police further said that the accused has been sent to judicial custody.

Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI)
Maharashtra Cyber Cell Department on Saturday informed that it has registered 600 cases of fake news, rumours or hate speeches in the state in the past one year. Maharashtra Cyber Cell ADG Madhukar Pandey on Saturday told ANI that the state has a 'robust social media monitoring system' to keep an eye on sensitive posts instigating communal tension or Covid-related misinformation. "We have a robust social media monitoring system where we keep a watch on hate speech, posts disturbing communal harmony, spreading rumours, COVID-related misinformation, etc. In last one year, 600 cases registered regarding fake news, rumours and hate speech over social media in Maharashtra in various units based upon these inputs," he said. According to official data provided by Maharashtra Cyber, in these offences registered, 384 accused have been arrested till now. Out of the total arrested accused, preventive action as per the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) is carried out on 145 accused. Also, so far 138 posts are removed by issuing take-down notices to the social media platforms wherever they are not removed by the posting individual himself. The most common platforms where these types of messages are found or reported to be offensive are WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. The Cyber department issued a warning to the author of the post and asks the author to take down the relevant post. According to a Cyber Department official, all offensive posts are not of the same gravity. "So graded action is taken by the cyber department. In most of the cases author of the posts are gone notice to take down their post on their own but in some cases, posts are so offensive and disturbing that directly an FIR is registered. If the posts are not deleted by the author, Department contacts social media companies to take down the offensive posts," the official said. (ANI)
The nature-bound systems of Tibet are now being shattered and destroyed by Beijing for their own benefit, who are using it as a dumping zone, destroying its environment. China, which currently governs Tibet, sees the region as a dump zone rather than a safe haven and does not provide Tibet with the required resources to protect this very fragile but significant eco-system and unique biome, Tibet Press reported. Tibet has been experiencing the harsh reality of climate change through environmental destruction and degradation advocated by policies from Beijing. Large Lithium and nuclear (uranium) mines not only create a large carbon footprint through the emission of hydrocarbons in the atmosphere it simultaneously impacts the monsoon cycle, according to reports. According to Tibet Press, the White Paper of Tibet titled 'Tibet since 1951: Liberation, Development and Prosperity from Beijing' highlighted very clearly how there was no concern about the level of destruction to Tibet's environment. Over 50 per cent of the official document engaged in the development, the building of more dams and undertaking of several infrastructural initiatives with ironically only one paragraph mentioning anything at all about Tibet's environment. Instead of acknowledging the destruction of the environment in Tibet, the document painted a good light on the Chinese government by wanting to take eco-friendly and sustainably motivated steps moving forward, reported Tibet Rights Collective (TRC). All of these were eventually leading to the drying up of rivers, glacial melting, thawing of permafrost, flooding, loss of grasslands and many more, and all these were occurring due to the environmental destruction in Tibet under the Xi Jinping administration. Moreover, the Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped the Conference of Parties (CoP) 26 summit, the largest environmental summit held last year in Glasgow. Jinping's absence drew wide criticism as China not only is the largest polluting nation but its carbon emission has been on an unprecedented rise even with various environmental agreements signed by them. (ANI)
In particular, Zelenskyy and Johnson discussed in detail the current situation on the frontline in the east and the south of Ukraine as well as the supplies of weapons.

"We talked about the need to increase the supply of heavy weapons. The main thing today is to provide air defense for Ukraine as well. We started to move in this direction," Zelenskyy told reporters after the talks.

For his part, Johnson said that his country stands ready to continue providing weapons to Ukraine and organizing military training for its use.

Besides, the parties have discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and the efforts to clear the Ukrainian territory from landmines.

Other key topics of the conversation were financial and economic support for Kyiv, the blockade of Ukrainian ports, as well as efforts to address the energy crisis in Ukraine.

Johnson arrived in Kyiv earlier in the day for his second visit since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Previously, the British prime minister visited the Ukrainian capital on April 9. (ANI/Xinhua)
Pakistan's former military leader Pervez Musharraf, who has been living in Dubai since 2016, is expected to return to Pakistan soon. As per sources, Musharraf is expected to return to Pakistan via an air ambulance and his treatment will continue in the country after the ex-dictator's health deteriorated last week, reported Geo News. The sources also confirmed that Musharraf's family are on-board regarding the decision. His family has decided to shift him to Pakistan. The former president has been in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the last six years getting medical treatment. After the news of Musharraf's ill health, Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), a major stakeholder in the coalition government, and the military leadership had said that the former president should be brought to the country if he wants to come back, reported Geo News. PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif last week asked the coalition government to facilitate Musharraf if he wishes to return to Pakistan, adding that he does not have any "personal enmity or tussle" with the ex-dictator. "I have no personal enmity or tussle with Pervez Musharraf. I do not want anyone else to suffer the traumas that I have to endure for my loved ones," the three-time prime minister stated on Twitter. Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar also said the military leadership believes that the former army chief should return to Pakistan. "In such a situation the institution and leadership's stance is that Pervez Musharraf should return," said DG ISPR during an interview with a private television channel. Earlier, Musharraf expressed his desire to spend the "rest of his life" in his home country, local media reported. The Express Tribune newspaper reported that the ailing former president wants to return to Pakistan as soon as possible. Musharraf has been hospitalized for the last three weeks due to health-related complications. (ANI)
China's President Xi Jinping delivered a video link address proposing a "global security initiative" (GSI) hinting at a new approach to global security during the annual Boao Forum in April 2022. The announcement comes amid the world confronting a multifaceted crisis - economies were still grappling with the health and budgetary consequences of the COVID-19 epidemic when Russia invaded Ukraine, driving commodity prices up and generating global concerns about energy and food security, reported Global Strat View. GSI is based on the premise of "indivisible security". The speech was significant because it was the first time China hinted at a new approach to global security "with Chinese features." Like every other state, China pursues its own interests, but as a developing powerhouse, it also aspires for global leadership. Beijing frequently portrays cooperative military actions between the United States and its allies as provocations while signalling China's willingness to accept other countries' security concerns as well as the goals and values of the United Nations Charter. However, neighbouring countries are concerned about China's rise, particularly its territorial claims in the South China Sea. Furthermore, the United States and its allies have increased their efforts to counter what they regard as a "China threat," both economically and militarily, reported Global Strat View. According to some commentators, this is the first time China has advocated for indivisible security while highlighting the ramifications of US actions in Asia. "If China considers the United States and its allies' actions on Taiwan or in the South China Sea to be disregarding its security concerns, it may invoke the concept of 'indivisible security' to claim the moral high ground in retaliation," Li Mingjiang, associate professor at Singapore's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told news agencies. In terms of economics, China has a vast and expanding domestic market, but its economy is still heavily reliant on exports. Russia already supports China's proposal. However, while EU-China commercial links have remained unbroken thus far, Europe is concerned about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is reconsidering its China connections. Even though the notion of indivisible security has European roots, it appears that Europe is not in a rush to join the new China-led initiative, reported Global Strat View. Furthermore, several neighbouring nations, particularly Vietnam and the Philippines, believe China is not behaving in accordance with "indivisible security" in the South China Sea. The Pacific nations are another target for China's new security strategy. However, as demonstrated by last week's meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, these nations will require more time to coordinate and deliberate, as many did with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The same is expected to be true for the Latin American and Caribbean areas, given their varying rates of participation with BRI. Another objective is the African continent. Many African nations are likely to regard "indivisible security" as aligned with their ideas on international security in the context of current security cooperation with African countries that adhere to the non-interference principle. (ANI)
Pakistan is blindly following Sri Lanka's path which will lead the country to fall into the Chinese debt trap. Pakistan's already fragile economy suffered another setback when recently China demanded repayment, by November 2023, of USD 55.6 million for the Lahore Orange Line Project, reported Italian publication Osservatorio Globalizzazione. Meanwhile, at the end of March, the foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan fell by a massive USD 2.915 billion, due to the repayment of external debt. Thus, Pakistan faces a bleak economic future as far as relations with China are concerned. The Chinese company, China-Railway North Industries Corporation (CR-NORINCO) which completed the Lahore Orange Line Project in 2020 has demanded from the Punjab Mass Transit Authority, an outstanding sum of USD 45.3 million by the end of March 2023 and the remaining outstanding of USD 10.5 million by the end of the year. CR-NORINCO has insisted that all dues be repaid before the expiry of the contract on 16 November 2023, reported Osservatorio Globalizzazione. China has made a hard bargain with Pakistan when it comes to paybacks on its loans and other investments in Pakistan. In the fiscal year 2021-2022, Pakistan paid around USD 150 million towards interest to China for using a USD 4.5 billion Chinese trade finance facility. In the financial year 2019-2020, Pakistan paid USD 120 million towards interest on USD 3 billion in loans. The Chinese demand for the Lahore Line payment was made in the first week of April 2022 when the new political dispensation under PM Shehbaz Sharif had just stepped into office. Earlier, at the beginning of March 2022, China acceded to Pakistan's request to roll over a whopping USD 4.2 billion debt repayment to provide a major relief for its all-weather ally, reported Osservatorio Globalizzazione. China has been quite stringent in recovering money from Pakistan. Take Pakistan's energy sector for instance, where Chinese investors have repeatedly insisted on resolving issues relating to existing project sponsors in order to attract fresh investment. Some Chinese projects in Pakistan are facing problems in securing insurance for their loans in China due to Pakistan's massive energy sector circular debt of about USD14 billion. Pakistan has to pay around USD 1.3 billion to Chinese power producers and so far only USD 280 million has been paid. Another example of hard bargaining by China over monetary dealings vis-a-vis Pakistan is well documented in the case of the Dasu Dam Project. Last year, China demanded USD 38 million towards compensation for the families of 36 engineers who had died in the Dasu Dam terror attack. Compensation was made a precondition for resumption of work on the project. To placate China, Pakistan subsequently agreed to pay USD 11.6 million as compensation. While China is heavily responsible for Pakistan's debt problem, it is the mishandling of Pakistan's economy by successive governments that has led to the current impasse. Extensive loans taken from China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well as 13 loans from the IMF over 30 years (with most loan programmes called off mid-way for failure to fulfil loan conditions), is a major cause for the economic downturn. The 2019 USD 6 billion IMF loan is also on hold, and China has dealt with Pakistan's frequent requests to help. Ironically, Pakistan on its part is not shy of playing the loan addict. This strategy has not paid the dividends and is only making Pakistan sink deeper into debt. Pakistan must be closely watching developments in Sri Lanka, for it could be next nation to face the consequences of bad economic policies and heavy debt burdens, reported Osservatorio Globalizzazione. (ANI)
Norbu recently chaired a symposium held by the Tibetan branch of the Buddhist Association "to study and promote the Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism," reported Tibet Rights Collective (TRC).

After the 10th Panchen Lama's death in 1989, the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso had identified 6-year-old Gedhun Choeki Nyima as the 11th Panchen Lama.

Subsequently, the People's Liberation Army abducted the 6-year-old Lama and his family, with their whereabouts still unknown to this day.

Instead, Gyaltsen Norbu was recognized as the 'official' 11th Panchen Lama by the Chinese government in 1995 - a move since then decried by Dalai Lama and the Tibetan community alike.

The institution of the Panchen Lamas is considered only second to that of the Dalai Lama in spiritual importance in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.

While Dalai Lama had already taken refuge in the hill town of Dharamshala in India in 1959, thus effectively being outside the control of Beijing, China indeed wanted to make sure to pursue control of the institution of the Panchen Lama to exert legitimacy for its illegal occupation and rule in Tibet.

Since his appointment as the 11th Panchen Lama by China in 1995, Gyaltsen Norbu has been presented as the 'face of Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhism'.

Having been brought up in Beijing since his childhood in a 'Chinese way', PRC has campaigned hard for Norbu - he was also appointed to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in 2010 and Vice President for the Buddhist Association of China.

Over the years, Norbu has undertaken numerous domestic and foreign trips as a Chinese puppet and made various speeches to talk about Buddhism, Tibet and China.

In doing so, it seems that he has failed to win the admiration of Tibetans and the Chinese alike, reported TRC. (ANI)
Explosions hit a busy road near a Sikh-Hindu temple in Police District today in Kabul, Xinhua News reported citing eyewitnesses.

"The sound of explosions was heard in Karte Parwan area of Kabul city. Details about the nature and casualties of this incident are not yet known," Tolo News also tweeted today.

On June 11, several people were injured after a blast took place in Kabul.

The blast took place at Batkhak Square in the 10th district of Kabul, Tolo News had said in a Tweet.

Earlier, on Monday, a blast took place in Police District-4 of Kabulfrom with explosives carried on a bicycle, the Kabul security department said.

Security forces have arrived in the area to investigate the matter, reported TOLO News.

Prior to that, three explosions rocked the capital of Balkh province on May 25, leaving at least 9 people killed and 15 others injured. Meanwhile, on the same day, a blast at Masjid Sharif Hazrat Zakaria mosque in Kabul City left at least two worshippers dead, according to officials.

In response to the attacks in Balkh and Kabul, the US Special Envoy for Women and Human Rights in Afghanistan, Rina Amiri said that the Taliban must ensure people's security and prevent atrocities.

"The heinous attacks in Mazar & Kabul serve no purpose but to inflict further devastation on innocent Afghans who have suffered enough," Amiri tweeted.

Additionally, earlier, an explosion at a traffic square in Kabul's fourth police district had killed at least 30 people and injured others at the Hazrat Zekriya Mosque.

The Taliban faced a severe security threat from the Khorasan branch of ISIS, which has been active in Afghanistan since 2014. Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the recent attacks in Afghanistan that claimed the lives of numerous civilians, among them members of the Hazara Shia community and several children." (ANI)
Pakistan had turned down China's request to open a security company in their country, a local media reported. The Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah maintained that no other country can open a security company in Pakistan, Pakistan local media reported citing ARY News. According to sources, China had requested to set up a security company in Pakistan. The request was sent to the government by the Chinese Ministry of State Security, however, the Interior Ministry has objected to the Chinese government's request. For the past few weeks, it seems that Pakistan and China are not on the same page. Recently the attacks on Chinese nationals have increased. The Baloch insurgents are regularly targeting CPEC infrastructure projects, such as gas pipelines and electricity towers, claiming that they plunder Balochistan's natural resources. Earlier this, a suicide attack in the city of Karachi had resulted in the death of four people, including three Chinese nationals. The attack was later claimed by a Baloch group. Looking at these attacks, Islamabad Police had recently set up a foreign security cell with requisite staff and logistics amid reports of Chinese nationals continuously being targeted in the country. This decision was taken after a meeting reviewed the performance of the security cell in Islamabad police for the security of foreigners, especially Chinese nationals, the Dawn newspaper reported citing sources. In this meeting, it was decided that either SHOs of police stations, security divisions, or patrolling units would provide security cover to Chinese nationals during their movement. During the meeting, a survey report having details about the Chinese nationals living in Islamabad was shared. Police officials told the Pakistani daily that more than 1,000 Chinese nationals in Islamabad are attached to dozen of projects, companies, and businesses. According to the report, the Chinese attached to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project were provided security cover by security forces and paramilitary troops. Moreover, police will ensure the deployment of patrolling staff around the residences of Chinese nationals and would check and verify the details of the security guards. Notably, Pakistan's Army Chief General Bajwa last week visited China along with a Pakistani delegation and pledged to enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism. (ANI)
At least two blasts were reported from near a gurdwara in Afghanistan's capital on Saturday. Explosions hit a busy road near a Sikh-Hindu temple in Police District today in Kabul, Xinhua News reported citing eyewitnesses. "The sound of explosions was heard in Karte Parwan area of Kabul city. Details about the nature and casualties of this incident are not yet known," Tolo News also tweeted today. In October, last year 15 to 20 terrorists entered a Gurdwara in the Kart-e-Parwan District of Kabul and tied up the guards. Also, in March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib gurudwara in Kabul's Short Bazaar area in which Islamic State terrorists 27 Sikhs were killed and several were injured. Meanwhile, earlier this month on June 11, several people were injured in a blast at Batkhak Square in the 10th district of Kabul. Prior to that, there was a blast in Police District-4 of Kabulfrom with explosives strapped on a bicycle, the Kabul security department said. On May 25 this year, three explosions rocked the capital of Balkh province, leaving at least 9 people killed and 15 others injured. Meanwhile, on the same day, a blast at Masjid Sharif Hazrat Zakaria mosque in Kabul City left at least two worshippers dead, according to officials. In response to the attacks in Balkh and Kabul, the US Special Envoy for Women and Human Rights in Afghanistan, Rina Amiri said that the Taliban must ensure people's security and prevent atrocities. "The heinous attacks in Mazar & Kabul serve no purpose but to inflict further devastation on innocent Afghans who have suffered enough," Amiri tweeted. Additionally, earlier, an explosion at a traffic square in Kabul's fourth police district had killed at least 30 people and injured others at the Hazrat Zekriya Mosque. The Taliban faced a severe security threat from the Khorasan branch of ISIS, which has been active in Afghanistan since 2014. Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the recent attacks in Afghanistan that claimed the lives of numerous civilians, among them members of the Hazara Shia community and several children." (ANI)
"On the sidelines of the Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, on 17 June 2022, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and the Foreign Minister of Vietnam H.E. Mr. Bui Thanh Son launched the joint logo for the celebration of 50 years of India-Vietnam Diplomatic Relations," the Ministery of External Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

The logo has been selected jointly by India and Vietnam through a contest open to the nationals of both countries.

The image represents a long-standing friendship between India and Vietnam symbolically through a peacock and a crane, the birds of national importance in the two countries respectively, as per the ministry statement.

It also includes the numeral 50 to denote the 50 years of diplomatic relations and the national flags of India and Vietnam at its Centre, it added.

Meanwhile, India and Vietnam have a broad convergence of interest as the emerging economies and important countries with respect to creating alternative supply chains in Asia after global disillusionment with the China-centric supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Besides, the two countries are equally concerned about the aggressive and expansionist policies of China in the Indo-Pacific region. The two countries also share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2016 and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership. (ANI)
India has expressed concern over explosions and gunfire reported from a Gurudwara in the Afghanistan capital Kabul on Saturday morning and said it is closely monitoring the situation. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement: "We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred Gurudwara in that city. We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments." At least two blasts were reported from near the Gurdwara in Karte Parwan area in Kabul this morning, according to local media. No group has claimed responsibility so far for the attack in which one person has died, according to sources. "The sound of explosions was heard in Karte Parwan area of Kabul city. Details about the nature and casualties of this incident are not yet known," Afghanistan's Tolo News tweeted. Photographs and videos put out by Tolo News showed thick black plumes of smoke rising from the area. Manjinder Singh Sirsa of the BJP said he has spoken to Gurnam Singh, president, Gurdwara Karte Parwan, who informed him that the incident took place early morning when a granthi was heading inside the gurdwara for 'Parkash', the first morning prayer in the gurudwara. A group of unidentified gunmen reportedly stormed into the gurdwara and opened fire. Initial inputs suggested that an explosion took place outside the gate of the gurdwara killing at least two Afghans. Afterwards, two explosions took place inside the complex, some shops attached to the gurdwara caught fire, it is believed that at least two attackers are still inside the gurudwara complex. According to sources, 25-30 people were present inside the gurdwara for morning prayers. While attackers entered the premises 10-15 people managed to flee but the seven or eight people are still believed to be trapped inside. The numbers have not been confirmed. The guard of the gurudwara has been shot dead by the attackers. Religious minorities in Afghanistan, including the Sikh community, have been targets of violence in Afghanistan. In October, last year 15 to 20 terrorists entered a Gurdwara in the Kart-e-Parwan District of Kabul and tied up the guards. In March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib gurudwara in Kabul's Short Bazaar area in which 27 Sikhs were killed and several were injured. Islamic State terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, earlier this month on June 11, several people were injured in a blast at Batkhak Square in the 10th district of Kabul. Prior to that, there was a blast in Police District-4 of Kabulfrom with explosives strapped on a bicycle, the Kabul security department said. On May 25 this year, three explosions rocked the capital of Balkh province, leaving at least 9 people killed and 15 others injured. Meanwhile, on the same day, a blast at Masjid Sharif Hazrat Zakaria mosque in Kabul City left at least two worshippers dead, according to officials. (ANI)
At least two civilians, including a Sikh man and a Muslim security guard, died after unidentified assailants attacked a Gurudwara in Afghanistan's Kabul city on Saturday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a statement denounced the cowardly attack on the gurudwara and said that India is closely monitoring developments in Kabul. "The cowardly attack on Gurudwara should be condemned in the strongest terms by all. We've been closely monitoring developments since the news of the attack was received. Our first and foremost concern is for the welfare of the community," Jaishankar tweeted. Initial inputs suggested that an explosion took place outside the gate of the gurdwara early this morning killing at least two people. Another explosion was later heard from inside the complex and some shops attached to the gurdwara caught fire. No group has claimed responsibility so far. Photographs and videos shared by Afghanistan news outlet Tolo News showed thick black plumes of smoke billowing out from the area. Xinhua News Agency, citing sources reported that two people had lost their lives in the first blast. Three soldiers, too, reportedly sustained injuries, Xinhua said. According to sources, around 25 to 30 people were present inside the Kabul gurudwara complex for their morning prayers when the attackers entered the premises. Around 10-15 people managed to escape but the gurdwara's guard, identified as Ahmad, was killed by the assailants. Sources also said that seven or eight people were still believed to be trapped inside. Later in the day, visuals on social media posted by onlookers showed people walking barefoot carrying the Holy Guru Granth Sahib on their heads to a different location. The Sikhs consider the Saroop, a physical copy of the Guru Granth Sahib as a living guru. The transportation of Guru Granth Sahib is governed by a strict code of conduct and as a mark of respect, the Guru Granth Sahib is carried on the head, and the person walks barefoot. "The sound of explosions was heard in Karte Parwan area of Kabul city. Details about the nature and casualties of this incident are not yet known," Afghanistan's Tolo News tweeted. Religious minorities in Afghanistan, including the Sikh community, have been targets of violence in Afghanistan. In October, last year 15 to 20 terrorists entered a Gurdwara in the Kart-e-Parwan District of Kabul and tied up the guards. In March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib gurudwara in Kabul's Short Bazaar area in which 27 Sikhs were killed and several were injured. Islamic State terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took to Twitter to post: "Have heard reports of shots being fired at devotees, I'm praying for everyone's safety. I urge PM @narendramodi ji and @MEAIndia for immediate assistance to ensure the safety of minorities in Kabul." (ANI)
Citing police sources, Dawn reported that armed men had opened fire on Friday in a labour camp with around 100 workers. The gunmen also set the tents and machines on fire, as per Geo News.

Balochistan chief minister Abdul Qudus Bazenjo condemned the shooting and asked for a report from authorities, Geo News said.

Attacks in Balochistan have been on the surge as several cases of attacks on workers have been reported in the past.

Earlier this week, four labourers of Pakistan's coal mining company were abducted by armed men at gunpoint from their office in the Spine-Karez area, close to the Sorrang coal field, the Dawn reported.

Last year, at least three coal miners were shot dead by unidentified armed men in Harnai district's Zalawan area in Pakistan's Balochistan province. The assailants arrived at the coal mine and opened fire on the colliers, leaving three of them dead on the spot.Prior to that, armed men had gunned down three coal miners in a coalfield some 70 kilometres from Quetta. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday chaired a parliamentary consultative committee meeting on the situation in Sri Lanka and said that there was "unanimous support" on the need to stand with the neighbouring country in this hour of crisis. Taking to Twitter, External Affairs Minister said, "Chaired a Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting on the situation in Sri Lanka. A good discussion held in a positive atmosphere on various issues and India's role. Unanimous support on the need to stand with our neighbour in this difficult time." The members of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee include MoS V Muraleedharan, Meenakashi Lekhi, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva, BJP MP from Silchar Rajdeep Roy. Members of the Parliament including from Tamil Nadu are expected to ask the government about the impact that will have on the subcontinent. Tamil Nadu government has also sought help from the Centre to help out Sri Lanka in this crisis and has also sent consignments of medicines and other humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka India always comes forward to help Sri Lanka during its economic crisis. India has sent assistance worth several billion US dollars to rescue the money-strapped Sri Lankan government accompanied by shiploads of humanitarian aid, cooking gas, large quantities of fuel, and medicinal supplies. On June 3, High Commissioner to Colombo Gopal Baglay handed over a total of 3.3 tons of essential medical supplies to the 1990 Suwaseriya Ambulance Service. Baglay said that Jaishankar was apprised of the looming shortage of medical supplies faced by the Foundation during his visit to the Suwaseriya Headquarters in Colombo in March 2022.Earlier on May 27, Acting High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka Vinod K Jacob handed over a consignment of over 25 tons of medical supplies to Minister of Health, Keheliya Rambukwella in Colombo. Taking to Twitter, the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka said that the consignment is valued at close to Rs 260 million. (ANI)
During the visit, on Sunday, he will attend the 7th Round of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) between India and Bangladesh and will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

On Monday, Momen will meet Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and after that will emplane to Bangladesh.

Last month, Momen met Jaishankar in Guwahati, under Natural Allies in Development and Interdependence (NADI) Asian Confluence River Conclave 2022.

The last JCC meeting was held virtually in September 2020. In that meeting, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to a peaceful and secure border.

During the meeting, both countries reviewed the expanding connectivity in the road, rail, inland waterways, and ports and agreed to expedite progress in ongoing projects besides.

India and Bangladesh will be holding the 7th Meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) in New Delhi on June 19, 2022.

The JCC will be co-chaired by S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, and Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.

This will be the first physical JCC meeting convened since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the previous edition held virtually in 2020. The JCC will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including cooperation in the wake of Covid-19, border management and security, trade and investment, connectivity, energy, water resources, development partnership, and regional and multilateral issues, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. (ANI)
Persecution and sectarianism against minorities in Malaysia including those of the Shia and Ahmadis depict the worsening human rights situation in the country, according to an analysis. Mohd Faizal Musa, a human rights activist in Malaysia has expressed concern over the sectarianism against the minorities including Shia and Ahmadis in the country. According to Al Jazeera, the escalation of tension between Iran and its American and Arab adversaries has stirred sectarian sensitivities not only in the region but also miles away in Southeast Asia, and caused Malaysia, a country with a predominantly Sunni population, to be once again get sucked into the foreign rivalries. "There are so many lies spread against Shias that they have their different kind of Quran which is quite a bizarre thought, because, Malaysia is very famous for Musabka. The administration is promoting this kind of lies in school textbooks. There are a lot of fear in Shias Muslim and Ahmadi children" rights activist Faizal Musa said in a podcast. Recalling an interview of a secretary-general belonging to an Ahmadi community in Malaysia, Faizal Musa said, the leader once told him that even teachers refuse to teach children of the minority community. "Malaysia and Indonesia are two different countries, entities and climates (political climate). Indonesia is colonised by the Dutch and Malaysia by the British. During the British colonisation of Malaysia, the British introduced the so-called Islamic department which apparently regulates the certain activities of minorities," he said. "This propaganda of sectarianism is being promoted by the authorities and the government agency," he said further in the podcast. The Fatwa Committee for Religious Affairs in Malaysia in 1996, as per Al Jazeera, issued a religious opinion recognising Sunni Islam as "the permitted form of Islam" in the country and branding Shia Islam as "deviant". When the new Malaysian government came to power in May 2018, it made several moves indicating that it would not pursue a policy of favouring one foreign power over another, especially in the Middle East. Musa who is a research fellow at the Institute of the Malay World and Civilization said: "Fatwa is a tool in Malaysia. Here once it is circulated, it becomes law rather than an opinion. This is how discrimination is introduced in Malaysia." (ANI)
India and Bangladesh will hold the first physical Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) Meeting in New Delhi tomorrow and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will co-chair the meeting along with his Bangladeshi counterpart AK Abdul Momen.

The JCC will review the bilateral ties including cooperation in the wake of COVID-19, border management and security, trade and investment, connectivity, energy, water resources, development partnership and regional and multilateral issues, the MEA said.

This will be the first physical meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. The previous meeting was held in 2020 virtually.

Both countries actively engage in cooperation projects to boost bilateral relations.

As part of the ongoing Indo-Bangladesh defence cooperation, the armies of India and Bangladesh recently conducted the 10th edition of the joint military exercise -- SAMPRITI X -- from June 5 to June 16 in Bangladesh. (ANI)
At least two civilians, including a Sikh man and a security guard, died after unidentified assailants attacked a Gurudwara in Kabul city on Saturday.

"UNAMA strongly condemns today's attack on a Sikh temple in Kabul, which is reported to have resulted in numerous casualties. Attacks on civilians must cease immediately. UNAMA calls for protection of all minorities in Afghanistan, including Sikhs, Hazaras and Sufis," the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a statement.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar denounced the "cowardly attack" on the gurudwara and said that India is closely monitoring developments in Kabul.

"The cowardly attack on Gurudwara should be condemned in the strongest terms by all. We've been closely monitoring developments since the news of the attack was received. Our first and foremost concern is for the welfare of the community," Jaishankar said in a tweet.

Initial inputs suggested that an explosion took place outside the gate of the gurdwara early this morning killing at least two people. Another explosion was later heard from inside the complex and some shops attached to the gurdwara caught fire.

Photographs and videos shared by Afghanistan news outlet TOLO News showed thick black plumes of smoke billowing out from the area.

Media reports said around 25 to 30 people were present inside the Kabul gurudwara complex for their morning prayers when the attackers entered the premises.

Around 10-15 people managed to escape but the gurdwara's guard, identified as Ahmad, was killed by the assailants. Some people were still believed to be trapped inside.

Religious minorities in Afghanistan, including the Sikh community, have been targeted in the recent past. (ANI)
The holy Guru Granth Sahib from Gurudwara in Afghanistan's capital city Kabul, which was on Saturday attacked by unidentified assailants was retrieved from the complex, from which plumes of smoke were seen billowing out after the attack early this morning, according to visuals posted on social media. At least two people- a Sikh devotee and a Muslim security guard- were killed in the attack on the Gurdwara Karte Parwan. The Ministry of Interior (MoI) had in an early statement said that a number of unknown armed individuals had entered the "dharamshala" and used a grenade that resulted in injuring two people. Abdul Nafay Takor, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior Affairs said that seven people were injured in the attack. The injured have been evacuated hospital, he said. According to TOLO News residents heard multiple blasts in the vicinity of a "dharmashala" in the Kartae-Parwan area in Kabul. According to the Afghan interior ministry statement, an explosive-laden vehicle aiming to target the "dharmashala" was thwarted before reaching its goal. Residents said they heard several blasts and gunfire in the area. The attackers were killed, the Afghan minister was quoted as saying by the Afghan news outlet. Visuals posted by locals on social media shows a barefoot man carrying the Guru Granth Sahib on his head. The visuals show two or three more people, all walking without footwear accompanying him. According to Sikh religious belief, the Saroop, a physical copy of the Guru Granth Sahib is considered as a living guru. The transportation of Guru Granth Sahib is governed by a strict code of conduct and as a mark of respect, the Guru Granth Sahib is carried on the head, and the person walks barefoot. According to reports, the Holy Book was taken to the residence of Gurnam Singh, president, Gurdwara Karte Parwan. The photographs and videos shared by Afghanistan news outlet Tolo News showed thick black plumes of smoke billowing out from the area. According to sources, around 25 to 30 people were present inside the gurudwara complex for their morning prayers when the attackers entered the premises. Around 10-15 people managed to escape but the gurdwara's guard, identified as Ahmad, was killed by the assailants. Initial inputs suggested that an explosion took place outside the gate of the gurdwara early this morning. Another explosion was later heard from inside the complex and some shops attached to the gurdwara caught fire. No group has claimed responsibility so far. "The sound of explosions was heard in Karte Parwan area of Kabul city. Details about the nature and casualties of this incident are not yet known," Afghanistan's Tolo News had said. Religious minorities in Afghanistan, including the Sikh community, have been targets of violence in Afghanistan. In October, last year 15 to 20 terrorists entered a Gurdwara in the Kart-e-Parwan District of Kabul and tied up the guards. In March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib gurudwara in Kabul's Short Bazaar area in which 27 Sikhs were killed and several were injured. Islamic State terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack. (ANI)
"Warm greetings to FM Dr AK Abdul Momen of Bangladesh @BDMOFA on his arrival in Delhi. He will co-chair the 7th Meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission with EAM @DrSJaishankar tomorrow," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

During the visit, on Sunday, he will attend the 7th Round of the JCC between India and Bangladesh and will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Later on Monday, Momen will meet Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. India and Bangladesh will be holding the 7th Meeting of the JCC in New Delhi on June 19. The JCC will be co-chaired by Jaishankar and Momen.

This will be the first physical JCC meeting convened since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the previous edition held virtually in 2020.

"The JCC will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including cooperation in the wake of Covid-19, border management and security, trade and investment, connectivity, energy, water resources, development partnership, and regional and multilateral issues," the MEA said in a statement.

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister last month met Jaishankar in Guwahati, under Natural Allies in Development and Interdependence (NADI) Asian Confluence River Conclave 2022.

At the last JCC meeting held virtually in September 2020, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to a peaceful and secure border.

During the meeting, both countries reviewed the expanding connectivity in the road, rail, inland waterways, and ports and agreed to expedite progress in ongoing projects besides.

Last year marked the Golden Jubilee of the Liberation War of Bangladesh and 50 years of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh.

India and Bangladesh enjoy robust and multifaceted bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, including trade and connectivity, energy and power, water resources, border management, defence and security, culture and people-to-people links. (ANI)
Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to review a report on the rectification of problems discovered during the eighth round of inspections of financial institutions. The meeting on Friday noted that Xi, who is general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has attached great importance to discipline inspection and has made it a strategic institutional arrangement for advancing the Party's self-reform and self-governance. Focusing on the central task of economic development, discipline inspection work has undertaken the task of upholding Xi's core position on the Party Central Committee and upholding the Party Central Committee's authority and its unified leadership, Xinhua news agency reported. Discipline inspections have cut like a blade through corruption and misconduct by identifying problems and acting as a deterrent and have ensured further reform and development. Regarding rectifying problems discovered during inspections, the CPC Central Committee with Xi at its core has given a series of important instructions, which has provided clear direction and fundamental principles for addressing problems. According to Xinhua, discipline inspection and supervision agencies and organization departments must strengthen oversight over rectification, launch special campaigns to address prominent problems, and ensure that cases involving violations of laws and regulations are strictly investigated and prosecuted. "We must improve our political judgment, understanding, and implementation, fully grasp the laws of finance, and enhance our political awareness in carrying out financial work and ensure our work serves the people. In doing so, we will blaze a path of financial development with Chinese characteristics," Xinhua quoted the CPC meeting as saying. They said CPC must uphold and strengthen Party leadership over financial work, prevent and defuse financial risks, advance reforms and innovation and, with the determination to crack tough nuts. (ANI)
A senior Taliban spokesperson has said that a negotiation between Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistani government concluded two days back in Kabul. Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid on Saturday said he hopes that this time, the negotiations bear fruit, following the last round of peace talks between the two sides that did not yield results. The Afghan Taliban official said that his side played the role of a mediator, Geo News reported. Mujahid said that in case the talks fail, then the Islamic outfit would not allow the Afghan soil to be used for attacks against Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban are responsible for most insurgent attacks in Afghanistan, which follow an established pattern of regular low-level ambush and hit-and-run attacks, coupled with periodic high-profile attacks. The TTP has carried out some of the deadliest attacks inside Pakistan in recent years. Although it is not directly affiliated with the Afghan Taliban but pledges allegiance to them. The Taliban official said TTP has announced an indefinite cease-fire and since then earlier this month, and since then, the attacks in the country have halted. For weeks now, the Pakistani government has been negotiating with the TTP to permanently halt cross-border attacks from Afghanistan. The latest round of intense and extensive negotiations has seen Pakistan going all in to involve relevant stakeholders to reach an agreement with the group. A group of prominent elders has visited Kabul many times to persuade the group to shun violence. According to the media reports, the Afghan Taliban have thrown their weight behind the ongoing negotiations to ensure that the peace process stays on track. TTP has now declared an indefinite ceasefire with the Pakistani government. Earlier this month, the Pakistani government acknowledged for the first time that it was negotiating with the TTP. Even though both sides are in negotiation, it remains to see if the peace talks will yield lasting peace. (ANI)
A large number of people on Saturday participated in a Yoga session at the Washington Monument organized by the Indian Embassy, ahead of International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21. The Embassy of India in Washington DC celebrated the 8th International Day of Yoga on Saturday at the iconic Washington Monument, with the theme "Yoga for Humanity". Director of the US National Science Foundation (NSF) Dr Sethuraman Panchanathan was the guest of honour at the event. A large number of people from different walks of life including the US administration, congress, industry, diplomatic Corps, media and the Indian diaspora participated in the celebrations. Addressing the event, Ambassador of India to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu stated that yoga is an enhancer of physical, mental, spiritual and intellectual well-being. In the emerging post-covid scenario, yoga is helping in building resilience, health, togetherness, compassion and happiness. In the United States, yoga is deepening the vital people-to-people link and connect which is at the core of the India - US bilateral partnership guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden. In his remarks, NSF Director Dr Panchanathan underlined that yoga has been the greatest gift of India to the world and that yoga was a strong uniting force across geographies and boundaries. He added that science and yoga are in synergy towards the prosperity of mind and body. As part of the celebrations, a common Yoga protocol session was conducted, which saw enthusiastic participation from those present. All the five Consulates of India in the US namely New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, and San Francisco are also holding various programs to mark the International Day of Yoga 2022. These include events at the iconic Times Square in New York, Niagara Falls, Golden Gate National Park in San Francisco, California Museum, Sacramento, Crown Point Park in San Diego, Newtown Park in Atlanta, Grant Park in Chicago, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas in Dallas, Discovery Green in Houston and River Walk in San Antonio. In the run-up to IDY 2022, several curtain raiser events were organized by the Embassy and Consulates across the United States with the active participation and support of community organizations and Yoga enthusiasts, and coinciding with the celebrations of 75 years of India's Independence as 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'. (ANI)
National Chengchi University in Taiwan held a seminar on June 17 in which Kou Jianwen, a distinguished professor in the Department of Politics and East Asia Institute of National Chengchi University, analysed Xi Jinping's leadership style based on his background and his upbringing. Kou Jianwen said that under the weakening of the Chinese Communist Party's checks and balances structure, the importance of Xi Jinping's personal characteristics to Chinese politics has become more prominent. Based on the content of Chinese writings and biographies about Xi Jinping, he proposed some personality traits of Xi Jinping. In 1962, when Xi Jinping was 9 years old, his father Xi Zhongxun was purged, forced to self-criticize and jailed. When he was 15 years old, he was sent to the countryside under Mao's "Down to the Countryside movement" where, for 7 to 8 years, he had to strive for survival alone, could not see his family, and lacked a sense of security. Kou Jianwen pointed out that this experience convinced Xi Jinping that "the essence of politics is struggle". Due to his character, he is unwilling to share power with anyone be it Li Keqiang or Vice President Wang Qishan. After the 20th Party Congress, it is very likely that only Xi Jinping will remain in office over age. Xi Jinping treats old friends with care while dealing with political opponents in an authoritarian way, not only in domestic politics but also in international politics. Kou Jianwen also believes that the difficult experience of going to the countryside has cultivated a high degree of self-confidence and the ability to face high pressure. At the same time, Xi Jinping is good at hiding his edge, and he can keep a low profile and forbearance before he is elected for the third term. Kou Jianwen also believes that Xi Jinping worships authority and strong leadership, dares to rebel and does not stick to the rules, which reflects the collective psychological characteristics of the second generation of the Red leaders and the generation that grew up during the Cultural Revolution. Wu Qi'ne, from the Academia Sinica, believes that " Xi Jinping is not so confident, so he puts his political status very high." This, he said, reflects that Xi Jinping's power and position are not as stable as several former CCP leaders such as Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and even Hu Jintao. Since the reform and opening up, everyone has increasingly felt that economic development and economic performance are the important sources of the legitimacy of the regime, but now Xi Jinping has brought back ideology, historical tasks and historical achievements. One of the purposes of this, for this party and this regime, is to emphasize its own legitimacy. (ANI)
Hong Kong authorities have banned select media outlets from covering incoming leader John Lee's inauguration, citing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and security reasons. Many of the barred outlets are registered and regularly attend governmnet press conferences, the Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported. The list of excluded media outlets includes Japan's Nikkei, Asahi Shimbun, and Kyodo News, Taiwan's CTV, Getty Images in the US, as well as Hong Kong's InMedia, and HKFP. According to Hong Kong Free Press, the European Pressphoto Agency also did not receive an invite. In an event that will reportedly see the attendance of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, select broadcasters have been nominated. "[T]he Government has adopted suitable media arrangements after taking into consideration the latest epidemic situation, security requirements and venue constraints, etc.," a spokesperson told HKFP, despite there being no record of security concerns at similar events involving the press. "These factors pose impact on the number of media organisations being invited to apply for accreditation," they added. In a statement on Thursday, the Hong Kong Journalists Association said that it was "deeply concerned" by the move. "[HKJA] urges the city's authorities to be more inclusive by accepting applications from media organisations keen to attend, so that those with a considerable readership can fulfil their duty in keeping the public informed by reporting on Hong Kong's historic moments," they said. Last month, Xi Jinping met the newly appointed Hong Kong chief executive and thanked him for achieving a major transition in the city which he described as from "chaos to order." In a meeting in Beijing, Xi congratulated Lee on his election win and appointment by the central government. Lee was the former security chief of Hong Kong who oversaw the crackdown on the democracy movement. Lee, 64, is scheduled to assume his office on July 1, taking over from current chief executive Carrie Lam. The event will coincide with the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's transfer from British to Beijing under the "one country, two systems" framework to safeguard Hong Kong's freedoms. Praising Lee for maintaining the unwavering stance of loving the country and Hong Kong, being willing to assume responsibilities and actively performing his duties, Xi said Lee has made contributions to safeguarding national security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability in various roles. (ANI)
Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Saturday greeted Heeraben Modi, mother of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who celebrated her 100th birthday. "Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen, MP has sent greetings to Smt. Heeraben Modi, proud mother of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of her 100th birthday. FM Dr. Momen wishes her good health and well-being," Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said in a tweet. "Happy Birthday to Smt. Heeraben Modi," reads the message with the bouquet. Bangladesh FM Momen sent a bouquet of flowers with 100 roses to her residence through the diplomatic channel, Dhaka Tribune reported. On the 100th birthday of his mother Heeraben Modi, PM Modi penned an emotional blog and recollected some special moments from his childhood that he spent with his mother. He recalled several sacrifices made by his mother as he grew up and mentioned various qualities of his mother that shaped his mind, personality, and self-confidence. "Maa...this isn't a mere word but it captures a range of emotions. Today, 18th June is the day my mother Heeraba enters her 100th year. On this special day, I have penned a few thoughts expressing joy and gratitude," Modi tweeted. Earlier today, Momen arrived in New Delhi to co-chair the Joint Consultation Commission (JCC) meeting between the two countries with his counterpart Dr S Jaishankar on Sunday. "Warm greetings to FM Dr AK Abdul Momen of Bangladesh @BDMOFA on his arrival in Delhi. He will co-chair the 7th Meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission with EAM @DrSJaishankar tomorrow," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. During the visit, on Sunday, he will attend the 7th Round of the JCC between India and Bangladesh and will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Later on Monday, Momen will meet Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. India and Bangladesh will be holding the 7th Meeting of the JCC in New Delhi on June 19. The JCC will be co-chaired by Jaishankar and Momen. This will be the first physical JCC meeting convened since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the previous edition held virtually in 2020. "The JCC will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including cooperation in the wake of Covid-19, border management and security, trade and investment, connectivity, energy, water resources, development partnership, and regional and multilateral issues," the MEA said in a statement. (ANI)
Pakistan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on Saturday cautioned against the pre-mature celebration of Pakistan's victory on the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) action plans. "Let's not be overly celebratory right now," Khar said while addressing a press conference after her return from Germany, a local media reported. Khar led a Pakistani delegation at the FATF plenary meeting held in Berlin which decided to send its team to Pakistan in order to verify actions and steps taken by the country to implement its action plan, The Express Tribune reported. Talking about the on-site visit, Khar said that the visit is seen as a step in the right direction that may eventually lead Pakistan to exit the grey list. "The successful completion of the FATF Action Plans and its formal endorsement by the FATF means that Pakistan is one step away from exiting the grey list. The on-site visit is a procedural requirement. It marks the beginning of the end-process that will eventually culminate in the exit of Pakistan from FATF's grey list." She called the discussions held in the plenary fruitful and said that by consensus the FATF decided that Pakistan had addressed all technical benchmarks and had completed all requirements of both Action Plans, The Express Tribune reported. "I am very pleased to announce that Pakistan has completed the entire seven-point Action Plan a year ahead of the prescribed timelines." Regarding the timing of the on-site visit, Khar said, "We are working closely with the FATF to arrange the on-site visit at mutually convenient dates with a view to conclude the entire process at the earliest and before the next FATF Plenary in October 2022," The Express Tribune reported. Pakistan has been on the Paris-based global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog's grey list for deficiencies in its counter-terror financing and anti-money laundering regimes since June 2018. This greylisting has adversely impacted its imports, exports, remittances, and limited access to international lending. In June 2021, the country was given three months to fulfil the remaining conditions by October. However, Pakistan was retained on the FATF 'grey list' for failing to effectively implement the global FATF standards and over its lack of progress on the investigation and prosecution of senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups. Back in March, FATF had called Pakistan to work on "complex money laundering investigations and prosecutions." (ANI)
BRANDON  Luis Quixtan experienced a childhood full of mixed feelings. From his native Guatemala, he has memories of his friends, Christmas and birthdays. But he also remembers the horror of the insecurity that existed in its streets.

He grew up in a country where violence, gang activity and police corruption are common. At age 11, he was nearly kidnapped as he was leaving a store in his neighborhood. Two men followed him and tried to stop him. Quixtan managed to evade them until he got home safely.

His family came to the United States 18 years ago, fleeing the violence. He couldnt sleep well, Quixtan said, thinking he could be deported and sent back to Guatemala.

A decade ago, when Quixtan was 20, he first applied to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. Former President Barack Obama established the program for undocumented immigrant children on June 15, 2012, through an executive order. Now, an estimated 611,470 people fall under its protection.

Quixtan thought it was a temporary solution that would allow him to stay in the country without getting deported.

But after a decade of the program, Congress still has not passed legislation for young immigrants to apply for permanent legal status.

Weve been waiting so long, said Quixtan, who is 30 now.

Immigration advocates and local activists marked the 10th anniversary of the program by asking for a definitive solution.

This DACA anniversary must be the last without action from Congress to provide Dreamers with a pathway to citizenship, Ted Hutchinson, Florida director for FWD.us  a bipartisan organization working to reform immigration and criminal justice systems  said in a statement.

According to the FWD.us, 23,600 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients in Florida alone pay $290 million in annual federal, state, and local taxes. Dreamers encompass 21% of Floridas undocumented immigrant population, and 60% have lived in the U.S. for over a decade.

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The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is open to those who were brought illegally to the United States as children before they were 16, have a clean record and have lived in the country at least five years. The program provides recipients a Social Security number to work and invites them to renew their status every two years. It doesnt offer a path to citizenship or the right to vote.

So-called Dreamers, known for the Dream Act  a proposal to grant legal status to young people  had been targeted by former President Donald Trump and Republican lawyers for deportation. Last July in Texas, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled against the program, prohibiting new applications but leaving it intact for existing recipients. More than 600,000 young immigrants cannot have their applications processed because of the judges decision.

Next month, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments regarding the programs constitutionality. The appeals court will likely rule on the policy later this year, opening up the possibility that the legal battle could end up in the Supreme Court, according to advocates.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients have increased high school attendance and graduation rates, according to the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. Because of their jobs and incomes, the institute said, Dreamers contributed nearly $42 billion to U.S. gross domestic product each year and added $3.4 billion to the federal balance sheet.

But thousands of Dreamers have seen delays in their renewal requests, jeopardizing the legal status that enables them to remain in the United States. Some recipients have reported losing their jobs or being furloughed while they wait for their applications to be processed. Others work for employers willing to give them more time.

For many years, activists, spiritual leaders and advocates have urged Congress to work together for immigration reform.

Cirenio Cervantes, 28, a community leader with Faith in Florida, a nonprofit that advocates for immigrants, said the program has provided an opportunity for many, including him.

Cervantes came with his parents from the Mexican state of Guerrero when he was 7. He was accepted into the program in 2013 and used his legal status to study at the University of South Florida, where he received a biology degree. The program, he said, has allowed him to feel like he is part of his community. He can drive and live without the constant fear of being deported.

DACA is only a temporary solution, and we will keep advocating for something more permanent, Cervantes said. Not only for us but also for our parents.

Quixtans parents, Angel and Sandra Quixtan, 60, were both family doctors who ran a medical clinic in Guatemala. They fled to the U.S. in 2004 because of unrest and chronic violence in their country. They said they saw armed robberies and men shot in the middle of the street. Many times, they had to save the lives of people in their clinic, men and women who fell victim to violence and street insecurity.

The couple said they left their medical practice after being assaulted at home by gangs and paramilitaries. The trigger, however, was the attempted kidnapping of their eldest son and threats that they would be killed if they did not pay a ransom of $5,000. In the U.S., Luis Quixtans parents got different jobs and survived by working as much as they could. Angel painted houses and worked in stores. Sandra became a caregiver.

Fleeing to the United States was not an option. It was a matter of life or death, Luis Quixtan said.

He graduated with honors from Brandon High School, in an unincorporated community east of Tampa. He was a member of the Youth Orchestra at the Patel Conservatory in Tampa and was living in Brandon with his parents and siblings, three of them also Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and musicians: Christian, 27, Kevin, 25, and Sandra, 23.

Luis Quixtan now works full time taking care of the elderly. Over the past two years, he has often worked up to 80 hours caring for patients in the middle of the pandemic. He never fell sick until a couple of weeks ago when, he said, he contracted COVID-19.

He also is studying to receive a biology degree from St. Petersburg College so he can become a doctor. In 2020, he married his girlfriend, Michelle, a U.S. citizen, and they have an 11-month-old son. Now he can fix his legal status through his wife, but Luis Quixtan said the pressure and the emotional challenge never ends for Dreamers.

When DACA came to us, it was like a dream come true, he said. But it can change any time.
The Netflix logo is seen on the Netflix, Inc. building on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California on October 19, 2021. - Netflix reported billion-dollar profits and booming subscriber growth on October 19 that beat forecasts as global hits like Squid Game drew viewers in droves. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Two actors from Netflixs 'The Chosen One' are dead after a van crash in Mexico.

Two actors from the Netflix series The Chosen One died Thursday and six other cast and crew members were injured when a van flipped over after running off the road on the Baja California Sur peninsula.

The accident occurred in a desert area near Mulege on Thursday, according to local media reports. The crew, under the direction of an unidentified production company, was working in Santa Rosalia, which is near the crash site.

The Baja California Department of Culture identified Raymundo Garduno Cruz and Juan Francisco Gonzalez Aguilar as the two men who died, the Associated Press reports.

The Chosen One is based on a comic book series by Mark Millar and Peter Gross titled American Jesus. A Netflix release describes the show as the story of a 12-year-old boy who learns he is the returned Jesus Christ, destined to save humankind.

In April, Millar announced on Twitter that the show had started shooting in Mexico.

The American Jesus Netflix series starts shooting today in Mexico, based on the book by @mrmarkmillar & @PeterGrossArt. Our best to our friends @LeopoldoGout, @everardogout and all the cast! pic.twitter.com/8lX6TLx8N0  Millarworld (@mrmarkmillar) April 25, 2022

Millar is also the creator of Kick-Ass, Kingsman, and Jupiter's Legacy. The show, which was originally announced as American Jesus, is executive produced and directed by Everardo Gout, according to IMDb. Gout has directed episodes of The Terror, Snowpiercer, and Luke Cage, and he produced The Forever Purge, Here on Earth, and Mars.

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It is unclear how the accident will affect production on the show moving forward.

EW's calls to the Baja California Department of Culture and the police station in Mexicali, Baja California, were not answered.

Related content:
Two actors on the Netflix series 'The Chosen One' were killed in a car crash on Thursday. Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

A van carrying cast and crew from "The Chosen One" crashed in Mexico on Thursday, according to the AP.

The Baja California Department of Culture told the AP that Raymundo Garduno Cruz and Juan Francisco Gonzalez Aguilar died.

The crew was working on location at the time of the crash.

Two actors on the Netflix series 'The Chosen One' were killed and six other cast or crew members were injured after the van they were riding in crashed near Mulege on the Baja California Sur peninsula.

Local media reported the crash occurred Thursday, and said the van flipped after running off the road in a desert area. The crew had apparently been working in the nearby Santa Rosalia area at the time.

The Baja California Department of Culture said Friday that Raymundo Garduno Cruz and Juan Francisco Gonzalez Aguilar died.

Netflix describes "The Chosen One" this way: "A 12-year-old boy learns he's the returned Jesus Christ, destined to save humankind. Based on the comic book series by Mark Millar and Peter Gross."

According to casting calls, the series is being taped by an independent production company.

Read the original article on Insider
A 3-month-old boy died Thursday after he was left in his parents car for several hours, police in Pennsylvania said.

Police in Upper Saint Clair, a township outside of Pittsburgh, responded to the home at 5 p.m. and found the baby unresponsive, according to a statement from the Allegheny County Police Department. The high was 92 degrees Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Lifesaving measures failed, and the child was pronounced dead at the scene, according to officials.

Upper Saint Clair police determined the infant was left inside a parents vehicle for several hours and requested homicide detectives, the police statement said. The incident is under investigation.

The baby was the fifth child to die in a hot car this year in the United States, according to KidsAndCars.org.

Related story: What should you do if you see a child alone inside a hot car? Experts weigh in

A 1-year-old died on May 19  a day when temperatures reached 91 degrees  after being found in a vehicle outside a Memphis, Tennessee, day care center, police said. The day care center, Education is the Key Childrens Center, closed days later after the operator surrendered the facilitys license, the Tennessee Department of Human Services told The Commercial Appeal.

Weeks before that, an 8-month-old girl died after she was left in a car for hours on May 3 while her father was being arrested at a Snellville, Georgia, police station. According to the weather service, temperatures reached a high of 86 degrees that day in Atlanta, located about 30 miles northeast of Snellville. The girls father was charged with second-degree murder in connection her death.

Related story: Hot car deaths: 7 tips for preventing child deaths in hot cars

Even if windows are left slightly open, the temperature inside a car can reach 125 degrees in minutes, and a childs body overheats up to five times faster than an adults, according to KidsAndcars.org.

The organization recommends caregivers place an object in the front seat to remind them of a child in the back, and to always check the back seat for people or pets. It also says cars should remain locked so that children cannot get inside.

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On average, 38 children a year die in hot cars.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.

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IRYNA BALACHUK  SATURDAY, 18 JUNE 2022, 09:22

323 children have already been killed and over 583 injured by Russian invaders in Ukraine.

Source: Office of the Prosecutor General on Telegram

Quote from the Prosecutor Generals Office: "As of the morning of 18 June, over 906 children have been injured in Ukraine as a result of the full-scale armed aggression by the Russian Federation. 323 children have been killed and more than 583 injured."

Details: The prosecutor general's office stressed that these figures are not final, as work to establish them is ongoing in places of active hostilities and in the temporarily occupied and liberated territories.

The regions with the largest numbers of child casualties are Donetsk (301), Kharkiv (170), Kyiv (116), Chernihiv (68), Luhansk (54), and Kherson (52), Mykolaiv (48), Zaporizhia (30) and Sumy (17) oblasts.

A 14-year-old was killed on 16 June after a Russian missile exploded on the territory of a residential building in one of the villages in the Polohiv district, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

A 7-year-old boy was wounded on 17 June when the city of Mykolaiv was shelled by the invaders.

A 15-year-old girl was wounded on 14 June as a result of artillery shelling of the village of Savintsy in the Izium district, Kharkiv Oblast.

Bombing and shelling by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have damaged 2,028 educational institutions, 209 of which have been completely destroyed.
A melted fan inside the Gurdwara after the attack

The attack on a Sikh prayer site in the Afghan capital, Kabul, began early in the morning.

Militants opened fire outside the fortified doors leading to the compound housing a Sikh gurdwara, as well as the homes of members of the community.

The assailants killed the security guard, and armed with grenades they managed to make their way inside, whilst Taliban members stationed at nearby checkpoints rushed after them.

"My house is just in front of the gurdwara, as soon as I heard firing I looked out the window, people were saying attackers are inside," Kuljit Singh Khalsa told the BBC. "It was chaos, then all of a sudden there was a blast from outside."

A bomb hidden inside a car, parked next to a Taliban checkpost, had been detonated, killing the unit's commander and ripping through the surrounding shops and homes.

The attack had begun around half and hour before daily morning prayers were due to start. "If it had been later, there would've been even more people inside," Mr Khalsa said.

Afghanistan was once home to tens of thousands of Sikhs and Hindus, but decades of conflict have seen the number dwindle to a tiny handful.

In recent years, those who have remained have been repeatedly targeted by the local branch of Islamic State (IS) militant group.

In 2018, a suicide bomber struck a gathering in the eastern city of Jalalabad, whilst another gurdwara was attacked in 2020.

"At the time of the attack in Jalalabad, there were around 1,500 Sikhs, after that people thought, 'We can't live here'," Sukhbir Singh Khalsa said. More left after the attack in 2020, he, added, and by the time the Taliban took power last year, there were less than 300 Sikhs. Now there are just around 150.

"All our historical gurdwaras have been martyred already, and now the only one that was left has been, too."

The site was hit by a bomb early in the morning

The attack began half an hour before morning prayers

So far, there has been no claim of responsibility but it appears likely that IS was also behind this latest attack.

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Afghanistan's Shia and Sufi Muslim minorities have also repeatedly been targeted by the group.

IS is much less powerful than the Taliban and does not control any territory, but has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in the country's history.

Overall, levels of violence in Afghanistan have fallen dramatically since the Taliban returned to power - ending their insurgency - but IS is undermining the Taliban's promise to have finally brought security to the nation.

Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for Kabul's police force, told the BBC that targeting civilians showed the "cowardly" nature of the attackers.

"Our comrades have sacrificed their lives for the Sikh community, it is their right under an Islamic state to be protected," he added.

All the attackers were killed around three hours after the assault began, during which time intense gunfire and multiple explosions could be heard. At least one Sikh man and one member of the Taliban's security forces were killed.

Wandering through the still smoking wreckage of the Gurdwara, Sikh community members said they were grateful for the Taliban's help in bringing the attack to an end, but that they did not feel safe and wanted to leave the country.

"We've appealed a lot to the Indian government, to find a way to give us visas, we don't want to live here anymore," said Sukhbir Singh Khalsa.

"Those of us left here are only here because we don't have visas, no-one wants to stay here. This has happened now, tomorrow it will happen again, and then again after that."
Amber Heard has claimed that text messages she sent to friends and family during her relationship with Johnny Depp are evidence of the physical abuse she suffered during their marriage.

In conjunction with an interview with Datelines Savannah Guthrie  the full version of which aired tonight (17 June), Heards legal team showed NBC reporters multiple messages.

In a text message she claims to have sent to her therapist dated 16, dated 16 December 2015, Heard wrote: Johnny did a number on me tonight. Im safe and with my support tonight but I need some real help. Can I come tomorrow. I called earlier because I thought I had a concussion and didnt know if I should have called police. But I have a nurse close to me.

Guthries team was also shown a text message Heard claims she sent her father in 2014, around the same time that Heard alleges Depp kicked her on an airplane. That incident was the subject of testimony in the couples defamation trial, which concluded earlier this month.

Heards message to her father allegedly reads: I keep not fighting back. He literally kicked me and called me a [redacted] in front of everyone on the plane. Its humiliating.

Depp claims he did not attack Heard on an airplane. The judge in the trial deemed the text messages inadmissible in court, according to Guthrie.

Elsewhere in the interview, Heard claimed her therapist kept contemporaneous notes of the physical abuse she suffered while in a relationship with Depp, which were similarly withheld from the jury.

Theres a binder worth of years of notes dating back to 2011, from the very beginning of my relationship, that were taken by my doctor who I was reporting the abuse to," said Heard.

Guthrie and her reporting team looked at the notes to confirm what Heard had been telling her therapist since 2012.

Her notes represented years of real-time explanations of what was going on, explained The Aquaman actor in the interview, which aired in full on Friday (17 June). Portions of the interview had previously aired throughout the week.

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Depp has always denied any assault of Heard.

Depps team released a statement to NBC regarding Heards claims without mentioning her by name:

Its unfortunate that while Johnny is looking to move forward with his life, the defendant and her team are back to repeating, reimagining and re-litigating matters that have already been decided by the Court and a verdict that was unanimously and unequivocally decided by a jury in Johnnys favour.

Earlier today Heards spokesperson also issued a statement in response: If Mr Depp or his team have a problem with this, we recommend that Johnny himself sit down with Savannah Guthrie for an hour and answer all her questions.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor sued his former partner Amber Heard for allegedly implying he abused her in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed about domestic violence. Heard countersued and a jury trial on the defamation claims concluded 2 June, with a verdict mostly in Depps favour.

The jury found that Heard defamed Depp on all three counts and awarded him $10m (8m) in compensatory damages and $5m (4m) in punitive damages. Heard was awarded $2m (1.6m) in compensatory damages, but no punitive damages.
British journalist Dom Phillips and his Brazilian guide, whose disappearance in the Amazon some two weeks ago sparked an international outcry, were killed by gunfire, Brazilian police said Saturday.

A day after investigators identified remains found buried in a remote part of the Amazon as those of Phillips, officials said a second set of remains belonged to his guide, Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira.

Authorities said both men were gunshot victims -- Phillips, 57, struck by a single shot to the chest, Pereira, 41, by three shots, one to the head -- with ammunition typically used for hunting.

Pereira, an outspoken defender of Indigenous rights, had received multiple death threats.

The two men went missing on June 5 in an isolated part of the rainforest rife with illegal mining, fishing and logging, as well as drug trafficking.

Ten days later, a suspect took police to a place near the city of Atalaia do Norte in western Amazon state, where he said he had buried bodies. Soon after, the suspect's brother was also detained.

Police on Saturday said an additional suspect in the case, whom they identified as Jefferson da Silva Lima, also known as "Pelado da Dinha," had turned himself in at the police station in Atalaia do Norte.

Commissioner Alex Perez Timoteo told news site G1 that evidence and testimony collected so far indicated that the suspect "was at the scene of the crime and actively participated in the double homicide that occurred."

On Friday, police said they believed the perpetrators had "acted alone, without there being an intellectual author or criminal organization behind the crime."

Activists have blamed the killings on President Jair Bolsonaro for allowing commercial exploitation of the Amazon at the cost of the environment and law and order.

For his part, Bolsonaro sought to lay blame at the door of the men themselves for undertaking a "reckless" trip in an area where Phillips was "disliked."

- 'Not just two killers' -

Phillips, a longtime contributor to several leading international newspapers, including the British newspaper The Guardian, was working on a book on sustainable development in the Amazon with Pereira as his guide.

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Pereira, an expert at Brazil's indigenous affairs agency FUNAI, had received multiple threats from loggers and miners with their eye on isolated Indigenous land.

The Univaja association of Indigenous peoples, which had taken part in the search for the men, rejected the police's conclusion that the killers had acted alone.

"These are not just two killers, but an organized group that planned the crime in detail," Univaja said in a statement.

The group claimed authorities had ignored numerous complaints about the activities of criminal gangs in the area.

prev/bbk/md
Two organizations whose members pose as children to catch suspected child predators helped Tacoma police arrest a registered sex offender from Adams County this week, officials say.

Workers with Predator Poachers and Women Against Predators, pretending to be four girls between the ages of 11 and 13, arranged for the 79-year-old man to meet them in the 2300 block of South Washington Street in Tacoma, according to a news release.

Detectives determined they had enough evidence for the man to be charged with multiple counts of attempted child rape and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, according to a news release. Police did not release the mans name.

A Pierce County Superior Court judge issued an arrest warrant Tuesday, and police arrested the man in Adams County on Wednesday, according to a news release. Police said he would be transported to Pierce County Jail but did not confirm if he had been booked.
NEW YORK  A Belgian firefighter taking a ride on an FDNY fire boat was killed when another boat slammed into the ship, FDNY officials said Saturday.

FDNYs Marine 1 Bravo was operating in the East River near Pier 11 at about 10 p.m. Friday when a charter boat collided with the fire boat.

The firefighter from Belgium was critically injured in the crash and died of his injuries at Bellevue Hospital, officials said.

Three other civilians and an FDNY firefighter on the boat were also rushed to Bellevue Hospital with minor injuries, the department said.

An New York Police Department Harbor Unit responded to the crash scene and informed the Coast Guard, a police source said. Cops on the NYPD Harbor Boat also helped transport some of the injured onto the nearest dock.

No injuries were reported on the other boat, identified by the Coast Guard as Honcho.

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the crash, a spokesman confirmed.

The Honcho is a fishing boat that docks at Brooklyn Bridge Park and provides private NYC waterway tours for between $450 and $550, according to the companys website. Attempts to reach the boat owners were unsuccessful Saturday.

The name of the Belgian firefighter was not immediately released as family members overseas are alerted.

The Belgian firefighter had met FDNY officials a few years ago and maintained a friendly relationship with department personnel before Fridays crash, a source with knowledge of the incident said.

It was not immediately clear why the Belgian firefighter was on the boat and who authorized the Friday night tour. Non-FDNY personnel are usually not allowed to ride on the marine boats without the permission of a department head, a second source said.

Its not like the pilot of the boat can say, Come on lets go for a ride! the FDNY source said.

There have been some incidents in the past when FDNY executives have allowed civilians to take tours on FDNY boats without discussing it with the ships captain first, sparking tensions, the source said.

A Marine pilot is just a firefighter with a pilots license, but they know their boats and they know how many can be on board, what kind of safety equipment is needed, and everything else that makes the boat run safely, the source said. But in the end theyre just firefighters, so when a superior officer tells them what to do, they have to do it.
The director and creator of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, Thomas Astruc, is rebooting the classic Japanese anime and manga series Astroboy.

Astroboy, one of the best-selling manga series of all time, ran between 1952 and 1968 along with an animated TV series that was released in 1963. Created and written by Tezuka Osamu, the manga series sold over 100 million copies worldwide, becoming a popular childrens icon and the best-known superhero of Tezukas works.

The series follows a young android boy with human emotions who learns to grow up as a normal human boy with his robotic family as they accompany him on a series of adventures.

Astruc will be directing the upcoming CGI-3D Astroboy reboot, which will include 52 half-hour episodes and address modern-day issues such as social media, the destruction of the environment by humans and the impact of the internet. French studio Method Animation and Monaco-based Shibuya Productions will be partnering to produce the new Astroboy series.

More from NextShark: Not just for rich, white, jacked gay men: Stars of Fire Island on body positivity for Asians and LGBTQ

Astroboy is a cult series that has overseen the future like no other property. In the strange world we live in today, everybody needs Astroboy to come back! Astruc told Variety.

The founder and president of Method Animation Aton Soumache believes that Astruc will create a fresh and unique take on Tezukas work.

I am super proud to join forces with Tezuka Productions, which represents this exceptional artist, and my partners of Shibuya Productions, to offer Astro Boy to an all new generation of kids. Thomas Astruc, one of the incredible talent beyond Miraculous will bring a fresh and unique take on Tezukas work, Soumache said. Astro Boy is so universal and contemporary that we are not only developing a reboot but a consistent continuum in the full respect of the original universe.

More from NextShark: Disney Plus K-drama 'Snowdrop' loses sponsors over history distortion accusations

Story continues

Featured Image via Throwback Toons (left); JoBlo Animated Videos (right)

More from NextShark: New York pastor warns parents that Pixars Turning Red' is 'demonic' in film review

Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark!

DC Comics' newest Asian superhero meets the Dark Knight in debut issue of new 'Monkey Prince' miniseries
President Biden on Saturday called the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) approval of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children under five a monumental step.

For parents all over the country, this is a day of relief and celebration, Biden said in a statement.

As the first country to protect our youngest children with COVID-19 vaccines, my Administration has been planning and preparing for this moment for months, effectively securing doses and offering safe and highly effective mRNA vaccines for all children as young as six months old, he added.

Biden said that parents would be able to schedule appointments starting this coming week, a huge relief for some parents of young children.

Appointments will ramp up as more doses are shipped out, and in the coming weeks, every parent who wants a vaccine will be able to get one, he said. As the vaccination program ramps up, Vaccines.gov will be live next week with vaccine availability and appointments increasing throughout the week.

Bidens comments come shortly after CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signed off on a recommendation from an advisory committee backing the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children aged 6 months and older.

Her signoff was considered the last remaining step needed before parents could start making appointments to have their children administered the vaccine.

Children will be given a two-dose regimen for the Moderna vaccine, while they will receive three doses under the Pfizer vaccine.

After three doses of Pfizer, the vaccine was 80 percent effective for children in that age group.

Modernas vaccine for children 6 months to 2 years old was 51 percent effective for preventing symptomatic infection and 37 percent for children between 2 and 5 years old.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(Lettering by Jeanetta Gonzales / For The Times; photos Bukunmi / For The Times, Marc Cortes / For The Times, Kayla James / For The Times, Okay Aire, Momodu Mansaray))

We celebrate to spread the word. Juneteenth has dissemination baked into its DNA. The beautiful thing about June 19  the most joyous of days  is the energy of discovery. We hear. We remember. We get active.

What could it have felt like to hear the message when it finally got to Galveston, Texas, in 1865? The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. Theres a specific feeling that comes when the ears receive good news. The taste of freedom affects the body physiologically.

To commemorate the occasion of Juneteenth, we decided to share some stories of liberation. Nothing can quite replicate the nourishment of reading the history, of mining the records of the past. But unpacking what was isnt the only way to achieve clarity. Sometimes, what you feel can move you to act like what you learn. Here, weve asked some of our faves to share with us some of the moments when they feel most liberated.

We hope youll take those with you as you make your way to the streets. Well see you at the festivities  well be in Leimert Park, the Mecca of Black life in L.A., reflecting on why we celebrate.

Pull up. And join us as we spread the good news.

Ian F. Blair



Editor in Chief

(Jeanetta Gonzales / For The Times)

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  Behind the raw public frustration and anger over election security that has played out this week in New Mexico was a hint of something deeper -- a growing divide between the states Democratic power structure and conservative rural residents who feel their way of life is under attack.

In Otero County, where the crisis over certifying the states June 7 primary election began, County Commissioner Vickie Marquardt struck a defiant tone as she relented under pressure from the states Democratic attorney general, Democratic secretary of state and a state Supreme Court dominated by Democratic appointees.

One of the main explanations she gave for reversing course had nothing to do with questions over the security of voting machines  the reason the all-Republican, three-member commission had originally refused to certify its election.

If we get removed from office, nobody is going to be here fighting for the ranchers, and thats where our fight should be right now, said Marquardt, the commission chairwoman in a county where former President Donald Trump won nearly 62% of the vote in 2020.

Otero County is similar to the handful of other New Mexico counties where residents have questioned the accuracy of election results and given voice to unfounded conspiracy theories about voting systems that have rippled across the country since former President Donald Trump lost re-election in 2020.

In the states vast, rural stretches, frustration over voting and political representation has been building for years. Residents have felt marginalized and overrun by government decisions that have placed limits on livelihoods  curtailing access to water for livestock, shrinking the amount of forest land available for grazing, or halting timber operations and energy developments due to endangered species concerns.

Tensions have mounted as Democrats in New Mexico consolidate control over every statewide office and the Supreme Court. Democrats have dominated the Legislature for generations.

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Even as they voted to certify their elections, sometimes reluctantly, commissioners from several New Mexico counties said they were bound by the law to take that step  thanks to legislation passed by Democrats. They urged their residents to take the fight to the statehouse.

Some bemoaned what they felt was an encroachment by the state on the powers of local government. Marquardt, from Otero County, complained of her commissions meager rubber stamping authority under laws enacted by Democrats and an election certification railroaded through by larger forces.

Otero County is among more than a dozen self-proclaimed 2nd Amendment sanctuary counties in rural New Mexico to approve defiant resolutions against recent state gun control laws. The county also has embraced resistance to President Joe Bidens goals for conservation of more private land and waterways for natural habitat, arguing it will cordon off already limited private land.

Amid alienation, skepticism about the security of elections has taken flight.

On Friday, Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin was the lone dissenting vote in the election certification, though he acknowledged that he had no evidence of problems or factual basis for questioning the results of the election. His vote came after the county elections clerk said the primary went off without a hitch and that the results were confirmed afterward.

The former rodeo rider and co-founder of Cowboys for Trump dialed into the meeting because he was in Washington, D.C., where hours before he had been sentenced for entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

Applause rang out when Griffin declared, I think we need to hold our ground.

The developments in New Mexico can be traced to far-right conspiracy theories over voting machines that have spread across the country over the past two years. Various Trump allies have claimed that Dominion voting systems had somehow been manipulated as part of an elaborate scheme to steal the election, which Biden won.

There has been no evidence of widespread fraud that would have changed the results of the 2020 presidential election, and testimony before the congressional committee investigating the insurrection has made clear that many in Trumps inner circle told him the same as he schemed to retain power.

The election clash that erupted this past week worries Dian Burwell, a registered independent and coffee shop manager in the Otero County seat of Alamogordo.

We want people to vote and when they see all this, theyll just say, Why bother? Burwell said.

Despite New Mexico counties eventual votes to certify their primary results, election officials and experts fear the mini-rebellion is just the start of efforts nationwide to sow chaos around voting and vote-counting, building toward the 2024 presidential election. The New Mexico secretary of states office said it had been inundated with calls from officials around the country concerned that certification controversies will become a new front in the attacks on democratic norms.

In another New Mexico county where residents angrily denounced the certification, commissioners were denounced as cowards and traitors by a hostile crowd before voting. Torrance County Commissioner LeRoy Candelaria, a Republican and Vietnam veteran, voted to certify the results without apologies, despite the personal insults.

The semi-retired rancher and highway maintenance foreman said he has taken time outside commission meetings to explain his position that New Mexicos vote-counting machines are well-tested and monitored.

Our county clerk did an excellent job. I dont think theres a vote that went wrong in any way, Candelaria said later in a telephone interview. My personal opinion is there are people who are still mad about the last presidential election. ... Lets worry about the next election and not take things personally.

___

Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Anita Snow and Terry Tang in Phoenix contributed to this report.
Reuters

(Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday made it harder for prosecutors to win convictions of doctors accused of running "pill mills" and excessively prescribing opioids and other addictive drugs, by requiring the government to prove that defendants knew their prescriptions had no legitimate medical purpose. The 9-0 ruling, authored by liberal Justice Stephen Breyer, sided with Xiulu Ruan and Shakeel Kahn, who argued that their trials were unfair because jurors were not required to consider whether the two convicted doctors had "good faith" reasons to believe the numerous opioid prescriptions were medically valid.
LAS CRUCES - The 3rd Judicial District Attorneys office requested a judge force the Dona Ana County Sheriffs Office to deliver 17 subpoenas they say were rejected by the sheriff.

In response, DASO said that deputies would no longer deliver subpoenas for the DAs office.

According to a petition filed in the 3rd Judicial District Court, the district attorney, Gerald Byers, said that Stewart and DASO Major Jon Day used an employee-only elevator to enter the DAs office without an appointment on June 9. The petition said that Stewart and Day told Byers that DASO would not be serving 17 subpoenas.

The results of her (Stewarts) actions could result in many criminal cases being dismissed, the petition stated.

A subpoena is a formal request for a person to appear in court or provide documents during judicial proceedings.

The 17 subpoenas included cases for one defendant accused of murder, two defendants charged with criminal sexual penetration, two defendants accused of battery, two defendants accused of abuse of a child, and 10 defendants charged with non-violent crimes.

More:Sheriff Stewart outlasts primary challenge, will face Hollister, a former U.S. marshal, in general election

Despite the DAs statement, acting public information officer and DASO Captain Samuel Ramos said, "the Dona Ana County Sheriffs Department is no longer providing that service to the District Attorneys Office. The District Attorneys Office currently has three certified law enforcement officers, in which their job description allows for them to serve subpoenas. This change of who serves subpoenas, should not impact the legal process."

Its unclear what could happen next. The DAs petition argues that DASO is obligated by state law to cooperate with the DAs office. Its also not clear which court will hear this matter. Shortly after the DA filed the petition, Chief Judge Manuel Arrieta recused the entire 3rd Judicial District Judge roster from the case. He did not say why the recusal occurred in his order filed on June 13.

The case was sent to the state Supreme Court for a designation.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Dona Ana County Sheriffs Office, district attorney trade barbs over subpoenas
STORY: Roaring fire was seen engulfing part of a sprawling factory, emitting columns of thick black smoke, in a video posted on Twitter by the state-backed Shanghai Daily.

The fire at one of China's biggest refining and petrochemicals plants started around 4 a.m. (2000 GMT on Friday) and had been brought under control by 9 a.m. but "was difficult to handle", state media Xinhua reported, citing fire officials.

It was expected to continue burning for some time.

The driver of a third-party transport vehicle died and a company employee suffered a minor injury, said a Sinopec representative.

He said the fire affected the ethylene glycol facility at the plant in Jinshan, a southwestern suburb of China's financial capital.

State-owned Sinopec said on its official Weibo account it was monitoring volatile organic compounds and impact to rainwater outlets, and no impact on the surrounding water environment had been found.
President Biden said Friday that he has been briefed on several U.S. veterans that have reportedly gone missing in Ukraine.

Well look at what we know so far. Plus, a bipartisan bill seeks to overhaul U.S. policy toward Taiwan.

This is Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, Im Jordan Williams. Subscribe here.





Biden briefed on vets reported missing in Ukraine

President Biden said Friday he has been briefed on the Americans reportedly missing in Ukraine and strongly discouraged others from traveling to the country to help fight the Russian invasion.

I have been briefed. We dont know where they are, Biden told reporters at the White House before departing for Rehoboth, Del.



I want to reiterate: Americans should not be going to Ukraine now, Biden added. They should not be going to Ukraine.

Whos missing? Families of two U.S. veterans, Alex Drueke and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh, have told media outlets in recent days that they had gone missing in Ukraine after traveling there to fight the Russians. The families have expressed concerns that the two Americans may have been captured by Russian forces.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters Thursday that the Biden administration is aware of a third American possibly missing in Ukraine. CNN subsequently identified that American as Grady Kurpasi, a veteran of the U.S. Marines, citing his wife.

Is Russia holding them? Price said Thursday that the U.S. government had not confirmed the reports of the missing Americans but said officials were closely monitoring the situation.

The State Department has been in contact with the individuals families, the Ukrainian government and the Red Cross, Price said.



The U.S. had not spoken to Russia about their cases as of Thursday, Price said, and does not have reason to believe the individuals are being held by the Russians.

Story continues

Dont go to Ukraine: The White House and State Department have sought to dissuade Americans from traveling to Ukraine to aid the Ukrainians in their fight since Russia invaded the country at the end of February.

Thousands of foreign fighters are believed to have joined the war effort in Ukraine, but its unclear how many Americans have traveled to the country.

Read the story here.





Menendez, Graham propose Taiwan policy overhaul

Senate lawmakers on Friday introduced bipartisan legislation to overhaul U.S. policy toward Taiwan, defining key American commitments to the democratic islands defense against a Chinese military invasion.

The legislation, called the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, was introduced by Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).



The lawmakers said the proposed bill represents the most comprehensive restructuring of U.S. policy toward Taiwan in more than four-decades.

A stark warning: The proposed legislation comes in the wake of reported statements last week from Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe that China will not hesitate to start a war and smash to smithereens Taiwan.

Beijing views the island as part of China but ruled by a rogue government and pushes back against any moves by foreign nations or international organizations that appear to legitimize Taiwan as an independent country.



U.S. intelligence officials have earlier warned there is an acute threat of China invading Taiwan by 2030 and that Beijing is weighing the risk of such action by watching closely the U.S. response to Russias invasion against Ukraine.

Defining Americas commitments: The Menendez and Graham legislation seeks to more clearly define Americas commitments to the island that have long been outlined by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979.

The lawmakers call for $4.5 billion in security assistance for Taiwan over four years.



The bill also creates a new initiative to bolster Taiwans defense capabilities and to designate Taiwan a Major Non-NATO ally, a significant label that provides the island benefits in the areas of defense, trade and security cooperation.





THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Graham-Menendez legislation follows President Bidens remarks that the U.S. would come to Taiwans defense militarily if China sought to take control of the island by force, most recently during a visit to Japan last month.

The remarks sparked confusion over whether it represented a change in U.S. policy, an historic stance of strategic ambiguity, where Washington provides Taiwan defensive, military support but does recognize the democratically-governed island as independent from Beijing.



White House officials quickly sought to clarify that the president was not announcing a change in U.S. policy.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have expressed frustration with ambiguous U.S. policy, calling for Washington to more forcefully show its support for Taiwan and in light of increased threats and military posturing from Beijing.

Read the story here.





Republicans demand strong nuclear threat response

House Republicans are calling for President Biden to outline a stronger response to Russias threat of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

In a letter to Biden sent Friday, the lawmakers say every tool of national power should be leveraged to achieve deterrence of Russian nuclear aggression.

The U.S. cannot be a passive spectator as Russia uses nuclear intimidation, reads the letter from Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas).



If Russia uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the U.S. must act. This must be clear to Russia to deter their use of nuclear weapons in this unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, the letter adds.

Rhetoric from Moscow: Russia has repeatedly floated the possibility of using nuclear weapons during its invasion of Ukraine, which has gone on for over three months.

The lawmakers specifically pointed to Russian President Vladimir Putin , who in announcing the invasion threatened those who stand in our way saying the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.



The letter also pointed to Aleksey Zhuravlyov, who is the deputy chair of the Russian Dumas defense committee, who said in part If the United States threatens our state, its good: here is the Sarmat for you, and there will be nuclear ashes from you if you think that Russia should not exist.

What Biden has said: Biden and his officials have criticized Moscows rhetoric over nuclear weapons, but have also been mum on what the U.S. would do if Russia were to use nuclear weapons.

In an op-ed for The New York Times published May 31, Biden said the U.S. sees no indication that the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but blasted its rhetoric as irresponsible.



Let me be clear: Any use of nuclear weapons in this conflict on any scale would be completely unacceptable to us as well as the rest of the world and would entail severe consequences, the presidents op-ed read.

Read the full story here.





WHAT WERE READING

Boris Johnson travels to Ukraine for second meeting with Zelensky

Navarro pleads not guilty to contempt charges in Jan. 6 subpoena case

The Hill Opinion: South Koreas vibrant new approach to national security

The Hill Opinion: Four years after Singapore summit, Kim Jong Un still threatenswith words and missiles

The Hill Opinion: Afghanistan is not ours to fix





Thats it for today. Check out The Hills Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. See you next week!





VIEW THE FULL EDITION HERE

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Denise Richards is standing up for her daughter.

On Friday, the "Real Housewives" alum took to Instagram to share a statement regarding her daughter, Sam "Sami" Sheens, new OnlyFans account.

"Lots of negative comments on my social this past week. I have to say, I wish I had the confidence my 18 yr old daughter has. And I also can't be judgmental of her choices," Richards began. "I did Wild Things & Playboy, quite frankly her father shouldn't be either."

CHARLIE SHEEN REACTS TO DAUGHTER SAMI SHEEN, 18, JOINING ONLYFANS: THIS DID NOT OCCUR UNDER MY ROOF

Denise Richards defends her daughter, Sami, after she launched an OnlyFans account. Photo by Brett Costello / Newspix via Getty Images

Richards added: "And to be able to ignore the negativity at her age? It took me many years & I still sometimes struggle. I'm in awe of her ability to be able to shut out the noise. Because it can destroy you."

Richards shared that she just learned about the online service a few months ago and said she might start her own OnlyFans.

"Is it so bad to control it & monetize it too? I'm sorry, but s if I can get paid and at my age? To see me in a bikini?!? God bless you. Perhaps I should open my own account." she continued.

Her father, Charlie Sheen, has not been as accepting of Sami's latest business venture.

CHARLIE SHEEN'S EX DENISE RICHARDS VOWS TO SUPPORT THEIR DAUGHTER SAMI AFTER ACTOR DISAPPROVES ONLYFANS PAGE

"She is 18 years now and living with her mother," the former "Two and a Half Men" star told Fox News Digital on Tuesday via his publicist Jeff Ballard. "This did not occur under my roof. I do not condone this, but since Im unable to prevent it, I urged her to keep it classy, creative and not sacrifice her integrity."

The influencer, who has 47K followers on Instagram, turned 18 in March. She recently moved back in with Richards, 51, following some turbulent times between the pair.

Charlie Sheen said he does "not condone" the 18-year-old joining the predominantly adult content subscription platform. Reuters

Sami took to her Instagram stories on Wednesday to respond to trolls who questioned whether she had "the body" to join OnlyFans in a Q&A session.

One user mocked the influencer and asked, "Do you really think you have the body for of lol."

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The teen replied with a photo of herself holding a plate filled with multiple slices of pizza.

"Yes because theres no body you need to have in order to do of," she responded. "Only thing that matters is making sure that youre comfortable with what youre posting & remembering that all bodies are beautiful."

Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards were married from 2002 to 2006. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Richards and Sheen were married from 2002 to 2006 and also share their daughter, Lola Rose, 17.

Fox News' Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.
The Daily Beast

Ukrainian State Emergency Service / Handout/Anadolu Agency via GettyRussia fired a series of rockets at a shopping center in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, on Monday, raising fears that Russia is stepping up its attacks on civilian structures regardless of the loss of life.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday there were more than a thousand civilians inside the shopping mall and the casualties to come might bring even more shock and horror to Ukrainian people already confronting so much deat
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO  FRIDAY, 17 JUNE 2022, 21:07

Four civilians were killed and six wounded as a result of Russian military aggression in Donetsk Oblast on Friday, 17 June.

Source: Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "On 17 June, Russians killed four civilian residents of Donetsk Oblast: two in Panteleimonivka, one in Bakhmut, and one in Krasnohorivka.

Another six civilians sustained injuries."

Details: Kyrylenko reiterated that it remains impossible to establish the exact number of casualties and fatalities in Mariupol and Volnovakha.
The author returned to Glacier National Park for the first time since 2003.

Montana was my dream.

I believe it began with watching "Lonesome Dove" as a boy. In the movie, Montana is the Promised Land. When Captain Call decides to end the cattle drive, as he gazes out over the majestic landscape, he accepts he would find no place more perfect. I know the feeling. Montana is special.

I moved to Billings in 2003, less than a year out of college. I didnt know a single person in the state, so I spent most of my time exploring the wilderness alone. I was working in sales at the time, and my territory was most of Montana. Although I only lived there a little under four years, I was able to see just about every corner of the state.

Montana is big and has distinct regions. The eastern side of the state is broken badlands. The sparsely-populated counties appeal to me for their vast openness.

The High Line along the Canadian border is a grasslands masterpiece. The Flathead Valley and the terrain around Glacier National Park is like the Pacific Northwest. The Yellowstone region, everything around Bozeman, is the most picturesque, beautiful place Ive found on the planet.

When I left Montana in 2006, I assumed Id return often to spend time in a state I came to know and love. I was wrong. Prior to last week, I had only been back twice in 16 years. Once for a hunt, and once to bring my family here to celebrate my oldest daughters 10th birthday. She was born in Montana, but was less than a year old when we moved. Shell always be my Montana baby.

Last week, I flew into Bozeman late on a Thursday night. I made it downtown in time to see the hustle and bustle of the vibrant main street. Sitting at an open air table, having a light dinner, I fought back what-ifs and what-might-have-beens. Life has unfolded well for me  but had I not decided to move all those years ago and stayed in Montana, what would my life have become? Ill never know.

On Friday, I met up with Steven Rinella and the crew at MeatEater to record a podcast in their studio. Im grateful for the experience. Steve has reached the pinnacle of outdoor communication, and Im fortunate to call him a friend. You can find the MeatEater podcast on streaming platforms.

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Later that evening, I had dinner at Steves home with his family. He prepared nilgai ribs, which is a large Asian antelope that has taken up residence in certain areas of the U.S.

My travels then took me north to Missoula, where I met up with my friend, Brian Burns. Like all really great friends, it felt like we had been hanging out last week, when in reality, we hadnt seen each other in 16 years. Along with his wife and son, and some of their friends, we ventured up into the mountains above Lolo, where we did some target shooting. Then we had dinner at the Lumberjack and enjoyed a gorgeous mountain sunset.

From there, I headed to Kalispell for the Professional Outdoor Media Association Conference, where I caught up with industry friends from all over the country. I stayed the night with great friends, Tom and Olivia Opre, and listened to more of their incredible stories about traveling the world to hunt. Toms film, Killing the Shepherd is a remarkable film about the complexities of conservation in Africa.

With all the rain Montana received, which caused devastating flooding in many parts of the state, all my plans for fishing and hiking fell through. I was able to see a small portion of Glacier National Park, but Going-to-the-Sun Road was still closed due to snow pack still covering the upper road. The surrounding national forest allowed for backroad exploration. The hope was to see a grizzly bear, but it didnt happen.

Its hard to believe how time slips away these days. I never dreamed it would be so long before I was set free in Montana. There is no place on the planet I have found yet that speaks to my soul the way the Big Sky State does. I cant imagine Ill ever wait that long to return again.

See you down the trail.

For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast on www.driftwoodoutdoors.com or anywhere podcasts are streamed.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Driftwood Outdoors: Road trip across Montana reconnects people and places
An elephant in India made headlines for not only killing a woman, but for crashing her funeral to trample her corpse as well.

On June 10, onlookers were horrified to see the same elephant that had attacked and killed 70-year-old Maya Murmu, which grabbed her dead body from the pyre before trampling on it. The giant threw her body once more before leaving the site of the funeral.

Murmu had been fetching water in Odishas Mayurbhanj district in India when she was attacked.

The elephant had reportedly wandered off from its home in Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary before encountering the elderly woman.

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Despite being rushed to a hospital after the attack, Murmu died from her injuries, according to Rasgovindpur police station inspector Lopamudra Nayak.

Though elephants are typically gentle, majestic beasts known for their stellar memory, they can be dangerous to people when threatened, provoked or abused.

Save The Asian Elephants conservation charity founder and lawyer Duncan McNair made a comment to Newsweek that endangered elephants can be deadly dangerous when attacked, also noting that Asian elephants have been subject to extreme torture and stabbing by poachers and tourism industry agents.

More from NextShark: 'Person of Interest' in Attacks of 3 Elderly People in Oakland Chinatown Identified, In Police Custody

Human-elephant clashes are not particularly rare in the Odisha district, and in India more broadly. Due to their sophisticated cognitive abilities, elephants have been known to carry out acts of revenge.

The endangered species habitat is also increasingly shrinking, putting their very existence into jeopardy, which makes clashes all the more common.

Last month, a 40-year old woman was trampled to death outside her house by an elephant in southern Tamil Nadu states Nilgiris district.

More from NextShark: Leyna Bloom becomes first trans woman of color on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit

A few months prior, in March, a wild elephant attacked a woman in the forest of central Chhattisgarh states Bilaspur district. The elderly woman died in the incident, but her 8-year-old grandson, who was injured while trying to run away, survived.

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Elephants are not only cultural icons throughout Asia  as described by the World WildLife Fund  they also play a critical role in the ecosystem, helping maintain the integrity of forests and grasslands.

Producing roughly 220 pounds of dung per day, they help spread germinating seeds, a process important for maintaining plant populations.

More from NextShark: Man Arrested for Destroying $10K Sacred Statues at Lao Temple in Arkansas

Featured Image via Al Jazeera English / WildFilmsIndia
Emma Thompson has opened up about the difficulty of shooting nude scenes at the age that I am in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.

The newly released comedy stars Thompson as Nancy, a retired religious education teacher who hires a sex worker in the hopes of experiencing her first orgasm.

Prior to the films release on Friday (17 June), the 62-year-old spoke about rehearsing entirely nude and filming a full-frontal scene.

One scene sees her character stand in front of a mirror alone and she drops her robe.

On her decision to appear naked in the movie, the actor told Entertainment Weekly: Its very challenging to be nude at 62.

She said: I dont think I couldve done it before the age that I am. And yet, of course, the age that I am makes it extremely challenging because we arent used to seeing untreated bodies on the screen.

The Academy Award-winner also spoke about the dreadful demands put on women both in the real world and in acting.

Nothing has changed in the dreadful demands made upon women in the real world but also in acting, she said.

Emma Thompson (Getty Images for European Shooti)

This thing of having to be thin is still the same as it ever was, and actually in some ways I think its worse now.

Thompson stars opposite Peaky Blinders Daryl McCormack in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, which will be released later this year.

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is in cinemas now. You can read The Independents four-star review of the film here.

Recently, Thompson also spoke about Johnny Depps recently concluded defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard and the effects it may have on the #MeToo movement.
Photo illustration, the Capital One Financial Corp. SOPA Images / Getty Images

A former Amazon Web Service employee was convicted of seven counts of computer and wire fraud.

The Capital One hack occurred in March 2019, resulting in the theft of more than 100 million customer data.

Prosecutors said Paige Thompson bragged about her hack in online forums and over text messages.

A former Amazon Web Services engineer has been found guilty of hacking into Capital One and stealing millions of customers' data.

Paige A. Thompson on July 17 was found guilty of wire fraud, five counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer, and damaging a protected computer.

"Far from being an ethical hacker trying to help companies with their computer security, she exploited mistakes to steal valuable data and sought to enrich herself," said U.S Attorney Nick Brown.

Thompson, who worked under the name "Erratic," programmed software that allowed her to access Amazon's client data which was stored on their server, according to the Department of Justice. One of those clients was Capital One. Thompson also used her server access to mine cryptocurrency, Brown said. The breach occurred in March of 2019, and Thompson was arrested by the FBI in July of that year.

Thompson mined sensitive customer data that included social security numbers, date of birth, and addresses, among other information. She posted information about the hack on the cross-platform app Github, where one user reported her to Capital One, according to the DOJ.

Thompson also flaunted details of her hack through text messages and online forums, prosecutors said.

"She wanted data, she wanted money, and she wanted to brag," Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Friedman said in his closing arguments during her trial.

Capital One was fined $80 million and settled a class-action lawsuit for $190 million on April 22.

Thompson faces five years in prison, the DOJ said. She was found not guilty of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Read the original article on Insider
Viral social media posts: The Pentagon "finally comes clean" and "admits...that there are 46 U.S. military-funded biolabs in Ukraine"

PolitiFact's ruling: False

Here's why: The Pentagon released a new fact sheet about the governments efforts to lessen the threat of weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine, Russia and other former Soviet countries  and internet conspiracy theorists took off running.

While the document largely repeats information about the programs accomplishments and efforts over the last several years, that didnt stop some internet users from claiming that it contained a bombshell admission.

"US Department of Defense Finally Comes Clean  Admits in Public Document that There Are 46 US Military-Funded Biolabs in Ukraine," a June 12 Gateway Pundit headline read.

"US asked to explain after Pentagon admits to operating 46 biolabs in Ukraine after months of denial," read another June 12 headline by the Morning Star, a socialist newspaper published in Great Britain.

But these are mischaracterizations. The document doesnt contain any evidence  new or otherwise  of U.S. biolabs in Ukraine.

The 46 facilities referenced in the articles and in the governments fact sheet are owned and operated by Ukraine, and information about the facilities existence has been made publicly available by the Pentagon for some time.

The stories were flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed.

When Russia first invaded Ukraine in February, false claims took hold online that Russian President Vladimir Putin was targeting the country over its alleged abundance of U.S.-run biological weapons laboratories. At one point, the claims took on a new twist as some alleged that President Joe Bidens son, Hunter Biden, had funded the supposed labs.

But fabricated stories from Russia proclaiming bioweapon use by the U.S. arent new, and allegations of a network of such labs along Russias border were shared in its state-run media before the invasion.

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PolitiFact reached out to the Pentagon for comment but did not hear back.

More: PolitiFact fact-check: Putin didnt free 35,000 children from Ukraine

The Pentagons program

Since 2005, the U.S. has partnered with Ukraine through the Pentagons Biological Threat Reduction Program. The purpose is "to support peaceful and safe biological detection and diagnostic capabilities and to reduce the threats posed by pathogens," according to a March 2022 government fact sheet.

Andy Weber, a member of the Arms Control Association Board of Directors and a former assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs, previously told us there are no U.S. military-run labs in Ukraine but rather health labs to help detect, prevent and mitigate infectious disease.

The Defense Departments Cooperative Threat Reduction program "has provided technical support to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health since 2005 to improve public health laboratories, whose mission is analogous to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," Weber said.

More: Fact-check: Is White House presenting commemorative coins for Ukraine's president?

Also known as the Nunn-Lugar program, the initiative began after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 as a project aimed at dismantling and securing leftover weapons of mass destruction programs in former Soviet countries.

The facilities in Ukraine

The Pentagon hasnt said anything new about the 46 facilities  we reported about them in April. In fact, the June 9 release at the center of these claims specifically states that Ukraine "has no nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons programs."

With regard to the 46 facilities, the government fact sheet said the U.S. has:

"Worked collaboratively to improve Ukraines biological safety, security, and disease surveillance for both human and animal health, providing support to 46 peaceful Ukrainian laboratories, health facilities, and disease diagnostic sites over the last two decades. The collaborative programs have focused on improving public health and agricultural safety measures at the nexus of nonproliferation."

In March, the Pentagon said much of the same, adding that the program has invested about $200 million in Ukraine, "supporting 46 laboratories, health facilities and diagnostic sites" and that it has "improved Ukraines biological safety, security and surveillance for both human and animal health."

More: Fact-check: Was Joe Biden a full professor for four years?

While the U.S. is providing support for Ukraine, the labs are owned and operated by the Ukrainian government, Robert Pope, director of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Department, previously told PolitiFact.

"Specifically, we make the labs more secure from accidental or intentional release, provide diagnostic equipment, train personnel on the use of the equipment, and train them how to detect potential outbreaks," Pope said. "DTRA not only does this with Ukraine, but also with partners in over 30 countries, at their request, to assist with safe disease detection and diagnosis."

Our ruling

A Gateway Pundit article said, "US Department of Defense Finally Comes Clean  Admits in Public Document that There Are 46 US Military-Funded Biolabs in Ukraine."

There was no "coming clean"  and the government made no such admission.

The document referenced in the stories repeated known information about 46 Ukrainian-owned and -operated laboratories, health facilities and diagnostic sites that have received support from the U.S. The document specifically states that Ukraine "has no nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons programs."

We rate this claim False.

Our Sources

Gateway Pundit, US Department of Defense Finally Comes Clean  Admits in Public Document that There Are 46 US Military-Funded Biolabs in Ukraine, June 12, 2022

U.S. Department of Defense, Fact Sheet on WMD Threat Reduction Efforts with Ukraine, Russia and Other Former Soviet Union Countries, June 9, 2022

PolitiFact, There are no US-run biolabs in Ukraine, contrary to social media posts, Feb. 25, 2022

PolitiFact, The facts behind the Russian, right-wing narratives claiming Hunter Biden funded biolabs in Ukraine, April 1, 2022

PolitiFact, The facts behind the Russian, right-wing narratives claiming Hunter Biden funded biolabs in Ukraine, April 1, 2022

U.S. Department of Defense, The Department of Defenses Cooperative Threat Reduction Program - Biological Threat Reduction Program Activities in Ukraine, March 11, 2022

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Fact Sheet: The Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, Accessed June 15, 2022

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: The Pentagon didnt admit there are 46 US-funded biolabs in Ukraine
Students at a local beauty school, the Elaine Sterling Institute, are helping a couple of Georgia high-schoolers prepare for a national competition in the Big Apple.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

According to a press release from the institutes spokesperson, two graduating seniors, Georgia Thomas at Greater Atlanta Christian School and Eli Talley of Ringgold High School, will represent the state of Georgia in the lead actor category at the 2022 Jimmy Awards, also known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, in New York City.

TRENDING STORIES:

The Atlanta-based beauty school is pampering the young performers as a reward for their hard work in preparing for a national theater competition.

The two students are getting hair, makeup, and nail services done at the ESI salon before going off to Broadway.

The award show will be held June 27 on Broadway in New York City.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Gia Vang, the first Hmong American TV news anchor in the Twin Cities, has left the KARE 11 station.

Vang bid farewell to Minnesota as a co-anchor of "KARE 11 Sunrise" earlier today after announcing last week that she was leaving the station.

The reporter joined KARE 11 in June 2019 after previously working at a TV station in Fresno, California.

It is not lost on me that Im leaving a position at the station where I am the only news anchor of color, Vang said on Friday's "Sunrise." Its not just because of the clear ways we can measure that, but you also tell me in emails, messages, events, when you see me out in the community that being in my skin in this position makes a difference. And given my experiences, know that I've always seen you. Thank you, Minnesota. Thank you for letting me share your stories.

More from NextShark: Neo-Nazi Mosque Shooter Who Killed Chinese Sister Gets 21 Years in Prison

Vang was born in Modesto, California, and is one of 10 children born to refugee parents who fled Laos during the Vietnam War. While at KARE 11, she often spotlighted stories relating to her Hmong American background.

The journalist made national news by co-founding the Very Asian campaign in January with Michelle Li, an anchor at the NBC affiliate in St. Louis, to fight racism. The two anchors launched a clothing line with all its proceeds benefiting the Asian American Journalists Association.

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Im heartened by the changes weve made at my station in the last three years, especially when it comes to diversity and inclusion, Vang shared on Instagram. I have had so many people who arent just Hmong tell me they watch now because their stories are finally being reflected in coverage. There are many people who are continuing to carry the torch and I believe they will. I think its necessary they do and that they are supported.

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Vang is considered one of the nations most high-profile Hmong American journalists. Along with Yia Vang, the journalist debuted Hmonglish, a podcast that explores the intersection of Hmong and American culture. Since the beginning of this month, the two hosts have explored their dual heritage along with special guests.

While Vang has yet to announce where she is headed, she previously suggested that she will be leaving Minnesota.

More from NextShark: Two Asian Men Taking Photos Allegedly Assaulted in Manhattan

Featured Image via KARE 11
Harry Styles, Green Day and Elton John are amongst the rumoured acts set to perform secret sets at Glastonbury.

With just a few days to go before the festivals rescheduled 50th anniversary, speculation has started about who might be filling the missing lineup slots.

The 2022 schedule already includes huge names like Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish and Diana Ross, but there are still a few spaces left for some surprise performances.

Past secret sets have seen the likes of Lady Gaga, Franz Ferdinand and Pulp perform.

Aside from word of mouth, news of who the TBA performers are has been known to travel via Twitter account @Secretglasto, which claims to notify followers of suspected performances a few hours before they start.

The account, which has over 37,000 followers at the time of writing, has previously been correct on past Glastonbury surprises such as The Killers (2017), The Libertines (2015) and Glass Animals (2017).

The Libertines at Glastonbury Festival, 2015 (Shutterstock)

Who are the most rumoured acts for 2022?

It is thought that US band Green Day might be playing. The band have never played the festival before but previously performed a secret set at Reading Festival in 2012.

The rock band of American Idiot fame are currently touring the UK but have a gap in their dates on the Sunday (26 June) of Glastonbury, leaving fans to speculate about a possible performance.

Further fuel has been added to the fire due to the fact that the tours support band Amyl and the Sniffers are playing the John Peel stage on Sunday (26 June), exactly where Green Day have their gap.

Elton John was a rumoured name, too, with gaps in his tour dates back in 2019 before the festival was cancelled for two years running due to the pandemic.

Harry Styles (Ian West/PA) (PA Wire)

With the artist currently touring the UK, speculation has started again over whether the Rocket Man could be doing a surprise performance at Worthy Farm.

Currently, John has a space between shows on the Saturday of the festival (25 June) after performing on the Friday (24 June) at Londons BST Hyde Park series.

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Harry Styles is also being mentioned in speculative conversations about secret sets, with fans believing he could be performing at the missing John Peel slot.

Originally a rumoured headliner, Styles was not listed on the confirmed lineup. He does, however, still have the majority of the weekend free in between tour dates.

With a Dublin show on Wednesday (22 June) and a Hamburg show in Germany on the Sunday (26 June), fans think he could be surprising festival goers.

How to get in the know

Once the festival starts, rumours as to who are playing the secret sets become even more prominent, with word of mouth from festival workers circulating gossip.

If you want even more of a chance to get in on the surprise, this Twitter account claims to get wind of sets a few hours before they happen.

All of the unannounced set times across Glastonbury 2022 (via Somerset Live)

John Peel Stage, 2pm-3pm on Sunday

The Park Stage, 6.15pm-7.15pm on Sunday

Glade Stage, 0.10am-1.30am on Monday

Arcadia, 11pm on Friday - 1am on Saturday

Williams Green, 7.45pm-8.25pm on Thursday

Williams Green, 9pm-10pm on Thursday

BBC Introducing Stage, 7.55pm-8.55pm on Friday

BBC Introducing Stage, 1pm-1.30pm on Saturday

BBC Introducing Stage, 7.15pm-7.45pm on Saturday

BBC Introducing Stage, 7.45pm-8.15pm on Sunday

If youre not attending the festival, find out how to watch it live here and check out our list of the most tricky set clashes here.
Getty Images

US authorities seized Lex, a $750,000 showjumping horse, as part of a $1.3 billion fraud case.

Federal agents realized it would cost up to $55,000 a year to care for, Bloomberg reported.

Christine Fisher, daughter of the man indicted, paid $25,000 to get the horse back, per Bloomberg.

The US Government sold a $750,000 showjumping horse back to its owner for just $25,000 after realizing it would cost too much to look after, Bloomberg reported.

Authorities initially seized the horse, called Lex, after its owner, the Atlanta accountant Jack Fisher, was indicted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in connection with tax fraud worth $1.3 billion along with four other individuals.

Fisher had bought the horse, a 15-year-old Holsteiner, for his daughter Christina. She pleaded with authorities to leave Lex, saying: "Take whatever you want that's monetary, but you can't treat a living animal like this."

"I feel violated and helpless," Christina told Bloomberg. "I'm not a part of the case. I'm not a part of the business. I was completely caught off guard, and they took an innocent animal."

Bloomberg reported that federal agents soon realized it would cost between $45,000 to $50,000 a year to feed and care for Lex, excluding medical costs.

The horse's value had dropped sharply, with an examination determining it to be worth $145,000, according to the report.

The US Attorney's Office in Atlanta then agreed to return the horse to Christina for $25,000, on the understanding that they could collect more if her father was convicted. She planned to ride the horse down the aisle on her wedding day.

Documents released by the Justice Department in February show Jack Fisher used proceeds of the tax fraud to buy the horse, as well as properties worth millions of dollars, and $225,000 tickets for a Super Bowl "Hall of Fame Experience."

US authorities use the proceeds from selling seized assets to compensate the victims of fraud and deter crime, in a process known as federal forfeiture.

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The seizure of horses has some precedent. In 2012, authorities raised $4.8 million by selling more than 150 horses belonging to then-comptroller of Dixon, Illinois, Rita Crundwell after she was indicted on misappropriating city funds to fund a "lavish lifestyle."

But Fisher's case highlights the running costs associated with maintaining assets before they can be sold.

The US is facing huge costs to maintain assets such as superyachts seized from Russian oligarchs, according to US national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

The Justice Department and the IRS didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
For two hours on Friday afternoons, a group of high school students split between Stockton and Sacramento, California, hop on Zoom to discuss the book theyre reading. Though theyve never gathered in person, these students have created a space where they feel comfortable being vulnerable and engaging in enthusiastic discussion.

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What is this virtual literary society that encourages Black students to read and talk about literature that reflects the entirety of the Black experience? Aptly enough, its called Black is Lit, and it brings Black youths together, amplifies their voices, and enables them to fall in love with books.

One recent Friday, the students discussed the n-word and history of the KKK, because it came up in their book selection This Is My America by Kim Johnson. Tiffany Herndon, the culturally responsive projects plan manager at Aspire Public Schools who also founded the Black is Lit program in 2021, watched her students engage in academic discourse that was rooted in the book, while also applying it to their personal experiences and offering emotional support from the racialized trauma.

It was a moment of seeing all of the elements of her program come together.

They were free to be their authentic selves without fear of judgment, Herndon says of the students. Were talking about these hard hitting issues that impact the Black community and thinking of ways in which they want to go out and support and encourage change.

More Than a Summer Reading Program

Literacy has an impact on the trajectory of your life outcomes.

The Black is Lit program was inspired by the idea of having a summer reading program for Black students. Reading and language arts scores were down, and Herndon wanted to help  and make help accessible for students beyond her school. So Black is Lit was born, inspired by the concepts of Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy author Dr. Gholdy E. Muhammad who says literacy is liberation and education is a form of empowerment.

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We really wanted to reintroduce that concept and that spirit back into the learning environment for our scholars, and disrupt like the disproportionate outcomes that we see for Black students across the nation and low Black student achievement, Herndon says.

The discussions included textual and character analysis, and making real world connections to the text. From relating to and interacting with the book, Diorue Hodges, 16, said she has been able to translate those skills to other classes, as well as better articulate her thoughts on racial matters.

I now know how to engage in those conversations without just shouting or getting angry really fast, Hodges says. I can have that discourse with my peers and educators now.

The Pilot Program

In its pilot year, Black is Lit consists of 22 students attending Aspire Alexander Twilight Academy in Sacramento and Aspire Langston Hughes Academy in Stockton. In the fall, the program will be available at all of Aspires 6-12 schools.

The program will focus on one book each year, and this years pick, This Is My America, which focuses on mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex. Each book chosen will have a social justice lens and cover a topic that adversely impacts the Black community.

Hodges said shes gained a lot of insight, especially on the physical reactions to racism and discrimination. As someone who hasnt experienced overt face-to-face racism, Hodges says she couldnt understand why her mom, a dark-skinned woman, sometimes gets panicky or breaks down after racist interactions.

In Black is Lit, we discussed that everyone has different reactions and approaches to racism, Hodges says. It did allow me to be more empathetic toward my mom and her feelings. And I was able to help her validate her feelings.

I Can Be Comfortable With Being a Nerdy Black Kid

All three students who spoke with Word In Black said that wanting to be part of an academics-based Black student group was their motivation to join Black is Lit.

This was one of the first clubs that I felt connected to or that I could relate to, Hodges says. She was skeptical to join because of the time commitment and having to be vulnerable with her peers. We created an open and welcoming space. Other than [the Black Student Union], there wasnt really many options for a safe space as a Black student that can just be myself unapologetically.

William Ellington, 14, has always been a good reader, but he wanted a space where he could be comfortable with being a nerdy Black kid. Once the program is over, hell carry on the concept of literacy being liberation.

I hope to maybe inspire other Black kids who feel like they might not be as smart or they might not be as able to articulate as other people when theyre just as able to, if not more than every other kid, Ellington says. And I really hope that this program helps inspire other kids to realize that.

Though she just graduated, Nieja Harris isnt leaving Black is Lit. While working toward her criminal justice major in college, Harris will intern with the literacy program because she isnt ready to leave. Other than BSU, this gave her a space where her voice is heard.

This is important to me because even though I know that Im a senior and I graduated from high school, I wanted to do something more outside of school, and I want to do more advocacy for us as Black people, she says.

Black is Lit Nationwide

Overall, Herndon wants her students to embrace the spirit that literacy is liberation and reconnect to how the Black community embraced education as empowerment. She also wants to reframe their learning experience.

I want them to feel like theyre agents of change in their community and that theyre equipped to go out and be leaders, Herndon says. My number one goal is to experience a learning environment that is culturally responsive, and understanding what it feels like when your identity is at the center and is uplifted and validated in your learning space.

Going forward, Herndon wants to scale the program to the state level and then take it national.

Most importantly, Hodges says, the key is having an open space.

We didnt feel like our voices were being silenced. Hodges says. We were able to just express ourselves, and thats not something that a lot of students get on campus.

This article originally appeared at Word in Black and is published in partnership with the Solutions Journalism Exchange.
When longtime democratic strategist James Carville told people he was off to Indiana to speak to Democrats there, he kept hearing, wow, thats a demoralized bunch.

Not so, Carville said to the crowd at the Indiana Democratic Partys Hoosier Hospitality Dinner, attending as the keynote speaker and spending the next 20 minutes Friday night boosting them, while also tearing down state Republicans and Washington Democrats for, respectively, failing to support Hoosiers and for struggling to meet the voters where they are.

Mike Schmuhl, chair of the Indiana Democratic Party, said that Carville was brought in because they wanted someone who was not a traditional politician and who was an attraction and different and well known.

Nicknamed the Ragin Cajun for his Louisiana roots  apparent by his fleur-de-lis tie he sported  Carville is best known for leading former President Bill Clintons successful 1992 presidential campaign.

More recently, he is recognized for critiquing the present day partys wokeness and his podcast Politics War Room with journalist Al Hunt, discussing the battle for the soul of the nation.

His speech echoed the purpose of his podcast.

Carville took a hit at the Republicans, saying they are to blame for one of the worst health care systems in the United States and young people that are graduating from universities who are then leaving the state.

He then slammed the Democrats in Washington who whine and complain and talk in code language.

Read more: Republicans and Democrats will nominate candidates at convention. Here's who is running.

Asked in an interview with IndyStar how Democrats can market themselves ahead of the midterms, Carville said that the Democrats have to make people feel like they have something to lose.

Democratic strategist James Carville gives a speech on Friday, June 17, 2022, during Big Dem Weekend at Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis.

We have got to be the party that talks about real people and real problems and even real solutions, he said, adding that Democrats have to highlight the terrific employment numbers and the child tax credit that significantly reduced child poverty.

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Carville brought this suggestion to his audience, reminding Indiana Democrats of what they are fighting for.

He touched on the likely reversal of Roe v. Wade and the recent House hearings on the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, joking that if former Vice President and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence came into the room, the crowd would offer him milk and cookies, not threaten to hang him.

While a Democrat has not held statewide office in Indiana since former Sen. Joe Donnelly was voted out in 2018, losing to Republican Mike Braun, Carville ended by noting the power that Hoosiers have to reclaim this territory and help solve Americas problems.

Dont wait for orders from the DNC (Democratic National Convention) or anybody else, Carville said. You understand what people want. They want leadership that is responsive to their lives and their hopes and their dreams. And if you want to do all of that, it is real simple. Elect more Democrats.

Contact IndyStar reporter Lizzie Kane at ekane@gannett.come. Follow her on Twitter: @lizzie_kane17.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: James Carville: Indiana Democrats are not a demoralized bunch
Mark Mazza joined a group of rioters in clashing with authorities inside a Lower West Terrace tunnel at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. US Department of Justice

An Indiana man this week pleaded guilty to assaulting officers during the Capitol attack.

Prosecutors say Mark Mazza used a stolen police baton to strike officers during the siege.

Mazza, who brought a revolver to the attack, was also charged with carrying a gun without a license.

An Indiana man who brought a loaded gun to the January 6, 2021 US Capitol riot  and then subsequently lost the revolver amid the chaos of the insurrection  pleaded guilty this week to carrying a weapon without a license and using a police baton to assault officers during the attack.

Mark Andrew Mazza, 57, originally faced 13 charges stemming from his role in the siege but on Friday agreed to plead guilty to two counts, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a pistol without a license.

Mazza faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on the assault charge, as well as up to five years in prison on the firearms charge, according to a press release from the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Both counts also carry possible financial penalties.

Prosecutors say Mazza drove from Indiana to Washington, DC, in a rental car to attend the "Stop the Steal" rally that preceded the insurrection. According to court documents, Mazza brought a Taurus revolver loaded with three shotgun shells and two hollow point bullets to the rally and then to the Capitol grounds as the siege unfolded.

At some point during the attack, Mazza lost possession of the gun, he acknowledged in plea papers. Upon returning to Indiana two days later, Mazza filed a false police report alleging the lost revolver had been stolen from his car at an Ohio casino. He later told investigators that he lied about the gun because he was afraid a member of "Antifa" might acquire the weapon and his name was "all over it," CNN reported.

Prosecutors said Mazza was part of a mob of rioters near the Lower West Terrace tunnel who clashed with at least 20 police officers during the attack. According to court documents, Mazza held open a set of doors at the tunnel entrance, allowing rioters to physically assault officers with batons, sticks, and stolen riot shields.

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At one point, Mazza took a baton from an officer's hand and used it to strike other officers in the tunnel, hitting one on the arm, according to prosecutors. After hitting the officer, court records say Mazza yelled, "This is our fucking house! We own this house!"

Mazza took the stolen baton with him after leaving the scene and, upon returning to Indiana, used a hand-held rotary tool to remove the weapon's serial number markings, according to prosecutors. He was arrested in November 2021.

Mazza is set to be sentenced in September. An attorney for Mazza did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

At least 865 people have been arrested for taking part in the insurrection and more than 300 rioters have pleaded guilty.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A San Luis Obispo Superior Court judge ruled to reinstate parole for Royce Casey, one of three people involved in the 1995 murder of a teenage Central Coast girl.

The decision comes almost a year after Gov. Gavin Newsom denied Caseys previously granted parole, stating in his ruling that Casey still needed to deepen his insight as to why he committed his crime before he could safely be released.

In July 1995, 15-year-old freshman Elyse Pahler was lured to a Nipomo eucalyptus grove and murdered by three of her classmates.

17-year-old Jacob Delashmutt, 15-year-old Joe Fiorella and 17-year-old Casey stabbed Pahler to death in a satanic ritual aimed to enhance the three killers death metal playing, court documents said.

The crime was one of the most brutal and horrific murders in the history of San Luis Obispo County according to court documents.

Casey confessed to the murder eight months later and led law enforcement authorities to the location of Pahlers remains. In 1997, the court sentenced Casey to an indefinite term of 25 years to life in prison after Casey pled no-contest to first degree murder of Pahler.

Arroyo Grande teenager Elyse Pahler was killed by three boys in a gruesome Satanic ritual in 1995.

In March 2021, Casey, now 43, was granted parole by two California parole board commissioners who determined he no longer posed an unreasonable risk of danger to the community.

They cited Caseys 20-year record of model behavior, his participation in prison self-help programs and his level of insight into why he committed the crime, court documents said.

However, in July of that same year, Newsom reversed Caseys parole decision after conducting an independent review. The governor said he found Mr. Caseys discussion of the causative factors for his involvement in the crime are concerningly lacking, according to court documents.

In response, Caseys attorney, Charles Carbone, filed a petition of false imprisonment in San Luis Obispo Superior Court in September, arguing that there was no evidence in his record to support the governors decision to reverse the parole decision.

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Superior Court Judge Craig Van Rooyen reviewed the record and ruled in Caseys favor, finding no link between the evidence on record and the governors conclusion. On June 6, Van Rooyen reinstated Caseys parole.

In his ruling, Van Rooyen said Casey has shown deep remorse and has discussed in depth why he killed Elyse Pahler. He has not minimized his actions or his state of mind.

According to court documents, Casey has long-term goals of working as a drug and alcohol counselor in the Los Angeles are once released and has prepared a detailed parole plan which includes support letters from re-entry programs, potential employers and community members.

Pahlers father, David Pahler, attended Caseys parole hearing remotely in March and said he personally had no concerns of Royce harming or being a harm to people, court documents stated.

David Pahler said that although some of Pahlers siblings were uncomfortable with the thought of Casey returning to the local community, they trusted the Board commissioners to make a fair decision.
sakhorn/Shutterstock.com

June 19 marks Juneteenth, a celebration of the de facto end of slavery in the United States.

For hundreds of thousands of African-Americans stuck in pretrial detention  accused but not convicted of a crime, and unable to leave because of bail  that promise remains unfulfilled. And coming immediately after Fathers Day, its also a reminder of the loss associated with the forced separation of families.

On a very personal level, I know how this separation feels. Every Fathers Day since 2011, Ive been reminded of the unexpected death of my dad at the age of 48. But also on a professional level, as a criminologist who has been researching mass incarceration for the past decade, I understand the disproportionate impact its had on African-Americans, destabilizing black families in the process.

Blacks behind bars

Juneteenth is a celebration of African-Americans triumph over slavery and access to freedom in the U.S., which occurred in Galveston, Texas, in June of 1865, over two and a half years after President Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation.

While Juneteenth is a momentous day in U.S. history, it is important to appreciate that the civil rights and liberties promised to African-Americans have yet to be fully realized. As legal scholar Michelle Alexander forcefully explains, this is a consequence of Jim Crow laws and the proliferation of incarceration that began in the 1970s, including the increase of people placed in pretrial detention and other criminal justice policies.

There are 2.3 million people currently incarcerated in American prisons and jails  including those not convicted of any crime. Black people comprise 40 percent of them, even though they represent just 13 percent of the U.S. population.

Not yet guilty but not free

More troubling is the number of incarcerated individuals currently held in jail for crimes of which they have not yet been convicted.

The Prison Policy Initiative, a nonpartisan think tank that focuses on mass incarceration, has reported that over a half million citizens are languishing in pretrial detention. And like most criminal justice outcomes, the burden of this disproportionately falls on minorities, especially black men and women.

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In local jails alone, over 300,000 people are awaiting trial for property, drug or public order crimes. And again, these disproportionately black defendants are confined and separated from their families, friends and jobs simply because they lack the means to post cash bail  the only reason they cant get out.

Toll on families

It should be no surprise, then, that 1 in 9 black children now has a parent behind bars, compared with the national rate of 1 in 28.

And many of these children are at an increased likelihood of experiencing physical and mental health issues, academic struggles and a range of other behavioral problems. Children of incarcerated mothers are also at heightened odds of ending up in foster care and being exposed to other traumas.

Being the partner of an incarcerated individual is another often stressful experience that also falls disproportionately on black citizens, particularly women.

Some good news

The good news is that such injustices are receiving growing attention nationwide.

Just City, a nonprofit organization working to reduce the harms of the criminal justice system, has campaigned to raise funds and promote awareness of its Memphis Community Bail Fund project for Fathers Day  in part because nearly half a million of the black men behind bars are dads.

The aim of the project is to provide both financial and legal support for defendants lacking resources to independently secure their pretrial release, with the goal of the campaign being the release of jailed fathers so that they could be with their kids for the holiday.

Bail funds similar to Just Citys have proliferated throughout the U.S.

On one hand, the multiplication of these organizations is encouraging and reason for optimism. On the other, their growth is another reminder that many of the freedoms celebrated on Juneteenth remain unrealized.

A long road continues

In cities like Detroit, where 1 in 7 adult males is under some form of correctional control in some communities, it is a monumental task to make sense of the short- and long-term impacts of incarceration for black families.

Children suffer. Parents struggle. Relationships deteriorate. And as a result, so too do so many African-American communities. Lost wages matter to families, but they also matter to communities. The lower tax base that results makes it more difficult for struggling public institutions, like schools, to progress. And with such a large share of individuals removed from some communities due to incarceration, and branded as felons upon their release, these communities lose potential voters and the political capital they carry. They are too often disenfranchised and stripped of their full power and potential.

Juneteenth celebrates the freedom of black Americans and the long, hard road they were forced to traverse to gain that freedom. But as criminologists like me have maintained time and again, the U.S. criminal justice system remains biased, albeit implicitly, against them.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

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Matthew Larson 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.
Detectives with the Fort Worth gang unit are investigating a Friday evening shooting that sent one juvenile to the hospital in stable condition, according to police.

Officers arrived in the 2100 block of Oak Hill Road around 6 p.m. Friday after receiving calls about a shooting and found the victim with a gunshot wound to the leg, according to police. They believe he was shot in the 2200 block of East Loop 820.

Police said the victim was not cooperative with officers but was in good condition when he was taken to an area hospital for treatment. No suspects have been arrested.
ROMAN PETRENKO  SATURDAY, 18 JUNE 2022, 10:58

Oleksii Danilov, the Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, reminded Ukrainians that the lend-lease is not working yet, it may start in July-September.

Source: Danilov in an interview with Liga.net

Quote from Danilov: "The lend-lease has not started yet. But the adoption of the law on the lease is a very positive decision for us. And the lend-lease will be, the question is - when.

It could be July-August, maybe September. There are many factors. We should understand that the world is not so big. Everyone knows who has what in the country. The availability of weapons, equipment for its manufacture, ammunition. Today it turned out that there have been almost no Soviet-style 122- and 152-calibre ammunition left. "

Details: Danilov also emphasised that Ukrainian society is not aware of all the countries who help with weapons, as many of them ask not to reveal the military weapons they hand over [to Ukraine].

The Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council promised to "thank everyone after the victory."

Background: On 9 May, President Biden signed a law on lend-lease for Ukraine, opening the way for the rapid supply of any type of weapon to Ukraine.
Louis Walsh attends the first day of auditions for the X Factor, 2017. (Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

Louis Walsh says he told Colin Farrell he was 'wasting his time' with acting after a Boyzone audition.

The former X Factor judge and music manager says he and the award-winning actor  who plays the Penguin in this year's The Batman  still laugh about the time he had to let him down after an audition for the boyband.

He told Kate Thornton on White Wine Question Time he hated calling people to let them down after an audition, in response to a question about the most difficult calls he had ever had to make or receive.

Remembering Farrell's audition for Boyzone, who Walsh formed through open auditions in 1993, he said: "Colin said to me: 'Oh, man, it's fine, I'm going to be an actor.'

"I said: 'Acting Colin? You're wasting your time, it's too hard.' And we still laugh about that today. Colin is a brilliant guy.

WATCH: Louis Walsh on Colin Farrell's audition for Boyzone

"He's everything I like about Ireland. He's funny, he's brilliant, he's good at his job. But he doesn't take it serious."

Boyzone went on to have six UK number ones, and Farrell has gone on to star in films such as In Bruges, Phonebooth and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Colin Farrell arrives for The Batman world premiere, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images)

Walsh remembered him at the audition, saying: "He had a bandana, he had a whole look going on, all the girls liked him.

"And he sang a song for me, but he wasn't great, he was okay. But I went with Ronan [Keating] and Stephen [Gately] in the end."

Listen to the full episode to hear what Louis misses about the 90s music scene, about why he thinks girls in bands 'don't like each other' and why talent shows now are 'boring'

He said it was still a job he hated doing, because he knew that people were waiting for the call and he knew what it meant to them.

"I hate doing that," he said. "I had to do that recently with somebody and I didn't sleep the night before. Honestly, it got to me."

The pair also remembered hearing the news about Stephen Gately's death in 2009 of an undiagnosed heart condition.

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Boyzone: Keith Duffy, Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, circa 1996. (Tim Roney/Getty Images)

Thornton said his death, at the age of 33, 'knocked the stuffing out of all of you' and that she remembered Walsh being 'hugely and quite rightly affected'.

Walsh replied: "He was such a good kid, he really was. I know everybody says that about people when they die.

"But Stephen was so different and so nice. And you know what he was Kate? He was grateful. He was incredibly grateful that he got a chance in life. And he was nice to everybody.

Boyzone member Ronan Keating (L) and Louis Walsh pose backstage, 2008. (Getty Images)

"He should still be around, I'd still be working with him. He was absolutely great. I loved him."

Saying his death 'shouldn't have happened' Walsh said he would also remember getting the news on a Saturday night but still going in to film the next episode of X Factor after hearing the news.

"I was in shock. I didn't realise what had happened."

WATCH: Louis Walsh on X Factor fun, 90s pop music and working with Simon Cowell
Matteo Berrettini beat Botic Van De Zandschulp (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Matteo Berrettini moved one step closer to defending his Queens Club crown and received a marriage proposal into the bargain following a straight-sets win over Botic Van De Zandschulp.

Big-serving Berrettini rolled over the world number 29 from Holland 6-4 6-3 in 90 minutes to reach the final of the cinch Championships.

The Italian was then propositioned by an admirer in the stands and said, smiling: Let me think about it.

Berrettini, runner-up at Wimbledon last year, beat Andy Murray to claim a third grass-court title in Stuttgart last week.

BACK-TO-BACK FINALS FOR @MattBerrettini



He takes out Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-3 to advance in London.@QueensTennis | #cinchChampionships pic.twitter.com/vGU5T8sUS8  ATP Tour (@atptour) June 18, 2022

He has won his last eight matches on grass and has now become only the fourth man to reach four consecutive finals on the surface, along with Murray, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

I didnt know that, he said. It feels nice. Obviously I cant compare myself to those three players, they made history in our sport but Im trying to learn from them and hopefully one day Im going to beat them.

On this form Berrettini will be a major threat at SW19 once again.

The 26-year-old from Rome dropped his serve for only the fourth time this week as Van De Zandschulp hauled back an early break to trail 4-5.

But the underdog, who at one point voiced his frustration at the noise coming from the chattering classes in front of the clubhouse, was undone by a pair of Berrettini volleys as the second seed wrapped up the first set.

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Botic Van De Zandschulp cut a frustrated figure (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Van De Zandschulps mood did not improve as a rain delay arrived midway through the second set with him facing a break point, the 26-year-old Dutchman arguing in vain that the game should not have started as it was already raining.

Almost inevitably upon the resumption he lost the point, sending a forehand long and shrugging in exasperation as the match slipped away.

Berrettini added: It feels unbelievable, Im really happy, today was a really tough match.

It was windy again today but I think I played my best match of the week and Im really looking forward to the final.

I guess this is the UK. Yesterday felt like Italy, today is more London weather. But we have to adjust to everything. I was ready when I had to be ready.
Looking to draw back visitors after the pandemic sent Chicagos tourism industry plummeting, the citys official tourism arm is rolling out a new marketing campaign. (Choose Chicago / HANDOUT)

Looking to draw back visitors after the pandemic sent Chicagos tourism industry plummeting, the citys official tourism arm is rolling out a new marketing campaign.

Later this month, the When You Go You Know campaign will hit social media and advertising displays across the region and country. Its intended not only to draw visitors to the city, but to encourage them to make more than a day trip out of their visit, driving hotel stays, said Lynn Osmond, president and CEO of Choose Chicago.

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In one example of the type of advertising the campaign will include, block letters on an animated billboard spell out the question, Is it really just a 20-minute water taxi ride to China? The next frame includes an image of Chicagos Chinatown behind the word Chicago and the campaign catchphrase: When you go you know.

The marketing campaign comes as Chicago officials touted a significant rise in tourism in 2021 compared with 2020, though the hospitality and tourism industries have yet to return to their pre-pandemic levels.

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In 2021, about 30.7 million people visited Chicago. That was nearly double the number that visited during the first year of the pandemic, but was just half of the 61.5 million visitors who came to the city in 2019, according to numbers provided by Choose Chicago. International visitors to Chicago are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024.

Hotel occupancy for the year was also up from 2020, but remained well below 2019 levels. Tourism-related employment, which includes jobs like hotel and airline workers, was at 60% of pre-pandemic levels, according to Choose Chicago.

Hotel tax revenue more than doubled from 2020, according to Choose Chicago. The agency could not immediately provide 2019 figures.

The momentum going into 2022 is amazing, Osmond said.

The new marketing campaign comes as Chicago looks to rebuild its image as a tourist and business destination, and to overcome concerns about crime, whether perceived or real. It is intended to highlight more than just things visitors can do in the city, Osmond said.

Through the campaign, we are illustrating the emotional and transformative impact our city can have on visitors, she said in a statement. We also want people to experience Chicago as it should be experienced and the campaign helps change peoples perspectives of what they may think Chicago has to offer.

Osmond cited research that she said showed travelers want unique, authentic and personally enriching experiences. Rather than simply getting out of town, many tourists want to learn about a place and themselves during a trip, she said.

The campaign covers a range of topics, and shines a spotlight on city neighborhoods, she said.

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When You Go You Know follows a guerrilla marketing campaign launched in January, Chicago Not In Chicago. Created pro bono by Chicago ad agency Energy BBDO, it touts a long list of homegrown innovations like the cellphone and the skyscraper for which little credit is given to the city of origin.

sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com
ROMAN PETRENKO - SATURDAY, 18 JUNE 2022, 16:00

The Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, believes that after the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, by August "there will be no one to talk to."

Source: Medvedev on Telegram

Quote from Medvedev: "The chief negotiator for Ukraine considers it possible to resume talks with Russia at the end of August.

It is possible that this will be the case. The question is whether there will be anything to talk about and anyone to talk with."

Background: The head of the Ukrainian delegation or negotiations with Russia regarding the war, Davyd Arakhamiia, said that Ukraine could resume talks with the occupiers from a strengthened position in late August after a series of counterattacks.
Data centers, which drive the apps, websites and services that billions of people use every day, can be hazardous places for the workers that build and maintain them. Workers sometimes have to service a data center's electrical equipment while it's being energized. And they can become exposed to chemicals like chlorine, which is used as a sterilizing agent for the water circulated through liquid cooling systems for computers and servers. In June 2015, five people had to be taken to a hospital after a chlorine gas leak at an Apple data center in Maiden, North Carolina.

Data centers are safer than they used to be. But in search of forward-looking solutions, some tech giants say that they're exploring how AI can be applied to prevent safety issues. For example, Microsoft is developing an AI system that analyzes data from a range of sources and generates alerts for data center construction and operations teams to "prevent or mitigate the impact of safety incidents." A complementary but related system, also under development, attempts to detect and predict impacts to data center construction schedules.

"These initiatives are both in early testing phases and are expected to begin expanding into our production environments later this year," a Microsoft spokesperson told TechCrunch via email.

Meta also claims to be investigating ways AI can anticipate how its data centers will operate under "extreme environmental conditions" that might lead to unsafe work environments. The company says that it has been developing physical models to simulate extreme conditions and introducing this data to the AI models responsible for optimizing power consumption, cooling and airflow across its servers.

"We have significant operational data from our data centers, in some areas at high frequency with built-in sensors in servers, racks and in our data halls," a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch. "Each server and network device, taking on different workloads, will consume different amounts of power, generate different amounts of heat and make different amounts of airflow in the data centers. Our [infrastructure] team collects all the data from each server and then develops AI models which can allocate our servers and racks in the data centers and send workloads into these servers to optimize [for] performance and efficiency."

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Of course, companies have motivations aside from safety to ensure data centers remain in peak condition. Outages are expensive -- and are becoming more frequent. According to a 2020 survey by the IT Uptime Institute, an IT consulting firm, a third of data center owners and operators admitted to experiencing a major outage over the past 12 months. One in six claimed that their outage cost them more than $1 million -- up from one in ten in 2019.

Meta has more than 20 data centers in operation around the world, including new projects in Texas and Missouri estimated to cost $1.6 billion combined. Microsoft, meanwhile, manages more than 200 data centers, and says it's on pace to build between 50 to 100 new data centers each year for the foreseeable future.

AI also promises to find opportunities for energy -- and therefore cost -- savings in the data centers that normally fly under the radar, another appealing aspect for corporations. In 2018, Google claimed that AI systems developed by its DeepMind affiliate were able to deliver energy savings of 30% on average compared to its data centers' historical energy usage.

When reached for comment, DeepMind said that it had no updates to share beyond the initial announcement. IBM and Amazon didn't respond to inquiries. But both Meta and Microsoft say they're now using AI for similar energy-tuning purposes.

Microsoft launched AI "anomaly detection methods" in late 2021 to gauge and mitigate unusual power and water usage events within the data center, using telemetry data from electrical and mechanical devices. The company is also using AI-based approaches to identify and fix issues with power meters in the data center and to identify ideal spots to place servers in order to minimize wasted power, network and cooling capacity.

Meta, for its part, says that it has been leveraging reinforcement learning to reduce the amount of air it pumps into data centers for cooling purposes. (At a high level, reinforcement learning is a type of AI system that learns to solve a problem by trial and error.) Most of the company's data centers use outdoor air and evaporative cooling systems, making optimizing airflow a high priority.

The reduced environmental footprint is an added benefit of energy-regulating AI systems. Data centers consumed about 1% of the global electricity demand and contributed to 0.3% of all carbon dioxide emissions in 2020, according to a report from the Environmental Investigation Agency. And the typical data center uses 3 million to 5 million gallons of water per day, the same amount of water as a city of 30,000 to 50,000 people.

Microsoft has previously said that it plans to have all of its data centers running on 100% renewable energy by 2025. Meta claimed to have achieved the feat in 2020.
Residents across the central United States have barely had time to cool down after days of brutal heat smashed records across a wide swath of the country. Now, AccuWeather forecasters say Mother Nature is set to crank up the thermostat to dangerous levels once again.

A northward bulge in the jet stream will keep sizzling heat centered over much of the Plains and portions of the Mississippi River Valley to end the weekend. This setup is sometimes referred to as a heat dome.

On Sunday, much of the Dakotas and portions of Minnesota and Nebraska had temperatures soar into the upper 90s F and low 100s F. For the Dakotas and northern Minnesota, temperatures of this level are a staggering 15-25 degrees F above normal for the middle of June.

The mercury in Grand Forks, North Dakota, reached 100 degrees, breaking Sunday's high temperature record of 96 F set back in 1995. The city typically records a high temperature of 77 F in mid-June.

Forecasters say the dome of heat will shift eastward into the early week and bring a new push of uncomfortable air to millions of additional residents.

Uncomfortable heat will arrive by Monday for a large swath of the country. Areas from the Great Lakes, through the Mississippi River Valley and into the Plains and portions of the Southeast will start to swelter once again to start the week.

Temperatures in cities like Chicago and St. Louis will soar well above-normal levels on Monday. Many locations will top out at temperature levels 5-15 degrees above normal for the last full day of astronomical spring.

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Heat will build in both intensity and areal coverage by Tuesday, the day of the 2022 summer solsice. The summer solstice will begin on Tuesday at 5:13 a.m. EDT/4:13 a.m. CDT and marks the first official day of astronomical summer.

"Chicago will record high temperatures in the low to mid-90s F on Monday and may challenge triple digits on Tuesday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.

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By Tuesday, tens of millions of residents from the Plains, through the Midwest and into the Southeast will bake under intense and potentially dangerous heat.

"At first, while heat makes a return on Monday, humidity levels will stay in check," Pydynowski said. "However, conditions will become truly uncomfortable by Tuesday as humidity levels build."

With increased humidity levels and the most intense sunshine of the year courtesy of the summer solstice, AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures will soar several degrees above the actual air temperature on Tuesday.

In places like St. Louis, AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures could climb into the middle 100s during the peak of afternoon heating on Tuesday, Pydynowski noted.

"Residents who can will want to make plans to stay indoors in air conditioning whenever possible or drink plenty of water if they have to be out in the heat," Pydynowski cautioned.

Especially during the hottest part of the day, anyone who must be out and about is urged to monitor for signs of heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Temperatures inside parked cars and other vehicles will also rise to dangerous levels early this upcoming week amidst searing heat and intense sunshine. Travelers are urged to never leave children or pets inside unattended vehicles as temperatures can climb to deadly levels in mere minutes.

On average in the U.S., 38 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle, according to the National Safety Council.

While the heat early this week is set to be intense for many, forecasters say the duration of the worst heat will be much shorter when compared to the last hazardous stretch.

"Unlike the previous prolonged stretch of sizzling heat, the peak of the dangerous heat for this event will last for two days," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.

However, in these two days air conditioning equipment and temperature-control devices will get a real workout.

"Energy demands will be exceptionally high this upcoming week across portions of the Plains and Midwest, stressing area power grids and putting an additional pinch on residents' checkbooks," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.

By midweek, the core of the most potent heat will shift fully across the Southeastern states. Conditions will ease in intensity across much of the Midwest, but temperatures will still remain slightly above what is normal for early summer through at least the end of the week.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
In this aerial view, flooding is seen on June 14, 2022 in Livingston, Montana. The Yellowstone River hit has a historic high flow from rain and snow melt from the mountains in and around Yellowstone National Park. William Campbell/Getty Images

Yellowstone National Park faced historic flooding this week, which destroyed roads and bridges and forced evacuations.

Montana Gov. Gianforte's office confirmed to NBC he was in Italy while the natural disaster occurred.

Gianforte faced heavy criticism from constituents for not returning to Montana once the flooding started.

As Yellowstone National Park faced historic flooding this week which caused millions of dollars in damage and destroyed bridges and roadways, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte's office confirmed he was on vacation in Italy.

"The governor departed early Saturday morning to Italy with his wife for a long-planned personal, private trip," Gianforte's office said in a statement to NBC Montana. "When severe flooding struck, the governor delegated his authority to respond to the disaster to Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras with whom he worked closely over the last four days to take swift, decisive action."

The historic flooding, which caused an estimated $29 million in damages to the national park and surrounding areas, began June 13 and prompted the evacuation of more than 10,000 park visitors during one of its busiest tourism seasons of the year. No serious injuries or deaths have been reported.

Gianforte faced heavy criticism for his absence from constituents and political rivals, who started the social media tag #WhereIsGreg upon realizing the state's disaster declaration had been signed by the Lieutenant Governor. For several days, Gianforte's office did not state where the Governor was, citing unspecified "security concerns."

"In a moment of unprecedented disaster and economic uncertainty, Gianforte purposefully kept Montanans in the dark about where he was, and who was actually in charge," Sheila Hogan, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party, told the Los Angeles Times.

Though he had portrayed himself on Twitter as actively participating in the official response to the floods, the Republican Governor returned to Montana on Thursday night.

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"Grateful to be back in Montana, the governor looks forward to being on the ground in Gardiner this morning to survey damage and meet with residents and local officials about recovering and rebuilding," Gianforte's office said in a statement to NBC Montana.

The incident prompted comparisons to Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who recieved scrutiny for similarly vactioning during a 2021 weather disaster in his state. During a frigid winter storm that resulted in $80-130 billion in damages and nearly 250 deaths, Cruz spent time vacationing at a luxury hotel in Cancun.

Cruz called the trip a "mistake" after intense backlash, but later joked about the incident on Twitter. Unlike Cruz, Gianforte left for vacation before the flooding occurred.

Gianforte's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
When Ernest Willingham walked up Capitol Hill, he was shrouded in memories of bullets.

How could he not be, with a childhood spent cautiously inside, after family members  a father, a brother, a cousin  all shot. With the memory of Jahnae, his best friend killed by a gunman when she was 17.

Willingham, 19, shared those too-frequent tragedies from growing up in Chicago when he testified Wednesday at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun violence and children. He sought to walk senators through what it is like to make life decisions when the fear of gun violence or of getting shot weighs heavily on your mind.

For Willingham, the specter of gun violence feels like a relentless cycle.

Over and over and over. A night, a dream that we just cannot wake up from, he told the Tribune.

Gunfire affected his life even before he was born, when his father was shot in both knees. When he was a young child living in the Cabrini-Green homes, bullets struck his brother next: a gunshot to the groin when he was robbed, and then another to the leg at a party about a year later. Willinghams cousin was also shot at the same party.

I didnt spend a whole bunch of time outside or doing public things, he said.

His mother, Kimberly Willingham, recalled finding a bullet hole in her blinds and a bullet in the living room of their 10th-floor Cabrini-Green apartment. There were nights when she had her family sleep on the floor for fear of stray bullets. She taught the kids how to hold the wall, walking with their backs to a building to minimize the odds of getting shot when gunfire was rampant.

Willinghams grandmother took him to live with her in part to protect him from the violence. Willingham remembers her waking him up in the middle of the night at the sound of gunshots. The two would drive down their North Lawndale street to check on an uncle to make sure he was OK.

But Willingham didnt fully understand the pain wrought by gun violence until a stray bullet struck and killed his best friend, 17-year-old Jahnae Patterson, in August 2018.

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The two were close. At one time, she lived with his family for about a year. She could make anyone laugh, loved to dance and was quick to help friends with their hair, he said.

Kimberly Willingham recalled Jahnae getting back to her house after school before her own kids. She said she was helpful around the house and remembered that she helped take care of her after a car accident.

She used to sleep right beside my bed, Kimberly Willingham said. Sometimes shed make a pallet right next to me to make sure I was OK.

Jahnaes parents worried about the gun violence. They often chose to drive her the five blocks to school after two of her friends were shot and killed while walking there, her mother, Tanika Humphries-Patterson, said.

When she was killed, Jahnae had been at a party three blocks from Willinghams house for just a few minutes when two men, whom police have never identified, began firing into the crowd.,

Willingham sang Hold On by The Walls Group at her funeral.

We attended more funerals than weddings, Willingham told the Senate committee.

He tried some counseling sessions after Jahnaes death, but it wasnt effective, he said. The counselors didnt share much in common with him. He couldnt relate to them, he said.

Willingham fought gun violence by organizing meetings between feuding students to build peace and leading classmates to anti-violence marches.

Its been hard to fill the void she left, Willingham said.

Jahnaes death made Willingham more careful and eager to leave Chicago, his mother said. Willingham is a third-year student at Northeastern University in Boston. He plans to become a physician and study health policy. His mother, who once briefly moved her family to Mississippi to escape violence, said she initially didnt want him to move so far.

I purposely did not apply for any schools near my home because I was afraid of the gun violence, Willingham told the Senate committee.

He lost another friend, 18-year-old Tamyreon Jordan, in the weeks before he left for college in August 2020. The two had been close since kindergarten. Willingham had to miss Jordans funeral when he left. He said he doesnt talk about his death a lot.

Willinghams mother said she moved to Humboldt Park a year ago, in part to escape gun violence. She heard sirens after a shooting at the park last month. It scared her because her niece and granddaughter play there sometimes. She sees their childhood in such direct contrast to her own growing up in Cleveland, Mississippi, where she would search for four-leaf clovers and catch lightning bugs to put them on her ear.

They dont know about that, she said.

Kimberly Willingham cried when she watched her son testify at the Senate hearing on her phone. It was like he was born to do that, she said.

Willingham said he was thrilled, but ready when U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin invited him to speak to the Judiciary Committee.

This is not something that I woke up and read a book on. This is something that Ive personally dealt with, he said

Durbin, the committees chair began the meeting by highlighting a bill he is sponsoring. Called the RISE from Trauma Act, the bill would give schools and communities more resources to address trauma, he said.

The harms of gun violence go beyond bullet wounds, Durbin said. Helping children cope with traumatic experiences is vital to breaking the cycle of violence.

Willingham and his mother want to see legislation further restricting access to guns and more funding for projects like the Chicago Youth Programs, which Willingham participated in. The program provides at-risk children everything from vaccinations to coats and field trips. The two credit the program with inspiring and empowering Willinghams passion for health care and keeping him safe.

Without resources pouring into our community, tighter gun control and better outreach to affected kids, the situation wont get better, Willingham said.

Its not an overnight issue. People who dont know, who have never experienced it, thats what they think, he said. Violence in Chicagos West Side and the perspective of the young Chicagoans who face gun violence go unconsidered, he said.

On Wednesday, Willingham was the first witness to arrive for the hearing. Durbin and other Judiciary Committee members referred back to his five-minute testimony as the hearing progressed. Toward the end of the hearing, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., asked Willingham what message he wanted to leave.

The mental health professionals that are present in communities that are suffering from gun violence all look like you, Willingham said, pointing toward the predominantly white committee members. They dont look like me. They dont look like other people of color that have been through mental health trauma.

Driving back from OHare after returning to Chicago, he said he was proud that he got to share what he has had to learn and to show the resilience of his family and his West Side.

This will not be our story forever, he said.

jsheridan@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jakesheridan_
The mother of a slain Los Angeles police officer is placing blame for her sons death at the feet of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon and his policies that she says allowed her sons killer to be out on the streets rather than in jail.

"Gascon is just letting all these criminals out and they just keep doing one crime after the other," Olga Garcia, the mother of slain El Monte Police Officer Joseph Anthony Santana, said. "That guy should have been in jail. If he wouldnt have been out my son and the other officer would still be here."

"Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon gives criminals more rights than police officers,'' Garcia added. "He has insane ideas about giving criminals a slap (on) the hand. We need death row and three-strikes law to come back. We need to enforce our laws so more police officers don't die.''

Justin William Flores allegedly killed Santana and his partner, Cpl. Michael Domingo Paredes after they responded to a call of a stabbing in El Monte, California on Tuesday afternoon.

EMBATTLED LOS ANGELES DA GEORGE GASCON LOSES TOP AIDE AS RECALL EFFORT GAINS STEAM

Flores, a gang member, was on probation for a weapons charge after he received a lenient sentence through a plea deal. A Gascon policy allowed Flores to plead no contest to being a felon in possession of a firearm and receive a light sentence despite having a strike on his criminal record already.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon is facing a recall attempt and criticism from various sides over his criminal justice reforms Robyn Beck / AFP

Sources within the district attorney's office told Fox News that Flores would have likely been handed a sentence of up to three years in prison if he was prosecuted in February 2021.

Gascon's office told Fox News that Flores didn't have a "documented history of violence" when he was sentenced.

LOS ANGELES DA GASCON BLAMES INCREASING CRIME ON 'BAD POLICIES' THAT 'OVER-CRIMINALIZE COMMUNITIES'

"The sentence he received in the firearm case was consistent with case resolutions for this type of offense given his criminal history and the nature of the offense," the statement says. "At the time the court sentenced him, Mr. Flores did not have a documented history of violence."

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Eric Siddall, Vice President of the Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys, told Fox News on Friday that Gascons response is "utter nonsense."

LOS ANGELES DA GEORGE GASCON WALKS BACK CLAIM ABOUT SHERIFF'S INVOLVEMENT IN HIT-AND-RUN PROSECUTION

"Maybe it's consistent under his system of justice, but in every other normal prosecutorial agency, that's not what happens," Siddall said. "A felon with a firearm. A gang member with a firearm. A guy caught with dope and ammunition. That guy gets state prison. He doesn't get probation in any real criminal justice system."

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon speaks at a press conference Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Organizers of a campaign to recall Gascon in response to his policies that many believe have led to a surge in crime in Los Angeles say that they have gathered the necessary number of signatures to appear on the ballot in November.

Gason's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Fox News Adam Sabes contributed to this report
By Josh Smith

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has dispatched medical crews and epidemiological investigators to a province battling the outbreak of an intestinal disease, state media reported on Sunday.

At least 800 families suffering from what North Korea has only called an "acute enteric epidemic" have received aid in South Hwanghae Province so far.

Enteric refers to the gastrointestinal tract and South Korean officials say it may be cholera or typhoid.

The new outbreak, first reported on Thursday, puts further strain on the isolated country as it battles chronic food shortages and a wave of COVID-19 infections.

On Sunday state news agency KCNA detailed prevention efforts, including quarantines, "intensive screening for all residents," and special treatment and monitoring of vulnerable people such as children and the elderly.

A national "Rapid Diagnosis and Treatment Team" is working with local health officials, and measures are being taken to ensure that farming is not disrupted in the key agricultural area, KCNA said.

Disinfection work is being carried out, including of sewage and other waste, to ensure the safety of drinking and household water, the report said.

(Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
ROMAN PETRENKO  SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2022, 12:41

Aerial reconnaissance by the National Guard of Ukraine detected Russian military equipment and gave the coordinates to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who then hit three multi-purpose light-armoured towing vehicles, disabling one of them.

Source: the National Guard of Ukraine

Quote: "Weve established good cooperation with the artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It allows us to achieve the highest level of effectiveness in the area of our responsibility. Not only do we detect priority targets but we also adjust the fire and record the results".

Details: The exact time of the hit is not yet known.

The National Guard of Ukraine explained theyre not sharing the results of their cooperation with the Armed Forces for security reasons.
The Netflix logo (AP)

Two actors on the Netflix series The Chosen One were killed and six other cast or crew members were injured after the van they were riding in crashed in Mexico.

The Baja California Department of Culture said Friday that Raymundo Garduno Cruz and Juan Francisco Gonzalez Aguilar died in the crash on Thursday near the city of Mulege.

Local media reported that the crash occurred on Thursday, and said the van flipped after running off the road in a desert area.

Six other members of the cast and crew were injured but remain stable, Netflix said.

The crew had apparently been working in the nearby Santa Rosalia area at the time.

The Netflix series is described by the streaming platform as: A 12-year-old boy learns hes the returned Jesus Christ, destined to save humankind. Based on the comic book series by Mark Millar and Peter Gross.

Production for the upcoming series had begun in April, according to Comicbook.

No release date had been made public for the series.

The series is not to be confused with Netflixs other series named The Chosen One, which originally aired in 2019 and has run for two seasons.

A Netflix spokesperson said: Were sad to confirm that two cast members have passed away after a tragic accident in transit from Santa Rosalia to the local airport.

Two other cast members and four crew members were injured but remain stable. Investigations are ongoing on the reasons for the accident, and production was paused for a few days out of respect for the victims. Our thoughts are with them and their family at this time.
Fire Island is a place where rich, white, jacked gay men travel to for vacation, but the cast of the new Hulu film of the same name say there is more to it than that.

Fire Island is a romantic comedy that follows a group of gay men who spend a week-long trip at the queer hotspot off the coast of Long Island, New York. Director Andrew Ahn says he was grateful to have a majority-Asian American cast in Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Margaret Cho and Conrad Ricamora, who all sat down with NextShark for an interview.

The movie was inspired by Boosters experience going to the island for the first time in 2016. Booster, who also wrote the screenplay, was reading Pride and Prejudice at the time and found Jane Austens insight relevant to what he was experiencing.

Ahn and Ricamora had never been to Fire Island before the production of the film. The latter had his own prejudice towards the island, which is reflected in his character Will, the so-called Asian American Mr. Darcy and the love interest of Noah (played by Booster).

More from NextShark: 'Kings of K-pop' Big Bang drop teaser and announce their comeback date

I thought that it was just a place for rich, white, jacked gay men to go, Ricamora says. Then when we shot there, it completely changed my perception. Yes, there is that, but there's also space for people of color, all body types.

Directing Fire Island with an outsiders perspective helped Ahn recognize that the characters dont feel like they belong in every space. But Boosters ultimate message that we belong where we want to and with each other really resonated with the director.

More from NextShark: TV Personality in Korea Sparks Debate Over Using Blackface, Doing 'Slant-eye'

To see two characters, Noah and Howie, who have different relationships to their own bodies, is exciting to see because the film shows that the queer Asian American experience isnt a monolith, says Ahn, who has previously directed Spa Night (2016) and Driveways (2019). We can still find community, create close relationships, which to me is really groundbreaking.

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In Fire Island, the character Keegan (played by Tomas Matos) mentions the no fats, no femmes, no Asians slogan thats often used by users on gay social apps.

More from NextShark: Dante Basco, Zach Tyler Eisen surprise 'Last Airbender' fans with Prince Zuko, Aang reunion on TikTok

Yang, who plays Noahs best friend Howie, explains how that type of oppressive language is hurled around in the gay community. But there are people within the Asian queer community who completely reject that notion, which is reflected in the films two male leads.

You have these characters who do consider themselves with some self-worth, even though their culture has told them theres generally no place for them, Yang says.

More from NextShark: BTS Jungkook, 3 K-Pop Idols Criticized After Visiting Seoul Bar During Second Wave of Outbreak

Meanwhile, Ricamora emphasizes that Fire Island didnt intend to create a public service announcement.

The film doesnt fight it, it just allows all of us, every single character, to exist in a three-dimensional way and not caricatures of a human being, the actor says, calling attention to a few organizations that are at the forefront of making change for queer people of color  including the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA), Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Equality California.

Booster, who has been doing standup comedy for 11 years, started seeing that slogan when he downloaded Grindr for the first time in 2011. He points out that its less socially acceptable to be as boldly racist today, but it took a long time for him to really separate himself from that kind of messaging.

Noah's journey in the film is someone who has already gotten beyond that and has left it behind, and Howie is still very much in the muck of that mindset and being affected by that, Booster says. It's great to see these two people at these two separate points in this journey that a lot of us take in getting self-acceptance and self-love.

The actor recalls how self-acceptance was not easy for him, and he had to work very hard to start feeling good about himself. For years, Booster wanted to look like how he looks now  ripped and muscular with washboard abs  but it felt unattainable. He woke up unhappy everyday.

It was a long process of me being happy with who I was and how I looked and accepting that, Booster says with confidence. When I started going to the gym, not for someone elses desire, and just for myself, thats when things really changed for me.

Cho, who has been vocal for years about body positivity and loving and having control of your own body, says this is an area where the Asian American and queer communities struggle.

It's a really difficult thing because this is where our homophobia becomes internalized, our racism becomes internalized, our sexism becomes internalized, the comedian continues. It's messages and things from our families to our history that just get repeated. It's something that we really have to free ourselves from because it's a real burden that we don't need to bear. It takes away from our ability to fight what's really wrong in society.

When you're fighting with yourself about your own body image and how we appear, then we're not looking to fight the anti-Asian hate crimes, we're not looking to fight the rampant homophobia that exists out there in these anti-trans laws, anti-gay laws and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Watch NextSharks full interviews with the cast below.

Fire Island is available to stream now on Hulu.

Images via Searchlight Pictures
There will be some very confused moths this summer in some parts of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall and other Illinois counties. And thats good news for trees.

The insects are spongy moths (Lymantria dispar dispar, formerly known as gypsy moths), whose caterpillars are a serious threat to oaks and other trees because they are feeding machines, according to Stephanie Adams, a plant pathologist in plant health care at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. To combat their spread, the Illinois Department of Agriculture is using small planes to apply a treatment called SPLAT that keeps the adult moths from reproducing by disrupting their mating.

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The treatment uses sex pheromones to lure male moths away from the females. It is specifically targeted to spongy moths, so it doesnt affect other species, and it is biodegradable and nontoxic to humans and other animals. The Arboretum is one of the sites where SPLAT will be applied.

Spongy moth caterpillars kill trees by removing too many of the leaves the trees need to live. The caterpillars eat at just an incredible rate, Adams said. A large caterpillar can eat a square foot of foliage a day. Some 300 species of trees are on the menu, including oak, maple, apple, crabapple, hickory, birch, pine, spruce and willow. The moths populations tend to rise and fall in cycles, but when populations surge in an area, they can do widespread damage.

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A tree may not die right away, according to Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist in the Arboretums Plant Clinic. But if a tree loses most of its leaves two or three times, its not going to be able to recover, she said. And if an evergreen tree loses more than 50 percent of its needles, it cant come back.

The moths have been spreading steadily through North America since the 1860s, when they were imported as part of a failed effort to begin a silkworm industry. Their voracious caterpillars have caused widespread damage to forests, parks and trees in streets and yards.

The caterpillars of spongy moths are voracious feeders and can kill trees by repeatedly eating most of their leaves. (Karla Salp/Washington State Department of Agriculture)

The caterpillars, the larval stage of the moths life cycle, start eating at the top of a trees leafy canopy when they are small. We may not even know theyre there, Yiesla said. If you notice that your tree is getting thin on top, use binoculars to look for the caterpillars. They are dark colored and covered with spiky hairs, with five pairs of blue bumps and six pairs of red bumps along their bodies and are about 2 inches long at their largest stage.

If you think you have spongy moth caterpillars in a tree, Adams suggested tying a strip of fabric around the trunk as a trap. The caterpillars come down out of the canopy at night, she said. And they will go underneath the fabric band. In the morning, you can squish them.

Over the winter and into early spring, you may be able to see egg masses closer to the ground. They are tan or light brown and 1 to 2 inches across, with a spongy, fuzzy texture. The egg masses may be on tree bark or any flat surface, such as lawn furniture, sheds or sculptures. You can remove them and drop them into a bucket of soapy water to kill the eggs, Yiesla said.

Spongy moths are spread geographically when they lay eggs on movable surfaces such as vehicles, firewood or camping equipment that people carry to new sites. Vacationers can help slow the spread by examining their cargo carefully for the tawny-colored egg masses before leaving home, and by buying and burning firewood near the campsite. Bringing wood from home can spread eggs of spongy moths or other pests.

Consult with an arborist about a heavy infestation of spongy moth caterpillars. There are insecticides that may help if the right chemical is used, if it is applied by a professional at the right time in the insects life cycle and if the tree is not already too badly stressed or damaged. Spraying a large, mature tree is difficult and likely to be expensive.

To address adult moths, which emerge in June and July, pheromone traps are available that lure in male moths. However, Adams pointed out that the traps may not reduce your trees infestation because they attract moths from far beyond your yard. You may end up with more moths, she said.

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For tree and plant advice, contact the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum (630-719-2424, mortonarb.org/plant-clinic, or plantclinic@mortonarb.org). Beth Botts is a staff writer at the Arboretum.
are ira assets protected from nursing homes

When entering a nursing home, the details regarding payment can be dense, leaving you worried and confused about your retirement accounts. Fortunately, your IRA is not automatically seized or applied to nursing home expenses. You may be eligible for Medicaid to help with nursing home costs. If you are not already taking required minimum distributions (RMDs), your IRA could be considered a non-exempt asset. You can learn more about how to protect your personal assets by speaking with a financial advisor.

What Happens to Your Assets When You Go Into a Nursing Home?

If you go into a nursing home, your care expenses could drain your assets. However, government assistance in the form of Medicaid may also help meet the costs. The state you live in will determine if you qualify for Medicaid by considering your assets (and not your spouses, if you are married). How your assets impact your Medicaid eligibility depends on the state where you reside.

Additionally, it may be problematic if you are applying for Medicaid and have given assets to your family members in the last five years. Medicaid could prolong your ineligibility according to the value of your gifts and your states average rate for nursing home care.

Are IRA Assets Protected From Nursing Homes?

The federal government does not regulate the protection of IRA assets from nursing homes and if you are not already taking required minimum distributions, your IRA could be considered a non-exempt asset. This means your assets could be drained but IRAs are not automatically seized for these expenses. Check with your state to see how its laws affect how your Medicaid eligibility, income level and asset type intersect.

Many states will recognize your IRA as an asset, which can impact your Medicaid eligibility. Depending on your state, whether you currently receive payments from your IRA might also matter. However, in most cases, you can keep at least a portion of your IRA for the benefit of a spouse or other beneficiary.

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How IRA and Pension Assets Impact Medicaid Eligibility

are ira assets protected from nursing homes

Some states exempt your IRA assets from Medicaid eligibility, but some of these states require the IRA to be in payout status. IRA-exempt states are currently:

California

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Kentucky

Mississippi

New York

North Dakota

Ohio

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Vermont

Your IRAs characteristics can influence Medicaid eligibility as well. The following four conditions will affect how your state calculates your Medicaid eligibility:

1. Payout Status

Your state might not include your IRA when determining your Medicaid eligibility if the account is in payout status. In 2019, the government passed the SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act, stipulating that individuals must receive required minimum distributions (RMD) from their IRAs at age 72.

The RMD is the lowest legal amount you may receive from your IRA (of course, you can receive more if you choose). The IRS calculates the RMD based on the estimated lifespan of retired individuals. Your state likely groups your RMD income with the rest of your monthly revenue.

2. Payout Amount

Your IRAs RMD will increase your monthly income level and possibly push you over the threshold of Medicaid eligibility. For most states, an individual cannot surpass $2,523 of monthly income and still qualify for Medicaid.

3. Roth IRA Specification

Roth IRAs are distinct in that they have no RMD. You are free to go throughout your retired life and never touch your Roth IRA funds if your other income is sufficient for your expenses. Since your Roth IRA might never distribute payments, your state will likely distinguish it as an asset.

4. Availability of Funds

Some retirement accounts allow the owner to pull the total amount value all at once. If you cash out your entire IRA balance, your state might classify your account as an asset.

Are Your Spouses IRA Assets Protected From Nursing Homes?

Many states classify married couples assets as owned by both spouses. When applying for Medicaid, this status applies even if the asset is only in one spouses name and sometimes extends to the other spouses IRA.

Your spouses IRA status will also influence if your state identifies the account as an asset or monthly income. However, a community spouses monthly IRA distributions will usually not affect your Medicaid eligibility. As a result, your spouse can protect their IRA by putting it in payout status if they are not receiving payments from it already.

How to Protect IRA Assets

Going into a nursing home doesnt mean you have to distribute your IRA. Though you may have to apply some of your income or assets to nursing expenses, you can take action to preserve your assets.

Change Your Account Status

Check with your state if the RMD from your IRA counts towards your Medicaid eligibility. The idea is to strike the right balance in your IRA so it exceeds neither the asset nor the income limits. This delicate dance can allow you to keep your money and receive Medicaid assistance.

Spend Down or Cash Out

Spending down to qualify for Medicaid is another viable strategy. Therefore, you can liquidate a portion of your IRA for expenses such as life insurance, paying for a funeral plan or burial in advance, and updating your home with age-related amenities such as wider doorways or ramps.

Furthermore, the care you purchase can help diminish your assets. In-home care, nursing home expenses or assisted living payments allow you to spend down and get beneath your states asset ceiling.

Distribute Funds to Your Spouse

If youre married and your spouse is not living in a nursing home, they are known as the community spouse, while you are the institutionalized spouse. Sometimes, the community spouse can preserve up to half of your joint assets. The community spouse resource allowance (CSRA) law allows the community spouse to receive up to $137,400 of your assets.

The minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance (MMMNA) specifies how much income your spouse retains while you are in a nursing home. Medicaids spousal protection regulations require your spouses income to be a minimum of $2,288.75 per month in 48 states. Keep in mind that Hawaii has an MMMNA of $2,632.50 and Alaskas MMMNA is $2,861.25 since it costs more to live in each state. The maximum monthly maintenance needs allowance is $3,435 per month.

Once calculated, the government excludes this income when deciding if you, the institutionalized spouse, are eligible for Medicaid.

Purchase an Annuity

If your state considers your IRA an asset, you can put the funds into an annuity that follows Medicaid regulations. Although the asset disappears, you will receive a monthly payment from the annuity. As a result, an annuity can help with your asset count, but it will increase your total monthly income.

The Takeaway

are ira assets protected from nursing homes

Though the laws around Medicaid eligibility and IRA protection are complex, you can take advantage of the conditions your state has set. Going into a nursing home does not necessarily mean your IRA funds will vanish, especially if you understand your asset and income limits. Transferring assets to a spouse or converting an IRA to an annuity can also help.

Tips for Retirement Planning

A financial advisor can help you plan for contingencies during retirement. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be complicated. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you protect your assets, get started now.

Retirement and long-term care planning arent always easy. For help, check out SmartAssets retirement tax calculator which helps you determine the friendliest state to retire in, from a tax perspective.

Photo credit: iStock.com/kate_sept2004, iStock.com/PixelsEffect, iStock.com/kokouu

The post Are IRA Assets Protected From Nursing Homes? appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
After pressure from both New Mexico State leaders and the New Mexico Supreme Court, Otero County commissioners voted 2 to 1 to certify the results of the 2022 primary election despite their past refusal to do so  a move government officials said ran afoul of state law.

The vote came Friday during an emergency meeting held after the board declined to certify the results at a Monday special meeting.

They expressed concerns with ghost votes where multiple ballots appeared to be filed from a home where all residents were allegedly dead and mistrust of Dominion voting machines.

County Commission Chairwoman and District 3 Commissioner Vickie Marquardt said County Clerk Robyn Holmes allayed the concerns about deceased voters.

She said the commission and people of Otero County must continue to hold the State accountable for what she called government overreach that compelled the board to certify the results, despite lingering suspicion of the voting machines.

Those doubts first arose when volunteer group New Mexico Audit Force attempted to prove voter fraud in Otero County but displayed no credible evidence, records show, and when Echo Mail began a similar audit that was halted as the county was investigated for misuse of public funds in its contract with the company.

Otero County planned to start a committee, Marquardt said, with other elected officials, state lawmakers and representatives from Dominion and that the company still had some tough questions to answer.

At times during her remarks before casting a yes vote, Marquardts voice cracked with emotion as she remained defiant even while voting to affirm the election.

She said she was voting yes after threats from the New Mexico Secretary of States Office that commissioners could be jailed if they continued to refuse to certify the election.

Marquardt said shed rather vote for the certification, begrudgingly, than be removed from office, imprisoned and replaced by an appointee of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams choosing.

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Otero County Commissioner Vickie Marquardt

I will be no use to the people of Otero County while in jail, Marquardt said. I dont want to let anybody down. The support has been great. You all have lifted me up. Id rather stay in office than let somebody else do it.

If we dont stay in office, then no one will be fighting for the ranchers and thats what were here to do. I dont think thats what the voters of Otero County want is to have us replaced.

Election certifications from county commissioners are required in a primary by New Mexico law for those candidates who won their partys nomination to be on the ballot for the upcoming general election in November.

The Otero County Commission, per New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, presented no credible evidence as to why the primary election held June 7 should be questioned.

In the days since the initial vote by the commission to deny the certification, Toulouse Oliver filed a lawsuit with the New Mexico Supreme Court which subsequently issued a court order to compel commissioners to reverse their decision.

The Secretary of States Office also requested the New Mexico Attorney Generals Office open a criminal investigation into the actions of the board as Toulouse Oliver argued they violated commissioners duties of office.

And despite all that pressure, District 2 Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin remained defiant with the sole no vote at Fridays meeting.

That came just hours after Griffin was sentenced in federal court to 14 days in jail, time served, and a fine of $3,000 for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

That incident saw Republicans and supporters of former-President Donald Trump storm the halls of Congress and call to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential Election, where Trump lost the presidency to President Joe Biden.

Griffin called into the meeting from Washington, D.C. where his sentencing took place, speaking before the vote to share his frustrations with the Secretary of State, Attorney Generals Office and Democrat-led New Mexico government.

Otero County is in a rural portion of south-central New Mexico, where most public offices are held by conservative Republicans.

Griffin said he was not questioning any particular result of the election but wanted to make a point that the state must respect local officials.

He also said he had no proof of election fraud but maintained a gut feeling to not trust the results or process.

Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks as he arrives at the Federal Court House in Washington, Monday, March 21, 2022. Griffin is charged with illegally entering Capitol grounds the day a pro-Trump mob disrupted certification of Joe Biden's presidential election victory on Jan. 6, 2021.

If this is as far as our audit goes, and as far as this move that we made, its enough to prove how scared they are at the top of doing a real audit on our election, Griffin said, eliciting cheers and applause from the audience gathered at the meeting.

All we wanted to do is look inside at the technology in the Dominion machines and make sure they dont have a modem that hooks up to the internet. We want to hand count ballots. These demands should be met.

District 1 County Commissioner Gerald Matherly said he voted to certify the results only after the County Clerk mitigated his concerns of false ballots being cast.

Matherly said to not do so would nullify the efforts of political candidates, poll workers and voters of Otero County.

I just want the election to be a trustworthy election. As of right now, we have no proven, black and white facts to show anything went wrong, he said. If I dont certify the primary, then all these people that have worked on this election would all be for naught. I cannot do that to those people. Those people won the election fairly.

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Otero County affirms 2022 election amid threats from State of New Mexico
Overnight shooting leaves one man injured in Parkway Village.

The Memphis Police Department (MPD) responded to a shooting in the 4000 block of Bear River Road just after 12:30 a.m. on Saturday.

At 12:35 a.m., MPD responded to shooting at 4039 Bear River Road with a male shot. The victim was transported to ROH critical. There is no suspect information. This is an ongoing investigation. Call 901-528-CASH with tips. pic.twitter.com/GIREMAEHUg  Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) June 18, 2022

When officers arrived, they found one man shot and he was taken to Regional One in critical condition, police said.

There is no suspect information at this time and the investigation is ongoing.

If you know anything about this shooting call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

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WASHINGTON  The day after Russia invaded Ukraine, World Central Kitchen was dishing up hot meals to the war's refugees.

Jose Andres, the celebrity chief who founded the privately funded non-profit, assumed the big guys would show up soon after.

But it took weeks for them to establish any presence, Andres recently told a congressional committee overseeing the billions of dollars the United States has committed to relief efforts in and around Ukraine.

Biden administration officials say there are vexing challenges to delivering those billions of dollars to those in need  from bureaucratic obstacles in Washington to treacherous conditions in a deadly conflict zone.

"Russias bombardment and shelling continues to damage the infrastructure needed to get aid to people  destroying roads, bridges, and railroads and making it difficult for aid workers to reach affected populations," said Rebecca Chalif, the spokesperson for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

She said the agency's partners are working at "great personal risk to reach the most vulnerable in hard-to-reach areas, but if humanitarian access does not improve, the already devastating situation will get even worse. "

Some Ukrainian aid workers and volunteers say they are delivering aid but could do far more with more direct U.S. help.

Serhiy Gorobtsov, an archbishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and his team is feeding more than 2,000 people every day in the refugee shelter in Dnipro, one of Ukraines major cities in the east. They're also sending food and clothes to parishes on the frontline towns of Pokrovsk and Konstiantynivka.

I am running out of flour, sugar, oil, salt, porridge, he told USA TODAY. He said a Swiss company sent 500 sausages and they ran out of them in one day. His group has received aid from an American-affiliated charity but not through any U.S. government channels.

The logistics of deliveries is the worst issue, he said, citing high fuel costs and the refusal of some transport companies to work with them.

Story continues

Lives destroyed: Ukrainians' stories of loved ones lost in the war

Ukraine updates: Russians now control 80% of key eastern city, governor says; Russia finds buyers for its oil

People queue as they wait for humanitarian aid in the town of Bucha, north-west from Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on June 3, 2022 on the 100th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Aleksey Androsenko, founder of a Ukrainian aid group called Plich-o-Plich, or Side by Side, said his group is delivering two trucks per week of hygiene and medical aid to Odesa.

It takes us up to 48 hours of waiting in the traffic jams on the border, he said. He would welcome coordination with American officials, he said, who could probably channel aid more quickly through other routes.

Olga Sytnyk, the humanitarian coordinator with the International Center of Ukrainian Victory, said she fears the U.S. is sending all its funds through established international NGOs instead of using Ukrainians who might be more familiar with dynamics on the ground  and more willing to risk their lives to get aid to those in need.

U.S. billions are a great news  but so far they have not reached people on the ground, she said.

Learn more: Mapping and tracking Russia's invasion of Ukraine

US aid to Ukraine could hit $53B.: Here's what it covers, how it compares and who pays for it

Tough balance: The need for speed vs. safeguarding U.S. tax dollars

In fact, with USAID support, the World Food Program has provided food and cash assistance to more than 5 million people in Ukraine through the end of May, according to Chalif.

An elderly woman waits to get water and humanitarian aid in the city of Mariupol on June 2, 2022, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine.

Of the $2.65 billion in International Disaster Assistance approved in a March spending bill, more than $476 million has been given to groups to deliver food, water, shelter and other help to people in Ukraine, she said. The agency is still determining how to prioritize an additional $4.3 billion in disaster assistance included in the approximately $40 billion May package to respond to the crises.

Members of Congress have been pressing the administration to make more use of local organizations and non-traditional partners, rather than relying on United Nations' agencies like UNICEF and the World Food Program.

We need to make sure that were getting this food assistance to groups that have already got a record of delivering on the ground in Ukraine, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., told USA TODAY.

Lawmakers intended to send that message through language included in the May assistance package. Warner also put together a bipartisan letter, reinforcing that position, to Samantha Power, the administrator of USAID.

We wanted to take some level of risk on this, Warner said, because the groups that are delivering the most meals on the ground are not necessarily the usual suspects in food relief in other crises.

During House and Senate hearings last month, Power said USAID has a tricky balancing act. The need to dispense huge amounts of money  while avoiding misuse of the funds  has meant very large contributions went first to the major United Nations organizations with which the U.S. has longtime relationships.

Since then, however, USAID has been trying to diversify its partnerships.

We just want to make sure that we are going to be faithful stewards of taxpayer money, Power told a House spending panel in May. At the same time, we are looking for speed and nimbleness.

Military assistance: Biden is giving Ukraine the deadliest weapons yet. Will it make a difference?

Volunteer of Ukrainian Red Cross Society Ihor Klymenko shows humanitarian aid from Austria and Denmark, in eastern Kharkiv on May 30, 2022, amid Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Jake Kurtzer, an expert on humanitarian assistance at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said there are longstanding, well-intentioned barriers that make it difficult for local organizations to receive U.S. funding.

If you want to work with USAID, you need to have a government contracting number. You need to sign a whole bunch of paperwork that says youve read and understand all these different compliance things, he said. If you are a Ukrainian church organization that quickly shifted to doing meal service, is your priority to continue to do meal service or to get online and fill out compliance paperwork?

Kurtzer said the frustrations hes heard about the way assistance is being distributed in Ukraine are understandable, though he still gives the administration a lot of credit for its overall response.

To set up the administrative and bureaucratic infrastructure to respond on a scale of what were seeing so far does take a certain amount of time, Kurtzer said. Just the numbers that have been reported already from the World Food Program, from the IOM (International Organization for Migration), and from some of the NGO partners are impressive. But theres always more that could be done.

The biggest obstacle? Russia's refusal to provide safe corridors

The biggest challenge to helping Ukrainians, according to both Power and outside experts like Kurtzer, is not finding the right partners. It's Russias refusal to follow international law and allow aid agencies access to injured and starving civilians.

"While humanitarians want nothing more than to be in the most dangerous places, and to be accessing the people most in need, when Russian forces say `No, you can't travel, we won't guarantee your security,' it makes it really difficult to overcome that," Power told Congress last month.

There have been at least 256 attacks on health care facilities and one in six UNICEF-supported safe schools in eastern Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed, according to Afshan Khan, UNICEFs regional director for Europe and Central Asia.

The needs are exorbitant and huge, she said.

Maps show how the war is unfolding: Russia gaining control of another crucial eastern Ukraine city.

A resident sits on a sofa amid the rubble of a destroyed house after a Russian missile strike in Druzhkivka in eastern Ukraine, Sunday, June 5, 2022.

Mark Lowcock, a former under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs at the United Nations, has additional concerns, chiefly the possibility of widespread famine in other parts of the world if the war grinds on and Ukraine's wheat remains blockaded. That could cost millions of lives, he said.

I think people now can see the risk, but the response so far is inadequate, said Lowcock, author of the recently published book Relief Chief: A Manifesto for Saving Lives in Dire Times.

Andres: 'People are starving and thirsty in a crisis'

It has taken as long as a year for a new organization to win approval to work with USAID in the past. Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, Power hoped to change how her agency delivers assistance. In a November speech, she set a goal of putting at least 25% of U.S. humanitarian aid directly in the hands of local partners within the next four years. Despite past efforts to increase the share of funding going to such partners, it had risen to just 6% in the last decade.

There is a lot of gravity pulling in the opposite direction, Power said in November. But we have got to try.

USAID is also encouraging the major international organizations to work with local groups to deliver aid. The World Food Program, for example, is partnering with 200 organizations of which a significant share are local groups, Power recently told Congress.

I think they were a little slow at the beginning ... , she said, and now theyve staffed up.

UNICEF, which has significantly scaled up its response in the last 100 days and is still expanding, is almost completely working with local partners to serve areas that are difficult to reach, according to regional director Khan.

UNICEF has set up more than 100 one-stop-shops where Ukrainian families can get supplies, information, therapy, parenting support as well as a place where children can play safely and experience some normality.

The centers are named for the Ukrainian word for "together," to reflect the close partnership with local organizations. UNICEF provides the design and structure, but the services are delivered through municipalities or local civil society organizations. That will help build sustainability, Khan said, because UNICEF wont be able to have the long-term, boots-on-the-ground presence that the magnitude of the crisis requires.

The psychosocial trauma that children have faced is going to be for years now, Khan said. They're going to need support. And that will require local capacity to engage and continuity. So we see this as extremely important.

Watch: A family sings in Sumy. Six were killed when a missile hit their home in spring 2022.

US President Joe Biden kisses a child while meeting refugees of Russia's war with Ukraine at PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw, Poland on March 26, 2022. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 0 ORIG FILE ID: AFP_326Y3BH.jpg

While local actors may be a bit more nimble in getting access, she said, UNICEF provides the scale needed to work across such a huge country and the ability to evaluate how funds are being used.

I would never underestimate the capacity of local actors, Khan said. But those supplies have to come from somewhere, and they have to be delivered.

Catholic Relief Services has been working with a local group, Caritas Ukraine, to distribute assistance that is funded in part by more than $52 million in private donations contributed by Americans since February.

Partnering with local staff is both an opportunity and an obstacle, said Conor OLoughlin, Catholic Relief Services representative in Ukraine and Moldova. Many workers were themselves forced to flee areas under attack.

That inevitably creates a level of distress and difficulty for Ukrainian humanitarian workers, OLoughlin said, and yet we still see this commitment to supporting their fellow citizens in their time of need.

A woman carries her child as she receives humanitarian aid provided by local authorities in Selidovo, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

Of the nearly $5 million in USAID funding the group has received to feed refugees in Moldova, more than half has been spent and the rest will be gone within about another four to five weeks. Because of how quickly the U.S. funds were released, OLoughlin said, his group began its response faster than in other crises.

Andres, the World Central Kitchen founder, told a House oversight committee panel this month that the United Nations teams approach is too top-down instead of bottom-up, so Ukrainians arent getting the right kind of assistance and they havent gotten help quickly enough.

The current system just does not work when people are starving and thirsty in a crisis, he said. We need a more agile and effective system to deliver it.

People wait in line for food being distributed by World Central Kitchen on June 08, 2022 in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. There are very few stores or restaurants still open in the city as many residents have fled as the front line of the war continues to edge closer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine aid: How much U.S. assistance is reaching those in need?
(Reuters) - The wife of pro-democracy figure Kyaw Min Yu, sentenced to be executed on the orders of Myanmar's ruling generals, says that if her husband dies he will take with him the beliefs he has carried throughout a life spent fighting dictatorship.

Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Jimmy, and former lawmaker and hip-hop artist Phyo Zeya Thaw are set to be the first people since 1988 to be executed judicially in Myanmar.

They were sentenced to death in January for treason and terrorism in a closed-doors trial, accused of helping militias to fight the army that seized power last year and unleashed a bloody crackdown on its opponents.

The military has not said when they would be hanged, but speculation is rife in Myanmar that the executions are imminent.

The planned executions have been strongly condemned abroad and two U.N. experts have called them a "vile attempt at instilling fear" among the people.

Kyaw Min Yu's wife, Nilar Thein, said her husband, a political prisoner for 18 years under Myanmar's last military dictatorship, was being made an example of for refusing to cooperate with his captors.

"He would never trade his political beliefs with anything. He will continue to stand by his beliefs," Nilar Thein, who is in hiding, told Reuters by phone.

"Ko Jimmy will continue to live in our hearts."

Kyaw Min Yu, 53, and Phyo Zeya Thaw, a 41-year-old ally of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, lost their appeal earlier this month.

It is not clear how they pleaded in their trial, nor the extent of their alleged involvement in the resistance movement, which is fighting what it calls a "people's defensive war" against the junta.

Asked if Kyaw Min Yu was involved, his wife said she would not acknowledge the military's portrayal of him, but said the whole country was involved in a revolt, against the generals' "terrorist acts".

'SYSTEMATIC ATTACK'

Several foreign governments, including the United States and France, and rights groups have fiercely criticised the planned executions.

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"The world must not lose sight of the fact that these death sentences are being meted out in the context of the military murdering civilians nearly every day in its widespread and systematic attack on the people of Myanmar," said Tom Andrews, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, and Morris Tidball-Binz, U.N. Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial summary or arbitrary executions.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch said it has documented 114 people sentenced to death in Myanmar since the February 2021 coup, in what it called secretive tribunals with "lightning convictions" aimed to chill dissent.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), appealed in a letter this month to junta leader Min Aung Hlaing not to carry out the executions, relaying deep concern among Myanmar's neighbours.

The junta has signalled it will not back down and has called Western criticism "reckless and interfering". [nL4N2XU0NG

On Thursday, its spokesperson said the sentence was appropriate.

"Required actions are needed to be done in the required moments," Zaw Min Tun told a news conference.

Phyo Zeya Thaw's wife said the two men were targeted because of their status among a youth movement that held months of anti-coup demonstrations last year. She said the decision to resume executions would be a test of international support for the opposition, and appealed for foreign intervention.

"The junta is trying to kill the revolution," Thazin Nyunt Aung told Reuters by phone from an undisclosed location.

"We have been fighting this revolution with the mindset that we have nothing but ourselves. Now, we have started to question whether we have the world with us or not," she said.

(Reporting by Reuters Staff; Editing by Martin Petty and Frances Kerry)
The Daily Beast

via Facebook/Rudy GiulianiFormer New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani doubled down Monday on his wildly overblown characterization that he was brutally assaulted by a Staten Island grocery store worker over the weekend, despite security footage showing the man only tapped his back.Speaking to about 200 people in a Facebook Live, Giuliani called the viral security footage deceptive. He claimed the pat packed so much vigor it nearly knocked him and a friend to the ground, but he was able to stay upright
Jun. 17The Port of Astoria is taking the first steps toward implementing the vision of a new waterfront master plan.

The Port Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a memorandum of understanding with Astoria Crab & Fish Co. to work toward development on Pier 1. The group is a subsidiary of Pacific Dream Seafoods, a wholesale distributor that operates a seafood processing and storage facility in Anacortes, Washington.

While the exact plans for the space have yet to be solidified, Matt McGrath, the Port's deputy director, said the agreement is intended to get the ball rolling with development on Pier 1.

"The goal is to create a facility that is a community landmark for Pier 1, for Astoria, that can be utilized by both Astoria Crab & Fish Co., local fishermen, tourists coming off the cruise lines and then locals  for coming down and enjoying some form of facility at this site, whether it be retail, food, a pier to walk on, et cetera," Jeremy McNett, an architect for the project, said.

To kick off development, Astoria Crab & Fish is eyeing the construction of cranes along the side of the pier for unloading fishing vessels.

The group is also looking to potentially add a small-scale processing facility and a number of fishing services, such as cold storage, shower and laundry facilities and leasable space.

Following construction of the cranes, the rest could take time given the engineering, planning and permitting that needs to happen first, McNett said.

Down the road, Pier 1 could hold spaces for retail, a restaurant and community gathering.

The Port has been looking to occupy Pier 1 since log exports dried up during a U.S. trade war with China.

"This is step one  a very important step  to bring commerce to Pier 1," Frank Spence, the president of the Port Commission, said.

Discussions with Pacific Dream Seafoods have been ongoing for over a year, McGrath said, and were done in conjunction with the development of the waterfront master plan.

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The plan, a collaboration between the Port and the city, will seek to encourage redevelopment along the Columbia River between Pier 1 and the Astoria Bridge.

A large emphasis is to make the area more suitable for the community while complementing the city's working waterfront.

"A lot of the information from the master plan and what the community has been discussing is having something on the piers, having something along the central waterfront that is not just going to appeal to just the cruise visitors or just tourists, but something that can be used by the community, as well, even when we don't have tourists, when we don't have cruise ships," McGrath said.

For Will Isom, the Port's executive director, the new agreement is a sign of progress for the agency following years of financial struggle.

"It feels like, as we've gone through the pandemic and the natural business cycle sometimes, you have these periods of contraction and expansion," he said. "It just feels like with the pandemic and a loss of log ship revenue over these last few years, we've really been in that state of contraction and trying to cut our costs wherever we can.

" ... I am hopeful that as we move forward we can get more into that expansion state where we're really looking at opportunities for development and hopefully looking to do some things that we just couldn't do as we've navigated the waters of the pandemic."
An Oklahoma City preacher's legal battle continues regarding his arrest at a November 2021 Julius Jones' protest prayer vigil.

The Rev. Derrick Scobey was arrested by members of the Oklahoma High Patrol as he stood on NE 23, near the governor's mansion. He said he was engaged in prayer along with other Julius Jones supporters at a vigil on the death-row inmate's behalf. The district attorney's office filed two misdemeanors against Scobey related to the assertion that the minister impeded the flow of traffic.

Friday, attorneys for Scobey appeared in Oklahoma County District Court to argue that they had legal standing to ask the court to consider their motion to quash or have dismissed charges against Scobey for insufficient evidence. Attorney Joe White Jr. said the court could consider the matter even though it was a misdemeanor case.

The Rev. Derrick Scobey, left, leaves the courtroom of Oklahoma County District Court Judge Perry Hudson as the Rev. Clarence Hill stands outside the door on Friday in Oklahoma City.

Assistant District Attorney McKenzie McMahan argued that such consideration only applied to felony cases.

Judge Perry Hudson ruled in White's favor and decided that a hearing could be heard on the matter. He also said he didn't think a motion to quash misdemeanor charges had ever been considered in Oklahoma County District Court.

Hudson set another hearing date for Aug. 18.

White said he was pleased that the judge agreed that his argument had merit. McMahan indicated that the state would seek the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals' opinion on the question of a motion to quash being be considered for misdemeanors in Oklahoma County District Court.

Friday's proceedings represented Scobey's fifth time in court over the charges stemming from his 2021 arrest. He is pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in northeast Oklahoma City and was part of a coalition of ministers, community leaders, celebrities and others that formed to seek clemency for then-death row inmate Julius Jones. Jones was sentenced to death in 2002 for the 1999 murder of Edmond insurance agent Paul Howell during a carjacking. Jones maintained his innocence over the years.

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In the days leading up to Jones' scheduled execution in November 2021, his supporters began gathering for evening prayer vigils outside the governor's mansion in the hopes that Gov. Kevin Stitt would grant Jones clemency. Stitt granted clemency for Jones just hours before he was scheduled to be executed at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. The governor commuted Jones' death sentence to life without the possibility of parole.

Story continues below.

In May, numerous local ministers and other community leaders packed in and outside a district courtroom in support of Scobey's efforts to see the charges against him dismissed.

Preachers and others who have gathered to support Scobey said the minister was participating in peaceful vigils and protests that have long been part of the Christian faith tradition.

Friday, there was a smaller but no less supportive crowd, including the Rev. Clarence Hill and the Rev. Christine Byrd.

Byrd said Scobey was trying to calm the crowd at the vigil where he was arrested and he shouldn't have been charged for it.

"So for several weeks the faithful have traveled to the courthouse in hopes this madness will end," she said. "Is this a good use of taxpayers' money and time when there are so many more important things the court could use its time for?"

Hill shared similar comments.

"I'm not here to oppose the process of the law as much as I am to support a man who has a great heart for his city," Hill said. "He respects the law, and just wanted what was best that night."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Legal battle continues for OKC preacher arrested at Julius Jones vigil
Kia Walker, Tommy Schaefer's mother, speaks to the media regarding her son and also her granddaughter, Stella, at O'Hare International Airport Terminal 5 in Chicago on Nov. 3, 2021. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

A Cook County judge on Friday ruled that the 7-year-old daughter of Heather Mack will temporarily live in suburban Cook County with her foster mother from Indonesia, who cared for her while Mack was serving a prison sentence for helping kill her mother and then stuffing the body in a suitcase on the island of Bali.

The bitter custody battle over Estelle Stella Schaefer is the latest controversy in an 8-year saga that began in August 2014, when the body of 62-year-old Sheila von Wiese-Mack was discovered inside a suitcase placed in a taxi outside a luxury resort.

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During a Zoom hearing Friday, the childs former foster mother Oshar Putu Melody Suartama said she was in Indonesia but planned to travel to the United States soon; she said she would temporarily reside in a home in suburban Forest Park while she had custody of Stella.

The decision goes against the wishes of Mack, who asked that her daughter be cared for by a family friend in California. In an affidavit, Mack asked that Stella instead stay with Diana Roque Ellis of Beverly Hills, a friend of Macks slain mother.

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I previously indicated that Stella would have a good home with Oshar in Bali, but now I believe that it is best for Stella to stay with Diana so Stella and I can be reunited in the U.S., said a handwritten note in the affidavit.

Ellis had petitioned the court for guardianship of the child earlier this year, with Macks support.

Stella has expressed to me that she wants to be with auntie Diana, as she calls her, Mack said during the hearing, testifying from the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where she is being held.

She added that Ellis has been very close with me and my mother, and that Stella spent time with her on two occasions.

Judge Stephanie Miller also ruled that the child is not going to be allowed to travel with anyone outside of the United States, specifically to Indonesia. She noted that Suartamas Forest Park address is close to the correctional center where Mack resides, making visitation more convenient.

As the complicated question of Stellas guardianship is sorted out by the courts, guardian ad litem Theresa Ceko had recommended that Stella spend the summer in Indonesia with Suartama, who was the girls foster mom after her second birthday.

The childs therapist Gail Grossman said that Stella told her as recently as Sunday that Oshar is her primary person in her life, the person she considers to be her mother, and the girl wishes to remain with Oshar anywhere.

Also vying for custody of Stella were her paternal grandmother Kia Walker and Lisa Hellmann of Colorado, Macks cousin.

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Mack and Stellas father, Tommy Schaefer, were charged with the murder of von Wiese-Mack in Indonesia in 2015. Schaefer was sentenced to 18 years for beating the victim to death, though he claimed self-defense; Mack was sentenced to 10 years for assisting in the crime.

Schaefer is still incarcerated in Indonesia.

Heather Mack holds her two-year-old daughter Stella Schaefer, before handing her over to Australian Balinese woman Oshar Putu Melody Suartama in Bali, Indonesia, March 17, 2017. (AP)

Mack gave birth to Stella in 2015 and was permitted to raise her in an Indonesian prison until the child turned 2; at that point, she gave the toddler to her foster parent Suartama.

In October, Mack was released from prison after serving seven years of her 10-year sentence and was deported to the United States with Stella. Upon arrival in Chicago in early November, federal agents arrested Mack on conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and obstruction of justice charges stemming from her mothers 2014 murder. She pleaded not guilty.

Since then, Stella has been in the custody of Vanessa Favia, a former attorney of Heather Macks, but Favia has told the court she can longer care for the little girl.

Mack is the daughter of von Wiese-Mack and the famed composer and jazz musician James Mack, who died in 2006 while on vacation in Athens, Greece, according to a Chicago Tribune obituary. Mack had previously accused her mother of squandering a $1.56 million trust fund, of which Mack was the sole beneficiary.

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During that court battle, a judge permitted Mack to put about $150,000 toward her criminal defense. After multiple hearings, about half the money was spent. A confidential settlement was reached, but court records indicated Stella was named the beneficiary and what was left would not go to Mack.

Chicago Tribunes Jason Meisner contributed.

eleventis@chicagotribune.com
A video of former President Donald Trump speaking during a rally, as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 16, 2022. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

The collective January 6 committee testimony has put Trump at the heart of the insurrection.

The embattled former president remains the odds-on favorite to run again in 2024.

Critics worry that nothing short of criminal prosecution  and maybe not even that  can stop him.

Some Republican operatives are holding out hope their party's 2024 presidential primary voters will choose a new, more unifying leader at a time when Donald Trump's legal fate is perhaps the biggest unknown in all of American politics.

It's a long shot, and these GOP operatives know it given how often Trump has dodged scandals and with the current success of more than 100 MAGA-minded candidates who've so far won early 2022 Republican midterm primaries in races for state or federal office.

But interviews with a half dozen GOP operatives following the January 6 committee's first three public hearings reveals a desire to elevate others for the next White House race at a time when Trump could very well be simultaneously campaigning for his old job while serving as the central figure in a historic first-ever federal criminal trial of an ex-president.

Trump's baggage "would make the 2024 election closer than it has to be," said Eric Fehrnstrom, who was a top advisor to 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

"Even his biggest fans daydream about trading him in for a newer version, someone who is right on all the policy only with the sharp edges sanded down," said Fehrnstrom, now a partner at The Shawmut Group. "At the end of the day, Republicans want to win. The question is, do they have a better chance of winning with a new and improved model?"

Many in the party see an opening, and plenty of Republicans are being talked about or considering a 2024 run  with or without Trump running in a bid to join Grover Cleveland to become the second person in US history to return for a second presidential term four years after losing reelection.

The list is big and includes well-known names like former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Tom Cotton of Arkansas. Both former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, an anti-Trump Republican, have said they'll run for president regardless of what Trump does.

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"As we've seen in the history of America, politicians weather many storms and scandals to run for office  that's not new," said Jon Gilmore, the chief political strategist for Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Gilmore added that his desire for Trump to not run in 2024 isn't because of the events of January 6, 2021. "I base it on the fact that our party needs to be united, and we need to look for the next leader of our party that can do just that," he said.

Hutchinson, who is himself considering a presidential bid, has been unafraid to cross Trump over January 6.

Last Sunday  before the latest round of hearings  Hutchinson said Trump was "politically" and "morally" responsible for the Capitol riot, even if the committee's findings didn't result in a criminal prosecution. He has said the GOP needs to move away from Trump.

Others agree that it's time for a fresh face in 2024, but acknowledge that finding one will be difficult.

"There's a real chunk of Republican voters  maybe even a majority  who want to move on from 2020," said Sarah Isgur, who served as a top Justice Department spokeswoman and advisor during the Trump administration and before that was the deputy campaign manager for businesswoman Carly Fiorina's 2016 presidential campaign.

"But unfortunately," Isgur added, "they aren't turning out in these primaries, which leaves Republican candidates pandering to the extremes of their base."

There's also the perceived danger that a large number of people entering the GOP nomination race for president would be advantageous to Trump. During the raucous 2016 primary season, he faced off against more than a dozen major rivals and was able to splinter the party vote en route to winning the nomination.

"Donald Trump remains in a very strong position for 2024 unless the rest of the GOP can coalesce around a single alternative, and not a 15-person peloton like in 2016," Isgur said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland (left) and former President Donald Trump (right). Sean Rayford/Alex Wong/Getty Images

Trumpworld maintains any DOJ investigation is political

Trump's legal fate remains very much up in the air. New York's attorney general continues to investigate his business practices. And in Fulton County, Georgia, a grand jury is still being presented evidence in a wide-ranging criminal probe into Trump's efforts to overturn the state's 2020 election results.

Back in Washington, the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection has been building a case through its investigation and public hearings that Trump broke the law and violated his constitutional oath as part of a broad conspiracy to discard an election where Joe Biden was the clear winner.

Testimony provided Thursday by the retired federal judge J. Michael Luttig summed up the conundrum Republican primary voters will ultimately be facing in the 2024 cycle when he called Trump and his MAGA supporters "a clear and present danger to American democracy."

It'll ultimately be up to the Justice Department led by Attorney General Merrick Garland to determine whether it wants to go the next step and obtain a federal grand jury indictment against the ex-president. In such a scenario, Trump's future in politics would be very much up in the air.

Insider has previously reported that Trump could still run for the White House even if he were convicted of a crime and sent to prison. There's basically nothing in the Constitution that would stop him, though states could make it more difficult for him to be on their ballots.

In the next White House campaign, all of that evidence being collected from the January 6 hearings could make Trump "damaged goods in a general election," according to a Republican strategist who has worked for House and Senate leaders.

But the GOP strategist also was quick to note that any decision by the Justice Department to pursue criminal charges against Trump could end up boosting the ex-president's standing among his supporters.

"He could rally his base and maybe even convince some independent voters that the Justice Department under Biden's leadership is trying to undermine his candidacy," the Republican told Insider.

For his part, Trump is already complaining on his MAGA-centric social media channel about how unfairly he's being treated by the committee.

"It is a one sided, highly partisan Witch Hunt," Trump wrote on Truth Social. He also demanded equal time to plead his case on TV, even though he hasn't officially declared that he's running for anything.

Trump allies also contend that the former president is still in good shape to claim the 2024 Republican nomination if he wants it. They are particularly bullish given Biden's low approval ratings and signs that the US may be heading toward a recession.

"Brandon is incumbent," Sam Nunberg, who advised Trump's 2016 campaign, texted Insider, using an anti-Biden nickname. "Anyone can run and win in this environment."

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Reuters) -A fuel storage depot in the eastern Ukrainian town of Novomoskovsk exploded on Sunday, killing one and injuring two, after earlier being hit with three Russian missiles, the head of the regional administration said in an online message.

Eleven people were injured in the strike itself, Valentyn Reznichenko had said on Saturday.

Firefighters were still trying to put out a fire from the missile strike, some 14 hours after the depot was hit, Reznichenko said early on Sunday.

Novomoskovsk lies just to the northeast of Dnipro, the regional capital.

(Reporting in Ottawa by David Ljunggren and in Melbourne by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Grant McCool and Tom Hogue)
A local resident hauls jugs of water past a destroyed building in Lysychansk, Ukraine, on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. (Tyler Hicks/The New York Times)

LYSYCHANSK, Ukraine  Gesturing to the artillery shell lodged in the ground and a rocket protruding from the wall, Maksym Katerynyn was in a rage. These were Ukrainian munitions, he shouted. And it was Ukrainian artillery that struck his home the day before and killed his mother and stepfather.

The Russians are not hitting us! Katerynyn barked. Ukraine is shelling us!

But that was next to impossible: There were no Russian soldiers for the Ukrainians to shell in the eastern city of Lysychansk, and it was clear that the projectiles had come from the direction of Sievierodonetsk, a neighboring city, much of which has been seized by Russian forces.

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The fact that Katerynyn believed this, and that his neighbors nodded in agreement as he careened through his neighborhood condemning their country, was a telling sign: The Russians clearly already had a foothold here  a psychological one.

I will ask Uncle Putin to launch a rocket where these creatures launched their rockets from, Katerynyn said, standing next to the backyard graves of his mother and stepfather, referring to President Vladimir Putin of Russia. He wanted the Ukrainian military to get out, he said heatedly, using an expletive.

It was not always like this in Lysychansk, an industrial city with a prewar population of 100,000. Now it is isolated from most of the world, with no cell service, no pension payments and intensifying Russian shelling. But some residents have turned into receptive audiences of Russian propaganda  or they have taken to spreading it themselves.

They are able to listen over the radio, both hand-held and in their cars, and to watch pro-Russian television channels when generator power allows. Given Lysychansks proximity to Russia, those channels appear to have a stronger hold in some neighborhoods than their Ukrainian counterparts do.

When youre hit over the head with the same message, you just drown in it, said Nina Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at the New School in New York, who teaches a course on the politics of propaganda. After awhile, you dont know what the truth is. The message takes over your reality.

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The notion that the Ukrainian military is shelling its own people has been an oft-repeated message on pro-Russian disinformation channels on the radio, television and internet since the start of Moscows invasion in February. Aside from sowing doubt among Ukrainians about their own government and military, it has been a way for the Kremlin to sidestep accountability when it comes to civilian casualties caused by Russian attacks.

On a recent outing to distribute aid, several police officers were approached by an older woman who they said asked them, Boys, when are you going to stop shooting at us? leaving the officers in disbelief.

Propaganda has been a weapon of war in Ukraine since 2014 when Russia-backed separatists formed two breakaway republics in the Donbas region.

Hijacked television and radio towers there constantly broadcast anti-Ukrainian propaganda and Russian disinformation. Those in their broadcast range were inundated with an alternate reality that slowly took hold, despite Ukrainian efforts to counter.

First they cut off any Ukrainian content, and then they fill this void with Russian misinformation, said Yevhen Fedchenko, editor-in-chief of StopFake, a nonprofit organization that debunks Russian disinformation, and director of the Mohyla School of Journalism in Kyiv, Ukraines capital. Thats been their approach for years, and they havent changed the textbook.

But now, with the wars front lines shifting as Russia advances into the Donbas, propaganda in cities and towns like Lysychansk has taken on a new intensity and relevance. Very few residents have access to satellite internet, so many people are glued to battery-powered radio handsets or the radio in their car if they can get the fuel to run it.

You only need to turn on the radio or your phone to hear the Russian radio broadcast here, said Sergiy Kozachenko, a police officer from Sievierodonetsk who has relocated to Lysychansk because of the fighting. They will listen to it; what else could they do? FM radio in the area is available without a data connection or a cell network.

Once such broadcast, from the pro-Russian station Radio Victory, is available on FM radio to Ukrainian forces and civilians in Lysychansk and to those troops on the front lines. Its monotone female voice seems almost soothing, despite the ominous messages she delivers.

The circle is going to be closed very soon in the Siversk area, the voice intones, referring to the closing pocket around Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk as the Russians advance from the north and southeast. Your staff is destroyed. Your commanders ran away and abandoned their subordinates. Zelenskyy has betrayed you as well, invoking the name of Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Help will not come, the message continues. With further resistance, you are destined to die. The only way to survive is to run away or surrender. Save your lives.

The broadcast, clearly aimed at Ukrainian forces on the front lines, seems to have entered the lexicon of Lysychansks civilian residents as well. Your Kyiv government gave up on us, shouted one older woman to a group of volunteers who delivered aid to a shelter last week. The locals did not allow the volunteers inside.

For residents to have pro-Russia leanings in this area is not illogical. Many people have family members in Russia, and the cities themselves are near the Russian border and predominantly speak Russian.

They stand in contrast to the millions of Ukrainians in most regions of the country who are outraged by Putins invasion and are angry at civilians in Russia, some of them family members, who are turning a blind eye to the mayhem.

Local authorities in Lysychansk believe that around 30,000 to 40,000 residents remain in the city. In Sievierodonetsk, which had a prewar population of 160,000, around 10,000 people have stayed, authorities there say, despite the brutal street-to-street fighting that is playing out.

Ukrainian city workers informally call those who have chosen to stay Zhduny, or the waiting ones.

Those are the ones who are waiting for Russians there, said Kozachenko. They hug them and say to them, Our dear ones, weve been waiting for you. Weve been abused here.

Although some residents might welcome the Russians, many people cannot evacuate because they lack the money, because they have older or disabled family members who are not very mobile, or simply because they fear they will lose their homes.

Galyna Gubarieva, 63, has refused to leave Lysychansk despite the incessant shellings and the approaching Russians, both of which she openly despises.

Short and spirited, Gubarieva is now taking care of her neighbors farm in addition to her own homestead. But dealing with her fellow Lysychanskians who have bought into Russian propaganda, she said, is something she refuses to tolerate.

Sometimes, some old wife says some lies, and I cant take it, Gubarieva said. Oh, she says, there are Russian forces coming here from the Lysychansk glass factory. Oh, let them come sooner! And I say, Are you crazy?

There are many people like that among my neighbors, she said.

Some Lysychansk residents are no longer advocating either side, upset at the conduct of the combatants, even the ones who are supposed to be defending them. Instead, they are waiting for the war to end, no matter the victor.

This is a war of attrition of any kind, said Khrushcheva. Not just militarily, but the Kremlin is counting on fatigue, including for Ukrainians to be tired of war.

So was the case for Mykhailo, who had served in the Soviet military decades ago and whose car was stolen, he said, by five Ukrainian soldiers who had recently left Sievierodonetsk. Both city and military police officers confirmed to The New York Times that some Ukrainian troops had looted garages in Lysychansk and were commandeering private vehicles to use as personal transport on the front.

They broke into the yard, broke the bolt, ripped the locks and then pulled the car out on the ropes. And thats it, said Mykhailo, who declined to provide his last name to discuss delicate matters. The car, he said, was used to help his ailing 87-year-old mother around town.

I dont remember such a war ever happening in my life, he said. We used to fight the enemy, but not the civilian population.

 2022 The New York Times Company
IRYNA BALACHUK  SATURDAY, 18 JUNE 2022, 08:39

Fighting continues in Sievierodonetsk. The Russians tried but failed to conduct assault operations outside the city, and the invaders also launched airstrikes on the neighbouring villages of Syrotyne and Borivske.

Source: Serhii Haidai, head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Direct quote from Haidai: "The Russians launched airstrikes on Syrotyne and Borivske, and fighting [continues] in Sievierodonetsk.

Near Syrotyne and Metiolkine, our soldiers successfully repelled the assault. The occupiers suffered losses and retreated to their previously occupied positions. It was the same situation near Hirske.

With the support of artillery, the Russians carried out assault operations near Nyrkove. The Ukrainian soldiers fire forced them to abandon this idea."

PHOTO FROM HAIDAI'S TELEGRAM

Details: According to Haidai, the invaders are firing again and again at the territory near all the bridges on the Siverskyi Donets River, which are already unusable anyway. The Russians opened fire on Synetske and Pavlohrad near Sievierodonetsk. There are regular destructive strikes on the Azot plant  the latest being the territory of the transport shop.

In addition, the Russians have intensively shelled the residential areas near the former Donsoda plant in Lysychansk twice. 13 houses have been destroyed in Hirske and 14 in Vrubivka.

PHOTO FROM HAIDAI'S TELEGRAM

The enemy also fired from tubed artillery and multiple launch rocket systems at Metolkine, Ustynivka, Mykolaivka, Bilohorivka, Voronove, Zolote and Troitske.

PHOTO FROM HAIDAI'S TELEGRAM

Haidai also said that 5 people who were injured in recent days were taken to hospitals in the Dnipro region on 17 June. Among them are 4 residents of Lysychansk and one person from Sievierodonetsk who came under fire in Lysychansk.
Orangeburg County deputies discovered two people shot dead in a house Wednesday and a child abandoned in a sweltering car. On Friday, they charged a man in the double homicide and an alleged child abduction.

This has just been a senseless, senseless act involving these victims who did nothing to this subject, Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said. As I said Thursday, you can expect me to turn loose my entire agency to find anyone who does something as heinous as this.

The Orangeburg County Coroners Office identified the victims as 66-year-old Jean Ann Brown of Cross, South Carolina, and 62-year-old Raymond Brown of Eutawville. Deputies found the two at Raymond Browns home, according to investigators.

The Orangeburg County Sheriffs Department was called about the two being missing, according to a police report. Deputies showed up at Raymond Browns house on Wesgar Avenue where family said the two had been missing since that morning after a doctors appointment. The two had a 1-year-old child with them that morning, the report said.

A key was in the front door, and deputies entered and found Jean Ann Browns body next to the entryway, a deputy wrote in his report. Deputies went around the house and entered a back door to avoid altering the scene. They found Raymond Browns body near Jean Ann.

Investigators gathered information that indicated the two may have been killed and the child taken by Antonio Smalls, according the reports and arrest warrants. Investigators ascertained that Smalls, 46, of Moncks Corner, was in North Charleston.

Deputies found Smalls and arrested him. They found the 1-year-old abandoned in extreme heat inside a car that was parked at a gas station in St. George, the warrants said.

Smalls confessed to killing the two and kidnapping the child, according to the warrants. Investigators didnt say if or how Smalls is related to the Browns or the child.

Deputies charged Smalls Friday with two counts of murder, two counts of weapon possession during a violent crime, and kidnapping. He was jailed in Orangeburg County where he will remain until a state judge determines if he gets bond or not.

Murder is punishable with up to life in prison or the death penalty if it is done in combination with aggravating factors. Kidnapping is an aggravating factor.

An attorney for Smalls was not yet listed publicly.
The parents of children who are absent for no good reason will face a fine. (Getty)

Parents who take their children on holiday or allow them to be absent for no good reason during term-time will face fines, the government has said.

The Conservative administration claimed it would end a postcode lottery over how councils tackle school absences where parents were fined in some areas and not others.

In a consultation published on Friday, the government proposed registers of pupils are kept electronically, with the education secretary given central access to national register data, while local councils could access all attendance data for schools in their area.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: I know from the Childrens Commissioners work on school attendance that children themselves hugely value being in school with their teachers and their friends.

My job is to make sure that every child can get those school experiences.

The plans set out today to reform how absence fines operate, alongside our Schools Bill currently going through parliament, will improve consistency across the country and help tackle persistent absence.

Read more: When is the UK rail strike and will my train be cancelled?

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi. (Getty)

Parents whose children have five days of unauthorised absence or lateness within one term, take holidays during term-time, or are out in public during the first five days of exclusion will face a fixed penalty notice, the plans suggest.

A parent would face a maximum of two fines for each child within the school year, with prosecution considered the next step if this limit were reached.

The plans would also tighten up rules on pupil absence in the case of illness.

The current regulations allow a pupils name to be deleted from registers if their health makes it unlikely they can attend school.

The government said this is outdated given changes to provision for pupils with medical conditions to enable many of them to continue their education in their own school.

Read more: 'The BA.4/5 wave is here': COVID infections soar in England by more than 300k in a week

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Parents who take their children on holiday during term-time could be fined. (Getty)

The government also suggests online learning could be recorded in the absence as a pupils participation in remote education cannot currently be recorded.

It said pupils with a child protection plan, education and health care plan or child in need plan should not be deleted from school rolls without the local councils consent.

And the proposals suggest that pupils younger than compulsory schooling age should still have their absence recorded, whereas currently their attendance does not need to be recorded by law.

Pupils absent for 15 days or more for health reasons should also be reported to the local council to make sure they and their family get more support, the government said.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the childrens commissioner, has called for attendance to rise to 100% by the 2022 autumn term in September, and has urged academy trusts to do whatever it takes to achieve this.
Detectives with the Seattle Police Department are seeking the publics help in locating a girl who would now be 14-years-old and the man who abducted her seven years ago.

On Nov. 6, 2014, Jason Potter was ordered by the King County Superior Court to turn over custody of his then-7-year-old daughter Julia to her mother.

According to police, Potter fled from a home in north Seattle and hadnt been heard from until September 2021, when he was possibly seen in Olympia.

Detectives believe Potter may have been recognized by a staff member at a nursing home in Olympia. The incident wasnt reported to police until after he had left.

Police say Potter is known to have an interest in boats and may be in Bellingham, Tacoma or Oregon City, Oregon. He is 5 foot, 10 inches tall, weighs 170 pounds and has hazel eyes and brown hair.

Anyone with information on Julia or Jasons whereabouts is asked to call detective Christianson at 206-684-0330.
NextShark

The Filipino American family who was threatened and physically attacked by a man at a McDonalds drive-thru in North Hollywood, California, last month will seek an extraction order on their assailant. Patricia Roque, 19, expressed her frustration at her familys ongoing case against Nicholas Weber, who faces hate crime charges, as he refused to attend his arraignment for the third time. Its very frustrating, Patricia told migrant rights advocate Xenia Tupas on June 24.
This is my first state of the city address, and Im proud to report that the State of the City of Peoria is strong!

Let me start with the numbers:

The citys overall revenues are up 15% from 2020.

Overall expenditures are up 7% from 2020

The City of Peoria was able to weather the worst of the pandemic financially!

The City was also the recipient of $47 million in American Rescue Plan Act Funding  a big relief needed to make investments we would not have otherwise been able to make.

And the Citys $60 million capital budget this year is the largest in more than twenty years. The primary investment is in our infrastructure  our roads, sidewalks, smart street lighting, facilities, and equipment.

Peoria, we are resilient!

More in opinion: I'm a former Chicago resident that's happy to be living and playing in Peoria

An article published in January by the Economic Growth Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute reported the five characteristics of cities which rise as centers of prosperity and opportunity:

It should be no surprise that they are places that ensure an emphasis on learning and innovation. Rising cities are open to newcomers and unorthodox ideas. They have a favorable environment for commerce. Offer a good quality of life for their residents. And have a strong sense of shared community.

Peoria has each of these characteristics  lets examine them one by one.

First, we are a city with premier institutions of learning and innovation.

Bradley University and its Business and Engineering Convergence Center is just one example. The center integrates civil and construction engineering laboratories with business school facilities, providing among the best of project learning platforms in the nation.

Illinois Central College recently broke ground for its new Workforce Sustainability Center which will expand its offerings of training, across our region, in high demand, well paid career fields.

The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria produces the largest and most diverse cohorts of physicians in Central Illinois.

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The USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research has long been an incubator for innovation  its where Penicillin was successfully commercialized, saving millions of lives.

And the new OSF Healthcare Cancer Institute will be a lighthouse for groundbreaking cancer treatment and cancer research for people all across the world.

We also have an unparalleled library system. In learning and innovation  Peoria gets an A.

The second characteristic of a rising city is to be open to newcomers and unorthodox ideas. We are growing in this area.

A recent housing study showed that Peorias warehouse district and downtown areas are becoming big attractions for young people, empty nesters, healthcare professionals, and those wanting to live near the river and urban core amenities.

I have been reading about prospering cities that grew their economies and populations by welcoming immigrants and refugees who worked hard and ultimately prospered and remained in those cities. Today, cities across America and the world are beginning to welcome Ukrainian refugees whose lives have been torn apart because of the war with Russia.

Communities are helping these families to pull their lives back together and to find another home away from home. Many of these refugees bring skills and talents from the daily work they performed in their home country. I would welcome Ukrainian refugee families to Peoria  invite them to fill some of the unfilled jobs we have due to skills gaps; invite them to our places of worship, our social events and our homes.

In our efforts to create a more favorable environment for commerce:

The City recently launched the R.I.S.E. program providing up to $50,000 per company in grant funding for small businesses impacted by the pandemic to support their capital needs.

Another economic driver we are pursuing is passenger rail service from Peoria to Chicago. As part of an IDOT-sponsored feasibility study, a public interest survey was conducted with nearly 95% of 31,200 respondents indicating they would be very likely or somewhat likely to use that service. We will soon share the details of the study and describe the next steps in this process.

The fourth characteristic of a rising city is the offering of a good quality of life for residents.

Peorias housing market remains strong, and our city is nationally acclaimed as one of the most affordable places to live in America.

The Citys new home down payment assistance program will provide homebuyers within Qualifying Census Tracts either $5,000 or up to 10% of the purchase price of a single-family home purchase at or below $125,000. This funding is stackable, meaning it can be combined with other programs for residents to obtain up to $11,000 or more for a down payment on their home.

Our new Land Bank was established last year to return properties to productive use in blighted neighborhoods and create opportunities for public and private investment.

There is no good quality of life in a city without good paying jobs.

OSF Healthcare and UnityPoint Health, combined, have grown to become the areas largest employers and currently have thousands of area job openings.

Caterpillar remains as a stronghold in Peoria employing more than 12,000 people in our region. We dont expect that to change.

Peoria has many good jobs  waiting for people with the right skills to take them.

Safety is a basic quality of life essential. Police Chief Echevarria has initiated several effective anti-violence initiatives focused on those who commit violent crimes:

A multi-agency directed patrol focused on hot spots resulting in numerous arrests, gun confiscations, and stolen vehicles recovered.

Peorias new Police Plus Mental Health Emergency Response Pilot Program will fund mental health counselors responding to 911 domestic situations when the call requires it.

The last characteristic of rising cities is a strong sense of shared community. Peoria, indeed, has this.

We saw it when more than 50 individuals representing 30+ local schools and organizations stepped up last year to say they wanted to be part of the solution to addressing gun violence in Peoria. The Safety Network or S-NET, a system of connected community resources and service providers, will be expanded next month to include residents and neighborhood organizations in hot spot areas throughout the city. The police and the community, working together, is the only way we will sufficiently keep our neighborhoods safe.

Peoria is trending positive in the characteristics of rising cities despite our ever-present challenges. Through bridges of collaboration, Peoria will continue to rise as a Center of Prosperity and Opportunity.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria's State of the City: Strong, resilient and meeting challenges
Almost 800 flights scheduled to operate on Sunday have also been axed, Flight Aware data shows. Getty Images

More than 6,000 flights were canceled and delayed on Friday and Saturday.

Cancellations come after 1,700 flights were axed and 8,800 delayed on Thursday.

Travelers are facing uncertainty over their Juneteenth and Independence Day holiday plans.

Airlines are continuing to cancel thousands of flights this weekend as passengers travel for the Juneteenth holiday on Monday.



Labor shortages, the global fallout from war in Ukraine as well as weather disruptions are all factors in the cancellations.



More than 6,000 flights were canceled or delayed across Friday and Saturday, according to data from flight tracker Flight Aware.



The cancellations come after 1,700 flights were scrapped and 8,800 delays on Thursday within or two and from the US, Flight Aware data shows.



A further 950 flights scheduled to operate on Sunday have also been axed, with American Airlines, Delta, Spring Airlines and China Eastern among the carriers with the most cancellations.



"Air travelers should be able to expect reliable service as demand returns to levels not seen since before the pandemic," the transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, tweeted on Friday.

Many airlines have regularly been axing flights in recent months amid an ongoing labor shortage.

More than 2,500 flights were canceled over the Memorial Day weekend, disrupting travel plans for hundreds of thousands of people.



After the Memorial Day weekend disruption, two senators urged Buttigieg to hold the airlines accountable in an open letter on June 2.



The letter, signed by Democrat senators Richard Blumenthal and Edward Markey, said they understood that airlines were taking measures to recruit more staff. However, they said "thousands of passengers are still turning up at airports only to have their flights canceled at the last minute".



Travelers now face further uncertainty over their Independence Day holiday plans.

On Thursday Delta pilots wrote an open letter indicating they were just as frustrated as passengers by the disruption and said they were "flying a record amount of overtime".

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In May, Delta announced that it was canceling about 100 flights a day in July and August to minimize disruption.

Other airlines including American, which has suspended about 100 regional routes due to a lack of pilots, have been forced to follow suit.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Flashes of what may become a transformative new technology are coursing through a network of optic fibers under Chicago.

Researchers have created one of the worlds largest networks for sharing quantum information  a field of science that depends on paradoxes so strange that Albert Einstein didnt believe them.

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The network, which connects the University of Chicago with Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, is a rudimentary version of what scientists hope someday to become the internet of the future. For now, its opened up to businesses and researchers to test fundamentals of quantum information sharing.

The network was announced this week by the Chicago Quantum Exchange  which also involves Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Northwestern University, the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin.

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People work in the Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility, June 15, 2022, inside the William Eckhardt Research Center at the University of Chicago. The Chicago Quantum Exchange is expanding its quantum network to make it available to more researchers and companies. Quantum computing is a pioneering, secure format said to be hacker-proof and of possible use by banks, the health care industry, and others for secure communications. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

With a $500 million federal investment in recent years and $200 million from the state, Chicago, Urbana-Champaign, and Madison form a leading region for quantum information research.

Why does this matter to the average person? Because quantum information has the potential to help crack currently unsolvable problems, both threaten and protect private information, and lead to breakthroughs in agriculture, medicine and climate change.

While classical computing uses bits of information containing either a 1 or zero, quantum bits, or qubits, are like a coin flipped in the air  they contain both a 1 and zero, to be determined once its observed.

That quality of being in two or more states at once, called superposition, is one of the many paradoxes of quantum mechanics  how particles behave at the atomic and subatomic level. Its also a potentially crucial advantage, because it can handle exponentially more complex problems.

Another key aspect is the property of entanglement, in which qubits separated by great distances can still be correlated, so a measurement in one place reveals a measurement far away.

The newly expanded Chicago network, created in collaboration with Toshiba, distributes particles of light, called photons. Trying to intercept the photons destroys them and the information they contain  making it far more difficult to hack.

The new network allows researchers to push the boundaries of what is currently possible, said University of Chicago professor David Awschalom, director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange.

Fourth-year graduate student Cyrus Zeledon, left, and postdoctoral student Leah Weiss, right, show senior undergraduate Tiarna Wise around one of the quantum science laboratories, June 15, 2022, inside the William Eckhardt Research Center at the University of Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

However, researchers must solve many practical problems before large-scale quantum computing and networking are possible.

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For instance, researchers at Argonne are working on creating a foundry where dependable qubits could be forged. One example is a diamond membrane with tiny pockets to hold and process qubits of information. Researchers at Argonne also have created a qubit by freezing neon to hold a single electron.

Because quantum phenomena are extremely sensitive to any disturbance, they might also be used as tiny sensors for medical or other applications  but theyd also have to be made more durable.

The quantum network was launched at Argonne in 2020, but has now expanded to Hyde Park and opened for use by businesses and researchers to test new communication devices, security protocols and algorithms. Any venture that depends on secure information, such as banks financial records of hospital medical records, would potentially use such a system.

Quantum computers, while in development now, may someday be able to perform far more complex calculations than current computers, such as folding proteins, which could be useful in developing drugs to treat diseases such as Alzheimers.

In addition to driving research, the quantum field is stimulating economic development in the region. A hardware company, EeroQ, announced in January that its moving its headquarters to Chicago. Another local software company, Super.tech, was recently acquired, and several others are starting up in the region.

Because quantum computing could be used to hack into traditional encryption, it has also attracted the bipartisan attention of federal lawmakers. The National Quantum Initiative Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2018 to accelerate quantum development for national security purposes.

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In May, President Joe Biden directed federal agency to migrate to quantum-resistant cryptography on its most critical defense and intelligence systems.

Ironically, basic mathematical problems, such as 5+5=10, are somewhat difficult through quantum computing. Quantum information is likely to be used for high-end applications, while classical computing will likely continue to be practical for many daily uses.

Renowned physicist Einstein famously scoffed at the paradoxes and uncertainties of quantum mechanics, saying that God does not play dice with the universe. But quantum theories have been proven correct in applications from nuclear energy to MRIs.

Stephen Gray, senior scientist at Argonne, who works on algorithms to run on quantum computers, said quantum work is very difficult, and that no one understands it fully.

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But there have been significant developments in the field over the past 30 years, leading to what some scientists jokingly called Quantum 2.0, with practical advances expected over the next decade.

Were betting in the next five to 10 years therell be a true quantum advantage (over classical computing), Gray said. Were not there yet. Some naysayers shake their canes and say its never going to happen. But were positive.

Just as early work on conventional computers eventually led to cellphones, its hard to predict where quantum research will lead, said Brian DeMarco, professor of physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who works with the Chicago Quantum Exchange.

Thats why its an exciting time, he said. The most important applications are yet to be discovered.

rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com
Actor and comedian Robert Smigel performs as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog in the hallways outside the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol hearing in the Cannon House Office Building on June 16, 2022 in Washington, DC Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was at the Capitol with a production team Thursday to record a comedy segment.

The team was found unescorted in the Longworth House Office Building and detained by Capitol police.

"Their interviews at the Capitol were authorized and pre-arranged," said a statement from CBS.

Actor and comedian Robert Smigel, best known for his role puppeteering Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, along with six other staffers from "The Late Show" with Stephen Colbert were arrested Thursday at the US Capitol for illegal entry.

The group of seven staffers were on the Capitol grounds Wednesday and Thursday filming interviews for an upcoming comedy segment on "The Late Show," according to a statement from CBS provided to Insider, when they were detained.

"Their interviews at the Capitol were authorized and pre-arranged through Congressional aides of the members interviewed," read the statement from CBS.

US Capitol Police said in a statement to Insider that upon responding to a call about a disturbance, officers saw the individuals, unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway of the Longworth House Office Building.

"The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day," read a statement by the US Capitol Police public information officer, who confirmed the group was charged with unlawful entry.

Smigel, as well as other members of the detained group, did not respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was originally a character on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," and has been appearing intermittently on Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show" since 2016.

"This is an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges after consultation with the U.S. Attorney," read a statement by the US Capitol Police public information officer.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Donald Trump on Friday fired back at the House select committee investigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

"There's no clearer example of the menacing spirit that has devoured the American left than the disgraceful performance being staged by the unselect committee," Trump said at a conference hosted by the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Nashville, Tennessee.

"They're con people," Trump continued. "They're con artists."

The committee has held three of the seven public hearings scheduled for this month, laying out what it says was a "sophisticated, seven-part plan" by Trump and his supporters to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

Trump was well aware of the fact that he lost, the committee argued, using testimony from members of his inner circle. But he moved ahead anyway with an illegal plot to remain in power and raised millions of dollars in the process of pushing the "big lie" that he was the real winner.

Former Attorney General Bill Barr told the committee in a taped deposition that Trump's claims of election fraud were "bull----." Ivanka Trump, also previously deposed by the panel, said she agreed with Barr's conclusion that the election was not stolen.

Trump -- who already dismissed his daughter's testimony -- on Friday accused the committee of taking the taped depositions out of context.

"The committee refuses to play any of the tape of people saying the good things, the things that we want to hear," he said. "It's a one-way street. It's a rigged deal."

Trump also slammed Republicans who crossed him and sit on the committee: Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Road to Majority conference, June 17, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (Mark Humphrey/AP)

The latest hearing on Thursday zeroed in on the intense pressure Trump and others heaped on then-Vice President Mike Pence to single-handedly reject state electors and block the congressional certification of Biden's win.

The pressure campaign put Pence in danger, lawmakers and witnesses said, with the vice president forced to hide underground for more than four hours after coming within 40 feet of the mob of rioters at the Capitol.

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MORE: Jan. 6 hearing told Trump knew plan to pressure Pence was illegal, went ahead anyway

When Pence refused to follow Trump's plan, a "heated" phone call ensued the morning of Jan. 6, Ivanka Trump and other witnesses told the committee. One Trump aide in the Oval Office at the time recalled Trump mockingly referring to Pence as a "wimp."

Trump said Friday he never called Pence a "wimp" but continued to badger his vice president for not sending election results back to state legislatures, something both Trump and Pence were advised repeatedly was illegal, according to testimony given at the Jan. 6 committee hearings.

"Mike did not have the courage to act," Trump said, likening him to a "robot" and "human conveyor belt" for following the advice of those who said he didn't have the authority to reject state electors.

Former Pence attorney Greg Jacob and former federal judge Michael Luttig explained to the committee for hours Thursday their assessments that the vice president did not have the authority to do what Trump was asking. Luttig warned that if Pence had followed through with it, it would've plunged the nation into a constitutional crisis.

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Road to Majority conference, June 17, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (Mark Humphrey/AP)

Trump on Friday continued to air false, baseless claims about the 2020 election, telling the crowd he didn't believe he lost despite being defeated in both the Electoral College and the popular vote, as well as losing scores of lawsuits challenging election results.

The ex-president also touted the number of people at his rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, calling it the largest group he's ever spoken in front of and describing an atmosphere of "unbelievable love and patriotism."

MORE: Trump boasted of crowd size at Jan. 6 riot, new book says

Trump even went so far as to weigh whether his Jan. 6 speech drew as many people as the famous "I Have A Dream" speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963.

The House committee has used footage from the Ellipse speech in multiple hearings to bolster its assertions that Trump was pressuring Pence to overturn the election and encouraging his supporters to go march to the Capitol.

On Friday, Trump also teased a potential 2024 run for president, pledging that if he were elected again he would consider delivering pardons to those prosecuted for their involvement in the insurrection -- which Trump described as "a simple protest" that "got out of hand."

"Most people should not be treated the way they're being treated," Trump said.

Trump fires back at Jan. 6 committee, calls hearings 'disgraceful performance' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Migrants walk near the Pournara migrant reception camp in Kokkinotrimithia, Cyprus, on the outskirts of the capital, Nicosia, on April 18. (Petros Karadjias / Associated Press)

Breakaway Turkish Cypriots on ethnically divided Cyprus must do their share to stem migrant arrivals, a senior European Union official said Saturday, as the number of asylum seekers has shot up significantly this year.

European Commission Vice President Margharitis Schinas said Turkish Cypriot authorities should also be held accountable for curbing migrant arrivals.

We wont let the Turkish Cypriot community to consider itself neutral in what is going on, Schinas said after visiting upgraded facilities at the Pournara migrant reception camp outside Nicosia, the capital. They must also assume their share of responsibility, and well find a way to remind them.

Cyprus was split along ethnic lines in 1974, when Turkey invaded after a coup aimed at uniting with Greece.

Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence. Cypriot government authorities say the overwhelming majority of migrant arrivals occur via Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot north through a loosely regulated student visa system.

Thousands then cross a porous United Nations-controlled buffer zone to seek asylum in the Greek Cypriot south, where the internationally recognized government is seated. Although Turkish Cypriots receive EU funding, only the south enjoys full membership benefits.

Schinas said EU Commissioner Elisa Ferreira will hold meetings in Cyprus next month to explore ways of handling the issue. He said Turkey has demonstrated a willingness to help ease the number of migrants arriving in Cyprus.

The EU will also help Cypriot authorities bolster monitoring and surveillance of the buffer zone to deter crossings in a way that is compatible with EU law, since the 110-mile-long area is not a formal border, Schinas said.

Cyprus Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said the number of asylum seekers doubled to 10,000 in the first five months of this year compared with the same period in 2021, noting that they make up an EU high of 5% of Cyprus population of 915,000 in the south.

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He said that Cypriot authorities are working with the EU to facilitate the return of asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected as well as more funding from the 27-nation bloc, amounting to 72 million euros  about $75.5 million  to build a new migrant reception center.

Although overcrowding at the Pournara center has been greatly alleviated in recent months, a 27-year-old Nigerian, Miracle Chidiebera, said theres still plenty of anger among migrants over what he said is a chronic lack of water, poor food and congested facilities.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Clashes between youths and police left two dead in Senegal's capital Dakar on Friday as officers blocked off access to the home of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko.

Three opposition figures -- Dethie Fall, Ahmet Aidara and Mame Diarra Fame -- were also arrested, Sonko's PASTEF party spokesman, Ousseynou Ly, said.

The police action came after Sonko called for protests at a time when the country is in the grip of pre-election tension.

Roads leading to his property in an upmarket district of Dakar were closed off by barricades and police in anti-riot gear. Supporters who tried to get near the building were firmly told to turn back, AFP reporters saw.

At midday, police prevented Sonko from going to Friday prayers.

He said he did not personally blame the police officers who were ordered to block him into his home but accused authorities of giving in to "panic".

Ly added that Dakar's mayor Barthelemy Dias was also prevented from leaving his home.

Sonko, who came third in the 2019 presidential election, had called for a protest on Friday against a decision to bar a list of candidates for Senegal's legislative elections on July 31.

The move also bans him and other opposition figures from contesting the ballot.

Police fired teargas at youths and used stun grenades to disperse stone-throwing groups of protesters in a number of Dakar neighbourhoods.

They prevented demonstrators from reaching the city centre with the support of armoured vehicles.

The violence in Dakar left one person dead when a projectile set fire to a depot, a Red Cross official said on condition of anonymity.

The opposition accused the security forces of firing live rounds in the southern region of Casamance, where media reports and the opposition reported a second death in the town of Bignona.

The authorities have not provided confirmation of the deaths or of the arrest of the three opposition figures.

Some figures have appealed for dialogue. They pointed out that around a dozen people died when violence erupted in March last year after Sonko was accused of sexual assault.

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- Stalemate -

Neither the authorities nor the opposition have shown a willingness to compromise. Political analysts generally describe the situation as a stalemate.

The candidates' list, put forward by an opposition coalition called Yewwi Askan Wi, was scratched on the orders of the interior ministry on technical grounds.

One of the names on the list had been accidentally put down both as a first-choice candidate and as an alternate candidate.

The country's highest court, the Constitutional Council, confirmed the ministry's decision.

Senegal has a reputation as a beacon of stability in West Africa, where political turbulence is common.

The parliament has 165 seats. Of these, 53 are chosen on the basis of national lists and 97 on the basis of a majority vote among the country's departments. Fifteen are chosen by the Senegalese diaspora.

The ban on Yewwi Askan Wi's list applies specifically to first-choice candidates for seats contested by national lists. The coalition can still compete using alternate candidates.

Sonko says the bar is the result of political interference, a charge rejected by the government.

Two other prominent opponents of President Macky Sall -- former Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall, who is not related to the head of state, and former minister Karim Wade, the son of an ex-president -- have seen their political careers truncated by legal cases.

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LAUSD school board president Kelly Gonez will likely head to a runoff against teacher Marvin Rodriguez in district 6 this November  a surprising outcome for the five year board member who was backed by the powerful Los Angeles teachers union.

Maria Brenes and Rocio Rivas will also likely head to a runoff for the district 2 seat on the seven-member board.

As an LAUSD teacher, Rodriguez has taken votes from Gonez because he had credibility as someone who knows the system from the inside. Teachers have a lot of sway with the public right now, said Pedro Noguera, Dean of USC Rossiers School of Education.

Gonez, the board member for the East Valley and the frontrunner heading into the election; has led the board on crucial decisions, including pandemic recovery and expanding school choice. I have a track record of successfully fighting for our students and delivering for our community , she said. I thoroughly understand what the position entails.

Gonez was endorsed by both the United Teachers Los Angeles union and charter advocates, but as of Friday her vote count hovered at 47.64%. She must receive more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff.

I think this election was really framed by the issues during the pandemic. Voters top priorities right now are education and public safety and we had a teacher and a police officer on the ballot in district 6, said Ana Ponce, the executive director of the non-profit Great Public Schools Now.

Jess Arana, a police officer and the third candidate running in district 6, received 21.1% of the vote, which Ponce said also likely contributed to Gonez not winning the primary.

Unlike my opponent  I have the unique perspective of my community and share their experiences  My direct experience with students makes me more qualified to make decisions on their safety and success, Rodriguez said.

There are still hundreds of thousands of ballots left to be counted. The results in district 2, which covers most of East Los Angeles, also took an unexpected turn. The two frontrunners, Rivas and Brenes, will vie for the open seat in their district in the fall.

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While a runoff was expected between the two, Rivas surprisingly pulled ahead of Brenes. Rivas collected over 43.84% of the vote, while Brenes gained just over 30%.

The two candidates are very similar on the issues, so you cant draw a stark contrast between them, Noguera said. Rivas and Brenes both prioritize pandemic recovery and expanding opportunities for historically underserved communities in their district. That race is going to be a question of name recognition and getting the word out  who can mobilize more voters? said Noguera.

Rivas is backed by the teachers union, while Brenes is backed by the Service Employees International Union. Brenes also was endorsed by the Los Angeles Times, which Noguera said gave her a boost with voters as well.

The teachers union launched an independent campaign for Rivas, spending more than $772,000, while Local 99 of the Services Employees International Union, which represents employees like bus drivers and janitors, doled out almost $900,000 on an independent campaign for Brenes.

The other two competitors in district 2, who had no big union backings, will not advance to the runoff. Miguel Segura, a substitute teacher received 17.8% of votes and Erica Vilardi Espinosa, a parent in Los Feliz, received just 7.8%.

There are still ballots left to be counted, but as anticipated incumbent Nick Melvoin will keep his seat in district 4.

Melvoin received almost 60% of votes in his district which covers some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, including Hancock Park and the Pacific Palisades, as well as parts of the San Fernando Valley.

The fact that Melvoin won shows that a lot of concerns that people had about him four years ago when he ran have gone away. They see him as a credible board member who is really taking action, Noguera said.

Melvoin went up against two lesser known candidates  Tracey Schroeder, an LAUSD teacher who received 26.3% of the votes, and Gentille Barkhordarian, a parent who received 13.9%.

According to the LA Times, Melvoin spent more than $550,000 on his campaign and he received an additional $1.6 million from retired businessman, Bill Bloomfield. Four years ago, Melvoin raised hundreds of thousands in order to defeat incumbent Steve Zimmer.

Melvoin was previously an attorney and a school teacher. He has helped increase internet access during the pandemic and was one of the leading members in efforts to recruit Superintendent Carvalho to Los Angeles.

Melvoin said that his first priority now that hes been elected is to help students recover academically and emotionally from the pandemic.

Melvoin is willing to make difficult decisions when it comes to making sure the focus is on students and recovery and safety  hes shown bold leadership on the board, Ponce said.

Ballots will continue to be counted and results will be updated every Friday and Tuesday until July 1. The necessary runoffs will take place on Tuesday November 8, 2022.

In the primary, voter turnout was extremely low. Only about 25% of LA Countys registered voters cast ballots, according to USCs Center for Inclusive Democracy. This was just a bit lower than state voter turnout, which came in around 26%. In midterm years without a presidential election, voter turnout is historically lower, said Noguera. Ponce also attributed the low voter turnout to voter literacy and complicated ballots.

I heard from a lot of voters that the ballot was confusing  I think we really need to focus on making sure folks are equipped to participate in the democratic process come fall, Ponce said. She said that the low voter turnout in the primary could be contributing to unexpected results that might change if more people show up to vote in November.
ROMAN PETRENKO  SATURDAY, 18 JUNE 2022, 14:52

The artillerymen of the 81st Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of Ukraine destroyed one tank and two infantry fighting vehicles of the Russian occupiers and killed their crew.

Source: Air Assault Forces of Ukraine

Details: The video shows the successful work of artillerymen of the 81st Airmobile Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which destroyed Rusisct equipment and killed their crew members using British M777 155mm towed field howitzers.

In particular, one tank and two infantry fighting vehicles belonging to the Russian occupiers were turned into scrap metal, and their crews killed.

Background:

The National Guard's air reconnaissance detected the invaders equipment and gave the coordinates to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who then hit three multi-purpose light-armoured towing vehicles, disabling one of them.
Faina Gallery at the exhibition Design Miami/Basel in Basel, Switzerland

The Ukrainian designs were presented for the first time at the prestigious design exhibition in Basel, Switzerland. Faina Gallery brand designer Victoria Yakusha called her exposition Stepping on Ukrainian Land.

For us, land has never been just a territory, Yakusha said.

The land itself is somewhat sacred. This is what we get our strength from. After the start of the war, many told me that they felt the power of their ancestors, the power of the earth, but did not understand how and where it came from.

The central element of the Stepping on the Ukrainian land presentation was a two-meter tapestry called Zemlia (earth in Ukrainian). It symbolizes the earth and is woven from Carpathian wool. Its texture is designed to echo the texture of Ukraines famous black soil. The long strands on the tapestry symbolize connection with the earth. The tapestry was created in accordance with the tradition of Hutsul lizhnykarstvo, with the designer's adaptations.

Along with the tapestry, a series of rough Volyky animal-shaped benches and some massive Duzhyi chairs were presented as well.

As Yakusha noted, each item was produced in Ukraine during the war.
A Uvalde police officer armed with an AR-15 hesitated and missed a critical chance to shoot gunman Salvador Ramos before he entered the school killing 21 innocent students and staff, according to a damning new report.

Zavala County Chief Deputy Sheriff Ricardo Rios told the New York Times that two Uvalde police officers arrived on the scene of the shooting at Robb Elementary School moments after the gunman crashed his car and opened fire outside the building.

One of the officers was armed with a rifle but did not take a shot at the gunman because they feared hitting children playing outside in the line of fire.

This revelation indicates that there were at least two points where officers could have stopped Ramos before he entered the building and embarked on his massacre  but that law enforcement failed in both instances.

Officials said previously that a school district police officer mistakenly drove past the gunman while he was still in the parking lot.

Instead, Ramos was able to enter the school where he shot dead 19 students and two heroic teachers.

A staggering 77 minutes would then pass before law enforcement finally entered a barricaded classroom filled with dying victims and shot the gunman dead.

At 11.29am on 24 May, the first 911 call was made reporting a gunman shooting outside the school building and a vehicle crashed nearby.

By 11.32am, two police cars had arrived on the scene  one driven by the school police officer and the other by the two unnamed Uvalde police officers, reported the New York Times.

At that time, Ramos was still outside the school, shooting at the building and across the street at a local funeral home.

Chief Deputy Rios told the newspaper that the gunman engaged the two Uvalde officers who then took cover behind a patrol car.

He said that the officer with the AR-15 told him he wanted to return fire but in the background there was kids playing and they were scared of hitting the kids.

The opportunity to take out the gunman passed by in a matter of seconds.

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A mourner at a makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The chief deputy sheriff said he was not bashing the officer, saying it would have been difficult to strike the moving gunman and avoid shooting a bystander  possibly a small child.

However, the new details raise more pointed questions about the bungled police response to the deadliest shooting in a US elementary school since Sandy Hook in 2012.

Law enforcement officers waited one hour and 17 minutes from the time the shooting started inside the school at 11.33am before a Border Patrol tactical unit stormed the classroom and shot Ramos dead at 12.50pm.

During that time, terrified students called 911 from inside the room begging for help and desperate parents tried to storm the building themselves after growing irate with the police delay.

The significant time lapse may well have cost lives as it emerged that more than a dozen of the 33 children and three teachers trapped inside the two adjoining classrooms were still alive during that time.

One teacher died in an ambulance on the way to hospital while three of the children died after reaching hospitals.

At least three separate investigations have been launched into law enforcements handling of the situation, including by the Texas Rangers, the US Justice Department and a special committee of the Texas Legislature.

The city of Uvalde and its police department have stopped releasing information about the massacre to the public and is fighting public records requests made by several media organisations for the likes of 911 calls and bodycam.

Law enforcement on the scene of the shooting on 24 May (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Last week, Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo  who was in charge of the response that day  broke his silence in an interview with The Texas Tribune where he claimed he did not know he was the top officer on the scene.

The 24 May massacre at Uvalde came just 10 days after 10 Black people were shot dead by a self-proclaimed white supremacist in a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.

In both shootings, the 18-year-old suspects used semi-automatic rifles.

The recent massacres have reignited calls for lawmakers to tighten gun regulations to stop more families from being torn apart by the nations growing numbers of mass shootings.

This week, a bipartisan group of senators said they had reached a deal on a package of narrow gun safety measures.

The deal includes expanding background checks for people aged 18 to 21 and more money for school safety and mental health resources.

However, it does not include a ban on assault weapons like many are calling for, after high capacity rifles were used in the recent attacks to kill multiple people.
Jun. 17PARIS  The West Paris fire chief has been placed on unpaid administrative leave following his arrest last week on a single charge of domestic violence assault.

Michael E. Henderson, 35, of 259 Bethel Road, was placed on leave Saturday, according to Town Manager Joy Downing.

A longtime member of the West Paris Fire Department, Henderson has spent most of his time there as a firefighter, but served as a lieutenant in 2011 and 2012, and again in 2019, according to town reports from those years. In 2021, he was appointed acting deputy chief and promoted to chief earlier this year, taking over from Troy Billings.

According to Oxford County Jail records, Henderson was charged at 12:59 a.m. Saturday, June 11, in West Paris. He was placed on leave later that day.

He was released Saturday on personal recognizance. The jail does not have a record of the date of his initial appearance in court.

Domestic violence assault is a Class D crime, punishable by up to $2,000 in fines and 364 days in jail.

According to the Maine State Bureau of Identification, Henderson has no criminal history.

Kevin Davis has been named acting fire chief in West Paris.
(Bloomberg) --

Most Read from Bloomberg

Italy is in the depths of one of its worst droughts, with the countrys largest river, the Po, hitting its lowest level in 70 years, threatening crops and raising the specter of power outages.

While much of Europe has had drier-than-average conditions this year, northern Italys Po valley is the worst hit, according to the JRC Global Drought Observatory. Several months without rains and an earlier-than-usual halt in flows from melting snow in the western Alps have made large swaths of the river bed visible  so much so that a German tank from World War II resurfaced recently.

With water sources depleting, Italian hydroelectric reservoir levels are at historic lows. The production of hydroelectric power, which usually supplies 15% of the countrys needs, is down 50% so far this year from 2021. Compounding the regions woes, the Adriatic sea has entered into the Po delta for at least 10 kilometers, threatening farm lands and raising the risk of salty water in taps. Northern Italian towns are rationing water and supplying it in trucks as they face a potential drinking-water shortage.

The drought may bring significant economic pain. The Po river, which flows from west to east in northern Italy, is a lifeline for such major industrial centers as Milan and Turin  home to the maker of Fiat cars and steel pipes manufacturer Tenaris SA. Lombardy and Piedmont, the regions where the cities sit, are also big agricultural producers, accounting for 93% of Italys rice production. With water availability more than halving in east Piedmont, this years crop is under threat, local farmers say.

The situation is dramatic for some crops, said Ercole Zuccaro, director of Piedmonts farm-industry association Confagricoltura. Climate change is obvious here. Long periods of drought are interrupted by severe weather.

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The association estimates forage, barley and grain crops will be down 30% to 40% this year, with repercussions for livestock, which will have to be slaughtered for meat earlier than expected. It will aggravate the surge in food prices for consumers and in production costs for farmers. Production of hazelnuts and wine could be affected too, Zuccaro said. Piedmont is Italys largest producer of hazelnuts. Grape harvesting will probably be lower than usual, he said.

The heat waves in Europe and the US are being monitored closely after global grain supplies suffered from erratic weather worldwide and as Russias invasion of Ukraine choked shipments from one of the worlds top exporters. Spain recorded unusual temperatures for June of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for the second time in a month.

Also Read: Russia's War Is Redrawing the $120 Billion Global Grain Trade Europe Heat Wave Creeping North Leaves Record Highs in Its Wake

Over a quarter of Italys territory in the south and the north is currently at risk of desertification after months with barely any rainfall, according to the national farmers association, Coldiretti. The group expects a 2 billion-euro ($2.1 billion) loss for Italian farmers from the failure of crops including wheat, corn and sunflower.

Its a disaster not to have water for agriculture in a year fertilizer prices have tripled and gasoline prices have spiked too, Piedmont President Alberto Cirio said on Friday on SkyTG24 TV.

The scorching heat is also unleashing millions of grasshoppers, which are devastating 30 thousand hectares of crops in Sardinia at a time when Italy needs to maximize production to cope with the effects of the war in Ukraine, Coldiretti said.

Meanwhile, power companies are being pressured to release water from their already record-low hydroelectric reservoirs to ease the pain of farmers and other consumers, exacerbating an emerging energy crisis.

Edison SpA said it will release water from its dams for 10 days. A2a SpA has also been releasing water from its reservoirs in the Lombardy Alps, which it had expected to use for power production later in the year.

The pressure on home-grown power production comes as Russia is cutting gas supplies to Europe. Eni SpA said Friday it only received half of the gas requested from Gazprom PJSC, the third day in a row its demand wasnt met.

The increasingly acute shortage of water is also threatening to hurt tourism as hundreds of northern Italian towns ration water for non essential uses. The mayor of the thermal town of SantOmobono Terme in Lombardy told la Repubblica hes worried about tourist arrivals if the water rationing persists.

Some mayors in Piedmont have suspended water supply at night and water trucks have been sent to supply local tanks. Water rationing could continue through the summer, Piedmont President Cirio said.

The other emergency is water for civil uses as groundwater is drying up and drinking water for a lot of towns is at risk, he said.

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Federal charges were filed Friday against a 19-year-old man accused of opening fire on a team of officers trying to execute a warrant for his arrest, wounding a U.S. Marshals Office inspector and his police dog.

Tarrion Johnson, of the 4200 block of West Cullerton Avenue, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court with assault of a federal marshal with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

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The firearm discharge count carries a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a maximum of life behind bars if convicted, while the assault charge is punishable by up to 20 years.

U.S. Marshals officers stand outside of MedVet veterinarian hospital in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood after reports of a U.S. marshal being shot in the hand and a K-9 being shot in the 5200 block of West Belmont Avenue on June 2, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Johnson is already facing attempted murder charges in Cook County stemming from the same incident and is currently being held without bail in Cook County Jail. He will be brought to federal court to face the charges sometime next week, according to the U.S. attorneys office.

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The shooting occurred at about 1:20 p.m. June 2 at a building in the 5200 block of West Belmont Avenue, where Chicago police and members of the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force were attempting to arrest Johnson on a warrant for a separate attempted murder and attempted robbery case, according to police and prosecutors.

After confirming Johnson was inside, the team breached the door to the residence, where Johnson allegedly retreated to a bedroom and grabbed a gun, according to the charges.

One of the officers yelled, Gun! and fired one shot as Johnson sprinted back into a bedroom, according to the charges. Johnson then fired at least three shots from the bedroom window, striking the marshal and his dog, who were in the alley on the west side of the building.

Bodycam footage from the officers at the scene showed Johnson run back into the living room and shoot at a Chicago police officer, striking the officer in his ballistic shield, according to the charges. The officer returned fire and Johnson ran from the building, where he was arrested.

The U.S. marshal was grazed in the hand and at least one shot pierced a bullet-resistant vest, placing stress on the officers chest, prosecutors said, while Johnsons police dog was shot in the right shoulder.

The dogs condition was critical at first, but has stabilized, though more surgeries may be needed, prosecutors said.

Police recovered a 9 mm handgun and several spent casings from the scene, prosecutors said.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
Lights on a police car. Oliver Helbig/Getty Images

A man who claimed to be an "off-duty trooper" was charged with a hate crime following a racist road rage incident.

The man, identified by police as William J. Ryan, was arrested on charges of Menacing Second Degree as a Hate Crime.

Robert McLymore, a lieutenant and pastor, said Ryan yelled racial slurs and threatened to "cut" him with a boxcutter.

A New York man has been charged with a hate crime following a racist road rage incident that was caught on camera.

The man, identified by police as 60-year-old William J. Ryan, claimed to be an "off-duty trooper" in Newburgh on June 11 when he intercepted Robert McLymore and his 18-year-old son, hurling racist slurs at the pair, who are Black.

"I'm an off-duty trooper, you fucking stupid n---er," Ryan said to McLymore, according to a video of the incident. "You'll never be white! You'll never be white!"

McLymore, a pastor as well as a lieutenant with the Town of Wallkill Police Department, told CNN the encounter began when a man, later identified by police as Ryan, driving a red truck got angry and sped around him after McLymore slowed his car to let another car pass him.

When McLymore pulled up next to Ryan to ask him about the altercation, Ryan said, "I thought you were letting me go in front of you," and then began to yell at McLymore and his son, CNN reported, citing a police report of the incident.

"He parked his car and began walking up to mine with a box cutter. He yells to me 'I'll cut you, you fucking n---er," McLymore told CNN, adding that this was before he pulled out his phone and started recording. He tried to deescalate the situation by driving away and parking in a parking lot, but Ryan followed him, he told the outlet.

Ryan allegedly accosted McLymore a second and a third time over the course of about 15 minutes, CNN reported. During the final altercation, Ryan again approached the vehicle and threatened to stab McLymore while wielding a sharp weapon. CNN has seen a video of the incident, the outlet reported.

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"I was in shock. I couldn't believe it was happening to me, and I've lived here for 45 years," McLymore told the outlet. "Nothing like this has ever happened."

A spokesperson for the New York State Police told CNN that Ryan is not a New York state trooper and is not affiliated with "any law enforcement agencies."

According to a press release from the Newburgh Police Department, Ryan was arrested for Menacing Second Degree as a Hate Crime, which is a Class E felony.

"Mr. Ryan will be held accountable for his criminal actions and deplorable speech," chief Anthony Geraci said. "His racist threats were not only harmful to the victim in this case, but echoes deep within our City."

McLymore shared the arrest on his Facebook page for his church.

"Although there was an arrest made, Just give me a minute to recoup!! And no I'm not ok but I'll be better with God's strength! I still need to process," McLymore said on Facebook.

CNN reported that Ryan pleaded not guilty during his arrangement. Insider was not able to reach Ryan's attorney on Saturday.

Read the original article on Insider
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Overturning its predecessors assessment, South Koreas new conservative government said Thursday there is no evidence that a South Korean official slain by North Korea near the rivals disputed sea boundary in 2020 had intended to defect to the North.

The killing of the fisheries official has been a major source of domestic divide in South Korea, with conservatives accusing then-President Moon Jae-in's liberal government of failing to strongly respond to North Korea in the hopes of better ties. About a week after his killing, South Korean officials announced the man had gambling debts and swam to resettle in the North.

Disclosing confidential South Korean documents about the mans death was a campaign promise by current President Yoon Suk Yeol, who won the March 9 election on the platform of taking a tougher stance on North Korean provocations.

On Thursday, coast guard and Defense Ministry officials said in a joint news conference that they havent found any evidence showing the official attempted to defect to North Korea voluntarily.

Yoon Hyeong-jin, director of the South Korean Defense Ministry's policy planning division, said that causing public confusion by suspecting the fisheries official tried to defect and failing to fully disclose related information to the people was regrettable."

Senior coast guard officer Park Sang-chun said authorities have suspended an investigation on the unidentified North Korean soldier who allegedly killed the official, and plan to disclose relevant information on the incident.

Yoons presidential office separately said Thursday itll withdraw the Moon governments appeal to a court ruling that ordered the disclosure of some government documents on the mans death.

In September 2020, South Korea accused North Korea of fatally shooting the fisheries official before setting his body on fire, apparently in line with its tough anti-coronavirus measures. South Korean officials said the 47-year-old had disappeared from a government ship that was checking on unauthorized fishing in the area.

Moons government had sharply condemned the Norths action initially, but its criticism eased gradually after receiving a North Korean message that it said contained leader Kim Jong Un's apology over the case.

According to the North Korean message disclosed by South Korea, the North shot the official because he attempted to flee after refusing to answer questions and that it burned the object he was floating on, not his body.

To resolve some discrepancies, Moons government proposed a joint probe, but the North has ignored it.

During a parliamentary committee meeting at the time, then-South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook said they believed the official was attempting to defect because he left his shoes on the ship, put on a life jacket and boarded a floating object. The coast guard later said he swam against unfavorable currents with the help of a life jacket and a floatation device and conveyed his intention of resettling in North Korea.

At the conference Thursday, Yoon said, I can clearly tell you that there is circumstantial evidence that North Koreas military fatally shot one of our nationals and burned his body.

The statement comes amid heightened animosities over North Koreas series of missile and other weapons tests this year. South Korean officials also said the North has completed preparations for its first nuclear test in about five years.

North Korea hasnt immediately responded to the new South Korean assessment on the dead official, but its state-run Uriminzokkiri website on Thursday launched insults at Yoon, calling him an idiot and a pro-U.S. flunkeyism maniac over reports that he suggested an English name for a new Seoul park.

North Korea has a reputation for attacking U.S., South Korean and other foreign leaders with bombastic and derogatory rhetoric.

Yoon has offered an audacious plan to improve North Koreas economy if it abandons its nuclear program. North Korea has previously rejected similar overtures by some of Yoons predecessors that linked support plans to North Koreas denuclearization.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Laura Ganapini, Supply Chain Manager at both Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital and Methodist Womens Hospital, proudly serves as an Employee Ambassador and Volunteer for the Jennie Edmundson Foundation. As an Employee Ambassador, I work to encourage other employees to get involved in Foundation events. Employees take an active role in marketing, creating auction baskets, and volunteering when and where needed, said Ganapini.

The employees at Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital really enjoy getting involved with events like Wheels of Courage and Spirit of Courage, Laura added. Its rewarding to be able to support our patients, volunteers, and staff by raising money for the Charitable Patient Care fund, not to mention its being a fun way to give back and make a difference.

Wheels of Courage, founded in 2015 by employees from Council Bluffs Public Works, is an annual fundraising event sponsored by Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital in support of cancer patients seeking treatment at Jennie Ed. Funds raised during the event benefit the Jennie Edmundson Foundation Spirit of Courage Charitable Patient Care fund, which helps cancer patients in covering expenses associated with diagnosis and treatment, as well as incidental expenses such as transportation costs, hotel expenses, medications, utility assistance, and groceries.

This years 2022 Wheels of Courage event will take place at Quaker Steak and Lube, 3320 Mid America Drive, on Saturday, June 25. Please come join us for some fun in the sun as we help to support those in our community facing one of lifes most difficult challenges.

For more information, please visit www.jehfoundation.org or call 712-396-6040.
Yep, its almost officially summer and hot weather is here for the next several months. While we, as humans, have fairly simple ways to beat the heat, its important for pet owners to recognize the signs if their fur-kids are getting too hot.

Heat stroke is a term commonly used for hyperthermia or elevated body temperature. Typically, if a pets body temperature exceeds 103 degrees Fahrenheit, it is considered abnormal or hyperthermic. A body temperature above 106 degrees (and without previous signs of illness) is associated with exposure to excessive external or environmental heat and would be considered heat stroke. Take note, the critical temperature where a pet can experience organ failure and death can occur between 107 to 109 degrees.

We most associate dogs as suffering from heat stroke, as they are the ones going for walks or taking hikes in potentially hot temperatures. Dogs are the ones left outside, often kenneled or chained, in the hot sun with no way to find shade. Dogs are the ones taken for car rides and, knowingly or unknowingly left inside the car as owners run a quick errand, not realizing how quickly their vehicle can heat up.

Its important to recognize the signs to look for in dogs who might be suffering from heatstroke. They may have elevated breathing rates, dry or sticky gums, abnormal gum color or bruising in the gums. They also may appear lethargic or disoriented and can have seizures. Dogs dont sweat the same way people do, meaning they cant control their body temperature by sweating through the skin since they only have a small number of sweat glands located in their footpads. A canines primary way of regulating body temperature is by panting. Sometimes pure genetics can make a dog more prone to suffering heat stroke. Dogs with a restricted airway such as brachycephalic breeds (flat-faced dogs such as pugs, boxers, and bulldogs) are at greater risk. In these breeds, clinical signs of heat stroke can occur when the outside temperature and humidity are only moderately elevated.

While not as common, cats can also succumb to heat stroke. The signs are not as clear but can include restless behavior as your cat paces searching to find a cool spot, panting, drooling, sweaty feet, rapid pulse and breathing, redness of the tongue and mouth, vomiting, lethargy, stumbling, staggering gait and a rectal temperature over 105 degrees Fahrenheit. If no intervention is done, the body temperature can be high enough to cause the cat to collapse, have seizures or slip into a coma.

Heat stroke must be taken seriously. Safe, controlled reduction of body temperature is a priority. Cool water (not cold) can be poured over the head, stomach, armpits and feet, or cool cloths applied to these areas. If using cool wet cloths, these should be continually replaced, or they will start to retain heat. Ensure a continuous flow of air across your pet to help increase evaporative heat loss until treatment is rendered at your veterinary hospital. Rectal temperature should be monitored and treatment discontinued once the pet shows signs of recovery, or the temperature has fallen to 103 degrees Fahrenheit. If cooling is not stopped, the pet could develop hypothermia, which is the exact opposite and means your pet has a dangerously low body temperature.

Any long-term damage from suffered from heat stroke depends on how high the body temperature elevated, how long the hyperthermia persisted and what the physical condition of the pet was prior to the heat stroke. If the body temperature did not become extremely high, most healthy pets will recover quickly if treated immediately. Some pets may experience permanent organ damage or may die at a later date from complications that developed secondarily to the hyperthermia.

MHS Pets of the Week are brought to you by Iowa Western Community College: Daphne is a 6-year-old spayed female Pitbull mix. This darling girl just cant get enough attention. She came to us from an over-crowded home and has lived with dogs, cats, and small animals. She suffers from some skin issues/allergies, but with treatment shes received while at MHS, she is much improved. She will need ongoing care, so adopter must be willing to manage her skin needs with their veterinarian. Debra is a 12-year-old spayed female domestic short hair who is also front declawed. Debra arrived to MHS as an owner surrender at the beginning of April. Her previous owner described her as independent and fearful, which is still accurate here at the shelter, but is getting much more comfortable and now enjoys some attention from staff and volunteers. Debra has previously lived with dogs and cats and did well with them. Creed is a 1-year-old Border Collie/Siberian Husky mix. Creed is a highly intelligent young man with a lot of energy who is looking for someone with lots of time to brush his luxurious coat and keep him busy! Creed loves to lounge anywhere comfortable, but can also be a great walking partner. He does do a lot of talking to other dogs and people and is especially vocal if hes excited or bored. Creed is selective with the dogs he chooses to be friends with, and he needs a minute to warm up to strangers. Due to his activity and noise level, he would not do well in an apartment setting. Ricky is a 1.5-year-old neutered male domestic short hair who was surrendered to MHS in late May. His previous owners described him as friendly, playful and active, who has successfully lived with other cats, dogs and children. We hope one of these features pets sounds like the perfect match for you.

Check out our website at www.midlandshumanesociety.org/adopt to see other adoptable pets. MHS is open Tuesday-Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are closed the third Wednesday each month for trainings, meetings and deep cleaning.

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Algeria, which is sequestering the populations of the Tindouf camps on its own territory, is thus violating the very foundations and bases of international humanitarian law.

The remarks were made by Moroccos Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Omar Kadiri, during a debate of the Executive Board of the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), held in the presence of the Executive Director of UNICEF, Catherine Russell.

Omar Kadiri took the floor to respond to the Permanent Representative of Algeria, Ennadir El Arabaoui, who inadvertently mentioned the so-called Sahrawi refugees in his country.

Kadiri underlined that Algeria is trying to instrumentalize the debate, to politicize it, to poison it in order to serve its biased political agenda on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, noting that it is the first time that the issue of the Moroccan Sahara is mentioned in the debates of the UNICEF Executive Board.

In his response to the baseless allegations of the Algerian diplomat, Kadiri stressed that Algeria is trying to present itself as a responsible player in international humanitarian action by claiming to welcome so-called Sahrawi refugees.

The reality is different, said the Moroccan diplomat who laid bare Algerias massive violations of international law.

The populations of the Tindouf camps are not refugees. Algeria holds them against their will. Algeria does not protect the rights of these populations, including children. It violates these rights with impunity on a daily basis. Algeria does not grant humanitarian aid to these populations, it deprives them of it by diverting international assistance, he said.

Algeria exploits the suffering of the populations sequestered in the Tindouf camps, he insisted.

Addressing the Algerian delegate, Kadiri wondered: If these populations are not sequestered in the Tindouf camps, as Algeria claims, Algeria should then authorizes the High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR) to allow these populations choose one of the three durable solutions offered to them by the Refugee Convention, namely voluntary return, integration in the host country or resettlement in a third country.

This situation is unique and iniquitous in the world, denounced the diplomat, adding that the Tindouf camps are heavily militarized, in violation of the civilian and humanitarian character of the camps.

He also drew the audiences attention to the fact that Algeria and the polisario have been shamefully diverting the generous humanitarian aid sent by the international community to the populations of the Tindouf camps, for almost 5 decades. These misappropriations were confirmed in audit reports of the UNHCR and the World Food Program (WFP), as well as in the report of the Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) of the European Union, he said.

Children from the Tindouf camps, as young as 6 years old, are forcibly recruited by the separatist armed group linked to terrorism, the polisario, with the participation and the blessing of the host country Algeria. This enlistment, which deprives children of all their rights, is a violation of the international convention on the rights of the child, and its optional protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflicts, to which Algeria is a party, stressed the diplomat, showing pictures of child soldiers from the Tindouf camps to the audience.

The enlistment of child soldiers in these camps is a crime against humanity and a war crime according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Kadiri pointed out.

He also denounced the ideological indoctrination of the children of the Tindouf camps by Algeria and the polisario which instill in them hatred and despair, while separating them from their families.

Running short of arguments in the face of irrefutable evidence of his countrys violations of international law, the Algerian delegate tried to convey lies about the situation of children in Morocco.

In response, the Moroccan diplomat underlined that the situation of children in the Kingdom is far better than that of their peers in Algeria, who take boats to go to Europe. The Algerian population is leaving Algeria for Europe because their country, rich in gas and oil, has nothing to offer them, except despair and systematic violations of their rights, he said.

The Moroccan diplomat pointed out that during the Hirak (protest movement), children were raped at police stations in Algeria, for having taken part in this movement which demands justice and the most fundamental rights.

As to the existence of a so-called Sahrawi people claimed by the Algerian ambassador, Kadiri said there is no Sahrawi people, there are Moroccan Sahrawis. The whole population of the Sahara is Moroccan. The populations of the Tindouf camps are exploited by Algeria for political purposes, he argued.

Algeria wants to satisfy its regional hegemony aims, and is trying to prolong the dispute over the Moroccan Sahara to hide its internal problems, he said.

The diplomat also exposed Algerias fallacious claim to be a mere observer in the Moroccan Sahara issue, recalling that it has been home to the separatist armed group for more than 46 years, that it is the only country in the world to finance the polisario, that it dictates its actions, that it devotes all its diplomacy to the issue of the Moroccan Sahara and that it is the only country in the world which breaks off its relations with countries for the sole reason that they support the Autonomy Initiative.

He added that the Sahara is Moroccan and that it is Algeria which has colonialist intentions on the Moroccan Sahara, through its pawn the polisario.

Whether the Algerian delegate likes it or not, the Sahara is Moroccan. It will remain Moroccan. Morocco is in its Sahara. The history of this region proves that it has always been Moroccan. The population of the Sahara is Moroccan and will remain so until the end of time.
An exhibition and an international symposium on the universal scope of Moroccos prehistoric heritage, placed under the High Patronage of King Mohammed VI, opened, Friday, at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.

The exhibition and the symposium are meant to present the richness and diversity of the Kingdoms prehistoric heritage and highlight recent archaeological discoveries in the North African country.

On this occasion, Morocco donated to UNESCO replicas of the skull of the oldest Homo Sapiens in the world, dated 350 thousand years ago, discovered in Jebel Ochoud in Youssoufia, and the oldest elements of adornment in the world (142 to 150 thousand years), discovered in the cave Bizmoune in Essaouira.

In an address at the opening ceremony, the UNESCO Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, stressed the importance of this international event, insofar as prehistory continues to question what we are, what we have in common, our place in the scale of time and in the scale of life.

Praising Morocco for this initiative, Audrey Azoulay said she was very pleased that this high-level scientific dialogue is being held at UNESCO in a field of study and research that is booming and needs international perspectives.

This field also needs to cross disciplines to advance knowledge, because prehistory, which is a heritage of humanity, is far from being a frozen and mythical moment, added the UNESCO head, who welcomed the support of the Kingdom to the efforts of UNESCO in the various areas of its competence, including by hosting several forums and conferences, the latest being the 7th International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII), held last Wednesday in Marrakech.

Audrey Azoulay announced, on the same occasion, that the upcoming annual conference on intangible heritage of UNESCO will be held in the Kingdom.
Tesla owners traveling across Nebraska on Interstate 80 will soon be able to charge their cars while grabbing a meal at the south Runza in North Platte.

Josh Catlett, whose family has owned the south Runza on Dewey and Leota streets for 21 years, said he reached out to Tesla about three years ago. It took some time, but Tesla decided to install a supercharger station at the south Runza and two other Runza locations in Nebraska as well.

There are going to be eight superchargers, Catlett said. From what Im hearing from Tesla is this is the fastest setup theyve done so far.

Installation of the superchargers began June 14 and Catlett said they will go online in a couple of days.

The city of North Platte has been super good about having everything ready, Catlett said. Tesla just reached out to Runza and had a couple locations they thought were good traffic areas, and we were one.

Three or four years ago Catlett sent an email to Tesla suggesting the partnership.

I said, hey, Ive think Ive got a good spot, Catlett said. I didnt know what the whole process was and it took awhile, but its happening.

Catlett said he was told the supercharger should fully charge a Tesla in 30 minutes or less.

Its a perfect time to charge a car, grab a burger and fries, and enjoy being out of the car for a little bit and then go cruising again wherever the next destination is, Catlett said. Its going to be great. Down the road Ill see if I can get a good deal on a Tesla, but right now well just go with this.

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China restores over half of its desertified land

Xinhua) 17:01, June 17, 2022

BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- China has restored over half of its manageable desertified land over the past decade, making great strides in addressing desertification, according to the country's forestry authority.

In total, 18.8 million hectares of desertified land have been harnessed and 1.77 million hectares have been sealed off for protection over the past decade, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The area of desertified land in the country has shrunk by 4.33 million hectares since 2012, with significant improvement to the ecological environment in sand areas, said an official from the administration.

China has established 41 national comprehensive demonstration zones for desertification control and 128 national desert parks over the past 10 years, he said.

"Sandy and dusty weather in the country has decreased significantly over the past five years, down 31 percent compared with the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010)," he added.

Apart from addressing desertification, the country has also made full use of the sand area's rich heat and land resources to develop agricultural, tourism and other related industries to boost income of local people.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Ernest Willingham, 19, testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee this week about his experiences with gun violence. His brother, cousin and father have all been victims of gun violence and his best friend Jahnae Patterson, 17, was shot and killed in 2018. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

When Ernest Willingham walked up Capitol Hill, he was shrouded in memories of bullets.

How could he not be, with a childhood spent cautiously inside, after family members  a father, a brother, a cousin  all shot. With the memory of Jahnae, his best friend killed by a gunman when she was 17.

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Willingham, 19, shared those too-frequent tragedies from growing up in Chicago when he testified Wednesday at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun violence and children. He sought to walk senators through what it is like to make life decisions when the fear of gun violence or of getting shot weighs heavily on your mind.

For Willingham, the specter of gun violence feels like a relentless cycle.

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Over and over and over. A night, a dream that we just cannot wake up from, he told the Tribune.

Ernest Willingham, of Chicago, during a hearing on "Protecting America's Children From Gun Violence" with the Senate Judiciary Committee at the U.S. Capitol on June 15, 2022, in Washington. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)

Gunfire affected his life even before he was born, when his father was shot in both knees. When he was a young child living in the Cabrini-Green homes, bullets struck his brother next: a gunshot to the groin when he was robbed, and then another to the leg at a party about a year later. Willinghams cousin was also shot at the same party.

I didnt spend a whole bunch of time outside or doing public things, he said.

His mother, Kimberly Willingham, recalled finding a bullet hole in her blinds and a bullet in the living room of their 10th-floor Cabrini-Green apartment. There were nights when she had her family sleep on the floor for fear of stray bullets. She taught the kids how to hold the wall, walking with their backs to a building to minimize the odds of getting shot when gunfire was rampant.

Willinghams grandmother took him to live with her in part to protect him from the violence. Willingham remembers her waking him up in the middle of the night at the sound of gunshots. The two would drive down their North Lawndale street to check on an uncle to make sure he was OK.

But Willingham didnt fully understand the pain wrought by gun violence until a stray bullet struck and killed his best friend, 17-year-old Jahnae Patterson, in August 2018.

The two were close. At one time, she lived with his family for about a year. She could make anyone laugh, loved to dance and was quick to help friends with their hair, he said.

Ernest Willingham shows a photo of his friend Jahnae Patterson, who was shot and killed at age 17. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Kimberly Willingham recalled Jahnae getting back to her house after school before her own kids. She said she was helpful around the house and remembered that she helped take care of her after a car accident.

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She used to sleep right beside my bed, Kimberly Willingham said. Sometimes shed make a pallet right next to me to make sure I was OK.

Jahnaes parents worried about the gun violence. They often chose to drive her the five blocks to school after two of her friends were shot and killed while walking there, her mother, Tanika Humphries-Patterson, said.

When she was killed, Jahnae had been at a party three blocks from Willinghams house for just a few minutes when two men, whom police have never identified, began firing into the crowd.,

Willingham sang Hold On by The Walls Group at her funeral.

We attended more funerals than weddings, Willingham told the Senate committee.

He tried some counseling sessions after Jahnaes death, but it wasnt effective, he said. The counselors didnt share much in common with him. He couldnt relate to them, he said.

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Willingham fought gun violence by organizing meetings between feuding students to build peace and leading classmates to anti-violence marches.

Its been hard to fill the void she left, Willingham said.

[ Remembering Jahnae Patterson: Photos from Patterson's August 2018 vigil ]

Jahnaes death made Willingham more careful and eager to leave Chicago, his mother said. Willingham is a third-year student at Northeastern University in Boston. He plans to become a physician and study health policy. His mother, who once briefly moved her family to Mississippi to escape violence, said she initially didnt want him to move so far.

I purposely did not apply for any schools near my home because I was afraid of the gun violence, Willingham told the Senate committee.

He lost another friend, 18-year-old Tamyreon Jordan, in the weeks before he left for college in August 2020. The two had been close since kindergarten. Willingham had to miss Jordans funeral when he left. He said he doesnt talk about his death a lot.

Willinghams mother said she moved to Humboldt Park a year ago, in part to escape gun violence. She heard sirens after a shooting at the park last month. It scared her because her niece and granddaughter play there sometimes. She sees their childhood in such direct contrast to her own growing up in Cleveland, Mississippi, where she would search for four-leaf clovers and catch lightning bugs to put them on her ear.

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They dont know about that, she said.

For Ernest Willingham, the specter of gun violence feels like a relentless cycle. Over and over and over. A night, a dream that we just cannot wake up from, he said. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Kimberly Willingham cried when she watched her son testify at the Senate hearing on her phone. It was like he was born to do that, she said.

Willingham said he was thrilled, but ready when U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin invited him to speak to the Judiciary Committee.

This is not something that I woke up and read a book on. This is something that Ive personally dealt with, he said

Durbin, the committees chair, began the meeting by highlighting a bill he is sponsoring. Called the RISE from Trauma Act, the bill would give schools and communities more resources to address trauma, he said.

The harms of gun violence go beyond bullet wounds, Durbin said. Helping children cope with traumatic experiences is vital to breaking the cycle of violence.

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Willingham and his mother want to see legislation further restricting access to guns and more funding for projects like the Chicago Youth Programs, which Willingham participated in. The program provides at-risk children everything from vaccinations to coats and field trips. The two credit the program with inspiring and empowering Willinghams passion for health care and keeping him safe.

Without resources pouring into our community, tighter gun control and better outreach to affected kids, the situation wont get better, Willingham said.

Its not an overnight issue. People who dont know, who have never experienced it, thats what they think, he said. Violence in Chicagos West Side and the perspective of the young Chicagoans who face gun violence go unconsidered, he said.

[ Senators announce agreement on gun control ]

On Wednesday, Willingham was the first witness to arrive for the hearing. Durbin and other Judiciary Committee members referred back to his five-minute testimony as the hearing progressed. Toward the end of the hearing, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., asked Willingham what message he wanted to leave.

The mental health professionals that are present in communities that are suffering from gun violence all look like you, Willingham said, pointing toward the predominantly white committee members. They dont look like me. They dont look like other people of color that have been through mental health trauma.

Driving back from OHare after returning to Chicago, he said he was proud that he got to share what he has had to learn and to show the resilience of his family and his West Side.

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This will not be our story forever, he said.

jsheridan@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jakesheridan_
WELL DONE DEPPHEADS

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that is LAUGHABLE. blame it on JD? LOL. not worth my time.

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WHO are you omg

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how disgusting of him. may all the men seeking to make lawsuits like this get [redacted] what karmic justice is coming to them

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wow, a judge who does the right thing, it's almost hard to believe, sadly



i hope britney fucking destroys him in her book



Edited at 2022-06-18 04:25 pm (UTC)

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Men and accountability. Like trying to put the wrong end of magnets together. Repellant.

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at least Britney has public support on her side, unlike Amber

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its BAFFLING how so many of the free britney ppl are pro-wife beater. youd think theyd know better how the judicial system doesnt have ppls well-being in mind and isnt always right or fair?

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The problem is so few people understand how domestic violence works and effects those involved. They may know the judicial system isnt great but dont understand how victims react in these situations

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Theyve somehow gotten into their heads that he is the Britney in that situation 

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Honestly, it makes sense to me because there was a lot of Tik Tok misinformation masked as concern for Britney taken as gospel. It makes sense the same people there would fall for the Depp propaganda.

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Speaking of, I've noticed that these people praise the judicial system when the verdict goes their way but every other time they're quick to point out what's wrong with it.

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The public would very easily flip on Britney. Just look at all the comments here and elsewhere questioning all of the choices she's now making.

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Give it 10 years, then we'll have thinkpieces on how "We Were Wrong about Amber Head," and everyone will be posting support about it like they did for Britney while forgetting about how awful they were toward her before.



JD is a trash can of a human being, and that won't change just because he won a lawsuit. Eventually he'll fuck up again, continue to be a mess, he'll assault someone else, etc, and very slowly people will start to realize "oh, so he really is an abusive mess." Hopefully, anyway.

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i wish all these men a very die

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Well I want him to die. We don't always get what we want!

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Abusers really are working overtime. Fucking die. And same goes for male jurors. Die.

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careful there

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I volunteer as tribute. I can sit in a deposition and describe him for at least a day.

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The so-called justice system is so unbelievably fucked. I saw an article in People this morning about a woman who has to pay child support to the man who raped her when she was 16 and it legit enraged me. 

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great example of the need for federal laws on this. Some states will allow rapists parental rights, others don't. It's so fucked up.

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But the court is biased against men bc my dad never saw me as a kid after my parents divorced!

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She also lost custody of the kid to said rapist. It's horrific.

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Before ppl start with the wOmEn cAn be AbUsErs bs, the rapist was 30 years old man.

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I work as an interpreter part time. I had a client a few weeks ago asking for housing support as her partner was physically abusive to her, and the last time, while pregnant, he tried to strangle her, she defended herself using a bat. He called the police but she was arrested and HE got a restraining other against her.



I was losing my fucking mind.

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this article made me sick to my stomach https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/20/how-far-can-abused-women-go-to-protect-themselves

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And she lost custody because she gave the 16 year old a phone. The father didnt want her having a phone.



The same man who raped a 16 year old now wants 16 year old daughter to not have a phone



The terrfying statistic is that when abuse is reported women are more likely to lose custody.

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Praying he goes 2 Heaven soon 2 meet Jesus with Turkey the kitty

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Matthew Rosengart is disgustingly sexy. I hate it. His competency at his job makes me drool #sorrynotsorry

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I hope they get every penny they can out of him, he ends up on the street, then gets hit by a semi.

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The U.S., UK, and European Union's ban on Russian oil imports sparked by President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine has sent global energy prices soaring. The international Brent benchmark has gained a whopping 64% since the start of 2022 while natural gas had surged by a stunning 105%, which has been a boon for a global oil industry beaten down by a prolonged seven-year price slump. There are signs that significantly higher energy prices are here to stay benefiting drillers and hydrocarbon-producing nations alike. This bodes extremely well for Argentinas nascent shale oil and gas boom which is situated in Neuquen Basin. The Vaca Muerta shale formation is the key geological body for what is shaping up to be an immense hydrocarbon boom. The 7.4-million-acre shale formation, spanning the Neuquen, Mendoza, Rio Negro, and La Pampa provinces, is estimated to contain technically recoverable shale oil resources of 16 billion barrels and 308 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, making it the second-largest shale gas resource in the world. Sharply weaker energy prices were threatening the urgently needed development of the Vaca Muerta. This is because the formation has an average breakeven price of $55 per barrel for new projects and $40 to $50 a barrel for existing operations. In an environment where Brent was trading at less than $50 per barrel, as occurred during 2020, it was difficult to attract the required investment to effectively develop the Vaca Muerta. This threatened the national governments planned economic revival which was to be fueled by hydrocarbon production from the shale formation. As a result, Buenos Aires implemented a range of measures, including establishing a price floor for crude oil, aimed at securing the additional investment required to develop the Vaca Muerta. The shale formation also has the potential to significantly boost global energy supplies, making its development crucial to resolving the current crisis, which was triggered by a confluence of events, notably a lack of investment since the 2015 oil price crash.

Ministry of Economy data shows remarkable hydrocarbon production growth since about the middle of 2021. For April 2022, Argentina pumped an average of 609,439 barrels of crude oil daily, which despite being 2% lower month over month was an impressive 21% greater than for the same period a year earlier. Natural gas production of 858,166 barrels of oil equivalent per day declined 1.8% compared to a month earlier and by 1.5% on a year-over-year basis.

Source: Argentina Ministry of Economy and U.S. EIA.

That saw total national average hydrocarbon output of nearly 1.5 million barrels of oil equivalent for April 2022, which while 2% lower than March was a notable 6.8% higher than a year earlier. For April 2022, 41% of petroleum and 53% of natural gas production came from non-conventional operations, compared to 30% and 37% a year earlier. Those numbers underscore the ongoing development of operations in the Vaca Muerta and the significant expansion of shale oil and natural gas in unconventional play. They also show that Argentinas hydrocarbon operations and production have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The strong production growth witnessed over the last two years can be attributed to a significant increase in investment which will be further stimulated by the recent oil and natural gas price rallies. The latest developments, which see Brent trading at well over $119 a barrel, saw a number of energy companies operating in the Vaca Muerta earlier this year announce plans to fast-track investment in the shale formation. That includes Argentinas national oil company YPF, 51% owned by the Argentine government, announcing plans to increase its $3.7 billion 2022 investment plan in response to significantly higher than expected oil prices. This, the company stated, would likely see greater exploration and development activity with a view to further expanding hydrocarbon production.

Related: Gazprom Neft CEO: Russia Already Exports Half Of Its Oil To Asia

Argentinas rig count is also steadily rising since hitting a low of no active rigs in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Baker Hughes data there were 50 active rigs at the end of May 2022, which despite being four less than April 2022 was higher than the 45 rigs reported for the same month in 2022.

Source: Baker Hughes and U.S. EIA.

That is a clear indicator of activity in Argentinas oil patch, notably the Vaca Muerta shale formation, which is ramping up at a steady clip. YPF, in early June 2022, announced that it intended to widen its drilling program. This will see the national oil company drill two wildcat wells in Mendoza, the first such wells in the northern section of the Vaca Muerta, and if they are successful a further 150 wells on two blocks in the area will be drilled. These developments indicate that Argentinas oil and natural gas output will keep growing at an impressive rate.

Rising investment, improved drilling techniques, and the building out of critical infrastructure in the Vaca Muerta, such as the 563km or 350mile natural gas pipeline connecting the formation to Buenos Aires, will cause breakeven prices to fall. YPF believes that a combination of technology, improved infrastructure, and drilling expertise will see breakeven prices fall to as low as $30 per barrel, making the formation competitive with U.S. shale oil and other Latin American jurisdictions. This will attract further investment, especially when it is considered that it is light and sweet with API gravity of 40 to 45 degrees with less than 0.5% low sulfur content. That makes it easier and cheaper to refine while giving it a low carbon footprint compared to many other oil grades produced in Latin America. Those qualities have seen Argentinas key crude oil blend Medanito becoming popular among global energy markets with cargoes being shipped to the U.S. West Coast and Europe. In late May 2022 Buenos Aires announced it was easing foreign exchange controls for the oil industry in a bid to attract further investment and bolster production.

Industry analysts estimate that Argentina could be pumping one million and 1.7 million barrels of oil equivalent of petroleum and natural gas respectively by 2026. That would see the economically crisis-riven country emerge as a world-class petroleum producer capable of exporting around half of the crude oil and natural gas it produces. Such a development, if it occurs, will give the economy a solid boost. It will also make up for any supply shortfalls caused by a lack of drilling activity in North America, while expanding global natural gas supplies at a crucial time, with the gaseous hydrocarbon mix a crucial fuel for the clean energy transition.

By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  Christopher Constant plans to withdraw as a candidate for the August primary for Alaska's U.S. House seat and support fellow Democrat Mary Peltola, a spokesperson for Constant said Thursday.

Spokesperson Aubrey Wieber said he wasn't sure when Constant would file the paperwork to withdraw. The deadline to do so is June 25.

Peltola currently sits in fourth place in last Saturday's special primary, several thousand votes ahead of Republican Tara Sweeney.

State elections officials are still tallying ballots, with the next count planned for Friday.

The top four vote-getters in the special primary advance to an August special election. Three candidates have already advanced: Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich and independent Al Gross.

Constant, an Anchorage Assembly member, was among the 48 candidates running in the special primary for the seat left vacant by the death of Republican Rep. Don Young. The special election winner will serve the remainder of Young's term, which ends in January.

The August primary and November general election will determine who will serve a two-year term, beginning in January. The leading candidates in the special primary are among the 31 who have filed for the August primary.

Constant in a statement said he did not do as well as he'd hoped and he has committed to backing Peltola.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
KYIV, Ukraine  The European Unions executive arm recommended putting Ukraine on a path to membership Friday, a symbolic boost for a country fending off a Russian onslaught that is killing civilians, flattening cities and threatening its very survival.

In another show of Western support, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv to offer continued aid and military training.

The European allies latest embrace of Ukraine marked another setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched his war nearly four months ago, hoping to pull his ex-Soviet neighbor away from the West and back into Russias sphere of influence.

At Russias showpiece economic forum in St. Petersburg on Friday, Putin said Moscow has nothing against Ukraine joining the EU, because it isnt a military organization, a political organization like NATO. He also reprised his usual defense of the war, alleging it was necessary to protect people in parts of eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed rebels and to ensure Russias own security.

Johnsons trip to Kyiv followed one Thursday by the leaders of Germany, France, Italy and Romania, who pledged to support Ukraine without asking it to make any territorial concessions to Russia.

We are with you to give you the strategic endurance that you will need, Johnson said on his second visit to the country since the Feb. 24 start of the war. Although he did not detail the aid, he said Britain would lead a program that could train up to 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers every 120 days in an unspecified location outside the country.

The training program could change the equation of this war, he said. Ukraine has been taking heavy casualties in fighting in the east.

I completely understand why you and your people can make no compromise with Putin because if Ukraine is suffering, if the Ukrainian troops are suffering, then I have to tell you that all the evidence is that Putins troops are under acute pressure themselves and they are taking heavy casualties, Johnson said. Their expenditure of munitions, of shells and other weaponry, is colossal.

Since his April visit, the Ukrainian grit, determination and resilience is stronger than ever, and I know that unbreakable resolve will long outlive the vain ambitions of President Putin, he said.

Johnson said the U.K. will work to intensify the sanctions on Russia. He praised the resilience of Ukrainians and how life is coming back to the streets of Kyiv but noted that only a couple of hours away, a barbaric assault continues. Towns and villages are being reduced to rubble.

Zelenskyy gave Johnson a tour of a monastery where they lit candles and the British leader received an icon. They placed flowers at an outdoor memorial wall displaying photos of soldiers who fell in fighting in 2014, viewed an exhibit of damaged, rusting Russian weapons, and greeted cheering crowds.

We have a common view of the movement toward Ukraines victory. Im grateful for the powerful support! Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

The possibility of membership in the EU, created to safeguard peace on the continent and serve as a model for the rule of law and prosperity, fulfills a wish of Zelenskyy and his Western-looking citizens.

The European Commissions recommendation that Ukraine become a candidate for membership will be discussed by leaders of the 27-nation bloc next week in Brussels. The war has increased pressure on EU governments to fast-track Ukraines candidacy, but the process is expected to take years, and EU members remain divided over how quickly and fully to welcome new members.

Political and military support from Western countries has been key to Ukraines surprising success against larger and better-equipped Russian forces. Zelenskyy has also clamored for additional immediate support in the form of more and better weapons to turn the tide in the industrial east, known as the Donbas region.
(RNS)  To Eman Abdelhadi, getting an abortion was the most sensible thing to do. She was six weeks pregnant and a graduate student who wasnt financially ready to have a child. She felt no shame or guilt going through with it.

I had no qualms about it. I grew up in an environment and a religious tradition that sees my life as the most important thing, said Abdelhadi, a professor at the University of Chicago who was raised in a Muslim household. It felt very clear to me. There was never anything like, You did something unethical.

This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story.

Abdelhadi, whose mother was a gynecologist in Egypt, grew up with the idea that abortion was a nonsensical thing to legislate and that legalizing it was necessary to prevent people from seeking other, potentially dangerous means of terminating pregnancies.

Islamic law is flexible, Abdelhadi said, and when it comes to making a decision about abortion, people will consult with their families, their religious leaders, and then theyll ultimately make a decision for themselves.

Youll do what feels right, she said.

As the United States Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, Muslim Americans are gearing up for what the landmark reversal could mean for their communities.

HEART Women and Girls, a national reproductive justice organization serving Muslims, has formed a fund to provide financial assistance for pregnancy, abortion and miscarriage care. The LGBTQ Muslim group Queer Crescent is collecting abortion stories to learn how Muslims are accessing clinics, the costs and travel required, and the cultural barriers they overcome. And advocates and scholars are working to reclaim their Islamic history at a time when they say discussions around reproductive justice have often excluded or misrepresented Muslim voices.

Theres been a sort of confused silence as (Muslim) folks try to figure out what they believe about this, or what Islam tells them about this, said Abdelhadi, now a sociologist who studies Muslims in America. I think what happens in a Christian-dominated space is that sometimes, even among Muslims, we dont know what we believe.

Recent passage of anti-abortion legislation in Texas and other red states has led many to make comparisons to the Talibans iron-fisted control of women in Muslim-majority Afghanistan. Such comparisons are inaccurate and perpetuate Islamophobia, experts say, adding that this rationale minimizes the role of Christianity and other U.S. systems that led to Texas six-week abortion ban.

The American Muslim Bar Association and HEART Women and Girls in April released an 11-page statement, dubbed The Islamic Principle of Rahma: A Call for Reproductive Justice, declaring that as a religious minority, Muslim Americans are uniquely positioned to condemn abortion bans and their attack on every persons constitutional right to religious liberty.

Muslims are not a monolith and we dont have a systemized and global authority that mirrors the papal system in Catholicism. We also dont hold a uniform view on when life begins, the statement read.

Muslims have a rich understanding of conception, gestation, notions of life  and abortion is part of that, said Zahra Ayubi, a professor of religion at Dartmouth College and scholar of gender in premodern and modern Islamic ethics.

While Muslims have performed abortions since pre-modern times, Ayubi said contemporary concepts of when life begins are derived from Islamic legal tradition, pertaining to the inheritance rights of an unborn child or criminal laws addressing the fine a perpetrator would face for harming a pregnant person.

Cited are scriptural pieces from the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad that address developmental stages of a fetus and that give descriptions of how creation came to be, Ayubi said.

The discussion of when life begins varies from 40 days, the point at which the Prophet Muhammad says everyone is constituted in the womb, to 120 days, when the soul is believed to enter the fetus.

Among Muslim authorities, the most conservative opinion would say abortion is permitted as early as possible and only for health reasons before 120 days, Ayubi said. Contemporary Muslim jurists have universally said abortion is permissible even beyond 120 days if there is mortal danger to the mother, Ayubi added.

But even defining what constitutes mortal danger is a nebulous kind of concept, Ayubi said. This can include mental health concerns that, Ayubi said, might lead to suicidal ideation.

The Islamic tradition, Ayubi said, is forgiving and on the side of mercy.

In fact, Ayubi said, restrictive abortion laws in states such as Texas take away from Muslim rights to abortion in their tradition and their religion.

Abed Awad, a Rutgers adjunct law professor and national expert in Shariah (Islamic law), agrees.

If states outlaw abortion, Muslim Americans have standing to sue against abortion bans that interfere with their religious exercise, said Awad, adding that the issue of when life begins is a theological question.

The Texas law, currently one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country, constitutes a religious violation of the First Amendment, said Awad, in that it subjects this moral position of the Christian right and the anti-abortion movement to other communities who dont subscribe to these beliefs.

This is not only contrary to the Shariah, but its also in a lot of respects contrary to living in a religious, cultural plural society, Awad said. A Muslim pregnant woman in Texas, for example, wouldnt be able to exercise her religion in Texas if she subscribed to the position of her medieval scholars who believed she was entitled to terminate her pregnancy before 120 days, Awad said.

In a webinar with Awad and other Islamic scholars, Ihsan Bagby  a professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky  said Muslims dont need to be publicly behind either side of the abortion argument. Bagby characterized Awads position as a liberal view of abortion.

The Islamic view is in the middle and we should stick to it. We dont need to be cheering on the women have a right to their body, as if its an absolute right, and we dont need to be on the side of the pro-life people because their intentions are ultimately to make abortions illegal across the board in all situations, Bagby said.

Awad countered Bagby during the webinar, arguing the position to take is not as much around views on abortion but on defending a womans freedom to her own or her religions beliefs.

What were fighting for is not that we support the liberal view of terminating a pregnancy within a particular time. We are fighting that women should have the right to decide which moral position they are going to take, Awad argued during the webinar.

I would not describe anything under Islamic law being something liberal or conservative, he said.

Nadiah Mohajir, who co-founded HEART Women and Girls a decade ago to offer sexual and reproductive health programming to Muslims, said theyre proactively thinking of people who need political education on why and how this ruling will impact Muslims.

The ways in which Muslims in America are talking about abortion, gender, sexuality, same-sex relationships, all of that is actually impacted by colonization and Christian supremacy, Mohajir said.

While scholars say abortion in Islamic societies existed in pre-colonial times, Mohajir said most people wouldnt know certain history and nuances unless they took a class specializing in it.

Abortion was a matter between pregnant people and their providers and the state did not get involved, religious authority did not get involved, Mohajir said. lts important for us to reclaim that history.

In partnership with HEART Women and Girls, Queer Crescent established the Muslim Repro Justice Storytelling project to combat the taboo and the shame around thinking about abortion, said Shenaaz Janmohamed, executive director of Queer Crescent.

Theyre collecting written statements, audio clips and short videos from Muslims about their abortions. They aim to show that reproductive justice is gender expansive and not just a womans issue, and that when seeking abortion care, Muslimness is part of whats being interrogated as well as their ability to make decisions for their body, Janmohamed said.

On top of launching its first reproductive justice fund, HEART Women and Girls is publishing its first book, called Sex Talk: A Muslims Guide to Healthy Sex and Relationships, which will cover how faith and cultural identities intersect with making decisions around reproductive health. It will highlight having self-determination and agency over your body, Mohajir said.

But to Mohajir, the scope of Islamic decision-making goes beyond just citing Islamic law. Mohajir points to Ayubi, the Islamic scholar who teaches at Dartmouth, whom she sees as working toward expanding that conversation to include ethics and lived experience.

Considering those is just as important, Mohajir said.

Ayubi, along other professors, is in the middle of collecting 500 interviews of religiously identified people who have had abortions. Described as the largest data set of its kind, it seeks to challenge the narrative that religion is against abortion and to understand how religious people think of their abortions and their reproductive lives theologically.

The Dartmouth professor is also working on an Islam and medical ethics project to document how Muslim women, as well as nonbinary and trans Muslims, go about making decisions related to abortion, gender-affirming therapies, pregnancy loss and in vitro fertilization.

In her callout for participants, Ayubi acknowledges that many have experienced anti-Muslim sentiment and racism from health care providers as well as their own familys ideas of what medicines and procedures we should have.

Many of us have made medical decisions that made us think about whether something is allowed in Islam, Ayubi said.

The project is about authority and autonomy and it will help other Muslims in similar situations, she said.

To Mohajir, Islamic law has never been static. It has evolved with modern reproductive health technology such as IVF. Now, she said, theres been a need for Islamic law to make an opinion of whether something like IVF is allowed or not.

This is evidence to show that Islamic law evolves with time, Mohajir said.

Muslims are not a monolith. They not only are the most racially and ethnically diverse religious minority in North America, theyre also diverse even with respect to religious practice and lived experience, she said.

Copyright 2022 Religion News Service LLC.
TUESDAY, June 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Tens of thousands of breast cancer patients could safely go without radiation therapy after their tumor has been removed, a new study argues.

Gene testing helped doctors identify a group of women who skipped radiation therapy because their cancer showed very low risk of coming back following surgery, according to findings presented Tuesday at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held in Chicago.

Forgoing radiation therapy worked out well for them, it turned out.

The patients had a little more than 2% risk of their breast cancer returning, said study leader Dr. Timothy Joseph Whelan, chair of breast cancer research at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Between 10% to 15% of breast cancer patients in the United States and Canada fit this genetic risk profile, he said, meaning that 30,000 to 40,000 North American women a year might be able to skip radiation therapy without worrying about their cancer returning.

"The results are pretty dramatic," Whelan said. "The risk is very low. It's comparable to the risk of developing a new cancer in the other breast. So we feel it could be practice-changing."

Previous studies in women over 70 years of age found that their risk of recurrence was 4% to 5%, according to an ASCO news release. These findings suggest the risk is even lower in younger women with luminal-A breast cancer.

The study involved 500 women aged 55 and older who were chosen to forgo radiation because they had low-grade luminal-A breast cancer, a genetic subtype that is slow-growing and less likely to spread.

An estimated 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year, according to ASCO. Luminal-A is the most common subtype, representing 50% to 60% of all breast cancer cases.

"We've noticed over the last couple of decades that the risk of cancer coming back in the breast has been substantially decreasing," Whelan said. "And this has been attributed to detecting smaller cancers through screening, better surgical techniques and more effective hormonal therapy. So it raised the question: Do women need radiation if they're having surgery and then endocrine therapy?"

The researchers screened women for a protein marker called Ki67, which is associated with more aggressive cancers.

Participants had biomarker results showing that 13.25% or less of their tumor cells carried Ki67. They also had low-grade tumors smaller than 2 centimeters.

Women had their tumors surgically removed, and then began taking hormone therapy to reduce levels of estrogen in their bodies.

After five-years of follow-up, the women who didn't undergo radiation therapy had a 2.3% risk of their cancer coming back in the same breast and a 1.9% risk of cancer developing in the opposite breast, the findings showed.

The overall survival rate for participants was 97%, the researchers reported.

"We believe that we've identified a group of women who could be spared radiotherapy," Whelan said.

Dr. Julie Gralow, chief medical officer for ASCO, said this is wonderful news for this set of women, given the inconvenience, side effects and lasting damage caused by radiation therapy.

"Having treated lots and lots of breast cancer patients over a 25-year career, some patients do well with radiation and others have real-long term problems with breast shrinkage and radiation damage," she said. "I think patients will be very excited about the option of not needing radiation."

The question for doctors now will be whether to use Ki67 or some other biomarker to accurately identify younger women who have a low genetic risk for breast cancer recurrence, Gralow said.

"I think we will all buy there's a whole bunch of people who don't benefit from radiation after lumpectomy," she said. "We can expand that. Previously, we kind of thought that the age cut point was 65 or 70 that you didn't need radiation, and now we're going to lower down to 55."

But, she predicted, the discussion and debate will center on the best way to identify those patients.

"Do you need Ki67? Could there be other ways of predicting that?" she said.

Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

Tampa General Hospital has more about luminal-A breast cancer.

SOURCES: Timothy Joseph Whelan, MD, chair, breast cancer research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Julie Gralow, MD, chief medical officer and executive vice president, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, Va.; presentation, American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, June 7, 2022

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
DOVER, Del. (AP)  House lawmakers have approved a bill raising the minimum age for anyone in Delaware to legally possess or purchase any rifle, or firearm ammunition, from 18 to 21, the same age requirement for handguns.

The bill cleared the House 27-13 on a mostly party-line vote Tuesday after being amended to exempt members of the National Guard and to clarify that a person under 21 could still use a gun for self-defense if the use of such force is justifiable under state law. The legislation, part of a package of gun restrictions that Gov. John Carney and fellow Democrats are pushing to pass by the end of this month in the wake of recent mass shootings in other states, now goes to the Democrat-controlled Senate.

The bill does not apply to shotguns or muzzleloaders and allows possession of a firearm by a person under 21 for hunting or other recreational activity while under the direct supervision of a person 21 or older.

18 to 21 doesnt mean you cant use that gun. You have to be supervised, and you cannot go buy one, said House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, chief sponsor of the legislation.

Schwartzkopf, a Rehoboth Democrat, also sponsored the amendment clarifying that a person under 21 can use a gun in self-defense if that deadly force is justified under the provisions of Delawares criminal code.

Our self-defense doctrine in our state would allow them to do that, but I wanted to make it perfectly clear, said Schwartzkopf, citing concerns raised during a committee hearing last week.

This basically tells anybody that if youre home and youre in danger, you can use whatever you need to use, whether it be a gun that you're not supposed to have possession of, or anything, in self-defense, he explained.

Democrats also agreed to exempt National Guard members from the legislation, which already included exemptions for police officers, active members of the military, and holders of concealed-carry permits.

They rejected GOP proposals to exempt rimfire rifles and ammunition, people under age 21 who own real estate or who have been married for at least six months, and those who have obtained written consent from a parent or guardian to buy a gun.

I think were going to make criminals out of young adults trying to start families, said Minority Leader Danny Short, a Seaford Republican.

Meanwhile, House lawmakers voted unanimously Tuesday for legislation putting state law enforcement officials in charge of background checks for gun purchases.

A bill approved Tuesday and sent to the Senate would resurrect Delawares Firearm Transaction Approval Program, which was eliminated more than a decade ago when lawmakers voted to rely on the federal governments National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS.

That vote came amid concerns at the time that Delawares background check system was not providing NICS with information about mentally ill individuals prohibited from buying or possessing firearms. The bill authorized state agencies to provide such information to NICS, created a federally mandated program allowing individuals previously deemed mentally ill to re-establish their eligibility for gun ownership, and abolished the states existing background check system as redundant.

Lawmakers now want to reverse course amid concerns that NICS may not capture people prohibited under Delaware law from possessing firearms, including people convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors and those subject to outstanding warrants.

The bill calls for the State Bureau of Identification to be the point of contact between gun dealers and the federal databases checked by the FBI. The SBI would thus become responsible for determining whether a person is prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm under state or federal law, and would be able to search other databases other than NICS in making that determination.

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

China had refunded value-added tax (VAT) credit worth over 1.6 trillion yuan (about 251 billion U.S. dollars) by June 14 to free up much-needed cash for enterprises, official data showed.

Of the total, around 1.56 trillion yuan had been refunded since the country started implementing the policy on a larger scale on April 1, the data showed.

The State Taxation Administration and five other government organs said their crackdown on tax fraud has seen progress, and will impose stern penalties on any attempt to defraud the country of VAT credit refunds.

China will extend VAT credit refunds to seven more sectors including wholesale and retail sales, agriculture, accommodation and catering from July 1.
BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union is launching legal action against the U.K. in response to Britains unilateral moves to rip up parts of the post-Brexit deal between both sides, officials said Wednesday,

But the European Commission, the bloc's executive branch, insisted it remained open to finding a joint solution outside of the courts.

The proposed U.K. bill seeks to remove customs checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. That will override parts of the trade treaty that Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed with the EU less than two years ago.

The EU believes that the UKs unilateral decision is violating international law and is unacceptable.

European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic told a news conference in Brussels that he's willing to keep talks going with the U.K. in bringing long-term certainty to people and businesses in Northern Ireland, but insisted solutions should be found within the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol.

The protocol is the part of the Brexit deal which keeps Northern Ireland in the EUs single market for goods.

Sefcovic, however, didn't exclude imposing tariffs on U.K. goods in the future if the dispute cant be settled.

The 27-nation bloc said it will restart the infringement procedure launched against the U.K. government last year after Britain unilaterally extended a grace period that applies to trade on the island of Ireland.

The action had been put on hold in September 2021 as both parties tried to find joint solution, but the EU says it is forced to relaunch the action because of the impossibility to hold constructive talks with British counterparts.

There have been only new and new demands coming from the U.K. government," Sefcovic said.

In addition, the EU will kick off further action against the U.K. for a perceived failure to carry out necessary controls under the EU rules, and to provide trade statistics data as required under the protocol.

The U.K. government said its proposed measures will ease the impact on businesses by canceling checks and reducing paperwork for goods coming from Britain into Northern Ireland and which are staying there. Goods moving into Ireland or the EU market would continue to b checked at Northern Ireland ports.

According to EU officials who weren't authorized to speak publicly because of the sensitivity of the topic, there were seizures last year at Northern Ireland ports of high-valued electronic products, tobacco, counterfeit medicine, smartphones and illegal drugs that could have been smuggled into the EU market.

In the final stages of an infringement procedure, which can last for months, the European Commission can refer such cases to the blocs highest court. Under the protocol, the European Court of Justice, or ECJ, has jurisdiction to rule on matters of EU law in Northern Ireland.

But the U.K. wants the ECJ to have no future role in deciding disputes involving the protocol, casting a doubt on how the court will be able to rule on the dispute.

Not respecting the European Court of Justice rulings would be just piling one breach of the international law upon another," Sefcovic said.

He added that the EU will flesh out proposals it made last October to further facilitate the movement of goods from Britain to Northern Ireland while drastically reducing paperwork.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the U.K. that shares a border with an EU country  the Republic of Ireland. When Britain left the EU and its borderless free-trade zone, the two sides agreed to keep the Irish land border free of customs posts and other checks because an open border is a key pillar of the peace process that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland.

Instead, to protect the EUs single market, there are checks on some goods, such as meat and eggs, entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K.

British unionists in Northern Ireland say the new checks have put a burden on businesses and frayed the bonds between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. -- seen by some unionists as a threat to their British identity.

Britains Conservative government says the Brexit rules also are undermining peace in Northern Ireland, where they have caused a political crisis. Northern Irelands main unionist party is blocking the formation of a new power-sharing government in Belfast, saying it wont take part until the Brexit trade rules are scrapped.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Katie Britt has won the Republican nomination for Senate in Alabama, defeating six-term Congressman Mo Brooks in a primary runoff after former President Donald Trump endorsed and then un-endorsed him. The loss ends a turbulent campaign for Brooks, a conservative firebrand who had fully embraced Trumps election lies and had run under the banner MAGA Mo. But it wasnt enough for the former president, who initially backed Brooks in the race to replace retiring Sen. Richard Shelby, but then rescinded his support as Brooks languished in the polls. Trump eventually endorsed Britt in the races final stretch after she emerged as the top vote-getter in the states May 24 primary.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  A sharply divided Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday that police violated a robbery suspect's constitutional protections by accessing his cellphone without a warrant, calling use of the phone as a tracking device profoundly invasive."

In the 4-3 decision, the courts majority said the robbery suspect was subjected to a warrantless search when police obtained his real-time cellphone location information. They ruled that the information was illegally acquired and should be excluded from evidence.

At issue was whether there's a reasonable expectation of privacy" regarding a person's real-time cell-site location information, also known as CSLI, under federal Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. Such information can be used to determine a cellphone's location with near perfect accuracy when the phone is powered on, the court noted.

In obtaining an individuals cell phones real-time CSLI, police commandeer the cell phone and its transmissions for the purpose of locating that individual, Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. said in writing for the majority. We find this usurpation of an individuals private property profoundly invasive, and we liken it to a technological trespass.

The ruling stems from a case in Kentucky's Woodford County involving robbery suspect Dovontia Reed. One of his attorneys hailed it a far-reaching victory for civil liberties.

This is kind of a guarantee from the court saying that the government cant search your real-time CSLI to get your location without a warrant," said Adam Meyer, a public defender representing Reed during his appeals. "And what that means is this will protect everybody who has a cell phone now.

The state attorney general's office didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Reed had called an acquaintance on his cellphone, saying he had run out of gas and asked that they meet at a Versailles gas station. When the acquaintance arrived, Reed allegedly robbed him of $500 at gunpoint and fled in a vehicle, according to authorities. Police obtained the number of the cellphone used by Reed.

The cell service provider located the phone and authorities used the information to track Reed's movements, the opinion noted. Reed was pulled over and arrested, and a grand jury indicted him on charges of robbery, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and receiving stolen property.

Reed claimed police unlawfully obtained the cellphone location information without a warrant. A judge denied his motion to suppress the information and evidence gained from the search. He entered a conditional guilty plea to charges including second-degree robbery, reserving his right to challenge the denial of his motion. He was sentenced to prison about five years ago but has since been released on parole, Meyer said.

On appeal, the state Court of Appeals said the obtaining of Reed's real-time cellphone location information amounted to a warrantless, unreasonable search. The Supreme Court's majority agreed, sending the case back to trial court for further proceedings to suppress the cellphone data.

Today we hold that individuals have an objectively reasonable expectation that their cell phones will not be used as real-time tracking devices through the direct and active interference of law enforcement, Minton wrote.

He wrote that searching a cellphone's contents is an invasion of a person's reasonable expectation of privacy sufficient to merit Fourth Amendment protection. The Court of Appeals said the Fourth Amendment requires a warrant to search a person's cell-site location information.

We find no reason why such an expectation of privacy would not extend to data unwittingly, involuntarily transmitted by a persons cell phone to their cell-service provider regarding their location, Minton said. Police may not subvert the warrant requirement merely by going directly to the cell-service provider.

As the case was argued, attorneys for the state said the consequences would be that police always have to obtain a warrant before getting a suspect's real-time cellphone location information.

The Supreme Court's majority was unswayed. Minton noted the ease with which technology allows police to obtain warrants and the invasive nature" of searching a person's cell location information.

Joining Minton in the majority opinion were Deputy Chief Justice Lisabeth T. Hughes and Justices Michelle M. Keller and Christopher Shea Nickell.

In his dissenting opinion, Justice Laurance B. VanMeter advocated another framework: that individuals do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy involving their real-time cellphone location data while traveling on public roads, and when the information sought is limited in scope and purpose.

The dissenting opinion said the trial court's denial of the suppression motion should be reinstated. Justices Robert B. Conley and Debra Hembree Lambert joined in the dissent.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP)  A Slovak court has dismissed a lawsuit by former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis against allegations that he collaborated with Czechoslovakias communist-era secret police.

The Slovak-born Babis was suing Slovakias Institute of the Nations Memory, which holds parts of his secret police files following the division of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.

Some of the files were destroyed, but the institute said those that still exist contain evidence that Babis was an agent under the code name Bures from 1982. Babis, who was not present at the court on Tuesday, has denied that.

The verdict is final.

Bratislavas regional court originally rejected the lawsuit in 2018, but the countrys Constitutional Court ordered a retrial, saying the institute could not be sued in the case and the respondent should be the Slovak Interior Ministry.

Babis repeated Tuesday that he never cooperated with the secret police, known as StB, and vowed to continue defending himself in courts.

Babis, a billionaire, is currently in opposition after his populist ANO centrist movement lost last years parliamentary election. Hes expected to announce whether he will run to be the Czech Republic's president in the election for the largely ceremonial post early next year.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  The previous Australian governments stance against a more aggressive China drove away many Chinese-Australian voters at recent elections who considered the administrations language had licensed racism, a campaign strategist said on Wednesday.

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrisons conservative coalition government lost elections last month after almost a decade in power to the center-left Labor Party.

Labors campaign director Paul Erickson on Wednesday blamed coalition rhetoric on China for significant vote swings toward Labor in electorates with large Chinese-Australian populations.

The feedback that we got was that there was a view that the governments response to the more aggressive and assertive behavior of the Chinese Communist Party and the government in Beijing came across in the community actually at times as an attack on Chinese-Australians or rhetoric that licensed racism in the community, Erickson told the National Press Club.

Of Australias population of 25 million, 1.2 million have Chinese ancestry, according to the most recent census.

Senior figures in the coalition government had argued that Beijing had wanted Labor to win the election because Labor lawmakers were less likely to stand up for Australian interests against Chinese economic coercion.

A conservative lobby group Advance Australia had displayed ads on the sides of trucks during the election campaign that depicted Chinese President Xi Jinping casting a vote with the slogan: CCP says vote Labor.

Morrison had labeled Labors deputy leader Richard Marles the Manchurian candidate, the title of a 1959 novel about the son of a prominent U.S. political family who is brainwashed by Chinese authorities to become an unwitting assassin.

Senior ministers also had pointed to China and the Solomon Islands announcing a security pact during the campaign as an attempt to undermine the coalitions reelection chances.

Labor described the pact as Australias worst foreign policy failure in the Pacific since World War II. New Foreign Minister Penny Wong will fly to the Solomons on Friday in an attempt to improve bilateral ties.

Former Defense Minister Peter Dutton, who since the election has replaced Morrison as leader of the conservative Liberal Party, argued during the campaign that pro-Labor communication on the Chinese social media platform WeChat was evidence that Beijing wanted the government to change.

Maree Ma, general manager of Vision Times, a leading Chinese-language Australian media outlet, said WeChat exchanges were more positive toward Labor than they had been in the last election in 2019.

Ma told Australian Broadcasting Corp. a week before the election: A lot of the articles are playing on how Labor will be more friendly towards China, which may or may not be the case in reality.

Ma said soured Sino-Australian relations and concerns over Chinas pact with the Solomons were not major election issues for Chinese-Australians.

The vast majority of the Chinese community here doesnt really have much to do with the Chinese government and what they really care about is everything that the other English-speaking voters care about which is who can run the country better; its about jobs, the economy, Ma said.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP)  Thousands of cattle in feedlots in southwestern Kansas have died of heat stress due to soaring temperatures, high humidity and little wind in recent days, industry officials said.

The final toll remains unclear, but as of Thursday at least 2,000 heat-related deaths had been reported to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the state agency that assists in disposing of carcasses. Agency spokesman Matt Lara said he expects that number to rise as more feedlots report losses from this weeks heat wave.

The cattle deaths have sparked unsubstantiated reports on social media and elsewhere that something besides the weather is at play, but Kansas agriculture officials said theres no indication of any other cause.

This was a true weather event  it was isolated to a specific region in southwestern Kansas," said A.J. Tarpoff, a cattle veterinarian with Kansas State University. Yes, temperatures rose, but the more important reason why it was injurious was that we had a huge spike in humidity ... and at the same time wind speeds actually dropped substantially, which is rare for western Kansas.

Last week, temperatures were in the 70s and 80s, but on Saturday they spiked higher than 100 degrees, said Scarlett Hagins, spokeswoman for the Kansas Livestock Association.

And it was that sudden change that didn't allow the cattle to acclimate that caused the heat stress issues in them, she said.

The deaths represent a huge economic loss because the animals, which typically weigh around 1,500 pounds, are worth around $2,000 per head, Hagins said. Federal disaster programs will help some producers who incurred a loss, she added.

And the worst may be over. Nighttime temperatures have been cooler and  as long as there is a breeze  the animals are able to recover, Tarpoff said.

Hagins said heat-related deaths in the industry are rare because ranchers take precautions such as providing extra drinking water, altering feeding schedules so animals are not digesting during the heat of the day, and using sprinkler systems to cool them down.

Heat stress is always a concern this time of year for cattle and so they have mitigation protocols put in place to be prepared for this kind of thing, she said.

Many cattle had still not shed their winter coats when the heatwave struck.

This is a one in 10-year, 20-year type event. This is not a normal event, said Brandon Depenbusch, operator of the Innovative Livestock Services feedlot in Great Bend, Kansas. It is extremely abnormal, but it does happen.

While his feedlot had zero problems," he noted that his part of the state did not have the same combination of high temperatures, high humidity, low winds and no cloud cover that hit southwestern Kansas.

Elsewhere, cattle ranchers haven't been so hard hit.

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Cattlemen said they have received no reports of higher-than-normal cattle deaths in the state, despite a heat index of well over 100 degrees this week.

Oklahoma City National Stockyards President Kelli Payne said no cattle deaths have been reported since temperatures topped 90 degrees last Saturday, after rising from the mid 70s starting June 1.

We have water and sprinklers here to help mitigate heat and the heat wave, Payne said, but we dont have any control over that pesky Mother Nature.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
After a two-year hiatus, Saturdays Juneteenth parade brought at least a thousand people to a milelong stretch of North 24th Street to celebrate Black culture, joy and freedom.

Hundreds more marched in the procession, which ran from Lake to Sprague Streets. Participants ranged from political candidates to dance teams to health clinics. Members of Omahas Shriner Temple, a fraternal organization, drove tiny cars in zigzags as kids rushed to high-five them from the sidewalks.

The parade, organized by the Omaha NAACP, was a chorus of honking horns, revving engines, cheers and music blasting through speakers attached to vehicle hoods. All along the route, Black-owned businesses set up shop with ice cream, nachos and even a full barbecue setup.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. It takes its name from the day, June 19, 1865, when a Union Army general announced in Galveston, Texas, that the Civil War had ended and that President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Ella Willis, the vice president of local neighborhood association Neighborhood Action and Fact, propped up a lawn chair in a small patch of shade near the end of the parade route. Regarded by those seated near her as a North Omaha legend, Willis was happy to see the parade back on North 24th Street.

Its very awesome for the community that the parade is back on this street, because this is where it originated, she said, frequently pausing to wave at parade participants who noticed her. This street is the most historic area in Omaha. It seems like the city tries to take everything away from North Omaha and put it in a different part of town.

For a number of years prior to the pandemic, the Juneteenth parade route had marched down 30th Street  an area with some historical significance, but not nearly as much as the North 24th Street corridor. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, 24th Street was a business and cultural hub for Omahas Black community.

It is because of this history, Willis said, that it is so important for the parade to travel on North Omahas most historic street. She views Juneteenth as a celebration of freedom, but also as a reminder of the work yet to be finished.

Its a day of celebration, but its also about making sure that stuff gets done in our community, she said. We need sidewalks down here. We need streetlights. We need people getting the business economy going in this neighborhood.

Though it has been celebrated by Black communities for over a century, Juneteenth wasnt recognized as a federal holiday until last year. Earlier this year, the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill officially designating Juneteenth as a state holiday.

Its wonderful that we can get together, especially since this is the first year that Juneteenth is celebrated as a legal holiday, said Omaha resident Sandra Benjamin, who was thrilled to see the parade back in action. What a way to celebrate.

Juneteenth celebrations continued throughout the afternoon and evening, with a daylong festival held at the Malcom X Memorial Foundation.

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China's southernmost island city of Sansha inaugurated its first academician workstation on Friday, which will focus on marine meteorological monitoring and forecasting, disaster prevention and mitigation in the South China Sea.

The city mayor Deng Zhong said Sansha is home to a vast sea area, numerous islands, abundant resources and unique tropical marine climate, making for the best natural environment to carry out marine scientific research.

"We will combine the research advantages of atmosphere, ocean, biology, medicine and other disciplines to strive for new breakthroughs in marine research," said Dai Yongjiu, an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences. The workstation was also named after Dai.

The oceanographic research and training vessel named after Sun Yat-sen University, and the national supercomputing center in Guangzhou will also provide support to the workstation, said Gao Song, president of Sun Yat-sen University.
Police are investigating a pair of early morning shootings, including one that injured three people near a bar in Omahas Old Market on Saturday.

Officers initially responded to a report of shots fired at Gate 10 just before 1 a.m., according to a press release from the Omaha Police Department. Officers soon learned that a vehicle reportedly involved in the shooting was seen leaving the area.

Police pursued the vehicle to 42nd and Dodge Streets, where they found two people with gunshot injuries, according to police. The two, 31-year-old George Thompson and 27-year-old Jordan Thompson, were taken to the Nebraska Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening.

A third person, Detail Johnson, 28, arrived at the Nebraska Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening and said he was also at Gate 10, according to police.

Gate 10 is located on South 10th Street between Howard and Harney Streets in the Old Market.

Officers later responded to a reported shooting near 12th and Castelar Streets about 4:20 a.m., according to police. The person injured in the shooting, Delray Bradshaw, 25, left the scene before officers arrived.

He arrived at the Nebraska Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening shortly after the 911 call, according to police.

Both shootings remain under investigation. Police ask anyone with information regarding either incident to call Omaha Crime Stoppers at 402-444-7867. Tips also can be provided at www.omahacrimestoppers.org or on the P3 Tips mobile app.

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Help students thrive

Successful, thriving children is what makes teaching rewarding to educators. The last two years have not been the best for children due to remote learning and certainly not as rewarding to the educators. The students have suffered and the teachers have struggled watching this. Funds should be used to assist the students in improving their mental health and their need for a sense of belonging. Hiring more counselors, interventionists and even therapists is a serious need. Spending $4,500 on each staff member does not benefit the learning environment for the children. It actually is a waste of taxpayer dollars which simply maintains the status of the current environment.

David Zach, Treynor, Iowa

Gun purchases

Is it amazing that an 18-year-old can buy an AR-15, however, they can not buy a pack of cigarettes?

Joyce Abariotes, Omaha

Protect children

I wish I could think of something to say to both sides of the debate on keeping school children safe that would bring them together for productive conversations. It seems there is no give on either side.

For me personally, I would give up any of the firearms I own if asked to make the schools safer. I dont own an AR-style rifle or a semiautomatic pistol. I dont like either one. They are not necessary tools for me. But then this whole thing is not about the gun, its about the reason implied in the Constitution that we should have them. The men who wrote the Constitution wanted to be sure the government knew that they were being watched by a group that could actually do something if they had to. But they also gave us a way to change the Constitution if future circumstances dictated it. The lives of our children are certainly worth considering as a reason to add to our Constitution the words needed to protect the children.

Please, to all parties, do whatever it takes sit down and find a realistic place to start making some progress to solve this issue.

Leon A. Bresley, Omaha

Only in America

In addition to the already-stringent gun control laws in Canada, the Canadian government is proposing a freeze on handgun sales and transfers, and a mandatory buyback of military-style assault weapons.

Perhaps parents concerned about their children becoming victims of mass shootings at school should send their children to school in Canada.

Robert Ranney, Omaha

Old-fashioned opinion

Robert Gronstal, (Safeguards are essential) did you by any chance write your opinion with quill and ink?

Harry Nelson, Omaha
Each week The Pantagraph profiles a different community member. Know someone we should talk to? Email kheather@pantagraph.com.

Name: John Plevka

Position: Retiring general manager of The Vidette and adjunct professor at Illinois State University

1. Why is now a good time to retire?

The Vidette has navigated some complicated waters over the past several years and has successfully transitioned to a fully digital news organization. (The final print edition was published in April 2021.) With that transition basically complete, it felt like a good time to pass the baton.

And then there are the numbers 66 and four: 66 being my age and four being the number of young grandchildren with whom I look forward to spending more time.

2. How well-positioned is The Vidette for the future?

I am not an objective observer on this one, but I believe The Vidette is perfectly positioned. While The Vidette is a source of local news, it is foremost a learning laboratory. As such, exclusively concentrating on digital devices and channels for the gathering, managing and distributing information will give todays student journalists at Illinois State University ample and innovative tools with which to successfully compete in todays job market. Over its 134 years, The Vidette has an impressive track record of being the launching board for an array of successful careers. The new Vidette is positioned  perhaps even at the forefront among other state schools  to keep that tradition very much alive.

3. What are some of your best memories at The Vidette?

Walking through the front door 10 years ago this month and everything else since.

Seriously, it was a terrific run. During my last couple of weeks of employ, I assembled a little movie featuring photos I had taken of The Vidette student staff members since 2012. Sometimes, particularly the older we get, 10-year blocks of time can turn a bit blurry as we lump experiences into a mental folder. But, when you start breaking down the individual moments, the floodgates gush.

The best memories are the students  the energized, talented, hilarious students. I love em all and, like a parent, I am button-poppin proud as they move into their professional lives beyond Illinois State University.

4. Do you have any advice for young or aspiring journalists?

Basically, it is still a matter of doing the work. The devices and channels have evolved, but timely, accurate and fair storytelling is still at the heart of what we teach at The Vidette and in the School of Communication. And it is that type of storytelling that is still very much needed in todays complex and noisy world. Its hard, stressful and often unsung work. But it is still needed. In 2021, poet Amanda Gorman urged us all to be the light. Journalists can be the light.

5. Do you have any plans or what do you look forward to in retirement?

The aforementioned grandchildren will be a highly anticipated focal point. When I accepted the job at The Vidette, we were on the verge of empty-nesthood as our youngest daughter was prepping for college. Today, 10 years later, with these four kiddos, ages 7, 5, 4 and 1, all nearby, our nest aint so empty anymore. Let the party begin!

Also, I plan to continue to teach a journalism class at ISU, I have a book project that Im running out of excuses to finish, and finally, I hope to find my way to seats at Busch Stadium on a more regular basis (Go Cards!).

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100 years ago

June 18, 1922: The Illinois State Normal University faculty will entertain students tonight on the campus with a free-for-all get-together where everyone has a chance to meet everyone else and everyone else's friends. The Bloomington Band has been hired to furnish music for the occasion, and light refreshments will be served.

75 years ago

June 18, 1947: A survey of principal Bloomington hotels found they were all consistently booked, leaving little help for a transient guest without a reservation. While some families have been forced into temporary hotel residence by the shortage of homes and apartments, the bulk of business in the city is still the businessman or salesman making a one- or two-night stay.

50 years ago

June 18, 1972: Ronald Schaeffer, originally of Sibley, returned home for a visit and talked about his job as the stage manager for "Hair" on Broadway. Schaeffer took off after his graduation from Bradley University to be an actor; he married an actress, Barbara Houston of La Grange.

25 years ago

June 18, 1997: Bloomington-Normal will be getting a little more style and polish this fall with the opening of a new beauty school. Midwestern College of Cosmetology, currently owned and operated, is owned by Lincoln College and will be located next to Lincoln's Normal campus on Raab Road.

Compiled by Pantagraph staff
CHICAGO  A white former Chicago police officer captured on video struggling with a Black woman who was walking her dog along a Lake Michigan beach pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of official misconduct and aggravated battery.

Bruce Dyker was released on his own recognizance by Cook County Judge William Gamboney.

Dyker, 52, had been on desk duty since shortly after the incident last summer, resigned from the Chicago Police Department in May before any formal disciplinary action was announced against him, a department spokesperson said. He had been a Chicago officer since 1998.

Videos shows Dyker grabbing Nikkita Brown shortly after midnight on Aug. 28, 2021, as she walked her French bulldog at North Avenue Beach.

Tim Grace, Dyker's attorney, noted that Dyker was on-duty and giving a lawful order to leave the beach because it was closed at the time. Under police guidelines, Dyker would have been justified in doing much more to carry out an arrest  including an "emergency takedown" or a leg sweep  but chose not to, since he did not want to risk injuring the 33-year-old Brown, Grace said.

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CHICAGO - A West Lawn man was denied bail after he appeared at a Saturday bond hearing broadcast on YouTube for the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old woman during broad daylight.

Arnaldo Coronel, 32, was charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a woman shortly after 7:30 p.m. on June 12 in the 6400 block of South Kilbourn Avenue, police said.

Earlier that day, Coronel and a group of others picked the victim up in a family Lexus, and drove around for several hours, prosecutors said.

At some point, an argument ensued after Coronel asked if the victim was pretty. Tensions heated, and Coronel ended up beating the woman and holding a firearm to her head. It was not clear why Coronel turned violent towards the victim. The victim walked away but later followed Coronel and he grabbed her and threw her in the middle of the street, prosecutors said.

He shot her in the head and in multiple parts of the body in front of witnesses outside. The victim was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where she was pronounced dead.

The Lexus pulled off and Coronel and another person walked to his home where he stashed the murder weapon. It was later recovered. Video surveillance captured the violent shooting and Coronel walking off, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Coronel is a felon, convicted in Indiana and Illinois. He has a 14-year-old child and an 8-month-old he shares with one of the witnesses.

The Cook County judge presiding over the hearing denied bail noting that Coronel argued back and forth while he stood over the victim and shot her multiple times, calling the incident extremely violent.

His next court date was scheduled June 21.

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CHICAGO - Federal charges were filed Friday against a 19-year-old man accused of opening fire on a team of officers trying to execute a warrant for his arrest, wounding a U.S. Marshals Office inspector and his police dog.

Tarrion Johnson, of the 4200 block of West Cullerton Avenue, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court with assault of a federal marshal with a deadly weapon. The charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Johnson is already facing attempted murder charges in Cook County stemming from the same incident and is currently being held without bail in Cook County Jail. He will be brought to federal court to face the charges sometime next week, according to the U.S. attorneys office.

The shooting occurred at about 1:20 p.m. June 2 at a building in the 5200 block of West Belmont Avenue, where Chicago police and members of the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force were attempting to arrest Johnson on a warrant for a separate attempted murder and attempted robbery case, according to police and prosecutors.

After confirming Johnson was inside, the team breached the door to the residence, where Johnson allegedly retreated to a bedroom and grabbed a gun, according to the charges.

One of the officers yelled, Gun! and fired one shot as Johnson sprinted back into a bedroom, according to the charges. Johnson then fired at least three shots from the bedroom window, striking the marshal and his dog, who were in the alley on the west side of the building.

Bodycam footage from the officers at the scene showed Johnson run back into the living room and shoot at a Chicago police officer, striking the officer in his ballistic shield, according to the charges. The officer returned fire and Johnson ran from the building, where he was arrested.

The U.S. marshal was grazed in the hand and at least one shot pierced a bullet-resistant vest, placing stress on the officers chest, prosecutors said, while Johnsons police dog was shot in the right shoulder.

The dogs condition was critical at first, but has stabilized, though more surgeries may be needed, prosecutors said.

Police recovered a 9 mm handgun and several spent casings from the scene, prosecutors said.

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We're not the party of Trump, Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie told an interviewer a couple of months ago. I'm in the Republican Party and the party of Lincoln. And at the end of the day, the important thing is that we're standing up for ideas and ideals and not a personality. And that is what the Republican Party has been about for decades and what I believe we're going to be going forward.

At least as far as the Illinois governors race goes, that now seems less likely.

As you undoubtedly know by now, Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) did not appear to be gaining traction until the GOP primary battlefield was reshaped as a referendum on the former President Trump by big money pumped in from billionaire Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Republican billionaire Dick Uihlein.

The question now is whether that Trump referendum will move down the ballot. Two polls showed a very tight Republican attorney general primary with huge numbers of people who cant decide between Ken Griffin-backed Steve Kim and outlandish, far-right COVID attorney Tom DeVore, who has been endorsed by Bailey. And Trump and Bailey have both endorsed U.S. Rep. Mary Miller over fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis.

And what about the state legislature?

While the House Republican Organization is formally staying out of the race in the open 87th District primary, House GOP Leader Jim Durkin has contributed $5,000 to candidate Mary Burress. And a committee controlled by Durkin ally Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) has maxed out to Burress with a $59,900 contribution. Burress, the Tazewell County Treasurer, is running against Tazewell County Board member and physician William Hauter.

The reason I mention this is that Burress is one of the only House Republican candidates I can find who is openly touting her support for former President Trump. Mary Burress is the pro-Trump Republican working to make Illinois great again, declares a headline on one mailer, which also features a photo of her next to the former POTUS.

With Bailey surging and a recent Sun-Times poll showing Trump still very popular with party members, it would seem to be a no-brainer for conservative Republican candidates to publicly attach themselves to one or the other or both in their advertising and social media posts.

Bailey has decided to take the initiative. And there are some unifying threads here: House Republican Leader Jim Durkin and the 2019 gas tax hike that Durkin eventually supported.

"We've got a whole list of anti-establishment reformers who we're going to be endorsing in the next 24 hours," a top Bailey official told me late last week.

Included on the list is Sen. Win Stoller (R-East Peoria). Stoller is up against Brett Nicklaus, who is backed by House GOP Leader Jim Durkin and others close to him.

There's no love at all between Bailey and Durkin. The two clashed often when Bailey was in the House and Durkin fully backed Irvin. Both Durkin and Irvins running mate Rep. Avery Bourne voted to double the motor fuel tax in 2019, something Bailey often pounds home on the campaign trail as the price of gas has skyrocketed. Bailey doesnt seem to have any ideas about how to repair and upgrade our woefully dilapidated infrastructure without that money, but nobody seems to care.

Bailey also endorsed Republican Don Debolt over Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield), who voted for the gas tax increase as well. And Baileys backing former GOP Rep. John Cabello in his race against a candidate backed by a trade union which pushed hard to raise the gas tax. Cabello voted No.

Kent Gray is running against Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield), who voted with his party leadership on the gas tax. Gray has not raised a lot of money, has a thick opposition research file and Butler hasnt taken any chances by spending big and campaigning hard. If Baileys coattails can drag Gray across the line whew.

Baileys also supporting Travis Weaver against Rep. Mark Luft (R-Pekin) who wasnt around for the gas tax vote, but is backed heavily by Durkin and some unions. And hes supporting Rep. Dave Welters opponent Jed Davis. Welter (R-Morris) is in House Republican leadership, so you already know where he was in 2019.

That was one tough vote in 2019. It took guts to take it and I still think, despite the prices, it was the right thing to do for the states future. Well see if Bailey tries to connect those tax dots in voters minds or whether, as time expires, hell just try to win these races with his personality alone.

Rich Miller publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

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Speakers:

Xin Guobin, vice minister of industry and information technology

Xu Xiaolan, vice minister of industry and information technology

Han Xia, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)

Chairperson:

Shou Xiaoli, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

June 14, 2022

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. This is the eighth press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." Today, we have invited Mr. Xin Guobin and Ms. Xu Xiaolan, vice ministers of industry and information technology, and Ms. Han Xia, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), to brief you on China's achievements in industrialization and IT application since the 18th Party Congress, and to take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Xin for his introduction.

Xin Guobin:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. I would like to thank you for your long-term interest in and support for the development of China's industrialization and IT application. I am very glad to meet with you today along with my two colleagues to share with you the developments in China's industrialization and IT application over the past decade.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the development of the real economy, especially the manufacturing sector, and made the major strategic decision to build China into a country strong in manufacturing and cyberspace. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, major achievements have been made in the development of China's industrialization and IT application, the advancement of new industrialization has been accelerated, the industrial system has been improved, the industrial chain has become more complete, and the overall strength, quality and efficiency of industries as well as their innovation, competitiveness and resilience have been significantly enhanced. China has achieved a historic leap from a major manufacturing country and a major cyberspace country to a strong manufacturing country and a strong cyberspace country, laying a solid foundation for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and embarking on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects.

Over the past decade, we have made great efforts to strengthen, improve and expand the manufacturing sector. The overall strength of the sector and its international influence have been greatly bolstered. From 2012 to 2021, the added value of industries increased from 20.9 trillion yuan to 37.3 trillion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 6.3%. The added value of the manufacturing sector increased from 16.98 trillion yuan to 31.4 trillion yuan, with its share of the global total rising from around 20% to nearly 30%. China's output of more than 40% of the 500 main industrial products ranks first in the world. China has 41 major industrial categories, 207 intermediate industrial categories and 666 small industrial categories, with its strength in having a complete industrial system further consolidated, and the resilience and competitiveness of its industrial and supply chains constantly improved, effectively enhancing the economy's ability to cope with external shocks. The development of the manufacturing sector has greatly boosted the people's sense of gain. Intelligent and energy-efficient home appliances have been popularized across the country, and cars have quickly entered the homes of ordinary people. The number of vehicles per 1,000 people has increased from 89 in 2012 to 208 in 2021, indicating a great improvement. As opening-up and cooperation have been deepened, China's share of the trade in manufactured intermediate products now accounts for around 20% of the global total. Since the pandemic began, China has provided a large number of vaccines and medical supplies to the international community, strongly supporting the global fight against the pandemic, as well as economic recovery and development.

Over the past decade, we have worked hard to improve the quality of the supply system, and the industrial structure has been further optimized. Emerging industries have been developing at a faster pace. Products including service robots and smart wearable devices have registered strong growth, the production and sales of new-energy vehicles have topped the world for seven consecutive years, and the output value of the new materials industry has doubled. The transformation and upgrading of traditional industries have been accelerated, and progress has been made across the board in digital and green transformation. Intelligent manufacturing in some sectors is at an advanced international level. The high-tech manufacturing industry and equipment manufacturing industry accounted for 15.1% and 32.4% of the added value of industries above designated size in 2021, up from 9.4% and 28% in 2012, respectively. Regional development priorities have been continuously refined, the leading role of key regions has been boosted, and a large number of advanced manufacturing clusters have been formed in such fields as electronic information and rail transit.

Over the past decade, we have focused on implementing the strategy of innovation-driven development, with significant progress having been made regarding innovation in key areas. A large number of major landmark innovation achievements have led China's manufacturing industry to new heights, including the Fendouzhe (Striver) deep-sea manned submersible diving to a depth of more than 10,000 meters, the C919 large passenger aircraft being granted airworthiness certificates and delivered, the Chang'e lunar probes, the Zhurong Mars rover, the Xihe solar exploration satellite, the construction of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System global network, the successful development of unmanned agricultural electric tractors, the clinical application of orthopedic surgical robots in hospitals, the first five-axis processing machine of industrial and mining enterprises, the successful development of 8.8-meter super-large intelligent mining equipment, and the operation of million-kilowatt generating units in Baihetan Hydropower Station.

Over the past decade, we have taken stronger steps to foster high-quality enterprises, and the strength and competitiveness of manufacturing enterprises have been remarkably enhanced. A large number of leading enterprises have stood out. Seventy-three industrial enterprises have been listed among the world's top 500 companies, and the assets of industrial enterprises above designated size have doubled. More than 40,000 specialized and sophisticated small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) producing new and unique products, 4,762 "little giants" (China's top novel SMEs that engage in manufacturing, specialize in niche markets and boast cutting-edge technologies), and 848 "champion manufacturing businesses" (companies with world-class strength in niche markets) have been cultivated. Enterprises have continued to strengthen innovation, and total investment in research and development (R&D) made by industrial businesses above designated size have multiplied. Sales of new products have increased from 11.9% to 22.4% of business revenue. More than 570 industrial enterprises have made the list of the 2,500 companies that have invested the largest sums in R&D worldwide.

Over the past decade, we have improved our capacity to support social and economic development, and the information and communication technology (ICT) sector has seen leapfrog development. We have built the world's largest internet infrastructure with advanced technology, and the access bandwidth of the optical fiber networks has registered exponential growth from a transmission speed of 10 megabits per second (Mbps) and 100 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps. China has also made great strides in developing its mobile network by making breakthroughs in 3G, keeping pace with the rest of the world in 4G, and securing a leading position in 5G. All administrative villages across the country now have access to broadband internet, which is a historic achievement and greatly contributes to completing all poverty eradication targets and tasks. The internet has played a bigger part in both the consumption and production sector. 5G networks, industrial internet, big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) have been further integrated with the manufacturing industry, which continues to expedite the digitalization of industries and develop the digital sector. The digital economy has seen robust growth momentum. In the meantime, we stay conscious of the existing problems in the industry and information technology sector. For example, our supply system could not fully meet the needs for consumption upgrades. There are many weak links in the key fields of our industrial and supply chains, and some SMEs face new difficulties and challenges in production and business operation.

Standing at a new starting point, the MIIT will work under the stronger leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, firm up confidence, and continue to make efforts. The MIIT will firmly implement the decision and deployments made by the CPC Central Committee and speed up the pace of building China's strength in manufacturing and cyberspace to make new and greater contributions toward building a modern socialist country in all respects.

That concludes my introduction. Next, my colleagues and I will take questions from the media. Thank you.
Does anyone else love the fact that we voters actually get to decide who our next circuit judge is going to be instead of the lawyers who think they run our lives picking for us? I have paid attention to local political races for a lot of years, especially GOP races as I am a lifelong Republican. Can everyone else feel the vitriol coming from the bar association that someone dare challenge the lawyers preferred system of us voters remaining silent while the omnipotent bar association tells us who should be ruling over us? I can. It is palpable.
As the primary election for the circuit court judge nears, I feel led to share some important information with our community.

A judges role is to uphold the law. Laws that are put in place by both Republicans and Democrats. Associate judges, such as Judge Amy McFarland, are appointed by other judges. Meanwhile, a circuit court judge requires the vote of the community to be put into office. And a vote requires a political party. The irony is, when you face a judge in the court room you want them to be honest, have integrity, remain impartial, possess legal ability, maintain an even temperament, manage the court with professionalism and treat every situation with sensitivity. You dont need a Republican or a Democrat judge, the law is already the law.

As you think about the characteristics you would want in a judge, know that Judge Amy McFarland outranked her opponent in all of these areas in a recent poll conducted by the Illinois State Bar Association. In fact, Judge Amys opponent was simply listed as not recommended in the same poll. Character matters. We need judges with good character, and Judge Amy is known for her genuine, impartial, kind, firm and fair temperament both on and off the bench.

Furthermore, know that Judge Amy McFarland currently serves as the Presiding Judge in the family division, which is a position typically entrusted to a circuit judge. Since Judge McFarlands colleagues are already trusting her with some circuit court duties, it is no surprise that 14 retired judges are endorsing Judge McFarland in this election. She has done the job. She is doing the job.

Simply put, our community needs Judge Amy McFarland to be our next circuit court judge.

Kristy Funk, Normal

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It seems as though scams are everywhere, and the scammers are getting better at it. Some of the smartest and most honest people that I know have been victims of a scam. Its embarrassing, humiliating, and damaging.

I see two contrasting ways to respond to being scammed.

The first is a constructive response: to recognize and admit to being scammed, to try to understand why the scam was successful, and to share the story with others so that they can protect themselves from the scammer. This is the civically responsible way to respond to being scammed, but it takes courage.

The second way is less constructive and is exactly what the scammer wants the victim to do. Deny being scammed. Make excuses. Pretend that the facts of the scam dont really exist. Blame others for being scammed. And, in the process, make oneself even more vulnerable to being scammed in the future

Unfortunately, too many people are choosing the second way to respond to the biggest political scam of our lifetimes: the big lie which has been perpetuated by the big scammer himself, the disgraced former President.

The consequences are dire. Smart people become believers in crazy conspiracy theories. Weak and cowardly politicians search for votes by repeating the lie and thus keeping the scam alive. Trust and civility are diminished. Even families are torn apart. And faith in our democratic institutions is damaged.

The hope is that the good and honest people who have been scammed will have the courage to find themselves, exercise their ability to think critically, leave the cult, and hold the big scammer responsible for his crimes.

Joe White, Bloomington

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Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, Friday demanded the urgent summoning of Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister for Food and Agriculture over the state of the poultry industry in the country.



He said the scarcity of ingredients like maize for poultry feed and other teething challenges in the sector was gradually crippling it.



Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Mr Iddrisu said the current state of the poultry industry underscored the need for urgent action.



"Mr Speaker, there is a seeming problem with the poultry industry in Ghana. Poultry farmers have difficulty accessing what they call poultry feed," he said.



Reports have it that the ongoing war in Ukraine has left Ghana and the rest of the world short of important grains.



Consequently, President Nana Akufo-Addo has publicly expressed concern about the shortage of fertilizer and its relationship with the production of grains.



As a result, Mr Iddrisu noted that the closure of some poultry-related businesses because of some difficulties had come to his attention.



We are already an unacceptable net importer of poultry when we have the capacity and capability to produce the poultry that we need, he said.



He emphasized that the poultry industry remains a major source of employment apart from satisfying the protein needs of Ghanaians.



In 2021, chicken imports were estimated at 350,000 metric tonnes.



According to projections for 2022, imports of chicken could rise to 400,000 metric tonnes.

Source: GNA









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned the second phase of the University of Ghana Medical Centre Limited (UGMC), gearing the health facility towards holistic service provision.



The second phase scales up the status of the centre to a quaternary care institution, as it would now provide highly specialized, experimental, and uncommon diagnostics and surgical procedures.



Phase two of the medical Centre, constructed with an Israeli bank grant of US217 million, includes 42 specialist and subspecialist clinics, a cardiothoracic surgery centre and a cardiac catheterization lab.



It also includes an eight-unit apartment for critical staff, a biohazard waste treatment building, a waste dumpster shed an oncology ward, neurosurgery with neurology ward and an intensive care unit, an assisted reproductive technology center, private wards, paediatric surgery unit, and an MRI and Dental service units.



President Akufo-Addo said his Administration was committed to providing Ghanaians and residents with befitting health infrastructures and world-class health care.



He pointed out that the UGMCs mainstay was to deliver healthcare, adding that the facility played a pivotal role in managing complicated referrals from other hospitals in the country.



The President mentioned that the Centre also had provision for walk-in patients who seek specialist or consultant attention and delivered health services in the areas of trauma and orthopaedics, urology, ear nose and throat care, cardiology, and dermatology, accident and emergency services, pain management, among others.



Additionally, the Centre has a medical training and simulation center which will as a national facility for the training of health professionals across the country.



It is equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment capable of simulating various disease conditions to enable our health professionals to have comprehensive hands-on experience, the President said.



President Akufo-Addo also mentioned that the second phase of the health facility included investment and business models to make the UGMC self-sustaining over five years.



He expressed the governments commitment to ensuring the availability of the requisite personnel to provide services at the Centre and thanked all key stakeholders who worked to ensure the project became a success.



Dr Darius Kofi Osei, Chief Executive, UGMC, disclosed that the Centre now had three focal areas; the Medical Simulation and Training Centre, Clinical Services Section and Medical and Scientific Research Centre.



With the completion of the second phase, he said the facilitys forefront Medical Simulation and Training Centre is the biggest training centre in West Africa.



This Training Centre is a nationally recognized multi-disciplinary academic Centre and is committed to achieving excellence in medical education using high-quality and innovative computer-based simulations.



Our 1000-bed Clinical Services Section of the UGMC is committed to the promotion of favourable health outcomes through innovative, customer-centred, cost-effective, and high-quality processes. We are currently running almost 40 speciality and sub-speciality level clinics from the humble beginning of running three general service OPD Clinics.



Dr Osei informed the government that the Centre needed to be resourced with the requisite infrastructure to be able to deliver more sub-specialized services.



He said the centre needed a helipad to assist us in the evacuation of trauma cases to boost medical tourism.



Additionally, the Centre also needed the setting up of a Radiotherapy Centre for cancer treatment, an infectious disease center, accommodation for specialists and other critical staff and official vehicles for the center.

Source: GNA









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The Management of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) has confirmed that on Friday, June 17, 2022, a middle-aged male passenger arrived onboard United Airlines at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) from Dulles International Airport Washington at approximately 10:20 am in the company of a relative.



A statement issued on Saturday, June 18 said the passenger was reported to have complained of tiredness and had difficulty in breathing.



He was subsequently offered a wheelchair by the Ground Handler. The passenger became unconscious at the arrival hall and received medical attention but was unresponsive.



The statement indicated that he was conveyed to the airport clinic for further attention and he subsequently passed on.



In line with protocols, the Airport District Police station was immediately informed.



Ghana Airport Company Limited has commenced an investigation into the incident.



Management extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family, the statement said.

Source: 3news









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The Department of Feeder Roads has initiated the necessary contractual process to terminate the Asonge-Zalerigu-Pelungu road contact in the Upper East Region.



Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, the Minister of Roads and Highways, said outstanding works on the Asonge-Zalerigu-Pelungu road contract would be repackaged with the extra drainage structures to be provided on the Pelungu-Sakoti section for re-award after the termination.



The Minister made the revelation on the floor of Parliament in his response to questions by Dr Mark Kurt Nawaane, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nabdam.



The MP asked the Minister about the status of the Asonge-Zalerigu-Pelungu-Sakoti road, which was under construction but currently appears to have stopped.



He also wanted to know from the Minister about the status of the Kongo-Bongo Soe (Akayonga) road.



The Asonge-Zalerigu-Pelungu-Sakoti road is a 16.5km engineered road located in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region.



The Minister said the Asonge-Zalerigu-Pelungu (7.5km) section of the road was an earth road in poor condition whilst the Pelungu-Asakoti (9.0km) stretch has a gravel surface in fair condition.



Concerning the Asonge-Zalerigu-Pelungu feeder road (7.5km), Mr Amoako-Attah said the contract for the bitumen surfacing of the Asonge-Zalerigu-Pelungu feeder raod (7.5km) was scheduled to commence on 22nd May 2018 for completion by 21st May 2019.



He said the contractor abandoned the site after achieving physical progress of 23 per cent and that warning letters were issued to the contractor to reactivate the site but it continues to be inactive.



He said the Department of Feeder Roads had initiated the necessary contractual procedure to terminate the contract and repackage for award under the 2023 budget.



Touching on the Pelungu-Sakoti feeder road (9.0km), the Minister said the contract for the rehabilitation of Pelungu-Sakoti (9.0) was awarded as part of the contract titled "Rehabilitation of Zuarungu-Kongo Feeder Road and other (40.60km).



He said the contract commenced on 22nd May 2018 and was scheduled for completion on 21st August 2019 but was extended to 20th February 2021 due to additional works issued to the contractor.



He said the specific activities carried out on the Pelungu-Sakoti road included; clearing and formation of the road. construction of drainage structures and graveling of the entire 9.0km which were completed in August 2019, and that there had been a washout at km3+070 where a box culvert is located.



He said hydraulic and hydrological studies were to be carried out to determine the size and number of extra drainage structures to be installed within the affected section to provide adequate capacity to prevent future overtopping of the road.



With regard to the status of the Kongo-Bongo Soe (Akayonga) road, the Minister said the 16.5km road was in poor condition.



He said the road links Kongo in the Nabdam District to Bongo Soe (Akayonga) in the Bongo District, which are all communities located in the Upper East Region.



Mr Amoako-Attah said the road was awarded on contract for spot improvement under the contract titled "Spoy Improvement of Bongo-Balungu-Namong feeder roads and others (40.4km).



He said the contract was scheduled to commence on 18th June 2018 to be completed 17th June 2019; adding that the intended completion date was extended to 17th February 2021 due to the additional works.



"The contractor has so far worked on the Bongo-Balungu-Namong feeder road (8.0km) and is yet to work on the Kongo-Bongo Soe (Akayonga) road," Mr Amoako-Attah said.



"Work completed to date is 39 percent physical condition."



He said the Department of Feeder Roads was taking the necessary steps to get the contractor back to the site to complete works on the Kongo-Bongo Soea (Akayonga) road.

Source: GNA









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A few days after declaring himself dead, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Bosome Freho in the Ashanti Region, Yaw Danso has unreservedly apologized to Ghanaians for his careless flippancy last Friday.



In an audio available to Ghanaguardian.com, Mr. Danso is heard rendering an apology to government officials in the region, his family, the chief and elders of Bosome Freho, the Assembly Members in the district and to a large extent, Ghanaians, for declaring himself dead.



"I want to use this medium to apologize to you for saying "I'm dead" during an interview with lady journalist. The comment is an unfortunate one, this does not represent me. I personally know the lady who phoned me so I made those comments out of jokes, not that I want to disrespect anyone. Forgive me Ghanaians, kindly forgive me, I'm really sorry, I'm not dead, I'm alive," Mr Danso said.



Background



This comes on the back of a complaint made by Assembly Members in the District against the DCE who they accused of failing to address the needs of the area.



According to the Assembly Members, the DCE has not been on top of issues in his quest to foot the forward match of the district and that finding him to make known their concerns was a problem.



Following the complaints, a journalist called Mr. Danso to fish out the truth of the allegations made against him.



However, in response to a question posed by the reporter, the DCE responded "They [Assembly Members] say I'm nowhere to be found? ooh! Im dead". Tell them Im dead," He told the female reporter in a phone interview.



The said conversation went viral on social media with a section of the Ghanaian populace lashing out at the DCE for what they described as an insult towards his people and the good people of Ghana.

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The Minority Caucus of Parliament on Friday underscored the need for every Ghanaian to have the National Identification (ID) Card (Ghana Card).



Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, speaking on the floor of Parliament, said: "The matter of the National ID Card and even the contemplation of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, using it as a basis for registration or for the conduct of the 2024 (general) election, makes it a democratic imperative that every deserving Ghanaian has the National ID Card. And any failure on their part will throw our democracy into jeopardy."



The Minority Leader said on daily basis, he sees queues of old men and women and young people just at the gate of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council in Tamale to apply for the National ID Card.



"That public good must be made easily and increasingly available to the Ghanaian," Mr Iddrisu stated.



Mr Samuel Nartey George, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram/Deputy Ranking Member for Communications, who raised the issue of the Ghana Card on the floor of the House, urged the Business Committee of the House to schedule a joint meeting for the Ministers of Interior, Communications and Digitalisation and Finance to brief the House on the Ghana Card issue.



He reiterated that Parliament had oversight responsibility for the Interior Minister, who oversees the National Identification Authority (NIA); the Communications and Digitalisation Minister, who oversees the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Finance Minister who had oversight over the Bank of Ghana.



He said the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation had issued a deadline of 30th of June; that is from 1st of July, they were going to deactivate unregistered mobile SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) Cards and that the Bank of Ghana had also directed that from the 1st of July, one would not be able to access his Bank account without the Ghana Card.



He noted that these state institutions were basing their directives on Legislative Instrument (LI) 2111, which was passed by the House.



"Even the Electoral Commission is preparing to bring up a Constitutional Instrument (CI), that is to create a new voter register using the Ghana Card," Mr George said.



He said some Ghanaians who had registered for the Ghana Card in 2018, the NIA was unable to provide them with their cards; saying "So, as representatives of the Ghanaian people, what is this House going to do, between now and the 30th of this month (June) to ensure that our constituents who had registered for the Ghana Card get the Ghana Card, so that they would not be disenfranchised".



He said if the NIA was unable to provide those Cards for Ghanaians, who were willing and ready to register, it was time for it to be made known to the Authority that they should not put their constituents in jeopardy.



Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, the MP for South Dayi, said the District Offices of the NIA were sited far away from the people and that it had become difficult for MPs to transport people to and from the offices for their Ghana Card registration.



He, therefore, appealed to the NIA to move around to reach out to the people for the Ghana Card registration, which they had done before.

Source: GNA









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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday attended and addressed the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in virtual format upon invitation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends and addresses the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in virtual format upon invitation, June 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)



Xi pointed out that the world is faced with major changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, economic globalization is facing headwinds, and there are unprecedented challenges to the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At a time when the international community is so keen about achieving more equitable, sustainable and secure development, we should seize opportunities, meet challenges head-on, and work on the implementation of the Global Development Initiative to build a shared future of peace and prosperity.

Xi said that, first, we need to foster an enabling environment for development. It is important that we follow true multilateralism, respect and support all countries' pursuit of development paths suited to their national conditions, build an open world economy, and increase the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries in global economic governance, with a view to making global development more balanced, coordinated and inclusive.

Second, we need to strengthen development partnerships. It is important that we enhance North-South and South-South cooperation, pool cooperation resources, platforms and networks of development partnerships, and scale up development assistance, in order to forge greater synergy for development and close the development gap.

Third, we need to advance economic globalization. It is important that we strengthen "soft connectivity" of development policies and international rules and standards, reject attempts at decoupling, supply disruption, unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure, remove trade barriers, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, tackle the worsening food and energy crises, and revive the world economy.

Fourth, we need to pursue innovation-driven development. It is important that we unlock the potential of innovation-driven growth, improve the rules and institutional environment for innovation, break down barriers to the flow of innovation factors, deepen exchanges and cooperation on innovation, facilitate deeper integration of science and technology into the economy, and make sure the fruits of innovation are shared by all.

Xi pointed out that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy - its strong resilience, enormous potential and long-term sustainability - remain unchanged. "We have full confidence in China's economic development. China will continue to promote high-quality development, expand high-standard opening-up with firm resolve, and pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation," he said.

China stands ready to work with Russia and all other countries to explore development prospects, share growth opportunities, and make new contributions to deepening global development cooperation and building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi added.

The plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was held in an online plus offline format in St. Petersburg, Russia on June 17. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart K. Tokayev, among others, attended the event.
A Communication team member of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Sylvester Soprano Sarpong has applauded the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare for interdicting three police officers after some students of the Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi got injured following a protest.



The officers: the acting Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kwasi Akomeah-Apraku, ACP George Ankomah, the Regional Operations Officer; and ACP Alex Cudjoe Acquah, the Suame Divisional Police Commander were interdicted over their management of the chaotic scenes.



A statement by the Police says their interdiction is to make way for a thorough investigation into the incident.



Reacting to this, Soprano said IGP Dampare has proven that he has qualities that President Akufo-Addo doesn't have.



According to him, if the President had the boldness to also reshuffle his appointees, they will work diligently.



"Dampare is exhibiting qualities President Akufo-Addo should be havingfor instance, President Akufo-Addo has never done any reshuffle and things are getting worst. They (appointees) know they won't be removed so they do anything they want. So Dampare should keep it up. Hes proven that he has the qualities Akufo-Addo doesn't have..." he said on Neat FM's Me Man Nti programme.



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Dr Richard Asante Yeboah, Deputy National Communications Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Public Servants Housing Loan Scheme, has reassured Ghanaians of the Akufo-Addo government's commitment to improving their living conditions and reviving the crippling economy.



Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" Friday morning, Dr. Richard Asante Yeboah noted that the hardships Ghanaians are facing, particularly with regard to the perennial fuel price increases, are not a Ghanaian problem but a worldwide issue that many other countries are equally experiencing.



Petroleum prices have hiked up between over 10 cedis and 12 cedis per litre.



He also blamed the Ukraine/Russia war for the fuel price hikes which have had a major adverse impact on the living conditions of the citizenry but assured Ghanaians that their sufferings won't last for long.



According to him, President Nana Addo hasn't gone to sleep but putting pragmatic measures in place to resolve the plight of the citizens.



He encouraged them to continue reposing their confidence in the Akufo-Addo administration, asserting that "this too shall pass. Within the next 2/3 or 4 months or 6 months, we will be able to overcome these challenges and turn the country to the pre-COVID era where the economy was booming. Because even in the midst of COVID when countries were in recession, the likes of UK and the US economies were struggling more, we were seeing some growth and even at the peak of COVID, we saw some growth. Today, we are seeing growth and all the projections indicate that our economy is recovering".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. says government should stop blaming the rising cost of fuel prices on Ukraine and Russia impasse.



Over the months, there's been astronomical increases in fuel prices, hence burdening commercial and private drivers and passengers.



The prices currently stand at over 10 cedis and 12 per litre for petrol and diesel respectively.



However, the government blames the Ukraine/Russia war for the fuel price increases.



William Owuraku Aidoo, a Deputy Minister of Energy, has said that the recent surge in prices of petroleum products in the country is due to the conflict in Eastern Europe.



According to a publication on pulse.com.gh, Mr. Aidoo, in an adress before Parliament, stated the governments hands are tied in intervening because of the deregulatory regime.



Sanctions and boycotts on petroleum exports from Russia, a major exporter especially to Europe, are reducing availability even further and intensifying upward pressure on fuel prices. Under the current deregulated regime in Ghana where govenrment is not responsible for determining the prices of petroleum products, prices on the global market and the depreciation of the Ghana cedi against the US dollar are passed on directly to the end-consumer, he said.



Also according to the Deputy National Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Asante Yeboah, Ghana is following the sanctions imposed on Russia by some member countries of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United Nations (UN).



These sanctions, he noted, make it impossible for Ghana to buy fuel directly from Russia which is selling at subsidized prices to other countries.



Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo", Kwesi Pratt snapped at government's explanation that the Ukraine/Russia war is the cause of the recurrent fuel price increases.



"When you go to Western Europe, it has a fuel crisis which is self-imposed. They have placed sanctions on Russia. They are the ones saying we can't pay you if you bring the fuel which has resulted in this crisis. Other third world countries that are still buying their fuel from Russia, they are buying it at subsidized rate; rate below the price at the Ukrainian war.



"So, if we want the fuel price to reduce, why can other countries buy petrol from Russia at a moderate price but we can't?...Did I tell you to join the sanction regime? If you are a government and America says we should sanction Russia and you know when you sanction Russia, you will suffer but you do it anyway, what are you talking about?...You choose to follow America and you are suffering, then return to tell us to blame Ukriane/Russia war, are you not the one who caused it? Stop saying these things!", he fumed.



He wondered why the Government of Ghana is not buying fuel directly from Russia when the Eastern European nation is selling her gas at subsidized price.



"Any Ghanaian who will be boldly point to himself or herself that the petroleum problem is caused by Ukraine/Russia war doesn't like the government. In fact, then they want to collapse the government. In this age of enlightenment, what country buys fuel at spot market price today? All this Ukraine/Russia brouhaha, what is affecting is the spot market price...So, spare our ears with this Ukraine/Russia war because you are disgracing the government."



He noted that the Akufo-Addo government cannot blame Ukraine and Russia's conflict because the country is purchasing fuel at the spot market price.



As if to describe the government as incompetent, he stressed it is only an "incompetent and inefficient government that will buy fuel at spot market price".





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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Earlier today the Member of Parliament for Effiduase Asokore Constituency, Hon. Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, commissioned an electrification project in the Buoya community, Sekyere East District.



The project which is the first of its kind in the community will ensure that electricity is accessible to the inhabitants and serve as a focal point for extension into other surrounding communities. This is in line with the governments plans to improve electricity access to all rural communities in the country.



Also in attendance were the DCE-Sekyere East District, Hon. Osei Adiyiah and Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr William Owuraku Aidoo, graced the occasion and used the opportunity to educate the gathering about electricity safety and energy efficiency tips.



He called on the good people of Buoya to keep faith in the NPP as has been reflected in their voting patterns because more developmental projects have been earmarked to be undertaken in the Effiduase Asokore Constituency and Ghana as a whole.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Freddie Blay, the national chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said the recent furore over activities of the LGBTQI+ community in Ghana is unnecessary.



To mark Pride month, LGBTQ+ activists mounted billboards in the capital Accra and two other cities with the inscription Love, Tolerance and Acceptance.



Rights activists in Ghana are protesting after a crowd, urged on by some MPs and opinion leaders, tore down the billboards that promoted tolerance toward the LGBTQ community.



Talking on Asaase Radio (17 June), Blay said there is too much hypocrisy surrounding the issue in Ghana.



If people want to be gays, it should be their own problem. I wont go ahead to be a persecutor of those who want to be together as man and man or woman and woman, the former MP said.



I think theres too much hypocrisy about it. Emotions have been excited over it to the extent that we are not sober over it. I honestly do not see the hullabaloo about it. We should allow them if they want to.



I dont subscribe to gayism as a choice because Im not attracted by that, but I dont want to go into peoples bedrooms. I dont want to see what they are doing, Blay said.











Source: asaaseradio.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Controversial actress Tracey Boakye has proven that she is not called East Legon Landlady for nothing. Tracey who was a special guest at Shugatitis birthday showered the birthday celebrant with $100 notes.



Abena Serwaa Frimpong Manso aka Shugatiti, a Ghanaian nudist/Socialite climaxed her birthday with a private dinner at the Kempinski Hotel on Tuesday evening, June 16, 2022.



The dinner attended by selected friends including some notable faces like; Tracey Boakye, Kwaku Manu, Akwaboah, and Gambo.



Climax at the gathering was when it was time to cut her butt-inspired birthday cake which has since caused a stir on social media.



Shugatitis birthday cake was baked in a form of a butt, spotted with a white thong and some waist beads.



Tracey Boakye who says she is Shugatiti's godmother and Akwaboah helped in cutting Shugatitis controversial cake while others looked on and took pictures and videos of it.



Watch the full video below:



Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Mona4reall ahead of her big 30 on June 26th, has selected 30 of her fans on Instagram to meet, greet and show some love for their continuous support.



The event which took place at pizzaman chickenman kissieman branch saw a lot of onlookers trooping in after seeing the #blow hit maker at the eatery.



Fans took turns to express their joy in meeting mona4reall physically.



They also took turns to tell why they love her.



Words such as beautiful, consistency, focus, performance, and a host of others were used to describe her.



Mona acknowledged their love and support.



She had dinner with them, chit chat and took some pictures with them as well.



Fans had the moment of one on one sessions with Mona4reall.



Speaking on her hangout, Mona4reall said spending quality time with fans and making them feel loved and cherished is one of her key priorities as they have a great score on her craft.



This is to appreciate the 4Reallers for the love and support they have given me throughout her musical journey. she added.



It was an unending night for the fans as there were also a lot to eat and drink.



Mona faiz montrage also known as Hajia4reall or Mona4reall is currently a fast-rising female Ghanaian artiste known to has set a record with her EP release here to say which featured top Ghanaian artists in 2021.



She came into the music scene in 2020 and in barely 2years she has released 11 songs back to back with her current being blow which was related in May 2022.



She has 12 nominations local and international so far and 2 awards to her credit.



She is known to be a determined, fun-loving and trendsetting artiste.



Mona4realls big 30 on June 26th is going to be one of the biggest celebrations to anticipate.



You must be lucky if you have a special invitation.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Batalla de Waterloo - Jan Willem Pieneman La bataille de Waterloo (1824, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) de Jan Willem Pieneman (1779-1853). Credit: Jan Willem Pieneman La bataille de Waterloo (1824, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) de Jan Willem Pieneman (1779-1853)

Were the bones of fallen Battle of Waterloo soldiers sold as fertilizer?

As very few human remains have been found from what was such a bloodied affair, killing thousands, it's a conclusion that a new study suggests is most probable.

However, publishing his findings todayexactly 207 years since the historic conflictin the peer-reviewed Journal of Conflict Archaeology, lead expert Professor Tony Pollard states it isn't quite a situation of "case closed."

The Director of the Center for Battlefield Archaeology at the University of Glasgow demonstrates original data comprising of newly found battlefield descriptions and drawings, made by people who visited in the days and weeks following Napoleon's defeat.

These included letters and personal memoirs from a Scottish merchant living in Brussels at the time of the battle, James Ker, who visited in the days following the battle and describes men dying in his arms. Together the visitor accounts describe the exact locations of three mass graves containing up to 13,000 bodies.

But will these new data lead to a mass grave discovery of the long-lost bones of those who gave their lives in this battle, which finally concluded a 23-year long war? It's unlikely states Professor Pollard.

"Artistic license and hyperbole over the number of bodies in mass graves notwithstanding, the bodies of the dead were clearly disposed of at numerous locations across the battlefield, so it is somewhat surprising that there is no reliable record of a mass grave ever being encountered.

"At least three newspaper articles from the 1820s onwards reference the importing of human bones from European battlefields for the purpose of producing fertilizer.

"European battlefields may have provided a convenient source of bone that could be ground down into bone-meal, an effective form of fertilizer. One of the main markets for this raw material was the British Isles," Professor Pollard, from the University of Glasgow Center for War Studies and Conflict Archaeology, says.

"Waterloo attracted visitors almost as soon as the gun smoke cleared. Many came to steal the belongings of the dead, some even stole teeth to make into dentures, while others came to simply observe what had happened.

"It's likely that an agent of a purveyor of bones would arrive at the battlefield with high expectations of securing their prize. Primary targets would be mass graves, as they would have enough bodies in them to merit the effort of digging the bones.

"Local people would have been able to point these agents to the locations of the mass graves, as many of them would have vivid memories of the burials taking place, or may even have helped with the digging. It's also possible that the various guidebooks and travelogs that described the nature and location of the graves could have served essentially as treasure maps complete with an X to mark the spot.

"On the basis of these accounts, backed up by the well attested importance of bone meal in the practice of agriculture, the emptying of mass graves at Waterloo in order to obtain bones seems feasible, and the likely conclusion is that."

But, to determine once and for all, as part of his role as the Lead Academic and an Archaeological Director at the charity Waterloo Uncovered, Professor Pollard will help to lead an "ambitious," several years-long geophysical survey, involving veterans who will join the dig to provide insight to world-class archaeologists. In turn they receive care and recovery.

"The next stage is to head back out to Waterloo, to attempt to plot grave sites resulting from the analysis of early visitor accounts reported here," states Pollard, a Professor of Conflict History and Archaeology.

"If human remains have been removed on the scale proposed then there should be, at least in some cases, archaeological evidence of the pits from which they were taken, however truncated and poorly defined these might be.

"Covering large areas of the battlefield over the coming years, we will look to identify areas of previous ground disturbance to test the results of the source review and distribution map, and in conjunction with further documentary research and some excavation will provide a much more definitive picture of the fate of the dead of Waterloo."

If the team was to find anything, it would be an extremely rare discovery.

In 2015 a human skeleton was uncovered during the building of a new museum and carpark at the site. Then in 2019, amputated human leg bones were unearthed by the Waterloo Uncovered team in an excavation of the main allied field hospital. There is also a skeleton of uncertain provenance in the museum in Waterloo.

No other significant remains have ever been found.

Explore further New study confirms potential of geoelectrical methods in search for hidden graves

More information: These Spots of Excavation Tell: Using Early Visitor Accounts to Map the Missing Graves of Waterloo, Journal of Conflict Archaeology (2022). These Spots of Excavation Tell: Using Early Visitor Accounts to Map the Missing Graves of Waterloo,(2022). DOI: 10.1080/15740773.2021.2051895
People wade along a flooded road following heavy monsoon rains in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Monsoon storms in Bangladesh and India have killed at least 59 people and unleashed devastating floods that left millions of others stranded, officials said Saturday.

Floods are a regular menace to millions of people in low-lying Bangladesh, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency, ferocity and unpredictability.

Relentless downpours over the past week have inundated vast stretches of Bangladesh's northeast, with troops deployed to evacuate households cut off from neighbouring communities.

Schools have been turned into relief shelters to house entire villages inundated in a matter of hours by rivers that suddenly burst their banks.

"The whole village went under water by early Friday and we all got stranded," said Lokman, whose family lives in Companiganj village.

"After waiting a whole day on the roof of our home, a neighbour rescued us with a makeshift boat. My mother said she has never seen such floods in her entire life," the 23-year-old added.

Asma Akter, another woman rescued from the rising waters, said her family had not been able to eat for two days.

"The water rose so quickly we couldn't bring any of our things," she said. "And how can you cook anything when everything is underwater?"

Lightning triggered by the storms has killed at least 21 people around the South Asian nation since Friday afternoon, police officials told AFP.

Among them were three children aged between 12 and 14 who were struck by lightning on Friday in the rural town of Nandail, said local police chief Mizanur Rahman.

Another four people died when landslides hit their hillside homes in the port city of Chittagong, police inspector Nurul Islam told AFP.

Troops have been dispatched to evacuate people from flooded areas in Bangladesh.

At least 16 people have been killed since Thursday in India's remote Meghalaya, the state's chief minister Conrad Sangma wrote on Twitter, after landslides and surging rivers that submerged roads.

Next door in Assam, more than 2.6 million people have been affected by floods after five days of incessant downpours, according to the state's disaster response agency.

Eighteen people had died in flood waters or landslides around the state since Thursday, the agency reported, with nearly 7,500 people rescued on Saturday by mid-afternoon.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters he had instructed district officials to provide "all necessary help and relief" to those caught in the flooding.

'The situation is bad'

Flooding in Bangladesh worsened on Saturday morning after a temporary reprieve from the rains the previous afternoon, Sylhet region chief government administrator Mosharraf Hossain told AFP.

"The situation is bad. More than four million people have been stranded by flood water," Hossain said, adding that nearly the entire region was without electricity.

The flooding forced Bangladesh's third-largest international airport in Sylhet to shut down on Friday.

Around the regional capital, residents waded through waist-deep water along roads next to partially submerged stuck vehicles.

Forecasters said the floods were set to worsen over the next two days with heavy rains in Bangladesh and upstream in India's northeast.

Before this week's rains, the Sylhet region was still recovering from its worst floods in nearly two decades late last month, when at least 10 people were killed and four million others were affected.

Explore further Millions stranded, dozens dead as flooding hits Bangladesh and India

 2022 AFP
With the River Seine off limits to bathing, scorched Parisians took refuge in the city's fountains.

Spain, France and other western European nations sweltered over the weekend under a blistering June heatwave that has sparked forest fires and concerns such early summer blasts of hot weather will now become the norm.

The weekend's soaring temperatures were the peak of a June heatwave in line with scientists' predictions that such phenomena will now strike earlier in the year thanks to global warming.

The popular French southwestern seaside resort of Biarritz saw its highest all-time temperature Saturday afternoon of 42.9 degrees Celsius (109.2 degrees Fahrenheit) state forecaster Meteo France said as authorities urged vigilance from the central western coast down to the Spanish border.

Many parts of the region surpassed 40C, although storms were expected on the Atlantic coast on Sunday eveningthe first signs that the stifling temperatures will "gradually regress to concern only the eastern part of the country," the weather service reported.

The baking heat failed to put off heavy metal aficionados attending the Hellfest festival at Clisson on the outskirts of the western city of Nantes, where temperatures soared beyond 40C.

Those who found the energy to headbang to the music were grateful for several water fountains on hand which sprayed them periodically.

Queues of hundreds of people and traffic jams formed outside aquatic leisure parks in France, with people seeing water as the only refuge from the devastating heat.

Differences in June-August temperatures in Europe from 1950 to 2021 compared to the 1991-2020 average.

With the River Seine off limits to bathing, scorched Parisians took refuge in the city's fountains.

And at Vincennes Zoo in the capital's outskirts, shaggy-haired lions licked and pawed at frozen blood fed to them by zookeepers, who monitored the enclosure's animals for signs of dehydration under the scorching sun.

"This is the earliest heatwave ever recorded in France" since 1947, said Matthieu Sorel, a climatologist at Meteo France, as June records fell in a dozen areas, leading him to call the weather a "marker of climate change".

Forest fires rage

In a major incident in France, a fire triggered by the firing of an artillery shell in military training in the Var region of southern France was burning some 200 hectares (495 acres) of vegetation, local authorities said.

"There is no threat to anyone except 2,500 sheep who are being evacuated and taken to safety," said local fire brigade chief Olivier Pecot.

The fire came from the Canjeurs military camp, the biggest such training site in Western Europe.

Experts warned the high temperatures were caused by worrying climate change trends .

Fire services' work was impeded by the presence of non-exploded munitions in the deserted area, but four Canadair planes were deployed to water bomb the fires.

Farmers in the country are having to adapt.

Daniel Toffaloni, a 60-year-old farmer near the southern city of Perpignan, now only works from "daybreak until 11:30 am" and in the evening, as temperatures in his tomato greenhouses reach a sizzling 55C.

Forest fires in Spain on Saturday had burned nearly 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of land in the northwest Sierra de la Culebra region.

The flames forced several hundred people from their homes, and 14 villages were evacuated.

Some residents were able to return on Saturday morning, but regional authorities warned the fire "remains active".

Firefighters were still battling blazes in several other regions, including woodlands in Catalonia.

Rock and metal fans were sprayed with water at the Hellfest music festival in western France.

Temperatures above 40C were forecast in parts of the country on Saturdaywith highs of 43C expected in the northeastern city of Zaragoza.

There have also been fires in Germany, where temperatures were forecast to go as high as 40C on Saturday but only reached 36C. A blaze in the Brandenburg region around Berlin had spread over about 60 hectares by Friday evening.

Foretaste of future

The UK recorded its hottest day of the year on Friday, with temperatures reaching over 30C in the early afternoon, meteorologists said.

"I think at the moment people are just enjoying it being hot but if it gets any hotter than this, which I think it is meant to, then that's a concern," said Claire Moran, an editor in London.

Several towns in northern Italy have announced water rationing and the Lombardy region may declare a state of emergency as a record drought threatens harvests.

Italy's dairy cows were putting out 10 percent less milk, the main agricultural association, Coldiretti, said Saturday.

Spain has been hit by a week-long heatwave, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius expected on Saturday.

With temperatures far above the cows' "ideal climate" of 22-24C, animals were drinking up to 140 litres of water per day, double their normal intake, and producing less due to stress, it said.

Experts warned the high temperatures were caused by worrying climate change trends.

"As a result of climate change, heatwaves are starting earlier," said Clare Nullis, a spokeswoman for the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva.

"What we're witnessing today is unfortunately a foretaste of the future" if concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continue to rise and push global warming towards 2C from pre-industrial levels, she added.

Explore further Europe braces for blistering June weekend heat

 2022 AFP
 Flash

British Home Secretary Priti Patel has approved the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face espionage charges, the Home Office confirmed on Friday.

Britain's Westminster Magistrates' Court issued a formal order in April to extradite Assange, leaving the final decision to Patel. Assange and lawyers for the United States have gone through several rounds of legal battle over the past months that reached up to the British Supreme Court.

Assange, 50, is wanted in the United States on allegations of disclosing national defense information following WikiLeaks's publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked military documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars a decade ago, which included an Apache helicopter video footage documenting the U.S. military gunning down Reuters journalists and children in Baghdad's streets in 2007.

The Home Office said in a statement: "On 17 June, following consideration by both the Magistrates Court and High Court, the extradition of Mr. Julian Assange to the U.S. was ordered."

"In this case, the UK courts have not found that it would be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process to extradite Mr. Assange," it said. "Nor have they found that extradition would be incompatible with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and to freedom of expression."

Assange has 14 days to appeal the decision and his legal team said they will be appealing.

"Today is not the end of the fight. It is only the beginning of a new legal battle. We will appeal through the legal system, the next appeal will be before the High Court," WikiLeaks said in a statement on Twitter.

It also argued that Assange did nothing wrong and this case has been politically motivated.

"Make no mistake, this has always been a political case. Julian published evidence that the country trying to extradite him committed war crimes and covered them up; tortured and rendered; bribed foreign officials; and corrupted judicial inquiries into U.S. wrongdoing. Their revenge is to try to disappear him into the darkest recesses of their prison system for the rest of his life to deter others from holding governments to account," it said.

"This is a dark day for press freedom and for British democracy," it added.

Assange has been held at south London's high-security Belmarsh Prison since 2019. Lawyers for the United States said earlier that Assange would be allowed to transfer to Australia, his home country, to serve any prison sentence he may be given.
Man slashed in neck in Spa City

SARATOGA SPRINGS  A 51-year-old man was slashed in the neck on Friday afternoon in Saratoga Springs in what police are describing as a road rage incident.

The Saratoga Springs Police Department said in a news release that it was notified just before 3 p.m. that the victim was being driven by private vehicle to Saratoga Hospital. The man was driving a box van and had stopped on Caroline Street. He briefly exchanged words with the female driver of a sedan that had stopped behind the van.

The incident culminated with the man being slashed in the neck.

Both vehicles then left the scene. Police located the sedan involved and have detained the 20-year-old.

Police said the incident appears to have stemmed from a disagreement over driving skills that took place a short time before the vehicles ended up on Caroline Street. Authorities do not believe the parties knew each other.

Caroline Street was closed for about 45 minutes as investigators were working at the scene.

The victims injury does not appear to be life threatening, although he was transferred to Albany Medical Center.

There have not been any formal charges filed at this time and the investigation is still active.

Police are not looking for anybody else at this time.

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QUEENSBURY  Elected representatives, business owners, investors and other professionals gathered in the Mohican Ballroom at the Great Escape Lodge on Friday to discuss how Warren County can still succeed during the labor crisis.

Dr. Rachel Sederberg, research manager for leading national labor markets analytics firm Emsi Burning Glass, walked up to the podium at the annual EDC Warren County luncheon with somber news.

She said that what most people say is that the labor situation will rectify itself as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wind down.

Her somber news was that, unfortunately, that is not the case.

Where are we going to find workers? We know that this is a problem. We know that its something that isnt going to go away, she said.

The issue, she said, is that the number of those out of work who are actively looking continues to decline. According to her research, people over the age of 55 are increasingly leaving the workforce for retirement, while others are simply choosing not to work, Sederberg said.

Sederberg said that before the pandemic, the baby boomer generation was already aging out of the workforce.

She highlighted that the generation shaped the world that we now live in.

The generation didnt just have women starting to enter the workforce at a higher rate and seeing birth rates going up at the same time. The boomers also generated significant wealth gains.

Sederberg said that this was an important fact to keep in mind.

From 1975 to 1995, there is a household wealth gain on average of $42,000, she said. Thats insane.

The baby boomers started to reach retirement age around 2002, according to Sederberg, so they are not solely to blame.

The U.S. unemployment rate in February 2020 was at a record low just before the pandemic hit. That, coupled with the workforce declining thanks to retirement rates increasing, still doesnt tell the whole story.

In February 2020, there were 7 million jobs open, and just under 6 million unemployed people looking for work.

At that point (February 2020), we didnt have enough workers for the number of openings we had. This was before COVID, Sederberg said.

She said that the only way to get the labor force back to healthy levels is to actively seek out the disengaged population.

Without actively looking for ways to reach the disengaged demographic for potential employment, the labor crisis will continue to get worse. Sederberg said that the bottom line is that the nation needs 3 million to 5 million more workers just to meet the current needs of the economy.

In April, 43% of all citizens who were out of the workforce considered themselves retired. That leaves more than half of the population that is out of the workforce that can help fill the 100 million open jobs in the county.

She said those people are going to be a part of the solution.

They were always there, always willing to work. Now we just need to go find them, Sederberg said. And accept that this is our new reality. So actively seek out the disengaged. Get your message out to the people who are out of the labor force.

Jay Mullen is a reporter for The Post-Star covering the city of Glens Falls, Warren County and crime and courts. You can reach him at 518-742-3224 or jmullen@poststar.com.

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GREENWICH  For the caregiver of someone with Alzheimers, every day is the longest day.

Every day. Theres no break, said Mary Madison, a retired nurse who watched her mother and several other family members die from the disease that destroys memory and other mental functions.

Madison, along with other members of the Greenwich community, are painting the town purple from June 17 to June 21 to celebrate the Longest Day in Greenwich.

The Longest Day is an event held annually on the day with the most light  the summer solstice. On that day and leading up to it, communities around the world come together to stand up to the darkness of Alzheimers and honor the more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimers, including 410,000 in New York state, and their caregivers.

I watched my mother, who was this dynamic, kind, sweet woman, my best friend, just spiral down, Madison said. I cared for her at home as long as I could, which wasnt long, really. I didnt have the option. There werent the services then that there are now. The Alzheimers Association provides so many services.

The Longest Day in Greenwich started five years ago by Breanna and Reid Lundy, an Argyle couple whose grandparents had Alzheimers. The Lundys are rallying the Greenwich community to Paint the Town Purple, the causes official color.

And the Greenwich business community is doing just that.

June is Alzheimers and Brain Awareness Month.

The first year, the Greenwich group raised about $1,000. The group has doubled its goal every year.

Event organizers hope to raise $24,000 to be donated to the Alzheimers Association, which offers respite, wander guards, support groups and many other services for families dealing with an Alzheimers diagnosis.

Half of the donations come from businesses donating a portion of their sales for the weekend. The other half comes from individual donations online at https://act.alz.org/goto/TheLongestDayinGreenwich.

There is also a The Longest Day in Greenwich page on Facebook.

Our reach has expanded, said Lundy, a financial planner in Greenwich. In the beginning, we were just focused on Greenwich, but now that we have this hybrid model where we have an online link, we all share it, and we have friends from all over the country now donating to our little event here in Greenwich.

This year, the Lundys created a Paint the Town Purple committee made up of local business owners, a graphics designer, an Alzheimers Association local chapter staff member and Madison, who runs the local caregiver support group.

The Lundys established the Lundy Legacy Foundation in 2019 to give back to causes important to them. So far, their foundation has granted more than $40,000 to the community, including the local Alzheimers Association chapter.

Activities kicked off Friday with a 5:45 a.m. workout class at Anytime Fitness, which has painted purple flowers in its windows. They will set up a table at the Whipple City Festival on Saturday selling T-shirts and offering face-painting. Activities will close with a sip-and-paint class at Wicked Wicks Creations and More at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Lundy said she is trying to pay it forward after the Alzheimers Association helped her through her grandmothers diagnosis. She suffered with Alzheimers for a little more than a decade.

But the diagnosis did bring her family closer together, and she is grateful for the support they received from the Alzheimers Association.

While it was difficult and hard, Lundy said, I feel grateful for the experience that I had because I know it can tear families apart.

Gretta Hochsprung writes features and hometown news. She can be reached at 518-742-3206 or ghochsprung@poststar.com.

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FORT EDWARD  Debbie Behan of Hudson Falls and Dale Grinnell of Fort Ann were honored Friday as Washington Countys Senior Citizens of the Year.

In a short presentation before the Washington County Board of Supervisors, Becky Preve, executive director of the Association on Aging in New York, said Behan was chosen for her volunteer work at local senior centers. Grinnell volunteers for local history groups, the Finch Pruyn Retirees Association, and his church and its food pantry.

Older people are sometimes perceived as having little to offer, but in fact they are the most active volunteers and biggest philanthropists, Preve said. The estimated value of the volunteer work done by Washington County residents ages 55 and older is $60 million per year, she said. She presented plaques from her organization to Behan and Grinnell.

May is Older Americans Month, which began in 1963 with a proclamation by President John F. Kennedy, Preve said. Since then, services and supports for elders have burgeoned. Preves organization represents New Yorks 59 local agencies on aging at the state and national level.

Preve praised Washington Countys Office for the Aging Director Gina Cantanucci-Mitchell, who also serves on the state associations board.

You really have one of the best directors in New York state, Preve said.

The Offices for the Aging in Washington, Warren, and Hamilton counties are really a gem among upstate offices, she added.

State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, presented Behan with a resolution from the state Assembly recognizing Behans work.

The power of senior centers is peers supporting other peers, Woerner said.

Grinnell previously received recognition from the state Senate, sponsored by state Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury.

State Assemblyman Matt Simpson, R-Horicon, said that as Horicon town supervisor, he was impressed by how much work in the community was done by senior volunteers, for example at the local library.

I enjoy listening to the stories and perspectives of older community members, he said.

Hartford Supervisor Dana Haff said that in his travels, hes observed that people in other countries dont volunteer the way Americans do. If they have some free time, they go out and get another job. Volunteering seems to be largely an American phenomenon, he said.

The Board of Supervisors issued a proclamation for Older Americans Month, noting that Washington County communities benefit when people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds are welcomed, included, and supported, and that the county recognizes our need to create a community that provides the services and supports older Americans need to thrive and live independently for as long as possible.

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A New Jersey man who killed his ex-girlfriend and drove their toddler son to Tennessee with her body in the trunk last July has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. Tyler Rios pleaded guilty in April to aggravated manslaughter and desecrating human remains in the death of 24-year-old Yasemin Uyar. The Union County Prosecutor's Office in New Jersey says Rios killed Uyar in her Rahway home, then fled with their 2-year-old son. The boy eventually was found unharmed at a hotel in Monterey, Tennessee. Uyar's body was found nearby in a wooded area off Interstate 40.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Friday released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for rsted North Americas proposed Ocean Wind 1 wind energy project.

The document analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the proposed development, planned for federal waters about 15 miles off Atlantic City, according to BOEM.

There will be a 45-day comment period after the document is published in the Federal Register on June 24, BOEM said. The comment period ends Aug. 8.

Plans for Ocean Wind include up to 98 wind turbines generators and up to three offshore substations within the lease area, with export cables coming ashore at the former Oyster Creek Generating Station in Lacey Township and at the former B.L. England Generation plant in Upper Township.

Full commercial operation of rsteds two wind farms is expected by late 2028 or early 2029, the company has said.

If all 98 turbines are approved, the wind farm would generate 1,215 to 1,440 megawatts of electricity, BOEM said, capable of powering up to 504,000 homes.

There is considerable opposition to the project from some Ocean City officials and homeowners, concerned about visibility of the turbines and their affect on the tourism industry. Some fishing groups also oppose their construction as planned, saying the turbines will harm the commercial fishing industry.

During the comment period, BOEM will hold three virtual public meetings and accept comments through those. Comments will be used in preparing a final Environmental Impact Statement.

BOEM remains committed to an environmental review process that establishes a strong foundation for offshore wind projects in the U.S. while promoting ocean co-use and avoiding or reducing potential conflicts, said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton.

The department has said it plans to hold up to seven new offshore lease sales by 2025, including the record-breaking New York Bight auction and Carolina Long Bay auction held earlier this year.

BOEM also expects to complete the review of at least 16 plans to construct and operate commercial, offshore wind energy facilities by 2025, which would represent more than 22 GW of clean energy for the nation.

BOEM will use the findings of the EIS to inform its decision on whether to approve Ocean Winds proposed project.

Public meetingsDuring the comment period, BOEM will hold three virtual public meetings, where the public can learn more about: the review process, the EIS schedule, potential impacts from the proposed project, and proposals to reduce potential impacts. There will also be an opportunity for participants to provide comments on the DEIS.

The public meetings will be held on the following dates and times.

Thursday, July 14, 2022; 1 p.m.

Wednesday, July 20, 2022; 5 p.m.

Tuesday, July 26, 2022; 5 p.m.

Registration for the virtual meetings is encouraged.

A virtual meeting room, information about how to register for the virtual meetings and instructions for how to submit comments will be published on BOEMs website on June 24: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/ocean-wind-1.

The virtual meeting room will be available throughout the 45-day comment period and will include a copy of the DEIS, fact sheets, posters and pre-recorded presentations.

If you require a paper copy of the DEIS or public meeting materials, or require call-in information for the virtual meetings (for those without reliable internet access), Contact BOEM at boempublicaffairs@boem.gov.

REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com

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A Scott County judge on Friday sentenced a Riverdale man to 10 years in prison for the shooting death of his nephew in 2019.

Brian Francisco Duque, 54, was accused of first-degree murder for the killing of Terry Warner, 32, according to previous reporting. Authorities said Duque and Warner argued before the shooting, which happened on Dec. 7, 2019, in a home they shared. In April a jury found Duque guilty of a lesser included offense  voluntary manslaughter.

At Duques sentencing on Friday morning, District Court Judge Thomas G. Reidel told Duque that he had little discretionary power when determining the sentence.

The sentence for the charge cannot be deferred or suspended, because it is a forcible felony, according to the Iowa State Bar Association.

I also think it is just under the circumstances, Reidel said before announcing the sentence.

Duque must also pay $150,000 in victim restitution, Reidel ruled.

There is a possibility that Duque will not serve the full 10 years, but that would be up to the Iowa Department of Corrections, Assistant Scott County Attorney Nathan Repp said after the hearing.

Before sentencing, Duque had an opportunity to speak and read a written statement. In it he expressed remorse.

It breaks his heart that he caused pain, fear and loss for Warners children, with whom Duque had a good relationship, he said. He also had a relationship with Warner who was like a little brother to him. He did not hate Warner.

He feels horror over the killing, Duque said.

I did not mean to take Terry Warners life, Duque said.

Justine Brauer also spoke before the court. The mother of Warners children, she made a victim impact statement.

She said the children are still recovering from the loss emotionally and mentally.

Warner was an amazing father, she said.

Now he will not be able to teach their children or spend time with them, Brauer said. He will not walk his daughters down the aisle at their weddings or see his grandchildren.

We were supposed to raise our children together, Brauer said.

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For nine months during the Civil War, a regiment of Black soldiers, many of them former slaves, guarded confederate prisoners on what is now the Rock Island Arsenal.

For the past 30 years, Rock Islands Shellie Moore Guy has been researching and accumulating history on those soldiers, like her great-great-grandfather, Charley Wilson.

Wilson, born into slavery in Kentucky, later settled in Port Byron, where he became the towns veterinarian and a beloved community figure.

About 980 men were a part of the regiment, which was one of a number of U.S. Colored Troops in the Union Army. All told, more than 178,000 Black soldiers served during the final two years of the Civil War, making up 10% of all Union Army troops. Another 19,000 served in the Navy.

Moore Guys efforts to connect the dots of historical documents into a narrative of the soldiers lives  hours of research, writing a children's book, founding an organization dedicated to the history of the local regiment and giving informational presentations  serves both as knitting together genealogical history important to her family and bringing to light to local history of critical efforts during a war that led to the freedom of millions of Americans.

On Monday, shell give a presentation at the Rock Island Arsenal 158 years after the 108th was organized in Louisville, Ky., on June 20, 1864, an anniversary that was not lost on the organizers.

Monday will also be just the second time Juneteenth  which celebrates the end of slavery in confederate states  will be recognized as a federal holiday after legislation made it so in June last year, and the first time several local governments, such as the state of Illinois and the city of Davenport, have recognized the holiday by giving employees the day off.

We here in the Quad-Cities can connect ourselves to something so monumental and important, Moore Guy said. Our history here is connected to the Civil War, which meant for Africans for Blacks, for colored people, the right to be free.

"Here in the Quad-Cities, we can go to the place where the 108th Regiment performed duties and served this country trying to free themselves, she added.

Although her great-great grandfather has the most detailed available documentation thanks in part to an interview he did with local philanthropist and historian John Hauberg, Moore Guy hopes to document the lives of each soldier in the 108th Regiment. She and other members of her organization have found resources with a 501(c )3 nonprofit, called the Reckoning, thats dedicated to examining the legacy of slavery. That includes learning how to navigate databases for marriage certificates and military records, and how to find hard to reach information.

Moore Guy said she felt lucky she could identify nine generations of her family. The federal Census began recording African descendants in 1870, although they'd been brought in shackles more than 250 years before to what would become the U.S. Slaves were saddled with the last names of their owners, and families were fragmented when sold to different owners, making genealogical history difficult to trace for many Black Americans.

In documenting what their lives were like during slavery, during the war and afterward as community members, Moore Guy said, she hopes to deploy a more complete narrative of their lives.

This is not just about thanking them for their service, Moore Guy said. This is about respecting their very humanity.

Who were the men of the 108th?

Moore Guys great-great-grandfather, Wilson, married his wife, Eliza, while they were still enslaved in Kentucky, and they had three children together. According to an account he gave Hauberg, Wilson said he left with a group of other enslaved men on a train guarded by union soldiers to arrive in Louisville, Ky., and enlist.

Wilson was assigned to the 108th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops, which traveled to Rock Island by train, and soldiers were charged with guarding prisoners who fought to enslave people who looked like Wilson.

It was very much a life-and-death decision, Moore Guy said of the 108th regiment soldiers. They were very much aware of the threat of what might happen if they were in battle and captured. Would they be returned back to their masters or would they be killed?

The conditions at the arsenal were tough.

Within the first few weeks, 200 men from the regiment reported illness. By the end, 54 soldiers would die during the regiments nine months at Rock Island. Nationally, nearly 40,000 Black soldiers died over the course of the war, most of whom  30,000  died of infection or disease.

And soldiers encountered animosity from the confederate prisoners and from some locals.

A newspaper article in the Davenport Democrat, reported, It seems as though there was a screw loose on the island, else so many would not have been allowed to come over here at once to startle the usual peaceful citizens of Davenport into such fearful commotion.

Despite those challenges, there are no disciplinary actions in the service records. The one exception was a freed man who was court-martialed for insubordination and being absent without a pass.

And the Rock Island Argus wrote upon the regiment's departure to Vicksburg, Miss., in April 1865: The 108th USCT have conducted themselves with great propriety since they were stationed here.

Wilson was one of a number  though unknown exactly how many  of Black soldiers to return to the Quad-Cities once the war was over. Wilson's wife and children arrived in Rock Island after he was stationed there, and his family wasn't allowed to follow the regiment to Mississippi, drawing Wilson back to Rock Island, Moore Guy said.

Wilson's brother, Sandy Terry  also a member of the 108th regiment  and sister, Celia, stayed in Rock Island and were two founding members of Second Baptist Church in Rock Island, Moore Guy said.

Moore Guy, now 67, first heard in detail about her great-great-grandfathers military history in the 1990s from an author who included a paraphrased interview Wilson gave to Hauberg in a book about Rock Island County history.

Im a story teller, so I immediately started reading his narrative in some performances, Moore Guy said.

According to Wilsons account, his owner in Kentucky owned a tobacco plantation with about 60 slaves, and he bred and trained race horses. Wilson rode as a jockey and learned from the owner and a horse trainer how to look after the horses, which sparked interest in his career later in life as a veterinarian.

I learned to doctor horses, and when a neighbors horse got sick, he came and worked in my place while I went over to doctor his horse. And so the more I did the more I studied and learned, and thats how I learned. I had made up my mind when I was a boy that I wanted to be a Horse Doctor, his account reads.

As he boarded the train preparing to leave to enlist in the Civil War, according to Wilsons account, a race horse owner approached him and said: Well Charley, so youre going to the war. I didnt think youd leave old Mr. Wilson.

To which Charley Wilson replied: This is a new deal Mr. Garvin; this is different. You know when you turn your canary out of his cage he dont come back. Hes free.

Wilson added in his account, Id been a prisoner all my life, and this was a new deal, and my, we thought a lot of being free.

After the war, Wilson returned to Rock Island and moved to Port Byron in 1876. Moore Guy said Wilson was remembered as a pillar of the village there. She attended a Port Byron historical society meeting, where members showed her a ballad written in honor of her great-great-grandfather.

But the battle for equality didn't end with Wilson's service in the Civil War. In a 1890 Rock Island Argus article on a Republican Party meeting, it read that several Black residents complained that party bosses only courted Black voters just ahead of an election and weren't advocating for equal treatment at any other time.

"He had been, he said, a slave 20 years in the south, and had been a slave 25 years in the North," the newspaper paraphrased Wilson saying.

"The war ended; they're not slaves anymore, but that doesn't mean they didn't know that there's still a fight," Moore Guy said.

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MANCHESTER, Iowa (AP)  Over the past several years, Jeff Phillips has seen a stretch of river that flows through downtown Manchester change dramatically.

The Manchester resident started fishing in the Maquoketa River before city leaders transformed a more-than-800-foot stretch of water into a community attraction that draws swimmers, tubers, kayakers and anglers from across the region and even the country.

Manchester Whitewater Park features six 18-inch drops that create a whitewater effect, making it a popular spot on warm summer weekends.

In the summertime, this whole thing will be packed with people swimming, fishing, kayaking, tubing, Phillips told the Dubuque Telegraph Herald.

He considers the whitewater park a significant improvement over what was there previously  and the fishing is better now, too.

Its definitely got more people out on the river, Phillips said. There wasnt really much here before.

It has been more than a decade since community leaders first started floating ideas for the whitewater park and seven years since it opened to the public.

The project turned what once was an underutilized area of town into a popular amenity with wide-ranging impacts on the city. The whitewater park, billed as the largest in Iowa and the Midwest, has been a force to bring people into the community, helping put Manchester on the map and providing a boost to local businesses.

Its changed us in a sense that we have what I would consider a major attraction now, said City Manager Tim Vick.

A variety of visitors took in the whitewater park on a recent weekend afternoon.

One family gathered around picnic tables at the shelter by the river, while several more passed by on the sidewalk, wearing their swimsuits and carrying inner tubes to the start of the stretch of whitewater features.

Meanwhile, other visitors relaxed on swinging benches along the sidewalk or played on a musical instrument installation. Farther down the river, more people gathered on the rocks along the bank, seemingly to watch as tubers tried to stay afloat as they navigated the drops.

Weve always wanted to do this for the last couple of years, and this is the first time the weathers been right to give it a try, said Nick Glew, of Marion, who visited the whitewater park with his family and his sister-in-laws family.

Glew grew up in Manchester and came back with his family to camp for the weekend, stopping by the whitewater park on a Sunday afternoon. The two dads in the group floated the entire length of the whitewater park, while the kids stuck to the last drop because of the high flow in the river.

I thought it was super fun, said Leah Glew, 13. Once you go down and you splash in the biggest part, its the best feeling ever.

The idea for the whitewater park was born more than a decade ago as part of the grass-roots Good to Great initiative, which brought community members together to develop city projects.

As a committee looked at ways to enhance the communitys waterfront, the idea for a whitewater park bubbled to the top. At the time, the stretch of river featured a low-head dam, and the area wasnt particularly well used.

I think a lot of people just wanted to see the area cleaned up and improved, said Ryan Wicks, a civil engineer in Manchester who was a member of the committee.

Part of the allure of the idea was that it would be a unique offering for the community. Iowa didnt have any whitewater parks at the time, with Charles City opening the first one in 2011, and Elkader opening another in 2014.

Members of the Good to Great group brought a proposal to City Council members, who agreed to fund a portion of the project if the group could secure the rest of the money with fundraising and grants. A campaign group went door to door to solicit private donations and ended up raising about $500,000.

The interest varied wildly, Vick said. We had some people that were a little concerned that they were going to lose their fishing habitat right in front of the dam.  We had a number of people who were excited about the opportunities this presented.

Work on the project kicked off in 2014, and the whitewater park opened in 2015. The initial project would end up costing about $2.2 million, paid for with private donations, $745,000 in grants and close to $1 million in general obligation bonds.

While there was a bit of a learning curve for visitors at first, the park quickly became a popular spot for tubers, who bought out all the inner tubes at local stores.

It really did turn into a destination for people that were interested in playing on the water, Vick said.

A second phase of work totaling close to $1 million added a riverfront park pavilion, parking and other amenities. The work was funded with close to $200,000 in grants, $5,000 in donation and about $760,000 from a general obligation bond.

The park now boasts a shelter, shower and restroom facilities, a trail, a spot where visitors can inflate inner tubes and a musical instrument installation.

What we had before this was even in place, you might see one person down there a couple days a week, but now that this has been in place, its not uncommon to see 20, 30 kids out on a nice warm day, Vick said.

When Monticello, Iowa, native Kyle Sands was looking for a place to start a brewery, the idea to tie it in with the whitewater park that then was being developed helped solidify the decision to open in Manchester.

We thought the crowd that would potentially be using the whitewater park would also potentially be the crowd that would be interested in craft beer, said Sands, one of the owners of Franklin Street Brewing Co. ... We just thought the two would go together.

The whitewater park has been a big draw for the town, generally, and has benefited Sandss business as well, he said.

Its a great place to just go hang out and relax, Sands said. Its drawn more people in from out of town that might not have otherwise come to town, which has likely helped lots of downtown businesses, Im sure.

Vick noted that it can be challenging to quantify the exact economic impact of the whitewater park. But he finds evidence of its effects in the people who come to it from across the country and the restaurants that have seen more activity, among other indicators.

Dave Wakefield, executive director of Manchester Area Chamber of Commerce, likewise noted that when he looks at the license plates of vehicles at the whitewater park, he sees plenty from outside of Delaware County, as well as some from Wisconsin and Illinois.

It definitely brings people here, he said. They spend their money in our restaurants and at our local businesses, and since our downtown is right next to it, its really easy to spend your money here.

In addition to attracting everyday visitors to use the whitewater amenity, the park has become a hub for other events and activities, too.

The city plays host to a motorcycle trials event in the summers at the park, which brings in competitors from multiple states to navigate obstacle courses on specially designed bikes. And Franklin Street Brewing puts on a cardboard boat race through the whitewater park.

Its not just the city doing events there, Wicks said. Its other people coming in and hosting events and creating activities for people to come to town, so thats been great to see.

Another local community also has had success by transforming a stretch of river into a recreational amenity, though on a smaller scale than Manchester Whitewater Park.

Elkader Whitewater Park boasts two drops alongside each other  one for more skilled kayakers and another for paddlers in canoes. The installation of the whitewater feature came with a new access point to the river that included rocks and a sidewalk that is wheelchair accessible.

That additional access has made the stretch of river a popular spot for fishing, going on walks and snapping photos, according to City Administrator Jennifer Cowsert.

I cant quantify it, but I know that we have had a lot more people enjoying and using the river, she said.

In addition to the economic benefits from the increased water access, giving people opportunities to enjoy the river helps them connect with it, Cowsert said.

When they have a more personal connection, theyll become stewards of that river, too, and that benefits all of us to make sure that ... the river is taken care of, she said.

An effort to connect people with water is one of the motivating factors behind a proposal to bring another river-based amenity to the tri-state area.

In January, a consulting firm pitched to Dyersville City Council members the proposed Dyersville Downtown Driftless Float Park, which would be installed on the North Fork Maquoketa River.

The project would create access points to the river, rock structures that create pools for visitors to splash in and a stretch down which they could float in inner tubes. Leaders on the project currently seek potential funding sources for the work, which could cost $1.5 million to $2 million.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Telegraph Herald.

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Steve Judge walked into Griggs Music in 1975 to buy a guitar strap. When he saw the hiring sign, he never imagined it would turn into a 47-year-career, but it did.

I came in for the guitar strap, (but stayed) because I thought this would be a really cool place to work before I became a rock and roll star, he said with a laugh.

Judge still has not become the star he dreamed of being, but he might have more time to pursue that career once he hands over the keys to Robin Walenta, the CEO and owner of West Music, on July 1.

The two stores have been go-to shops for musicians and music students for generations, offering sales, rentals and repairs of band and orchestra instruments.

Judge said he worked many different jobs within the company before joining together with a group of employees to become a co-owner in the 1990s. For the last five years, he has been the sole owner.

Although it may seem sudden, the decision to merge the two companies is one he and Walenta have discussed for a while.

Its not something that just came out of the blue. Talks really became serious earlier this year, he said.

With Judge ready to retire, he worked to find a succession plan. With the promise every employee could stay if they wanted, he felt it was the right time to make the change.

We always said, If the opportunity exists, lets talk, Walenta recalled.

The opportunity will come in two parts. The business transaction will be finalized July 1, but West Music, in Moline, will continue in that location through September. Then, all business will transition to the North Brady Street site Griggs has occupied since 1941.

The merger creates the best of both worlds, Judge said, because it allows for more inventory, staff, expertise and soon, music lessons.

This will look much more like the store (did) in 1975 when I started working here, he said.

Although Judge made the decision so he could ease his way toward retirement, he is staying on the staff until the end of the year.

After that, he may pursue his dreams of being a rock-and-roll star after all. He still has the guitar strap that started it all 47 years ago.

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A Davenport woman convicted in April of beating another woman with a tire iron in August of 2020 was sentenced to 10 years in prison during a hearing Friday in Scott County District Court.

Olympia Rachelle Cooks, 43, also known as Olympia Rachelle Beck-Cooks in district court electronic records, was found guilty April 20 by a Scott County jury of one count of willful injury causing serious injury.

According to the arrest affidavit filed by Davenport Police Officer Richard Niesen, at 9:35 p.m. on Aug. 22, 2020, Cooks used a blunt object to beat another person. The victim, a woman, suffered a fracture to her left wrist, visible wounds to the head and a concussion. The incident occurred in the 1900 block of Grand Avenue.

At the time she committed the battery against the other woman, Cooks was on probation until Aug. 16, 2024, according to Iowa Department of Corrections electronic records.

On July 22, 2019, a Hardin County jury found Cooks guilty of one count of threat of terrorism  a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years  and three counts of second-degree harassment, a serious misdemeanor that carries a jail sentence of up to one year.

According to the arrest affidavit filed by Eldora Police Officer Anthony Schrad, at 4:29 p.m. on May 23, 2018, Hardin County Dispatch received a call that the State Training School in Eldora had received threats from a parent of one of the juvenile inmates of the facility.

Treatment Services Director Brett Lawrence told officers that the facility had received multiple threats via telephone from the mother of a student. The woman was identified as Olympia Cooks. She had been upset about the discipline that was applied to her son.

Cooks made three calls to the school that day and had spoken with three people at the facility.

Lawrence told officers that his biggest concern was that Cooks threatened to go to the school and blow it up. Cooks also stated that she and her crew would snatch her son out of there.

Because of the threats the school was placed on lockdown.

During a hearing Aug. 16, 2019, in Hardin County District Court, Cooks was sentenced to two years on probation.

Cooks appealed her sentence to the Iowa Court of Appeals, which affirmed her conviction on July 22, 2020.

On April 13, 2021, an application to revoke Cooks probation was filed in Hardin County District Court.

According to that application, Cooks called her probation office at 10 a.m. on April 8, 2021, and asked if she had a warrant for her arrest. The warrant was out of Scott County for the willful injury causing serious injury that occurred Aug. 22, 2020, in Davenport.

Cooks was told by her probation office to turn herself in no later than April 9, 2021. However, she could not do so as she was at her fathers residence in Texas. Cooks had no permission to be outside of Scott County.

Cooks turned herself in on April 12, 2021, and she was later placed back on probation.

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Rock Island County States Attorney Dora Villarreal has filed charges of civil contempt against the director of the Illinois Department of Human Services.

The contempt charges, according to a release from Villarreal, are in four cases involving inmates in need of specialized mental health treatment from state mental hospitals, which are operated by DHS.

According to Villarreal, each of the four cases involve individuals incarcerated in the jail who were deemed unfit to stand trial because of psychiatric conditions and ordered to undergo fitness-related therapy in a DHS facility to allow them to participate in their cases.

Atavia Davis-Whitfield, Mark Maston, Alex Roberts and Christian Resch have been waiting for transfer from 58 to as many as 170 days, Villarreal said.

"The duty of the Rock Island County States Attorneys Office is to ensure the administration of justice in all aspects of each case. The people of Rock Island County, our jail staff and, most importantly, these individuals are being denied justice due to the backlog of transfers to DHS facilities," Villarreal said in her statement, released Friday. "It is unfair to expect correctional staff to provide much-needed mental health services to people in need. Our duty is to protect both the citizens of Rock Island County and the rights of these individuals in our care."

Villarreal also said: "DHS has allowed these human beings to languish in jail without treatment, and significantly deteriorate due to the lack of DHS transport. It is a disservice to the people in need of mental health care, the victims in these cases who must wait for resolution, jail staff whose own safety is jeopardized and the taxpayers who should rightfully expect state agencies to comply with their duties in a timely manner."

Villarreal's decision to file against the DHS raises the specter of a case from earlier this year.

In late February, an internal investigation conducted at the request of Rock Island County Sheriff Gerry Bustos determined that four days before an inmate at the Rock Island County jail reportedly was beaten by two correctional officers, a judge asked the state to place him in a secure setting because of his mental disability.

The Illinois Department of Human Services, DHS, declined to transfer the inmate into the agency's custody on Jan. 26, records show. The state's reason for declining the transfer does not appear in court records.

Four days after the county asked the inmate be transferred, based on his status as a mentally disabled person who was incompetent to stand trial, the 26-year-old Black man was battered by two correctional officers, according to an investigation by Rock Island Police.

Bustos later announced an internal investigation at the jail resulted in the termination of corrections officers Cameron Gerischer, 21, and Jacob H. Ward, 29.

Each man was charged with a single count of felony aggravated battery and is accused of repeatedly striking the inmate with fists on Jan. 30.

It is not known if the beating victim from late January is one of the four people who are the basis of Villarreal's contempt charges against DHS.

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For nine months during the Civil War, a regiment of Black soldiers, many of them former slaves, guarded confederate prisoners on what is now the Rock Island Arsenal.

For the past 30 years, Rock Islands Shellie Moore Guy has been researching and accumulating history on those soldiers, like her great-great-grandfather, Charley Wilson.

Wilson, born into slavery in Kentucky, later settled in Port Byron, where he became the towns veterinarian and a beloved community figure.

About 980 men were a part of the regiment, which was one of a number of U.S. Colored Troops in the Union Army. All told, more than 178,000 Black soldiers served during the final two years of the Civil War, making up 10% of all Union Army troops. Another 19,000 served in the Navy.

Moore Guys efforts to connect the dots of historical documents into a narrative of the soldiers lives  hours of research, writing a children's book, founding an organization dedicated to the history of the local regiment and giving informational presentations  serves both as knitting together genealogical history important to her family and bringing to light to local history of critical efforts during a war that led to the freedom of millions of Americans.

On Monday, shell give a presentation at the Rock Island Arsenal 158 years after the 108th was organized in Louisville, Ky., on June 20, 1864, an anniversary that was not lost on the organizers.

Monday will also be just the second time Juneteenth  which celebrates the end of slavery in confederate states  will be recognized as a federal holiday after legislation made it so in June last year, and the first time several local governments, such as the state of Illinois and the city of Davenport, have recognized the holiday by giving employees the day off.

We here in the Quad-Cities can connect ourselves to something so monumental and important, Moore Guy said. Our history here is connected to the Civil War, which meant for Africans for Blacks, for colored people, the right to be free.

"Here in the Quad-Cities, we can go to the place where the 108th Regiment performed duties and served this country trying to free themselves, she added.

Although her great-great grandfather has the most detailed available documentation thanks in part to an interview he did with local philanthropist and historian John Hauberg, Moore Guy hopes to document the lives of each soldier in the 108th Regiment. She and other members of her organization have found resources with a 501(c )3 nonprofit, called the Reckoning, thats dedicated to examining the legacy of slavery. That includes learning how to navigate databases for marriage certificates and military records, and how to find hard to reach information.

Moore Guy said she felt lucky she could identify nine generations of her family. The federal Census began recording African descendants in 1870, although they'd been brought in shackles more than 250 years before to what would become the U.S. Slaves were saddled with the last names of their owners, and families were fragmented when sold to different owners, making genealogical history difficult to trace for many Black Americans.

In documenting what their lives were like during slavery, during the war and afterward as community members, Moore Guy said, she hopes to deploy a more complete narrative of their lives.

This is not just about thanking them for their service, Moore Guy said. This is about respecting their very humanity.

Who were the men of the 108th?

Moore Guys great-great-grandfather, Wilson, married his wife, Eliza, while they were still enslaved in Kentucky, and they had three children together. According to an account he gave Hauberg, Wilson said he left with a group of other enslaved men on a train guarded by union soldiers to arrive in Louisville, Ky., and enlist.

Wilson was assigned to the 108th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops, which traveled to Rock Island by train, and soldiers were charged with guarding prisoners who fought to enslave people who looked like Wilson.

It was very much a life-and-death decision, Moore Guy said of the 108th regiment soldiers. They were very much aware of the threat of what might happen if they were in battle and captured. Would they be returned back to their masters or would they be killed?

The conditions at the arsenal were tough.

Within the first few weeks, 200 men from the regiment reported illness. By the end, 54 soldiers would die during the regiments nine months at Rock Island. Nationally, nearly 40,000 Black soldiers died over the course of the war, most of whom  30,000  died of infection or disease.

And soldiers encountered animosity from the confederate prisoners and from some locals.

A newspaper article in the Davenport Democrat, reported, It seems as though there was a screw loose on the island, else so many would not have been allowed to come over here at once to startle the usual peaceful citizens of Davenport into such fearful commotion.

Despite those challenges, there are no disciplinary actions in the service records. The one exception was a freed man who was court-martialed for insubordination and being absent without a pass.

And the Rock Island Argus wrote upon the regiment's departure to Vicksburg, Miss., in April 1865: The 108th USCT have conducted themselves with great propriety since they were stationed here.

Wilson was one of a number  though unknown exactly how many  of Black soldiers to return to the Quad-Cities once the war was over. Wilson's wife and children arrived in Rock Island after he was stationed there, and his family wasn't allowed to follow the regiment to Mississippi, drawing Wilson back to Rock Island, Moore Guy said.

Wilson's brother, Sandy Terry  also a member of the 108th regiment  and sister, Celia, stayed in Rock Island and were two founding members of Second Baptist Church in Rock Island, Moore Guy said.

Moore Guy, now 67, first heard in detail about her great-great-grandfathers military history in the 1990s from an author who included a paraphrased interview Wilson gave to Hauberg in a book about Rock Island County history.

Im a story teller, so I immediately started reading his narrative in some performances, Moore Guy said.

According to Wilsons account, his owner in Kentucky owned a tobacco plantation with about 60 slaves, and he bred and trained race horses. Wilson rode as a jockey and learned from the owner and a horse trainer how to look after the horses, which sparked interest in his career later in life as a veterinarian.

I learned to doctor horses, and when a neighbors horse got sick, he came and worked in my place while I went over to doctor his horse. And so the more I did the more I studied and learned, and thats how I learned. I had made up my mind when I was a boy that I wanted to be a Horse Doctor, his account reads.

As he boarded the train preparing to leave to enlist in the Civil War, according to Wilsons account, a race horse owner approached him and said: Well Charley, so youre going to the war. I didnt think youd leave old Mr. Wilson.

To which Charley Wilson replied: This is a new deal Mr. Garvin; this is different. You know when you turn your canary out of his cage he dont come back. Hes free.

Wilson added in his account, Id been a prisoner all my life, and this was a new deal, and my, we thought a lot of being free.

After the war, Wilson returned to Rock Island and moved to Port Byron in 1876. Moore Guy said Wilson was remembered as a pillar of the village there. She attended a Port Byron historical society meeting, where members showed her a ballad written in honor of her great-great-grandfather.

But the battle for equality didn't end with Wilson's service in the Civil War. In a 1890 Rock Island Argus article on a Republican Party meeting, it read that several Black residents complained that party bosses only courted Black voters just ahead of an election and weren't advocating for equal treatment at any other time.

"He had been, he said, a slave 20 years in the south, and had been a slave 25 years in the North," the newspaper paraphrased Wilson saying.

"The war ended; they're not slaves anymore, but that doesn't mean they didn't know that there's still a fight," Moore Guy said.

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Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati is hosting monthly "Move with the Mayor" walks in an effort to meet residents while promoting the importance of an active lifestyle.

According to the news release, walks will be 30 minutes and held in different parts of the city. The first walk will be at Prospect Park on Tuesday, June 21 at 7 a.m. Those interested in walking will meet the Rayapati at the lower level of Prospect Park Pavilion.

"I am looking forward to meeting and talking with Moline residents and promoting the importance of an active lifestyle for healthy living," Rayapati said in a statement.

Rayapati will be hosting walks on July 14 at Ben Butterworth Parkway, Aug. 11 at Memorial Park Cemetery, Sept. 8 at Riverside Cemetery and Oct. 29 at Sylvan Island.

In the event of inclement weather, walks will be re-scheduled for another date.

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CHICAGO  Chicago police are searching for a driver who ran over and killed an 11-year-old boy who was crossing a street and then drove off.

The boy, Jalon James, died at a hospital Thursday following the collision about 10 a.m. that day in the city's Lawndale neighborhood, police said.

The boy was dragged half a block by an SUV before the driver struck another vehicle, stopped briefly, then sped off, police said.

Officers found the wanted vehicle abandoned later that morning on another street nearby, police said. Someone had removed the vehicle's license plates.

The driver remained at large Friday.

The boy was going to buy milk with his brother when he was struck, his cousin, Devonna Gates, told WLS-TV. He and his twin turned 11 in April, she said.

"He has a family that really loves him; he's an honor roll student. And it's all messed up. He didn't get to live his life. This is not God's work; this is the devil. It's just a messed up situation," Gates said.

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SPRINGFIELD  A state audit released Thursday found nearly $2 billion in federal money intended to help unemployed Illinoisans during the pandemic was lost to fraudulent claims in Illinois.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security blamed insufficient and flawed federal guidance and a lack of controls on a hastily constructed program put together by the Trump administration.

The federally-funded Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program provided up to 39 weeks of benefits for unemployed individuals who ran out of regular unemployment benefits and for self-employed individuals, gig workers and others not eligible for regular unemployment.

The report released Thursday by Auditor General Frank Mautino covered much of the life of the program, July 2020 through June 2021.

In the early days of the pandemic, amid business shutdowns and high unemployment, states struggled under a crush of claims from those laid off during those shutdowns. Amid this volume of claims, IDES was forced to try to weed out the fraudulent claims while under pressure to get money into the hands of the recently unemployed.

The Pritzker administration has said the PUA program was designed hastily and does not give employers an opportunity to challenge fraudulent claims because the type of workers applying for benefits do not technically have employers. The PUA program also eliminated existing controls, including income and employment verification, according to a statement by IDES.

Much of the fraud, up to $163 billion estimated nationwide, involved identity theft.

Scammers filed unemployment claims using false identities and then had the payment method switched from the debit cards that people receive when they qualify for benefits to direct deposit into an account accessible by them.

The audit found that, of the $3.6 billion in PUA paid out from July 2020 through June 2021, nearly $1.9 billion was found to be fraudulent, mostly due to identity theft.

Overpayments associated with identity theft and traditional fraud within the PUA program was unprecedented and resulted in fraudsters using highly sophisticated techniques to take advantage of the current economic condition created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the audit stated.

The audit found IDES:

 Failed to implement general information technology controls over the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

 Failed to maintain accurate and complete pandemic unemployment assistance claimant data.

 Failed to perform timely cash reconciliations.

IDES responded that the system used to manage the PUA program is independent of the system used to manage regular unemployment benefits. From the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 through the end of 2021, IDES stopped $40 billion in fraudulent payments from both state and federal programs, according to the agencys statement.

Republicans are calling for hearings related to IDES handling of the programs and, specifically, whether the agency failed to follow federal recommendations for fraud prevention tools made available before the pandemic.

The Pritzker administration and IDES have refused to disclose the extent to which fraud affected our unemployment system and this audit makes abundantly clear why, said Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, said in a statement. The loss of nearly $2 billion, more than half the funds for the PUA program, displays an unprecedented level of negligence by the administration and IDES management. Blaming the previous presidents administration is an unacceptable excuse and we need immediate hearings to get to the bottom of this failure.

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"And yet it goes on and on and on in this country of ours  why?"

Growing up, I loved to listen to famous political speeches. One of the speeches that caught  and held  my attention was Sen. Robert Kennedy's speech to the Cleveland Economic Club on April 5, 1968, the day after Martin Luther King was assassinated.

In a quiet, somber voice, Kennedy said, "I have saved this one opportunity to speak briefly to you about the mindless menace of violence in America which again stains our land and every one of our lives ... They (victims of violence) are, most important of all, human beings whom other human beings loved and needed. No one -- no matter where he lives or what he does  can be certain who next will suffer from some senseless act of bloodshed. And yet it goes on and on and on in this country of ours ... Why?"

June of 1968 was going to be a crucial month for Kennedys campaign, with an all-out effort to win support and delegates aided by momentum from the California win. But the awful events of June 5, 1968, changed all that, just like the awful mass shootings across America that same weekend in 2022 ended the lives of dozens of innocent Americans.

The bullets that took the life of Sen. Kennedy not only robbed Americans of a choice for president in 1968 and changed the trajectory of American politics and policy, but they also robbed a family of a husband and a father. In 2017, Chris Kennedy  one of RFK's children  spoke for the first time about the painful ripple effect that violence inflicted on his family; Kennedy broadened the issue to say that the "ripple effect" in each community is devastating.

But there was another passage from RFK's Cleveland speech relevant to today. "For there is another kind of violence, said Kennedy, "slower but just as deadly destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. This is the violence of institutions  indifference, inaction and decay."

America's political institutions  state legislatures, Congress, presidents, courts  have too often been indifferent to the assault weapon violence that is a cancer in this country. And this issue doesn't need to be partisan. Back in 1994, three former presidents  two Republicans (Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford) and one Democrat (Jimmy Carter) -- wrote a letter to Congress urging members to ban military-style assault weapons. "This is a matter of vital importance to the public safety." No one could ever accuse Reagan and Ford of being against guns rights and the Second Amendment.

America's gun violence epidemic makes this nation stand out around the world. Every nation suffers from mental health challenges, but only one suffers from in excess of 100 mass shootings each year.

We know solutions to gun violence are complex, but they involve action  action to enact better background checks, red-flag laws, restrictions on high-capacity magazines and military-style assault rifles, investments in mental health, enhanced school safety and more effective prosecution of gun crimes. Our police officers are too often out-gunned by criminals carrying AR-15 rifles that threaten law enforcement's ability to carry out its duties.

Robert Kennedy once said that the "purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better." Perhaps Congress and the president can honor the slain children  and President and Senator Kennedys lives  by taking action in 2022 to keep our children safer in schools and Americans safer in grocery stores, churches, theaters and anywhere else they gather. If he were alive today, Robert Kennedy would likely be speaking to both rural and urban America with the same message: that it's our moral responsibility to make society safer for our children, and that we all need to try a little harder to make that happen.

Porter McNeil, a veteran Quad-City-based communications consultant, has worked in several statewide campaigns and was Illinois communications director for the Kerry-Edwards 2004 presidential campaign.

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The Rev. Dr. Russ Seger of Chadron was joined by his family and many friends in observing the 50th anniversary of his ordination as a minister of the gospel on Sunday, June 5 at the Chadron Congregational, United Church of Christ, at Fourth and Chadron Avenue, where he has served more than 20 years.

It was a festive occasion that featured some outstanding music. The Seger family joined forces to sing a gospel hymn. There also was a duet by the Segers daughter, Kelli Juhl of Hot Springs, and her daughter, and an emotional solo by Russ and Lindas son, Jeremiah, who lives Des Moines, where he has his own construction business and sings in a community choir.

Russ expressed his appreciation to the audience for coming to share in his celebration and told numerous stories about his long tenure in the ministry that has been far from normal.

While he was ordained 50 years ago, it was about 63 years ago when realized that the ministry was the direction his life was headed. He recalled that when he was 10 years old after he had sung a solo at the church he was attending in Rapid City. a lady in the congregation came forward. placed her hands on him and said, Russell, I think you have been called to the ministry.

Truer words were never spoken. The fall of 1967 after he had graduated from Rapid City High School, he enrolled at Open Bible College in Des Moines. He graduated four years later, was immediately licensed as a minister and ordained a year laterin 1972.

Hes either been receiving more training or preaching ever since, and says its been an awesome experience, much of it uncharted, but always productive and fulfilling.

Seger related that while his parents did not attend church regularly, but they made sure he went to Sunday school.

They didnt have to make me go, he said. I wanted to go. I liked the people and enjoyed what I was learning.

The training included lots of Bible instruction and memorization of a verse each week, he said. All the verses were from the King James Version, of course. Its amazing. They come back to me when I need them. Ive always been grateful for that basic Bible instruction. Faith anchors our lives and gives us stability in Gods love. Faith goes beyond what I can describe, but it sustains me.

The best thing about enrolling at Open Bible College, Seger says with a smile, was meeting his wife, Linda, who also was a student there. He calls her a remarkable human, who besides being the mother of our (two) children has been my teacher and provided tremendous support.

They were married before they graduated. After receiving their degreeshis in Bible and theology and hers in education and guidancethey moved to Cuba City, Wis., to pastor a small church.

Before long, a member of the congregation died. Seger says preaching funeral sermons was not something he had studied. He sought the advice of the undertaker, but was told Ill take care of the body, you take care of the family.

I soon learned I was undertrained for my job, so after two years we moved back to Des Moines so I could have more training and earn a masters degree at Drake University, which was affiliated with the Disciples of Christ denomination, Seger related. They did not accept all the credits I had earned at Open Bible College, and made me take more undergraduate work before I could start my masters program.

Seger spent 3  years at Drake earning the second undergraduate degree in psychology and the masters degree in theology. All that time he also was pastoring a nearby church, so wed have something to live on.

The Segers next move was to the University of Dubuque, a Presbyterian institution about 190 miles northeast of Des Moines, to study for a doctorate. He was there five years, completing the work in December 1986, and, again, was a busy pastor at a nearby church as well as a graduate student. His ministry broadened there.

While his first funeral sermon some six years earlier may have been a struggle, since then he had become absorbed by topics such as death and dying along with grief management. As he looks back on his life, he believes two tragedies he witnessed as a youth had honed that interest.

One was the suicide by his step-grandfather and the other the gruesome death of one of his elderly newspaper route customers, who stepped off the sidewalk onto the street and was immediately struck by a payloader, a large dirt moving machine.

Those are things you never forget, he noted.

The University of Dubuque had no courses that focused on such adversities and how they could be managed, but Seger found a professor, Dr. Herbert Anderson, who appreciated Russs interest, and told him perhaps they could create such a curriculum.

We did that, Seger said. I did lots of reading and research. It helped shape me as a minister and has led to many remarkable and powerful experiences.

After receiving his doctorate, the Segers returned to Des Moines, where he was the pastor of the Avon Community Church and also became the first chaplain at the Des Moines General Hospital. During the 8  years he filled the latter position, he conducted at least 1,200 funerals. He also worked closely with doctors and other hospital staff, trying to help them realize, in his words, that death is a one-on-one matter, its inevitable and its not a sin to die.

Russ chuckles when he recalls making the latter statement during a staff meeting, and one of the doctors jumped from his chair, pounded his fist on the table and shouted, It is in this hospital.

Since 1995, Seger has been a member of the Federal Emergency Management Team, certified as a grief and trauma counselor. That same year, Seger was part of the team that went to Oklahoma City following the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building where 168 people died.

Two years later he was sent to Guam, where a South Korean airliner had crashed on a U.S military base, killing 229 of the 254 who were aboard, according to Wikipedia. His duties included sorting through the wreckage and identifying the bodies the best he could.

South Korea wanted us to bury the plane with the victims in it, Russ relates. Thats not the American way. An important part of the healing process is for the family to have a connection with the corpse. Our job was a challenge. We didnt have enough body bags and no refrigeration.

That was one of four major plane crashes that Seger has helped with. He also took a leave of absence from his pastorate in Chadron and spent three weeks in New York City following the destruction of the Twin Towers and the death of more than 3,000 on 9/11. That experience included both helping identify the victims and working with grieving survivors, helping them begin the healing process.

It was Lindas idea that the Segers leave Iowa in 1999 and come west. She wanted to teach on the Pine Ridge Reservation. When she signed a contract, Russ said, I had to find a job.

The church, which held Chadrons first gospel services in 1885, was looking for a pastor. Russ was offered the job on an interim basis fort 1999-2000 and he accepted. But the church in Iowa where he had been serving, required him to return there the following year before he could move to Chadron permanently in 2001.

When he returned, the church board gave him permission to utilize his vast training and experience to also serve for the chaplain for the town, the fire and police departments and the communitys Hospice program. Depending on the circumstances, the latter can be nearly a full-time job in itself, although on the average Russ says he spends from six to eight hours a week in that duty.

It can be an awesome task to walk alongside someone in the shadow of death, Seger notes. It often opens the door to great friendships as I share with them during what is often the most important and also the most difficult time in their life.

Its often a wonderful opportunity for me to help them. I often hear confessions and learn about unfinished businesses they want to resolve. Thats called clinical debriefing. I have heard stories that will break your heart. Sometimes I cry with them. I also answer many spiritual questions. I listen carefully, but try not to be judgmental.

Because of the relationships Seger has developed with the ailing person, he often preaches their funeral sermon, particularly when they dont have a church home. He said thats usually between 25 and 30 annually in Chadron.

Of course, not everyone who dies has been in Hospice care. Tragically, that happened to community members recently. Just a few days after Seger was recognized for his 50 years as an ordained minister, he was asked to conduct the funerals for Les Ouderkirk, who had died unexpectedly while on vacation with his wife, Kimberly, the pianist for the United Church of Christ, and also for Chadron businessman and Dawes County commissioner Levi Grant, who was died, along with his companion, Mimi Wheeler Groves, in a motorcycle wreck in Utah.

He knew both men well and their deaths were a shock to him, like they were to everyone else.

Russ said he relies on his long-standing faith to get him through the emotional trials he encounters. Without that faith, it would be incredibly difficult to see beyond the present, he added. When I know God is with me, I believe I can survive all disasters.

Russs relationship with his United Church of Christ congregation, is a blessing, he emphasizes.

I love Chadron and I love this congregation. I would trust them with my wallet, he said with his ever-present smile. I share in both their joys and their sorrows.

Now that hes observed his milestone anniversary, he knows the question will be asked, How much longer will you continue being our pastor?

I plan to stay as long as my health is good and I feel I can be effective, he responded. I know it will be at least another year because Linda has signed a contract to teach at Red Shirt again this year.

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The Spearfish Sasquatch gave up runs in each of the first three innings en route to an 8-2 loss to the Canyon County Spuds on Friday night at Wolfe Field in Caldwell, Idaho.

The Sasquatch (4-15), who have now lost five in a row, have dropped the first three games of their five-game series against the Spuds (11-6), who extended their winning streak to six.

Rapid City native Ryan Bachman recorded a double for Spearfish as part of a 2-for-4 outing that included a run, while Drew Biggerstaff picked up a pair of hits. Johnny McHenry scored a run and added an RBI, and Belle Fourche's Gage Kracht tallied one run. The Sasquatch racked up 14 strikeouts at the plate and did not draw a walk.

Starting pitcher Hunter Polley lasted five innings, allowing seven runs, four earned, on seven hits and one walks while striking out three on 88 pitches. Reliever Wyatt Adams surrendered one run on three hits in three innings, fanning one and walking one on 39 pitches.

Canyon County took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run home run with two outs, then made it 3-0 in the second on an RBI sacrifice-fly and extended its lead to 4-0 in the third on another sac-fly.

Spearfish tallied its only two runs of the evening in the fourth inning. A McHenry single was able to plate Bachman, who led off the frame with a double, and a bases-loaded sac-fly by Kracht to right field sent McHenry to the plate.

The Spuds added three more runs in the fifth and tacked on a final run in the eighth.

The Sasquatch face the Spuds again Saturday at Wolfe Field.

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Tyler Reads art career started when he was arrested in high school for graffiti in Seattle. It continued to Art Alley in Rapid City and circled back to working for the Rapid City Police Department  but not as a officer.

My principal said, Youre going to take an art class so you learn what real art is. Lo and behold, I was pretty good at it, Read said.

During his senior year, one of Read's teachers encouraged him to apply for art school in Seattle. He said he initially opposed the idea because he still had about 100 hours of community service to complete, and any incomplete hours would turn into jail time as soon as he turned 18. The teacher said he would sign off on the hours Read spent in art school working on his future as community service.

It worked out. I went to school, Read said. I ended up dropping out after a year and went into manual labor in Michigan, a lot of different things. I kind of put art away until I moved here (to Rapid City) in 2004, and I got a job welding cattle gates out by the train tracks.

During that job, graffiti on the train cars pulled Read back into the art world.

The train was 50 feet away, so Id be welding and look up and see the trains go by. And eventually couldnt be away from it anymore, he said. But I quickly transitioned into doing legal work.

Artistic work

Read became involved in Art Alley first as an artist and then later as the community engagement coordinator for the Rapid City Arts Council from 2012 to 2019. Art Alley is located between Sixth and Seventh, and Main and Saint Joseph streets in downtown Rapid City. It started informally in 2003. After moving to Rapid City, Read started painting in Art Alley. In 2005, he sought to change some of the narrative around letter-based graffiti.

When we started there, they didn't allow letter-based graffiti, and then we figured out how to make it an asset to the alley. We added images of well renowned, iconic figures, and then I added graffiti to it, Read said.

After various complaints from some business owners, the city passed an ordinance in 2016 establishing the Rapid City Arts Council as the facilitator for issuing permits to artists who want to paint in Art Alley.

The building owners had really a laundry list of bad things that were happening, so we worked alongside them and the police department at the time and the city to develop a system, and I caught a lot of flack for that, Read said. "If we didnt put in a permanent system, they were gonna shut it down.

The experience led to some frustration on Read's part and he began to paint less in Art Alley.

Ultimately, that really kind of wore on me: The experience of having to drudge through leadership instead of championing it. It just put a bad taste in my mouth, and I painted a lot less, he said. "I see beautiful things happening there right now. I just wanted to see somebody come along behind and take ownership of it because for years that was in rough shape, it broke my heart to see all that."

From 2017-2019, while still working for the Rapid City Arts Council, Read was also Bush Foundation Fellow. The fellowships are designed to develop leadership skills. During that time, Read traveled with his wife, Jenny, to graffiti festivals in England, Spain and the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. He was also able to purchase a screen printing studio for the Dahl Arts Center to help Art Alley artists turn their art into prints they could sell.

After his fellowship, Read worked with the Institute of Indigenous American Legacy (I. Am. Legacy) a nonprofit organization founded by Erik Bringswhite, a former gang member. I. Am. Legacy provides services to Indigenous persons who are formerly incarcerated or justice-system involved and their families.

Its for everybody, but they use Lakota-based culture as kind of a backbone. I worked for them for about six months as they started up, Read said.

Reads wife Jenny is Lakota, as are their children, and Read, who is Puerto Rican and white, is passionate about building relationships with the Native American community in the Black Hills.

It kind of started with meeting my wife, and then wanting my daughters to have a good sense of identity. In the process of living here and being somebody who tries to help out, you get to know the community. And just about all of my mentors, my close friends, my family, everybody around me is Lakota. Its very important to me to be reverent of that culture and participate in a respectful way, he said.

Read carried that mentality with him to the Cheyenne River Reservation where he worked as Art Director for the Cheyenne River Youth Project from 2019 to 2020. After the pandemic started, Read decided it was time to find work in Rapid City. He had been going back and forth to Bear Butte for work, and he decided he needed to be with his family more.

Starting with RCPD

At that time, the Rapid City Police Department was looking for a community engagement specialist. The decision to apply wasnt one Read leaped to.

My wife sent it to me on Facebook. I'm like, Are you crazy? I'm not gonna work for the police department. This was during the George Floyd protests, he said.

Jenny was like, Think about this. Think about what your skills are. You want to be a bridge builder. You want to be somebody who helps the community heal. Where can you do that better right now than with the police department? I thought, okay. Challenge accepted.

Read starting working at the RCPD substation in Knollwood Townhouses in September 2020. Knollwood Townhouses is known to police as one of The Big Three." The Big Three refers to the high crime area of Maplewood Townhouses, Knollwood Heights Apartments and Knollwood Townhouses. Read is not a police officer, so his role is not to enforce the law, but to help support the community where he can.

The substation looks nothing like a police station. Its a room with a small kitchen, a bathroom, video games, a food pantry and art supplies. During Reads interview at his desk in the corner, neighborhood kids played games and socialized with their friends.

Because of Reads previous work with youth  he partnered with the Pennington County Juvenile Diversion on a mural creation program for at-risk youth  he was able to make connections with children in the neighborhood.

What I did to introduce myself into the community was I went outside and wrapped some saran wrap around some of the monkey bars. I made a big temporary wall and then I started painting, and my mom made me four dozen cupcakes, Read said. I see little eyeballs looking at me. They elected one kiddo to come over. From there, its history. Now this is their office.

Read faced some suspicion from the neighborhood  and still does sometimes  because he works for the police department, but he said he focuses on building community.

The goal is to empower the community. The answer, in my opinion, to reducing crime is to have a community that when somebodys getting maced outside and theres a bunch of kids standing around watching, that everybody isn't sitting on their stoop watching it and taking video," Read said. "Theyre ushering the kids in. Its not that apathy of watching violence happen in front of the kids. The community needs to feel like they have enough power over this place.

Read works full-time at the substation. He is currently working on planning a mural for the kids in the community to paint. He organizes bake sales called "Hood Cakes" where kids sell baked goods to buy video games or items for community members in need.

After one bake sale, the neighborhood kids decided to spend the money on plastic light bulbs because glass ones were going missing. Glass bulbs can be used as pipes for some drugs.

Although Read doesn't paint as much as he used to, his artwork informs his community involvement. He said what drew him to graffiti was the lack of community in his life as a young person and the desire to have a voice, something he tries to give the community he works in.

"I think we need to reconnect before it's too late, so if we build a sense of community, we're gonna take care of each other," he said. "We're gonna have a more grounded sense of what's right and wrong in general, and just do the right thing."

 Contact Shalom Baer Gee at sgee@rapidcityjournal.com 

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Letters to the editor, June 18, 2022

Is this really what we believe?

As residents of South Dakota we should feel ashamed of our Governor who attended a National NRA convention in the very state where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.

A senseless tragedy where an 18-year-old fired hundreds of rounds with an assault rifle he purchased along with hundreds of rounds of ammo and body armor - all with no background check or no suspicions raised.

Governor Noem's visit is strictly a political move to rub elbows with a twice impeached former president of the United States.

Shame on her! Is this really what the good citizens of South Dakota believe in?

Pete Dunker, Wall

Harsh sentences needed

On Nov. 8, 1922, Adolf Hitler and several hundred of his followers attended a political meeting in Munich, Germany. During the meeting Hitler fired a gun shot into the ceiling and declared the national revolution had begun.

The next morning, they marched on the Bavarian Government center and were met by police who killed 16 of Hitlers followers and arrested many others including Hitler two days later. Hitler was tried for High treason which could result in a death penalty.

However, after a trial, lasting just over a month,

Hitler received a five-year prison sentence, of which he only served only eight months. Had the court not just slapped his wrist with a short prison sentence, and subsequent early release, the world might have been spared much of World War II and a majority of its fifty million deaths. I would hope the judges; in sentencing our current treasonous, insurrectionists, who attacked, occupied and looted our nations capital are not dealt with as was Hitler, but rather serve long, if not life, sentences.

Such sentences would carry a message to other like-minded insurrectionist that such action are not tolerated or taken lightly in the worlds longest enduring democracy.

Louis Leahy, Spearfish

Enough divisiveness

In this political season moving towards the midterms, I have a refreshing idea: How about candidates running for any public office not spend most or all of their time bashing their opponents? Instead, why not spend most or all of their time talking about the issues as they see them and how they would try to tackle them, thereby showing us their minds and hearts.

They could elevate and inform the national debate by demonstrating their sound intellect and good character rather than how big a bully they are which only distracts us from the existential and less serious problems facing us. Military and civil servants of all political stripes die every day protecting their fellow Americans. Let's honor their sacrifice by asking more of candidates who want to be leaders in our country.

Enough with the divisiveness! We need passionate problem solvers, not bullies, leading our country as well as our state, counties, and cities.

Sandy Schneider-Troy, Rapid City

End one party rule

Tim Goodwin raised almost $50,000for a primary senate campaign in little ole South Dakota. Tim Goodwin ran against a sitting senator from his party (albeit a believer in conspiracies). Tim Goodwina mans man, a killer of cougars, a veteranwith his warchest and gubnatorial backinglost.

Why did Tim Goodwin lose? Was he too ambitious? Was it arrogance? Did he slip on his obsequious slobber? Was he too good of a boot-licking lackey? Im just asking questions here.

Tim Goodwin is a symptom of the problem, corruption of the one-party system. First and foremost, Tim Goodwin and his party maintain the decrepit self-serving status quo. They are funded by and beholden to the rich and powerful. Tim Goodwin and his party work for them, not the rest of us.

Because Tim Goodwin and the other minions vie for the favor of the governor, of mysterious donors, of anyone with an open checkbook, surprisingly or not, there is a schism in the ranks. The grifters are attacking the frauds, one side calling the other, of all things, RINOsmore evidence of their decline.

The obvious message here is to end one-party rule. Vote for the candidate, for the platform, for ideas, and change.

Bret Swanson, Hermosa

Electric Folly

A recent article in the Journal suggested that natural gas cooking will soon be outlawed. This proposal, along with the promotion of converting every fossil fuel powered application to electricity, is filled with folly. Im sure that the proponents of these proposals firmly believe that all of the electricity necessary to power this change will be generated by wind machines or solar panels.

Well, here is a news flash. Wind and solar cannot be depended upon to generate electricity. The wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine. Ask the folks in Texas who suffered through significant shortages in 2021. So, how do you get electricity for your electric ranges and electric cars when alternative energy is not available?...from conventional energy which is normally fueled by coal or natural gas or oil. Sure, hydroelectric and geothermal also play a part, but not many are interested in damming up the Yellowstone River just south of Livingston, Montana or installing geothermal plants in Yellowstone National Park.

"Wait" you say! Batteries can be installed to carry us through times when wind and solar are not available. Good luck with that!

Warren Satterlee, Spearfish

Do something

It is not OK...

For Lindsay Graham to tell Capitol Police to use their guns against protesters; For Merrick Garland to refuse to enforce laws that protect the Supreme Court; For the government to print more to spend more; For the president to blame Putin for an energy crisis created after Biden shut down domestic production; For Biden to shift attention away from a constitutional requirement to secure the border to finding numerous ways to facilitate foreign cartel operations; For Biden to enforce a vaccine mandate on private employers despite saying he didnt think it was exactly constitutional; For the DOJ to subject American citizens to unconstitutional civil liberties violations; (unjustified solitary confinement; being deprived of private attorney consultation; being deprived of adequate medical care; and being exposed to unspeakable sanitary conditions) For Biden to point to the pandemic and guns as the cause of violence and criminality rather than lawless riots and soft on crime policies; For Garland to send out a memo calling on the FBI to treat parents as though they were domestic terrorists....

But mainly its not OK..

For feckless Democrat and Republican lawmakers to let these issues slide by unchallenged. Silence is complicity. Do something!

Bill Miller, Rapid City

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Brown Grove in Hanover County is now on Virginias register of historic places, but its inclusion is unlikely to prevent the development of a Wegmans distribution center there.

More than two years after the announcement of the $175 million project, nearby residents are still resisting the development, saying the industrial traffic and pollution will encroach on their homes, damage the natural environment, harm their quality of life and endanger what remains of Brown Grove.

The threat led local residents to seek its protection by obtaining a historic designation for the community, which was founded by freed slaves during the Reconstruction period more than 150 years ago.

On Thursday, the Virginia Board of Historic Resources and State Review Board voted to recognize Brown Grove as a historic district. The vote also sets out a federal request for the sites inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

It hasnt always been easy because Brown Grove was never taken seriously by the local government. We always had to prove that we exist, said Diane Smith Drake, a descendant of the areas original settlers and a member of the community group that coordinated the register application. Its definitely a long overdue recognition.

The recognition will not impact the development of the 1.7 million-square-foot distribution center near Sliding Hill and Ashcake roads, as Wegmans has already received approvals from the county and federal regulators to build there.

In the 2019 announcement that said the center would create 700 jobs, former Gov. Ralph Northam said he was using $2.35 million in state money as an incentive for Wegmans to build the center.

Site preparation and preliminary infrastructure development have been underway for several months.

Over the past two years, residents of Brown Grove have said the development would rise near old burial grounds that are no longer visible and an old schoolhouse that once stood there. Brown Grove Baptist Church, where many parishioners draw ties back to Caroline Morris, one of the areas original settlers, is located across Ashcake Road near where the employee entrance of Wegmans would be located.

The register application says the district spans 1,226 acres and is bisected by Interstate 95.

The report notes that there are several structures, cemeteries and archaeological sites that contribute to the historic character of the district. But it excludes part of the original district where other commercial and industrial development, such as the Hanover Airport and a cement factory, has risen in recent decades.

Julie Langan, director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, said the historic designation would not have changed the course of the project.

She said her agency consulted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers earlier in the review process and determined that development on the 219-acre site would have an adverse impact on historical resources associated with Brown Grove.

The agency ultimately recommended that the developers meet several conditions to mitigate the impact, including a $12,500 payment to help cover the cost of research and documentation for the national register application.

Its wonderful that the community chose to go all the way through the process with having the district listed, but at this point it doesnt change anything, Langan said in a phone interview. The community is to be commended that they took this on.

Representatives for Wegmans did not respond to requests for comment on Friday.

Smith Drake said she still disagrees with Wegmans plans to build in Brown Grove, but did not say whether she or others would continue to fight it.

I would hope that Wegmans realizes Brown Grown is a historic community, she said. Whether theyll do something about it ... that would be great because we told them that it would not be a good site for their mega distribution warehouse. It just does not fit.

Several Brown Grove residents and their neighbors in several nearby subdivisions filed suit in 2020, alleging that the county violated open meeting laws, COVID-19 safety restrictions and environmental regulations in approving the project.

In May, the Supreme Court of Virginia ruled that it would review an appeal of the Hanover Circuit Courts dismissal of the suit.

We are confident that the Supreme Courts review of the steps taken by the Board when it approved the zoning applications will show that the Boards consideration and approval of those applications are fully supported by the law, said County Attorney Dennis Walter.

Rod Morgan, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said Friday that the suit does not include any allegations related to Brown Grove, but that he hopes it could draw and keep attention on whats happening with the development.

I think that goes to show that theres something worth saving and protecting, he said. Hanover hasnt felt that way, but clearly others do.

Morgan and others were also party to another lawsuit with the Hanover NAACP last year seeking an injunction on the project. While that request was not met, he said the case technically remains active.
Virginias top health official is facing criticism after questioning racial disparities in health care and dismissing racisms role in public health, despite decades of evidence from researchers, including those he now oversees as state health commissioner.

Dr. Colin Greenes rejection of racism as well as gun violence as a public health crisis was the focus of a recent Washington Post article. In it, the 63-year-old physician said, If you say racism, youre blaming white people and that gun violence is frankly, a Democratic talking point.

In a statement Friday, the Virginia Public Health Association said: We write to reaffirm that racism and gun violence are public health crises. Gun violence is a scourge that kills over 1,000 Virginians every year. Racism continues to harm people of color and exacerbates unjustified health disparities beginning before birth and lasting throughout life.

Greene repeated similar stances outlined in the Posts story during a Board of Health meeting at the end of March, telling reporters what we need is to stand back and look at all possibilities when it comes to racial disparities.

Everything from potentially some biological issue to all the other aspects of racial discrimination and disparities and everything in between, he continued.

When a reporter asked what he meant by a biological issue, the commissioner said maybe something genetic, I dont know. I dont know of anything, but we shouldnt rule it out until were sure.

Extensive research has found that racial disparities are not caused by genetic or biological issues, including the study of Dr. Steven Woolf at Virginia Commonwealth Universitys Department of Family Medicine into the drop in life expectancy during the pandemic, which reported Black and Latino Americans faced the steepest decline.

Research like this really underscores the need to get serious about tackling systemic racism, he said in an interview last year. The barriers people of color face today were set in motion by policy decisions made generations ago.

These decisions include discriminatory lending practices from the 1930s that pushed Black residents into neighborhoods without health care access and sent poverty rates soaring, shortened life spans and established food deserts.

Maria Reppas, the state Department of Healths director of communications, said the agency is not commenting further on Greenes statements.

Health, elected officials raise concerns

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, named Greene as interim state health commissioner upon taking office in January. Greene was previously director of the Lord Fairfax Health District in the northern Shenandoah Valley and held various medical positions in the military.

In a statement Friday about the Post story, the governor said: I am outraged that right now in Virginia, a Black mother is nearly three times more likely to die from child birth and that hasnt materially improved in a generation. We all must be laser-focused on closing the maternal health gaps. Our administration must have a common, unifying objective to deliver measurable results on behalf of women and especially those in communities of color where this substantial gap exists.  I was disappointed to hear that Dr. Greene did not effectively communicate our mission. Virginians must share the common objective to close maternal health gaps, reduce health disparities, and deliver on behalf of all women in the Commonwealth.

A Youngkin spokesperson did not respond to questions Friday about how the administration intends to complete this mission and when the governor plans to meet with lawmakers about these issues, but said he has reached out to Del. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.

The Black Caucus has previously condemned Youngkins push to undo positions advanced by former Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, regarding the role of systemic racism in education and other policy areas.

Iyabo Obasanjo, an epidemiologist who helped lead the College of William & Marys COVID-19 response and was Nigerias commissioner of health in 2003, slammed Greenes latest comments as failing populations most affected by health issues.

Ignoring the role racism plays in public health would mean not putting the structures in place to improve the health indicators for Virginia and risking worsening health outcomes such as life expectancy and maternal mortality, Obasanjo said Friday.

Thats not how you run health care. Health systems, she said. You cannot ignore the people who have the worst problems because you dont care about them. That is no longer public health. That is health care for the rich.

In response to Greene telling the Post that he associates racism with overt violence such as fire hoses, police dogs and Alabama sheriffs, Obasanjo said, if that was racism, then racism is gone, right?

She noted how discrimination persists in jobs, workplaces, education, where families live and the opportunities theyre afforded  how the COVID disparities in cases and deaths among Black and Latino populations were tied to the jobs they held that were deemed essential.

Racism is one of the problems. When I say that, it is not anti-white, said Obasanjo, referring to how Greene stated that saying the word racism blames white people. Im saying how do we improve the health of Virginians? and this is one of the problems.

Social determinants of health

On Friday, Del. Candi Mundon King, D-Prince William, spoke about Greenes comments to the General Assembly in a speech opposing Youngkins proposed budget amendment, which would restrict state funding for certain abortions.

I rise today as a mother of two daughters  two brilliant, beautiful, magical Black girls who are facing a world where women like them are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related circumstances than their peers, King said.

My daughters are facing a world where the governors own health director is doing everything he can to ignore racial health disparities, going as far as blaming a genetic disorder  sickle cell anemia  for maternal health disparities.

State Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, in a Twitter post earlier this week, said that if the state health commissioner refuses to understand the role of racism in public health, he should find a new job.

Officials with Richmond and Henrico Health Districts  which are among the 35 local health districts within the VDH and advocated for the City Council to declare racism a public health crisis last summer  also countered Greenes statements in a Thursday media briefing.

While nurse manager Amy Popovich directed questions about Greene to central office, she said that at RHHD, we acknowledge that structural and interpersonal racism contributes to health disparities and we will continue to work to address that.

Later that afternoon, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said Dr. Greene needs to stop being a coward but stopped short of calling for the commissioners resignation.

Hiding from these realities doesnt make them go away, Stoney said. Virginia families are counting on him to do better.

smoreno@timesdispatch.com (804) 649-6103 Twitter: @sabrinaamorenoo Editor Andrew Cain contributed to this report.
The Virginia General Assembly on Friday elected two judges as new justices on the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Fairfax County Circuit Judge Thomas P. Mann will begin a 12-year term on the Supreme Court on Aug. 1, and Virginia Court of Appeals Judge Wesley G. Russell Jr. of Henrico County will begin a 12-year term on the court beginning July 1.

Russell was a deputy attorney general under then-Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a Republican, and assisted Cuccinelli in an investigation of grant money used by a former University of Virginia climate scientist.

The Supreme Court of Virginia sided with the University of Virginia in 2012 in its fight against Cuccinellis investigation.

Mann in September rebuked Fairfax County prosecutors for a plea agreement in a sexual abuse case he called woefully inadequate.

Donald W. Lemons, the former chief justice, said in December that he would retire Feb. 1. William C. Mims announced in July that he would not seek a new term as a justice when his term ended March 31.

The Senate and House made a sensible, pragmatic decision to fill the 2 Supreme Court vacancies with experienced, well respected judges, University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias, who follows the legislature carefully, said by email. It is good for the Supreme Court to have all of its vacancies filled with fine new members and for the GA to discharge its constitutional duty to elect Justices when vacancies arise.

The General Assembly elected Halifax Circuit Judge Kimberley S. White, a former public defender and former commonwealths attorney, to the newly opened spot on the Virginia Court of Appeals for an eight-year term that begins July 1.
Appalachian Power continued to report more than 20,000 customers without power in its Virginia service region on Saturday evening, 24 hours after gusty winds in and near thunderstorms struck the region late Friday.

As of 6:30 p.m. Saturday, there were more than 1,200 customers without power in Pulaski County, but only a few hundred in Montgomery, Floyd, Franklin and Roanoke counties that numbered over 1,000 customers without power as recently as Saturday morning.

Amherst County, north of Lynchburg, had the most still without power early Saturday evening with more than 4,300.

The total number of customers without power in Appalachian Powers Virginia area, mostly Southwest, Southside and Central Virginia, had been about 61,000 at mid-evening Friday.

The gusty winds occurred as thunderstorms developed ahead of a strong cold front that brought an end to a week of hot temperatures, with much cooler and less humid conditions having set in for the weekend. Some locations in rural areas west and north of Roanoke may drop into the 40s by Sunday morning.

The Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport experienced a top gust of 51 mph, not considered severe level, which starts at 58 mph, but still capable of damaging some fully leafed trees including blowing limbs across power lines. Some wind gusts around the region likely reached near 60 mph. Winds became gusty for a short time even in many locations that did not experience strong thunderstorms, due to the outflow from those storms.

Fridays storm system brought at least a few social media comparisons to the June 29, 2012, derecho, coming up on its 10th anniversary in 10 days, albeit a much lesser version of that epic widespread high wind event.
Virginias top health official is facing criticism after questioning racial disparities in health care and dismissing racisms role in public health, despite decades of evidence from researchers, including those he now oversees as state health commissioner.

Dr. Colin Greenes rejection of racism as well as gun violence as a public health crisis was the focus of a recent Washington Post article. In it, the 63-year-old physician said, If you say racism, youre blaming white people and that gun violence is frankly, a Democratic talking point.

In a statement Friday, the Virginia Public Health Association said: We write to reaffirm that racism and gun violence are public health crises. Gun violence is a scourge that kills over 1,000 Virginians every year. Racism continues to harm people of color and exacerbates unjustified health disparities beginning before birth and lasting throughout life.

Greene repeated similar stances outlined in the Posts story during a Board of Health meeting at the end of March, telling reporters what we need is to stand back and look at all possibilities when it comes to racial disparities.

Everything from potentially some biological issue to all the other aspects of racial discrimination and disparities and everything in between, he continued.

When a reporter asked what he meant by a biological issue, the commissioner said maybe something genetic, I dont know. I dont know of anything, but we shouldnt rule it out until were sure.

Extensive research has found that racial disparities are not caused by genetic or biological issues, including the study of Dr. Steven Woolf at Virginia Commonwealth Universitys Department of Family Medicine into the drop in life expectancy during the pandemic, which reported Black and Latino Americans faced the steepest decline.

Research like this really underscores the need to get serious about tackling systemic racism, he said in an interview last year. The barriers people of color face today were set in motion by policy decisions made generations ago.

These decisions include discriminatory lending practices from the 1930s that pushed Black residents into neighborhoods without health care access and sent poverty rates soaring, shortened life spans and established food deserts.

Maria Reppas, the state Department of Healths director of communications, said the agency is not commenting further on Greenes statements.

Health, elected officials raise concerns

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, named Greene as interim state health commissioner upon taking office in January. Greene was previously director of the Lord Fairfax Health District in the northern Shenandoah Valley and held various medical positions in the military.

In a statement Friday about the Post story, the governor said: I am outraged that right now in Virginia, a Black mother is nearly three times more likely to die from child birth and that hasnt materially improved in a generation. We all must be laser-focused on closing the maternal health gaps. Our administration must have a common, unifying objective to deliver measurable results on behalf of women and especially those in communities of color where this substantial gap exists.  I was disappointed to hear that Dr. Greene did not effectively communicate our mission. Virginians must share the common objective to close maternal health gaps, reduce health disparities, and deliver on behalf of all women in the Commonwealth.

A Youngkin spokesperson did not respond to questions Friday about how the administration intends to complete this mission and when the governor plans to meet with lawmakers about these issues, but said he has reached out to Del. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.

The Black Caucus has previously condemned Youngkins push to undo positions advanced by former Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, regarding the role of systemic racism in education and other policy areas.

Iyabo Obasanjo, an epidemiologist who helped lead the College of William & Marys COVID-19 response and was Nigerias commissioner of health in 2003, slammed Greenes latest comments as failing populations most affected by health issues.

Ignoring the role racism plays in public health would mean not putting the structures in place to improve the health indicators for Virginia and risking worsening health outcomes such as life expectancy and maternal mortality, Obasanjo said Friday.

Thats not how you run health care. Health systems, she said. You cannot ignore the people who have the worst problems because you dont care about them. That is no longer public health. That is health care for the rich.

In response to Greene telling the Post that he associates racism with overt violence such as fire hoses, police dogs and Alabama sheriffs, Obasanjo said, if that was racism, then racism is gone, right?

She noted how discrimination persists in jobs, workplaces, education, where families live and the opportunities theyre afforded  how the COVID disparities in cases and deaths among Black and Latino populations were tied to the jobs they held that were deemed essential.

Racism is one of the problems. When I say that, it is not anti-white, said Obasanjo, referring to how Greene stated that saying the word racism blames white people. Im saying how do we improve the health of Virginians? and this is one of the problems.

Social determinants of health

On Friday, Del. Candi Mundon King, D-Prince William, spoke about Greenes comments to the General Assembly in a speech opposing Youngkins proposed budget amendment, which would restrict state funding for certain abortions.

I rise today as a mother of two daughters  two brilliant, beautiful, magical Black girls who are facing a world where women like them are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related circumstances than their peers, King said.

My daughters are facing a world where the governors own health director is doing everything he can to ignore racial health disparities, going as far as blaming a genetic disorder  sickle cell anemia  for maternal health disparities.

State Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, in a Twitter post earlier this week, said that if the state health commissioner refuses to understand the role of racism in public health, he should find a new job.

Officials with Richmond and Henrico Health Districts  which are among the 35 local health districts within the VDH and advocated for the City Council to declare racism a public health crisis last summer  also countered Greenes statements in a Thursday media briefing.

While nurse manager Amy Popovich directed questions about Greene to central office, she said that at RHHD, we acknowledge that structural and interpersonal racism contributes to health disparities and we will continue to work to address that.

Later that afternoon, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said Dr. Greene needs to stop being a coward but stopped short of calling for the commissioners resignation.

Hiding from these realities doesnt make them go away, Stoney said. Virginia families are counting on him to do better.

smoreno@timesdispatch.com (804) 649-6103 Twitter: @sabrinaamorenoo Editor Andrew Cain contributed to this report.

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Joe Biden va rencontrer le Prince Ben Salmane d'Arabie Saoudite

Joe Biden a semble vouloir minimiser vendredi la portee de sa prochaine rencontre controversee avec le prince heritier Mohammed ben Salmane en Arabie saoudite, en insistant sur le fait quelle se deroulerait dans un contexte international.





Je ne vais pas rencontrer MBS. Je vais a une reunion internationale, a laquelle il participera, a tenu a nuancer le president americain, avant dembarquer dans lhelicoptere le conduisant pour le week-end dans sa villa sur locean.

Embarras

Sa formule alambiquee trahit lembarras de M. Biden, conscient que sa visite prevue mi-juillet dans le royaume petrolier va consacrer la rehabilitation internationale du prince, qui avait ete largement isole apres lassassinat du journaliste saoudien Jamal Khashoggi.





Le renseignement americain accuse MBS davoir valide lassassinat du chroniqueur du Washington Post et Joe Biden avait estime, avant son election a la Maison Blanche, que lArabie saoudite devait etre traitee en Etat paria.




The logo of Italian energy company Eni is seen at a gas station in Rome

By Marianna Parraga

(Reuters) -A 650,000-barrel-cargo of Venezuela's oil chartered by Italy's Eni is about to set sail carrying the first export of crude from the U.S.-sanctioned country to Europe in two years, Refinitiv Eikon data showed on Friday.

The U.S. State Department sent letters to Eni and Spain's Repsol in May authorizing them to resume taking Venezuelan crude as a way to settle billions of dollars of unpaid debt and dividends owed by the OPEC-member nation.

A second tanker chartered by Eni, the very large crude carrier (VLCC) Pantanassa, is currently navigating towards Venezuela and expected to load 2 million barrels of the same grade, diluted crude oil (DCO), and take it to Europe, according to the Eikon data and a shipping document seen by Reuters.

That cargo is expected to be delivered by Venezuela's state-owned PDVSA later this month with an option for Eni to sell a portion of the crude to Spain's Repsol for its Cartagena and Bilbao refineries, according to the document and sources.

The Malta-flagged Pantanassa is scheduled to load via ship-to-ship transfer near Venezuela's Amuay port, the document added.

Eni, Repsol and PDVSA did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Venezuela's May oil exports plummeted to the lowest level in 19 months over contract changes enforced by PDVSA to switch most spot sales to prepayment, reducing the risk of unpaid cargoes. The change did not affect customers under swap deals of debt payment agreements.

European, Asian and U.S. companies operating joint ventures with PDVSA in Venezuela, including Eni, Repsol, Chevron, ONGC Ltd, and Maurel & Prom, have accumulated billions of dollars in pending debt since the government of then U.S. President Donald Trump suspended oil swaps used for exchanging Venezuelan oil for fuel and debt payments.

(Reporting by Marianna Parraga; Editing by Gary McWilliams)
  8.625     904.4 430017  21     G7   40%   3 9%5% Naspers   1%4% 1770  8 8% Naspers  5% 360970.08  6.5% 200 
MINNEAPOLIS -- Greg Rue remembers feeling "slammed" when Arc's Value Village Thrift Stores and Donation Centers in the Twin Cities reopened in May 2020.

"We went from 200 or 300 donors a day [pre-pandemic] to 600 donors a day just at our Richfield location," said Rue, director of thrift business. "It was nuts. People took stock of what they wanted and no longer wanted."

The new anti-materialism age had arrived!

Well, not quite.

These days, donations to Arc's Value Village are "steady," Rue said, but nowhere near those higher numbers. "We're still a consumer society," Rue said. "People are still out buying."

Suzanne Austin agrees.

"Consumption is the American way, and there's an addictive component to that," said Austin, of Maple Grove. She's a decluttering expert with Caring Transitions, which provides older adults and their families with assistance as they downsize.

"People like the act of buying," she said, "but not necessarily the act of using. I don't know if we'll get away from consumption."

But for those who would like to try, Austin has plenty of useful tips. And with Father's Day upon us, she suggests that now is a good time to have talks with aging parents  as well as young adult children  to find out what items are and are not meaningful to them and, thus, worth saving.

Then, let the purging begin!

First, get the conversation going. If you're trying to help an aging parent declutter to stay put or in preparation for downsizing, you might say something like, "Let's organize the house so it's a more enjoyable place for family gatherings."

Accept that we are emotionally tied to some items. "This natural tendency has not changed and I do not see it changing anytime soon," Austin said. "Photos are probably the number one example. Also, heirloom jewelry such as Mother's wedding ring or Father's wedding band. And everyone has a little special collection; birds, coins, paintings from a special trip."

With such collections, Austin suggests that their owners at least "declutter a little bit." Do you really need 325 seashells?

Take one section at a time. Delve in for one hour a day. Pick one drawer and declutter that drawer. Return the next day and repeat.

Ask if an item has been used in the past year. "If they haven't, they're probably not going to use it again," she said. With nicer items, think about someone who could enjoy it. Gifting it, Austin said, can take the sting out of letting something go.

Realize most of the value is sentimental. This is a tough one. Austin tells the story of a client who had owned an expensive dining room table for 40 years. She took it to a consignment shop. It sold  for $11. She was distraught until Austin told her that the table had gone to a tremendously grateful refugee family who would now make their own memories around it.

Focus on 'the incredibly rewarding' feeling of walking into a decluttered room. That just might help you avoid mindless consumption.

And if it doesn't? You could always become a decluttering expert like Austin.

"I have become very minimalistic in this business," Austin said. "It's important to enjoy the things you have. But if you don't enjoy them, get rid of them."

2022 StarTribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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The Social Security program is a pact between workers and their employers that they will contribute to a common fund to ensure that those who are no longer part of the workforce will have a basic income on which to live. -- President Jimmy Carter

Social Security has been a lifesaver for countless millions, and it does provide a basic income -- but it's not easy to live on Social Security benefits. Here are two reasons why I'm not counting on Social Security to be my main support in retirement -- and why you shouldn't, either.

Social Security was never meant to replace your income

For starters, Social Security was never meant to fully replace your pre-retirement income. These days it replaces about 40% of it for many people and less for higher earners. The average monthly Social Security retirement benefit check was recently about $1,666 -- roughly $20,000 over the course of a year.

That's probably much less than you might have expected and certainly a lot less than you'll require if you want to live comfortably. The maximum benefit, recently $4,194 per month or about $50,000 per year, might sound more like what you'd like or would expect, but you'll only receive that if you've earned the maximum amount that counts for Social Security (currently $147,000) in each one of the 35 years of earnings that are incorporated in your benefit calculations. You'll also have had to delay starting to collect your benefits until age 70 -- something that many can't do.

To get a better idea of what your specific benefits are likely to be, visit the Social Security Administration (SSA) website and set up a my Social Security account there. Then you'll see estimates of your future benefits as well as the SSA's record of your earnings, year by year. (If you spot any errors, look into having them corrected so that you don't end up shortchanged on benefits.)

Social Security benefits may end up shrinking

The first reason I'm not counting on Social Security to provide much of my retirement income is that it's going to provide much less than I expect to need.

The other reason is that the Social Security program is in danger of not being able to pay out all of the benefits that we workers are entitled to receive in retirement. (The news isn't quite as bad as you may fear, so keep reading!)

Understand that the Social Security system is designed so that working people pay into it via taxes on their earnings, and those earnings are used to pay retired workers their benefits. It all worked well decades ago, when there were far more workers than retirees, but over the past few decades, people have been living longer and retiring earlier.

The Social Security Administration has detailed how the ratio of covered workers to beneficiaries has changed over time:

Year Ratio of Covered Workers to Beneficiaries 1945 41.9 1955 8.6 1975 3.2 1985 3.3 1995 3.3 2005 3.3 2015 2.8 2020 2.7

In other words, we're approaching the point at which not enough will be coming in to cover benefits needing to be sent out. According to the recently released 2022 Social Security Trustees Report, the current Social Security surplus will be depleted by 2034. That doesn't mean that the program will "run out of money," as some breathless news reports suggest. Instead, benefits may end up reduced. The latest estimate is that retirees can expect to receive around 77% of what they were entitled to.

That's the worst-case scenario. It's not guaranteed to happen, though, because there are a bunch of ways that Congress can strengthen Social Security, sending more money to its coffers. The tax that we pay from our paychecks can be increased, for example. A relatively small increase can make a big difference. Also, not everyone knows this, but we're only taxed for Social Security up to a certain income level, which is adjusted regularly. It's $147,000 for 2022, so every dollar you earn up to that will be taxed, but any dollars earned beyond that do not get taxed. This means that lower-income earners get taxed on all their income, while wealthier folks only get taxed on part of their income. Taxing all income and eliminating that cap can go a long way to restoring Social Security's ability to meet its obligations.

What to do?

I'm not counting on Congress to fix Social Security, though I hope it will. Instead, I'm saving and investing for my future because Social Security alone will not provide enough. Crunch your own numbers to see how much you need for retirement, and then figure out how you'll get there. It may not be a fun exercise, but it can lead you to a much more secure future.

The $18,984 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook

If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $18,984 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies.

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MENDON, Utah (AP)  A Utah couple is turning heads by training a unique animal that theyve grown to love like family - water buffalo.

Mary Heers said her love for water buffalo started when she was a young girl.

In the beginning I think I saw a picture of a Vietnamese boy playing a flute on the back of a water buffalo, Heers explained. Since I was in high school I thought it would be wonderful to own one of the majestic animals.

Heers said in addition to that photo, she had opportunities to try water buffalo milk and ice cream, which sealed the deal for her. When she and her husband Art Heers retired, they started researching where they could get their hands on one of the beasts.

I found a water buffalo dairy in California where this very nice lady was milking a herd of water buffalo making mozzarella cheese and of course she was very happy to find a good home for the boys, Mary said.

She and her husband started by purchasing one water buffalo, but now they have three of the animals. All of the creatures are males, which were not needed on the dairy farm.

The water buffaloes reside in a pasture, where they have plenty of space to roam around.

Mary explained that when they got their first water buffalo, which is named Andrea, their family became rather attached to him and his friendly demeanor.

He would come when you called him and (it) was just fun to take a book out to the pasture... and just lean against him and read, Mary said.

Eventually, Mary and Art were connected to a trainer that specialized in training camels, reindeer and water buffalo. They decided to train their beloved Andrea to ride and pull a wagon.

Art really took on the challenge, Mary said. He bought a saddle from a neighbor and takes him out for a ride pretty much every day.

Its quite unusual and its kind of become sort of a new little fun hobby, Art Heers said.

The couple has a goal in mind for their precious water buffalo. They hope to get it well trained enough to walk in the Mendon Pioneer Day parade. Right now, Art is working on getting the animal acclimated to other people, kids and cars.

We really have it in the back of our minds to see if we can get him into our Mendon July 24 parade, Art said. In order to do that he has to get used to vehicle and kids and other people without spooking.

Until then, the couple is enjoying turning heads with their unique animal.

When anyone sees a water buffalo walking down the sidewalk, explained Mary, Theyre inclined to run out of the house and take a picture

And even though these water buffalo may look a little intimidating, Mary and Art assure that their special pets are gentle giants.

Who wouldnt want to have a big... 1,000 pounds of love.

In a story published June 17, 2022, The Associated Press erroneously reported the dateline as MENTON, Utah. It was updated on June 20, 2022, to correct the dateline to MENDON, Utah.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, KSTU-TV.

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SIOUX CITY -- Hornick Mayor Scott Mitchell has been chosen as the Woodbury County Emergency Services director.

The board of supervisors approved Mitchells hiring effective June 30.

Mitchell currently works as a construction technician for the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Hornick Fire Department. He will replace Andrew Donawa, who resigned after just six months as director due to a hostile work environment he attributed to current and former staff.

Board chair Keith Radig said Mitchell was in the top three of the supervisors list after a variety of job interviews and he was who they chose to move forward with.

Mitchell has been mayor of Hornick since 2015. He was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2019 after leading the town through one of the worst floods in its history.

Mitchell was lauded for his leadership during the crisis. He was one of six residents honored for "acts of valor" by the then-Iowa 4th District Rep. Steve King.

He will start at a salary of $80,000 a year.

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I grew up in Dallas, Texas, and Juneteenth was first celebrated in Texas, he said. It is a huge celebration there. Fast forward to 2022, we are happy and excited that it has been recognized by more people, states, the whole country.

Juneteenth, a combination of the words June and nineteenth, commemorates the effective end of slavery in the U.S. In June of 1865, 2 1/2 years after President Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation, federal troops marched into Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and free any remaining slaves. The holiday is also known as Juneteenth Independence Day, Emancipation Day or Freedom Day.
MIAMI (AP)  Two people were killed and 10 others had to be rescued when their boats collided at night near Key Biscayne in South Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities say.

The Coast Guard said a person involved in the collision notified the agency of the crash around 10:30 p.m. Friday night.

Two bodies were recovered in the ensuing rescue operation, one by the Coast Guard Station Miami Beach and another by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, officials said. The Coast Guard said in a statement that one of its air crews in an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter played a key role in the emergency response.

A rescue swimmer also was sent to assist two critically injured people, one of whom was transferred to Jackson Memorial Medical Center for care. Nine other survivors were sent to another hospital for treatment, authorities said. Their names were not released.

On behalf of the Coast Guard and our partner agencies, wed like to offer our sincerest condolences to the families and friends who lost their loved ones, said Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Tuxhorn, Coast Guard Sector Miami search-and-rescue mission coordinator.

He said the Coast Guard and local first responders worked exhaustively on the search and rescue.

The collision is under investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

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

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UVALDE, Texas (AP)  Two Uvalde city police officers passed up a fleeting chance to shoot a gunman outside Robb Elementary School before he went on to kill 21 people inside the school, a senior sheriff's deputy told The New York Times.

That would mean a second missed opportunity for officers to stop Salvador Ramos before the May 24 rampage inside the school that killed 19 children and two teachers. Officials said that a school district police drove past Ramos without seeing him in the school parking lot.

The unidentified officers, one of whom was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, said they feared hitting children playing in the line of fire outside the school, Chief Deputy Ricardo Rios of nearby Zavalla County told the newspaper.

The officers' chance of stopping Ramos passed quickly, perhaps in seconds, Rios said.

Messages from The Associated Press to Rios and the Zavala County Sheriff's Office have not been returned. The Zavala County sheriff's officials responded to the shooting in support of Uvalde and Uvalde County officers.

Rios said he had shared the information with a special Test House committee investigating the school massacre.

Uvalde police officials agreed Friday to speak to the committee investigating, according to a Republican lawmaker leading the probe who had begun to publicly question why the officers were not cooperating sooner.

Took a little bit longer than we initially had expected," state Rep. Dustin Burrows said.

On Thursday, Burrows signaled impatience with Uvalde police, tweeting that most people had fully cooperated with their investigation to help determine the facts and that he didn't understand why the city's police force would not want the same. He did not say which members of the department will meet with the committee, which is set to continue questioning witnesses in Uvalde on Monday about the attack that killed 19 students and two teachers.

Uvalde police did not reply to messages seeking comment.

Weeks after one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history, law enforcement officials have stopped providing updates about what they've learned about the shooting and the police response. Their silence comes after authorities gave conflicting and incorrect accounts in the days after the shooting, sometimes withdrawing statements hours after making them.

Officials also haven't released records sought under public information laws to media outlets, including The Associated Press, often citing broad exemptions and the ongoing investigation. It has raised concerns about whether such records will be released, even to victims' families.

The state House committee has interviewed more than a dozen witnesses behind closed doors so far, including state police, school staff and school district police. The list of witnesses provided by the committee so far has not included Pete Arrendondo, the Uvalde school district police chief, who has faced criticism over his actions during the attack.

Burrows defended the committee interviewing witnesses in private and not revealing their findings so far, saying its members want an accurate account before issuing a report.

One person's truth may be different than another person's truth," Burrows said Friday.

Since the shooting, Republican leaders in Texas have called for more mental health funding but not new gun restrictions. Authorities say the 18-year-old gunman used and AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle. Police did not confront he gunman for more than an hour, even as anguished parents outside the school urged officers to go in.

Find more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting

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

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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  Mary Peltola, a former state lawmaker and one of the few Democrats in a massive field of candidates seeking Alaska's only U.S. House seat, has advanced to an August special election, where she will face former Gov. Sarah Palin, Republican Nick Begich and independent Al Gross.

The four emerged from a field of 48 candidates in a special primary for the seat left vacant by the March death of longtime Republican Rep. Don Young. Peltola, an Alaska Native from the rural city of Bethel, was one of just six Democrats in the race.

She advanced as state elections officials announced more results Friday. Vote counts also were conducted last Saturday and Wednesday.

Peltola, who was recovering from COVID-19, said Thursday she didn't want to jinx her chances but felt good about her campaign and was encouraged and pleased.

Republican Tara Sweeney, who was assistant secretary of Indian Affairs in the U.S. Interior Department during the Trump administration, was in fifth place. Sweeney said Wednesday her goal was to make the top four and that it appeared she would fall just short. She said she planned to meet with advisers and supporters to determine next steps.

All 48 candidates were on the same ballot under an elections process approved by voters in 2020 that ends party primaries and implements ranked choice voting for general elections. The special primary also was unusual in that it was conducted primarily by mail, a first for a statewide election.

The special election, set for Aug. 16, will feature ranked voting. The winner will serve the rest of Youngs term, which ends in January. Young had held the seat for 49 years.

The special election is expected to coincide with the August regular primary. The regular primary and November general election will decide who will serve a new two-year House term beginning in January.

Palin, Begich, Gross and Peltola are all running in that race. Sweeney is also listed as a candidate. Democrat Christopher Constant's campaign said Thursday he would withdraw from the August regular primary and back Peltola instead.

Peltola served five terms in the Alaska House, ending in 2009, and most recently has been executive director of a commission aimed at rebuilding salmon resources on the Kuskokwim River.

She said she wants to use her campaign to elevate issues of food insecurity and ocean productivity. A subsistence lifestyle  relying on fish, plants and other wildlife  is critical in rural Alaska, including in many Alaska Native communities, where the cost of goods is high and villages may only be accessible by plane.

She said she worked for six years for a company that is seeking to advance a gold mine project in southwest Alaska. Her campaign said she left that role following a tailings dam collapse at an unrelated mine site in 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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The party nominations for five statewide offices including secretary of state on the Republican side and governor on the Democratic ticket are on the ballot in Tuesday's primary runoff election in Alabama. The GOP nomination for a lone congressional seat also will be decided. Here is a look at the races:

SECRETARY OF STATE

With many Republican voters embracing former President Donald Trumps false claims that fraud cost him the 2020 presidential election, the two remaining GOP candidates to become Alabamas top elections official, secretary of state, campaigned on themes of tightening election security.

Jim Zeigler, who was barred from seeking another four years as state auditor because of term limits, dubbed himself a watchman against ballot fraud, so-called ballot harvesting and voting by mail. Trump has blamed all those and more for his loss to Democratic President Joe Biden, and many GOP voters believe him despite a lack of evidence.

Rep. Wes Allen is a state representative from Troy who previously served as probate judge in Pike County. Citing the potential for fraud, he opposes early voting and no-excuse absentee balloting and sponsored a law that barred curbside voting meant in part to make it easier for people with disabilities to cast a ballot.

The Republican nominee will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte, an Air Force veteran and corrections supervisor in Mobile County, in November.

The current secretary of state, Republican John Merrill, couldnt run again because of term limits.

GOVERNOR

Either Yolanda Rochelle Flowers or state Sen. Malika Sanders Fortier will become the first Black person to win a major party's gubernatorial nomination in Alabama in the Democratic runoff for governor.

Flowers, a career educator from Birmingham, narrowly led a six-person field in the May primary. She ran on a platform of reconstructing Alabama by rebuilding its economy and systems for education, health care and criminal justice. Among other things, she has advocated for a state lottery and a state minimum wage of $15.

Fortier, a state lawmaker from Selma, campaigned on the theme of building the biblical beloved community promoted by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. by improving the state's economy, schools and health care. She is the daughter of former state Sen. Hank Sanders and attorney Faya Rose Toure.

The eventual winner face Gov. Kay Ivey, who vanquished eight challengers to win the GOP primary without a runoff. Nearly four times as many people voted in the Republican primary as the Democratic primary in May, and Republicans hold every statewide office.

STATE AUDITOR

Stan Cooke and Andrew Sorrell are vying for the Republican nomination to succeed Zeigler as state auditor.

Cooke, a pastor from the Jefferson County town of Kimberly, claims Alabama is at a crossroads where it could remain a conservative state or come under the control of liberal Democrats. Echoing former President Donald Trump's false claims of election theft, he is highlighting the auditor's role in appointing county election officials who can prevent Democrats from stealing elections.

Sorrell, a state representative from Colbert County who led balloting in the May primary, also tried to make election security a prime issue, saying a strong auditor is needed to appoint county registrars who will keep voter rolls clean.

The eventual nominee will not have a Democratic opponent in the fall.

U.S. HOUSE

North Alabama's 5th District features the only runoff for one of the state's seven U.S. House seats.

In the Tennessee Valley region, Madison County Commission chair Dale Strong and Casey Wardynski, a former Huntsville school superintendent, advanced to a runoff from a field of six candidates in May. Strong led easily with about 45% of the vote but couldn't avoid a runoff.

The winner will face Democrat Kathy Warner-Stanton of Decatur.

The 5th District seat is being given up by U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who is in a runoff with former business lobby leader Katie Britt for the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby.

ALABAMA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

Two Republican incumbents on the Alabama Public Service Commission face runoff challenges to keep their jobs on the utility-regulating board.

Jeremy Oden, a former state legislator from Cullman seeking his third term on the three-member commission, cast himself as a conservative bulwark against liberal environmental policies. He received the most votes in May in a four-way race for the Place 1 seat that saw attorney Brent Woodall, a PSC staffer and Republican activist, come in second.

First elected to the PSC in 2014, former Greene County Commissioner Chip Beeker also portrayed himself as an opponent of Democratic environmental policies in his campaign to retain the Place 2 seat. Beeker, who led the primary vote, is opposed by Robert L. McCollum, a small business owner from Tallapoosa County who contends the commission is too close to Alabama Power Co.

No Democrat qualified for either position, making a victory in the Republican runoff tantamount to election.

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 (AP)  Carolyn Redendo's restaurant is just 900 square feet, and the kitchen where she turns out Puerto Rican, Cuban and other Latin food is tiny.

The young teenagers she's hired for years to work as hostesses in her Sofrita restaurant in the small northeast Phoenix suburb of Fountain Hills sometimes bus tables and have to drop off the dishes in the kitchen.

That simple chore got her in hot water with Arizona's workplace safety agency, which swooped in and fined her the maximum $800 for putting 14- and 15-year-old teens at risk by allowing them in the cooking area. They also slapped her with a $200 fine because they said she didn't promptly turn over time card records.

But Redendo decided to fight, insisting that she had done nothing wrong. She appealed the fine from the Industrial Commission of Arizona.

She won, twice, including at the Court of Appeals, which said in a ruling Thursday that the commission was flat wrong when it said a law barring young teens from cooking and baking meant they could never step into a restaurant kitchen. They also tossed the record-keeping fine, saying the commission overstepped its bounds.

An administrative law judge who threw out the fines last year said upholding the commission's interpretation would essentially bar 14- and 15-year-olds from ever working in an Arizona restaurant.

Redendo's problems started in September 2018 with an anonymous complaint to the commission alleging she was hiring kids under 16 and working them longer than allowed and without breaks. The commission asked her for records, and six months later sent an investigator, who seemed focused on the hostesses going into the kitchen.

In April 2020, the commission hit her with the maximum $1,000 fine.

Redendo said she could not run her business if her hostesses could never step foot in the kitchen. And as one of the few employers in town willing to hire 14- and 15-year-old high school kids, she said if the commission citation were upheld it would mean no jobs for them.

She also said she knew the teens she hires as hostesses had not been put in harm's way.

Thats what kids that young usually start out with, and it was admitting that I was putting children, teenagers in danger, which I wasnt, Redendo said. So I just couldnt agree to the $1,000 fine.

The Industrial Commission said the law bars workers under age 16 from being in the kitchen, even if it just to enter the shop using the back door or briefly stepping inside to drop off dirty dishes.

A judge disagreed in June 2021 and threw out the three workplace safety citations and the $800 fine. Administrative Law Judge Jonathan Hauer also tossed the record-keeping violation, saying the commission had actually received some records and had no basis for the separate $200 fine.

The commission then appealed, and the state Court of Appeals finally sided with Redendo on Thursday. The three-judge panel said the law only bars teens under 16 from baking and cooking.

Nothing in the statute supports the Commissions reading that employers must prevent minors from entering the kitchen to drop dishes in a bussers tub, Presiding Judge David D. Weinzweig wrote.

A commission spokesperson provided no immediate comment Friday on the ruling.

Redendo's attorney, Douglas Schumacher, said he took the case free of charge because Redendo is known in town for her community involvement, including donating food and other help to local causes, especially schools.

She's a super nice lady who's not only run her business but she's done a lot of things for kids, Schumacher said Friday.

He said he also truly believed that the commission was out of line.

Basically I felt like the charges were not only trumped up to begin with, but the Industrial Commission was kind of overly aggressive on all fronts in pursuing it, Schumacher said.

Redendo, who is from Puerto Rico, has run Sofrita for more than 12 years, and her children worked there as teens.

My kids are older now, but I have four boys. They started there, she said. I was like insulted because Im part of the community.

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

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ATLANTA (AP)  Democrats on Tuesday are settling multiple statewide races and congressional primaries, including three races where Stacey Abrams has endorsed other members of her party that she wants on the ticket as she runs for governor. There are three Republican congressional runoffs, including two in heavily Republican districts. Two Democratic congressional runoffs feature a frontrunner who lost to a Republican in 2020 but wants another shot. Finally, there are 11 state legislative runoffs, including one Republican incumbent and one Democratic incumbent in the state House who failed to win majorities in the May 24 primary.

Here's a look at the races:

SECRETARY OF STATE

State Rep. Bee Nguyen and former state Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler are vying for the chance to challenge incumbent Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in the fall. Former President Donald Trump targeted Raffensperger for failing to overturn his narrow loss in the state. Raffensperger beat a Trump-endorsed primary challenger without being forced into a runoff.

The once-sleepy office was thrust into the spotlight when Trump began spreading baseless claims about widespread election fraud.

Nguyen and Dawkins-Haigler say they want to increase voter education and work more closely with counties to ensure universal access to free, fair and secure elections. They criticize Raffensperger for backing a sweeping election overhaul passed last year by Republican state lawmakers. Abrams is backing Nguyen.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Former Atlanta City Council member Kwanza Hall led all candidates in the May 24 primary, despite a low-profile, low-dollar campaign. Second-place finisher Charlie Bailey, who was the Democratic nominee for attorney general in 2018, is trying to overtake Hall, backed by Democratic leaders including Abrams.

The winner will take on Republican state Sen. Burt Jones, who triumphed in the May 24 primary after being endorsed by Trump.

Bailey had been running for attorney general again but shifted into the lieutenant governor's race. Bailey has been promising to work with Abrams to cover uninsured adults, improve education and increase public safety. Bailey has been attacking Hall for money Hall received from the city of Atlanta after stepping down from the City Council. Despite a prohibition on the city hiring former officials for a year, Hall says he did nothing wrong.

Hall also served out the last month of the late John Lewis' term in Congress, and enjoys strong name recognition. He argues his time on the City Council has prepared him to work with Republicans. Hall has focused on economic empowerment, calling for the state to set aside 30% of its contracts for minority and women-owned business. Hall said he wants to legalize marijuana and steer resulting business opportunities toward minority communities.

LABOR COMMISSIONER

State Rep. William Boddie Jr. and entrepreneur Nicole Horn both have focused on overhauling the state Labor Department, beset by complaints when Georgia's unemployment rate hit a record during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Incumbent Republican Mark Butler isn't seeking reelection and the GOP has nominated state Sen. Bruce Thompson of White.

Both Boddie and Horn agreed that the department needs more money to hire more employees so that jobless benefit applicants can get responses to questions. Boddie said his legislative experience will help him persuade lawmakers to give the department more money. Horn said her business experience would enable her to be an effective manager.

Both criticize Republicans for pulling Georgia out of the federal program that extended unemployment benefits months before the federal program expired.

Abrams endorsed Boddie.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER

Insurance salesman Raphael Baker and 2018 Democratic nominee Janice Laws Robinson seek the Democratic nomination for insurance commissioner. The winner will face incumbent Republican John King in November.

Laws Robinson has said she would target Georgia's high auto insurance costs by changing state law to make it easier for the commissioner to block rate increases before they take effect. She said she would also crack down on insurers taking advantage of policy buyers through unfair underwriting practices.

Baker, a Democratic activist, also said he wants to lower auto insurance rates. He said Black consumers, in particular, pay too much, and he wants to make insurance practices more equitable. Baker also said he would focus on education about insurance and safe driving practices.

CONGRESS REPUBLICANS

Republicans are settling three congressional nominations. In the 10th Congressional District, east of Atlanta, trucking company owner Mike Collins and former Democrat Vernon Jones are vying in a bitter runoff. Trump backs Jones, but Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, fresh off a primary triumph over Trump-backed David Perdue, has joined other GOP officeholders in backing Collins.

In the 6th District in Atlantas northern suburbs, emergency room physician Rich McCormick is trying to hold off Trump-backed lawyer Jake Evans, each accusing the other of being insufficiently conservative.

The 6th and the 10th are both heavily Republican districts.

In southwest Georgia's 2nd District, Republicans have high hopes of knocking off 30-year Democratic incumbent Sanford Bishop. The GOP is choosing between former Army officer Jeremy Hunt and real estate developer Chris West in that race.

CONGRESS DEMOCRATS

In coastal Georgia's 1st District, Joyce Marie Griggs is relying on a grassroots approach to persuade Democrats to choose her again to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter. Griggs, a disbarred lawyer, lost to Carter in 2020. Lawyer Wade Herring has outspent Griggs, telling Democrats he would have a better chance of winning the seat

In the 10th District, Tabitha Johnson-Green is trying to become the Democratic nominee for the third cycle in a row, having lost to departing incumbent Jody Hice in 2018 and 2020. Athens real estate agent and musician Jessica Fore is trying to overtake Johnson-Green.

STATE LEGISLATIVE SEATS

One state Senate and 10 state House seats will see party nominations settled.

Banker Mike Hodges and former state House member Jeff Jones will contend for the Republican nomination in Senate District 3 on the Georgia coast, covering all of Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn and McIntosh counties and part of Ware County.

Among six Republican and four Democratic state House contests are two incumbents who didn't win majorities on May 24 and must win runoffs Tuesday to keep their chances of reelection alive. Republican incumbent Sheri Gilligan, a sometime critic of House Speaker David Ralston, is opposed by Carter Barrett in House District 24 in southwestern Forsyth County. Democratic incumbent Roger Bruce is vying with Rashaun Kemp in House District 61 in southern Fulton and northeastern Douglas counties.

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

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Iowa deer hunters will be allowed to use semi-automatic weapons including AR-15 rifles to kill deer in more parts of the state during a newly created antlerless season in January under a bill signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Iowa lawmakers passed the bill in May and it was signed by Reynolds on Friday. Advocates say the new law will help control the deer population and respond to complaints that excess deer eat corn and are hazardous to motorists. Iowa has had January deer hunting seasons in the past but they were limited to a few counties where the deer population was more of a problem. The bill is expected to expand the January hunt counties from five to as many as 15, depending on rules from the Department of Natural Resources.
DES MOINES -- Lowering prescription drug prices and protecting rural pharmacies are the main goals of a new state law that adds regulations of companies that serve as a sort of middleman between pharmacies and insurance companies.

The new provisions were unanimously approved by state lawmakers this session and signed into law last week by Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Pharmacy benefits managers  or PBMs  are third-party companies that administer drug plans on behalf of health insurance providers. The industry says that saves consumers money by negotiating with drugmakers, but critics say consolidation in the PBM industry has actually led to higher prescription drug prices and threatened the existence of rural pharmacies.

The new state law requires PBMs to update weekly their list of reimbursement rates to pharmacies; allows pharmacies to disclose or sell lower-cost prescriptions to covered individuals; and creates a framework for the state insurance commissioner to gather data on PBMs activity in the state.

Drug prices are out of control and Iowans feel it every day. The PBM industry has a large part to do with the increased prices, said Iowa Rep. Brian Best, a Republican from Glidden who managed the legislative proposal in the Iowa House. Their practices also continue to put independent pharmacies out of business, harming Iowans access to care.

With nearly nine in 10 Americans living within 5 miles of a community pharmacy, the local pharmacist is oftentimes the health professional Iowans see most often, especially in rural Iowa. In addition, with the primary care provider shortage looming, we need to ensure Iowans continue to have access. If we dont reform PBMs, pharmacies will continue to go out of business.

Iowa lawmakers have been working on PBM-related legislation for 15 years. But a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for states to regulate PBMs. Dozens of states have enacted new regulations since that ruling.

Iowa Rep. John Forbes, a Democrat from Urbandale and pharmacist, said dozens of community pharmacies in Iowa have closed over the past decade. He said that is creating pockets of the state where it is difficult for residents to access medication.

Forbes said low reimbursement rates for prescription drugs is one of the main causes, and that the new state law is an attempt to create a more level playing field between pharmacies and PBMs.

The goal being to make sure pharmacy services were readily available to all areas in the state of Iowa, Forbes said.

Best said the consolidation of the PBM industry has reduced competition.

Three companies control 80 percent of the PBM market, according to research from Health Industries Research, a nonpartisan health care market research organization. According to the research, CVS/Caremark owns 34 percent of the PBM market, Express Scripts 25 percent and OptumRx 21 percent. The next most prominent company is Humana, which has 8 percent of the market share, according to the research.

Their power is such that the typical way you are able to negotiate with a business contract is not possible  its a system where you as the employer accept their terms or they leave you and instead only include their pharmacy as part of the network, Best said. There is no longer a free market in this space. Reform is needed to restore a competitive marketplace that will benefit the consumer.

CVS Health opposed the new law. In a statement, a company spokesman warned the new law could produce higher costs at the pharmacy counter and said lawmakers should instead focus their work on drug prices set by drug companies.

During the legislative process, the Iowa House approved a package that went even further, but it was scaled back in the Iowa Senate. Still, House File 2384 was approved unanimously in both chambers, and Reynolds signed it into law June 13.

Shortly after lawmakers concluded their work for the session in May, Jack Whitver, the Republican Senate majority leader from Ankeny, described how challenging it was to produce the legislation.

The House passed that bill probably 60 plus days ago, Whitver said at the time, and in that time Ive had probably at least 60 meetings on that bill. Its a very complicated issue. You have the pharmacist on one hand, you have (pharmaceutical companies) on another, you have the PBMs, you have insurance companies, you have employers. So to try to find a balance to do what were trying to do, which is control drug prices, is very difficult. And to try to get all those people on the same page is almost impossible.

Lawmakers said they hope the legislation is just a first step, and that they can revisit the issue in future sessions after the state insurance commissioner collects more data.

Hopefully what the bill does is in the short term is give some ability of the local pharmacies to stay strong by preventing some of the clawbacks and some of the practices that the PBMs are doing, but also allow the insurance commissioner to start collecting data that we need to actually make the right decision and the informed decision down the road, Whitver said.

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Q: Did weather forecasting play a role in D-Day?

A: Last week was the 78th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Europe that began with the landings on the beaches at Normandy. The combined land, air and sea assault of June 6, 1944, remains the largest such event in history.

The success of the invasion was extraordinarily dependent on weather conditions. More than three months before the invasion, a combined British and American forecasting team began rigorous forecast exercises designed to iron out the physical and logistical kinks of such a coordinated effort.

As June drew near, the nature of this collaboration was still problematic as the two groups employed vastly different methods in fashioning the requisite three- to five-day forecasts. The British were attempting to make such forecasts based upon the understanding of atmospheric dynamics that had grown substantially during the war. The Americans were employing a method based on a statistically based search through old weather data for historical analogues that could be used to guide the forecast.

To maintain secrecy, a large portion of the Allied fleet was squirreled far away in northern Scotland. Consequently, five days of lead time were required to mobilize these forces. Thus, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower needed to know by May 31 whether the first week of June, the prospective target for the invasion, would provide favorable weather.

The forecasters foresaw a break in that years unusually stormy late spring and suggested June 5 would work. As the day approached, the team realized that a one-day postponement would offer better conditions, prompting Eisenhower to make the fateful decision to invade on June 6, under barely acceptable conditions.

Had the Allies delayed, the combination of lunar cycle, tides and weather almost certainly would have postponed the invasion for more than a month, likely costing the effort the tremendous advantage of secrecy.

"Weather Guys" Steve Ackerman and Jonathan Martin are professors in the University of Wisconsin-Madison department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences.

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Dear Prudence is Slates advice column. Submit questions here. (Its anonymous!)

Dear Prudence,

Im engaged to a lovely, kind, sensitive woman, Adele, who happens to be related to a notorious but long-dead criminal. All her life Adele has been teased about her last name, and sometimes even ostracized when people find out shes actually related, even though she and her family naturally condemn this man and his actions. Weve had to postpone our wedding more than two years because of COVID, so finally making it happen is a huge deal.

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At the barbecue where we first introduced our extended families, my 15-year-old cousin Kim held up a picture of the criminal on her phone and made a terrible joke, despite my whole family having been warned not to mention him. In response Adele threw a small rock at her, unintentionally hitting her in the face and injuring one of her eyes. In Adeles defense she did not realize Kim was just 15, and assumed (reasonably, due to her clothing and appearance) that she was at least several years older. Kims parents raised holy hell, and Adele has been charged with aggravated battery plus aggravated child abuse, which given her personal trauma has been hugely upsetting for her.

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The District Attorney, who knows my family, has agreed to drop the charges if Kim refuses to testify. My uncle Robmy moms sisters husband and Kims fathertold us she would do so if Adele apologizes to her and we agree to pay for 100 percent of her medical and cosmetic treatment, which is still uncertain and may run to tens of thousands of dollars. Rob has a good job, and Im sure excellent family health insurance. Kim is also lamenting that her injury may prevent her from becoming a pilot, which shed expressed only casual interest in before. Worse, my entire family has rallied around Kimso in support of Adele and the vows weve already taken in spirit, Ive disinvited them all from our wedding.

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In retaliation, Rob is now saying Kim will refuse to testify only if, in addition to their previous demands, I re-invite my side of the family (he, his wife, and Kim will stay away). I might be more inclined to cooperate if Kim was equally remorsefulbut neither she nor her parents have apologized in the slightest, maintaining it was just a stupid joke and even insinuating Adele is violent due to her blood.

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Im now torn because Adele is pushing hard to just apologize, pay the bills, and re-invite my family. Partly because she is mortified by her loss of temper and the blowup its become, and wants to try to repair relations with them; partly because she wants a nice, normal wedding with both sides present; but mainly because she is terrified of the slightest possibility of having to spend even a day in prison if Kim testifies against her. Should I go along with this, even though it would (A) cost us a lot of money, and (B) feel like giving my family carte blanche to abuse herand, by extension, disrespect methus failing her at the very start of our marriage? Or should we stand firm, have our wedding without them, and trust that with a good defense attorney, no sane judge will sentence her to prison for reacting to such cruelty as she did?

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 Torn Apart

Dear Torn Apart,

You have to go with Adele here. Im thinking mostly about the amount of stress this situation is putting on her already. Shes nervous about going to jail, shes feeling pressure from your family, and she just wants a nice, normal wedding. Prolonging this by drawing a line in the sand with your family is only going to wear on her. Look, theres plenty of blame to go around here, and at some point, you do need to talk to your family in a serious manner about their treatment of Adele. However, the fact remains she hit a 15-year-old with a rock. Im not judging. Im simply stating facts. Its hard to come back from. Mend the fences you can; give Adele the day shes asking for; and then see about reframing your relationship with your family. I suspect that they will continue to make cruel jokes about her and you will probably need to set a hard boundary in the future. But this situation is so complicated, youre best served by squelching the conflict before it gets worse.

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Dear Prudence,

My husband and I are in our 40s and about a year ago, a house down the block sold, and Ellie and Oliver moved in. They are a lovely couple in their late 30s, and we have become friends, as much as we can considering COVID is still around.

Heres the problem. Traveling is a big love of ours, and we have slowly been taking small trips to get away and are planning a big trip to Hawaii at the end of next year. When Ellie and Oliver found out about these trips they were very excited, asking a ton of questions and being really engaged. However, when they learned of our trip to Hawaii, they instantly said that we should all go together, because Ellie has family there and they would give us the best information on what to see and do.

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While this is lovely in theory, I am extremely hesitant. I know from experience that traveling with someone can make or break a relationship. They seem to be the kind of people who are very loose with their plans, as in, if they stay all day in a hotel room ordering room service that is fine by them. Me on the other hand, I plan trips very carefully in order to get the maximum out of them, because generally I assume it will be the only time I will ever be there, and I dont want to waste a single minute!

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I dont want to seem rude, and I also do not want to lose this friendship, as I know how hard it is to make friends as adults. But I really dont want to test the waters and find out we are all incompatible and everyone is mad at each other during the trip. What do I do?

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 Help With Traveling Companions

Dear Help With Traveling Companions,

Hawaii is quite the destination for a couples trip with people youve only known for about a year. Im nervous for you. I think its totally acceptable to tell Ellie and Oliver that Hawaii seems like a big lift for a first outing. You can even point out that this will be your first big trip with your husband after years of not being able to get away and youd like it to be special. Between you and me, Ellies offer to be a local tour guide is very kind and might help you avoid some of the predatory tourism that most Hawaiians have been decrying for a while. But letting someone else have input on your vacation itinerary seems like a recipe for trouble. Instead of this big voyage, suggest that you all take a smaller trip together, if you want. Maybe a weekend, someplace you can get back by car. Travel friends are wonderful to have, but you certainly dont want to go rushing into a new relationship of that sort without proper planning.

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Get Dear Prudence in Your Inbox We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time.

Dear Prudence,

A small group of my friends communicates a lot through a video messaging app. On this app, you leave video messages for each other and the other participants can either watch it live or watch later and pause/rewind/fast forward. Its kind of like asynchronous FaceTime.

The app is great, especially for friends who live in different time zones. It was an especially wonderful place for connection and support during the pandemic. Most of us on this group chat will record maybe 10-to-20 minutes of video once every few days. Anna, on the other hand, creates hours of videos every day that include the mundane minutiae of her life. She has no self-awareness regarding what is actually interesting or worth sharing, it just all comes out in a stream of consciousness. She has said things like I basically treat this as my journal or Im just verbally processing my day. Further, she often barely responds to or completely ignores things the rest of us have said. The other people in the chat put effort into making really empathetic, thoughtful comments and bringing up interesting topics for all of us to discuss. Of course, we sometimes vent or just want to share a funny story from our daybut no one else comes remotely close to the amount of just pointless content Anna creates.

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Its emotionally exhausting to basically take on someone elses daily lived experience, not to mention boring. So I find myself engaging less and less with the group and unfortunately that means I miss out on other peoples updates that Im actually interested in! I could just fast-forward through or skip Annas videos entirely, but it would become obvious that Im never responding to anything she says. Also, my other friends do respond to Annas videos out of politenessmeaning her verbal diarrhea seeps into all of the other videos as well.

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This group chat is one of my only points of connection with a couple of my long-distance friends. I dont use any other kind of social media and arranging phone calls across time zones can be toughthat was the beauty of the app! If I dont want to lose the good parts of this space, I know I need to address the problem. Before this, I considered Anna to be one of my close friends, but Im starting to feel very resentful and angry toward her. Shes a good person and I dont want to be unkind. Do you have any advice on how to approach Anna with compassion while still being as clear as possible? I havent approached any of my other friends about this because I really dont like to talk about people behind their backs, but should I gauge their feelings about it first? (Note: I will be sure to leave the phrase verbal diarrhea out of it.)

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 Fast-Forwarding Friend

Dear Fast-Forwarding Friend,

You say that Anna will notice if youre not engaging with her diaristic videos, but you also write that she completely ignores what the group has to say. So, I wonder if shes really going to realize that youre ignoring her. In fact, I bet you could mute her on the platform entirely and get away with it. When it comes to social media etiquette, this sort of avoidance is often the best bet for steering clear of conflict. Anna is using the platform the way she wants to use it and while there may be implied understandings about your group video chat, there arent set rules. So, when you approach her, shes likely to reject what you have to say. I fear that theres not really a way to talk to her about this without bruised feelings; however, you may want to try telling her that youre overwhelmed by the amount of content shes putting out and confess that you dont have time to watch it all. Ask her if her intention is for the group to have a conversation or if she wants everyone to just absorb her videos. Basically you really expect me to watch all of this? but nicely. Having a conversation with her about what shes trying to get out of the relationship you have will open the door to you talking about what youre trying to get out of it. And that will provide an opportunity for you to gently let her know that shes obstructing your goal.

Catch up on this weeks Prudie.

More Advice From Pay Dirt

I have been married to my husband for 22 years, and in that time he has had 14 jobs. Ive worked full time consistently since weve been married, except for two years that I spent raising our son. Because of his constant job-hopping, and times between jobs that lasted more than a few months, we have no retirement plan and no savings. We live paycheck to paycheck. Im 59 and looking for a second job.
Just how deeply involved was Ginni Thomas in plotting to overthrow the results of the 2020 election? The Jan. 6 committee may be poking around to try and find out. After Trumps loss, Thomaswife of Justice Clarence Thomastexted extensively with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows about overturning the outcome and pushed Arizona lawmakers to do the same with their states vote. This week, the Washington Post reported that the panel is examining emails between Thomas and the lawyer John Eastman, who was Trumps apparent point man on all things coup-related (and who will now forever be associated with the words I believe I should be on the pardon list, if that is still in the works). After the Post story broke, Eastman posted his email correspondence with Thomas on his Substack in a post titled: OMG, Mrs. Thomas asked me to give an update about election litigation to her group. Stop the Presses! It mostly just seemed to confirm that, yes, the two were in contact. The committee is now planning to interview Thomas, who says she is looking forward to clearing up any misconceptions. Heres the key context for all this: At one point, Eastman told another Trump ally in an email that there was a heated fight underway at the Supreme Court over the election. Its not clear where he got that idea. Was he fed this information by his friend Ginni? And what would that tell us, exactly, about Clarence Thomas activities at the court? Inquiring minds would like to know what the queen of Boomer texters, and her wildly powerful husband, were up to.
Chinese president addresses 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

Xinhua) 09:16, June 18, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends and addresses the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in virtual format upon invitation, June 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday attended and addressed the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in virtual format upon invitation.

Xi pointed out that the world is faced with major changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, economic globalization is facing headwinds, and there are unprecedented challenges to the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At a time when the international community is so keen about achieving more equitable, sustainable and secure development, we should seize opportunities, meet challenges head-on, and work on the implementation of the Global Development Initiative to build a shared future of peace and prosperity.

Xi said that, first, we need to foster an enabling environment for development. It is important that we follow true multilateralism, respect and support all countries' pursuit of development paths suited to their national conditions, build an open world economy, and increase the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries in global economic governance, with a view to making global development more balanced, coordinated and inclusive.

Second, we need to strengthen development partnerships. It is important that we enhance North-South and South-South cooperation, pool cooperation resources, platforms and networks of development partnerships, and scale up development assistance, in order to forge greater synergy for development and close the development gap.

Third, we need to advance economic globalization. It is important that we strengthen "soft connectivity" of development policies and international rules and standards, reject attempts at decoupling, supply disruption, unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure, remove trade barriers, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, tackle the worsening food and energy crises, and revive the world economy.

Fourth, we need to pursue innovation-driven development. It is important that we unlock the potential of innovation-driven growth, improve the rules and institutional environment for innovation, break down barriers to the flow of innovation factors, deepen exchanges and cooperation on innovation, facilitate deeper integration of science and technology into the economy, and make sure the fruits of innovation are shared by all.

Xi pointed out that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy - its strong resilience, enormous potential and long-term sustainability - remain unchanged. "We have full confidence in China's economic development. China will continue to promote high-quality development, expand high-standard opening-up with firm resolve, and pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation," he said.

China stands ready to work with Russia and all other countries to explore development prospects, share growth opportunities, and make new contributions to deepening global development cooperation and building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi added.

The plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was held in an online plus offline format in St. Petersburg, Russia on June 17. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart K. Tokayev, among others, attended the event.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends and addresses the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in virtual format upon invitation, June 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Qiang)

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 6 months could arrive in Virginia by Tuesday.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for infants and babies on Friday, clearing one of the final regulatory hurdles. Once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Virginia Department of Health sign off, the vaccines will be widely available.

Their approval is expected in the next few days.

In Virginia, parents can request the vaccine from pediatricians, pharmacies and local health districts.

The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts anticipate offering the vaccines as early as Wednesday. Pharmacies and pediatricians could have them a day sooner if they are approved in time.

Families in Richmond and Henrico can receive vaccines delivered to their home upon request. In other localities, families with limited mobility can request home delivery.

Recipients of Pfizer will get two 3-microgram doses three weeks apart and a third dose eight weeks after the second. It is available for children 6 months to 4 years old. Its efficacy was 76% for children 6 months to 2 years and 82% for children 2-4 years old. The third shot is essential to getting strong immunity, Pfizer said.

Side effects include pain near the injection point, irritability and drowsiness.

Recipients of Moderna get two 25-microgram doses four weeks apart. It's available for children 6 months to 5 years old and is 37% effective for children 2 to 5 and 51% effective for babies 6 months to 2 years.

The shot caused fevers above 100.4 degrees in about one in every six children under 2 years old. Among older children, the rate was slightly lower. Other side effects include pain near the injection, sleepiness and loss of appetite.

While the efficacy rates aren't as high as when the vaccines were first released last year, the effectiveness was "generally consistent" with the rates seen in studies of adults during the more transmissible omicron variant, the FDA said.

Health officials expect a degree of hesitancy from parents. Just 20% of parents said they would vaccinate their kids immediately, according to a poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation. About 40% will wait and see, 11% will do so only if required and 27% will "definitely not" get their child vaccinated.

In Virginia, the vaccination rate for kids is lower than adults. Only 44% of kids ages 5-11 are vaccinated, compared with 84% of adults.

Currently, kids 5 and older are eligible for Pfizer. Adults 18 and over are eligible for Moderna.

Sufficient supply shouldn't be a problem, said Amy Popovich, nurse manager for the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts.

In Richmond, there are 13,000 kids ages 4 and younger. In Henrico, there are 20,000. If 20% of parents request a vaccine, there will be enough to get kids shots in two weeks.

Kids are less likely to develop severe symptoms of COVID-19, but they aren't immune. Twenty-five children and adolescents 19 years old or younger have died of COVID-19 in Virginia since the pandemic's onset.

After infection, children can suffer organ failure known as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, which has resulted in 177 cases and one death in Virginia.

COVID-19 has killed more children than the flu, said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

Everyone 5 and older is eligible for a booster months after their initial series. Adults 50 and over are eligible for second boosters.

Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover remain in "high transmission," according to the CDC, where they've been for about a month.
Mark Feldstein had just started Walker Junior High in 1968 when his father, a new math professor at UVa, came home one day from the barbershop. Mark looked at his fathers hair and noticed something wasnt quite right.

My dads hair looked weird. Half of it was cut, half of it wasnt, said Feldstein.

He asked his father, Alan, what happened to his hair.

Mark Feldstein remembers that his father told him that he had been sitting in a barbers chair getting a haircut. A barber complained to the barber cutting Alan Feldsteins hair that a Black man had come by earlier in the day asking for a haircut. Barbershops in the city were segregated at that time.

My dad asked, So if a Black man wanted a haircut, you wouldnt cut his hair? The barber replied, No, I cant cut that kinky stuff, Mark Feldstein remembered his father recounting the conversation.

And my dad stood up, took the apron he was wearing off, threw it down on the floor and stormed out. He wasnt going to be a part of that kind of treatment, Mark Feldstein said in a recent interview.

The elder Feldsteins commitment to integration of the citys barbershops led to more than just the misshapen haircut, Feldstein and his family long believed. The professors contract was not renewed in 1970. For years afterward, Feldstein referred to Charlottesville as Bigotsville, his son said.

The family sees the decision to not renew Feldsteins contract as retaliation for speaking out against racial discrimination. The pain lingered in Feldstein for years, until his death in January at age 88, his son said. Alan Feldstein died Jan. 29, 2022 from complications from Alzheimers disease. And now that Feldsteins life is over, the family wants to make sure that his story is not lost to history.

I mean, this was barely talked about at the time. There was no news article about how my dad was driven out of town. Today, if something like that happened, it would be illegal. You would sue, Mark Feldstein said in a recent interview.

Mark Feldstein reached out to The Daily Progress after his fathers death to share the story of the role his father playedand the price his family thinks he paidto help integrate Charlottesvilles barbershops in 1968. He also wants to make sure that the story doesnt die with his father.

That story was laid bare in Daily Progress and Cavalier Daily archives, letters and Feldsteins personal notes, which were reviewed by Progress staff.

Making statements Alan Feldstein was born in Pittsburgh in 1933. His family said he was an independent thinker with a love of scholarship, graduating from Arizona State University prior to serving in the Army for two years, including in Salzburg, Austria.

He was something of a character, Mark Feldstein said. When he saw an opportunity to take a stand, he grabbed it.

That even included plans for his wedding.

Feldstein married Felice Jacobs in 1955 in the German town of Berchtesgaden, at Eagles Nest, the name Allied Forces gave to Adolf Hitlers mountain retreat for visiting diplomats.

According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, which covered the wedding, it was the first Orthodox Jewish wedding known to be held there. It took place only a decade after the end of World War II.

A traditional chuppah, a canopy used in Jewish weddings, was erected for the wedding in Nazi field marshal Hermann Gorings former hunting lodge.

According to his family, Feldstein worked on classified projects at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico in the late 1950s. He later worked as a research consultant on classified projects for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.

Feldstein earned a doctorate in mathematics from UCLA in 1964. He taught there and at Brown University. In 1968, the University of Virginia came calling.

A move with mixed feelingsFelice had reservations. She said in a recent interview she was hesitant about the move because of segregation in the South. In Virginia, from 1926 to 1967 segregation of businesses and social events was codified in state law. It was a misdemeanor for a business to serve both Black and white people. When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954 that struck down segregation in public schools, Virginia was one of the Southern states that defiantly fought the ruling, with its Massive Resistance efforts to keep Black school children of out white schools

With the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, such discrimination was illegal. But change came slowly, with Southern states defying the federal law and finding ways to flout it.

In 1968, Charlottesvilles public schools integrated. Triggered by student protests at the citys Lane High School, the city created a race relations committee in September 1968.

Alan Feldstein thought the position of associate professor at the University of Virginia was appealing. To allay Felices concerns about racism, he showed her a letter published in The Daily Progress that was signed by hundreds of local residents in support of racial integration and the Civil Rights movement.

That appeased me. I was happy. There are always pockets of liberalism in places and especially in college towns, Felice Feldstein said in a recent interview.

Feldstein took the job, and the family moved in the summer of 1968.

Segregation up closeMark Feldstein remembers his father telling him that the barber cutting his hair that September day in 1968 told Feldstein that many members of UVas faculty, including Dean Lawrence R. Quarles, were customers of his.

Alan Feldstein told Mark that he was so horrified that he approached Quarles, hoping for support in doing something about the discrimination against Black customers. But according to Feldsteins personal notes from the time, Quarles was apathetic about segregation. Feldstein wrote in notes that Quarles said: Thats the trouble with you outsiders coming here and telling us what to do.

A colleague at the time remembers friction between the two.

Quarles was a man of the 1950s and was rooted in the beliefs of that time. He and Alan werent each others favorite people. Alan was a liberal, Jewish man, and that rubbed Quarles the wrong way. I have a vague recollection that he called Alan a troublemaker, Feldsteins former colleague Bob Stepleman told The Daily Progress in May. Stepleman was a mathematics professor at UVa at the same time as Feldstein.

Feldstein persisted. He called around and found that there were no integrated barbershops or hair salons in Charlottesville. Feldstein contacted The Daily Progress and The Cavalier Daily, asking them to write about this. He also surveyed his classes and found the majority of his students believed the barbershops should be integrated. He submitted a letter to the editor of The Cavalier Daily presenting his findings.

This triggered an onslaught of letters to the editor by UVa students and faculty and published in the Cavalier Daily and The Daily Progress. Students and faculty at UVa, including Feldstein, pressured the businesses to integrate. They also boycotted the barbershops.

That October, UVa professor Frank M. Shepard recounted a similar experience to Feldsteins where he witnessed a barber at the UVa Corner refuse to cut the hair of a 10-year-old Black boy. Shephard wrote about this in a letter to the editor, which prompted the Cavalier Daily editorial board to encourage a boycott.

... what bitter irony it is that [this incident] occurred at the institution so cherished by the author [Thomas Jefferson] of those fundamental words ... and all men are created equal  the editorial board wrote.

UVa Student Council member Charles Murdock led an investigation into which local barbershops refused to serve Black patrons, according to an article published in the Oct. 16, 1968 edition of The Daily Progress.

Following Murdocks findings, the UVa Student Council voted to endorse a boycott of all segregated barbershops in Charlottesville.

If the council decisions are to be truly effective in breaking the structures of racism in this town, the student body has got to be willing actively to participate and activate its potential power, wrote UVa student Ralph Pitman Jr.

Feldstein and several colleagues in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science wrote a letter to UVas president, Edgar Shannon, voicing support for the student boycott.

The letter led Quarles and other university officials to reprimand Feldstein because he wrote the letter on official university department letterhead.

His son said he believes the reprimand was about finding an infraction to hold against Feldstein.

They werent concerned about the racism. They were concerned about trying to find some minor infraction, Mark Feldstein said.

While the Cavalier Daily reported resistance to the boycott from barbershops, the students persistence paid off. The boycott proved successful, and several Charlottesville barbershops integrated that fall.

I was very proud of him, Felice Feldstein recalled.

The worst cut of allOthers did not share her feelings.

Feldstein and Quarles were frequently at odds. When Quarles wanted to host a department dinner at his country club, Feldstein discovered that the club was segregated and that a Black professor in the department could not attend.

The following year, Feldstein was informed his contract wasnt being renewed.

It was Robert H. Owens, the chair of UVas math department, who informed my dad that he was out of a job.  Not renewing the contract was a euphemism: he was fired. No reason was given because it was perfectly obvious to everyone what happened: my dad was a troublemaker in the eyes of Dean Quarles, Mark Feldstein said.

Getting out of townFeldstein didnt have tenure, but his family said he didnt see a professional reason why his contract wasnt being renewed. He asked to remain a few months past the end of his contract because Felice was pregnant. His request was denied.

Feldsteins youngest daughter Sarah was born at Martha Jefferson Hospital on June 8, 1970.

[My mother] and my dad had to start packing up and arranging movers while she was 9 months pregnant, and then they had to move that summer across the country with a newborn baby, Mark Feldstein said.

At the time, Mark was 13, his sister Rachel was 11, and his sister Suzie was 3.

He was a prolific scholar. It wasnt because of that, and everybody knew the reason why. It didnt even need to be stated, Mark Feldstein said. It was quite a hardship on the family, and all of us suffered because of the retaliation against my father. They should have been thanking him and rewarding him for his commitment to social justice and instead, they were driving him out of town.

Alan Feldstein had talked to colleagues who heard Quarles say he would never promote Feldstein or renew his contract because of the boycott. He also kept notes of statements made to him by Quarles, including an instance where he had been called a troublemaker.

Quarles stated opinion that Feldstein is a troublemaker, that is, Feldstein presents a dissenting opinion. I have been denied equal opportunity, Feldstein wrote.

A spokesman for the University of Virginia cannot confirm the details.

Given the passage of time, we are unable to confirm the specific details of this individual case, With that being said, the University has devoted considerable resources and attention to understanding the role the institution played in our countrys history of racial segregation, as well as the many positive changes that have taken place here as time has passed, The University of Virginia strives to be a supportive community where all our students, faculty, staff, and alumni can thrive, Brian Coy wrote in a statement to The Daily Progress.

Felice Feldstein said the family witnessed other instances of racism in Charlottesville that upset them, including conversations where neighbors voiced concern that Black families would move into the neighborhood.

It became clear this was not the place for us, she said.

The family left the Charlottesville area as soon as Sarah was born. Feldstein took a job at Arizona State University, where he stayed for the rest of his life.

Dad harbored a kind of hatred for Charlottesville after that. He called it Bigotsville, Mark Feldstein said.

Quarles died in 1987. UVa has a professorship in the schools chemical engineering department named in his honor.

While the Feldstein family wasnt in Charlottesville for very long, what happened at UVa had a huge impact on Mark Feldstein, who was inspired by his father to get racist textbooks removed from Walker Junior High School, currently Walker Middle School, while he was attending there.

The events led to his decision to become an investigative TV reporter for CNN, ABC News and various local television stations. He is now the Richard Eaton Chair of Broadcast Journalism at the University of Marylands Phillip Merrill College of Journalism.

Felice Feldstein said she looks back at the familys stay in Charlottesville as a dark time.

Yes, I would like an apology, but its a little late for that. Alan is gone. Hes the one who needed the apology, she said.

Mark Feldstein said he doesnt want his fathers activism to be forgotten.

There were real lives affected by this, lost to history, until now, he said.
Virginia Democratic U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine on Thursday applauded Senate passage of the bipartisan Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022.

The legislation will expand health care and resources for toxic-exposed veterans under the Dept. of Veterans Affairs and authorize a new community-based outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads, according to a release from the senators.

Our nations veterans have sacrificed so much while serving in the Armed Forces, and we owe it to them to ensure they have access to the benefits theyve earned, said Kaine and Warner. Were glad the Senate passed this bipartisan legislation to expand health care for millions of veterans across generations of service, who were exposed to toxins and burn pits. Were also thrilled this bill will authorize and provide funding for another outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads, helping reduce wait times and increase access to timely care for the regions growing military community.

The bill is named in honor of Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson, who died in 2020 from toxic exposure as a result of his military service in Kosovo and Iraq with the Ohio National Guard.

The PACT Act will:

Expand VA health care to more than 3.5 million toxic-exposed post-9/11 combat veterans;

Create a framework for the establishment of future presumptions of service connection related to toxic exposure;

Add 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to VAs list of service presumptions, including hypertension;

Expand presumptions related to Agent Orange exposure and include Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Atoll as locations for Agent Orange exposure;

Strengthen federal research on toxic exposure;

Improve VAs resources and training for toxic-exposed veterans; and

Set VA and veterans up for success by investing in VA claims processing, VAs workforce, and VA health care facilities.

Authorize 31 major medical facility leases and allocates $5.5 billion to fund those facilities  including a new outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads.

The bill heads to the House of Representatives for a vote. The House already passed similar legislation led by Representative Mark Takano in March 2022, according to the release.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea reported a new epidemic" of an intestinal disease on Thursday, an unusual announcement from the secretive country that is already contending with a COVID-19 outbreak and severe economic turmoil.

Its unclear how many people are infected in what the official Korean Central News Agency said was an acute enteric epidemic in southwestern Haeju city.

The agency didnt name the disease, but enteric refers to intestinal illnesses, such as typhoid, dysentery and cholera, which are caused by germs in contaminated food or water or contact with the feces of infected people. Such diseases routinely occur in North Korea, where there is a shortage of water treatment facilities and the public health system has been largely broken for decades.

Some observers said the purpose of the announcement was not so much to report the infections themselves as to mention that leader Kim Jong Un donated medicine from his personal stock  an apparent effort to burnish his image at a moment of extreme hardship.

The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim donated medicine from what it referred to as his familys reserves. The country's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper carried a front-page photo showing Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, looking at saline solutions and medicine that the paper said they donated.

In a country where power is concentrated is the hands of a small ruling elite and hospitals often lack even basic supplies, defectors say it's common for anyone who can to keep stocks of medicine in their homes  and senior officials are typically able to stockpile more than ordinary citizens. Observers also said the donated medicine may have simply come from state storage facilities but was distributed in Kim's name.

The outbreak of measles or typhoid isnt uncommon in North Korea. I think its true there is an outbreak of an infectious disease there, but North Korea is using it as an opportunity to emphasize that Kim is caring for his people, said Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea. So its more like a political message than medical one.

Last month, North Korea reported a rising number of patients with fever. At the time, South Koreas spy agency said that a considerable number of the cases included those sick with measles, typhoid and whooping cough.

KCNA said Thursday more than 4.5 million out of the countrys 26 million people have fallen ill due to an unidentified fever and 73 died. The country, which apparently lacks coronavirus test kits, has identified only a fraction of those as confirmed COVID-19 cases. Many foreign experts question the Norths death toll, saying thats likely underreported to protect Kim from any political damage.

North Korea recently claimed progress in slowing the spread of COVID-19 across the unvaccinated population, though a top World Health Organization official said this month the agency believes the outbreak is worsening.

During a ruling party conference last week, Kim claimed the pandemic situation has passed the stage of serious crisis." But the country still maintains elevated restrictions. Some outside experts have said the measures will further strain the countrys already troubled economy hit by long-running pandemic-related border shutdowns and U.N. sanctions.

Late Thursday, South Koreas Unification Ministry renewed its offer of help on health issues. After the North first announced the COVID-19 outbreak, South Korea and the United States offered to ship vaccines and other medical supplies, but the North hasn't responded.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The Panhandle Humane Society (PHS) has opened up its newest feature: a patio for cats, affectionately referred to as a catio.

The catios official groundbreaking ceremony took place on Monday, June 13. Amy Bartholomew, executive director, said the catio was a project six years in the making.

(Former director) Cathy McDaniel had the vision to get a place where the cats could be outside ... and get to listen to the birds and experience the outside without being loose, she told the Star-Herald.

McDaniel raised donations from Fuel Services, the Scottsbluff High School Class of 1954, Bill James and Sanna Loukonen. She organized a fundraiser with Sam & Louies Italian restaurant. Bartholomew continued the project after McDaniel left PHS.

Other individuals and companies donated items and time to finish the catio. W.R Whitney Excavating poured the concrete. Ken Bastron installed a window the cats can access the outdoors from. Robert Hatfield installed steps so cats can climb up and down from the window.

Clint Verbeck volunteered to pick up supplies, taking just two weeks to finish construction. Rachel Jenkins donated a Kuranda cat tower for cats to play on. Mike Pelster of Mikes Husker Stuff supplied plaques for the catio.

The catio was dedicated to Maxine Fox, who served as the PHS director for 19 years.

The window and steps allow any cat outside of their kennels to head outside if they choose to do so.

Cats waiting for adoption can explore or relax in a different environment on the catio. Listening to nature will keep their fear, anxiety and stress low, shelter staff say.

Bartholomew said they have water, toys, a litter box, and decorations like pinwheels to keep them content. She said she planted catnip in the catio as well.

Bartholomew said the catio can hold about five cats at once, and more will fit once additional elevated platforms are installed.

We might have to do some encouraging to get them out there. So far weve only had one cat going out there on his own.

The sounds of traffic might make the cats wary at first, she said, but theyll get more used to an outside environment if they so choose. The catio will be a long-term staple at the humane society.

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School meals provide essential nutrition for students to power their brains as they learn throughout the school day. However, the cost families pay for those meals will change for the upcoming school year.

Scottsbluff Public Schools board of education voted to increase meal prices for the first time since the summer before the 2019-2020 school year. The board took action at the June 13 regular board meeting to increase breakfast and lunch meal prices 10 cents.

Over the course of 2021-22, SBPS served over 350,000 lunches to our students, Executive Director of Finance Marianne Carlson said. This averages around 2,130 lunches served each day.

Of those students who received meals, 60% received free or reduced meals during the 2021-22 school year.

Carlson told the Star-Herald about the districts decision to seek bids for a food service management company in 2015.From that bidding process, Taher emerged as the vendor that was awarded the contract and the contract began in the 2015-2016 year, she said.

After four renewals with Taher, the district was required to rebid the service for the 2020-21 school year.

During the rebidding process, Taher again emerges as the selected vendor, Carlson said. SBPS started a new agreement with the company with the option to renew each year for a possible additional four years.

The 2022-23 school year is the second year the district renewed the agreement with Taher, with two years remaining. Switching to a food service management company allowed the district to offer a greater variety and quality of food to our students at all levels, she said.

By contracting out this service, it also saves the district money.

The FSMC is responsible for the hiring of staff in the food service department, Carlson said. Taher takes care of everything from hiring the individual to training them and ensuring that they are prepared to deliver a quality and nutritious meal to our students.

Gering Public Schools meal prices have been free to all students and will remain that way through June 30 due to COVID funding from the United States Department of Agriculture. The district has been able to utilize COVID funding for the past two school years to offer free meals for students.

Jennifer Sibal, community engagement director for the district, said that the district is still working to determine meal rates for the upcoming year.

Our team is meeting with our food service company, Taher, next week to determine meal rates for next year and the new rates will be a proposed action item on the July regular school board agenda, Sibal said.

The districts free and reduced lunch rate is 42% and 65% of students across the district receive school meals, although all students are eligible.

GPS also uses Taher as its food service management company, offering quality meals for students.

Using a food service company has helped manage costs and ensures efficiency for the lunch program, Sibal said. Partnering with Taher is great just because they take ideas and feedback from students to prepare quality meals in order for students to participate in the lunch program. Their mission is to ensure the partnership is collaborative in meeting the needs of students.

In addition to serving meals during the school year, Taher and GPS have fostered enrichment opportunities that connect the career pathways learning to the real world.

They also work in partnership with programs like Culinary Arts for enrichment activities, have hosted Kids in the Kitchen elementary after-school programming and work regularly with the Ag Career Pathway program for our farm-to-school program where classes use grow tower technology and harvest fresh fruits and veggies for cafeteria use, Sibal said.

Since contracting with Taher, the district has reduced its food service cost as well as eliminated the added costs of benefits for staff. Sibal said Taher also handles the human resources for its employees, freeing up the districts resources to focus on supporting staff and students.

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Orange barrel season is well underway in western and central Nebraska, with several construction projects on Interstate 80 and near Ogallala posing challenges for pre-Fourth of July travelers.

Other road construction projects under way in the Panhandle  U.S. 30: Pennington Drive to County Road 123, Sidney (intermittent lane closure; 12-foot width limit).  U.S. 385: U.S. 30 to County Road 115 south of Gurley (intermittent lane closure; 12-foot width limit).  U.S. 385: County Road 93 to Wayne Road, south of Alliance (look out for flaggers; 12-foot width limit).  Nebraska L-17J: I-80 to U.S. 30, Sidney (intermittent lane closure; 12-foot width limit).  Nebraska 88: County Road 73 to U.S. 385, west of Bridgeport (temporary traffic lights; look out for flaggers; 12-foot width limit).

The lengthy process of redecking the U.S. Highway 30 bridge near Lee Bird Field remains the only North Platte project on the Nebraska Department of Transportations weekly construction and detour report.

Motorists are invited to call 511, visit 511.nebraska.gov or download the Nebraska 511 app to keep track of construction work statewide, the NDOT said in a press release.

Theyll have to steer clear of workers on three of the main approaches to Ogallala  I-80, U.S. 26 and Nebraska Highway 61  as Keith County residents prepare for Lake McConaughys biggest holiday weekend.

I-80 traffic has been reduced to two head-to-head lanes on a 9-mile-long stretch between Brule (Exit 117) and Ogallala (Exit 126).

Its one of three interstate stretches being rebuilt or undergoing maintenance work in Nebraskas western half.

Eastbound I-80 is closed between Potter and Sidney (Exit 38 to Exit 55), with head-to-head traffic on the westbound lanes.

Interstate drivers also are facing intermittent lane closures in both directions between Gothenburg (Exit 211) and Darr (Exit 231).

Construction crews are working at night on the I-80 stretch between Brule and Ogallala, said Cameron Craig, construction engineer for the NDOTs District 6 in North Platte.

I-80 drivers must slow down to 65 mph in the head-to-head zone. An 11-foot vehicle width limit is in effect.

U.S. 30 remains open in both directions to and from Ogallala, as does Nebraska 61 north from Grant into Ogallala.

But construction crews are periodically closing lanes on the U.S. 26-Nebraska 61 bypass west of Ogallala.

Motorists can avoid the bypass work by taking the highways old route north through Ogallala to the Y intersection.

Meanwhile, Nebraska 61 across and south of Kingsley Dam has been reduced to one lane, the NDOT said.

Vehicle widths are restricted to 12 feet on the bypass and Nebraska 61, with temporary traffic lights, flaggers and pilot cars in operation near and atop the dam.

To avoid the Kingsley road work, oversized vehicles must take U.S. 30 east from Ogallala to Roscoe, turn north on the Keystone-Roscoe Road and then go west on Keystone Lake Road to Kingsleys north end.

Finally, U.S. 26 drivers near McConaughys south shore will face construction delays, 12-foot width limits and 55 mph speed limits from 10 miles east of Lewellen to 11 miles west of Ogallala.

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In recognition of World Blood Donor Day recognized on June 14, Regional West encourages all healthy adults to donate blood or blood products.

Sixty percent of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood, yet only five percent of those eligible actually donate.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each day life-saving blood transfusions are needed in hospitals and emergency treatment facilities across the U.S.

Donating blood or blood products is a simple and easy process. To donate, you must be in good health, be 16 years of age and older, and weigh more than 115 pounds. A healthy donor can donate every 56 days. Your gift of time and blood may actually save a life.

Regional West and West Nebraska Blood Center are grateful to all of our donors, mobile coordinators, volunteers, and in-house staff who take time out of their busy schedules to help save the lives of others. Blood donation is a free gift that only takes a little bit of your time, but it is a critical resource for patients in need, said Katie Gasseling, MLS (ASCP), clinical laboratory supervisor.

The donation process usually takes less than one hour. Donors will complete a donor registration form, health history, and mini-physical (i.e., temperature, blood pressure, and pulse). It is helpful to eat and drink plenty of fluids before donating blood. The blood collection takes approximately eight to 10 minutes, after which you will be given juice and a cookie.

Call West Nebraska Blood Center at 308-630-2477 to schedule an appointment or visit https://www.rwhs.org/ways-give/blood-donation to learn more. Walk-ins to donate blood are accepted, but appointments are preferred. Located at 313 West 38th Street in Scottsbluff, West Nebraska Blood Center is open Monday through Wednesday and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP)  Horse races are regularly held in only two spots in Nebraska, and the tracks in Grand Island and Columbus are usually pretty quiet apart from the rumble of thoroughbreds that stomp past the half-empty grandstands.

Suddenly, though, communities throughout the state are clamoring to revive mothballed tracks and build new ones.

Why the surge in interest in a sport that for decades has waned throughout the country?

In a word, casinos.

All of a sudden you have a bunch of communities who dont give a darn about horses saying, Hey, we love horses! said Pat Loontjer, director of the anti-casino group Gambling with the Good Life.

Indeed, gambling can take a circuitous route when it finally breaks into a market from which its been shut out. In Nebraska, to get gaming options they want, people are being given something they dont want  more racing  at a cost of untold millions. And many operators that provide casino games could be excluded from the action.

Forty six states have either commercial or Native American casinos, generating more than $30 billion in annual revenue. But Nebraska has only five tiny tribal casinos in isolated areas, and gambling proponents have complained for years about all the tax revenue lost as Omaha-area gamblers pour across the Missouri River to gamble in neighboring Iowa.

After repeated failures in the Nebraska Legislature, backers won approval in 2020 of ballot initiatives legalizing private gambling. But they added the quirk that casinos could only open at spots with state-sanctioned horse tracks. Suddenly, the hottest real estate in the state is at the six qualifying tracks, four of which now offer only one live race a year. Five other Nebraska cities also have pitched plans for new horse tracks.

For an industry that for years has struggled to attract any interest, the sudden embrace of the sport has led to plenty of eye-rolling and more serious concerns about even finding enough jockeys, exercise riders and veterinarians to hold races, never mind whether spectators will actually show up.

Nationally, the sport has been in decline for decades. The number of race days has fallen by almost 40% in the last 20 years. Omahas once-popular Ak-Sar-Ben (Nebraska spelled backwards) racetrack closed in 1995. Given that, proposals for nearly a dozen tracks has annoyed even some racing supporters.

They could have done this five years ago, but they had zero interest, said Lynne McNally, executive director of the Nebraska Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association, which owns Omahas only licensed track. They couldnt care less about racing.

So many groups have proposed tracks in Nebraska that legislators approved a moratorium on new developments until studies determine how many tracks could reasonably operate. Two proposals unveiled so far would each spend $220 million to update and improve a little-used track and add a casino and hotel.

Lance Morgan, whose company Ho-Chunk Inc., spent $7.5 million to bankroll the initiative campaign, acknowledged the track requirement was included in part to fend off competitors.

Ho-Chunk, a Nebraska-based offshoot of the Winnebago Tribe, cut a deal with the Nebraska Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association, to share proceeds from a new casino opening at the associations licensed tracks in Omaha and Lincoln. Meanwhile, casino operators without tracks will be frozen out.

If were going to spend that money on the ballot initiative, we want to be the entity thats most likely to have casinos, said Morgan.

Nebraska is one of just four states that have legally tied casinos to horse racing tracks, said Christopher Browne, a spokesman for the American Gaming Association. Other states attached different conditions, such as operating on riverboats, but most were eventually lifted. The Nebraska measure is enshrined in the state constitution so changes would be difficult.

Some who raise and race horses in Nebraska said they hope casinos can bring larger crowds back to their sport.

Without the casino gaming, I dont know if we could have survived much longer, said Garald Wally Wollesen, a racehorse owner.

Chris Kotulak, the CEO of Fonner Park in Grand Island, said his track manages to hold 40 race days over four months by offering more minor league races with modest purses compared to those in other states.

But Kotulak said hes worried there wont be enough workers if more tracks offer races.

We dont have enough infrastructure right now, he said. To think that we can have half a dozen more race tracks, or even two more ... where are these people going to come from?

Anything that helps the sport is OK with Jay Helzer, who sat by himself and watched the races on a chilly day recently in mostly empty bleachers at Fonner Park. Helzer, 76, said he supported the 2020 ballot measure.

Its sure not going to hurt anything, Helzer said, gesturing to rows of open seats all around him. Here we are, a Friday afternoon, and theres hardly anybody here.

Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte

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

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Two hundred forty-six years ago, our Founding Fathers bravely defied the most powerful nation on earth and put pen to paper to assert an eternal, self-evident truth: All men are created equal. We are endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights that no government can justly take away. This recognition is what makes our country so unique. What unites us as Americans is neither religion, ancestry, nor language. Rather, its our shared commitment to the truth of equal human dignity. Every Independence Day, we honor the men and women who started the great American experiment all those years ago. And we celebrate the triumph of the principles we hold dear. America is at its best when we honor our founding principles; our greatest suffering and division have come from neglecting them.

In addition to celebrating Independence Day, this summer is a time to rejoice in the new birth of freedom that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed during his Gettysburg Address in 1863. In that famous speech, he looked forward to an American Republic no longer stained by slavery, with renewed dedication to the proposition that all men are created equal. Seventeen months after his speech, the Union Army won the war, bringing slavery to an end.

On June 19, 1865, news of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Norths victory in the Civil War reached Galveston, Texas, sparking celebrations as enslaved Americans received word of their freedom. Juneteenth commemorates this day of joy and the end of slavery.

Its a day we should all celebrate. Slavery is the gravest blight on our nations history. Its existence was completely contrary to our cornerstone belief that all men are created equal.

As Frederick Douglass reminded Americans, The principles contained in the Declaration of Independence are saving principles. Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever cost.

Since before we became a state, Nebraskans have bravely sacrificed to uphold our nations founding principle of equality. The First Nebraska Regiment fought valiantly in the Union Army during the Civil War, helping to win a major battle at Fort Donelson, Tennessee in 1862. These volunteer soldiers helped the North triumph over the Confederacy and put an end to slavery.

Our states courageous patriots include generations of Black Nebraskans, who have given their lives to protect our country and its noblest ideals. Alfonza Davis of Omaha was a Tuskegee Airman in World War II. He served as a military aviator, protecting American bombers and striking Nazi targets across Europe. He made the ultimate sacrifice in October 1944 while flying over Italy. Davis Middle School in Omaha is named in his honor.

Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French, an Omaha resident, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was aboard the USS Gregory when it was sunk by Japanese ships during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. French ended up in the water, unhurt. He swam among the wreckage, helping 15 wounded U.S. sailors onto a raft. With the tide pulling the raft toward a shore occupied by Japanese troops, French tied a rope to his waist and personally towed the raft out to sea. In a feat of heroic endurance, he swam more than six hours until the sailors were rescued. To recognize him, Congress recently passed legislation sponsored by Nebraska Representative Don Bacon (CD-2) to rename the post office at 6223 Maple Street in Omahas Benson neighborhood as the Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French Post Office.

In the Vietnam War, Black Nebraskans served with distinction. James Prater received a Bronze Star in 1966. Blaine Wilson was awarded with the Air Force Commendation Medal in 1967. Omaha Central grad Milton Ross made the ultimate sacrifice in 1969 at the age of 20, only one month after entering service. He was honored with a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Porter Pittman spent 26 months in Vietnam and was awarded a Purple Heart. Maurice Craddock was a decorated serviceman, receiving a National Defense Air Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Purple Heart. In the midst of the civil rights tensions of the 1960s, these young Black men from Omaha courageously heeded the call of duty to serve their country.

Staff Sergeant Lillian Clamens joined the U.S. Army Reserve after graduating from Omaha Central in 1990. During a mortar attack in Iraq in 2007, she sacrificed her life to shield a fellow soldier from harm. In March, the City of Omaha renamed a street in memory of her.

This summer, lets give thanks for our nations founding principles as we light off fireworks on the Fourth of July. On Juneteenth, lets celebrate the triumph of our founding truths over slavery. Lets also honor the many Black heroes throughout our history who have fought so these principles could endure.

As always, if you have any questions, please email me at pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or call 402-471-2244.
OMAHA  Somewhere in the 100- to 200-square-mile swirling mass of atmosphere that forms a supercell storm are cantankerous streams of air that scientists believe could be the reason a storm spins out a tornado.

Scientists believe what they are seeking could be as small as a milelong stream of air in the lowest half-mile of the storms 10- to 15-mile height  the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Those regions of the storm may be sharply colder or barely colder than the air around it, or may be where the wind shifts abruptly. (Keep in mind that storm systems are chaotic, with winds spinning vertically and horizontally, and temperature and moisture content varying widely.)

Scientists arent certain why one storm generates a tornado and another doesnt. The only way to find out is to blanket a given storm with as much weather-sensing equipment as possible  a costly, time-consuming effort that involves no small degree of luck.

That has been the catalyst for a $3.2 million federally funded field study led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dubbed TORUS, for Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS (drones) of Supercells, the study includes about 50 researchers from the federal government and academia.

Their nomadic work takes them wherever the storms are breaking across 367,000 square miles of the Great Plains, from North Dakota to Texas and from Iowa to Wyoming and Colorado.

Recently, weather researchers chased super cell storms across Nebraska.

The main objective of TORUS is to better understand super cell thunderstorms, the ones that produce the biggest hail, the strongest tornadoes, said Adam Houston, the lead investigator and a professor of atmospheric sciences at UNL. To better predict tornadoes, we need to understand them. Hopefully, this will lead to forecasts with enough lead time and accuracy that we can protect lives and to some extent property.

The effort utilizes an array of equipment, including eight trucks equipped with weather-sensing equipment, with some deploying radar and others, LIDAR (pulses of light), drones, a NOAA hurricane airplane and weather balloons.

In spring 2019, the field study deployed drones and it was the most ambitious drone-based study of storms undertaken to date, according to UNL. Teams traveled 9,000 miles across five states this summer during that field study, according to UNL.

This year, in place of drones, it is using party-sized helium balloons that send aloft Styrofoam cups containing small weather sensors.

Funding comes from the National Science Foundation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Mike Coniglio, research meteorologist with the NOAAs National Severe Storms Laboratory, said these types of sophisticated field studies are essential to dissecting storms because traditional weather sensors, such as stationary National Weather Service radars, are limited in how often they can take measurements and what they can see.

The features we are looking for are difficult to observe, he said.

Once scientists learn what triggers a tornado, they will hunt for proxies in the larger environment of the storm that will enable them to make forecasts. Proxies are needed, he said, because meteorologists cant chase and monitor every single storm in such fine detail.

The Great Plains are an ideal place to study tornadoes because the open horizon allows scientists to see at greater distances, which means they are safer while storm chasing. Data gathered from these studies is run through supercomputers for analysis.

Findings from the 2019 field surveys are expected soon, while results from this years research will be released in a couple of years.

Coniglio said the overall science of understanding storms has moved beyond its infancy, but we certainly have a lot more detail to learn about what is happening inside these storms.
Longview and RiverCities Transit staff want to take a second shot at eliminating bus fares for all riders 18 years old and younger.

RiverCities is pursuing a policy that would get rid of fares for riders between the ages of 6 and 18. The first attempt to get the change approved by the Cowlitz Transit Authority was derailed last week by worries about unaccompanied minors riding the bus.

Longview Public Works Director Ken Hash oversees RiverCities as one of his departments. He said the questions about unaccompanied children came totally out of the blue, especially as the agency has been running a similar program since the beginning of 2020 without running into any concerns.

Weve had a very successful free youth pass system for two and a half years. We have never had the issue of unaccompanied minors riding the bus, Hash said.

The Cowlitz Transit Authority board did not vote against the free fare during the June 8 meeting. Instead, no member of the board made a motion to bring the policy for a vote and the measure stalled out after a half-hour of discussion.

Hash said he has spoken with Cowlitz Transit Authority Chairman Dennis Weber about bringing the issue back for discussion in July. If it is considered again, the meeting may include a separate discussion item about whether RiverCities needs to set a minimum age for solo riders.

RiverCities does not have an official rule against children riding the bus alone. Hash said in conversations with RiverCities director Jim Seeks and the bus drivers, none could recall any instances where an unaccompanied kid rode the bus. Kids waiting at RiverCities bus stops almost always were waiting for school buses.

Theres not an official policy. We never felt a need for it because this has never come up, Hash said.

Eliminating fares for passengers 18 years old and younger is a prerequisite for Washington transit agencies to get a portion of a newly created pool of grant funding. Earlier this year, the state Legislature established the grant program as an incentive for transit agencies to get rid of fares for children.

RiverCities Transit offers free youth bus pass program Children from age 6 to 18 can ride the RiverCities Transit bus system for free this year, the Cowlitz Transit Authority announced Thursday.

I have super-duper issues with young children getting on a city bus and going anywhere they want without permission, and Im sad that its connected to grant funding, Longview Mayor MaryAlice Wallis said during the June 8 meeting. Wallis also sits on the transit authority board.

Transit agencies need to have the zero-fare policy in place by October to receive the first year of funds. Seeks estimated RiverCities could receive around $250,000 during the first year.

The zero fare policy would apply to every child riding RiverCities buses, including ones traveling with their families, if they have a RiverCities Youth pass or other form of identification. Children under the age of 6 currently ride for free. All other passengers pay $1 for a one-way trip and $2 for a round-trip pass.

RiverCities started a three-year pilot program of free youth passes at the beginning of 2020. Parents or guardians sign up for their child to receive the annual pass.

RiverCities and Twin Transit propose joint route between Kelso to Centralia A bus route between Cowlitz County and Lewis County may launch later this summer.

Seeks told the transit authority RiverCities issued 190 youth passes in 2022 and provided more than 4,000 rides through the program this year. In total, more than 700 youth passes have been issued since the start of 2020.

During the Cowlitz Transit Authoritys public hearing, state state Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, spoke against the zero fare policy. Wilson said there was a lack of details from the Washington Department of Transportation about the new grant program and opposed the funding sources for the program in the state transportation package, which includes price increases for car tabs.

We need to have a value placed upon all of our riders. Theres no discrimination based on age once you enter public transportation, Wilson said.

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KALAMA  After discussion and public comment Thursday, the Kalama City Council tabled a proposal that would conflict with a new state law prohibiting open carry in the council chamber.

Councilman Steve Kallio requested an ordinance to restore citizens right to open carry in the building during the June 2 meeting.

Last week, City Attorney Sam Satterfield wrote a letter recommending the council not move forward with the ordinance, which would be in direct competition with the new state law.

The Legislature passed House Bill 1630 earlier this year, expanding the existing law restricting weapons in certain locations. The changes went into effect June 9.

School board meetings were added to the section prohibiting weapons on school grounds. City or county buildings used for governing body meetings, or other locations of public meetings or hearings, were added to the section prohibiting openly carrying a firearm or other weapon on state capitol campus grounds and legislative offices. School boards and municipality must post signs advising citizens of the restrictions.

At Thursdays meeting, Kallio said he doesnt believe the Legislature had the right to make laws dictating what we can and cant do constitutionally in this building, owned by the citizens of Kalama.

A city can create a law that is more restrictive than a state law but not less and it still must meet constitutional and legal requirements, Satterfield wrote. Adopting a conflicting ordinance would cause confusion for law enforcement and citizens and leave the city at a liability, he said.

Alternatively, the council could approve legal action against the state to challenge the bill or the legality of the limitations, Satterfield wrote.

Mayor Mike Reuter said the city does not have the financial resources to sue the state.

Its not a revolutionary move to allow open carry in the building, as the new law only started a week ago, Kallio said, but he understands why people oppose his suggestion.

This isnt political. Im not grandstanding, but we need to defend our right to govern the city as we see fit the way we were elected to do, he said. Unfortunately this one revolves around guns, but we need to get the power back to where it belongs.

Kallio said the topic is political and emotional, and he is not going to push the proposal because of recent developments in the community.

On Monday, Kalama schools were put on lockdown after a student told a peer he wanted to fire a machine gun into a group of students protesting outside the high school. The teen left campus, and police put the school in lockdown. Police located the teenager and found probable cause to arrest him.

Police Chief Ralph Herrera said the threat was credible but found not to be actionable, as the teenager did not have access to firearms at home.

During the Thursday meeting, a handful of residents applauded the police departments response to the threat and spoke against opposing the state law.

Mel Kamerath said she thinks the legislation is reasonable because it doesnt prohibit all guns. She said she would be uncomfortable with people openly carrying a gun during council meetings.

Tanaja Gravina said the community should trust in the police department to respond when needed.

Citizens taking a show of force into their hands in a meeting like this or a school board meeting, not only does that bring a heightened level of anxiety, but also adds the higher chances of something going wrong, she said.

Resident Tina Day said while she is very pro-gun, she has been in long, heated school board meetings that could have ended badly if someone had a gun.

As a person with a concealed weapon and a right to carry, I cant imagine coming in here with an open carry weapon on my hip or in my hand, she said. I just feel like its not appropriate and definitely not at a school.

The council unanimously voted to table the proposal.

Councilmembers Scott Moon and Matthew Merz voiced similar concerns as Kallio about the constitutionality of the new state law and expressed support for open carry. The councilmen acknowledged the bad timing of the proposal.

I think its a bad idea right now because of whats going on and just whats happening in our community, but at the same time its, again, another right, taken away, Moon said.

Councilmembers Jon Stanfill and Wendy Conradi opposed moving forward with an ordinance and encouraged those opposed to the state law to talk to state legislators and vote.

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People visit the Muizz Street in Cairo, Egypt, on June 17, 2022. Egypt on Thursday lifted all COVID-19-related entry restrictions for all travelers, whether Egyptians or foreigners. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

CAIRO, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Egypt on Thursday lifted all COVID-19-related entry restrictions for all travelers, whether Egyptians or foreigners.

The decision was made by Egypt's Supreme Committee for the Management of the Epidemiology and Health Pandemic Crisis according to the pandemic conditions in Egypt and abroad, said Nader Saad, a spokesperson of the Egyptian cabinet, in a statement.

Nearly 86.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as 4.5 million booster shots, have been provided for the people, the statement said, adding that there are nearly 57.5 million doses in reserve to continue the vaccination campaign.

The statement said that 800 DNA reagents were distributed by the Egyptian health ministry to detect the monkeypox cases, and strict measures are taken to have veterinary quarantine for the animals coming from abroad. 

People visit the Muizz Street in Cairo, Egypt, on June 17, 2022. Egypt on Thursday lifted all COVID-19-related entry restrictions for all travelers, whether Egyptians or foreigners. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
iPhone 13 mini price drop: Get discount, exchange and bank offers on the Apple iPhone on Flipkart. Check the latest price, offer details here.

iPhone 13 mini price drop: As the speculation about Apple iPhone 14 series launching in the month of September grows stronger, Flipkart is looking to tempt buyers into opting for the iPhone 13 mini by announcing a huge price drop. If you want an iPhone and that too in a compact size, iPhone 13 mini can be the phone of your choice. Flipkart is offering discount, exchange and bank offers along with freebies on iPhone 13 mini. There are several colour options of iPhone 13 mini you can choose from like Pink, Red, Midnight, among others. However, what needs to be noted is that the price of an iPhone and offers on it do vary based on the size variant and sometimes on the colour you want to purchase. Here is all you need to know about the iPhone 13 mini price drop on Flipkart.

iPhone 13 mini price drop on Flipkart: Discount

The iPhone 13 mini with 128GB storage is available on Flipkart with a discount of 6 percent. That is you can purchase the iPhone today for Rs. 65,299 against its market price of Rs. 69,900. But, if you have an old phone to exchange, you will be able to reduce the cost of the iPhone 13 mini further. Check below how.

Also Read: iPhone 13 gets Rs. 14000 price cut right now, RARE! Do not miss

iPhone 13 mini price drop on Flipkart: Exchange offer

With the help of an exchange offer you can get the price of the iPhone 13 mini reduced further by up to Rs. 15,500. The only thing you need to check is that the offer should be available in your area. You can check the same by entering the pin code of your area on the ecommerce website. Also, the price reduction depends on the model of the older phone you are exchanging and its condition.

iPhone 13 mini price drop on Flipkart: Bank offer and freebies

The bank offers being provided on the iPhone are:

1. 10 percent off on Kotak Bank Credit Cards, up to Rs. 1500 on orders of Rs. 5000 and above.

2. 10 percent off on Kotak Bank Debit Cards, up to Rs. 1000 on orders of Rs. 5000 and above.

3. 10 percent off on Bank of Baroda Credit Cards, up to Rs. 1500 on orders of Rs. 5000 and above.

4. 10 percent off on HSBC Credit Card EMI Transactions, up to Rs. 1500 on orders of Rs. 5000 and above.

5. 5 percent cashback on Flipkart Axis Bank Card.

6. 5 percent cashback up to Rs. 3000 on IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Card EMI transactions of Rs. 5000 and above.

7. Rs. 100 off on 1st transaction through Flipkart Pay Later.

The freebies being offered include- free 3 months Gaana Plus subscription and BYJU'S 3 live classes worth Rs. 999. However, you are advised to check the terms and conditions of the bank offer and freebies on the ecommerce website before availing.

iPhone 13 mini price drop on Flipkart: Other variants

You can purchase iPhone 13 mini in 256GB and 512GB variants as well on discount, exchange and bank offer. Flipkart is offering 7 percent off on iPhone 13 mini 256GB variant. That is you can buy it for Rs. 74,299. While the 512GB variant is available at a discount of 6 percent for Rs. 93,299.
An American Airlines plane flies past a cellular tower disguised as a palm tree as it lands at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California in January 2022.

The Federal Aviation Authority said Friday that mobile operators AT&T and Verizon have reached an agreement with airlines for the gradual deployment of additional 5G antennas around US airports.

"We believe we have identified a path that will continue to enable aviation and 5G C-band wireless to safely co-exist," said the FAA's acting administrator Billy Nolen in a statement.

Tensions between the two sectors flared at the end of 2021 when the FAA voiced concerns about possible interference between the altimeters of some aircraftvital instruments for landing in certain weather conditionsand the deployment of 5G frequencies for which AT&T and Verizon shelled out tens of billions of dollars.

AT&T and Verizon finally agreed in January to delay by six months the activation of mobile phone antennas around certain airport runways.

As the end of that voluntary moratorium approaches, companies have agreed to a "gradual" approach.

The regional companies most exposed to possible interference have agreed to modify their radio altimeters by the end of the year.

Telephone operators have at the same time agreed to further delay the activation of 5G antennas located around the airports most likely to be affected for another 12 months, with a gradual lifting of restrictions.

"Through close coordination with the FAA over the last several months, we have developed a more tailored approach to controlling signal strength around runways that allows us to activate more towers and increase signal strength," an AT&T spokesperson said.

The company chose to act "in good faith" by agreeing not to deploy all of its antennas right away "so that airlines have additional time to retrofit equipment," he added.

Explore further Could 5G really ground planes? Why the US has delayed rolling out the technology near airports

 2022 AFP
Electric vehicles are making an appearance in Cuba as fuel prices and US sanctions cripple traditional transport.

There is a new sight on the streets of Havana: increasing numbers of electric vehicles whizzing among the old American cars so emblematic of the Cuban capital.

As fuel shortages and US sanctions take their toll, and even though electricity generation can be spotty, Cubans are turning to smaller, cheaper, plug-in alternatives.

"Gasoline? Imagine. After 50 years battling to get hold of it, I don't even want to smell it anymore!" taxi driver Sixto Gonzalez, 58, told AFP atop the shining, electric-blue quadricycle with which he moves through the streets at a top speed of about 40 kilometers (25 miles) per hour.

Gonzalez has abandoned his old, combustion-engine carone of about 600,000 registered on the island of 11.2 million people, according to official data.

The last time he tried to fill it up, he stood in a queue for eight hours.

By far the majority of cars in circulation in Cuba are American models from the 1950sbefore sanctions startedand compact Ladas from the Soviet era.

Newer models are practically impossible to lay one's hands on and come with a hefty price tag of between about $20,000 and $100,000.

The quadricycle Gonzalez bought, by comparison, can be obtained for between $4,000 and $8,000 and though slower, can get four or five people from Point A to Point B.

Also increasingly popular are electric motorbikesof which there are an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 in Cubaand three-wheelers all the more frequently seen dragging a carriage full of passengers or goods.

A quadricycle can be bought for between $4,000 and $8,000, a fraction of the price of a traditional car.

'Museum on wheels'

In a once-abandoned Soviet-era truck factory in the central city of Santa Clara, about 100 workers of the company Minerva assemble electric vehicles with parts imported from China or Vietnam.

The objective for 2022 is to produce 10,000 electric motorbikes, Minerva boss Elier Perez told AFPdouble the factory's previous recordas well as 2,000 three-wheelers.

"I had to buy one because the fuel ran out and the queues are endless," said Raul Suarez, a 52-year-old security guard who got himself an electric motorbike.

"I have to be able to get around."

Not only are cars prohibitively expensive and scarce, but public transport in the capital is a daily ordeal for many.

Half of buses are out of service for a lack of tires and batteries that cannot be imported due to US sanctions, said transport ministry official Guillermo Gonzalez.

The Minerva factory aims to assemble 10,000 electric motorcycles in 2022.

Havanans sometimes wait for hours for a bus to get to work or back home.

At the same time, fuel shortages have worsened since the US reinforced its six-decade-old economic blockade of the communist island in 2019, preventing the arrival of fuel tankers from Venezuela, a Cuban ally.

Petrol supply plummeted from 100,000 barrels a day to about 56,000 barrels per day on average in 2021, said Jorge Pinon, a Cuban energy policy expert at the University of Texas.

Three years ago, the government began to promote the use of electric cars, introducing them to state-owned companies to be used by workers.

"Cuba is a museum on wheels," said Gonzalez of the abundance of decades-old gas guzzlers.

It is hoped that a rollout of electric cars will lower "fuel consumption... and at the same time reduce pollution," he added.

Three years ago, the government began to promote the use of electric cars.

Petrol supply to Cuba plummeted from 100,000 barrels a day to about 56,000 barrels per day on average in 2021.

Like a fridge

But electricity supply, too, is a concern.

For weeks now, Cubans have had to deal with regular cuts, sometimes lasting hours at a time, due to generation failures and maintenance work on thermoelectric plants.

And in a bid to make up some of the shortage, the authorities have turned to generators that use up much of the limited diesel stock.

"There has never been a situation as difficult as the one we have now, and there are still three months of summer to come," said Pinon, alluding to the annual warm-weather rise in demand for energy to run air conditioners.

Ramses Calzadilla, director of strategy at Cuba's energy ministry, said he was confident that electricity generation would be restored to full capacity shortly and insisted the situation did not threaten the burgeoning electric vehicle sector.

"An electric motorcycle uses about as much energy as a refrigerator," he told AFP, and can be charged quickly and cheaply between programmed power cuts.

 2022 AFP
a SpaceX logo is displayed on a building on May 26, 2020, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. SpaceX, the rocket ship company run by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has fired several employees involved in an open letter that blasted the colorful billionaire for his behavior, according to media reports Friday, June 17, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File

SpaceX, the rocket ship company run by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has fired several employees involved in an open letter that blasted the colorful billionaire for his behavior, according to media reports.

The reports published Friday cited an email from Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president, saying the company had terminated employees who put together and circulated the letter. The letter writers denounced Musk for actions that they said are a "frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us, particularly in recent weeks."

The New York Times was the first outlet to report the purge, based on information from three employees familiar with the situation. The employees were not named.

It's unclear how many SpaceX workers lost their jobs, but Shotwell left no doubt that the company believed they had crossed an unacceptable line.

"The letter, solicitations and general process made employees feel uncomfortable, intimidated and bullied, and/or angry because the letter pressured them to sign onto something that did not reflect their views," Shotwell wrote in her email, according to the Times . ""We have too much critical work to accomplish and no need for this kind of overreaching activism."

The firings occurred Thursdaythe same day Musk addressed Twitter employees for the first time about his $44 billion deal to add that social media service to his business empire. The purchase is in limbo while Musk tries to determine whether Twitter has been concealing the number of fake accounts on its platform.

As the Twitter drama unfolded, another report emerged t hat Musk had paid $250,000 to a flight attendant to quash a potential sexual harassment lawsuit against him. Musk denied the sexual harassment allegations, and Shotwell last month sent out an email to SpaceX employees saying she believe the accusations were false.

In recent weeks, Musk has also crudely mocked the looks of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Twitter and posted a poop emoji during an online discussion with Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal.

The open letter from SpaceX employees criticizing Musk asserted that some of his tweets sent out to his 98 million followers cast the company in a poor light.

"As our CEO and most prominent spokesperson, Elon is seen as the face of SpaceXevery tweet that Elon sends is a de facto public statement by the company," the open letter said. "It is critical to make clear to our teams and to our potential talent pool that his messaging does not reflect our work, our mission, or our values."

Explore further Elon Musk reportedly demands Tesla, SpaceX employees return to the office

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
UVALDE  Police in Uvalde agreed Friday to speak to a Texas House committee investigating the May 24 massacre at an elementary school, according to a Republican lawmaker leading the probe who had begun to publicly question why the officers were not cooperating sooner.

Took a little bit longer than we initially had expected," state Rep. Dustin Burrows said.

On Thursday, Burrows signaled impatience with Uvalde police, tweeting that most people had fully cooperated with their investigation to help determine the facts and that he didn't understand why the city's police force would not want the same. He did not say which members of the department will meet with the committee, which is set to continue questioning witnesses in Uvalde on Monday about the attack that killed 19 students and two teachers.

Uvalde police did not reply to messages seeking comment.

Weeks after one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history, law enforcement officials have stopped providing updates about what they've learned about the shooting and the police response. Their silence comes after authorities gave conflicting and incorrect accounts in the days after the shooting, sometimes withdrawing statements hours after making them.

Officials also haven't released records sought under public information laws to media outlets, including The Associated Press, often citing broad exemptions and the ongoing investigation. It has raised concerns about whether such records will be released, even to victims' families.

The state House committee has interviewed more than a dozen witnesses behind closed doors so far, including state police, school staff and school district police. The list of witnesses provided by the committee so far has not included Pete Arrendondo, the Uvalde school district police chief, who has faced criticism over his actions during the attack.

Burrows defended the committee interviewing witnesses in private and not revealing their findings so far, saying its members want an accurate account before issuing a report.

One person's truth may be different than another person's truth," Burrows said Friday.

Since the shooting, Republican leaders in Texas have called for more mental health funding but not new gun restrictions. Authorities say the 18-year-old gunman used and AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle. Police did not confront he gunman for more than an hour, even as anguished parents outside the school urged officers to go in.
Dave Bromwich, president of the New Zealand China Friendship Society (NZCFS), speaks at the annual conference of NZCFS in Auckland, New Zealand, June 18, 2022. The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the NZCFS, the legacy of Rewi Alley. (NZCFS/Handout via Xinhua)

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong called here Saturday for carrying forward the spirit of Rewi Alley to further deepen the friendship between China and New Zealand and their peoples.

Ambassador Wang made the call at the annual conference of the New Zealand China Friendship Society (NZCFS).

The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the NZCFS, the legacy of Rewi Alley.

Wang said developing a strong relationship between the two countries is a long-term strategic decision both rooted in shared past and eyes on future.

Both China and New Zealand believe in and advocate multilateralism, support the international system with the United Nations as its core, and both are committed to international cooperation in addressing global challenges like climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese ambassador said.

Broad-based support among the two peoples from the bottom up and the stewardship by the leadership of the two countries at the very top have coalesced to add increasing breadth and depth to the development of bilateral relations and to the benefit of both countries and peoples, contributing to regional and world peace and prosperity, the ambassador said.

"Let's work together to build upon the progress over the past 50 years and bring about further development of China-New Zealand relationship in the next 50 years and beyond, generating even greater benefits for both sides, particularly both peoples," he added.

Speaking at the same occasion, Dave Bromwich, president of the NZCFS, called for renewing and enhancing the friendship between New Zealand and China.

Bromwich, also a scholar, said the mission of the NZCFS is to promote goodwill, understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

Strongly condemning some Western media for producing fake reports on China, Bromwich encouraged young Kiwis to engage with their peers in China, to study Chinese society and the Chinese language.

Bromwich, who spent nearly 10 years in and paid around 50 visits to China, said, "My experience in China has given me a great understanding of where China is today, where she has come from and how she has developed." 
Grand Island Central Catholic is working to have an elementary school join its high school and middle school at 1200 Ruby Ave.

Fundraising for the Grand Island Central Catholic elementary school addition, projected to cost $9 million, is still in its silent phase, but things are certainly happening behind the scenes.

That includes naming the campaign chairs for the effort: Grounded in Faith - Building Our Future Capital Campaign.

Co-chairs are Dr. John and Katie Goering, Brett and Kristen Klein, and Matt and Kristen Maser.

Honorary chairs are Dr. John and Barbara Reilly, Tom and Kim Dinsdale, Mike and Jean Hamik, and Tom and Sue Pirnie.

Each of these seven families are well-known within the GICC community and throughout Grand Island, said Jolene Wojcik, Executive Director of the Central Catholic Development Foundation. Some are GICC graduates, some sent their children here, but the common denominator is that all have been wonderful advocates and supporters of Central Catholic.

Kristin Maser and her husband, Mike, have children who have attended GICCtwo in school and a graduate. She said Grounded in Faith is also grounded in joy.

Wojcik indicated the same, saying, As weve had our first meetings and gatherings of this leadership team, theres just such a joy in the meetings.

Working closely with the co-chairs are Wojcik and GICC Principal Jordan Engle.

Rev. Joseph Hanefeldt, the bishop of the Diocese of Grand Island, will headline the campaigns pastoral leadership. Bishop William Dendinger, the dioceses bishop emeritus, and Bishop James Golka of the Diocese of Colorado Springs will serve alongside Hanefeldt.

Golka has strong Grand Island ties. He is a GICC graduate himself, and served as pastor of St. Marys Cathedral in Grand Island before his appointment as bishop.

Forming the leadership team for the capital campaign is a major step in the process.

Eventually we will be out there in the public, asking for help and asking for volunteers and pledges, Wojcik said.

Leaders of the project told the Independent in May construction could begin in the summer of 2023, ideally ready for pre-K and elementary students in school year 2024-2025. The addition will accommodate 280 students.

While the campaign leaders are quietly working, encouragement from the community has not been quiet, Wojcik said.

There are a lot of people since the Catholic elementary schools closed 1970s that have been waiting for this. The minute they heard, they said Yes. Were going to build this.

A few donations have already rolled in, despite being in the silent phase, Wojcik said.

As the Grounded in Faith leaders quietly organize, there is plenty of positivity. Maser said even in the silent phase, during meetings the excitement for a new Catholic elementary school in Grand Island is loud and clear.

Wojcik said, It makes you feel like youre doing the right thing.

Jessica Votipka is the education reporter at the Grand Island Independent. She can be reached at 308-381-5420.

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The Nebraska State Patrol and Grand Island Police Department have taken a juvenile into custody following a pursuit and search Thursday night in Grand Island.

Around 8:20 p.m. Thursday, a trooper saw a Chevrolet Impala traveling at 90 mph on Interstate 80 near the Phillips interchange. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to yield and the trooper initiated a pursuit.

The suspect vehicle exited I-80 at the east Grand Island interchanger reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph while approaching the city. The trooper discontinued the pursuit out of concern for public safety as the vehicle entered town.

A short time later, Grand Island Police Department officers located the vehicle near Louise and Adams streets and observed the suspect flee on foot.

Officers and troopers established a perimeter and a GIPD K-9 was utilized to locate the suspect and take him into custody. NSP dispatchers confirmed that the Impala had been reported stolen from Lincoln.

The driver, a 17-year-old male, was transported to Grand Island Regional Center for medical clearance and then transported to the Lancaster County Youth Services Center in Lincoln.
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:
On Sunday June 12, 2022, ISP DCI Zone 7 was requested by the Pinckneyville Police Department (PPD) to investigate reported serious injuries to the 4-month-old male. The male was eventually transferred to a regional hospital in Saint Louis, MO, where he succumbed to his injures. An autopsy was performed on Friday, June 17, 2022, and results are pending.
Claflin University has announced that Bank of America will invest $500,000 to support the universitys Center for Social Justice and the Pathways From Prison Program.

The Pathways From Prison Program is a historic collaboration between Claflin and the South Carolina Department of Corrections that provides incarcerated individuals in South Carolina access to the universitys academic programs.

Incarcerated individuals that meet Claflin and SCDC requirements can earn a bachelors degree in criminal justice, psychology and organizational management. They can also earn minors and certificate credentials.

Bank of America's investment will support student scholarships and enhance technological resources such as laptops, keyboards, printers, routers, and wi-fi hotspots. Funding for the partnership will also be used to increase the number of qualified faculty and staff to ensure incarcerated students receive the same high-quality educational experience that has earned Claflin national recognition as one of the nations premier liberal arts universities.

We are extremely grateful for Bank of Americas support for our Center for Social Justice and the Pathways From Prison Program. Research indicates a dramatic reduction in recidivism rates for incarcerated individuals who participate in prison education programs, said Claflin President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, a 2019 USA Eisenhower Fellow. Warmacks research during his fellowship explored global best practices for reducing mass incarceration through education and rehabilitation.

Bank of Americas reputation as a global leader in banking and finance is widely recognized. This partnership amplifies their commitment to equality, equity, and expanding economic opportunities for diverse populations.

Education is a gateway to a better life, said Kim Wilkerson, president, Bank of America South Carolina. We appreciate Claflin Universitys leadership and recognize the success and progress made through the Pathways From Prison Program. Issues of racial equality and economic opportunity are deeply connected, and its important to remove the barriers to success and focus on areas where systemic, long-term gaps have existed.

The Pathways From Prison Program was established through the Second Chance Pell Grant Pilot Program, a U.S. Department of Education initiative. The grant provides need-based Federal Pell Grants to individuals incarcerated in federal and state prisons. Claflin University was the only historically Black college/university (HBCU) in South Carolina among 67 colleges and universities nationwide selected for the program.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  A $13.8 billion budget that sends hundreds of dollars of rebates to many South Carolina taxpayers and also cuts cuts their income tax rates is on its way to Gov Henry McMaster's desk.

The House and Senate each passed a compromise spending plan Wednesday that also would raise the minimum salary for teachers from $36,000 to $40,000, put $1 billion extra into road repair and expansion and give state employees a 3% raise and $1,500 bonus.

The 2022-23 fiscal year budget also calls for raising a number of state law enforcement salaries, giving colleges money if they freeze tuition and setting aside about $1 billion in case this is the year the economy craters.

The approved budget is $3 billion more than last year's spending plan. The extra money comes from a booming economy, federal pandemic money and savings from the past two budgets just in case COVID-19 wrecked the financial system.

People can complain the budget is bursting, but Republican House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Gary Simrill said lawmakers are in a way sending back as much money to taxpayers as they can.

Look at what is going back to the citizens of South Carolina either in infrastructure, non-spent revenue or tax cuts and rebates., the Republican from Rock Hill said.

The Senate passed the budget unanimously, while just a handful of House members voted against it. The governor has until early next week and has a line-item veto to take out any part of the budget he does not like. The General Assembly will return by the end of June to consider those vetoes.

Items McMaster has guaranteed he will not veto are the income tax cut and rebate.

The rebate will give every South Carolinian who pays income tax the amount they pay back for this tax year, up to about $800. About 44% of the states 2.5 million people who file returns end up paying nothing in income tax and wont get a check when the rebates are given out in November or December. The rebates will cost about $1 billion.

Delivery is expected in late November or early December  just in time for Christmas, Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Harvey Peeler said.

The compromise also immediately cuts the states top income tax rate from 7% to 6.5%. for the 1.1 million taxpayers who pay the most. The plan then knocks 0.1% off the top rate each year the state continues to substantially increase revenues until the top rate is at 6%. It is the House plan backed by McMaster.

The other tax bracket will be at 3%, cutting taxes for the more than 300,000 taxpayers now between the 6% and 3% brackets. Anyone lower than that will not pay taxes at all.

The budget compromise also revamps the way the state funds education, simplifying a complex formula into money mostly based on student-teacher ratio and minimum teacher salaries.

Lawmakers are putting $275 million more into the formula. Districts can use the money however they like, and a number of lawmakers have suggested a $4,000 salary increase for all their teachers is a good start.

On roads, most of the money is going to accelerate major interstate plans, such as widening Interstate 26 from Charleston to Columbia to three lanes each direction or untangling where Interstates 20, 26 and 126 all meet west of Columbia.

But the budget also sends money directly to every county to spend as they see fit. This budget helps fill in potholes," Peeler said.

Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP.

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

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ST. PETERSBURG, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin explained Russia's stance and policy on hotspot political and economic issues during the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday.

At the plenary session of the forum, Putin recalled that the surge in commodity and raw material prices occurred long before the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, underlining that the current situation has nothing to do with Russia but was caused by "many years of irresponsible macroeconomic policies" of the Group of Seven.

In Putin's view, some Western countries consider the Russian operation in Ukraine as "a lifeline that allows them to blame others for their own miscalculations."

Speaking about the future of the Russian economy, Putin said his country will never follow the path of self-isolation and autarky.

Putin announced cheap loans to boost industrial production, set the task of mastering all the critical technologies for manufacturing key products, and asked the government to make new fiscal rules to fortify the foundation of economic growth.

The Russian leader said some Western countries with "outdated geopolitical illusions" intentionally undermine the principles of the global economic system.

As a result, many trade, production and logistics ties that were previously disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic are now going through new tests, he told the audience.

Putin said there are revolutionary changes in geopolitics, the global economy, the technological sphere and the entire system of international relations, but some Western countries are trying to counteract this inexorable course of history.

As for the global food shortage, Putin believed that the most important task for the entire world now is to increase the supply of food to the global market, including to countries that are desperately in need.

Russia, while ensuring its own food security, is able to raise the export of food and fertilizers, he noted, pledging readiness to contribute to balancing the world food market.

Russia has not been hampering Ukraine's food exports, Putin underscored.

In his view, the "economic blitzkrieg" against Russia has failed and the Western sanctions have been proven to be a double-edged weapon as the European Union (EU) and European companies could suffer huge direct losses from the sanctions.

Putin said that Russia does not object to Ukraine joining the EU as it is not a military bloc.

Putin called it a "forced and necessary" decision for Russia to conduct the special military operation in Ukraine against the backdrop of "growing risks and threats to us."

"Sooner or later, the situation (regarding Ukraine) will normalize," he said, stressing Russia is not threatening anyone with nuclear arms.

Also attending the event, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said "We are convinced that building a peaceful, stable and economically strong Eurasia will be a powerful factor in sustainable development and inclusive growth on a global scale."

Tokayev called for measures to realize the full potential of cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union and pair the Eurasian integration process with China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said in a video message that he hopes the outcome of the forum will facilitate the search for effective solutions to existing problems and reduce the negative impact of the global economic crisis.

It is necessary to take into account the concerns and interests of all countries, ensuring the security and well-being of peoples, and promoting long-term mutual understanding on political issues, he added. 
Last weekend, the municipal authorities received several complaints about late-night concerts in Kirchberg.

During the traditional CityBreakfast, Mayor of Luxembourg City Lydie Polfer stressed that nighttime peace must be respected.

Even if the events take place on land owned by the Kirchberg Fund, Polfer pointed out that the neighbourhood of Kirchberg  just like the rest of the capital's neighbourhoods  falls under the authority of the municipality. It is up to the municipal authorities to decide how long a can last, the Mayor stressed.

"A concert is a very nice thing," Polfer said, "but there cannot be five consecutive concerts at the same site that go till late at night in a single week." The Mayor made it clear that "from now on" nighttime peace must be respected, with the exception of special occasions such as National Day. Polfer also pointed out that the noise coming from the square behind the 'Coque' sporting venue is affecting several neighbourhoods, including "all of Kirchberg, Weimershof, Weimerskirch, and all the way down to Dommeldange".

For the Mayor, the issue is how frequently these events occur and how long they last. A festival is set to take place on the square in the coming days. The municipality will meet with the organisers on Wednesday, according to Polfer, and has already scheduled a meeting with the Kirchberg Fund for next week.
Temperatures are set to rise further on Saturday and Meteolux changed the alert for the southern part of Luxembourg from orange to red.

Meteolux forecasts temperatures above 35 degrees for this Saturday and have issued an orange alert for "great heat" in the North of the country, starting at noon.

A red alert for "extreme heat" in the South of the country has been issued as well, with temperatures up to 37 degrees, also starting at noon. Both alerts last until 9pm this evening.

We've arranged some tips and tricks for staying cool during this heatwave.

A second orange alert, for air pollution, accompanies the first. Ozone levels will remain elevated. For Saturday, Meteolux warns that the European information threshold (180 g/m) may be exceeded. The information threshold is defined by the EU as "a level beyond which there is a risk to human health from brief exposure for particularly sensitive sections of the population and at which up-to-date information is necessary."

Due to these high temperatures and elevated levels of air pollution, health authorities recommend limiting physical activity and not going out during the hottest part of the day. The elderly and those struggling with health issues are advised to be particularly careful.

The current heatwave has a tight grip on southwest Europe as well. In France, temperatures of up to 42 degrees are expected in some regions.
Just over three quarters of them have obtained authorisation to practice in the Grand Duchy.

These details were provided by the Minister for Health, Paulette Lenert, in response to a parliamentary question from the Socialist MP Mars di Bartolomeo.

In 2021, the total number of doctors practising in Luxembourg will amount to 3,418. This figure includes general practitioners, specialists, dentists, dental specialists and veterinary surgeons.
The European Commissioner for Equality addressed the committee members of the Family and European Affairs by emphasising the gender pay gap.

Helena Dalli, the European Commissioner for Equality, declared that the Grand Duchy has already achieved a lot in terms of equality between men and women. The European Commissioner especially welcomed the law on accessibility during her visit.



Helena Dalli an der Chamber / Rep. Claudia Kollwelter

However, one issue that is still topical, and not only in Luxembourg, is that of salary transparency, respectively the salary gap between men and women. According to Dalli, the problem could not be solved immediately; on the one hand transparency would be needed, but on the other it would not be enough:

By August 2022, all EU Member States must have implemented the Work-Life Balance Directive, she explains. This would not only increase the number of women in the labour market, but also encourage them to stay in the labour market for longer. This would also help to reduce the gender pay gap as well as the the pension gap, which is currently even bigger, she notes.

Violence against women and quotas were two other issues discussed on Friday in the Chamber of Deputies.

Everyone's talents should be used, the European Commissioner stressed. And nobody should be excluded. This would not only be a moral issue, says Dalli, but there is also an economic argument behind it.

Discrimination against people based on disability, ethnic background, or LGTBIQ membership would be a waste of talent. It pushes people away and does not allow them to be part of society, and they cannot contribute to that society either, she argues.

I met @CorinneCahen, LU Minister for Family Affairs and Integration & the Greater Region.



We discussed the important work on #EU4LGBTIQ & #EUDisabilityRights and the role that Luxembourg is playing in delivering on the measures at national level.#UnionOfEquality pic.twitter.com/6AoRgZme53  Helena Dalli (@helenadalli) June 16, 2022

The new law on accessibility, which has been passed in Luxembourg to make the country more accessible by 2032, is a step in the right direction and has been welcomed by the European Commissioner. The president of the Commission for Family and Integration, Max Hahn, was delighted and said that with this law, buildings will have to be accessible to all in Luxembourg.

Digitalisation would also play an important role in achieving better inclusion. However, care should be taken not to forget the elderly, Max Hahn added.
Uber's transportation services have never been made available in Luxembourg. The government has now announced that it intends to copy the concept and develop a platform similar to it.

But why is Uber not available in Luxembourg? This is a question that has been discussed a lot over the past few years. Uber offers a type of chauffeur or taxi service which often involves private individuals using their own cars to transport clients.

A Luxembourgish Uber with a few differences

The idea behind Uber is "really good," says Minister for Mobility Francois Bausch, adding that "one has to admit that the platform managing the services is very effective". Luxembourgish authorities have in fact been in touch with the US enterprise on several occasions.

However, according to Bausch, they were "regrettably" unable to reach an agreement on issues such as travel times, social security, or taxation. As a result, the government is thinking of developing its own platform.

Read also: Martin Jonsson on Luxembourg's 'notoriously high' taxi prices

In an interview with our colleagues from RTL Tele, the minister explained that the state would cover the costs of developing the platform before issuing a call for tender to find a company willing to manage it.

A Luxembourgish copy of Uber with a few differences: to begin with, drivers would have to pay a much lower fee to be listed on the platform. Uber currently charges a commission of between 20% and 30% per ride. Second, by creating its own platform, the government will be able to ensure that all social standards are adhered to.

Taxi Federation not opposed to the idea

The Luxembourg Taxi Federation has yet to receive a detailed presentation of the project. The Federation wants to "wait and see" what happens with the plan, according to its president, Paul Jose Leitao.

Meanwhile, General Secretary Tito Cerveira said it's "not a bad idea" and that taxi drivers are not opposed to the project in principle.

A meeting between the Taxi Federation and the minister is scheduled in July.

Francois Bausch for one stressed that he is confident that the planned platform will be "a success", even going so far as to claim that the launch will be a "revolution" in Luxembourg.

The Ministry is also working on a comprehensive revision of the taxi law, in addition to developing an Uber-like platform.

The full report by RTL Tele (in Luxembourgish):
It was to be expected: with the sudden rise in temperatures over the weekend, residents rushed to Luxembourg's swimming spots. However, the influx became so great that some beaches and even swimming pools had to be closed.

On Saturday afternoon, the police confirmed that the area around the Upper Sure Lake was overflowing with people and "illegally parked" cars. So much so that patrols had to be sent out to manage the traffic and to "deal with the badly parked cars".

The authorities state that the road between Bonnal and Insenborn near the Upper Sure lake has already been closed and that the beaches "Rommwiss", "Fussefeld", "Burfelt", "Insenborn", and "Bonnal" are full. In this context, the Luxembourg Police have issued an appeal to the public to avoid the area "at all costs".

Read also: Echternach lake to open to bathers this year

And that is not all. The swimming pools in the south of the country are "saturated," according to the police in Esch-sur-Alzette, and access to them has been restricted.

Residents are asked not to visit the swimming pools in Dudelange and Differdange, as well as the Strassen thermal baths, and the swimming pool in Esch-sur-Alzette.
LCCC Radiography Club donates $2,500 to CRMC

Students in Laramie County Community Colleges Radiography Program, have been hard at work raising funds to support the Cheyenne Regional Medical Centers, Curie Fund. In April, LCCC students presented CRMC a $2,500 donation to benefit the Curie Fund. Over the past 12 years, the Radiography Club at LCCC has raised and donated over $35,000 to the fund.

The engagement and fundraising support provided by the young women and men of the LCCC Radiography Club is really exciting for several reasons. Not only will patients benefit, but the students willingness to give some of their time to help people in need in their community is really admirable. This program also helps those future healthcare professionals understand that giving back to their community can be very rewarding, said Scott Fox, executive director of the CRMC Foundation.

The Curie Fund was established in the 1980s by Cheyenne Regionals Radiation Oncology Department to help patients undergoing cancer treatment pay for personal or family necessities, including utilities, transportation expenses and school supplies. Funds are given to patients with financial struggles and are not used to pay medical bills.

Its important to continue the tradition of supporting the Curie Fund because it allows us to care for patients in an unconventional way. When we presented the check at the CRMC Cancer Center it was one of the most humbling and rewarding experiences I have had during my time with the Radiography Club, LCCC student Kaitlyn Jacobs said.

LCCCs students hold fundraisers such as bake sales and t-shirt sales to help raise the funds they donate.

The Radiography Club is committed to helping support local patients who are involved daily with our profession. Teaching students to give back to a community through service learning is a valuable way to help them grow into professionals who will lead into the future, said Ashleigh Ralls, radiography program director.

To learn more about LCCCs radiography program contact Ashleigh Ralls, Program Director at aralls@lccc.wy.edu or 307-778-1292.

Model railroaders back at clubhouse

We held an in-person Business Meeting on March 26 and installed a new President, Kurt Brown. So, the phone numbers to reach us will change to Kurt 277-0462.

The other two numbers stay the same: Harry 235-4950 and Homer 266-6439.

Our doors are still open on Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Friday evenings from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. and Saturdays from Noon to 4:00 p.m. We offer the opportunity for visitors to actually run a train. We will try to get the locos that visitors bring if it fails to operate. We offer installation helps for DCC electronics, and general maintenance. After all it is fun to run trains not just look at them.

We accept donations of unwanted items and find homes for them, sometimes on our layouts. We encourage participation while running the trains in that horns and whistles can be engaged. The lights can be turned on and off as well.

Our Clubhouse is located at 1356 N. Center St. Drive north at the ex-Roosevelt School building and go across the speed bump but stop at the pastel green building with the maroon doors and the picture of one of our locomotives atop those yellow sign posts. If you end up in the River you went 1/2 block too far.

We thank all of the residents of this area for their continued support. Who would we be able to show our model railroads to if we were ignored? So come and visit us.

Our Clubhouse is located at 1356 N. Center St. Drive north at the ex-Roosevelt School building and go across the speed bump but stop at the pastel green building with the maroon doors and the picture of one of our locomotives atop those yellow sign posts. If you end up in the River you went 1/2 block too far.

We hope that the restrictions imposed by the COVID bugs will allow us to resume some meetings this year. Reach President Kurt Brown at 307-235-4950, Treasurer Harry Buhler at 307-235-4950 and Secretary Homer Whitlock at 307-266-6439.

Toastmasters info

Toastmaster Clubs in Casper are recruiting for new members.

Why Join Toastmasters?

Improve your presentation, communication and leadership skills by joining a Toastmasters Club in Casper.

Toastmasters offer a continuous learning forum for you to practice your public speaking, leadership, and organizational skills.

Toastmasters can open doors in your personal and professional life. You will learn in a self-paced atmosphere of fun and fellowship.

Who Joins Toastmasters?

Youll discover a wide variety of members ranging from those who have never before delivered a presentation to an audience to professional speakers, salespeople, attorneys, teachers, and retirees.

Toastmasters really is for everyone because, when it comes to communication and leadership skills, theres ALWAYS room to grow.

How to Join a Casper Toastmaster Club:

PIONEER TOASTMASTERS CLUB 97 (first and third Wednesday from Noon-1:00) kevin@wyocpa.com

MORNING TOUR TOASTMASTERS CLUB 2503 (first and third Mondays, 6:30 a.m.  7:40 p.m.) shaunagibbs0@gmail.com or MaryAnn 307 262-5539

PATHFINDER TOASTMASTERS CLUB 8503 (second and fourth Mondays, 6:15 p.m.  7:30) swhitfield19@msn.com or Steve 307 235-2956

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: www.toastmasters.org

Stammtisch meets monthly

The Casper German Stammtisch will meet monthly at 6 p.m. at Gruner Brothers Brewery on July 21, Oct. 6 (German-American Heritage Day), Nov. 10 and Dec. 8 (includes a sing-a-long of traditional German Christmas carols). When the weather is nice, we prefer to sit outdoors on the patio/deck, so please look for us there first.

Our Stammtisch, which started in 2003, is an informal no-host gathering for everyone who is interested in most things German and German-American from history to cars, food, holidays, and so much more. Both English and German are spoken.

Hope youll join us!

Margo Perry 307-265-3696

Antique club monthly meeting

The Casper Antique and Collectors Club (CACC) has been supporting local non-profits and Wyoming museums for 50 years! The Club holds regular meetings with programs of interest, and sponsors the Super Flea and Collectibles shows throughout the year. The Club is all volunteer, and new members are welcome!

The Clubs summer schedule is: NO July meeting, and the annual summer picnic on Aug. 18. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend!

The May Super Flea and Collectibles Show was a success, a donation was made to the Casper Senior Center, and the Club would like to thank Laura and Bob Pickle for all their work organizing the show. The next show will be Oct. 1 and 2 at the Fairgrounds Industrial Building.

Club proceeds are used to support Wyoming museums and local non-profits. The CACC is a non-profit organization run completely by volunteers.

Red Hatters June luncheon

The Red Hatters luncheon for June will be a Della Works home on Thursday, June 23 at 11:30 a.m. It is a potluck bring so whatever you want, but bring yourself.

Our hostesses for June are Della Works and Kathy Morgan.

To make your reservations call Buff at 237-7013 [our phone chairman].

Also bring your Red Hat items you no longer want. If you have something you want to sell make sure you put your name and price on it. It is a great time for our new members to get the items they will be needing.

Hope to see everyone at Dellas on June 23.

Elks events

Saturday, July 30

The 10th Annual Iron Elk Motorcycle Poker Run, Ride to Red Lodge, MT, (Rooms and meals are on you) Registration starts at 7 a.m. at the Casper Elks Lodge and get your first card. Cost is $40.00 per hand per person. Kickstands up at 8am. This will be a one night Poker run. Join your Elk Friends for a fun day of riding and enjoyment. Details at the Lodge, for more information and RSVP by email at Elkslodge1353@gmail.com, or Call Casper Elks Lodge at 234-4839.

This event is open to the public.

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SHANGHAI, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists found two genes in rice that can make the staple crop more heat-resistant, providing a new way for breeding highly thermotolerant crops.

The researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University revealed the mechanism by which the rice's cell membrane senses external heat-stress signals before communicating with chloroplasts. It is the organ where photosynthesis takes place to orchestrate heat tolerance.

Too much heat can damage a plant's chloroplasts. When temperatures exceed a crop's usual tolerance, its yields tend to drop.

The researchers identified a locus with two genes, Thermo-tolerance 3.1 (TT3.1) and Thermo-tolerance 3.2 (TT3.2). They interact in concert to enhance rice thermotolerance and reduce grain-yield losses caused by heat stress.

The researchers found that accumulated TT3.2 triggers chloroplast damage regarding heat stress, but, in that scenario, TT3.1 can serve as a remedy.

Upon heat stress, TT3.1, a potential thermosensor, will remove the cell membrane from the cell to degrade the mature TT3.2 proteins, according to the study published on Friday in the journal Science.

"The study elucidates a fresh molecular mechanism that links plant cell membranes with the chloroplast in responding to heating signals," said the paper's co-corresponding author Lin Hongxuan with the Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology.

Then, the researchers used hybridization to translate the TT3 locus of African rice into Asian species.

The field test has shown that the new species is more heat tolerant. It can withstand heat at 38 degrees Celsius without crop failure, while the output of normal species would be reduced above 35 degrees Celsius, said the researchers.

The newly-found gene might also be used in other plants, including wheat, maize, bean, and vegetables, to cultivate heat-tolerant strains, according to the researchers. 
The Supreme Courts rejection in the Steel Seizure Case of President Harry Trumans assertion of an inherent executive power to seize the steel mills to thwart a nationwide strike generated questions about the location in the Constitution of authority to confront emergencies.

The framers of the Constitution were entitled to believe that they had succeeded in subordinating the executive to the Constitution. Indeed, that was one of their greatest accomplishments. Still, there remained the problem of emergency and it confronted the principle of the rule of the law with an awkward though undeniable challenge, immortalized in the words of President Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln wrestled with the question in the clamor and conflict of the Civil War. Are all the laws but one, he asked, in addressing Congress on July 4, 1861, to go unexecuted, and the Government itself go to pieces lest that one be violated? Even in such a case, would not the official oath be broken if the Government should be overthrown when it was believed that disregarding the single law would tend to preserve it?

Does the president truly possess an inherent power, variously referred to as a prerogative or emergency power, which the English philosopher John Locke famously described in 1690, as the power to act according to discretion for the public good, without the prescription of law, and sometimes even against it? If so, what are its limits, if any? Does the existence of an emergency reallocate constitutional powers? As a corollary, may the president ignore or revise the Constitution? For example, if a president believed he should stay in office for six years, in defiance of the constitutionally limited four-year term, to serve the public interest may he remain in office?

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention did not entertain a doctrine of necessity or a theory of emergency power. There is no evidence that they intended to incorporate a Lockean Prerogative in the Constitution. And there is no textual grant of such a power. Indeed, fears of executive power led the framers to enumerate the presidents power. The framers undertook, in James Madisons phrase, to confine and define presidential authority. Clearly, an undefined reservoir of inherent or emergency power would have unraveled the carefully crafted design of Article II and repudiated both their stated aim of corralling executive power and the principle of the rule of law.

Rather than granting to the president an emergency power, the framers embraced the age-old doctrine of retroactive authorization. Lord Dicey, the eminent commentator, explained the method that emerged in English law: There are times of tumult and invasion when for the sake of legality itself the rules must be broken. The ministry must break the law and trust for protection to an act of immunity.

The adoption of this approach in America meant that the president, perceiving a grave emergency, might act in the absence of law, or in violation of it, and turn to Congress to provide immunity for his illegal action by retroactively authorizing it.

In this manner, congressional ratification would hinge on the question of whether Congress shared the presidents perception of an emergency. Congress might or might not share the presidents view. The chief virtue of this practice was that it left to Congress, as the nations lawmaking authority, the ultimate determination of the existence of an emergency, and it prevented the president from serving as judge of his own cause, a principle of over-arching importance in the history of Anglo-American legal history. An additional virtue lay in the fact that the requirement of congressional ratification would likely temper presidential claims of emergency.

Since resort to Congress for vindication and exoneration represents an admission of executive usurpation of power, a president is unlikely to respond to an emergency with measures that exceed his authority and risk his own fate and fortune, unless he is confident that the legislature would likewise view his acts as an indispensable necessity. The doctrine of retroactive ratification incorporates elements of both the doctrines of separation of powers and checks and balances and thus maintains a semblance of constitutional government.

The American practice of relying on retroactive authorization, rather than bowing to the assertion of emergency executive power, dates to the revolutionary period. It has been advanced by great presidents, including Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. We turn next week to their resort to retroactive authorization, and other historic examples, to demonstrate our constitutional means of confronting emergencies.

David Adler, Ph.D., is a noted author who lectures nationally and internationally on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Presidential power. His scholarly writings have been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court and lower courts by both Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress. Adlers column is supported in part through a grant from Wyoming Humanities funded by the Why it Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation initiative, administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Adler can be reached at david.adler@alturasinstitute.com.

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A 16-year-old is expected to appear before a master of the Fyzabad Childrens Court on Monda
It is time that several nations, led in the Western Hemisphere by the US and Canada, correct
A migrant was stabbed to death by a Border Patrol agent in Cochise County last month, according to an autopsy report.

Abigail Roman Aguilar, 32, from Chiapas, Mexico, suffered stab wounds to the chest and blunt force injuries, the autopsy report from the Pima County Examiners Office said. Aguilars cause of death was ultimately determined to be due to sharp force injuries and the manner of the death was ruled a homicide.

On May 24, Aguilar was admitted to the Copper Queen Community Hospital in Douglas with face and lip injuries following a barb wire incident while running from the United States Border Patrol, the autopsy report said. After he was discharged from the hospital, he was reportedly involved in an altercation with a Border Patrol agent, who ultimately stabbed Aguilar with a knife.

The name of the agent has not been released. According to a Border Patrol statement, the incident is under investigation by the FBI. It is also under review by CBPs Office of Professional Responsibility and will be presented to the CBPs National Use of Force Review Board at the conclusion of the review.

The Consulate of Mexico in Douglas demanded an exhaustive investigation into the incident to clarify the facts and hold the agent accountable, if appropriate, according to a previous Arizona Daily Star story.

The Mexican Consulate was also in touch with Aguilars family to help return his remains to Mexico, the Star story said.

Contact reporter Jamie Donnelly at jdonnelly@tucson.com

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As national attention focuses on school shootings, the Tucson Unified School District governing board approved the hiring of eight employees for its school safety team, with those in favor saying it will strengthen security but skeptics concerned about the effectiveness of adding more armed staff on campuses.

The measure allocates more than $415,000 per year for the new hires, which will increase the districts school safety team to 42 members. Six of the eight new employees will be armed.

The board approved the plan on a 3-2 vote Tuesday, with members Ravi Shah and Leila Counts rejecting the measure.

Im actually surprised that there were not that many school safety officers that specifically work for security. We have a lot of schools, and theres a lot of people to protect, so Im comfortable supporting the plan, board member Sadie Shaw said.

TUSD serves more than 46,000 students across 89 campuses and has more than 8,000 employees.

Joseph Hallums, the districts school safety and security director, said part of his team currently includes five school safety supervisors who typically work school-hour shifts during the week to respond to calls at individual schools.

Those employees, he said, are responsible for investigating more serious incidents such as disturbances at school and missing students who didnt show up to school or back home.

Additionally, a total of eight uniformed security officers work the off hours during the week and provide 24-hour coverage during the weekends to conduct site checks on campuses.

TUSDs safety team includes five dispatchers to connect people to the appropriate officers during calls.

Hallums proposed that the district hire five additional school safety supervisors and two more dispatchers and create a position of field lieutenant in time for next school year. The two dispatchers will not be armed.

During the 2021-2022 school year, there were a total of 21 armed safety employees throughout the district, Hallums said in a media briefing Wednesday.

The new hires will bring the number up to a total of 27 armed employees for the 2022-2023 school year, he said.

He said the idea is to assign one school safety supervisor for every high school to oversee safety practices on their campuses, as well as oversee and build relationships with feeder schools, as a way for them to become part of the school communities and neighborhoods.

The field lieutenant, he said, will be in charge of providing leadership and guidance across the district to ensure that all campuses are receiving the same resources.

This employee would take charge in emergencies, with the authority to pull personnel from some schools and redirect them where they are most needed in the moment.

Hallums added that the school safety officers assigned to each high school would also allow the opportunity to build stronger relationships with Tucson Police Department officers assigned to the same neighborhoods, and ensure a stronger response in case of an emergency.

The increased call volume that weve dealt with in the last school year has really put us in the position where we cant provide that resource that were really wanting for schools, Hallums said.

The increase in calls this year were mostly due to having more students back on the campuses, district spokeswoman Karla Escamilla said. Numerous calls for service involved parents reporting social media threats that were shared among students, which were investigated by police and school safety and found to be transient threats (no sustained intent to harm), and school safety also received other non-emergency incidents.

Hallums current team also includes managers overseeing different operations, as well as employees who handle traffic safety and key control, among other tasks.

More comprehensive look sought

Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said the measure is about investing in training and professional development by having a designated person in the schools to teach emergency response behaviors.

But Shah was not convinced, saying he hadnt found any research showing that the presence of school safety officers, or armed staff, was tied to any reduction in severity of school shootings.

I think we need a more comprehensive look later on this summer and in the fall to really come up with some solutions that are really evidence-based and not just gut reactions to this issue, and then I can get behind those, Shah said.

Board member Adelita Grijalva said she was also hesitant about having more armed staff on campuses.

A lot of these situations that Ive seen nationally, there were people that were armed that were there, and the incident still occurred, Grijalva said, in reference to armed staff on campuses.

I want to see what were going to do to keep people off of our campuses  without creating a jail environment, and thats going to be a very thin weave, she said.

Grijalva noted that making physical changes to school campuses is crucial for improving safety. She said some school administrators were already taking individual action on their campuses, including adding reflective tint on windows to prevent outsiders from looking inside, and making sure to lock certain doors.

However, she said students and staff in some schools seem to be more at risk given that the campus structure gives intruders open access to different areas of the property.

Those are things that I know our schools, our parents, our students and our staff want to know is going to be consistently applied, Grijalva said, referring to the daily, physical barriers blocking intruders.

Hallums said the safety team follows strict locked-door protocols during lockdowns, situations in which the school faces an active threat or theres a hostile intruder on campus.

Part of the school safety supervisors responsibilities will be to assess vulnerabilities at the schools they are assigned to, he said.

Ultimately, the measure was approved by board members Shaw, Grijalva and Natalie Luna Rose.

Why I am so in favor of school safety officers is because theyre under our control, Shaw said, noting that the district instructs them on how they respond to emergencies and interact with the community.

Im happy for them to be here because how are you going to combat an active shooter without someone who is armed? she said.

Have any questions or news tips about K-12 education in Southern Arizona? Contact reporter Genesis Lara at glara@tucson.com

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PHOENIX  A judge has swatted down a bid by Attorney General Mark Brnovich to force Secretary of State Katie Hobbs to produce an Election Procedures Manual to his liking.

In a ruling late Friday, Yavapai County Superior Court Judge John Napper said Democrat Hobbs properly exercised her discretion in coming up with rules for this years elections. He said she provided the biennial manual by the Oct. 1 deadline to both Brnovich and Gov. Doug Ducey, both Republicans, for their legally required review.

But Napper said Brnovich, rather than negotiate areas of difference he had with Hobbs, simply rejected the proposal and refused to negotiate with her.

Worse yet, the judge said, Brnovich failed to explain how he reached the conclusion that what she put in the manual exceeded her authority or is contrary to state law.

Instead, Brnovich waited until April  months after the deadline for adoption of the manual  to file suit against Hobbs. And even that lawsuit, Napper said, lacked specific explanations of why he wanted changes.

The bottom line, the judge said, is that the failure of Brnovich to act sooner  or negotiate  convinced him to throw out the attorney generals complaint.

Fridays ruling is the latest in a series of public squabbles and lawsuits between Brnovich, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, and Hobbs, who is hoping to be the Democratic nominee for governor.

Napper, in his four-page ruling, made it clear he believes the attorney general is at fault for this latest dust-up.

He pointed out that Hobbs, in submitting the manual on Oct. 1, did it after consulting election officials statewide.

The attorney general simply struck provisions he did not like, Napper said.

He simply stated, This proposed regulation exceeds the scope of the secretarys statutory authorization or contravenes an election statutes purpose, and therefore cannot be approved,  Napper said. Brnovich also stated that certain regulations are arbitrary and capricious.

Only thing is, Napper said, Brnovich failed to explain how he had reached these conclusions.

Napper said Hobbs subsequently sent letters and offered to meet to discuss the issues and negotiate a manual acceptable to her, Brnovich and Ducey, just like was done in 2019.

But there were no negotiations, the judge said, and the Dec. 31 deadline came and went. It was only in April that Brnovich, joined by the Yavapai County Republican Party, went to court and asked Napper to order Hobbs to produce what Brnovich calls a legally compliant manual.

But even then, the judge said, the attorney general still didnt provide specifics to his legal objections.

Napper said Hobbs, in preparing the new manual, did nothing wrong  and pretty much everything right.

There is no dispute that the secretary met and consulted with each county board of supervisors or other officers in charge of elections, he wrote, and that she produced the manual after getting input from each of them.

The judge said the manual also represented her policy decisions on a variety of issues ranging from early voting to producing, distributing, collecting, counting, tabulating and storing ballots.

It is important to note, the draft Election Procedures Manual was supported by an overwhelming majority of the Arizona election officials, Napper wrote. The AG has not produced any evidence to the contrary.

The judge acknowledged arguments by Brnovich that the draft omitted or misconstrued portions of statutes. He said it also includes what Hobbs believes are best practice recommendations that were not suitably labeled as such.

But none of that convinced Napper to rule that Hobbs broke the law and should be ordered, as Brnovich asked, to rewrite the manual.

In a document totaling 296 pages, these deficiencies were limited, he wrote. A majority of the document complies with the dictates of the Election Procedures Manual in Arizona law.

Napper acknowledged that, strictly speaking, the dispute  and his decision not to order Hobbs to redo the manual the way Brnovich wants  leaves the county election officials without guidance on which they can rely to run this years elections. But the judge made it clear whom he holds at fault for that.

The complaint (by Brnovich) was filed far too late for this to occur without disrupting elections that have already begun, Napper wrote.

But the judge said there is a fallback position.

He noted that Hobbs did prepare a manual in 2019, as required. And that one was approved by both Brnovich and Ducey.

Election officials are following the 2019 Election Procedures Manual while adhering to any changes occurring since its submission, Napper said. As the last approved Election Procedures Manual, it currently remains the Election Procedures Manual for Arizona elections.

Fridays ruling may not be the end of the fight.

In a prepared statement, Brnovich spokeswoman Brittni Thomason said her boss still contends the manual Hobbs prepared is not lawful and that Brnovich is exploring all options to ensure what he believes is required to ensure the integrity of the 2022 elections.

Thomason also said the delay in filing the challenge to the manual until April was justified, at least in part because Hobbs had filed a complaint against Brnovich and his office with the State Bar of Arizona. Hobbs alleged that Brnovich violated ethical rules by representing her office and then taking a contrary position in court.

But that complaint was resolved by early February.

In a Twitter post, Hobbs called Fridays ruling a win for the rule of law  and for Arizonas voters. She said the lawsuit was simply a bid by Brnovich to rewrite the election rules based on his own political preferences.

+1 +1

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HEFEI, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Loaded with automobiles and auto parts, a China-Europe freight train departed on Friday from Hefei, the capital of east China's Anhui Province, heading for Almaty in Kazakhstan.

"As the epidemic wanes and export demand grows, the volume of China-Europe freight trains has increased since late April, and we are busy all day now," said Zhang Yong, a China-Europe freight train driver in the city.

In the first five months of this year, Hefei handled 339 China-Europe freight trains, 175 more than the same period last year. The trains carried 31,956 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers, up 106 percent year on year, according to the local railway authorities.

The outbound trains mainly carried photovoltaic products, auto parts, and household appliances. The inbound trains brought products including red wine, milk, barley, and cotton yarn from European and Asian countries.

"The China-Europe freight trains are supporting the global industrial and supply chain. They are cost-effective, stable, and reliable," said Chen Feng, vice president of Hefei International Land Port Development Co., Ltd., which is in charge of the freight operation.

Hefei has sent over 2,200 freight trains to 70 destinations in 16 countries since it started the cargo train service in 2014. 
The Contreras Fire, burning southwest of Tucson, continued to grow Saturday with no containment, destroying four non-scientific buildings at the Kitt Peak National Observatory.

Structure protection crews remained at the observatory and the Pan Tak community, which is northeast of the fire, the news release said. Initial assessment indicates that all the domes and other scientific facilities have been protected from the fire, which made a fast run to the observatory early Friday. Four non-scientific buildings on the west side of the observatory property were lost in the fire, officials said.

Heroic action was taken ... they were able to save all the telescopes, a fire official said at a Saturday briefing about crews assigned to the observatory.

Structure protection crews have also successfully placed defensible lines around all remaining structures, the news release said. Assessments of the observatory site, operated by the National Science Foundations NOIRLab, will commence Saturday if conditions allow for safe entry into the area.

We are in close contact with the NSFs NOIRLab leadership, who are in direct contact with those leading the firefighting efforts, said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins in a statement. The UA has a telescope and other facilities at Kitt Peak. They are providing updates as information becomes available. We are grateful to all who are working to fight the fire and help protect the facilities while keeping everyone safe. We are also proud of our staff who did their best to prepare our facilities before they were ordered to leave the mountain on Wednesday.

Aerial resources are expected to remain over the fire all day on Saturday if lightning is not present in the area, a news release from the Eastern Area Incident Management Team said, which is managing the fire on the Tohono Oodham Reservation. Fire behavior remains typical with an increased movement upslope, due to pushed winds and extremely dry fuels made up of brush and short grass.

On the north end of the fire, fire behavior will be monitored closely with the addition of extra crews and engines. There will be an opportunity for direct attack by crews and air support in this area due to moderate terrain and sparse vegetation, the news release said.

Some leading areas of the fire have burned out because of sparse vegetation, officials said.

An engine and hand crew will check for hot spots along containment lines on the south end of the fire, which is near Elkhorn Ranch.

Elkhorn Ranch is currently in SET status for evacuation. Kitt Peak Observatory staff and the community of Pan Tak had already been evacuated.

There are currently eight crews, six helicopters and 300 plus personnel fighting the lightning caused fire.

The fire started on June 11 on the remote ridge of the Baboquivari Mountain range, 20 miles east of Sells. It has grown to 17,646 acres with 0% containment.

Arizona 386 remains closed due to the fire.

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GUAYMAS, SONORA  As sewage spills continue to plague the port city of Guaymas and its tourist sector of San Carlos, local officials are touting new projects to help resolve the decades-old problem.

But many residents, health experts and tourists are frustrated at the slow pace of progress.

Sierra Vista resident Michael Palm said the worsening sewage situation led his family to cancel their regular trip to San Carlos this summer and instead head to San Diego.

Palm said his family usually visits San Carlos a few times a year. His 8-year-old son loves snorkeling in the Sea of Cortes, and Puerto Penasco, Sonora, cant compete with San Carlos small-town atmosphere and its majestic mountains that reach the edge of the sea, he said.

But during their last visit, in December, the odors were hard to ignore, he said.

It just became too much for us, said Palm, a custom log-furniture craftsman. One of our favorite taco places has just been engulfed with the overwhelming stench of sewage, so bad you can even smell it while dining inside.  Its quite a disappointing situation happening down there.

This month Guaymas mayor Karla Cordova announced five public works projects focused on water infrastructure, including new sewer pipes in the Guaymas Centro, where sewage back-ups sometimes inundate heavily trafficked roadways, as well as the Mar de Cortes and Villas de Miramar sectors of the city.

The only project announced for San Carlos  which has experienced a massive tourism boom during the pandemic  adds potable water pipes and a storage tank in the Los Algodones sector, addressing another major concern: widespread potable water leaks amid a long-running drought.

In a June 10 press conference, Cordova, who took office in September, acknowledged the frustration of residents who have dealt with a failing sewer system, and unfulfilled promises for reform, for decades.

Some are angry her administration hasnt done more in its first nine months in office. Cordova attributed delays to bureaucratic processes that must be completed before securing funding.

Funding will come from the local, state and federal levels, she said.

We know that as time goes on, we are losing the trust of the people, Cordova said in Spanish during the press conference. Thats why were explaining to you why the problem hasnt been solved. We want all Guaymas citizens to feel secure knowing the three levels of government are working for their well-being.

The plan also calls for a new wastewater stabilization lagoon in the Yaqui community of Vicam. All five projects must be completed by the end of this year, Cordova said.

Not enough

Environmental health experts and Guaymas residents say more urgency is needed to tackle the escalating sewage problem.

The recently announced projects are a modest start, said Jaqueline Garcia Hernandez, a biochemical engineer who runs the Environmental Sciences Lab at CIAD in Guaymas, which is part of a network of federally supported laboratories.

Its not nearly enough, she said.

Garcia Hernandez is leading a team of researchers in an experiment that aims to improve the citys overwhelmed oxidation lagoon, known as La Salada. Oxidation lagoons treat wastewater naturally through the combination of sunlight, oxygen, algae and bacteria.

Ultimately, experts say modern wastewater treatment plants will be necessary in Guaymas and San Carlos. The oxidation lagoons are insufficient to handle the volume of waste generated by the growing population, according to former directors of the Comision Estatal del Agua, known as CEA.

CEA is the state agency that administers Guaymas potable water and sewer systems.

On Tuesday, the Arizona Daily Star submitted a list of questions for Cordova regarding the citys progress so far in dealing with the sewage crisis. A mayors office spokesperson initially agreed to send more details on the new projects and to forward the Stars questions to the mayor.

But after the initial exchange, neither the spokesperson, nor the mayor, replied to the Stars messages.

Environmental damage

Last November, state officials declared a health emergency in Guaymas and allocated $10 million pesos  about $490,000 dollars  in emergency funding as sewage leaks overran the city.

In December the Star published a four-month investigation exploring the root causes of, and realistic solutions to, the sewage crisis in Guaymas and San Carlos. A collaboration with KJZZs Fronteras Desk, the project was funded by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Sewage spills impact not only human health, but environmental health as well.

Retirees Dave and Sue Barlow of Utah spend about half the year in San Carlos, where they own a seaside home on San Francisco Beach.

For about six weeks this spring, a sewage pump station near their home spilled waste onto the beach and into the sea, Dave Barlow said.

The smell is bad enough, but were worried about kids and people swimming in the water along with the damage its doing to the ocean, he said on May 24.

Barlow said he had to make multiple trips to the CEA office before the broken pump was finally replaced. While the fix came as a relief, Barlow is still concerned: CEA workers told him they were replacing the pump with an older, used one.

I hope it doesnt break again, he said.

Not an easy fix

The Twitter page of CEAs regional Guaymas office is filled with reports of its ongoing repairs to the sewage and potable water systems in Guaymas and San Carlos.

But CEA workers are facing an uphill battle. Former CEA regional director Ivan Cruz said last fall that Guaymas sewer system has the perfect storm of challenges. That includes hilly topography that requires enormous amounts of energy to pump sewage, rocky soil that can easily damage poorly installed pipes, and inadequate resources, exacerbated by frustrated residents who dont pay their water bills.

While some are calling for an increase in Guaymas water rate to generate more funds, Cordova emphasized in the press conference she is committed to resolving the sewage problem before imposing higher tariffs on citizens.

Another challenge emerged this month: CEA Guaymas regional director, David Pintor, submitted his resignation after eight months on the job.

Pintor did not respond to the Stars request for comment on his departure.

Sonoran Gov. Alfonso Durazo, who took office in September, campaigned on a promise to modernize the historic port city of Guaymas  an economic driver for the state  and hes voiced his commitment to fixing the sewage crisis there.

The Star also submitted questions to the states communications office on Tuesday, seeking more details on the proposed projects and progress so far in improving Guaymas sewage infrastructure.

On Friday, a spokesman said both Gov. Durazos office, and the state-level office of the Comision Estatal del Agua, declined to comment.

Seeking solutions

In the days after the Stars investigative series was published, beginning on Dec. 5, state officials highlighted plans to tackle the problem.

On Dec. 6, Sonoras infrastructure department posted a video on Twitter, explaining Guaymas sewage crisis and describing plans for six new sewage pumps in the city.

We are already working to create a solution, Durazo said on Dec. 8 when asked about the Stars coverage. We are aware that there is a historic issue, that the drainage system is obsolete. We cant nor do we want to hide that. But in our concern, weve already asked the president for support to build a solution given the urgency of the situation.

The Mexican government has committed $5 billion pesos  about $240 million dollars  to port modernization projects in Sonora, including upgrading the sewage system in Guaymas. Among the projects: Construction of an additional oxidation lagoon in North Guaymas and eventually, a wastewater treatment plant.

CEA Sonora director Jose Luis Jardines said in a Dec. 9 press release that $256 million pesos, (about $12 million dollars) had been allocated to Guaymas infrastructure upgrades over the next three years, plus $100 million pesos (about $4.9 million dollars) from the Guaymas port authority, known as Apiguay, will be dedicated to fixing the citys sewage and potable water systems.

He described plans to construct a pluvial drainage system, to prevent rainwater filled with debris from flooding the sewer system, as well as the rehabilitation of aging sewage pumps and installation of back-up pumps in case of a pump failure.

Beach spill

Last month in Miramar, a high-end neighborhood in Guaymas, a waterfall of sewage poured onto one of the citys most popular beaches, before flowing into a bay of the Sea of Cortes. The spill originated from an overflowing manhole cover up the road, outside a large residential development.

Within hours, CEA workers halted the leak after a public outcry and a series of social media posts on the environmental hazard. CEA later reported the sewage flow was caused by a clamp, in a state of deterioration, becoming detached from a pressurized sewage line.

It was a notably quick response. Guaymas residents report waiting weeks or months for urgently needed repairs, which often end up being short-term fixes.

In the densely populated Guaymas Norte  the fastest growing part of the city  some residents say they feel abandoned by CEA.

Last week Guadalupe Garcia, 29, was waiting for the bus with her 3-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son. A few meters away, sewage audibly gurgled up from a manhole cover before flowing down the road.

Despite repeated reports to CEA, the sewage leak has been ongoing for a year and a half, Garcia said.

Her family can smell the sewage from inside their home just up the road, she said.

At night, it smells horrible, she said in Spanish. You cant leave the window open or anything because it smells a lot. Even with the air conditioning on, the smell comes in.

Garcia and her neighbors  some of whom have been sickened by sewage exposure  are organizing to demand action, she said.

A possible explanation for the ongoing sewage flow appeared to be an unsecured and out-of-service sewage pump station near Garcias house.

The station houses sewage pumps intended to move wastewater to the citys oxidation lagoon on the south side of Guaymas. Last week, the chain-link fence around the pump station was unlocked, and there was no sound coming from the equipment. All electrical cords appeared to have been cut and removed.

Former CEA leaders have highlighted the need for greater security around sewer equipment, which is often burglarized and vandalized. Dozens of manhole covers are also missing throughout Guaymas, resulting in trash and debris flowing into the system and clogging sewer pipes.

Guaymas Como Vamos

Some Guaymas residents are taking proactive steps themselves.

A citizen-led initiative, Guaymas Como Vamos, seeks to identify, study and develop realistic solutions to the citys major challenges.

Guaymas sewage crisis is at the top of their priority list.

The non-governmental organization has gathered a team of stakeholders from various sectors, including civil engineers, health experts and environmental scientists.

At a Wednesday meeting, participants brainstormed causes of the sewage crisis, including a lack of technical training and supervision for CEA workers, resulting in poor workmanship that doesnt hold up over time.

Other issues raised included the lack of transparency from CEA and the lack of maintenance of existing infrastructure.

Sociologist Rogelio Velazquez Camarena, who is the founder of Guaymas Como Vamos, said many Guaymas residents have resigned themselves to substandard living conditions and have little hope for change.

But Velazquez, 38, said hes an optimist. He believes the citizen-led group, drawing on the expertise of its participants, will drive progress and improve the quality of life for residents.

I am totally convinced, he said. There are many people who tell me that it cant be done. What I have told them: You are not going to convince me that it is not possible. I want to convince you that it is.

Contact freelance reporter Emily Bregel at emily.bregel@gmail.com. On Twitter: @EmilyBregel.

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Tucson Water officials are warning that severe cuts in the amount of CAP deliveries the city gets from the Colorado River could start next year, as federal officials seek to slice water uses across the entire river basin to protect its biggest reservoirs.

Because of the dire conditions in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, any degree of reductions may be possible, Tucson Water Director John Kmiec said Thursday in an email to the Star.

At some point, the cuts could be large enough that the city will have to pump native groundwater to serve to customers in greater proportions than its done since its heavy use of Colorado River water began more than a decade ago.

Kmiecs comments came after Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton told a Senate committee Tuesday that the bureau wants the seven river basin states, including Arizona, to slash their take of river water by 2 million to 4 million acre-feet a year starting next year.

Thats about two to four times more water than the Central Arizona Project is scheduled to deliver to Tucson, Phoenix, numerous other cities and a host of tribes this year.

The purpose would be to insure that Mead and Powell dont fall so low that they can no longer deliver water and generate electricity.

Touton said she wants an agreement among the basin states to apportion the cuts by mid-August, or the Interior Department will impose cuts  an action she said federal officials dont want to do.

If no action is taken and natural river flows run less than 50% of normal the next four years, Lake Mead could reach dead pool  the level at which no water can be removed from it  in 2025 and 2026, according to slides presented by bureau scientist James Prairie on Thursday at a Colorado River conference in Boulder, Colorado.

The situation on the river is not good. We may have to participate in severe cuts to our allocation as soon as 2023, Kmiec told the Star.

Tucson has long been in the catbirds seat for CAP water compared to other Arizona cities. Not only is its annual supply of 144,000 acre-feet one of the largest of any Arizona city, its enough that Tucson doesnt need to use about 30% of it every year. Instead, it stores it underground for future use.

The underground CAP supplies would provide about five years worth of water citywide if no other water was used. If major CAP cuts kick in, the stored water could fill the gap between what Tucson gets each year from the CAP canal, and what the community uses each year, Kmiec said.

Phoenix-area cities that get CAP also will be targets for cuts under the Bureau of Reclamations new directive. But Warren Tenney, who runs a 10-city, Phoenix-area water users association, declined to speculate on how significantly those cities would be affected, because I dont want that kind of information used in negotiations.

Well, certainly it would be a serious impact, whatever the percentage of cut it might be. But Im hesitant to say whether we can handle it or not. I dont want that to be used against us, said Tenney, general manager of the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association. It represents Phoenix and nine other cities with 3.7 million people total.

City leaders point to farms

Led by Las Vegas-area water officials, many urban leaders have noted that agriculture slurps 75% to 80% of all water used in the entire Colorado River basin, and have said cities cant possibly save enough water to account for all the needed cuts.

But while many cities, like Tucson, have other water supplies they can turn to in an emergency in which CAP water disappears or is cut drastically, farms often have nowhere else to turn if they lose river supplies.

While many water officials say the farms could save a lot of water by replacing thirsty flood irrigation methods with water-saving drip irrigation, or by growing fewer water-guzzling crops, such big changes cant be made by early next year, agricultural community leaders told the Star.

A possible alternative could be temporary, large-scale fallowing of crops. But farming leaders say that could have major economic consequences both for farmers and for the surrounding communities whose economies depend on them.

No silver bullet, only buckshot

Overall, Theres no silver bullet for the basins problems, said Kathryn Sorensen, an Arizona State University water researcher and former water director for Phoenix, at the Boulder water conference Thursday. Theres only buckshot left and were all going to get splattered.

Sorensen told the Star that of those attending the conference shes talked to, There is broad recognition of how dire the situation is and determination to do what needs to be done.

I think it will be a big shock to the system, said former U.S. Assistant Interior Secretary Anne Castle of Reclamations demand for such a big cut so quickly. In a sense, the water use shock is just catching up with the hydrological shock that has been occurring for the last 20 years.

Reclamations demands basically require a recalculation of all priorities of who gets how much water, as laid out by the century-old Colorado River Compact, said CAP Board President Terry Goddard.

The commissioners request for up to 4 million acre-foot savings came as the CAP was already expecting to take more significant cuts in 2023 and 2024 than it did this year, Goddard said.

Its obviously a complete change in our perspective in how much water the river can provide, he said.

If the basins weather stays as dry as its been the past couple of years, that will force radical changes in water use across the entire West, said Bill Hasencamp, manager of Colorado River programs for Southern Californias six-county Metropolitan Water District.

Obviously with outdoor watering and lawns in particular, there could be a complete ban on outdoor use. Nevada is doing it and it may be the future, said Hasencamp.

Speaking from the Boulder water conference, he added, Im here at the University of Colorado, looking at all the grass and it looks gorgeous. Maybe in the future, thats a luxury we cant afford.

Grim outlook from Reclamation

At that conference, Reclamations Prairie presented a series of slides raising a grim outlook for the reservoirs to explain why bureau officials believe the big water use curbs are needed.

The bureaus goals are to keep Mead at 1,000 or 1,020 feet in elevation and Powell at 3,500 or 3,525 feet.

At 1,000 feet, Mead would be 50 feet above the level at which Hoover Dam could no longer generate power. For Powell, 3,525 is 35 feet above the level at which Glen Canyon Dam couldnt generate power.

The slides said:

Mead would land at or very near dead pool in 2025 and 2026 if annual flows fall below 50% of normal in 2024 through 2026. At dead pool, no water could be extracted.

If flows fell below 50% of normal those years, Powell would fall well below 3,490 in all four, and near 3,400 feet in 2024 through 2026. Dead pool for Powell is 3,370 feet.

Even with a good year, we can quickly be back in the same position we are in today, or worse, one slide said.

CAP has lower priority than California

In Arizona, the biggest concern by far is how a cut of up to 4 million acre-feet will affect CAP.

As a condition for getting Congress to authorize the $4 billion water project in 1968, Arizona officials had to accept junior priority status, compared to politically powerful California.

Under the law, when water shortages occur on the river, the CAP must give up all of its supply before California loses any of its 4.4 million acre-feet.

As a current junior rights member in the lower basin, this has always been a concern. Arizonas economy and importance to the nation has changed much since 1968, Tucson Waters Kmiec said. Our desire is that the increased national importance of the state of Arizona will be a factor in how the future allocations will be made.

The Star asked about possible CAP cutoff in conversations with water experts in both basins  Castle, now a University of Colorado research fellow; author and former Colorado water official Eric Kuhn; and Sarah Porter, director of Arizona State Universitys Kyl Water Policy Center. They agreed CAP is unlikely to get wiped out.

How to deal with CAPs low priority is one of several equity issues the states water officials are struggling to deal with, Castle said.

Another is the importance of tribal water rights.

A third is caused by the fact that the Upper Basin stands to lose a lot of water if Lake Powell falls so low that it cant deliver enough over a decade to meet is obligations to the Lower Basin set by the 1922 Colorado River compact  even though the Lower Basin uses twice a much water as the Upper Basin.

Public health and safety issues will also play into decisions affecting CAP, Porter said, since Arizona cities rely on CAP water for health and safety reasons.

Cities remaining functional, having enough water to do so is a priority, she said.

But Porter and Goddard agreed that continuing to provide Tucson enough CAP water to recharge 30% of it for future use, as it does now, will not be a major priority.

It does make sense that cities will not be having delivered water theyre just using for recharge, Porter said.

The CAP has already cut its take of water from the river by about one-third since the three Lower Basin states of Arizona, Nevada and California signed the basins drought contingency plan in 2019. Just in 2022, the project lost 512,000 acre-feet, most of which fell upon a group of Pinal County farmers.

Kuhn predicted CAP will have to take a very significant cut, in the range of 800,000 to 900,000 acre-feet from its original supply of 1.5 million a year.

It seems to me when they modeled the projects supplies in the 60s, they showed lots of years when CAP got nothing. They had lots of years when CAP got lots of water, but lots of years when they got nothing, said Kuhn, retired general manager of the Colorado River District in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

He added, Politically, I think its not going to happen that CAP will ever get nothing.

Goddard, the CAP board president, however, said he intends to push hard for the project to continue to get 900,000 acre-feet a year. Tucson and other cities get about 440,000 acre-feet of CAP each year, while tribes get 520,000, he said.

Under the 2019 Lower Basin drought contingency plan, Arizona agreed to give up 720,000 acre-feet a year when Lake Mead drops to 1,025 feet, the lowest elevation that plan considers, and about 600,000 of that cut would come from the CAP, he noted. Last year, Arizona left 800,000 acre-feet in the lake, with most coming from the CAP, he said.

Weve given heavily and who else has given? There will be a little bit coming from Nevada and 300,000 acre=feet coming from California under the DCP (drought contingency plan). But whats happened in the Upper Basin? They havent cut anything, Goddard said.

The Upper Basin states are Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

California officials reaction

In interviews, California water officials sound somewhat amenable to deviating from the 1968 CAP law in deciding who takes the biggest share of cuts, while paying homage to the priority system that favors them.

We have 100 years of working collaboratively on the river. Weve had some litigation. Were all hoping that we can come with an equitable plan that will keep us around the table and out of the courts, said Peter Nelson, who chairs the Colorado River Board of California. It represents the state in interstate negotiations over the river.

We want to come up with a collective, collaborative solution in light of the priority system, and in light of those who are holding their priorities very dear to their hearts  the people with the senior priority rights, Nelson said.

Hasencamp of the Metropolitan Water District said, I would say everyone should be nervous if we dont reach consensus.

If the states cant reach agreement, there are a number of ways the feds could then act, perhaps by strictly following legal priorities or by giving urban areas preference over rural areas, for instance, he said.

Bart Fisher, a board member and former president of Southern Californias Palo Verde Irrigation District, said he has no idea where the Arizona-California issue will lead, but I suspect when you put us all in the room, were probably going to reach the best compromise possible under the circumstances.

I will say we have the Law of the River: the 1922 Colorado River Compact, the Supreme Court ruling for Arizona versus California, the 2007 operating guidelines for the reservoirs and the 1968 CAP law. I think that to the maximum extent possible we adhere to the existing legal system, the better it will be for finding long-term solutions. If we deviate from the Law of the River, whats the point of the Law of the River? he said.

Hasencamp said he doesnt just want to focus on who takes the cuts.

Id like to find a creative way to minimize the pain. Are there augmentation opportunities? Are there opportunities to switch agriculture to crops that use less water? Lets at least have those discussions to see what possibilities there are.

The changes are going to be painful for a period of years, and I dont think well ever get back to using 7.5 million acre-feet a year, ever, Hasencamp said, referring to the Lower Basins legal share of river water.

Were going to have a permanent shortage. But hopefully, we will look back in 20 years and say it was a painful process but we got through it.

Contact Tony Davis at 520-349-0350 or tdavis@tucson.com. Follow Davis on Twitter@tonydavis987.

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US opens COVID vaccine to little kids, shots begin next week

NEW YORK (AP)  U.S. health officials have opened COVID-19 vaccines for infants, toddlers and preschoolers  the last group without the shots. The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the decision Saturday, hours after an advisory panel voted unanimously that coronavirus vaccines should made available to children as young as 6 months. The Biden administration has been gearing up for the start of the shots early next week. Millions of doses have been ordered for distribution to doctors, hospitals and community health clinics around the country.

Biden's optimism collides with mounting political challenges

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Bidens top political advisers are bracing for big election losses in November. They know the party holding the White House nearly always losses congressional seats in the first midterm election of a new presidency. They also understand that gas prices racing past $5 per gallon on average, inflation exceeding its highest rates in four decades and crime rising in some areas could intensify historic headwinds. So could Bidens low approval ratings. Some Democrats nonetheless worry the White House hasnt fully grasped just how bad things may get and so far has been slow to prepare for that possibility.

Bitcoin drops below $20,000 as crypto selloff quickens

NEW YORK (AP)  Bitcoin has fallen below $20,000 for the first time since late 2020, in a fresh sign that the selloff in cryptocurrencies is deepening. Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency, dropped under the psychologically important threshold on Saturday. It plunged as much as 9.7% to less than $18,600 by late afternoon East Coast time, according to cryptocurrency news site CoinDesk. The last time bitcoin was at this level was in November 2020. Bitcoin has now lost more than 70% of its value from a peak of nearly $69,000. The cryptocurrency industry has seen turmoil amid wider turbulence in financial markets.

In Ukraine, funeral for activist killed and mourned in war

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Hundreds of mourners have gathered in Ukraine's capital for a well-known Kyiv activist who took up arms against Russia's invasion and was killed. The 24-year-old Roman Ratushnyi had been a teenage protester during months of demonstrations that toppled Ukraines pro-Russian leader in 2014. He was also known as an environmental campaigner in Kyiv who led a fight to preserve a wooded park from development. Poppies, the blood-red flowers that cover the battlefields of Europes two world wars, were lain in mourning on his coffin at a memorial service. Mourners then walked in a silent column behind his coffin to a vast plaza in central Kyiv where three months of protests overthrew then-President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

Brazil: police arrest 3rd suspect in Amazon shooting deaths

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP)  Brazils federal police say a third suspect in the deaths of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira has been arrested. The pair, whose remains were found after they went missing almost two weeks ago, were shot to death, according to an autopsy. Police said Saturday that Phillips was shot in the chest and Pereira was shot in the head and the abdomen. They say the autopsy indicated the use of a firearm with typical hunting ammunition. A police statement says the third suspect, Jefferson da Silva Lima, turned himself at the police station in Atalaia do Norte in the Amazon.

Buttigieg: US may act against airlines on consumers' behalf

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he's pushing airlines to hire more customer-service agents and take other steps to help travelers this summer. Buttigieg tells The Associated Press his department could take enforcement action against airlines that fail to meet consumer-protection standards, although he thinks that won't be necessary. Buttigieg says he wants to see how the airlines do over the July Fourth holiday weekend and the rest of the summer. He held a virtual meeting on Thursday with airline executives where they described steps their companies are taking to avoid a repeat of the Memorial Day weekend, when about 2,800 flights were canceled.

Jan. 6 witnesses push Trump stalwarts back to rabbit hole

Instead of convincing Donald Trump's most loyal supporters of his misdeeds, the revelations from the hearings into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol are prompting many of them to reassert their views that he was correct in falsely asserting a claim to victory. They're concocting new stories to explain why the former president's own daughter Ivanka told Congress she didn't accept his claims about a rigged election. They're also creating new conspiracy theories to explain testimony from Trump's former Attorney General Bill Barr, who told investigators that Trump's claims were bogus and that the former president wasn't interested in the facts.

Herschel Walker says he 'never denied' having 4 children

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker says he never denied the existence of children he hadn't publicly disclosed before and he's telling conservative Christians that his kids "knew the truth. Walkers comments came after The Daily Beast reported that Walker has four children, including two sons and a daughter, whom he had never discussed publicly. Walker has repeatedly criticized absentee fathers and called on Black men to play an active role in their children's lives. His spoke in front of a friendly audience at the Faith and Freedom Coalitions annual Road to Majority conference.

Yellowstone flooding rebuild could take years, cost billions

Yellowstone National Park is celebrating its 150th anniversary as it faces its biggest challenge in decades. Floodwaters that tore through the park this week destroyed potentially hundreds of bridges, washed out miles of roads and drove out more than 10,000 visitors. The scope of the damage is still being tallied by Yellowstone officials, but based on other national park disasters, it could take years and cost upwards of $1 billion to rebuild in an environmentally sensitive landscape. Park officials hope to reopen the southern half of the park next week but the northern half likely won't reopen this year.

Avalanche rout Lightning 7-0 to take 2-0 lead in Cup Final

DENVER (AP)  The Colorado Avalanche overwhelmed the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-0 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Valeri Nichushkin scored his seventh and eighth goals of the playoffs. Playoff MVP front-runner Cale Makar scored twice in the third period after failing to get a shot on net in the series opener. Game 1 overtime hero Andre Burakovsky scored again and set up Nichushkin's goal before leaving with injury. The Lightning fell to 18-2 after a loss in the playoffs since the start of the first round in 2020.

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Protesters pray outside a library in New York City as Flame, a drag queen sporting a bright wig and a red gown, entertains the children inside by singing the ABCs, leading a coloring activity and reading books about how its OK to be different.

Outside Chicago, protesters harass parents attending storytime with their children and proclaim that the staff operating the event came from the devil.

And in a San Francisco suburb, men invade Panda Dulces reading at a librarys Drag Queen Story Hour, shouting homophobic and transphobic slurs.

After focusing on transgender athletes and youths, anti-LGBTQ rhetoric is now targeting drag storytimes  conceived as a way to educate and entertain children by appealing to their imaginations  with interruptions and other protests reported across the country in the past two weeks, since Pride Month began.

Organizers of the story hours say that social media accounts are fueling the backlash and that opponents claiming they want to protect children are actually scaring and endangering them. The organizers said they will enhance security but wont stop their programs.

The reading groups have faced pushback from the beginning, but the recent vitriol is new, said Jonathan Hamilt, executive director of Drag Queen Story Hour and the co-founder of the New York chapter.

Being a part of the LGBT community and a queer person in general, weve always experienced hate and slurs and homophobia and transphobia. Thats unfortunately just part of our existence, Hamilt said. All this feels different and very real, and it feels a bit scarier.

Drag Queen Story Hour, a nonprofit, was started in San Francisco in 2015 by activist and author Michelle Tea. Chapters have since opened across the U.S. and elsewhere. Other organizations with readers in drag have also formed.

As part of Drag Queen Story Hour's programming, drag queens read to children and their parents at libraries, bookstores, fairs, parks and other public spaces to celebrate reading through the glamorous art of drag.

When the library in San Lorenzo, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco, held its first Drag Queen Story Hour four years ago, people prayed across the street in protest, said Alameda County librarian Cindy Chadwick.

Last weekend, as the library hosted its second such event, at least five men  one of them wearing a T-shirt showing a rifle and the words Kill Your Local Pedophile  walked in and began hurling insults at Panda Dulce as she read to children and their parents, Chadwick said.

The horrible irony of it was they said over and over, Were here to protect the kids. And it was the kids they were terrifying. The kids were afraid of them, and the kids were there with their parents who had brought them to this event, Chadwick said.

A spokesperson for the county sheriff's office said the men, who identified themselves as members of the Proud Boys, are all residents of the Bay Area. The episode is being investigated as a hate crime.

The Alameda County Library, which continues to receive threats, now plans to host a Pride event each month for the rest of the year, Chadwick said, and the sheriffs office will provide security.

The library event was mentioned on a right-wing Twitter account that, along with other social accounts, has framed drag queens as abusive, depraved groomers, Chadwick said. The same account shared a promotion for a Kiddie Korner at a Pride event in Waukegan, Illinois, that was to include a drag storyteller and dress-up bin.

It resulted in dozens of angry calls and messages, said Nikki Michele, executive director of the nonprofit LGBTQ+ Center Lake County, which ran the event.

A lot of, youre a groomer, stop grooming children, groomer, groomer, groomer, youre a pedophile, Michele said.

The event was interrupted by protesters who tried to film children and yelled at their parents, Michele said.

In Mahwah, New Jersey, a flyer disseminated online and left on doorsteps and in condo lobbies misrepresented a drag performer as a known PORNOGRAPHER who normalizes PEDOPHILIA AND ABUSE OF CHILDREN.

Detractors called local government offices and the Mahwah Pride Coalition in attempts to shut down its storytime event, said Susan Steinberg, the nonprofits director. But Angel Lauriano, who performs in drag as Honey Marie, weathered protesters and showed up anyway Monday  in long sleeves  to talk to kids about cats, dogs and their dreams in life.

The protest campaign  as intended  is giving some parents pause about bringing their kids to a space where they could be harassed. But Michele said it's important to be visible.

That would be a bad show of faith if my own kids werent even there, Michele said. But I mean, it did scare me enough that I had that conversation with myself.

Framing LGBTQ people as endangering children builds on the same playbook anti-gay crusaders used in the 1970s, said Don Haider-Markel, a University of Kansas political science professor.

The term they used at that time was recruitment, Haider-Markel said. Now theyve just switched that to groomers. Its old wine in a new bottle.

Its a strategy conservative candidates are using to motivate white evangelical Christians to vote, according to Randall Balmer, a Dartmouth College historian of American religion.

The drag queen story hour plays right into their fears that the children are going to be led astray by evil or satanic or alien ideas, Balmer said.

Several politicians have discussed plans for legislation to ban drag shows for kids or punish parents for taking their kids to one. Among them is Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton, a Republican.

Children dont need to be focused on sex and sexualization, and we need to let them just grow up to be children and let them do that as theyre getting closer to being an adult, he said in an interview.

While many drag queens are known for risque and profane acts in nightclubs, Lauriano and others who read to children tailor these performances to be kid-friendly.

People automatically assume because we do drag, we want to become females or we want to be sexualized, he said. Its a way to make people feel happy. Its to entertain. Its to make people smile.

Swenson reported from New York City.

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A Tulsa couple could be sentenced to serve more than three years in prison after they pleaded guilty this week to Paycheck Protection Program loan fraud.

William Mark Sullivan, 49, and Michelle Cadman-Sullivan, 42, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud during a hearing in Tulsa federal court.

The couple admitted to applying for multiple PPP loans totaling about $2.7 million during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic using bogus statements and reports.

The plea agreements, both of which require judicial approval, call for Sullivan to serve a prison term ranging from 18 months to 41 months and for Cadman-Sullivan to serve a prison term between 15 and 42 months.

In addition to agreeing to serve prison time, the couple agreed to pay restitution to two banks totaling $742,926, the amount they received illegally.

The Sullivans applied for and secured numerous Paycheck Protection Program loans fraudulently, said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. The $743,000 was intended to go to legitimate small business owners who were fighting to serve our community. My office and our federal law enforcement partners will hold accountable anyone who seeks to illegally enrich themselves by misdirecting federal emergency assistance.

The indictment alleged that the couple misrepresented the number of businesses they owned and operated; addresses and locations of the companies; time during which the companies purportedly had been in operation; number of employees; names and addresses of employees; monthly payroll amount; wage figures; payroll taxes; and representations about how the PPP funds would be allocated.

The couple submitted multiple applications for the same companies to both of the banks without disclosing that they were submitting duplicative and overlapping applications.

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Climbing into the saddle is not as simple as it once was for Bill Parker.

But once he's there, the 97-year-old Tulsan instantly feels right at home.

"It's good for you," said Parker, a lifelong cowboy who still rides horses as often as he can. "When things ain't going just right, you get on a horse's back, and it straightens it all out."

There are some experiences, though, that require more help than horseback therapy can offer.

Like Parker's World War II memories.

With those, it took him almost 80 years to find something that would work.

Parker, who at age 19 helped kick off the D-Day invasion, becoming possibly the first Allied invader to set foot on France's Omaha Beach, recently returned to the scene for the first time since June 6, 1944.

The visit was made possible courtesy of the Liberty Jump Team, a Texas-based nonprofit commemorative group. Parker joined other WWII veterans on the trip, which was organized in conjunction with the 78th anniversary commemoration of D-Day.

Going back was not something he'd ever wanted to do, Parker said. And he didn't know what to expect.

But what it's done to help him heal cannot be emphasized enough, he said.

Parker's weeklong trip included several sites related to the invasion. And everywhere he went, the gratitude of the French people was humbling, he said.

"They were all just as nice and friendly as they could be. Just to meet the people, to know how they think about us, is worth the trip."

Parker visited French towns that he and other American troops had fought for and liberated.

"There was one place we stopped where the mayor gave this big speech. Then someone asked if I wanted to say anything," he recalled. "And I said, 'Yeah, I guess I do.'

"I told them, 'I'm sorry we had to tear up your town. I'm really sorry about all the windows I shot out. But I didn't see no other way to get it done.'

"The mayor looked at me and smiled and said, 'We forgave you for that a long time ago.'"

The Normandy American Cemetery was also on Parker's list of stops.

The cemetery has more than 10,000 graves marked by white crosses, including ones of many Americans who were killed on D-Day.

Parker's companions helped him find the grave of Capt. Laurence Madill.

"He was a captain in my company, and he was a good man," he said. "We hadn't had him very long. But he was one that we looked up to. A lot of them we didn't."

Madill was killed on June 7, 1944, the day after the invasion began.

"I never knew what happened to him," Parker said. "I just never saw him again. I've often wondered over the years."

Back to the beach

Located just a stone's throw from the cemetery, Omaha Beach itself would evoke some of Parker's deepest emotions.

Parker, leader of a team of wire-cutters who were first out of their landing craft, has always held that he was the first invader on the beach the morning of June 6, 1944.

And his memory of not seeing any bodies in front of him makes a good case for it.

The following morning, in D-Day's aftermath, he would see plenty, when he returned to the beach looking for ammunition.

"There were dead men everywhere," Parker said. "Where the water was lapping up  even it was red from the blood."

Two weeks ago, as he walked across the beach again, he could still see those images in his mind. "Every bit of it came back."

But then something strange happened. The contrast between then and now had an almost cathartic effect.

"At the beach, I saw little kids laughing and playing, dogs, people swimming," he said.

A sense of peace settled over Parker, as he took a few minutes to be alone and take it all in.

"I don't know how long I stood there looking at that water, the tears running out of my eyes," he said.

For years, Parker has had war-related nightmares. His late wife used to have to wake him up on a regular basis, he said.

"She'd say, 'Bill, the war is over.'"

Now, Parker said, that message might finally have sunk in. In the days since his return home, he hasn't dreamed of D-Day or the war once.

"And I no longer see the bodies in my mind," he said. "I think it cured that.

"I've always said you don't get over that. But now I think you do. It feels like it's over, whereas I guess before I hadn't allowed it be.

"I'm really glad I went back."

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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP)  The polls were closed in Iowa for less than 48 hours when South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott was shaking hands and posing for pictures with eastern Iowa Republicans at a Cedar Rapids country club last week.

Scott, one of the many Republicans testing their presidential ambitions, hardly has the state to himself.

At least a half-dozen GOP presidential prospects are planning Iowa visits this summer, forays that are advertised as promoting candidates and the state Republican organization ahead of the fall midterm elections. But in reality, the trips are about building relationships and learning the political geography in the state scheduled to launch the campaign for the party's 2024 nomination.

While potential presidential candidates have dipped into Iowa for more than a year, the next round of visits marks a new phase of the ritual. With Iowa's June 7 primary out of the way, Republicans eyeing the White House can step up their travel and not worry about stepping into the state's intraparty rivalries.

Now that its done, its full-bore," state GOP Chairman Jeff Kauffman said. "Its unfettered.

Beyond Scott, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley is expected to visit late this month, and plans to campaign with as many Iowa congressional Republican candidates as she can in a little more than two days.

Haley, who is also the former governor of South Carolina, another early-voting state in the presidential calendar, plans to begin her trip in eastern Iowa on June 29 with first-term Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. She'll also headline a state GOP fundraiser in Dubuque.

Working from the Mississippi Valley westward, she plans to keynote a fundraiser for Gov. Kim Reynolds. Haley will also campaign with Zach Nunn, chosen to face two-term Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne, who is among the most vulnerable House members this year. Haley's still-fluid schedule also includes attending Rep. Randy Feenstra's annual fundraiser in GOP-heavy western Iowa.

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who visited several times in 2021, is expected the first week in July to speak at the county GOP dinner in Story County in central Iowa.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has visited Iowa more often than any GOP prospect, is working out details for a late summer return, aides said, likely timed to the Iowa State Fair in August, a storied draw for would-be candidates.

Pompeo did endorse Nunn before the primary, a nod to their shared military experience, Pompeo aides said.

The plans also come in light of the Republican National Committee's unanimous decision in April to open the 2024 presidential selection sequence in Iowa, a question still hanging over Iowa Democrats.

In 2020, a smartphone app designed to calculate and report the Democratic caucuses results failed, prompting a telephone backlog that prevented the party from reporting final results for nearly a week after the Feb. 3 contest. The Associated Press announced it was unable to declare a winner after irregularities and inconsistencies marred the results.

Stripped of their automatic special status in April, Iowa Democrats are trying to salvage their leadoff spot with a plan to allow early participation by mail and streamline the sometimes time-consuming process.

With Joe Biden in the White House, Democrats with White House ambitions have largely kept their distance from Iowa.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who won the 2016 caucuses and was the final candidate to drop from the 2020 Democratic contest, was in southeastern Iowa Friday to rally support for United Auto Workers striking at a CNH agricultural machinery plant. Sanders plans, which also included a stop in southeastern Wisconsin, sparked questions about whether the 80-year-old has a third White House bid in mind. He has said he wouldnt challenge Biden if the president sought reelection, and Sanders advisers said there had been no stated changes in his plans.

On the GOP side, Scott's return was not only timely. It reflected the dual aims of these early appearances, part introduction and part demonstration of support for the local party.

The 56-year-old sketched his childhood as one influenced by grandparents who helped raise him. Of his grandfather, Scott said, For a guy who picked cotton in the 1920s, he lived long enough to watch me pick out a seat in the United States Congress.

Sprinkled with lighthearted contrasts of his Southern home and Midwestern hosts, Scott also wasted no time noting he had contributed money from his campaign fundraising account to Iowa Republican candidates, including targeted eastern Iowa GOP House freshmen members Miller-Meeks and Ashley Hinson.

It's going to take us all pulling together," he told a table of about 10 eating barbecue sandwiches, as he worked the dining room before the event.

Even before Scott's arrival, former Vice President Mike Pence was on the phone that day to Chairman Kauffman and Steve Scheffler, Iowa's Republican National Committeeman, to talk about the primaries and the summer ahead, they said.

Pence was planning a summer trip to Iowa, though the date was not yet confirmed, a senior aide to the former vice president said.

Notably missing from the Iowa travel schedule is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, among the most often mentioned rising national Republican figures in conversations with Iowa party activists this year. DeSantis' priority is running for reelection this year, aides said.

I love DeSantis, said Emma Aquino-Nemecek, a Linn County Republican Central Committee member who attended the Tim Scott event. Can you imagine if he comes? He would pack the place."

DeSantis got within shouting distance of Iowa in September, when he helped headline a fundraiser for Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, but he did not cross the Missouri River to touch Iowa soil.

Even more notably missing from the summer schedule so far is former President Donald Trump, who staged a massive rally in Des Moines last year at the Iowa state fairgrounds, and has endorsed several Iowa Republicans.

Kauffman said he had not heard from Trumps team. Likewise, Iowa operatives for Trump did not return messages.

Still, Trump sent signals to Iowa Republicans by paying for print ads in the program circulated at the Iowa Republican Partys state convention Saturday, as did Scott, Pompeo and Florida Sen. Rick Scott.

Scheffler said non-Trump Republicans may feel emboldened in light of Georgia Republicans' resounding rejection in last month's primary elections of the former president's endorsed candidate for governor.

Gov. Brian Kemp won the GOP primary comfortably over David Perdue, whom the former president endorsed after Trump narrowly lost Georgia in the 2020 presidential election, claiming without evidence the results were invalid due to rampant voter fraud.

The speed bump for Trump's influence in the primary elections could signal to other 2024 prospects that the former president is not invincible, Scheffler said.

If Trump keeps making these endorsements and they go south, like he did in Georgia, who knows?" Scheffler said.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
U.S. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma testified as part of a civil case into an alleged sexual assault at the Baptist church camp he oversaw that he believed a 13-year-old can consent to sex. The Associated Press obtained a copy of Lankfords deposition from 2010, before he'd joined Congress. A 13-year-old girl's family sued a 15-year-old boy who was alleged to have had sex with her at the camp, and also sued the camps owner and operator. Lankford isnt alleged to have had any knowledge of the assault and wasnt accused of any wrongdoing. Oklahoma's age of consent is 16. Theres no provision in state law under which a 13-year-old could consent to sex. A Lankford reelection campaign spokeswoman declined comment.
SHENYANG, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Bargain hunters will not have to wait until November to splurge as more shopping festivals begin to emerge in China.

In the run-up to June 18, which marks the mid-year "618" shopping festival, businesses across China have already started warming up for the event.

In Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, large-scale promotional advertisements have been put up on skyscrapers scattered across the city with a population exceeding 8 million.

"We started preparing for the event two weeks ago, publishing advertisements in subways, elevators, bus stations and other striking places," said Yu Zhonghao, deputy manager of the Joy City shopping mall in Shenyang.

Additionally, online retailers made another push to grow their businesses. China's e-commerce behemoths including JD.com and Alibaba have launched a bunch of favorable promotion activities, satisfying shoppers' urges to splurge online.

With a long shopping list ranging from garments, lipstick, and liquid foundation to lemon tea and milk, Yan Qi joined the floods of people fighting over all kinds of goods with "doorbuster" prices online.

The Generation Z-er told Xinhua that she purchased some dresses she had coveted for a long time at 50-percent-off after integrating sundry discounts from e-commerce platforms and online stores.

According to statistics from Syntun, a provider of big data solutions for e-commerce in China, the total volume of online transactions reached 578.48 billion yuan (about 86.14 billion U.S. dollars) during the mid-year shopping spree in 2021, up 26.5 percent year on year.

From June 1 to 20, 2021, more than 6.59 billion packages were handled during the mid-year shopping festival, up 24.24 percent from a year earlier, said the State Post Bureau.

Another emerging shopping festival is celebrated on May 20. The date is seen as another Valentine's Day by Chinese netizens and younger generations since the shorthand for the date in the three-digit number has a similar pronunciation to "I love you" in Chinese.

Resembling those for Valentine's Day, the celebrations of May 20 involve public displays of affection, dates, and romantic gifts, while a large number of shopping malls were decorated with Valentine's Day hearts and roses.

Yu Zhonghao said the sales on May 20 would double from that of regular days, and the sales of categories labeled as "romantic gifts," including jewelry and cosmetics, would be higher.

"Businesses combined people's emotional expression with consumption needs to celebrate the shopping festivals, conforming to the trend of consumption upgrade, which will inject new impetus into the economy," said Liang Bing, deputy director of the commerce bureau of Dadong District in Shenyang.

According to Zhang Sining, a researcher with the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, shopping festivals create a new bonanza and energize the Chinese market.

The booming consumption will boost confidence in the Chinese economy, and the popularity of shopping festivals shows the diversification of consumer needs and the continuous consumption upgrade in the country, reflecting the resilience and potential of the Chinese economy, said Zhang. 
Today marks the twelfth anniversary of the inception of Tuoi Tre News, the English-language publication of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper targeting readers in Vietnam and overseas.

The original editions contained articles from the Vietnamese-language mother publication translated into English, expanding over the years to feature original English-language content.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had news funneled through to me from a boatload of sources around the globe, but I recently streamlined, deciding to use Tuoi Tre News as my main source

I also enjoy the distinctive, offbeat cultural tidbits in Saigoneer and The Smart Local Vietnam, so that rounds out my daily reading.

When Tuoi Tre News contacted me nearly five years ago to contribute about expat life in Vietnam, the mandate was -- in these very words:

Just write about whatever interests you in Vietnam.

My reaction was: Holy smokes! Thats the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (which took Michelangelo four years to paint), everything fascinates me here.

My lifes work! And, who knows, it may well turn out to be so.

My articles are not mainstream, superficial cocktails on the beach material, the objective being to dig down a few layers to uncover and explore a reality that is less obvious, revealing what lies beneath the surface.

From the little old lady selling cauliflower to how bun bo Hue is the nectar the gods were suckled on (an epic Anthony Bourdain line), and why we desperately need a high-speed rail solution linking north and south sooner rather than later, Im enthralled by it all.

And Tuoi Tre News has been true to their word, open-minded all the way, having published well over 100 of my pieces as submitted, with only three articles refused.

Occasionally, the newspaper has translated my offerings into Vietnamese so locals can see the expat perspective, and Id like to see more of that in the future.

Regarding the hard news in Vietnam and around the globe, I cant ever recall a more interesting era than the one were now in. Media coverage has morphed from newscasters and journalists rattling off headlines into a much more customized, multimedia, real-time experience.

The global definition of truth is in question as never before, with terms such as alternative facts (used to be called good old BS) having popped up in recent years, while people misspeak (misrepresent and distort the facts, then later retract their statements, formerly known as caught in a lie).

For me as a reader and a writer, its all about the truth, and without the facts the news isnt worth a hell of a lot.

Im grateful to live in Vietnam where the lines are clearly drawn, and freedom of speech is not misconstrued as the right to yell FIRE! in a crowded movie theater when nothing is actually burning.

The right to express opinions is one thing, stating them as fact is quite another.

The truth is not up for a vote, either it is or it aint; there is no such thing as half pregnant.

For my money, Tuoi Tre News is committed to finding and reporting the true story based on relevant and salient facts, minus all the fluff.

The publications focus of late has been on how the economy in Vietnam has recovered from the pandemic and is back on its torrid pace for the most part, with domestic tourism booming while international lags behind (hopefully the visa situation will improve soon).

The paper covers much more than just the daily news grind -- readers can find content centering on seemingly innocuous little slices of life every day, which are often the most fascinating news items.

The most intriguing piece ran this past week, penned by a woman from Ho Chi Minh City who worked in banking for many years, then scored big as the stock market has jumped during the last couple of years.

She said Screw this rat race! and took off for a coastal break, then ended up abandoning the big city altogether to start anew. Its not the movies or a novel, its all real and relevant, with many people questioning the price of progress and whether its really worth it after all.

Imagine the younger generation in a developing country like Vietnam putting all the traditional values in question and bucking the trend!

Will that womans exodus turn out to be a sabbatical, after which she returns to her previous life, or will the allure of a peaceful country life triumph after all, leading to a second career selling seashells by the seaside?

Another recent piece about vendors encroaching on streets and sidewalks in Ho Chi Minh City struck a nerve with me as the topic always does.

Those vendors are your culture and must never be abandoned at any cost.

I hope the day never comes in Vietnam where one street and neighborhood look like any another, the small businesses pushed out of the market by high-powered corporations.

Screw fretting over cars and designing around them, some creativity and good planning will reveal how and where to drive and park them, marry them up with public transit solutions, and even lead us back to the habit of actually walking places.

Neither of the above stories are high-profile breaking news, but theyre relevant, capturing the pulse in Vietnam.

Id love to see more international perspectives from overseas Vietnamese and their lives abroad, as well as foreign fans of Vietnam and their anecdotes. Whats it like to be Vietnamese in Paris or Prague?

There are also legions of foreigners overseas who are big fans of Vietnam, burrowing their way into Vietnamese communities in their home countries, with great anecdotes arising from their adventures.

Nearly two years ago, Tuoi Tre News started a new English-language publication under its umbrella called Vietnam Life, focusing on culture and tourism around the country.

Of course, there is plenty of bad news too, but instead of putting on rose-colored glasses Tuoi Tre News spans the entire news spectrum.

I was saddened by an expose on bar girls (known as flying girls) in Vietnam a couple of years ago, but it was insightful to see things how they really are.

Another article about sham marriages between Vietnamese and Americans gave me a jolt, although I lived in the U.S. for many years and am familiar with the delusions of grandeur many foreigners have.

Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic came and we were all starving for reliable information and real-time statuses, Tuoi Tre News turned over every damn stone, no details spared.

Last week a story ran in Vietnam Life about Hai Phongs food scene, but with a special twist: City administration has implemented a food map indexing the entire array of local dishes.

I slobbered dreaming of the nem cua be (deep-fried crab rolls) served with nuoc mam (fish sauce).

Talking to the Tuoi Tre News team, I learned that Vietnam Life will be expanded to include even more travel content, including off-the-beaten-path adventures, while food coverage will also be fluffed up to include reviews of restaurants and their featured dishes.

Perhaps most exciting of all the developments coming down the pike is a YouTube channel, which is slated to start up this year.

With that in mind, be sure to dress nice and spiffy when youre out on the town, you never know when youll bump into the Tuoi Tre News multimedia team at your favourite hole-in-the-wall or street food stall!
GENEVA -- The World Trade Organization agreed on the first change to global trading rules in years on Friday as well as a deal to boost the supply of COVID-19 vaccines in a series of pledges that were heavy on compromise.

The deals were forged in the early hours of the sixth day of a conference of more than 100 trade ministers that was seen as a test of the ability of nations to strike multilateral trade deals amid geopolitical tensions heightened by the Ukraine war.

Delegates, who had expected a four-day conference, cheered after they passed seven agreements and declarations just before dawn on Friday.

Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told them: "The package of agreements you have reached will make a difference to the lives of people around the world. The outcomes demonstrate that the WTO is in fact capable of responding to emergencies of our time."

Earlier she had appealed to WTO members to consider the "delicate balance" required after nearly round-the-clock talks that have at times been charged with anger and accusations.

The package, which the WTO chief called "unprecedented", included the two highest profile deals under consideration - on fisheries and on a partial waiver of intellectual property (IP) rights for COVID-19 vaccines.

The accord to curb fishing subsidies is only the second multilateral agreement on global trading rules struck in the WTO's 27-year history and is far more ambitious than the first, which was designed to cut red tape.

At one stage, a series of demands from India, which sees itself as the champion of poor farmers and fishermen as well as developing countries, appeared set to paralyse talks but accommodations were found, trade sources said.

The WTO's rules dictate that all decisions are taken by consensus, with any single member able to exercise a veto.

World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is congratulated by Indian Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal after a closing session of a World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland June 17, 2022. Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via Reuters

'Lot of bumps'

"It was not an easy process. There were a lot of bumps, just like I predicted. It was like a roller coaster, but in the end we got there," an exhausted but elated Okonjo-Iweala told a final news conference.

The deal to ban subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing or fishing of an over-fished stock has the potential to reverse collapsing fish stocks. Though pared back significantly, it still drew approval.

"This is a turning point in addressing one of the key drivers of global over-fishing," said Isabel Jarrett, manager of The Pew Charitable Trusts campaign to reduce harmful fisheries subsidies.

Okonjo-Iweala said it was the first step after 21 years of talks towards what she hoped would be a more comprehensive deal.

The deal on a partial IP waiver to allow developing countries to produce and export COVID-19 vaccines has divided the WTO for nearly two years, but finally passed. It has also drawn the fiercest criticism from campaign groups that say it barely expands on an existing exemption in WTO rules and is too narrow by not covering therapeutics and diagnostics.

"Put simply, it is a technocratic fudge aimed at saving reputations, not lives," said Max Lawson, co-chair of the People's Vaccine Alliance.

The pharmaceutical industry was also critical of the deal, saying that there is currently a surplus of shots which governments and other authorities haven't figured out how to distribute and administer.

"Rather than focus on real issues affecting public health, like solving supply chain bottlenecks or reducing border tariffs on medicines, they approved an intellectual property waiver on COVID-19 vaccines that wont help protect people against the virus," Stephen Ubl, President of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), said in an emailed statement.

One agreement also reached was to maintain a moratorium on e-commerce tariffs, which business says is vital to allow the free flow of data worldwide.

Overall, many observers said the deals should boost the credibility of the WTO, which was weakened by former U.S. President Donald Trump's crippling of its ability to intervene in trade disputes, and set it on a course for reform.

European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said the WTO meeting had clinched outcomes of global significance despite unprecedented challenges.

"The profound divergences here amply confirm that a deep reform of the organisation is urgently needed, across all its core functions," he said, adding he would work to get it agreed at the next ministerial conference due in 2023.
The Japanese Embassy in Vietnam has launched a logo design contest celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year.

The contest is open to all people, regardless of their nationalities, ages or professions, and each contestant or group of contestants is allowed to submit only one entry for the contest, the embassy said on its website.

The application form for the contest can be downloaded at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_TkyDJvmUW6E4g_vie8fuKFDYCXJzHRF0ids_AH6b1KAEeg/viewform?usp=sf_link.

Entries should be submitted via email to 50japan-vn@ha.mofa.go.jp by July 7 this year.

According to the organizers, candidate logos should help viewers visualize the special relationship between Japan and Vietnam as well as the similarity and closeness between the two peoples.

The design also needs to reflect the vigorous development of the relationship between the two countries.

The submitted work must be an original one by the applicant that has not ever been published in Japan or overseas and must not infringe any copyright, trademark rights or other rights of any third party.

Logos submitted will not be returned and their authors may be asked by the embassy to make some changes to their works.

The winning logo will be used for commemorative events, exchange projects, public relations materials, and other activities of the anniversary.

The copyright of the selected logo belongs to the Japan-Vietnam Diplomatic Relations 50th Anniversary Business Executive Committee, the embassy said.

The award ceremony is expected to take place in September this year and will be announced at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, and the website of the 50th Anniversary Japan Executive Committee, according to the embassy.

Since their establishment of diplomatic ties on September 21, 1973, Japan and Vietnam have fruitfully developed their bilateral relation.

Having maintained an extensive strategic partnership with Vietnam since 2014, Japan is the largest official development assistance (ODA) provider, the third-biggest tourism market, and the fourth-largest trade partner of the Southeast Asian country.

Bilateral trade last year reached US$42.7 billion, up 7.8 percent from 2020, and Japan has invested $64.4 billion in Vietnam, behind only South Korea and Singapore.

Vietnamese constitute the biggest foreign community in Japan with over 450,000 people living in 47 localities, mostly in Aichi, Tokyo, Osaka, Saitama, Chiba, and Fukuoka, VnExpress reported.

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Nine flight attendants of Vietnams national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines have been interrogated by Australian authorities on suspicion of money laundering as they had brought a lot of cash out of Australia, Vietnams central aviation agency reported.

These flight attendants have been questioned after they allegedly brought a total of AU$60,000 (some US$41,600) hidden among their personal luggage, a leading official at the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday.

Earlier, Australias 7News channel reported that nine flight attendants of an airline had been questioned by Australian authorities during a raid by the Australian border force and police.

7News did not mention the name of the carrier or personal details of the attendants who were suspected to commit money laundering.

After conducting a verification of the news, Vietnam Airlines determined that these attendants are its staff, the CAAV official said.

Australian authorities interrogated the nine attendants at 11:00 am on May 23 and they later allowed eight of them to fly back to Vietnam later during the day.

The remaining attendant was further questioned until 6:00 pm of the same day and was permitted to return to Vietnam on the next day.

Australian authorities have yet to report the case officially to the CAAV, the agency said.

Considering the incidents developments, the CAAV official assumed that the incident was not too serious, as all the questioned attendants have been allowed to leave Australia for Vietnam.

The CAAV is waiting for a detailed report from the carrier about the happenings, the official said.

Under Australias regulations, every foreigner bringing along AU$10,000 ($6,935) or an equivalent amount in other currencies when they enter or leave the country must make a declaration, otherwise they will be subject to fines or imprisonment.

Currently, Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways are two Vietnamese carriers operating direct flights to Australia.

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Many streets in Hanoi have once again plunged into a sea of garbage because the citys landfill has been overloaded while a new waste-to-energy plant project has lagged behind its inauguration schedule.

Le Thu Tra, a 32-year-old staff at an office building on Duy Tan Street in Cau Giay District, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday afternoon that garbage has been left uncollected along the street over the past two days.

We have to wear a mask all the time due to the smelly odor [from the garbage], Tra said.

Not only Duy Tan Street, the filthy scene can be seen on many other roads such as Cau Giay, Tran Quoc Hoan, Hoang Quoc Viet, Nguyen Van Huyen, and Thanh Thai in the same district.

Garbage piles up on Nguyen Van Huyen Street in Cau Giay District, Hanoi, June 17, 2022. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre

This is not the first time that garbage has amassed in the area, according to 61-year-old Quoc Khanh Thanh, who is living on Tran Quoc Hoan Street.

In the past two years, piles of stinky household waste stay uncollected every several months, Thanh said.

Garbage piles up on Tran Quoc Hoan Street in Cau Giay District, Hanoi, June 17, 2022. Photo: Q. The / Tuoi Tre

The overload of garbage at the citys Nam Son landfill in Soc Son District is to blame for the week-long garbage pileup, according to a leader of the Peoples Committee of the district.

The Hanoi Urban Environment Company (URENCO) was expected to reduce the amount of garbage transported to Nam Son landfill to 3,500 metric tons this month, according to the citys plan; but the dumped waste volume has remained at around 5,500 metric tons, the leader said.

Garbage piles up on Tran Quoc Hoan Street in Cau Giay District, Hanoi, June 17, 2022. Photo: Q. The / Tuoi Tre

Meanwhile, the inauguration of the new waste-to-energy plant located in the premises of the landfill complex, which was originally scheduled to be put into operation on April 30 to help raise waste treatment capacity in the city, has been postponed repeatedly.

In response to a Tuoi Tre request on the issue, a representative of the Department of Construction of Hanoi, which administers Nam Son landfill complex, admitted the sluggish progress of the new waste-to-energy plant, but did not mention any solutions to the garbage crisis.

An environment worker collects garbage cart piling up on a street in Cau Giay District, Hanoi, June 17, 2022. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre

An environment worker pushes a garbage cart on Duy Tan Street in Cau Giay District, Hanoi, June 17, 2022. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre

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A crash between a passenger bus and a car on National Highway 1 in Ky Anh Town of Ha Tinh Province in norther-central Vietnam killed two police officers and injured another person on Friday.

The passenger bus, numbered 36B - 030.02, was traveling from north to south on National Highway 1 before colliding with the five-seater car, numbered 38A - 408.40, running in the opposite lane in Ky Anh Towns Ky Trinh Ward at around 0:50 am on the day, according to Nguyen Thi Ha, the wards chairman.

Riding the passenger seat of the car, captain B.Q.D., 33, and lieutenant L.M.T., 27, both working at the public security division of Ky Anh Town, died on the spot while another person was injured.

Both the identities of the passenger bus and the cars drivers remained unknown.

Local police investigated the scene after the deadly traffic accident.

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Police in Japan arrested a 25-year-old Vietnamese national for allegedly fraudulently trading student commuter passes in Kanagawa Prefectural, the Mainichi newspaper reported on Friday.

The prefectural polices international investigation division arrested unemployed Tran Quoc Tuan, residing in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, on suspicion of theft.

Tuan is accused of fraudulently purchasing three student commuter passes for 30,740 Japanese yen (about US$230) at around 4:30 pm on April 8 at a ticket vending machine at JR Higashi-Kanagawa Station in Yokohama by entering the code required to buy a student pass.

It is believed that Tran resold the student commuter passes, which were less expensive than normal commuter passes, to a Vietnamese woman in her 20s living in Japan.

The suspect has reportedly admitted the allegations and told investigators that he knew it was wrong and had done the same act at least 100 times, according to Mainichi.

The prefectural police are looking into the case, believing that a Vietnamese group is systematically involved.

Previously, Tran Quoc Tuan was arrested on April 14 on suspicion of violating the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, and was also arrested on May 10 on suspicion of theft for fraudulently purchasing a student commuter pass at JR Shin-Koyasu Station in Yokohama.

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Traditionally, young people looking to buy a home in Ho Chi Minh City would save up for a massive portion of the cost themselves, then seek out financial aid from their families to cover the rest.

More recently, 10- and 20-year mortgages have become a more mainstream means of financing a home.

Now, would-be homeowners looking to keep themselves out of debt are getting a bit more creative, with many investing in rural land, waiting for its value to appreciate, and then selling the land and using the principal and gains to afford a home in the city.

Home ownership dreams come true

"Five years ago, I was planning to buy an apartment for VND2.1 billion ($90,435) near my office, but one of my friends advised me to buy land instead," shared Nguyen Thi Thanh Hong, 31, a resident of District 6 in Ho Chi Minh City.

"At that time, I only had VND300 million ($12,919) saved, so I decided to look into the idea, she said.

According to Hong, the friend who made the suggestion had already been successfully in buying and selling land.

"The price of land was far outpacing that of apartments. It seemed much wiser to own a lot first and then sell it for profit later, Hong said.

My friend told me if you do not want to keep investing in land, then you can just sell and buy an apartment. Either way youll be successful.""

Convinced, Hong and her husband borrowed VND400 million ($17,225) from relatives and VND100 million ($4,306) from friends and used the money, plus their savings, to buy a 30mx50m lot in Hau Nghia City, Long An Province for VND760 million ($32,728) and kept the remaining VND40 million ($1,722).

Had they decided to buy an apartment instead, they would have had to use the entire VND800 million ($34,451) as a down payment, take out a VND1.3 billion ($55,983) mortgage, and still pay back the VND500 million ($21,532) they had borrowed from relatives.

Though Hong and her husband were nervous, their friend assured them that, if the plan did not go well, he would give them a VND300 million ($12,919) interest-free loan to help them buy an apartment.

Fortunately, a little over two years later Hong and her husband were able to sell the land for a 123 percent gain.

Rather than reinvest their profits, the couple used their gains to purchase their dream apartment.

Though they opted for a slightly more expensive apartment than originally planned, they felt better knowing their mortgage would be significantly lower.

Provinces such as Long An, Tien Giang, Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc, and Lam Dong are drawing young investors looking to invest anywhere from VND500 million ($21,532) to billions of Vietnamese dong in land and using the gains to buy an apartment in Ho Chi Minh City.

Hongs younger brother, Nguyen Thanh Hoang, is another of these investors.

Hoang used VND1 billion ($43,064) comprised of his own savings and loans from relatives to purchase a 750-square-meter plot in Lam Ha District, Lam Dong Province.

A year later, he resold the land for a VND750 million ($32,298) profit and used the money to secure a mortgage for a 65-square-meter two-bedroom apartment in District 9.

"If I had not invested in land prior to buying the apartment, it would have been extremely difficult for me to pay the mortgage each month because my and my wifes salaries are just a combined VND25 million ($1,076)," he shared.

My Tu, a woman who decided to buy a lot in Lam Dong Province, has had a hard time selling her land. Photo: Manh Dung / Tuoi Tre

Dreams turn out to be nightmares

Of course, for every successful investor there are dozens whose plans get derailed.

Tran My Tu, 32, a resident of Thu Duc City, shared that she and her husband have been unable to sell their 1,000-square-meter investment property in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, thus preventing them from buying an apartment in Ho Chi Minh City.

A year ago, Tu and her husband were asked by friends to invest in real estate in Bao Loc, Lam Dong.

Using VND1 billion ($43,064), much of it borrowed from her parents, Tu planned to buy a small plot in the center of Bao Loc, but was eventually persuaded by a middleman to buy a larger plot in a more remote area of Lam Dong Province because it was bigger and offered "a beautiful view of the mountainous region."

Unfortunately, legal issues have made it difficult for Tu and her husband to sell and the couple have found themselves stuck with the property and unable to purchase an apartment for themselves.

N.T.H., a 27-year-old bank employee in Ho Chi Minh City, District 5, has found herself in a similar situation.

H. bought a 125-square-meter plot of land in Duc Hoa District, Long An Province last year for VND1.2 billion ($51,677), hoping gains on the investment would allow her to buy an apartment in Ho Chi Minh City.

H. mortgaged her parents house to afford the property in Duc Hoa, but has been unable to sell the land and is running out of savings while playing the monthly interest on the mortgage.

"I havent seen any profits from my investment, and I have to pay the mortgage each month after receiving my salary. It makes me very tired and worried, H. said.

"Anyone who chooses to invest in a rural land should carefully consider their savings and income," H. said.

"In my opinion, you should not borrow more than 50 percent of the value of the land from the bank, especially if your income is not very high, otherwise youll find yourself in deep water with the mortgage, H. explained.

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In the space of six months the Foxtel Group has unveiled its second local drama series from Warner Bros. based on a European drama.

Like hit series Love Me, The Twelve has been entirely adapted for Australian audiences -and the results are quite fabulous.

Based on Belgiums De Twaalf, this 10 part courtroom drama comes with a sprawling ensemble, many derived from theatre.

At the centre of the story is artist Kate (Kate Mulvaney) who stands accused of killing her teenage niece Claire (Coco Jack Gillies), the daughter of her sister Diane (Jenni Baird).

But there is no body -leaving open plenty of room for Defence lawyer Brett Colby (Sam Neill) to argue a convincing case.

The most important thing is how you appear to the jury, your behaviour show emotion, but above all no histrionics, he advises her.

Opposing him is the equally sharp Prosecution Lucy Bloom (Marta Dusseldorp).

Tussling over Kates innocence or guilt might be enough for most dramas to explore, but The Twelve gives equal focus to the jury. There are 14 of them, amplifying the drama for both storytellers and audience.

They include Georgina (Brooke Satchwell), a young mother of 3, living in a relationship with abusive husband Jamie (Hamish Michael).

We dont want jury duty interfering with mummy duty now do we? he reminds her.

Alexi (Damien Strouthos) has to juggle his construction management duties to undertake jury duty which places stress on his brother (Ben Mingay). Indigenous student Jarrad (Ngali Shaw) is also struggling to meet his university deadlines, lesbian Vanessa (Catherine Van-Davies) would rather skip the whole case, but former refugee Farrad (Hazem Shammas) takes his responsibilities seriously and even cooks treats for his fellow jurors, to help break down the barriers.

Jury foreperson Corrie (Pallavi Sharda) is also dealing with a family business subplot, one of many backstories which unravel as episodes roll-out, while Brendan Cowell plays a misfit who looks set to be compromised by proceedings.

Then there is the father of the victim, Nathan (Matt Nable) estranged from her mother and certain that Kate is not telling the full story on Claires disappearance.

A voluminous ensemble also spans supporting roles in police, jury, family, and legal characters, including Louisa Mignone, Nicholas Cassim, Silvia Colloca, Shane Connor and more.

This leaves episode one as top-heavy in establishing its universe, but by episode two when the story starts to focus on individual back stories -as well as dramatising the night in question- there is much more for the audience to connect with. Brooke Satchwells scenes of domestic violence are cold and searing, Ngali Shaws scenes involving police brutality are an uncomfortable reality check.

In the two episodes previewed its obvious that Sam Neill and Marta Dusseldorp are only just sharpening their knives for some scenery-chewing arguments to come, while Kate Mulvaney is brilliantly ambiguous as the accused.

Like 12 Angry Men, the series allows for not just on-point performances but for a clash of ideas, class and culture. To be judged by your peers, no single juror is supposed to carry more weight than another -but is that how justice is played out behind closed doors?

Director Daniel Nettheim peels back the layers of his jurors in their daily lives, not unlike an episode of Lost forcing us to rethink our perceptions of its crash survivors. Together with producers Ian Collie, Rob Gibson, Ally Henville, Hamish Lewis and writers he has woven a complex whodunnit starring a knockout cast with serious acting chops.

The Twelve premieres 8:30pm Tuesday on FOX Showcase.
Ben Stiller (Andrew McConnell / UNHCR)

Ben Stiller has arrived in Poland to meet refugees who have been forced to flee Ukraine following Russias invasion of the state.

The 56-year-old actor, who is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), arrived in Rzeszow, Poland on Saturday to help highlight the growing needs for those forced who have been to leave their homes due to the invasion.

While there he will meet families to help share stories of the human impact of war and to amplify calls for solidarity ahead of World Refugee on June 20.

Upon landing, Stiller posted an Instagram statement that said: Ive just arrived in Poland with UNHCR to meet families whose lives have been torn apart by war and violence in Ukraine. Millions have been forced to flee their homes, with over 90 per cent being women and children.

Im here to learn, to share stories that illustrate the human impact of war and to amplify calls for solidarity.

I hope youll follow along and share your own messages of support for people who have fled their homes in Ukraine and for people who have been forced to flee all over the world. Everyone has the right to seek safety. Whoever. Wherever. Whenever.

Just arrived in Poland, ahead of #WorldRefugeeDay with @Refugees to meet people whos lives have been impacted by the war in #Ukraine. https://t.co/1oUVrZpsBy  Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) June 18, 2022

In a post shared on Twitter, the UN wrote: UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador @BenStiller is at the Ukraine border today to meet families whose lives have been torn apart by war and violence, to share stories of the human impact of war, and to amplify calls for solidarity.

Story continues

Everyone has the right to seek safety.

The actor has been supporting the UN Refugee Agency since 2016.

He has since travelled with the UNHCR to do humanitarian work with refugees in countries including Germany, Jordan and Lebanon.

He travelled to Washington, DC in 2019 and testified in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee imploring the US government to not look away and to continue providing aid for those left displaced by the civil war in Syria.
RIO DE JANEIRO, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Flamengo have reached a deal to sign Brazil international forward Everton Soares from Benfica, according to widespread media reports.

The 26-year-old completed a medical on Friday and has agreed to a contract that will run until 2027, Globo Esporte reported.

It added that Flamengo had agreed to pay 13.5 million euros to prise Everton away from the Portuguese club.

Despite completing formalities of the transfer, Everton will be unavailable for Flamengo until the opening of Brazil's international transfer window on July 18.

He made 93 appearances for Benfica and scored 15 goals, having joined the Portuguese outfit from Gremio in August 2020. 
Abiomed, Inc. ABMD is well poised for growth in the coming quarters, backed by strength in its Impella product line. A robust fourth-quarter fiscal 2022 performance, along with a solid global foothold, is expected to contribute further. Third-party reimbursement and stiff competitive forces persist.

Over the past year, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has lost 29.5% compared with 31.9% fall of the industry and the S&P 500s 12.7% decline.

The renowned global provider of medical products designed to assist or replace the pumping function of the failing heart has a market capitalization of $10.24 billion. The company projects 25% growth for the next five years and expects to maintain its strong performance. It has delivered an earnings surprise of 7.9% for the past four quarters, on average.

Zacks Investment Research



Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Lets delve deeper.

Strength in Impella: Abiomeds flagship product line, Impella, has continued to be a growth driver, which raises our optimism. The company is focused on achieving its fiscal 2021 Abiomed 2.0 goals, which will drive the rollout of its remote interface technology with SmartAssist and Impella Connect. The company continues to invest in its pipeline of advanced technologies, including the XR Sheath, Impella ECP, Impella Connect, Impella BTR and new AI algorithms. Abiomeds newest heart pump, the Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist, has received FDA pre-market approval based on its safety and efficacy in the therapy of cardiogenic shock.

Solid Global Foothold: The Impella support has already been integrated in hospitals throughout Germany and Japan, raising our optimism. Outside the United States, Impella product revenues were strong year over year in fourth-quarter fiscal 2022. Japan and Europe product revenues were also strong compared with the prior-year quarter. Europes performance was driven by strength in Germany, Belgium and Italy. Abiomeds European business also continued to benefit from sales mix, as the company fully transitions to Impella CP with SmartAssist. U.S. Impella product revenues reflected year-over-year rise on the back of a surge in patient utilization.

Story continues

Strong Q4 Results: Abiomeds solid fourth-quarter fiscal 2022 results buoy optimism. The company saw continued strength in its global Impella revenues. Abiomeds progress regarding its Impella product line, like successfully treating the first Japanese patient with the Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist device and the number of patients treated globally with the Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist surpassing 5,000 in April, raises our optimism regarding the stock.

Downsides

Stiff Competition: Abiomed faces intense competition from other companies offering circulatory care products that are subject to rapid technological change and evolving industry requirements and standards. It competes with companies that have better resources. The companys ability to compete effectively depends upon its expertise in distinguishing itself and its products from its competitors and their products.

Third-Party Reimbursement: Abiomed depends on third-party reimbursement to its customers for market acceptance of its products. Sales of medical devices largely depend on the reimbursement of patients medical expenses by government healthcare programs and private health insurers. Without government reimbursement or third-party insurers payments for patient care, the market for Abiomeds products will be limited.

Estimate Trend

Abiomed is witnessing a negative estimate revision trend for 2022. In the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its earnings has moved 0.2% south to $4.59.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys first-quarter fiscal 2023 revenues is pegged at $277.1 million, suggesting a 9.7% improvement from the year-ago quarters reported number.

Key Picks

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. AMN, Omnicell, Inc. OMCL and Masimo Corporation MASI.

AMN Healthcare, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, has an estimated long-term growth rate of 1.1%. AMNs earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 15.6%.

You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

AMN Healthcare has gained 4.8% against the industrys 54.9% fall in the past year.

Omnicell, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present, has an estimated long-term growth rate of 20%. OMCLs earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed the same in the other, the average beat being 13.4%.

Omnicell has lost 23.5% compared with the industrys 60.9% fall over the past year.

Masimo, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has an earnings yield of 3.8% against the industrys negative yield. MASIs earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 4.4%.

Masimo has lost 49.2% compared with the industrys 31.9% fall over the past year.



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Following three straight years of losses, Barcelona's financial outlook is beginning to look brighter after the club's members voted in favour of a big money deal for merchandising and television rights.

The vote allows the Catalan giants to sell a stake of up to 49.9% in the club's subsidiary company, Barca Licensing and Merchandising. What's more, with 25% of television rights up for grabs, Barcelona could bring in as much as 600million from the two deals alone.

The club have stressed that the money will be used to offset some of their debt which currently stands at over 1billion. However, part of those funds are also expected to be used on strengthening the squad as Xavi looks to turn his side into title contenders.

With that in mind, here's a look at their main transfer targets.

Robert Lewandowski

 Robert Lewandowski stats for Bayern Munich:



 374 games

 344 goals

 72 assists

 19 trophies



The end of an era?  pic.twitter.com/enqgosm6aX  LiveScore (@livescore) June 17, 2022

Poland international Robert Lewandowski has already expressed his desire to leave Bayern Munich. However, the one major stumbling block preventing his move to Barcelona has been the club's inability to pay the big bucks. Considering the latest developments, that might not be an issue for long.

Lewandowski still has one year left on his contract, and the German champions are looking for a transfer fee of around 35million.

Nevertheless, the deal appears to have moved a step closer after Bayern agreed a move with Liverpool for Senegalese forward Sadio Mane - a potential replacement for Lewandowski.

Jules Kounde

Jules Kounde's preferred move this summer is Barcelona, according to Mundo Deportivo  pic.twitter.com/VmuStkyejv  GOAL (@goal) June 15, 2022

Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde was chased by Chelsea for the best part of a year. Despite their strong interest, it's Barcelona who appear to be in the driving seat for the Frenchman, with the club understood to be in advanced talks. Xavi is looking for fresh options at centre-back considering the ongoing uncertainty over Gerard Pique.

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Cesar Azpilicueta

Cesar Azpilicueta could still leave Chelsea this summer

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is expected to follow the likes of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen through the Stamford Bridge exit door this summer.

The Blues have triggered the Spaniard's automatic renewal clause in his contract meaning Barcelona will need to splash some cash if they are to seal his signature.

Following the departure of Dani Alves, Xavi is keen to fill the hole at left-back and Azpilicueta would certainly fit that bill.

Marcos Alonso

 Marcos Alonso has reiterated his desire to Chelsea to join Barcelona this summer. He has already agreed personal terms with the Spanish giants.



(Source: @FabrizioRomano) pic.twitter.com/qYAgPwfSgk  Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) June 13, 2022

Another Chelsea man who could be about to swap Stamford Bridge for the Camp Nou is Marcos Alonso.

With one year left on his contract, it appears Barcelona will have to dig into their pockets if they are to strike a deal. Alonso recently dropped a hint about his future, telling Onda Cero: "I can't complain about anything at Chelsea, but the desire to play in Spain is there. It doesn't depend entirely on me and I'm happy at Chelsea, honestly."

Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Silva was so good last season. You couldnt get the ball off him 



pic.twitter.com/52YYqzxb0y  CrossAndNod (@crossandnodFT) June 10, 2022

After a sensational season with Manchester City, it would take some effort - and money - if Bernardo Silva is to join Barcelona. If recent financial boosts aren't enough, the Catalan outfit could acquire the necessary cash if Manchester United complete their deal for Frenkie de Jong. Should Silva make the move this summer, it would certainly make for enthralling viewing considering the player would share the middle of the park with Pedri and Sergio Busquets.

Raphinha

Leeds United's Raphinha appears dejected during the Premier League match at Elland Road, Leeds.

With continuing uncertainty over the future of Ousmane Dembele, Barcelona are keen to sign Leeds United winger, Raphinha.

With the Whites managing to avoiding relegation last season, the Spanish outfit would need to fork out around 50million to make the deal happen.

However, there is a worry that if Barcelona stall for much longer, another team could swoop in on the forward.

The article Barcelona handed financial boost as club chase Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Bernardo Silva appeared first on Planetsport.com.
Smoke and dirt rise from the city of Severodonetsk (AFP via Getty Images)

The Kremlin may be using so-called humanitarian corridors to force civilians into Russian-backed territory, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has warned.

It its latest update, the MoD warned Russian forces have precedent in using the routes to funnel civilians into Russian territory, and may do so again as fighting continues in the city of Severodonetsk.

The ministry said this tactic has alreay been used in Ukraine and by Russian forces in Syria.

The update reads: Since 14 June, Russian and separatist officials have claimed they are attempting to establish humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to evacuate Sieverodonetsk.

Russia has precedent, both earlier in the Ukraine campaign and in Syria, of using unilaterally-declared humanitarian corridors as a mechanism to manipulate the battlespace and impose the forced transfer of populations.

Ukraianians may have to use these supposed corridors due to the destructions of bridges around the city in the east of Ukraine.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 18 June 2022



Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/811YhLUVp2



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/rskM8TlJYP  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) June 18, 2022

Options to leave the town are limited by the destruction of bridges, but Russias proposed route would take them towards the town of Svatova, deeper inside Russian-occupied territory.

If trapped civilians dont take up the offer of exiting via a corridor, Russian will likely claim justification in making less of a distinction between them and any Ukrainian military targets in the area.

The United Nations has warned thousands of civilians remain in Severodonetsk. Many have taken shelter in bunkers beneath the citys Azot chemical plant while the last bridge leading out of the city was destroyed during the week.

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The city has been a military target for Russia as it attempts to control the Donbas. This comes after Boris Johnson made a surprise second visit to Ukraine on Friday.

The Prime Minister gave Britains support for the hard line against Mr Putin after the war crimes committed by Russian forces and the illegal deportation of Ukrainian civilians from occupied parts of the country.

It came as he announced Britain stood ready to launch a major training operation for Ukrainian forces, with the potential to train up to 10,000 soldiers every 120 days.

Speaking at a press conference after meeting with president Volodymyr Zelensky he praised how life is coming back to the streets of the Ukrainian capital but warned how in the east of the country a barbaric assault continues on entirely innocent people.

Towns and villages are being reduced to rubble, he said. And as you rightly say, Volodymyr, we continue to see the deliberate targeting of civilians - what is unquestionably a war crime.
A member of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) holds the image of missing British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian Indigenous affairs specialist Bruno Pereira during a protest in Europe. Brazil's police confirmed Wednesday that someone had confessed to killing the two men in a remote region of the Amazon rainforest. (Photo: KENZO TRIBOUILLARD via Getty Images)

A member of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) holds the image of missing British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian Indigenous affairs specialist Bruno Pereira during a protest in Europe. Brazil's police confirmed Wednesday that someone had confessed to killing the two men in a remote region of the Amazon rainforest. (Photo: KENZO TRIBOUILLARD via Getty Images)

SAO PAULO  Brazils right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, has waged a furious campaign against the countrys Indigenous population since he was elected in 2018, targeting tribal people and lands with a relentless array of verbal assaults, legislative proposals, efforts to gut environmental agencies and the outright elimination of laws and regulations to protect them.

In August 2021, a coalition of Brazilian Indigenous groups produced a dossier of the attacks that had occurred during the first two years of Bolsonaros presidency in order to detail the broad and comprehensive anti-Indigenous project he and his right-wing allies had implemented.

The problem went beyond Bolsonaros legal attacks on Indigenous rights. The hate speech Bolsonaro directed toward them and his characterization of the Indigenous as enemies of Brazil, the authors wrote in the reports introduction, had also inspired others to attack and even kill Indigenous Brazilians, especially in conflicts over territory in the Amazon rainforest and other environmentally sensitive regions.

When the example of the countrys highest authority is one of contempt for laws and hatred of humanity, they asked, what can be expected from those who are inspired by such an abominable figure?

The world found out this month, when Dom Phillips, a British journalist, and Bruno Araujo Pereira, a Brazilian Indigenous affairs expert, disappeared during a trip to the Vale do Javari, a remote region of the Amazon rainforest in far western Brazil. On Wednesday, Brazilian police found human remains near the site where they had gone missing on June 5 and confirmed that a suspect had confessed to participating in their murder.

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Phillips and Pereira were, individually and especially as partners, the antithesis of Bolsonaros anti-Indigenous project. Phillips was a veteran reporter who had written about the environment and Brazils Indigenous tribes for years. He was in the Vale do Javari to complete his reporting for a book about sustainable development of the Amazon, an idea that runs against Bolsonaros belief that the forest must be bulldozed to promote economic development.

Pereira, a career employee of Brazils top Indigenous affairs agency who had helped tribes within the Javari Valley utilize technology to monitor and protect their lands, was a dedicated defender of the forest and the Indigenous people Bolsonaro and the Brazilian government now target for destruction.

He and his government bear responsibility. They have created the conditions for this.Fiona Watson, Survival International

Remote regions of the Amazon rainforest are and have long been dangerous places: Activists like Chico Mendes and Dorothy Stang were killed inside the forest long before Phillips and Pereira disappeared. But that hardly excuses Bolsonaros callous response to the tragedy: In his initial statement two days after they first went missing, Bolsonaro suggested the pairs disappearance was the result of an ill-conceived adventure. This week, he all but blamed Phillips for angering illicit forces in the forest and failing to protect himself.

That response, or any other that paints their deaths as an inevitable fact of life in a lawless region of the world, ignores both how much more dangerous Brazil has become under Bolsonaros leadership and whom it has become most dangerous for.

Bolsonaro did not kill Phillips and Pereira. But a tragedy of this sort was inevitable in his Brazil  a Brazil in which Bolsonaros erosion of the state has created a massive void where governmental protections for human rights defenders, journalists, the Indigenous and anyone else opposed to illicit activity in places like the Vale do Javari used to be.

Its a government that has no respect for Indigenous people or the rule of law, said Fiona Watson, the research and advocacy director for Survival International, a global Indigenous rights group that works closely with Brazilian tribes and organizations. He and his government bear responsibility, in my view. They have created the conditions for this.

Since taking office in 2019, Bolsonaro has inspired and effectively encouraged the total destruction of both the Amazon rainforest and the Indigenous tribes who live within it. He has rolled back protections for Indigenous lands and gutted the countrys environmental enforcement and tribal affairs agencies. His allies in Brazils Congress have pushed laws to open Indigenous lands to mining and further curb other protections. Bolsonaros government issued a record low number of fines related to environmental crimes during his first two years in office; government agencies like FUNAI, which oversees Indigenous affairs, and IBAMA, Brazils main environmental enforcement body, have been transformed from protective forces into tools of Bolsonaros destruction.

Bolsonaro has given the green light to illegal miners, fishers, loggers and other illicit actors to treat the forests, like the Amazon and Brazils Indigenous lands, as their own and helped create a culture of impunity for those who have targeted the forest and its tribal people. In 2020, long before Phillips and Pereira went missing, Human Rights Watch alleged that he had given carte blanche to criminally destructive forces in the Amazon region.

That has undoubtedly contributed to this feeling of impunity in people who think they can just go into Indigenous territories and do what they like, ransack them and steal their natural resources, said Watson, who has worked alongside Brazilian tribes inside the Amazon and other regions.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has presided over record destruction of the Amazon rainforest and sharp increases in the number of murders of Indigenous people, both of which have taken place as he has gutted protections for the forest and protected Indigenous lands. (Photo: EVARISTO SA via Getty Images)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has presided over record destruction of the Amazon rainforest and sharp increases in the number of murders of Indigenous people, both of which have taken place as he has gutted protections for the forest and protected Indigenous lands. (Photo: EVARISTO SA via Getty Images)

Indigenous people, she said, have told her that land invaders have delivered a pointed message when confronted on tribal lands: The invaders said, We can do what we like, because we have Bolsonaro behind us, Watson said. FUNAI is not operating. Its not doing its job. It has left the people of the Javari Valley to the mercy of the mining gangs and the poaching gangs. Theres a complete abdication now of state responsibility.

Phillips and Pereira are hardly the first to disappear or die while attempting to document the destruction that has taken place: In 2019, Maxciel Pereira dos Santos, who like Pereira worked for FUNAI, was assassinated in the Vale do Javari. Local journalists have been harassed, threatened and even killed in the area and others like it within the Amazon region.

Invasions of Indigenous lands skyrocketed early in Bolsonaros tenure as miners, loggers, fishers and others raced to kickstart illegal and exploitative operations throughout the forest  often in protected tribal territories. Now barelya monthpasseswithout a deadly attack on Indigenous tribes or environmental activists, as Smoke Signal, an effort to monitor the countrys environmental and human rights crises, has documented.

Just two months before Pereira and Phillips disappeared, tribes within the Vale do Javari reported that armed invaders had entered their territories, and they warned Brazils authorities that teams of fishers and hunters had been present for weeks. After a conflict with one of the groups, Univaja, a coalition of tribes from the Javari Valley, requested assistance from regional FUNAI officials. But none came, according to documents obtained by UOL, a Brazilian news outlet.

Weve been sending information about the invasion of the Javari Valley to the authorities, telling them that armed gangs of poachers linked to drug traffickers are in our territory to take our resources, Univaja leaders said in a statement Wednesday night. But the authorities have been slow to react.

Two weeks before Pereira and Phillips went missing, an 18-year-old member of the Guarani Kaiowa tribe was murdered in Mato Grosso do Sul, a state south of the Amazon region where Indigenous lands have also come under attack. Farmers had previously overtaken a tribal territory in the state, which borders Paraguay, to establish a soy farm.

Overall, nearly 300 Indigenous people were murdered in the first two years of Bolsonaros presidency, a steep increase from the years prior, according to Brazils Indigenous Missionary Council. In most instances, including some of the highest-profile killings, authorities have barely investigated the crimes, much less held anyone accountable.

Bolsonaros government has retaliated against employees like Pereira who have sought to protect Indigenous tribes. In 2019, Pereira was removed from his post at FUNAI, where he oversaw the agencys efforts to protect isolated tribes that have no known contact with the outside world, a move many Indigenous allies interpreted as a political purge of a well-respected ally who opposed Bolsonaros promises to co-opt the agency. Two years later, the government opened an investigation into prominent Indigenous leaders who criticized its efforts to protect tribes from COVID-19.

Brazilian Indigenous tribes have staged mass protests against Bolsonaro's government and proposals to further open lands to miners, loggers and fishers. They have alleged that he is waging a genocidal campaign against them and accused him of crimes against humanity. (Photo: Eraldo Peres/Associated Press)

Brazilian Indigenous tribes have staged mass protests against Bolsonaro's government and proposals to further open lands to miners, loggers and fishers. They have alleged that he is waging a genocidal campaign against them and accused him of crimes against humanity. (Photo: Eraldo Peres/Associated Press)

None of this is a secret, in Brazil or to the world: In January 2021, Brazilian Indigenous leaders alleged that Bolsonaro had committed crimes against humanity in a lawsuit filed in the International Criminal Court, asserting that his policies amounted to a genocidal campaign against the countrys tribal people.

Brazils Indigenous tribes have staged protests in cities from Brasilia and Sao Paulo to New York, Washington and London. They have spoken at United Nations-sponsored climate events, met with members of the U.S. Congress and partnered with American Indian tribes to raise awareness in the United States. They have asked the United Kingdom to suspend trade talks with Bolsonaro and warned President Joe Biden not to trust his Brazilian counterpart in negotiations over new environmental protections and climate goals.

Their fight, theyve argued, is part of a broader battle to save the Amazon and combat climate change that cannot be won without them. Attacks on their rights, theyve told the world, are inseparable from a larger assault on democracy  in Brazil and beyond.

They have spent the last three years begging for help only to see two more men killed trying to provide it. Now they are demanding that global attention remain on Brazil. The same Indigenous tribes that criticized the Brazilian governments absence from the initial search for Phillips and Pereira, and launched their own efforts to find the missing pair, are now holding protests to insist that the government bring their killers to justice.

Perhaps in this instance they will get it. Its possible  maybe even likely  that the domestic outrage and international pressure around this case will leave Brazils police and its government little choice but to seek the sort of accountability that has become a rarity under Bolsonaro.

But that wont be enough: Bolsonaros allies in Brazils Congress are still pushing new laws to open Indigenous lands to mining, and Bolsonaros government is still targeting Indigenous people and their defenders at every opportunity. Without more international support and attention, the countrys tribes are keenly aware of what will happen when interest in Phillips and Pereiras deaths inevitably passes.

When the Armed Forces and press leave Atalaia do Norte, what will happen with us? Univaja asked in its Wednesday night statement, referring to the Amazonian city to which Phillips and Pereira were supposed to return. Will we continue living under threats?

The answer to that question seems unfortunately obvious. Bolsonaros Brazil is one that is more dangerous  and increasingly deadly  for the Indigenous, for defenders of human rights and the environment, for government workers like Pereira and journalists like Phillips. Bolsonaros Brazil is exactly the place now that Indigenous Brazilians and many others warned it would be before he was elected. There may be some justice to come for Pereira and Phillips, but there will almost assuredly be more victims of senseless crimes like those committed against them.

Because in Bolsonaros Brazil, their deaths were no accident. They were a tragic result of his presidency.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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EXCLUSIVE: London and Paris-based production and sales company Film Constellation has inked pre-sales on family adventure animation The Last Dinosaur following its Cannes market launch.

Pic has sold in Australia New Zealand (Icon), Latin America (BF Distribution), Poland (Forum Film), Former Yugoslavia (MCF Megacom), Greece & Cyprus (Filmtrade), Israel (Red Cape) and Middle East (Italia Film).

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Developed and produced by animation studio Red Star, the UK animation team behind The Amazing Maurice, the film is written and directed by Ben Smith (StarDog & TurboCat).

Heres the official synopsis: When Rex, son of the King of Dinosaurs is suddenly snatched up and transported to the future in a time machine, he finds himself stranded in the 21st Century. Desperate to return to his own era to help save his kin, Rex must team up with a gang of freaks, nerds and geeks to go back 65 million years in time. But when he realizes saving those he loves will prevent all his newfound friends from ever existing, Rex will have to face what it means to beThe Last Dinosaur.

The feature animation, budgeted around $10M, is led by Jerome Boutroux (The Amazing Maurice), with cinematography by Faraz Hameed (Doctor Strange).

Film Constellation introduced a first 3D animation teaser to buyers in Cannes, with a delivery scheduled for Q3, 2024. Fabien Westehoff is executive-producing the project through the companys Constellation Productions banner and talks are continuing with buyers this week during the Annecy animation festival in France.

Film Constellations animation slate also includes Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscals Bossa Nova-themed They Shot The Piano Player, currently in production and selected in this years Annecys Works In Progress.

Story continues

In Cannes, the companys slate included Official Selection Un Certain Regard titles Joyland by Saim Sadiq, winner of the UCR Jury Prize and Queer Palm, and Harka by Lotfy Nathan, which took home the UCR Best Actor prize for Adam Bessa.

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Collin Reeves was suffering from depression when he killed his neighbours Stephen and Jennifer Chapple, two psychiatrists agreed (Elizabeth Cook/PA) (PA Wire)

A former soldier who stabbed his two neighbours to death had depression but was not otherwise mentally ill, two forensic psychiatrists agreed.

Collin Reeves admitted stabbing Steven and Jennifer Chapple in their home in Norton Fitzwarren outside Taunton in Somerset, on November 21 last year, but denied murder.

The Afghanistan veteran instead admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Jurors were asked to decide whether Reeves depression  which was diagnosed as moderate by one psychiatrist and mild by another  amounted to an abnormality of mental functioning in law.

On Friday, Reeves was convicted of murder.

During the trial at Bristol Crown Court, the jury heard Reeves and his wife Kayley had been involved in a dispute with the Chapples about parking since the previous May.

The Reeves also had problems in their marriage, and around 40 minutes before the killings Mrs Reeves had asked her husband for a trial separation.

The defendant later said he had almost no memory of the incident, and that he did not have the depth of feeling about the Chapples that would explain why he killed them.

Tributes laid for Stephen and Jennifer Chapple in Norton Fitzwarren (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Archive)

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Lucy Bacon, who assessed Reeves on behalf of the defence team, concluded that he had been suffering from moderate depression at the time of the attacks.

Dr Bacon said she had explored the possibility that he had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his tour in Afghanistan, and concluded that he was not.

The defendant reported being anxious in crowds but was not hyper vigilant  a symptom of PTSD often seen in soldiers where they feel a constant sense of threat.

He was also not suffering from nightmares or flashbacks.

Instead, Reeves told her that since leaving the Army in December 2017 he had been suffering from low mood and tiredness and wanted to avoid people.

Reeves said he had been considering suicide, and also about packing his bag and going missing to get away from his life.

Story continues

A police tent at the scene in Dragon Rise in Norton Fitzwarren (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Archive)

While at the police station, Reeves gave his name as Lance Corporal Collin Reeves and gave his service number, and seemed confused as to why he was there.

Dr Bacon said it appeared that the defendant had regressed to his training.

Hes spent many years as a soldier and hes gone back into that mode of answering questions with his service number, that sort of thing, she said.

I think that was caused by the shock of having killed the Chapples.

Both Reeves wife and his mother Lynn Reeves described Reeves looking very different on the night of the attack, something Dr Bacon attributed to extreme shock.

Reeves told Dr Bacon that life before the stabbings felt dark all the time.

He told her he had felt scared a lot of the time growing up due to episodes of domestic violence against himself and his mother by his father, but had never sought help for his mental health.

Reeves said Im a soldier and I need to toughen up, so I dont discuss it, Dr Bacon said.

She diagnosed his depression as moderate, because he was still able to function in some aspects of his life, such as going to work or going for a run, and worried about providing for his family.

Dr Bacon said depression was an abnormality of mental function because it affects how someone sees the world and their own behaviour.

But she said in her opinion it did not meet the criteria of diminished responsibility in law.

Dr John Sandford, for the prosecution, said Reeves loss of memory of the killings was consistent with dissociative amnesia  where an incident is so traumatic the brain erases it.

This is nothing to do with depression  its a reaction to a traumatic act, something that is usually a reaction to something youve done rather than something done to you, Dr Sandford said.

The witness diagnosed Reeves with mild depression, adding that it was a normal response for someone who was unhappy in his job and unhappy in his marriage.

Dr Sandford said Reeves demeanour of shock, confusion and memory loss when he was arrested were a consequence of the killings, not pre-existing mental conditions that drove his actions.
UNCW Professor Dr. Ralph Mead Receives DEQ Applied Research Fellowship to Advance PFAS Science

Dr. Ralph Mead, professor of chemistry and biochemistry for UNCW and its Center for Marine Science, is among four researchers awarded the inaugural North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Applied Research Fellowship to advance the science of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the state.

The DEQ, in partnership with the North Carolina Collaboratory, established this unique fellowship program to strengthen the partnership between state regulators and academic experts on a priority issue that impacts many North Carolinians.

"I am honored to receive the Collaboratory Fellowship and work with fellow scientists and regulators from NC Department of Environmental Quality, said Dr. Mead. "I look forward to strengthening and growing these ties to further advance our knowledge of the challenges per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances pose to the environment and citizens of North Carolina."

A key focus of the DEQ Action Strategy for PFAS is the development of the science needed to address PFAS statewide. The fellowship program provides an opportunity for researchers and DEQ staff to identify and address information gaps and research needs.

This fellowship is an opportunity for DEQ and the leading scientific experts on PFAS to work together to improve our understanding of these forever chemicals and generate the scientific data we need to protect our communities and protect our drinking water, said Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser.

The Fall 2022 Fellows will be Dr. Jamie DeWitt from East Carolina University and Dr. Lee Ferguson from Duke University, who will provide their expertise to DEQ staff to assist with PFAS-related laboratory methods, data analysis and field sampling.

Dr. Detlef Knappe from North Carolina State University will be the Spring 2023 Fellow and Dr. Mead will be the Summer 2023 Fellow.

The Collaboratory and DEQ have had a long and effective partnership to better understand PFAS in our state  sharing data and methodologies, utilizing academic labs to run water monitoring samples when the EPA was impacted by the last governmental shutdown a few years back, and facilitating both informal and formal roundtables between our university experts and DEQ leadership and staff, said Dr. Jeffrey Warren, the Collaboratorys executive director. This fellowship program is unique and a win-win; the faculty members will be able to better understand how scientific data are used in the policy and regulatory space, while DEQ regulators can better understand how the academic investigations are designed and executed as well as how the extensive datasets are generated and analyzed.

The fellowship program will be funded by the Collaboratory, which was established by the NC General Assembly in 2016 and has been active in PFAS research for many years. In 2018, the Collaboratory formed the NC PFAS Testing Network  a group of PFAS experts who specialize in studying PFAS levels in drinking water and air samples as well as the environmental, biological and public health impacts of the chemicals. More information is available online: https://collaboratory.unc.edu.

More information about DEQs continued work on emerging compounds including the DEQ Action Strategy for PFAS is available online: https://deq.nc.gov/news/key-issues/emerging-compounds.

-- Krissy Vick

The NC Department of Environmental Quality, in partnership with the North Carolina Collaboratory, announce the DEQ Applied Research Fellowship during a press conference at Cape Fear Community College. The fellows (L to R): Dr. Detlef Knappe, North Carolina State University; Dr. Ralph Mead, University of North Carolina Wilmington; Dr. Jamie DeWitt, East Carolina University; and Dr. Lee Ferguson, Duke University, will provide an opportunity to identify and address information gaps and research needed to address PFAS issues in air and water quality throughout North Carolina. PHOTO BY: JEFF JANOWSKI/UNCW